All Things HALF MOON CAY !

[Mizsuzee]

I've read the entire 24 pages and have a couple questions that haven't really been addressed yet. I have certainly got the message that "any cabana is better than no cabana" :) My questions are: Can you rent a kayak or hobie cat when you feel like it, or are you limited to using those things during an "excursion" only? What do people do with their "stuff"?? If you have a cabana (or a clamshell - or just a lounger), where is your "stuff" when you are out floating or swimming? I have heard that there are lockers available, but haven't heard much about anyone using them. Do most folks buy those waterproof 35mm cameras to take to HMC? Thanks everyone for all the great insight on this thread!! Extremely helpful!

[pghsteelerfan]

I've read the entire 24 pages and have a couple questions that haven't really been addressed yet. I have certainly got the message that "any cabana is better than no cabana" :) My questions are: Can you rent a kayak or hobie cat when you feel like it, or are you limited to using those things during an "excursion" only? What do people do with their "stuff"?? If you have a cabana (or a clamshell - or just a lounger), where is your "stuff" when you are out floating or swimming? I have heard that there are lockers available, but haven't heard much about anyone using them. Do most folks buy those waterproof 35mm cameras to take to HMC? Thanks everyone for all the great insight on this thread!! Extremely helpful!

 

 

I can help you out with a couple of your questions.

 

1. We didn't have a cabana but had beach chairs on the beach in front of the last cabana. It was just my DH and I. In addition to beach necessities (sunblock, our Carnival towels, water), we also had our wallets with id's to get back on the ship, a small amount of cash & sail and sign cards and I also had my cameras. When I went for a walk down the beach, my husband stayed where he could keep an eye on our stuff. We both went into the ocean right in front of where our chairs were and just kept an eye on our things and no one bothered with them.

 

2. I brought two cameras, my Kodak Z612 (a point and shoot digital) for pictures of the area and the beach and my small waterproof digital (Fujifilm Finepix) to use underwater.

 

Hope this helps and I hope you have a great time in Half Moon Cay - it is definitely a beautiful island that really looks like a post card almost everywhere you look down in the less crowded areas.

[Typhoon1]

I have certainly got the message that "any cabana is better than no cabana"

 

Whatever gave you that idea? :D:D:D

Edited August 22, 2010 by Typhoon1

[MikeACY]

Half Moon Cay

Half Moon Cay is a beautiful Island owed by Holland American, a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Lines. We arrived on the Carnival Pride at 9am. The ship is unable to dock, so we needed to tender to shore. In stead of everyone heading for the tenders, Carnival has everyone pick up a number at the Karaoke Bar. We didn’t know this, and would have planned accordingly….like get up a little earlier. So we had to sit for almost an hour until our number was called. We were there only until 5…but the last tender was at 4:15. Funny thing….the cruise director was making announcements prior to everyone getting on the tenders how it was important that we don’t miss the last tender, and he suggested getting the 2-2:15 tenders and not wait for the last ones….after all, you don’t want to be left behind. Us, being our 13th cruise, knew this was a scare tactic and knew that in no way would they leave you behind! But his scare tactic worked….the place was almost deserted by 3pm!!! We got on the 3:40 tender. Too bad they left early..the place was beautiful. Basically the cruise ship “moves” to the Island. You have your normal bar waiters/waitresses, they have a nice BBQ set up toward the back of the place, 3 sit down bars…one on the beach. There are open cabañas to rent, as well as shelters. Parasailing, snorkeling (I bring my own stuff), mats and tubes are also for rent. The only complaint I have is most of the beach lounge chairs were in direct sun….no palm tree shade. If you wanted those, there were some on the far end of the beach….but you better get up early and get the first few numbers to get those.

[Nicole in NJ]

Half Moon Cay

 

 

Half Moon Cay is a beautiful Island owed by Holland American, a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Lines. We arrived on the Carnival Pride at 9am. The ship is unable to dock, so we needed to tender to shore. In stead of everyone heading for the tenders, Carnival has everyone pick up a number at the Karaoke Bar. We didn’t know this, and would have planned accordingly….like get up a little earlier. So we had to sit for almost an hour until our number was called. We were there only until 5…but the last tender was at 4:15. Funny thing….the cruise director was making announcements prior to everyone getting on the tenders how it was important that we don’t miss the last tender, and he suggested getting the 2-2:15 tenders and not wait for the last ones….after all, you don’t want to be left behind. Us, being our 13th cruise, knew this was a scare tactic and knew that in no way would they leave you behind! But his scare tactic worked….the place was almost deserted by 3pm!!! We got on the 3:40 tender. Too bad they left early..the place was beautiful. Basically the cruise ship “moves” to the Island. You have your normal bar waiters/waitresses, they have a nice BBQ set up toward the back of the place, 3 sit down bars…one on the beach. There are open cabañas to rent, as well as shelters. Parasailing, snorkeling (I bring my own stuff), mats and tubes are also for rent. The only complaint I have is most of the beach lounge chairs were in direct sun….no palm tree shade. If you wanted those, there were some on the far end of the beach….but you better get up early and get the first few numbers to get those.

