Half Moon Cay Cabanas

I saw a post about these cabanas and we are really interested in renting one. The original poster said that they were brought snacks and that there was a beach party with hamburgers, jerk chicken, etc. Are these things added into the price of the cabana or are they extra? I'm sure that you have to pay for drinks but will the person serving the snacks bring you drinks if you ask? There is another couple that will be renting this with us so I want to have all the information possible. Thanks!

I saw a post about these cabanas and we are really interested in renting one. The original poster said that they were brought snacks and that there was a beach party with hamburgers, jerk chicken, etc. Are these things added into the price of the cabana or are they extra? I'm sure that you have to pay for drinks but will the person serving the snacks bring you drinks if you ask? There is another couple that will be renting this with us so I want to have all the information possible. Thanks!

Only drinks are extra!! We are going in two weeks and cannot wait!!! WOOOHOO!!!

Have you been to HMC? You will not wanna leave!!!:D

Thank you so much for the information! We have not been to HMC, this is our first cruise. We are all so excited and can't wait. I hope that I can make it through these 4 days of work.

we rented a cabana at HMC and enjoyed it very much, we had a tray of veggies and dip,salsa & dip and I believe fruit, as well as pop and water, there is food as well that you can go and get and being it back, you rent these when you get on the ship, go to the excursion right away as they rent very fast, get ones down the beach somewhat that way there is less noise,

Good Luck and Have a Great cruise.

sailorwife:)

Half Moon Cay is a treat.

The hamburgers, hotdogs, etc etc etc is like a big cook out that is done on the island and is FREE. Carnival simply brings the Lido deck to the island. They have a huge pavilion where they grill and serve.

It is part of your cruise and does not cost extra.

The only things on the island that cost extra is the soda and alcohol...just like if you were on the ship. Carnival provides ice tea and lemonade for free...just like on Lido.

The cabanas offer some "additional" snacks like the veggie trays, water, soda etc. I think they run about $219.00 for up to 6 people....which is reasonable. That includes floats etc for you to use while you are there.

Last time we were there...you could not book the cabanas ahead of time. You simply book them when you get on the ship at the Shore Excursion desk.

Not sure if that is still the way they handle it. We had friends that got one in January and we went by to visit .... it was very neat!!

I would get one "away" from all the activity though....because I like less crowds.

You don't have a server. The food is already either in your Cabana when you arrive or they drop it off shortly afterwards. When you sign up, they ask you what kind of soft drink you want. Neither of us drink soft drinks, so we just got bottled water. Our snacks were nachos & fruit. Maybe a veggie tray. The Cabana also includes 2 lounge chairs, 2 floats, snorkeling gear for 2, a table & chairs in the air conditioned portion of the cabana, a fridge, misters & a shower.

You walk over to the "cook-out" to get your food. They had Jerk chicken, burgers & dogs, as well as cold salads.

You do have to pay for your drinks. There are a few bars to order drinks, alcoholic & non-alcoholic. I don't remember if there were any free beverages.

I don't think it's $219 for up to 6 people. It's $219 & they charge more for additional people, because you get more snacks & drinks. I could be wrong about that, because it was just the 2 of us. But I thought that was the setup.

Half Moon Cay is a treat.

 

The hamburgers, hotdogs, etc etc etc is like a big cook out that is done on the island and is FREE. Carnival simply brings the Lido deck to the island. They have a huge pavilion where they grill and serve.

 

It is part of your cruise and does not cost extra.

 

The only things on the island that cost extra is the soda and alcohol...just like if you were on the ship. Carnival provides ice tea and lemonade for free...just like on Lido.

 

The cabanas offer some "additional" snacks like the veggie trays, water, soda etc. I think they run about $219.00 for up to 6 people....which is reasonable. That includes floats etc for you to use while you are there.

 

Last time we were there...you could not book the cabanas ahead of time. You simply book them when you get on the ship at the Shore Excursion desk.

Not sure if that is still the way they handle it. We had friends that got one in January and we went by to visit .... it was very neat!!

