Beachside bar: make sure to get a photo by this sign while on your visit
Credit: Cruise Image Library
Private islands may seem like the preserve of footballers and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, but sail in the Caribbean with Holland America Line and you, too, can enjoy a day on an exclusive islet in the Bahamas, basking in the sunshine, cooling off in the clear, cerulean waters and enjoying all the luxuries of a jet-set lifestyle.
Half Moon Cay is an uninhabited paradise – four square miles of white-sand beaches, bird-filled lagoons and groves of shady sea grape trees that you share with your shipmates and no one else. And this is the crème-de-la-crème of cruise ship private islands – Half Moon Cay has been voted the best by the readers of Porthole magazine for 20 consecutive years.
Bahamian beauty: with white sand and crystal waters, Half Moon Cay makes for a stunning escape
Credit: Cruise Image Library
You could be forgiven for keeping things low key on the cay – kicking back on a lounger with a Bahama Mama from one of the bars, enjoying a slap-up lunch at the lobster shack and even getting the knots in your shoulders ironed out with a massage. To take relaxation to the next level, book one of the private cabanas that sit on a prime slice of beachfront – some even come with butler service and your own hot tub.
A mouthwatering menu: treat yourself to delicious seafood at Lobster Shack
Credit: Cruise Image Library
If you like a little more action, you’re in luck. There’s a tantalising crop of activities to choose from. Why not enjoy your favourite water sport, or have a go at one you’ve never tried before? You can parasail, jet-ski, stand-up paddleboard, sail Hobie Cats or pedal a water bike from the beach. Take a boat trip to go fishing, or out to the nearby reef to snorkel among the vivid corals. Discover the island’s birdlife on a guided kayak among the mangroves, or head for Stingray Cove and meet the island’s friendly resident rays.
On land, you can walk the nature trails, spotting roseate terns swooping overhead and egrets patrolling the lagoon in search of a fish lunch. Take a tour of the island – the majority of it is an untouched nature reserve – by bike, or on horseback. From Pegasus Ranch you can guide your steed up to the highest point for sweeping views, the head back along the beach, your horse’s hooves splashing through the surf.
Horsing around: take in the sweeping views while on horseback
Credit: Cruise Image Library
Half Moon Cay is named not only for the island’s curving, crescent-shaped beach, but also after the ship sailed by 17th-century explorer Henry Hudson, which appears on the Holland America Line logo. While you may feel as intrepid as Hudson himself, your sailing experience will be far more luxurious. Two of the line’s latest, most high-spec ships sail in the Caribbean – mid-sized vessels that feel spacious and uncrowded, but small enough for an intimate feel and the ability to access boutique ports.
A stop at Half Moon Cay features on a host of Holland America Line itineraries; with week-long cruises in the Eastern Caribbean exploring the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Turks & Caicos, and in the Western Caribbean visiting Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Mexico. Extend your adventure with longer trips to discover the wider Caribbean region, or even transit the Panama Canal and sail up the west coast of the US.
To find out more, call 0344 338 8605; visit hollandamerica.com, or contact your travel agent.Â
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Publish date : 2024-07-01 23:05:00
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