My Souvenir Memories: Half Moon Cay...Paradise!

February 3, 2023

Half Moon Cay (HMC) ranks at the very top of my favorite ports. It is a private island owned by HAL in the Bahamas that has the most incredible beach! The only downside to a day at HMC is that the ship can't dock here so everyone must tender to shore.

As soon as we finished breakfast, we went to the Ocean Bar to pick up a tender ticket. No cost is involved, but the numbering system makes the tendering process a little more organized. We received tickets for the #11 group and just waited in the Ocean Bar for our number to be called. Once the ship was cleared by the authorities, tender tickets 1 thru 10 were all called at once. The tendering was happening at the back of the ship on Deck A (below deck 1) so we moved further aft on deck 5 to wait. We were sitting near the coffee bar and the loud hissing of the espresso machine drowned out what I thought was the announcement for the next tender groups. I wasn't positive I had heard correctly so when we got to Deck A I asked if it was our turn. The crew member said "you are already here, just get on."

The tenders at HMC are very large and we were one of the last ones to get on the first tender. People were crammed in tight on both the upper and lower levels. Bob was observant and noticed there were a few seats at the very front of the boat that no one had noticed. Perfect!

Pirate Ship Bar on Half Moon Cay

Once we were on the island, we walked to the far end of the beach to find some chairs in the shade. Compared to past visits, I wondered if the island had experienced a storm that took out a lot of the vegetation because the main part of the beach had only a few palm trees that looked newly planted.

Very few people made it this far down the beach.

Other than the long walk, our spot was great. The Nieuw Statendam was also at HMC for the day, but the beach was plenty big enough to accommodate the passengers from two ships. The Nieuw Statendam had a charter group onboard for a "Rhythm and Blues Cruise" and from some of the conversations we had, everyone was enjoying the cruise.

The Nieuw Statendam...the ship we will be boarding the next day.

The Zaandam...the ship we have been on for two weeks.

I got in the water right away. It was "refreshing" which I knew meant it would be freezing for Bob. (I have more natural insulation!) 😆 Once I got out of the water, Bob took off for a walk down the beach. I was happy to be in my lounge chair looking at that beautiful water. Our T-Mobile service was working so I got caught up on email and texts.

Me and my noodle!

Life just doesn't get any better!

One of the benefits of being on HAL's private island is that lunch is included. The island BBQ is held in a big pavilion with smaller shelters set up with picnic tables. When Bob returned from his walk, we went to eat. Choices were Dive In burgers, hotdogs, chicken, etc. with several kinds of salad and fresh fruit. Dessert was ice cream or a variety of cupcakes.

Giras, our waiter from the MDR on the Zaandam, was taking care of the tables where we ate and was excited to see us. He wasn't too busy and had time to visit with us. His contract would be ending at the end of the next cruise when they reached San Diego. He was very happy to be going home after many months to see his family. He showed us photos of his wife, 10 year old daughter and 16 month old son.

We had time to go back in the water once more after lunch and I enjoyed floating on my inflatable noodle. All too soon it was time to make the long trek back to the tender dock. People were once again cramming into the boat and we just walked by and went to the very front where we were the only ones sitting there.

Back on the ship my favorite day (Half Moon Cay) turned into my most dreaded day...packing day. Stuff never seems to go back into the luggage the same as it was packed originally. The big bags would need to be set in the hallway before we went to bed so one must be careful to keep out the items needed the next morning. Since we are transferring to another ship, the packing wasn't quite as bad because we didn't have to abide by airlines rules for liquids, etc.

Once the bulk of the packing was done, we showered and dressed for dinner. We wanted to eat in the MDR and say goodbye to Giras. By arriving a little before 5:30 we were always able to request his table but this time we were told it wasn't available. We were seated nearby but noticed no one was sitting at table 155 where we had hoped to be. Giras was just as stumped as we were as to why we weren't able to request his table.

At least we did get a chance to say our goodbyes to Giras and exchanged hugs as we left the dining room. Bob was also busy saying goodbye to his ping pong and pickleball friends throughout the evening. Funny how you can develop a bond with people in such a short time. This cruise on the Zaandam felt like we were part of a close knit group. I can only imagine the friendships that develop on a world cruise!

Bob and Giras, our special waiter.

After being postponed THREE times due to rough seas, the Step One dance troupe performed "In Tandem". A unique twist to the show was that three of the Boyband Evolution did vocals on one number. Normally we sat in the balcony for shows, but Bob wanted to be down front and center this time. We were close enough that a couple of times we could see showers of sweat go flying from the dancers! We wondered what it would be like to put those damp costumes on when they performed the second show at 9 pm.

Ryan Baird announcing the dance show.

Special guest vocalists...Boyband Evolution

I knew the rest of our packing still remained, but we did take a walk on the promenade deck for one last time. Off in the distance we could make out a couple of other cruise ships lit up in the darkness. Most likely they were headed to Port Everglades just like the Zaandam...a total of six ships were to be in port together tomorrow.