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Half Moon Cay

mnkauf

By mnkauf,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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ninjacat123 "Live from...." Rare

ninjacat123

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We always get a cabana but if you get off ship early you can grab a lounger that has palm trees for shade.  There are clamshells, but I think I've heard it's first come/first served on location so you may want to get to HMC early as well.  It's so beautiful!  Have a great cruise!

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jsglow

jsglow

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We routinely just get two free beach chairs down near the pirate ship.  You'll see when you get there.  Lunch is brought ashore by the ship's dining team and is included.  HMC is perhaps Carnival's best beach day on any itinerary.

Edited by jsglow
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Lee Cruiser

Lee Cruiser

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2 hours ago, mnkauf said:

Wondering about food at Half Moon Cay.  Do you need to bring money for the food?   Does anyone recommend the excursions or the shell to protect you from the sun?

We typically just go further up the beach to get some chairs that are shaded.  That way we still get the breeze that the clam shells don't offer.

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LatinaInTexas

LatinaInTexas

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Clamshells should be available to pre book on the excursions page. We got one but between being in the water, walking around exploring, and eating we really didn't even use it.

Also noticed that once people that had clamshells left for the day other people moved on in lol.

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Momma1980

Momma1980

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Was there last week! I absolutely LOVE half Moon Cay!  Very little shade to be found in the beach unless you walk alllllll the way down away from where the tender drops you off. There are a few trees there. Used to be a secret, but not anymore! Lol. We got off the ship ASAP and there were already three  groups camped out under the shade.   I feel like there used to be more trees! Saw several stumps. Did Carnival cut trees down?!?  My family members rented two clamshells. I recommend this. 

Edited by Momma1980
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Momma1980

Momma1980

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The clamshells are spread out down the beach already in place. They are a canvas shade overhang that is pulled up over two lounge chairs. If you rent one, you are given a paper ticket. You turn the ticket in to a staff member (look for their yellow polo shirt). The staff member then erects your clamshell. Can’t do it yourself… the clamshells are folded down and wrapped with a locked cord. (Like a bicycle lock)

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Momma1980

Momma1980

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Just now, Momma1980 said:

The clamshells are spread out down the beach already in place. They are a canvas shade overhang that is pulled up over two lounge chairs. If you rent one, you are given a paper ticket. You turn the ticket in to a staff member (look for their yellow polo shirt). The staff member then erects your clamshell. Can’t do it yourself… the clamshells are folded down and wrapped with a locked cord. (Like a bicycle lock)

They were all sold out for our cruise. Don’t wait to reserve one. As far as location- first come first served. 

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CookieShip

CookieShip

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1 hour ago, scoobysnacks70 said:

Has anyone done the Stingray adventure here?  How far is it from where we do the stingrays to where the clam shells are.   Ours tour does not start until 12:30...I was wondering if we should rent a clamshell for the morning.  

Opposite sides of the island, but they have a truck/bus that drives you over to the stingray adventure and they drive you back towards the pick up point after. The clam shells are spread along the beach. We did the stingrays in the morning and were glad to have a clam shell in the afternoon. Sun is intense there.

 

To the OP, lunch is provided. You can use your S&S card for purchases, some of the local vendors might only accept cash, I didn't really check out those wares while there. 

Edited by CookieShip
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BIRDMOM7

BIRDMOM7

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The food provided by Carnival is typically a BBQ buffet. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, Jerk chicken, a variety of cold salads, Caribbean/Bahamian rice & beans, mini frozen corn on the cob, dessert items such as cookies, brownies, beverage machines like onboard with iced tea & lemonade, cold water & ice cubes.  As another member posted, you can use your sail & sign card to purchase beer, cocktails.

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dallasdan

dallasdan

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On 3/16/2022 at 3:37 PM, scoobysnacks70 said:

Has anyone done the Stingray adventure here?  How far is it from where we do the stingrays to where the clam shells are.   Ours tour does not start until 12:30...I was wondering if we should rent a clamshell for the morning.  

We did the Stingray tour at 12:30 also.  It was great.  It is a short drive form the main area where you get off the tinder.  We got off the tender around 10 am sat on some lounge chairs and ate lunch all prior to the excursion.  I recommend it.  They provide water shoes for you to wear.  So bring your own water shoes if you are ocd.

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Little Elm

Little Elm

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On 3/16/2022 at 2:57 PM, Momma1980 said:

Was there last week! I absolutely LOVE half Moon Cay!  Very little shade to be found in the beach unless you walk alllllll the way down away from where the tender drops you off. There are a few trees there. Used to be a secret, but not anymore! Lol. We got off the ship ASAP and there were already three  groups camped out under the shade.   I feel like there used to be more trees! Saw several stumps. Did Carnival cut trees down?!?  My family members rented two clamshells. I recommend this. 

The hurricane did damage to the island a few years ago.  Lots of trees lost.

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vacruizer

vacruizer

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Any clamshell options near the tender drop off reserved for handicapped by any chance? My husband can’t walk long distances so would need a clamshell close by for shade. Cabanas are sold out on my sailing and don’t want to rent a clamshell only to find we can’t get to it. He’s never been to HMC and I keep telling him how beautiful it is - I really want him to be able to experience and enjoy it!

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Buckimion

Buckimion

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12 hours ago, vacruizer said:

Any clamshell options near the tender drop off reserved for handicapped by any chance? My husband can’t walk long distances so would need a clamshell close by for shade. Cabanas are sold out on my sailing and don’t want to rent a clamshell only to find we can’t get to it. He’s never been to HMC and I keep telling him how beautiful it is - I really want him to be able to experience and enjoy it!

None are earmarked specifically for handicapped, but leading up to Cabana #1 (Taupe) is a wheelchair accessible path to both the Cabana and the beach. There were several clam shells in the area that went unused during our visit.

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TNcruising02

TNcruising02

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On 3/16/2022 at 11:10 AM, kingston13 said:

New thing I saw recently. I was able to get the clam shell reserved online. Just had to prepay


That's good to know.  We always get a clamshell every time we go to HMC.  They provide a good amount of shade and it is nice to have our own personal space.

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