 

I would get one "away" from all the activity though....because I like less crowds.

We rented a Cabana in May at HMC. The reason you can't book it ahead of time or even from your room television is because they have to ask you questions about what snacks and drinks you want. As a matter of fact the TV said none were available. We went to the pursers desk and they said plenty were available but had to be booked at the pursers desk.

We booked at the excursion desk on the Triumph in July (the purser's desk told us they didn't take cabana reservations), and as someone also noted in this post, you absolutely have to get to the excursion desk as close to 12:00 noon as possible. I was there at 11:55 and there were 3 of us waiting. As a FYI, when we first got to the desk, a crew member told us that there was a software issue with the computers, and to come back at 1:00. Luckily, we ignored the advice, and about 5 minutes later, someone from the excursion desk came through a side door and started taking reservations by hand. Had we come back at 1:00, there wouldn't have been any cabanas left. One person rented 5 cabanas, so they went very quickly.

We booked at the excursion desk on the Triumph in July (the purser's desk told us they didn't take cabana reservations), and as someone also noted in this post, you absolutely have to get to the excursion desk as close to 12:00 noon as possible. I was there at 11:55 and there were 3 of us waiting. As a FYI, when we first got to the desk, a crew member told us that there was a software issue with the computers, and to come back at 1:00. Luckily, we ignored the advice, and about 5 minutes later, someone from the excursion desk came through a side door and started taking reservations by hand. Had we come back at 1:00, there wouldn't have been any cabanas left. One person rented 5 cabanas, so they went very quickly.

Sorry..... That's what I meant was the excursion desk.

Thank you all for the information! Now I just hope we can get to the desk fast enough!

Only the liquor drinks are extra. They fill the fridge with softdrinks and you get a nice tray of fruit and nacho chips.

The water toys/mats are nice.

I recommend this choice for anyone. However book as soon as the desk opens... they go quick.

Bumping this up so another poster has info .

does anyone know how many cabanas they have?

there are at least 10, maybe 12 cabanas. We rented one for the first time last month and felt it was worthwhile, but don't expect much in the way of snacks in the cabana. We were underwhelmed. But lunch at the BBQ is fine. You can get a ride to your cabana by checking in at the info desk on your left as you enter the fort area and you can also arrange to be picked back up at a certain time. You also get priority tendering, but now with the large permanent tenders at HMC that really isn't much of an issue. I think we paid $249 though.

does anyone know how many cabanas they have?

There are 15 cabanas.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/108/296583013_6fa96f5e51_o.jpg

There are 15 cabanas.

 

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/108/296583013_6fa96f5e51_o.jpg

How do you know what colors to choose? I do have children, so want them near activities, but I like to float on my mat in the water also, without children everywhere. Is there a middle mark to satisfy all of us? Thanks!

Taupe would be the first cabana, so as you move away from that cabana, there will be less people.

The pictures Bruce posted will give you a good idea of what each cabana looks like, but some of them are identified by the wrong colors, which can cause confusion if you're trying to book a specific color. The picture lists #1 as being "Gray" but it's "Taupe" - #5 is listed as "Light Blue" but it's "Sky Blue" - #11 is listed as "Light Purple" but it's "Gray" - #15 is listed as "Mauve" and it's "Violet."

Those pictures were also taken prior to the new hammocks. I listed as many as I could see (from my pictures).

I also noticed this past time we had a cabana, that the canvas privacy curtain was no longer on the cabana. The first time we were there, it was rolled up and secured at the top of the cabana and you could drop it if you wanted privacy. I looked through my pictures and I didn't see the canvas curtain on any of the cabanas.

Here's my pictures that I posted on Webshots. If you click on a particular picture and want it to be a lot larger (it will fill most of your screen), click on the "full size" icon on the left. You'll be able to see a lot of details that way. :)

http://travel.webshots.com/album/570048717ERbxaa?start=0

Here's a map and a list of things going on. The map is the one they gave us last month, but it looks like not all the cabanas are shown (Peach, Eggshell, Gray, Red & Violet aren't on the map).

