HALF MOON CAY

Located about 100 miles from Nassau, and about 18 miles from Eleuthera.

I wasn’t much impressed by the fact that most Caribbean cruise lines have their own private island until I experienced one first-hand on my Holland American Line mini cruise aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam.

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, in the foreground, Holland America Line's
Nieuw Amsterdam ship in the background

On the December day my ship went to Half Moon Cay--the island HAL shares with its Carnival sister ships--Black Santa was on board the spacious tender that delivered us to the island. He got lots of attention and provided quite a contrast with the brilliant turquoise Caribbean waters but still found a few minutes to check his e-mail. The ship anchored scenically off shore while the tenders continued transporting guests to and fro all day.

Black Santa on Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam ship tender

In 2017, Holland America Line celebrated 20 years of sailing to Half Moon Cay. And also that year, Porthole Magazine’s readers voted the island the best cruise private island--again, as they have done for 17 years in a row. Formerly known as Little San Salvador Island, it was renamed Half Moon Cay in a nod to its gorgeous 2.5-mile-long, crescent-shaped beach.

Half Moon Cay beach in Bahamas

We started our visit with a Calypso Island Tram Tour through the island’s palm tree-lined back road. It took us from one end to the other, past a natural 700-acre lagoon, and with visits to the horse stables and the manta ray lagoon where some of our shipmates were in the water busy petting the flapping creatures.

Half Moon Cay in Bahamas

Activities available here at additional cost include a glass-bottom boat ride, several bike tours, and horseback riding in the ocean. Rentals are available for every kind of water sports equipment, including sailboats, catamarans, paddle boards, water bikes, kayaks, snorkeling gear, and wave runners. It is even possible to rent a private villa with beach boy butler service. Private clamshells can be rented, too, but plenty of free lounge chairs line the beach making it easy to just sit back and relax and do some wading in the warm, clear, gorgeous water.

water activities on Half Moon Cay in Bahamas,
Holland America Line's Niew Amsterdam in background

On board beverage packages don’t apply here, which probably helps keep some people from drinking excessively. But there is nothing quite like a frozen pina colada or a nice cold beer to put a chill on the heat, and Captain Morgan’s Bar inside a faux shipwreck is just the place to go for that. Back in from the beach, a complimentary barbecue buffet lunch includes burgers, potato salad, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages. However, many passengers opt to pay an additional fee and head to the ocean-front, open-air Lobster Shack for delicious fresh grilled lobster with Caribbean beans n' rice.