Alone again, naturally.

(Temporarily) alone, on Half Moon Cay.Show more

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, is a private island used by Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line.

The Bahamas' Half Moon Cay is a picture-perfect castaway island with a white sand beach and quiet, emerald-blue waters. This port of call, which is privately owned by the Carnival Corporation, is only utilised by ships that have this lovely retreat on their schedule.

Half Moon Cay usually ranks first despite stiff competition from other private cruise-owned islands. This is mostly because to the lengthy stretch of beach with its incredibly soft, white sand and variety of sports, such horseback riding.

This tranquil island, which was formerly known as Little San Salvador Island, is 2400 acres (less than 4 square miles) in size. A large portion of it has been preserved as a nature preserve with native vegetation for nesting birds and fauna.

Tenders are now used to bring cruise ships ashore, but a new deep-water dock is soon to be built. When you land, you can anticipate a lovely day at the beach with lots of opportunities for water sports, boat tours, swimming, snorkelling, and sunbathing.

A chapel for marriages, an ice cream shop, a bar, a food pavilion, restrooms, and a welcome centre with information and excursions are all on the island. At the Straw Market, you can look forward to purchasing mementos, regional handicrafts, and beachwear. You can also check out the watersports facility, go horseback riding on the sand, or schedule an appointment at the Half Moon Salon. Children can have fun at the Half Moon Lagoon Aqua Park, which features slides and a pirate ship.

Cruise passengers can reserve private cabanas, stingray encounters, and water sports.

The ship Henry Hudson owned and that is depicted on the Holland America logo is called Half Moon, and this creates a lovely connection between the island and the cruise line.

The cay was initially purchased by Norwegian Cruise Line and sold to Holland America Line (HAL), a division of the Carnival Group, in 1996 for $6 million. For its cruise guests, HAL created a private luxury resort on around 50 acres, and it oversees the remaining 2,400 acres as a wildlife refuge.