RELAXAWAY, HALF MOON CAY : EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Travels By Dawn

Oct 2

5 min read

RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay beach scene with red-and-white striped umbrellas and palm trees beneath a bright blue sky, featuring the title “RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay” and subtitle “A Day at Carnival’s Private Paradise.”

WHITE SAND, TURQUOISE WATER, AND ZERO PLANS 🌴🌊🥥

IF RELAXAWAY, HALF MOON CAY IS ON YOUR UPCOMING CARNIVAL ITINERARY, THIS GUIDE COVERS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO, FROM BEACHES AND FOOD TO TRANSPORTATION, EXCURSIONS AND WHAT TO PACK.

FIRST DAY IN PARADISE

There are some cruise ports where you get off the ship with a full itinerary, reservations, and a list of things you have to see.

RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay was not that kind of day for us. And honestly? That was exactly what made it so good.

Think soft white sand, insanely clear turquoise water, palm trees, frozen drinks, and an entire day where your biggest decision is basically whether you want to be in the water or next to it 🌴🌊🥥

If Half Moon Cay is on your upcoming Carnival itinerary, SAVE THIS ONE 📌🚢 Here’s everything you need to know before you go.

FIRST THINGS FIRST : WHAT IS RELAXAWAY HALF MOON CAY?

You may already know this little slice of paradise as Half Moon Cay, but Carnival has expanded the destination and officially renamed it RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay 🌴

The beach is definitely the star here. You’ll find more than a mile of gorgeous white sand, turquoise water, beach chairs, bars, lunch spots, rentals, cabanas and excursions.

But here’s the best part...

You absolutely do NOT need to book an excursion to have an amazing day here. We kept this stop super simple, and I’m SO glad we did.

GETTING OFF THE SHIP

Depending on your sailing, your ship may dock at the pier or anchor offshore and use a water shuttle to get everyone onto the island.

Once you're there, getting around is pretty easy! There are complimentary trams that run throughout the island, so you don't have to spend your entire day walking around in the Bahamian sun.

TIP | GET OFF THE SHIP EARLY!

Even if you have absolutely nothing planned, those first quiet hours on the beach are SO worth waking up for.

More beach time + fewer people = win win 🐚🩵

SAVE THIS MAP BEFORE YOU GO!

I put together a RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay map to make finding your way around a little easier! 📍🌴

Use it to get familiar with the island before your cruise, especially where you'll arrive, the beach areas, food + drinks, shopping, rentals and tram stops.

OUR PLAN? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Normally, I'm the girl who wants to see everything when we travel. But Half Moon Cay is one of those places where I think you should give yourself permission to do... absolutely nothing.

We found our spot, dropped our things and basically spent the entire day rotating between:

SWIM 🌊 → BEACH ☀️ → DRINK 🍹 → REPEAT 🔁

And I would do it exactly the same way again.

DO YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR BEACH CHAIRS?

NOPE! 🙌🏼🌴

Beach chairs and umbrellas are complimentary, which makes having an easy beach day here even better

Just remember to bring your beach towel from the ship!

If you want to make the day a little more extra, there are paid upgrades available, including things like:

Personally, unless you're traveling with a bigger group or really want your own private space, I don't think you need a cabana to have an amazing day.

Give me a beach chair and that turquoise water and I'm GOOD! ⛱️

WHAT ABOUT FOOD?

Good news: LUNCH IS COMPLIMENTARY!

There are multiple beach grills around the island, so you don't need to head back to the ship when you inevitably get hungry after spending half the day in the water.

And there are plenty of places to grab a tropical drink too🍹🥥 Because is it really a Caribbean beach day without one?!

But there IS something important you should know...

IMPORTANT! YOUR CHEERS PACKAGE DOESN'T WORK HERE!

This is probably one of the biggest things I would want someone to tell me before visiting!

Carnival's CHEERS! drink package does NOT extend to RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay.

So even if you have the drink package onboard, your drinks on the island will be an additional charge.

You can use your Sail & Sign card at the island bars and gift shops. I'd also bring a little cash if you want to shop from local vendors or the artisan market.

And another good thing to know is there isn't an ATM on the island! So grab any cash you might want before leaving the ship.

WANT MORE THAN JUST A BEACH DAY?

If sitting on a beach all day isn't your thing there are plenty of activities and excursions available.

Depending on your sailing, you may find options like:

The horseback riding would definitely tempt me on another visit! But if it's your first time at Half Moon Cay, I honestly wouldn't feel pressured to book anything. Sometimes the best itinerary is no itinerary🌴☀️

WHAT TO PACK FOR THE DAY

I'd keep your beach bag pretty simple:

Sail & Sign card
Beach towel from the ship
Reef-friendly sunscreen
Sunglasses
Hat
Phone
Portable charger
Refillable water bottle
Waterproof phone pouch
A little cash or credit card
Water shoes if you like having them
A cute cover-up because obviously we need the photos

Don't forget that portable charger! There aren't phone charging stations around the island, and if you're anything like me, you'll be taking approximately 847 photos of the island!

SHOP MY PORT DAY ESSENTIALS

FINAL THOUGHTS

RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay was the perfect first stop of our cruise. There was no rushing around, no packed itinerary, just ridiculously blue water, white sand, sunshine and a full day to actually relax.

If this stop is on your itinerary, my biggest advice is don’t overthink it. Get off the ship early, grab a spot on the beach, order something tropical and spend as much time in that water as possible.

Would we go back? ABSOLUTELY. In fact, I’m already dreaming about another Half Moon Cay day.

🌴 ☀️🌊🐚⛱️

And just like that, Day One is officially in the books!

But our cruise is just getting started... Next up, we’re heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico and I’ll be sharing everything we did, where we went, and all the tips I’d want to know before visiting.

So stick around, I’ll see you at the next port!

- Travels By Dawn