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2406705090104783828jPzKMr

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2208047980104783828fQdQRK

Half Moon Cay Cabanas

1. Taupe

2. Blue

3. Turquoise

4. Orange (one hammock between the orange and sky blue cabana)

5. Sky Blue

6. Purple

7. Peach (one hammock between the peach & pink-closer to peach)

8. Pink (one-maybe two between the pink & eggshell-closer to pink)

9. Eggshell (one hammock on each side of the eggshell-both close to eggshell)

10. Green (3 hammocks centered between the green & gray cabanas)

11. Gray (one hammock -on the yellow side, but close to the gray)

12. Yellow (3 hammocks centered between the yellow and terracotta)

13. Terracotta

14. Red

15. Violet

There are 15 cabanas.

 

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/108/296583013_6fa96f5e51_o.jpg

Thanks for posting this site. I meant to mention that this picture gives you a real good idea of what cabanas has sun and what cabanas are shaded. We wanted shade, so we've always rented the turquoise cabana.

Do you have any ideas why this happened?

I tried to post the pictures of the maps from the enlarged version. They showed up bigger on the post, but when I went back to check them, there was a message about being denied access (or something like that). All I did was cut/paste the location. Any ideas why it worked once and then not a second time? Thanks for your help. :)

Wow! Loved all your pics! You are the Cabana Queen! Which would you recommend being that I'm traveling with my 79 yr old MIL. Is there alot of walking? They all look pretty similar, I would like a sunny one, preferably with a hammock :)

Wow! Loved all your pics! You are the Cabana Queen! Which would you recommend being that I'm traveling with my 79 yr old MIL. Is there alot of walking? They all look pretty similar, I would like a sunny one, preferably with a hammock :)

Thanks! :)

The cabanas are all the same design. Some have trees next to them so those will have a shaded area where the loungers are located. Some are on a more sloping area, so they have more steps (those seem to be the cabanas toward the end #9-#15). If you get one of the first 5 cabanas, you'd be closer to the BBQ area and the restrooms.

There's also a small shuttle (I think it was like a big golf cart) that will transport your family to just above your cabana. We booked the turquoise cabana the first time because we wanted the shade and I couldn't walk very far because of a knee problem I had at the time. This last time, we booked it for the shade.

Looking at the pictures I have...it looks like these cabanas will get a lot of sun. The Taupe, orange and peach cabanas don't look like they have a tree close enough to shade any of the cabana. The hammocks, when it's sunny, tend to go quickly, so if you want to snag one, I'd get there early.

1. Taupe

4. Orange

7. Peach

8. Pink

9. Eggshell

13. Terracotta

15. Violet

The #1 Taupe one is the first one and you'll see more traffic in this area. No hammock near that one.

The #3 orange one has nice access to the food area and there are stairs right behind that cabana. There is a hammock next to the orange.

The #7 peach cabana has a hammock next to it.

The #9 eggshell has two hammocks-one on each side.

The #13 terracotta has three hammocks that's in between that cabana and the #12 yellow cabana.

The #15 cabana doesn't have a hammock at least not one that I saw.

Access to the cabanas is something I really didn't look at too carefully. Not sure if you need this or not, but I thought I'd add it in case you do (for your MIL). I went back and added these pictures to my Webshots album. I'm not sure what other access areas there are besides these that I have listed. I remember we climbed over a short bush to get to the road behind the cabanas (we were near #15), but there are several sand ramps and one set of stairs (between the orange and turquoise cabana) that we saw. There might be more...I just don't remember.

I think there was some sort of a ramp...or maybe just a sand path next to #1 Taupe, but I can't locate a picture right now. I'll keep looking. I have tons of pictures. :)

Here's the stairs between the #3 turquoise & #4 orange cabanas.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2313914310104783828yNomFc

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2675323300104783828fXnvBo

Here's the ramp that's next to the #9 eggshell cabana.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2403579770104783828qBGuDI

There's a walkway in the sand next to the water sports area. This is next to #5 sky blue cabana.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2616180680104783828ahArNR

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2400718030104783828BysFeM

This is the type of road that winds through the area.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2934198810104783828ddQqBn

Do the hammocks belong to the cabana renter or can people not renting use them?

