• I've been to Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, three times.
• The cruise line has seen strong demand for voyages to the profitable resort-like port.
• Royal is set to debut three resorts through 2027 as it competes in the growing cruise-owned destinations market.

Royal Caribbean is poised to build a vast and highly profitable vacation network — driven not solely by its cruise vessels but by its land-based portfolio.

The company's planned three Icon Class ships are expected to launch through 2027, coinciding with the debut of its next three private ports: Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in 2025, Royal Beach Club Cozumel in 2026, and Perfect Day Mexico in 2027.

At first glance, it may seem ironic for a vacation-at-sea company to invest millions into land-based destinations.

So, to understand Royal Caribbean's real estate conquest, look at the accomplishment of its first private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, told analysts in October that its continued success can be partly attributed to its highest-rated port, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

I've visited the in-demand destination three times since 2022. It's no surprise the 5½-year-old Bahamian retreat has become the inspiration for the company's quickly growing private port-folio.

I relish the thrill of ultra-planned, stress-inducing travel where my survival relies on Google Maps and Translate.

However, behind this superiority complex, I also secretly love indulging in a vacation.

Not an emotionally taxing trip — a mushy-brained break where I get to rot on the beach and indulge in frivolous luxuries like guiltless naps and sugary beverages.

That about sums up why cruisers love Royal Caribbean's private island.

Some travelers criticize CocoCay for being an inauthentic Bahamian experience. While true, and for better or worse, that was never its promise.

The island was designed as an extension of Royal Caribbean's ships — a beach resort on steroids.

CocoCay is best for travelers who crave the conveniences of an all-inclusive resort: secure confinement, glittery beaches, and easy food and beverage kiosks.

The island has options for every type of paradise-seeking traveler. And much like going on a cruise, there's no need for planning as part of your visit (save for excursions like entry to its beach clubs). It's all set out for you.

For kids, CocoCay has a waterpark, a zipline, a water playground, and easygoing activities like ping-pong tables.

For adults, the island has two pool clubs: a boozy Vegas-style party at Hideaway Beach and a pricier high-end retreat at Coco Beach Club.

For traditionalists seeking a no-frills beach day, CocoCay's sandy waterfront is lined with innumerable lounge chairs and slow-sloping banks.

Plus, the island feels relatively safe.

Several popular cruise ports are in destinations where the US Department of State has issued travel advisories, such as Mexico's Ensenada, Baja (Level 3 — "reconsider travel" ) and Manzanillo, Colima (Level 4 — "do not travel").

The agency also suggests travelers "exercise increased caution" when visiting the Bahamas, home of CocoCay.

Yet, the island felt like one of the safest places I've recently toured.

CocoCay is only accessible by Royal Caribbean Group's ships.

As such, the only people there are its staff and the ship's crew and guests.

My biggest fear there? Getting a sunburn.

That's great news for concerned parents traveling with children or folks who may have read one too many cruise-related horror stories.

Most importantly, for Royal Caribbean, it's a proverbial goldmine.

Travelers love splurging during their daylong visit. The island doesn't require third-party excursion operators, allowing Royal Caribbean to maximize these profits.

Sections like the waterpark and beach clubs cost money to enter, from about $100 per person for the former to upward of $300 for Coco Beach Club.

Free parts of the island also have eye-catching upgrades, such as snorkeling equipment and costly cabanas.

Expect more opportunities to spend big at Royal Caribbean's coming properties.

Liberty told analysts that the cruise giant is "very mindful of having sizable significant returns" as it relates to its private properties. (It recently acquired the land for Perfect Day Mexico for $292 million.)

The company is using what it learned from CocoCay to design the Mexico location, which would also have free and paid amenities.

The same can't be said for the coming Royal Beach Club Collection.

The inaugural Paradise Island resort would accommodate about 4,000 guests a day. All would have to pay to enter, which would it a strong revenue driver.

For travelers, CocoCay is convenient, safe, amenity-rich, and beloved.

For Royal Caribbean, the island is a source of demand and increased revenue.

These private ports are a win-win all around, although competition could soon be stiff.

Carnival Corp is also racing to expand its private port portfolio.

The competing cruise giant plans to debut its $600 million private resort, Celebration Key, in 2025 and expand its existing private island, RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, in 2026. It's already selling 2026 itineraries that include both destinations, starting at about $350 per person for a four-day sailing.

