Half Moon Cay

[mllewis48]

I'm certain this has been asked but when trying to search for an answer I came up empty...........so......can anyone tell me where I can go to find out how many ships may be in HMC on a given date?

 

Thanks

Mike

[Krazy Kruizers]

HMC is a private island.

There can only be 2 HAL ships there at a time.

Most times there is only one ship there.

Check out this site to see if there is another HAL ship in with you -- it is a tendering port.

http://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-half-moon-cay-bahamas.html

[mllewis48]

Thanks Krazy this will be our 14th trip to HMC so I knew it was private but now that CCL also visits the island I wanted to see if any other ship may be there at the same time. Have been there before when two HAL ships were there and it gets a bit crazy.

 

In fact we were one of the first ships to visit the island back in Jan 1998 and have seen her grow over the years to what we believe to be one the best ports of call in the Caribbean plus a beautiful beach.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Carnival and HAL will never have a ship there on the same day -- thankfully.

We were to stop at HMC in 1998 -- was too rough. In fact we had a bad record for quite some time -- always missed the island.

We have also watched the changes over the years.

Whenever there are 2 ships there -- we usually stay on the ship.

[Boytjie]

Thanks Krazy this will be our 14th trip to HMC so I knew it was private but now that CCL also visits the island I wanted to see if any other ship may be there at the same time. Have been there before when two HAL ships were there and it gets a bit crazy.

 

Since Carnival and HAL charge different prices for the same things on HMC (e.g. cabanas), you will not see ships form both cruise lines there at the same time.

[jayisgerman]

Since Carnival and HAL charge different prices for the same things on HMC (e.g. cabanas), you will not see ships form both cruise lines there at the same time.

 

I had so hoped they would lower the price a bit for the cabanas for our travel in December (to align it closer with the Carnival pricing), but no such luck. :( It just seems like something we really would love to book, and at the Carnival cost probably would - but at the HAL cost, it is a bit too steep.... :eek:

[Typhoon1]

Not more than two HAL ships.

 

Highly likely there will only be one.

[sail7seas]

I seem to recall a time when a Seabourn ship was at HMC with a HAL ship but never a Carnival with HAL.

 

[catl331]

When there are two Vistas we get off with the first tender and walk around taking pics of our ship and the other. Some times we were first for lunch but the last time we went back to ship for lunch and enjoyed the quietness. There are always people on board who can't tender or would rather not. I know some people can't wait to be on the beach but we have done that and also swim with the rays.

[Typhoon1]

When there are two Vistas we get off with the first tender and walk around taking pics of our ship and the other. Some times we were first for lunch but the last time we went back to ship for lunch and enjoyed the quietness. There are always people on board who can't tender or would rather not. I know some people can't wait to be on the beach but we have done that and also swim with the rays.

 

When there are two Vistas, you are better off staying on the ship. HMC was never designed to accommodate that many people at one time.

[c-cruise]

When there are two Vistas, you are better off staying on the ship. HMC was never designed to accommodate that many people at one time.

 

Nah, been there with a Vista and a Signature and it didn't seem too crowded to me. Just have to walk a bit further down the beach...

 

Does help to know in advance though if a 2nd ship is going to be there so that you can have a plan for the day.

[JamesEM]

Thanks KK for the website, great info.

[sailandcruise]

The problem we encountered when visiting HMC in January 2011 on Zuiderdam along with another HAL ship -- it may have been the Westerdam, I don't recall specifically although it definitely was also a Vista class ship -- was that in addition to the island itself being overcrowded, there weren't enough tenders from the island to service both ships. The other ship got the island's tenders in the morning, and we had to wait until the lifeboats could be launched to be used as tenders for our ship, which delayed our arrival for several hours compared to the other ship's passengers. :(

[alwaysfrantic]

I was there with 2 of the larger ships in February. The island itself was okay, but getting back to the ship was a nightmare. One ship must have been running triple the tenders because those folks seemed to go straight onto one and disappear. There was never a line. For the Zuiderdam the line stretched from the dock, well up into the interior of the island, barely moving. They never came around with water and the line never crossed into shade. That was something I wrote a lot about on the evaluation form at the end. Some scattered tents, staff carrying cups of water and the cool towels. They did have those.....as we walked onto the dock. Where were they the hour plus we stood in the sun?

[HokiePoq]

Thanks for the link to the website. So happy to see Westerdam will be alone when we are there in December.

[DFD1]

Great website KK, Much thanks.