One day into this 21-day Holland America Line cruise to the Panama Canal and the Southern Caribbean we’re at our first port-of-call, Half Moon Cay. East of Miami in the turquoise waters of the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay (also known as Little San Salvador Island) is a 2,400-acre private island, owned by Holland America Line.
Historically, the island was a refuge for pirates in the 1600s and even served as a station for undersea cables in the 19th century. It wasn’t until the late 20th century that it was developed as a cruise port destination, preserving most of its unspoiled beauty. In 1996, Holland America Line acquired the island, creating a retreat for travelers while maintaining an eco-friendly footprint.
Today, with over 50 acres of the island developed for tourism, the remaining 95% of the island left untouched, a sanctuary for birds and diverse wildlife.
Half Moon Cay offers snorkeling, jet-ski tours, and even horseback riding excursions where you can have a trot through the surf. Of course, the island’s various bars and food outlets provide the perfect spots to unwind and refresh unless you want to book the Bahamian chapel wedding for a wedding or renewal of vows. The main attraction at Half Moon Cay is the white sand beach, private cabanas, and of course the warm, clear water.
There is no dock for the ship to tie up to, so to get to the island you must take a tender boat. Holland America has a fleet of large-capacity tenders that transport passengers to and from the island and run continuously all day. Because this is a tender port, sea conditions may prohibit tendering and the stop may be canceled, delayed, or cut short for safety.
The Rotterdam dropped anchor around 8:30 am and once crew and provisions were brought ashore, the gangways were open for guests around 9:00 am. It’s first come-first served when it comes to tendering as they don’t give out tender tickets. However, suite guests and those with shore excursions get priority, so unless you want to be one of the first ashore, you may want to wait to avoid the initial rush.
I waited till around 11:00 am to leave and there still was a bit of a line, but I only waited about 10 minutes on the ship until they started boarding the tender and then we were underway and ashore about 20 minutes later.
In all my previous visits to Half Moon Cay, I booked a private cabana that features lounge chairs, a fridge, an outdoor shower, a fan (air conditioning units are in the cabanas but they are no longer functional), and the service of an optional butler (for an additional fee). Each cabana costs $699 – a nearly 200% increase since the last time I was here – and accommodates up to 6 people. For this go around, I didn’t feel the cost was justified, so I booked a clamshell and two chairs for $49.95.
Once you arrive, you go through a very small shopping area before you arrive at the beach. Plenty of lounge chairs are set up, but you must bring your beach towel from the ship as none are provided on the island. When it came time to claim my clamshell, here’s where arriving earlier would have been beneficial. They fill clamshells from starting at the top of the beach working their way down to the end, so arriving later in the day gets you one at the farthest end of the beach.
After baking in the sun on the top, uncovered deck of the tender boat for the ride in, I quickly put my stuff down and headed into the water which was delightfully warm and absolutely crystal clear. There are no nets to keep sealife out of the beach area, so you will encounter beautiful and curious fish and the occasional stingray swimming by.
When it comes to food and beverage, there is an island BBQ setup with picnic tables beginning at 11:00 am which is free, a Lobster Shack is also available beginning at 11:00 am that offers some ala carte options like lobster rolls, and a few bars including the biggest one on the island – Captain Morgan’s – inside a pirate ship.
If you have a beverage package, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are NOT covered while on Half Moon Cay, and anything you drink is put on your shipboard account – including canned water.
After spending several hours in the water, it was time to return to the ship as all aboard was 4:30 pm. When returning, you go through security on the island where you pass through metal detectors and bags are x-rayed. Once you’re back at the ship all you have to do is have your card scanned so they know you made it back and you’re not hiding out somewhere to live out the rest of your life in the Bahamas.
Having been to Half Moon Cay plenty of times, I have noticed that some areas are starting to look their age and many of the cabanas and other buildings are either in need of painting or are in the process of being painted. There used to be a children’s area with inflatable slides and other water toys at the top of the beach but those are no longer present.
Overall, Half Moon Cay is a great destination for those who want to chill on a beach and enjoy the crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas.