Hackers trying to extort the Rhode Island government infiltrated the state's public benefits system, causing state officials to shut down online services that let residents apply for Medicaid and other assistance programs.

"As part of this investigation today, we discovered that within the Rhode Island Bridges system, a cybercriminal had installed dangerous malware that constituted an urgent threat," Governor Dan McKee said at a Friday night press conference, according to The Providence Journal. "That is why tonight we have shut down the system. That means customers will temporarily not be able to access any customer portal related to the services on Rhode Island Bridges."

The vendor "Deloitte confirmed that there is a high probability that a cybercriminal has obtained files with personally identifiable information from RIBridges," McKee's office said in a press release. Rhode Island has "proactively taken the system offline so that the State and Deloitte can work to address the threat and restore the system as quickly as possible."

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State officials said hundreds of thousands of Rhode Island residents could be affected by a cyberattack on the state’s online portal for social services, with a “high probability” that  personally identifiable information was breached. According to an update from Governor Dan McKee’s office, the attack targeted RIBridges, which Rhode Island residents use to apply for […]

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• I took a $6.50 ferry to Vashon Island, a scenic spot near Seattle.
• The ferry ride was only 20 minutes long and had beautiful views of the Puget Sound.
• I had a great time on the island and even attended a llama happy hour on one of its farms.

I love exploring the many beautiful islands in Washington state.

Recently, I planned a trip to Vashon Island, one of the largest islands in the Puget Sound, just south of Seattle.

To get there, I booked a 20-minute ferry ride from Seattle on the Washington State Ferry. My ticket to Vashon Island was only $6.50.

Here's what it was like taking the ferry and exploring the island.

I started my journey to Vashon Island at the Faunterloy ferry terminal in Seattle.

Unlike the area's Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island isn't accessible via a bridge. This means all visitors have to take a ferry ride and arrange their trip around the scheduled departure times.

Although the ferry can accommodate cars for an extra fee, I didn't bring one with me on this journey.

To get to the Fauntleroy ferry terminal in West Seattle, I took a couple of buses from the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. When I arrived, I bought a $6.50 ticket at a booth inside the tiny terminal.

Soon enough, the ferry arrived, and I boarded with the other foot passengers.

Though only about a dozen of us boarded the 1,200-passenger ship, I saw many cars waiting to get on the ferry.

Needless to day, I was glad to be a foot passenger.

The ferry had beautiful views of West Seattle.

The ferry had an open deck with no seats and an indoor sitting area with booths and wooden benches.

During the 20-minute ride, I admired evergreen-clad views of West Seattle and the Puget Sound area (a system of interconnected waterways off Washington's northwest coast).

I also noticed a snack bar stocked with chips and beverages, but I planned on having dinner soon, so I didn't grab anything while on board.

Sure enough, we soon arrived at Vashon Island's docks. Once we docked, I caught a ride to my lodging about 4 miles from the terminal.

The next day, I headed to happy hour at Vashon Llamas.

The following day, I visited a farm called Vashon Llamas, which offers a reservation-only llama happy hour for only $10.

The 90-minute happy-hour experience allows visitors to enjoy their own snacks and drinks, and pet llamas on the farm.

I loved feeding the llamas and talking to the farm's owner.

The happy-hour experience was adorable. One by one, llamas approached my table, and I got to pet them and feed them treats. For dessert, they munched on evergreen needles.

The farm's owner, Kelly, told me about how she transported her herd of 14 llamas from Wyoming to Vashon years ago, so even they have taken the Washington State Ferry.

Vashon Island is also known for its Oscar the Bird King sculpture, so I visited that, too.

While on the island, I also stopped at Oscar the Bird King, a large wooden sculpture by Danish artist Thomas Dambo that was installed in 2023.

To get there, I followed signs to the sculpture in Point Robinson Park, located on the east shore of Maury Island, which is connected to Vashon Island.

Overall, I had a great time on Vashon Island, and I'd definitely take the short ferry ride again.

Overall, I loved my visit to Vashon Island, and taking the ferry there was easy and cheap at only $6.50.

The people I met were friendly — and one local I met even drove me back to the ferry terminal after my three-night stay.

Visiting the island and dining with the llamas was a priceless experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something to do in the Seattle area.