 

When you say get up early to get the first numbers, how early do you think? Should we plan on waiting near the karaoke bar? We'll be on the Miracle on Friday and will be at HMC from 9am to 5pm.

Edited August 24, 2010 by Nicole in NJ

[woohoocruising]

[quote name='MikeACY'][FONT=Times New Roman]Half Moon Cay[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman], snorkeling (I bring my own stuff), [/FONT][/quote]
Hi Mike!

Can you tell me anything about snorkeling on HMC? Can you find a place on your own to snorkel, or is it better to book their excursion? Did you find any good spots? I've read that there are some fish near the wall by the big cabana and then another spot is 15 minutes down the beach the other way, near the rocks.

Thanks for all the info!!

[MikeACY]

[quote name='Nicole in NJ']When you say get up early to get the first numbers, how early do you think? Should we plan on waiting near the karaoke bar? We'll be on the Miracle on Friday and will be at HMC from 9am to 5pm.[/quote]

We were on the Carnival Pride, so I'm not sure if your numbers will also be at the Karaoke bar. We were on the Island from 9-5 also. We got to the karaoke bar around 9:30. We didn't get off until 10:30. So yes, find out where they are handing out the numbers and ask someone when they will start handing them out..then get there ASAP...that is if the Miracle is going to do the same thing.

[MikeACY]

[quote name='woohoocruising']Hi Mike!

Can you tell me anything about snorkeling on HMC? Can you find a place on your own to snorkel, or is it better to book their excursion? Did you find any good spots? I've read that there are some fish near the wall by the big cabana and then another spot is 15 minutes down the beach the other way, near the rocks.

Thanks for all the info!![/quote]

A few of us had our own equipment and headed down toward the wall you just mentioned. They said they saw a few fish but nothing special. I don't know about the other spot 15 min away. Maybe if we took along a box of cherrios and fed the fish they would have seen more. We have done that on other islands. I didn't hear about how the excursions went. But you will love the beach and island.

[charlotte20]

We were just at HMC last week (carnival fantasy). It was just the two of us so we couldn't justify a cabana but we did rent a clamshell when we got to HMC and two floats - the clamshell was $17 for the day and each float was $11. We saw some people who brought their own (blow-up) floats - how smart - would have saved us $22! IMO, the clamshell was well worth the $$ as it was a nice refuge from the sun.

As for tenders, we were on tender #3 - if I remember correctly, we got to HMC around 7 - we picked up our tender # around 7:30 and were on the beach around 8. For the first 2-3 hours, there were very little people on the beach - so wonderful. It seemed most people got to the beach at 10 or later. Since we had a full morning in the sun, we headed back to the ship around 1:30 (last tender was at 3:15) - we of course could have stayed longer, but we were pretty beat from the beach day.

[woohoocruising]

Thanks for all the info!

I am so excited!! Just 9 more sleeps til I head down to Florida to start my vacation!!!! Yay!!!

[CrimsonQueen]

Wow....my trip to HMC is not until 2012, but after reading this thread, I can't wait! Terri, I envy you going so soon.

Question.....are the floats you rent on the island "anchored"? It seems I read somewhere that the floats were anchored to the bottom of the ocean, so as not to "float away" while you were relaxing on them......am I dreaming, or did I actually read this??

And, along those lines, are there lifeguards on the island?

Thanks!

[Typhoon1]

[quote name='CrimsonQueen']
Question.....are the floats you rent on the island "anchored"? It seems I read somewhere that the floats were anchored to the bottom of the ocean, so as not to "float away" while you were relaxing on them......am I dreaming, or did I actually read this??

And, along those lines, are there lifeguards on the island?

Thanks![/QUOTE]

The floats are NOT anchored. They are those blue foam type mats.

