Major Changes Coming To Carnival’s Half Moon Cay

[DFWGUYZ]

https://cruiseradio.net/major-change-coming-to-carnival-cruise-lines-half-moon-cay/

[Daisyloo]

I hope they don't ruin the beauty that is HMC..

[holacanada]

Wow !

No more tender to the « I wish I stay here forever » Island. 

 

Holacanada from Quebec City —

 

[Sir PMP]

They should sell the now spoiled island and build a nice small ship..

[Krazy Kruizers]

I wonder if the pier will be able to handle 2 ships at a time?

 

For the last several years we have been there when another ship was there -- very crowded.

[jlocole]

Does HMC have a pool?

 

[*Miss G*]

9 minutes ago, jlocole said:

Does HMC have a pool?

 

 

Yes.  It goes all the way around the island.

[sevenseasnomad]

22 minutes ago, jlocole said:

Does HMC have a pool?

 

No.

[sevenseasnomad]

Some people will like the pier for the convenience.  Others, like me, who have been sailing with HAL since 2008 dislike having this little slice of heaven-on-earth tampered with.  

[Daisyloo]

24 minutes ago, jlocole said:

Does HMC have a pool?

 

No need for a pool.  It has a gorgeous. soft white sand beach.

[Daisyloo]

Just now, sevenseasnomad said:

Some people will like the pier for the convenience.  Others, like me, who have been sailing with HAL since 2008 dislike having this little slice of heaven-on-earth tampered with.  

Agreed!

 

[canadianbear]

Love HMC.  Also hope they don’t spoil it more.

[wwcruisers]

If you want to see a cautionary tale -- take a look at what RCCL just did to CocoCay! ☹️

[Shmoo here]

Hmmm..... wonder if they think they need to do this because Disney is coming to the island?  

[HAL4NOW]

Accessibility will improve the value and experience of Half Moon Cay, IMO. We have heard great things about the island but were unable to dock during a Western Caribbean cruise on HAL that had HMC as a scheduled stop. 

[ski ww]

I think more people will get off the ship if they don't have to tender & it will get more crowded.

[Krazy Kruizers]

8 hours ago, HAL4NOW said:

Accessibility will improve the value and experience of Half Moon Cay, IMO. We have heard great things about the island but were unable to dock during a Western Caribbean cruise on HAL that had HMC as a scheduled stop. 

 

HMC has always been a tender port.  In 1998 we were scheduled to make our first stop there, but the winds were so bad that we could not tender ashore.  For several years we had bad luck and missed the island about 50% of the time.

 

When the new larger tenders were built (can carry more passengers than the ship's normal tenders), we got to the island more often.

[msmayor]

8 hours ago, HAL4NOW said:

Accessibility will improve the value and experience of Half Moon Cay, IMO. We have heard great things about the island but were unable to dock during a Western Caribbean cruise on HAL that had HMC as a scheduled stop. 

 

Having a pier there doesn't mean ships will always be able to stop.  The winds and conditions can still limit the ability to get alongside and tie up (this happens on Disney's island - I've ready many reviews where passengers were disappointed they didn't get to Castaway Cay).

 

I agree it will likely make it easier for passengers to get to the island, especially those with any mobility challenges who struggle with tenders. It may also mean a little more time to enjoy the island as folks won't need to wait for/travel on tenders.

[*Miss G*]

10 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Hmmm..... wonder if they think they need to do this because Disney is coming to the island?  

 

Disney is coming to Half Moon Cay?

[Daisyloo]

22 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Disney is coming to Half Moon Cay?

 

OMG. 😱  I hope not!!    What a way to ruin paradise.

[Randyk47]

11 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Hmmm..... wonder if they think they need to do this because Disney is coming to the island?  

 

Why would DCL come to HMC?  Totally separate company and they have their own island.

[rothbury]

I guess my only concern is where would they put the pier?  Thinking about it, it seems like any pier would have to be pretty long to reach the deeper water for the ships to dock.  If you have to walk a considerable distance I'm not sure it wouldn't prevent some disabled and physically challenged passengers from making a long walk to get on to the island.  I guess they would make it wide enough to accommodate some sort of shuttle to drive back and forth.  Has anybody seen a construction schedule?  I wonder how long and when the construction and completion will take.

[DaveOKC]

Any idea as to when the new pier will happen?  Love the idea!

[2inSETexas]

3 hours ago, msmayor said:

 

Having a pier there doesn't mean ships will always be able to stop.  The winds and conditions can still limit the ability to get alongside and tie up (this happens on Disney's island - I've ready many reviews where passengers were disappointed they didn't get to Castaway Cay).

 

I agree it will likely make it easier for passengers to get to the island, especially those with any mobility challenges who struggle with tenders. It may also mean a little more time to enjoy the island as folks won't need to wait for/travel on tenders.

We were last on HMC in February on the Koningsdam. The seas were very heavy,  the tenders were still able to run, but boarding from the ship and vice versa was difficult and took longer than normal. A great many passengers opted not to disembark to HMC that day. The NA was also at the island the same day, but the crowds on the island were only a fraction of what we had experienced when the Zuiderdam alone was in port in 2016. It seems the pier, while not guaranteeing that the ship can dock, will enable a much safer and quicker disembarkation and embarkation experience. That would lead to more passengers being able to enjoy HMC, which is really what HAL wants.

[Sir PMP]

Water slides will be coming, choo choo train and of course Pirates of the Caribbean, Carnival at its best...