This story was originally published on December 14, 2024, and most recently updated on December 16, 2024.

• You can vacation on a private Caribbean island for as cheap as $80 a day, so long as you go by cruise.
• Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival have islands exclusive to guests.
• These companies have been racing to expand their private island and resort portfolio.

Winter blues got you daydreaming about a private Caribbean island vacation? As expensive as they might sound, you don't have to break the bank to go to one.

Some are as cheap as $80 a day. Although, of course, there's a catch.

You'll have to go with thousands of other travelers — on a cruise ship, no less.

Many of the largest cruise companies own and operate private Caribbean islands just a day's sail from Florida's main terminals. These islands are only accessible by cruiseliners and are exclusive to their guests.

Once there, travelers can sunbathe on soft-sand beaches, snorkel with turtles in clear blue waters, and, of course, swim with pigs. Maybe for these reasons, travelers seem to love them — especially Royal Caribbean Group's Perfect Day at CocoCay, the company's highest-rated port, Jason Liberty, its CEO, told investors in October.

Families visiting CocoCay can spend their afternoon at the 14-slide waterpark. About a mile away, at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' larger 270-acre Great Stirrup Cay, adrenaline junkies can fly through the island's six-part zipline course.

At Carnival Corp's whopping 2,400-acre RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, guests can explore the beach by horseback.

Cruise ships generally stay docked at these private ports for less than a day. Yet, the value is comparatively hard to beat.

Carnival's Half Moon Cay itineraries are as affordable as $80 a day — not bad compared to neighboring private islands that could cost upward of $150,000 per night to rent.

But that doesn't mean every amenity at these cruise-owned destinations is cheap. If these savings give you the urge to splurge, a two-bedroom villa at Great Stirrup Cay's Silver Cove resort starts at about $1,430. Similarly, cabanas at CocoCay's luxurious beach club could cost upward of $1,600. (Don't worry — most of their beachside lounge chairs are free.)

The three cruise giants have hundreds of voyages planned to their islands in 2025. Carnival has about 200 scheduled — Royal Caribbean has more than double that.

These numbers are expected to grow in the coming years. Carnival and Norwegian plan to build multi-ship piers at their respective properties, with the latter opening in late 2025. This $150 million investment is expected to double Great Stirrup Cay's visitors the following year.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned several threats, mostly focused on lawmakers from Connecticut, targeting members of his caucus, just days after numerous threats were made against President-elect Trump's Cabinet selections.

Jeffries, D-N.Y., confirmed in a statement Friday that several Democrats were targeted with threats ranging from pipe bombs in their mailboxes to "swatting" — or filing a false police report on another person's behalf that often results in a SWAT team being dispatched.

All of the threatening messages were signed "MAGA," Jeffries said, adding law enforcement found no ordnance at any of the targeted lawmakers' homes.

"America is a democracy. Threats of violence against elected officials are unacceptable, unconscionable and have no place in a civilized society. All perpetrators of political violence directed at any party must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," he said. "House Democrats will not be deterred or intimidated from serving the people by violent threats. We have been in close communication with the Sergeant at Arms office and it is imperative that Congress provide maximum protection for all Members and their families moving forward."

Later Friday, President Biden told reporters on Nantucket, Massachusetts, that his administration is working "hard" with the FBI on the threats to lawmakers and Trump nominees.

TOP DEM: ‘UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION’ IS A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY

After Jeffries spoke out, Rep. Seth Magaziner, a Democrat from neighboring Rhode Island, announced on Friday afternoon that his home had been targeted, as well. Magaziner said Providence police responded quickly and no one was harmed.

Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., had his home targeted by a bomb threat. A spokesperson said it appeared to be part of a "coordinated effort."

Five other Democrats from the Constitution State received similar threats, including Reps. Joe Courtney, John Larson, Rosa DeLauro, Jahana Hayes and James Himes.

CT DEM SAYS IT'S CLEAR HUNTER BIDEN BROKE THE LAW

"There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility," said Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee who replaced Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

Prior to that spate of threats, Trump's U.N. ambassador-designate Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said she was traveling home to her North Country district for Thanksgiving when she was informed of a threat against her home.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. — Trump's initial choice for attorney general — also received a threat.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y. — Trump's nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency — said his home was subjected to a "pro-Palestinian-themed" pipe bomb threat. Zeldin is Jewish.