[Typhoon1]

[quote name='charlotte20'] the clamshell was $17 for the day and each float was $11. We saw some people who brought their own (blow-up) floats - how smart - would have saved us $22![/QUOTE]

You should have brought your own tent equipment. You could have saved yourself $17.00. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[jc4me]

[quote name='Typhoon1']You should have brought your own tent equipment. You could have saved yourself $17.00. :rolleyes::rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Laugh if you would like, but we bought a clamshell that we plan to take. Paid $15 for it, so figured if we used it at HMC and GT it would have more than paid for itself. It fits in a small carrying case. We also have our own snorkel gear that we plan to take. There's nothing wrong with owning your own "stuff" and using your money on other things you might enjoy - or saving it for a rainy day!

[Typhoon1]

[quote name='jc4me']Laugh if you would like, but we bought a clamshell that we plan to take. Paid $15 for it, so figured if we used it at HMC and GT it would have more than paid for itself. It fits in a small carrying case. We also have our own snorkel gear that we plan to take. There's nothing wrong with owning your own "stuff" and using your money on other things you might enjoy - or saving it for a rainy day![/QUOTE]

Personally, it is not worth the hassle of hauling things around and having to set them up.

How much did you spend on your cruise? Do you think you're going to take your money with you when you depart this earth?

[jc4me]

[quote name='Typhoon1']Personally, it is not worth the hassle of hauling things around and having to set them up.

How much did you spend on your cruise? Do you think you're going to take your money with you when you depart this earth?[/QUOTE]

Nope, I can't take it with me, but I can send it on ahead. ;)

[debee1015]

Has anyone done the Stingray Adventure on HMC, I'm thinking about biting the bullet for $25 to pay for a Carnival Excursion.

I did search some past posts from 2008 and they said there is not snorkeling, but per the description from CCL it says,

Enjoy an educational encounter with the southern stingrays that make their home at Half Moon Cay.
On this exciting excursion you will:

[LIST]
[*][B]Take a short tram ride to Stingray Cove for your short orientation where you will learn about the stingrays' behaviors, habitat, feeding, breeding and other fascinating features.[/B]
[*][B]After your briefing, put on your snorkel equipment and enter the wading area with your guide.[/B]
[*][B]Have the incredible experience of touching the rays' silky wings and be able to feed these amazing creatures.[/B]
[*][B]Learn that a safety net ensures that no other marine life enters the stingrays' enclosure.[/B]
[*][B]After the conclusion of your swim/snorkel experience, take a tram ride back to the Fort San Salvador Welcome Center.[/B]
[/LIST]
So do you snorkel now? anyone? I'm really interested in doing this since I've never been to Grand Cayman and figure this as of right now would be the closest I would get (besides jumping in the Ray tank at the Zoo or SeaWorld or the Rays game).

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

[tango55]

I really want my nieces to do this excursion when we are there in December - could really use some positive feedback and comments. They are 13 and 16.

Thanks in advance!

Terry

[momfor2girls]

We will be going to HMC next year and my husband wants to fish while we're on our cruise. My pvp from Carnival said that he could bring his own gear and shore fish without a permit here. Wondering if anyone has done this and if so, where on the island would he need to go to be out of others way of their activities.

[scopewest]

HMC is fantastic. We used a clamshell, it was nice to keep the sun off but next time we're getting a cabana!

[TnMDougherty]

[quote name='bruce-r']Plus: included float mats, snorkel gear, preferred tender tickets, fresh water shower, and best of all for us when we were there [i]the feeling of privacy[/i].[/QUOTE]

You forgot the "mister" - I loved having that. And I agree; it's the best money I spent on that cruise and I can't wait to spend it again.

[Typhoon1]

[quote name='TnMDougherty']You forgot the "mister" - I loved having that. And I agree; it's the best money I spent on that cruise and I can't wait to spend it again.[/QUOTE]

I want to take that misting fan home with me. Edited September 9, 2010 by Typhoon1

[Shopinpat]

Is the tram available all day to go around the island?

[alphakitty]

[quote name='jc4me']Laugh if you would like, but we bought a clamshell that we plan to take. Paid $15 for it, so figured if we used it at HMC and GT it would have more than paid for itself. It fits in a small carrying case. We also have our own snorkel gear that we plan to take. There's nothing wrong with owning your own "stuff" and using your money on other things you might enjoy - or saving it for a rainy day![/quote]

I usually pack a spring float, so I agree! It fits in the bottom of my suitcase, weighs almost nothing and I use it a lot. :)

[alphakitty]

[quote name='momfor2girls']We will be going to HMC next year and my husband wants to fish while we're on our cruise. My pvp from Carnival said that he could bring his own gear and shore fish without a permit here. Wondering if anyone has done this and if so, where on the island would he need to go to be out of others way of their activities.[/quote]

There is a lagoon where the jet skis sit which is away from most of the people and might make a nice fishing spot. It's a short walk from the beach. Edited September 16, 2010 by alphakitty