Do the hammocks belong to the cabana renter or can people not renting use them?

The hammocks are available for use by anyone visiting the island...so it's whoever snags one, gets to use it. :)

You are truly amazing!! Thanks so much for all the info! You really helped me, and I appreciate it :) My worry now is how early do I have to go to the excursion desk on the 1st day to book any of these?

Thanks! :)

 

The cabanas are all the same design. Some have trees next to them so those will have a shaded area where the loungers are located. Some are on a more sloping area, so they have more steps (those seem to be the cabanas toward the end #9-#15). If you get one of the first 5 cabanas, you'd be closer to the BBQ area and the restrooms.

 

There's also a small shuttle (I think it was like a big golf cart) that will transport your family to just above your cabana. We booked the turquoise cabana the first time because we wanted the shade and I couldn't walk very far because of a knee problem I had at the time. This last time, we booked it for the shade.

 

Looking at the pictures I have...it looks like these cabanas will get a lot of sun. The Taupe, orange and peach cabanas don't look like they have a tree close enough to shade any of the cabana. The hammocks, when it's sunny, tend to go quickly, so if you want to snag one, I'd get there early.

 

 

1. Taupe

4. Orange

7. Peach

8. Pink

9. Eggshell

13. Terracotta

15. Violet

 

The #1 Taupe one is the first one and you'll see more traffic in this area. No hammock near that one.

 

The #3 orange one has nice access to the food area and there are stairs right behind that cabana. There is a hammock next to the orange.

 

The #7 peach cabana has a hammock next to it.

 

The #9 eggshell has two hammocks-one on each side.

 

The #13 terracotta has three hammocks that's in between that cabana and the #12 yellow cabana.

 

The #15 cabana doesn't have a hammock at least not one that I saw.

 

Access to the cabanas is something I really didn't look at too carefully. Not sure if you need this or not, but I thought I'd add it in case you do (for your MIL). I went back and added these pictures to my Webshots album. I'm not sure what other access areas there are besides these that I have listed. I remember we climbed over a short bush to get to the road behind the cabanas (we were near #15), but there are several sand ramps and one set of stairs (between the orange and turquoise cabana) that we saw. There might be more...I just don't remember.

 

I think there was some sort of a ramp...or maybe just a sand path next to #1 Taupe, but I can't locate a picture right now. I'll keep looking. I have tons of pictures. :)

 

Here's the stairs between the #3 turquoise & #4 orange cabanas.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2313914310104783828yNomFc

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2675323300104783828fXnvBo

 

 

Here's the ramp that's next to the #9 eggshell cabana.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2403579770104783828qBGuDI

 

 

There's a walkway in the sand next to the water sports area. This is next to #5 sky blue cabana.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2616180680104783828ahArNR

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2400718030104783828BysFeM

 

 

This is the type of road that winds through the area.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2934198810104783828ddQqBn

You are truly amazing!! Thanks so much for all the info! You really helped me, and I appreciate it :) My worry now is how early do I have to go to the excursion desk on the 1st day to book any of these?

I'm guessing it depends on the time of year you're going. For our cruise this August I would think they'll go quick because of the heat so it's the first thing I'm doing when I board the ship.

You are truly amazing!! Thanks so much for all the info! You really helped me, and I appreciate it :) My worry now is how early do I have to go to the excursion desk on the 1st day to book any of these?

I'd do as Nunu is doing...Once on the ship, I'd find out what time the excursion desk opens and get there as close to or before (to get in line) that time. I believe I have read posts that stated the excursion desk on Carnival opens at 1:00, but you'll want to verify this information. If you're on a HAL ship the cabanas usually are the first thing to show up online. We booked our cabana in May for our Jan. & Feb. cruises. :)

I am glad I could help! Enjoy your day on HMC. :)