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Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., whom the president-elect tapped for Labor secretary, said her Oregon home was targeted, as was that of former San Diego Chargers cornerback Scott Turner, whom Trump named to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Trump nominees including Cantor-Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, America First Policy Institute President Brooke Rollins and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth also received threats.

In a statement, the FBI said it is aware of "numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners."

"We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement," it said.

Fox News' Kevin Ward contributed to this report.

President-elect Trump flipped six highly competitive states in his election victory last week. But as a Fox News analysis showed last week, his gains with voters were not limited to the battlegrounds. 

This list covers the 10 states where Trump most outperformed his 2020 margins.

Notably, conservative strongholds aren’t the only states that made the list. The top 10 also includes deeply Democrat areas. Trump didn’t win these states, but they swung to the right.

Vote counting continues in some highly populated states on this list, including California and New York.

IN ELECTION VICTORY, TRUMP'S GAINS WENT BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUNDS

Note: As of this writing, approximately 3% of ballots have not yet been counted in New York.

So far, New York has swung 11 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 6.3-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while his Democrat opponent, Vice President Harris, slipped by five points.

He gained across the state, with his largest swings in New York City and Long Island.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 97% of the vote counted, she is winning by 12 points.

TRUMP TRAIN CHUGS PAST 2020 MARGINS, PARTICULARLY AMONG HISPANICS, URBAN NORTHEASTERNERS

Note: As of this writing, approximately 1% of ballots have not yet been counted in New Jersey.

So far, New Jersey has swung 10 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.7-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by 5.3 points.

He gained across New Jersey, with his largest swings in the northeast corner of the state. Hudson and Passaic counties lead the pack.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by six points.

Florida swung 10 points toward Trump.

'FASCIST': LIBERAL CRITICS MELT DOWN AFTER FLORIDA VOTERS REJECT ABORTION RIGHTS AMENDMENT

The president-elect posted a 4.9-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by the same amount.

He gained across the state. The most notable swing was in Miami-Dade County, which flipped to the GOP for the first time since 1988.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With the results certified, he won by 13 points.

Massachusetts swung nine points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.2-point improvement on his 2020 vote share and Harris slipped by 4.6 points.

ABORTION SUPPORTERS AT WOMEN'S MARCH IN BOSTON TURN OUT IN DROVES TO SUPPORT HARRIS PRESIDENCY

He gained across the state, with double-digit swings in Suffolk County, which includes Boston, and Bristol County.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by 25 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 5% of ballots have not yet been counted in California.

So far, California has swung nine points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.8-point improvement on his 2020 vote share as Harris slipped by 4.8 points.

He gained in many areas across the state, including the two most populated cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 95% of the vote counted, she is winning by 21 points.

DEMOCRAT WINS HOUSE RACE TO RETAIN SEAT IN CALIFORNIA'S 21ST DISTRICT

Texas swung eight points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.2-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by roughly the same amount.

He gained across Texas, with the largest swings concentrated in the southern parts of the state. Webb County, for example, home to Laredo, moved 25 points toward Trump. That gave Republicans their first win there in over a century.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, he is winning by 14 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 2% of ballots have not yet been counted in Mississippi.

So far, Mississippi has swung eight points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a four-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by roughly the same amount.

EX-TRUMP OFFICIAL PREDICTS ‘ENTIRE MINDSET CHANGE’ AT SOUTHERN BORDER, HAILS ‘FANTASTIC’ PICK TO LEAD DHS

He gained across the state, including in Yazoo County, a majority-Black county that last voted for the GOP in 2004.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 98% of the vote counted, he is winning by 24 points.

Rhode Island swung seven points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.3-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by four points.

He gained across the state, led by Providence, the city’s highest-populated area.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 98% of the vote counted, she is winning by 14 points.

REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA

Tennessee swung 6.5 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.5-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by three points.

He gained across the state, including a double-digit swing in Trousdale County, a rural area outside the Nashville metropolitan area.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, he is winning by 30 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 1% of ballots have not yet been counted in Illinois.

So far, Illinois has swung six points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.4-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by 2.9 points.

He gained across Illinois, with a notable eight-point swing in Cook County, home to Chicago.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by 11 points.