{"id":2838,"date":"2026-06-04T19:08:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2838"},"modified":"2026-06-04T19:08:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:08:42","slug":"carnival-upgrades-relaxaway-half-moon-cay-in-bahamas-for-guests-seeking-pristine-beaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2838","title":{"rendered":"Carnival upgrades RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in Bahamas for guests seeking pristine beaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carnival Cruise Line expanded its presence in The Bahamas this week by cutting the ribbon on the newly expanded RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, a private destination known and loved for its shimmering blue waters and pristine beaches.<\/p>

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Carnival CEO Christine Duffy joined company leadership and crew Monday for an opening ceremony as the sun shone down on the turquoise sea, blessing the destination and the thousands of Carnival Sunshine passengers visiting the island. The north section of the destination now includes a pier that can accommodate two Carnival ships, a tram system, two food venues, six bars, cabanas, gift shops and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank all of the teams that have worked so hard at Carnival to bring this vision for RelaxAway to life. That\u2019s going to allow more guests to enjoy the white-sand beach this destination is known for,\u201d Duffy said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, noting the cruise line\u2019s growing presence in The Bahamas. \u201cThe enhancements we are celebrating today add to our commitment to make each one of the six Paradise Collection destinations a slice of paradise that you don\u2019t want to miss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Purchased by Holland America Line in 1996 for $6 million, Half Moon Cay \u2014 about 100 miles southeast of Nassau \u2014 has been shared with parent company Carnival for years, but all visitors have used tender boats to reach the island until now. The south end, which is receiving upgrades expected to be completed in September, will still be used for Holland America passengers on tender boats while the north end will welcome Carnival\u2019s guests from 22 ships, including the line\u2019s Excel-class and forthcoming Ace-class ships.<\/p>\n

On days when the island hosts four ships total, up to 12,000 passengers can visit the island. However, there should be plenty of space to spread out with two miles of beaches and 4,700 free-to-use beach umbrellas on the north Carnival-facing side alone.<\/p>\n

Carnival took care to preserve the island\u2019s character in contrast to Celebration Key, which feels more like a water park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beach is what is really so amazing. There\u2019s the color of the waters and the beauty of nature that gets lost right if you load it up with too many other things that distract from that,\u201d Duffy said. \u201cWe really want to keep it like that.\u201d<\/p>\n