The Rotterdam pulled up her anchors and we were underway at exactly 5:00 pm to start making our way to our next port of call, Oranjestad, Aruba, on Thursday.
Back on board, I showered and got ready for the evening making a pit stop at the Half Moon Bar where they serve up some classic cocktails, including the Nieuw Amsterdam – their version of a Manhattan – made with Canadian Club. Priced at $12, it was over the $11 limit my drink package allows, but you are able to pay the difference.
Before dinner, I went to the ship’s main theatre which is called the World Stage – a large showroom with 180-degree LED wall behind the stage – for the first of two shows by Tom Crosbie who bills himself as “The Performing Nerd.” This 45-minute show featured a bit of stand-up, but most of it was him working his magic with a Rubik’s Cube. With the help of some people in the audience, he used a few different versions of this 80s toy to surprise us with how quickly he could solve them.
I will admit, it was an odd show – one true nerds could really get into… I guess. But watching a guy for 45 minutes work a Rubik’s Cube and tell some jokes got old after the first 20.
As a side note, I found myself during the performance looking around the theatre playing a game of “Is that Mitch?” With the majority of the people on this cruise a bit on the older (aka elderly) side, I found more than a few men who could easily pass for Mitch McConnell if there were such a game on board. These same people also provided amusement leaving the theatre after the show in a parade of ECVs which were more than likely transporting them directly to bed.
After the show, I headed off to the ship’s main dining room for dinner. If you follow me on a regular basis, you pretty much know I stay clear of the main dining room most of the time, but on Holland America, food is a big part of the journey so I decided to give it a shot.
I have any time dining as opposed to the fixed early or late seating, so I arrived around 8:30 pm and was immediately taken to a table.
I started off with an unremarkable salad, and some very tiny meatballs that weren’t on the menu, but asked if I was able to have a few which were part of another entree. They were somewhat unremarkable, much like the salad.
Next up was the New York Strip served with fries, carrots, and green beans. I asked for the steak to be cooked rare, which it was, and while it wasn’t a steak from the Pinnacle Grill (the ship’s steakhouse), it wasn’t bad.
For dessert, I went with the whiskey chocolate cake which was oh so rich and oh so full of calories.
My original plans for the evening were for me to drop a couple of bucks in the ship’s casino and then take in some of the music offered in B.B. King’s Blues Club and the Rolling Stone Rock Room, however, Lady Luck was somehow on my side as the one slot machine I was playing kept me winning for the next three hours. It wasn’t until after midnight when I was like one of those in the ECV and needed to get to bed. I cashed out my winnings and headed up to my stateroom.
A quick note on the bed. I hate it. I hate all cruise ship beds. No matter how they put two beds together to make one, you always end up with a valley where the mattresses meet. I lie awake thinking that somehow I’m going to slither between the two and end up on the floor in the middle of the night, so I continually toss and turn and hug the edge of the bed so I don’t fall into the abyss.
It goes without saying I get a horrible night’s sleep on cruises that even my “gummies” can’t help.
Links to Rotterdam Restaurant Menus
Restaurant menus for October 23, 2023, on Holland America Rotterdam:
- Lido Market – Breakfast Menu
- Lido Market – Lunch Menu
- Lido Market – Dinner Menu
- Main Dining Room – Breakfast Menu
- Main Dining Room – Lunch Menu
- Main Dining Room – Dinner Menu
- Club Orange – Breakfast Menu
- Club Orange – Dinner Menu
- Pinnacle Grill – Lunch Menu
- Pinnacle Grill – Dinner Menu
- Canaletto – Dinner Menu
- Nami Sushi – Dinner Menu
- Tamarind – Dinner Menu
- Tamarind Bar – Lite Bites Menu
- Rudi’s Sel de Mer – Dinner Menu
- Rotterdam Room Service Menu – All Day Menu
- New York Deli & Pizza – All Day Menu
- Dive In Burgers & Hot Dogs – All Day Menu
Daily Planner for Day 2:
