Bahamas
Half Moon Cay
Half Moon Cay: A Private Island in The Bahamas
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Going Ashore
Half Moon Cay, which some itineraries list as RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, is Little San Salvador Island, a private island in The Bahamas owned by Carnival Corporation and used as a port of call by its ships. Ships have traditionally anchored offshore and carried passengers to the beach by tender, and your ship tells you whether you will land by tender or at a pier.
- The island lies roughly halfway between Eleuthera and Cat Island, about 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Nassau.
- About 50 acres of the island's 2,400 acres have been developed, with the aim of keeping as much habitat as possible for wildlife.
- The island is an important nesting area for waterfowl.
- The Bahamas keeps US Eastern time, with daylight saving from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, so island clocks match those on the US East Coast.
Half Moon Cay on Your Own
On a private island, a day on your own means planning your own beach time rather than finding your way around a town. Choose a couple of activities, leave time to swim, and keep an eye on the time for the trip back to the ship.
- What there is to do: Swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, cycling, nature walks and horseback riding have all been offered here, along with volleyball and basketball courts and a fitness trail with exercise stations. Ask your ship what is running on your date.
- On the water: Kayaks, small catamarans, sailboats and windsurfing boards have been available to rent, along with glass-bottom boat rides, parasailing and deep-sea fishing.
- Swim with care: Jet skis do not always respect the buoys that mark swimming areas, so watch for them. Fatal shark attacks can happen in Bahamian waters without warning; avoid swimming at dusk or at night, and never enter water that has been baited.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
Tipping in The Bahamas
In The Bahamas a 15 percent service charge is added to the bill at most establishments, and any further tip is optional. The Bahamian dollar is tied to the US dollar at one to one, and US dollars are accepted everywhere at the same value.
- Check your bill for the service charge before adding anything.
- There is no need to change money for a day ashore if you carry US dollars.
History
Little San Salvador appears in the records mostly through storms, shipwrecks and visiting fishermen, two American presidents among them. Norwegian Cruise Line acquired it around 1980 so its ships could always call, and Holland America Line opened it as Half Moon Cay in 1997.
- A distant land: The Lucayan people, the indigenous people of The Bahamas, called the island Guateo, meaning distant land.
- Storms and wrecks: In September 1883 a hurricane blew the ship Carleton out of the island's harbor, and several passengers died. The sloop Lizzie Culmer was wrecked on the island on June 22, 1901.
- Botanists: In 1907 the director of the New York Botanical Garden, N. L. Britton, led a party here in search of new plants.
- Presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt fished off the island in 1935 and swam and fished here again in March 1936. In 1940 it was considered as a site for a United States naval base, and Dwight D. Eisenhower came to fish in March 1957.
- The first cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line's founder, Knut Kloster, began negotiating to buy the island in 1979. The first large cruise ship to call, the SS Norway, arrived on May 30, 1980.
- A landfill that never came: In 1987 a plan to turn the island's lagoon into a landfill, with condominiums on top, was rejected by The Bahamas.
- Half Moon Cay: Holland America Line bought the island in December 1996 for 6 million dollars and opened it as Half Moon Cay in December 1997. It is now owned by Carnival Corporation.
Half Moon Cay with Children
Half Moon Cay is an easy day with children of any age, because the whole stop is built around the beach and simple activities. Pick one or two outings by age and keep the rest of the day for the sand and the water.
- Younger children: Stay on the beach and in the shallows, with sun protection and plenty of water, and watch the water for jet skis near the swimming area.
- School age: A glass-bottom boat ride shows the sea life without getting wet, and cycling or a short nature trail suits children who are steady on their feet.
- Teenagers: Snorkeling, kayaking, a small catamaran or horseback riding give older children something more active, and the volleyball and basketball courts are there for a pickup game.
- Swimming safety: Avoid swimming at dusk, when the risk from sharks is higher, and keep children out of any water where fish are being cleaned or bait has been thrown.
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