Little Stirrup Cay vs. Half Moon Key

[momosbee]

Which of these do you like best? Which would be best for older kids who just want independent beach fun (no tours)? I have read that both are private islands, then I read no they are not private islands. Thank you.

[timhoke]

I haven't ever been to LSC but HMC is amazing. White sand beach, water looks like a swimming pool, bar, music, chairs, food everything you need for a day at the beach. At HMC the only people that live on the island are employees. It is pretty small & not much that a teenager can into trouble with, so its pretty safe to just let them go on their own there.

[uksimonusa]

I haven't ever been to LSC but HMC is amazing. White sand beach, water looks like a swimming pool, bar, music, chairs, food everything you need for a day at the beach. At HMC the only people that live on the island are employees. It is pretty small & not much that a teenager can into trouble with, so its pretty safe to just let them go on their own there.

 

Pretty much the same for LSC, they are both private islands, HMC belongs to HAL, and LSC belongs to RCCL.

[Terre]

It's been many years since I've been to LSC, but if it's still like I remember, I definitely prefer HMC...it's absolutely beautiful.

 

I will be going to LSC in September, I'll see if it's changed since I was there in the early '90s

[suggie123]

We just went to LSC and had a great time. They have an Adventure Park that we paid $19.99 for 50 minutes and had a lot of fun and many laughs. There was a shark that swam by us the whole afternoon. He didn't bother with us though.

 

 

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[Pellaz]

HMC is a gorgeous white-sand beach and a great beach day...but there is only one beach, and the lifeguards won't allow you to swim out past the line, etc.

 

The beaches and sand at LSC (RCCL calls it "CocoCay") aren't quite as white-sand nice, but there are more options for swimming and the snorkeling there is much better. Just ask at the snorkeling shack and they'll direct you to where the sunken planes, cannons, etc. are located. Hundreds of fish...just amazing!

 

Both islands' free BBQ lunches are comparable.

[Cruzaholic41]

Which of these do you like best? Which would be best for older kids who just want independent beach fun (no tours)? I have read that both are private islands, then I read no they are not private islands. Thank you.

 

Both are gorgeous, but LSC is much bigger and there are a lot more beaches. As mentioned, HMC only has one beach. LSC is Royal Caribbean's private island (called Coco Cay), and RCI does a great job with their private islands. On LSC, you can walk around to the south side of the island and find your own private beach if you like. I prefer LSC.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Cruzaholic41

[SnowWhiteNYC]

We preferred LSC because there was a great deal more shade. I didn't need to rent the clam shell and many who rented the umbrellas, never used them.

[Aldeya]

No beach can compare to HMC. Just gorgeous!

[lovecarnivalcruises]

We preferred LSC because there was a great deal more shade. I didn't need to rent the clam shell and many who rented the umbrellas, never used them.

 

 

I recently was a HMC and didn't like the fact there was no shade and they didn't rent umbrellas only the clam shells which I do not care for because they block the wind. But the beach was very nice. I would like to try LSC. Sounds like I might like it better.

[cb at sea]

Both are "private" for the cruise lines, and you can have a great beach day on either, without spending money on excursions! They do rent floats, but you could bring your own cheap, blowup ones, if you want.

Everything operates just like on the ship...you'll pay for sodas and alcohol (on your shipboard account) and lunch on the beach is provided by the ship! The ship will be up and running, too, if you don't want to stay at the beach all day.

[Typhoon1]

HMC is consistently rated as the best private island in cruise industry publications.

 

You won't be disappointed, We were at GSC this year, it was rocky, with uneven beaches.

[spazilla1]

How close to the ship is the island, you said you do not need to do the excursion to get there, but do you have to rent a cab or can you walk to the beach from the ship? We are going there this January and I want to snorkel and swim and basically just "laze around" on the beach.

[Typhoon1]

How close to the ship is the island, you said you do not need to do the excursion to get there, but do you have to rent a cab or can you walk to the beach from the ship? We are going there this January and I want to snorkel and swim and basically just "laze around" on the beach.

 

You will tender to the island. It is about a ten minute (or less) ride from the ship.

 

There are no cabs at HMC. It sounds like you are looking for a beach day. That's exactly what HMC is.

[spazilla1]

Thanks typhoon! We had a great beach day last year but it was too short - only a couple of hours. the water was incredible and this year we would like to experience a longer visit. I understand they have clam shells for rent, correct?

[Typhoon1]

Thanks typhoon! We had a great beach day last year but it was too short - only a couple of hours. the water was incredible and this year we would like to experience a longer visit. I understand they have clam shells for rent, correct?

 

Yes, there are. They come with two lounge chairs. I recall pricing to be around $19.00. Reserve early as they sell out quickly.

[MattInFLL]

If you want to see a map and descriptions of what is available at Cococay (LSC), I recently uploaded one (it's the pages after the Nassau port map). You can download it here:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7f6gh8rpxb32sk6/Majesty%20Nassau%20Cococay%20Maps.pdf?dl=0

 

Half Moon Cay is very pretty. We did a private cabana there and it was great. Cococay is a lot more active and you still have some lovely beach areas. I generally do prefer active.