Arguably one of the most beautiful cruise line private islands, Holland America Line’s Half Moon Cay will celebrate 20 years of operation in 2017.  A recent Half Moon Cay upgrade added new features aimed at continuing Holland America Line’s award winning position in the world of private islands.

 

 

“For the past 20 years Half Moon Cay has been the recipient of numerous accolades ranking it the best private island in the Caribbean, and it continues to be the jewel in our Caribbean itineraries,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We are renowned for providing top destination experiences, and all of our guests will enjoy the recent enhancements on Half Moon Cay, including the Lobster Shack that is a fantastic addition to our culinary offerings.”

 

 

Last summer, Half Moon Cay underwent several upgrades to existing features and welcomed new additions.

• Water sports are a popular part of any call at the Half Moon Cay. Now, Holland America Line guests can enjoy new Sunfish sailboats, Hobie catamarans, Aqua Cycle Trikes and Aqua Trax Wave Runners. Those are in addition to paddleboats, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, snorkel gear and more.
• Added: a new Lobster Shack eatery, permanently located near the “I Wish I Could Stay Here Forever” bar, serving fresh grilled lobster with Caribbean coconut beans n’ rice and a rum-jerk butter glaze. Also available, Pineapple and Caribbean Sofrito salsas.  Available for a nominal fee, the Lobster Shack has Rum punch and other beverages also are available for purchase at the Lobster Shack.

 

 

Refreshed and Renewed: The private beach-side cabanas and two-story villas also received facelifts with new paint, and some new furnishings. The Grand Cabana — the ultimate private retreat on Half Moon Cay — received new décor as well.  Guests looking for a drink on the beach now have three more satellite locations, and the Captain Morgan on the Rocks bar which opened in 2011 received new furniture.

 

 

The horseback riding tours are among the most popular, and 14 additional horses and two more grazing pastures were added, while the changing rooms at the Ranch were enhanced. Many guests visit the island’s Welcome Center, where new furniture adorns the facility.

 

 

All Roundtrip Fort Lauderdale Caribbean Cruises Call at Half Moon Cay
All Holland America Line cruises that sail roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, make a call at Half Moon Cay. Guests on the new ms Koningsdam, ms Eurodam, ms Zuiderdam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Rotterdam, ms Veendam and ms Prinsendam will be able to visit Half Moon Cay on a variety of itineraries.

 

Awards for Half Moon Cay Place Island at the Top
Holland America Line guests and fans consistently rank Half Moon Cay as their favorite Caribbean call, and the readers of Cruise Critic and Porthole Cruise Magazine agree. Half Moon Cay recently was named a “Top-Rated Cruise Line Private Island Destination” in Cruise Critic’s first-ever Cruisers’ Choice Destination Awards. The awards are given based entirely on consumer feedback submitted on the Cruise Critic website over the past year. Half Moon Cay also was awarded “Best Private Island” in the 2016 Porthole Readers’ Choice Awards.