Half Moon Cay Tips - Average Cruiser

Half Moon Cay is Carnival’s private island. It is a beautiful beach and fun place to relax and enjoy the water. Beach chairs, lunch and basic beverages are provided. The downside to Half Moon Cay is it is usually a short day. Use these tips for Half Moon Cay to make the most of your day!

Take an early shuttle

Half Moon Cay is really not a long day, so one of the most important tips it to take an early shuttle. You do have to get a ticket for the tender and there will be lines and waiting, but it is worth being able to get to the beach before it gets super crowded.

Choose your tender seat with intention

The tenders, or water shuttles, load on the top at the ship, but they will unload from the bottom. If you want to be one of the first people off the tender, sit on the bottom of the tender on the way to shore. When you get back on the tender to return to the ship, sit on top if possible. The top will unload first into the ship.

Go early or late for lunch

One of the biggest downsides to Half Moon Cay compared to other private islands is that there is only one place to get lunch. The Island Barbecue or Island Burger is in the exact same pavilion and it gets very crowded at a standard lunch time.

Check out both lines for lunch

There are lines for barbecue and lines for burgers at lunch. Make sure you are in the line you want to be in. We tried the barbecue on our last trip to Half Moon Cay because the line was so much shorter and we really enjoyed it. It’s not like the burgers are Guy’s Burgers anyway!

Walk further down the beach

The crowds on the beach thin out the further down the beach you go. There is a point where it does become annoyingly far to get back to lunch, bathrooms, etc, but just a little further will get fewer crowds!

Rent cabanas and clamshells in advance

Looking for shade on the beach? Make sure you rent in advance! The cabanas are very limited and will fill up. There are a lot more clamshells and they sometimes still have them available day of, but they are the same price regardless of if you book them in advance or rent them on the beach. If you know you’re going to want one, just book it before you go!

Bring both your sign & sail card (room key) and cash if you want to purchase anything

The bar and some of the vendors use your sign & sail card to pay for things, but some venders in the market by the pier only take cash. If you want to buy any souvenirs, bring some cash to shop!