The final day of this 7-day Western Caribbean cruise has arrived, and Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam is anchored in the Bahamas at its beautiful private island, Half Moon Cay.
Originally known as Little San Salvador Island, this 2,400-acre paradise was purchased by Holland America Line in 1996. Since then, they’ve transformed it into the ultimate tropical retreat while preserving its natural beauty—only 2% of the island has been developed. Its name comes from the crescent-shaped stretch of powdery white sand beach.
Today, Half Moon Cay is a favorite stop for cruise passengers, offering endless ways to relax and explore. Whether you’re lounging on its pristine beach, swimming in crystal-clear waters, or enjoying a complimentary BBQ lunch at the picnic pavilion, there’s something for everyone.
For those seeking adventure, the island features horseback riding along the beach, snorkeling, and even stingray encounters. Private cabanas or villas, complete with butler service, are also available for rent.
Remember that 2% development figure I mentioned earlier? That is about to change. Holland America is currently developing more of the island, adding additional beach areas, restaurants, and shops. This expansion also includes the construction of a pier that will, for the first time, allow ships to dock directly at the island instead of relying on tender boats to transport guests ashore.
This expansion is directly tied to Carnival Cruise Line adding stops at Half Moon Cay to many of their cruises from Florida. A pier will allow their large Excel-class ships—Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee—to dock here once construction is completed in 2026. Holland America and Carnival are both owned by the same company, the cruise giant Carnival Corporation.
Carnival to Visit Half Moon Cay More Often Beginning 2026 Once Pier Built
Once the Nieuw Amsterdam was in position, the all-clear was given for guests to proceed to the gangway and line up for the short tender ride to shore. Continuous service to and from the ship was provided, with the last tender departing the island at 1:30 p.m.
Lido Market Breakfast
For those looking for breakfast before heading ashore, heres a look at the menu for the Lido Market:
Construction at Half Moon Cay
The first thing you see from the ship is the ongoing construction.
This work is far from the current beach area, but if you want a somewhat closer look at what’s happening, you can walk along the shoreline to the construction site. The walk took me about 15 minutes, so it’s a bit of a hike.
Along the way, you can stop to visit the horses and other animals that live on the island and are part of the horseback riding shore excursion.
Half Moon Cay Beach
The main beach area is lined with lounge chairs, available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Clamshells can be rented for the day, but they are located at the far end of the island, making them a bit of a hike from the main beach near the entrance.
Lining the shore are cabanas that can be rented for the day. From small cabanas for a half-dozen people, to large two-story family cabanas, these often sell out quickly, despite having a starting price of $699.
Shopping, Food and Dining on Half Moon Cay
When it comes to shops, bars, and dining, you won’t find many options here. At the entrance plaza, there are a few small souvenir shops operated by locals, which accept cash only. There’s also a bar nearby if you don’t want to venture too far.
Lunch is served buffet-style and features a typical BBQ menu with salads, burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and desserts. Plenty of shaded picnic tables are available for you to grab a spot and enjoy your meal.
If you’re in the mood for some Caribbean lobster, head over to the Lobster Shack, where you can enjoy a lobster tail or lobster roll. That’s where I went and had a delicious lobster tail served with rice, beans, and seafood chowder. Note that food from the Lobster Shack is not included and is priced à la carte.
There are only a few seats around the bar, which serves food only—if you want a drink, you’ll need to get it elsewhere. As I was sitting there, a woman who repeatedly identified herself as a 5-Star Mariner (Holland America Line’s loyalty program) complained about not being able to get a Michelob Ultra, that the rice with her lobster was “crunchy,” and that it took too long for her food to arrive.
Two women who had just finished their lunch voiced their opinion, saying as they walked out, “Life is too short to be complaining like you are. You’re on vacation, enjoy yourself.” She retorted by calling them “white trash,” which led to further back-and-forth until a crew member intervened and asked them to stop.
I later learned that “Ms. 5-Star” had been quite a handful for the crew and had a reputation for being “difficult.” Keep reading—you’ll see she made another scene later!
One issue that really needs attention at the Lobster Shack is repairing the bar. Many of the decorative wood pieces are broken off, leaving screws sticking out about an inch. This is definitely a safety hazard that needs to be addressed.
For those who have been to Half Moon Cay in the past, you’ll immediately notice that something is missing from the beach! Captain Morgan’s Bar, themed as a giant pirate ship, is no longer there. A crew member at the watersports rental shop near where the bar once stood told me it was torn down last week because it had become structurally unsound. This bar was always a popular hangout, so hopefully, it will be replaced soon.
With Captain Morgan’s gone, there’s only one other bar besides the one at the entrance plaza, located next to the Lobster Shack. Of course, servers also roam the beach to take drink orders. It’s important to note that all drinks on the island are NOT included in the beverage package, so you’ll be charged for any drinks ordered here.
