HAL sharing HALF MOON CAY with Carnival????

[DFD1]

I understand there is an article in PORTHOLE Magazine suggesting that HAL will begin sharing Half Moon Cay with Carnival in the next year or so. Has anyone here seen the article (I have not) or have any further information about this?

[Joal]

A friend of mine just got off from the Celebration,(a Carnival ship) and they went to Half Moon Key. Could not tender because of the high waves though. So, yes HAL is "sharing" the Key and probably getting a chunk of money out of it. We were there last week ourselves and we did enjoy the Key.

[CherylsCaribbeanTravel]

Isn't HAL and Carnival owned by the same parent company?

[JDee]

That should result in passenger compatabilityhttp://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/icons/icon12.gif. I can just imagine all the postings from HAL returnees..http://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/icons/icon9.gif That love affair with Half Moon will really be put to the test.....http://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/icons/icon4.gif

Happy cruising....

[GrammyPL]

The last I know --- Carnival used HMC when HAL ships were not there. I remember that they tryed a Carnival and a HAL ship at the same time and it didn't work. I can see that Carnival could use HMC when there is no HAL ship in. Penny

[Pudgesmom]

Wow-

We thought Half Moon was overcrowded with two HAL ships. Any more than that would really cause me to think twice about booking a cruise with Half Moon.

Just trying to tender all those people in and out would take hours! Its a one way street in there. And the beach- what's the point of going to a PRIVATE island if you're sharing it with 6,000 other people?

I would rather just not stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beth

[Machforce1]

HAL is owned by Carnival Cruise Lines:

Carnival Corporation is a global cruise and vacation company that offers cruises to all major destinations outside the Far East. The Company primarily serves vacation markets in North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Southern Europe and South America. The Company's portfolio of cruise brands include Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL), Princess Cruises (Princess), Holland America Line, Costa Cruises (Costa), Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, AIDA Cruises (AIDA), Cunard Line, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises Australia, Swan Hellenic, Seabourn Cruise Line and Windstar Cruises.

[anngie]

OMG, can you imagine the Carnival Glory out of Port Canaveral with 3700 pax sharing Half Moon Cay with a HAL ship?

[sail7seas]

Carnival (which is the parent company of Costa, Cunard, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn, Windstar and Carnival) has used HMC for years. During the summer, when HAL only has one ship in the Caribbean, Carnival pulls in.

I seriously doubt HAL and Carnival ships will be visiting at the same time. As long as they are there on different days, does it matter to any HAL pax if Carnival pax enjoy a day at the beach?

[localady]

It should be okay if they limit it to just the days that HAL doesn't tender there.:)
Being that HAL will be pulling out of the Caribbean during the summer, I'd imagine it would be a way to make the island and it's employees profitable during that down time.:cool:

[Stakeout]

Carnival has been using HMC for at least two years.. I came across that when I checked the Carnival itineraries a while back for some friends on some of their ships especially in the summer months

we've been to HMC 18 times of the 24 HAL crusies we've been on...the island is still fantastic to us... I just hope that the greedy marketeers at the parent Carnival Corp don't ruin it like all good things.. that would be a damn shame..

we were just there last Friday on the Zaandam ...

[DFD1]

I think the recent concern is that Carnival may intend to begin marketing HMC in a high profile way and step up their use of the island in a way that may infringe on HAL's use of it.

Their use of it in the past is well known to some, but I don't believe Carnival has previously marketed it in a big way.

If they were to decide the exploit it for Carnival, I don't believe it would ever be the same again.

This may all be groundless speculaton, but apparantly it is being bandied about.

[jhannah]

I seriously doubt HAL and Carnival ships will be visiting at the same time. As long as they are there on different days, does it matter to any HAL pax if Carnival pax enjoy a day at the beach? I agree. As you say, "never say never" ... but surely the powers that be wouldn't mix the two demographics that tend to be so different. I can understand making full use of the facility. That's just prudent business. But I'm with others who would simply not want to be there with a Carnival ship.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I sure hope we don't have any Carnival "lurkers" over here.

I think it's a shame when there's even more than one ship at HMC ... I can't even imagine a ship (whatever line) dumping over 3000 passengers there on top of 2000 from a Vista class ship.

5000 people on that beach ... no matter how long a beach it may be ... is a horrifying picture.

So let's hope it stays as it has been. Certainly there's no reason they shouldn't use it throughout the summer months. I just wish they'd go back to having just one ship there. We first went on the Maasdam and were all alone. Sheer heaven.

[Spender Nui]

WOW! Talk about oil and water! HMC has always been a highlight of our HAL cruises. Seems hard to picture the older folks with the spring break teeny boppers.