Only about 1,200 of the 2,100 total guests headed to shore today, so it wasn’t crowded, and there were plenty of chairs available. The weather was on the cool side, with temperatures in the lower 70s, which kept many people out of the water.
Video Tour of Half Moon Cay
Lido Market Lunch Menu
For those who stayed onboard, lunch was served at the Lido Market, Dive In, and New York Pizza.
Here’s a peek at the Lido Market lunch menu:
As far as activities, here’s what’s happening around the ship:
Morning Activities:
- Tai Chi on the island
- Coloring for adults
- Soccer on the island
- Beach yoga
- Oragmi
Afternoon Activites:
- Sailaway party
- Shuffleboard tournament
- Pickleball
- Mass
Evening Activities:
- A variety show in the main theatre featuring the comedian and the vocalist onboard for this cruise
- Trivia
- Country, rock and dance music in the Rolling Stone Lounge
- All requests in Billboard Onboard by the piano players
All aboard from Half Moon Cay was at 1:30 p.m., and once all guests and crew were back onboard, we sailed away around 2 p.m., making our way back to Fort Lauderdale.
Dinner at Tamarind
For dinner this evening, here’s a peek at both menus for the main dining room and the Lido Market:
I decided to try the third and final specialty restaurant onboard, Tamarind. At $35 per person (+18% gratuity), Tamarind offers an Asian menu along with à la carte sushi from Morimoto, which occupies a small section of the restaurant.
Wanting to sample some sushi, I chose the spicy tuna roll, which was fresh and a generous portion.
For starters, I ordered the satay sampler, which included skewers of chicken, steak, lamb, and shrimp served with peanut sauce. I also tried the tempura shrimp and mushroom. While the satay was excellent, the tempura shrimp was cold and a bit soggy.
For my main course, I opted for the Szechuan shrimp with a side of crab fried rice. It was a good portion, with nicely sized shrimp that had a bit of a kick!
I decided to skip dessert.
Service throughout the meal was excellent.
Now it’s time to provide an overall review of this cruise, so let’s dive in!
Embarkation
For this trip, I drove from my home in Delray Beach to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, arriving around 10:45 a.m. Other than a glitch with the passport scanners not recognizing my photo, the embarkation process went pretty smoothly.
I was assigned Boarding Group 9. After taking a seat in the waiting area at 11:10 a.m., my group was called at 11:40 a.m. Staterooms were ready upon boarding, so I dropped off my hand luggage and headed to my muster station to check in.
While it wasn’t the quickest embarkation I’ve experienced, it was efficient, and the overall wait time wasn’t too bad.
Nieuw Amsterdam Verandah Stateroom 8111
For this cruise, I stayed in a verandah stateroom, 8111, located on Deck 8 aft. Its location was convenient to the elevators; however, it quickly became evident that the stateroom was directly underneath the Lido Market. This resulted in frequent banging and clanging noises 24/7. While it didn’t bother me much, others might find it disruptive. The noise started very early in the morning as preparations for breakfast began and continued late into the evening during post-dinner cleanup.
As for the room itself, it featured two twin beds combined into a king-size bed and a small sitting area with a sofa and a vanity/desk area.
The room also had a fully stocked minibar ($), a flat-screen television, a safe, and plenty of closet space.
In terms of power and USB outlets, there were more than I expected. The ship has been retrofitted to include USB outlets on each side of the bed, as well as two at the desk/vanity. The only power outlets in the room were at the desk/vanity, with two US outlets and two European outlets available.
The bathroom was a bit small but had enough storage space for all my personal items. This particular stateroom had a tub/shower combo, though the water pressure was on the weak side.
The balcony itself was generously sized. Unlike many newer ships with narrower balconies, this one had plenty of space to sit, prop your feet up on the footrests, and enjoy the view. The balcony was equipped with two chairs, footrests, and a small side table.
Holland America Line still offers twice-daily stateroom service—a rarity post-COVID. This includes refilling the in-room ice bucket each morning and evening. While there weren’t towel animals on the bed each night, there was a chocolate treat waiting for me.
The stateroom was in good condition, considering the ship has been sailing since 2010. Everything was clean and functioning as intended.
Nieuw Amsterdam Food
When it comes to food, this is where Holland America truly shines. No matter the ship, the food is consistently top quality. Unlike much larger ships, Nieuw Amsterdam doesn’t have an abundance of specialty restaurants, but the ones it does have are well worth the extra charge.
Throughout this 7-day cruise, I dined at various venues each evening, and you’ll find details about those experiences in this review.
The Lido Market serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks daily. Additionally, once per cruise, they offer a special Seafood Boil for an additional charge. The main dining room provides a limited breakfast menu, a Sea Day Brunch, lunch on select days, and dinner each evening. Dinner is organized into traditional early or late seating, or you can choose anytime dining.
For quick snacks, Dive In serves burgers, hot dogs, brats, and fries during lunch hours. New York Pizza offers square pizza by the slice (definitely not New York style, but not bad) or made-to-order round pies. While still not authentic New York-style pizza, they’re close. You can also grab a salad or small desserts to go with your pizza. Pizza is available from lunchtime until around midnight daily.
The ship features three specialty restaurants:
- Pinnacle Grill: Signature steaks and seafood ($49 per person)
- Canaletto: A casual Italian restaurant located in a small section of the Lido Market ($25 per person)
- Tamarind: An Asian-inspired restaurant ($39 per person)
- Additionally, a small section of Tamarind is dedicated to Morimoto at Sea, which offers sushi and other seafood dishes, all priced à la carte.
If I had to rate the various restaurants, here’s how they would stack up:
- Main Dining Room (free) – ****
- Pinnacle Grill ($49 per person) – *****
- Canaletto ($25 per person) – ****
- Tamarind ($39 per person) – ****
- New York Pizza (free) – **
- Dive In (free) – Did not experience
Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Passengers
Holland America attracts an older, well-traveled demographic, although they are making efforts to shed that image. The average age on any Holland America Line ship is typically 60+. While there were a few younger travelers onboard and one or two families with young children, the majority of passengers were in the older age group.
The Nieuw Amsterdam features a main lido pool open to everyone, while the Sea View Pool is adults-only. There are no waterslides, splash pads, or other family-focused water attractions, though there are kids’ and teen clubs. However, children would likely find a Holland America cruise quite boring overall.
There were moments when I felt young by comparison!
Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Entertainment
I’ve always been critical of Holland America’s entertainment, as it has been noticeably scaled back over the years. The main production shows by the Step One Dance Company were no better than a high school musical. However, the comedian onboard during this cruise was excellent.
Throughout the week, there were lectures hosted by the Cruise and Travel Director, Stephanie.
As for musical entertainment, the standout was the band performing in the Rolling Stone Lounge nearly every night—they absolutely rocked. The dual piano players in Billboard Onboard also provided enjoyable performances. Beyond that, there was just a trio playing on several nights in the Ocean Bar.
Given the older demographic, entertainment typically doesn’t extend past 11:00 p.m., and most venues are shut down by then. The exception is the casino, which stays open 24/7 unless the ship is in port.
Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Service
Service on this ship was nothing short of exceptional, and this is where Holland America truly excels. While there have been noticeable cuts to entertainment, the quality of service has remained top-notch.
Twice-daily stateroom service is still offered, which is rare post-COVID. Bars and restaurants are adequately staffed, ensuring attentive service, and the crew was fantastic throughout the cruise.
This level of service is what sets Holland America apart from the competition.
Debarkation
Holland America, like all cruise lines, offers two types of debarkation: carrying your luggage off yourself (self-debark) or picking it up in the terminal after disembarking. For those who prefer not to carry their luggage, all bags are left outside your stateroom the night before and are collected, then offloaded when the ship arrives at the terminal. Your debarkation time is scheduled based on when your luggage will be available for pickup.
I opted to carry my own luggage off the ship and be among the first to debark. I headed down to Deck 2 around 7:10 a.m. to get in line. The line was short as there weren’t many people there yet, but then I heard a familiar voice—it was “5-Star” from the Lobster Shack incident.
She was ranting about the lack of a priority line for 5-Star Mariners. When it was explained that no such line exists, she didn’t take it well. She loudly declared that it was UNACCEPTABLE for there to be no priority line. Behaving like a child throwing a tantrum over a lollipop, she was promptly shut down by a security officer, who flatly told her, “This is the line to get off the ship; you can wait right here with everyone else.”
She pouted, mumbled some more words, and headed to the back of the line, which had only about 25 to 30 people in front of her.
At 7:20 a.m., debarkation began. Once in the terminal, the process was simple: stand in front of an iPad to have your face scanned to match your passport on record. If everything clears, you’re good to go. There’s no need to meet with Customs unless you have items to declare.
In the parking garage, only one of the three elevators was working, so a security guard was stationed to manage the crowd. Since I was parked on the 4th level, lugging my suitcase up the stairs wasn’t an option. About 20 minutes later, I finally made it to my car and was on my way home.
Overall Rating
Holland America consistently delivers an exceptional experience, and this cruise was no different. While the entertainment and activities may be limited, the smaller crowds, wraparound Promenade Deck for enjoying ocean views, delicious food, and impeccable service more than make up for it.
This cruise lived up to my expectations for Holland America. However, a word of caution: if you’ve only sailed on Holland America Line’s flagship, Rotterdam, and your next cruise is on another ship in their fleet, you will notice differences in the number of restaurants, the quality and variety of entertainment, and the overall design and layout of the ship.
As the newest ship in the fleet, Rotterdam is the largest and offers significantly more amenities and features than other HAL ships—so it’s easy to get spoiled!
Read my review of my 21 days spent on Rotterdam here.
Thanks for following along on this latest adventure!