Half Moon Cay 2.0

 Sunday, March 2, 2025

When I opened my eyes around 6:30 am Bob announced that it was lightning outside. I pulled back the curtains and the skies were dark, but I could see the sun coming up in just a tiny sliver of clear sky at the horizon. I got a photo of the sun shining through the lifeboat window before the whole sky turned dark.

Sunrise through the lifeboat.

When we met Jon and Michelle for breakfast it was raining and Michelle and I made the executive decision that we would skip going to Half Moon Cay and stay on the ship instead. Half Moon Cay is one of my very favorite ports...but not in the rain. It was Sunday so we decided the four of us would attend the interdenominational church service together.

Jon and Michelle had attended the service last week but Bob and I hadn't because that was when he was not feeling well. This week the service was held in the Half Moon room which is one of the meeting rooms on Deck 3. At first there were just a handful of people, but by the starting time of 9:00 I counted 26 people in attendance. One gentleman, a retired pastor, volunteered to take charge of the service. Hymnals were available and one lady offered to play the piano, but we discovered it was locked and the crew members setting up the room had no idea who had the key. Instead we sang acapella and I think we sounded pretty good! There was a prayer time and several people shared some scripture passages. 

The sky had started to clear by the time the service was over so Bob and Jon took the tender to shore to do some exploring. Their time on the island would be short since all aboard time was at 2:30 pm. Michelle and I stuck with our decision to stay on the ship and changed into our swimsuits and found loungers by the Sea View Pool. 

The tender taking Bob & Jon to Half Moon Cay. The Eurodam was sharing the beach with the Nieuw Statendam that we had watched sail from Port Everglades the day before.

At lunchtime, Michelle got a bratwurst from the Dive Inn. She was so excited to see they had curry ketchup, something they had loved when living in Germany! I went to the Asian station and sampled a few of the Indian dishes. We were just finishing up when Bob and Jon got back. They had eaten at the island BBQ on Half Moon Cay. Since we were all still wearing swimsuits, we convinced the guys that we should all go swimming. We went back to the pool but I was the only one that actually got into the water. The others just sat along the edge. (They thought the water was too cold...wimps!!) We did all get into the hot tub for a short time though.

Bob and I came back to our cabin where he watched a little TV while I showered and messed around the room. The lifeboat in front of our window had been lowered so we actually had a nice view, but we didn't even get to enjoy it because a worker was right outside the window! Time to close the curtains!!

Bob went and played a couple of games of pickleball and then went to walk on the promenade deck while I updated my blog notes. When he returned the two of us dressed early for dinner and then went to the 4:30 watercolor class. Instead of painting the jellyfish that the instructor, Ian, was demonstrating, I painted some flowers. The quality of the paper and brushes was not great which was frustrating but I still loved getting to paint. The class was totally full and Bob and I sat with two Canadian ladies...one from Toronto and the other from Nova Scotia. Taking part in the onboard activities is a fun way to meet people from all over!

My masterpiece. 😉 Watercolor painting really needs "drying time" in between sections so attempting to finish a painting in less than 45 minutes wasn't easy. 

A few days ago Bob and I walked past a guy sitting near the lido pool who was doing watercolor. He was painting from a photo of the iconic colored buildings that he had taken near the ship in Curacao...and his work was very nice! If our cruise hadn't been so port intensive I might have considered bringing my painting supplies.

Our dinner reservation was at 5:30 and like most nights we were seated at a table on the upper level of the dining room. This time we were at the very back of the ship and got to experience a beautiful sunset over the wake as we dined.

Each night there was a salmon dish on the menu and that was what I ordered. It was cooked perfectly and not at all dry, but eating it just reinforced the fact that salmon really isn't a favorite. I'm glad I at least tried it once.

My salmon.

Bob's shrimp.

The evening show was Juan Pablo, the pianist/comedian whom we had already seen and didn't particularly enjoy. We skipped going to the main theater and went to the Crow's Nest and finished the card game we had started the previous night. Michelle and I were partners and after a strong start in the first two rounds we ended up losing. 😞

That was enough cards for me for one evening so I suggested we go listen to the country music set that the piano players were doing in Billboard Onboard. We arrived five minutes before they started and there were still many empty seats available. We sat through one song and then understood why the place wasn't packed.

We left there and went to the Explorer's Lounge for the Brain Twisters game. The room was full and we were divided into 5 groups to compete. Our group did very well so we were a little surprised when it was announced that we had finished in 2nd place. Even the team that was declared the winners thought we had won. I'm pretty sure the entertainment staff keeping score made a mistake! Oh well...it was fun and I actually surprised myself at how many answers I got! (Much better than I would ever do at trivia!)

Do you know the answer?

The evening ended with us getting hallway seats outside the Rolling Stone Lounge for their country set. The place was packed because unlike the piano guys, this band was great! Clocks had to be set forward overnight so when the set ended at 9:45 we called it a night.

Jon, Michelle and Bob have plans to play pickleball early tomorrow morning before it gets too warm. I'm not sure what I will do yet, but I always love sea days!

Half Moon Cay

 Thursday, February 20, 2025

The morning started with a little confusion. We checked with Jon and Michelle and made plans to meet at "the elevator" to go to breakfast. Jon needed to take a business call so we went to the assigned spot to wait for Michelle...who never came. We went on ahead to the buffet and as we were finishing our breakfast Jon came by our table and said Michelle was sitting on the same side of the buffet, just a little more forward. She had looked for us and we for her and still hadn't connected. Turns out she had gone to the midship elevator bank while we had waited at the forward elevators closer to our cabins. We decided from now on midship would our designated meeting spot.

I had been looking forward to poached eggs and ordered some with spinach and ham on an English muffin. They were OK, but I ate them without any salt or pepper. Due to the health precautions being taken on the ship, all of the salt and pepper shakers have been removed from the tables. I could have asked for some, but I felt pity on the crew already trying to hustle and serve all of the food and drinks. There was no self service of ANYTHING.

The Eurodam arrived at Half Moon Cay while we were still eating. Tender tickets were being handed out in the Rolling Stone Lounge so we headed down there after gathering all of the stuff AND after Jon went to guest services to replace his ship card which he managed to somehow lose going from the buffet to his cabin! We were given #11 tickets.

It seems there is a new system for checking on and off the ship. Rather than scanning the ship card, crew members use a tablet device to take your photo. The process is just as quick as having the card scanned but I need to remember to remove my glasses before the photo. 

Tendering to Half Moon Cay

Construction of a new dock at Half Moon Cay.
I read where the larger Carnival ships will be using that end of the beach when it is finished.

We sat on the upper level of the tender.

On the island I wanted to be at the far end of the beach where there is a small amount of shade. BUT...I didn't want to walk that far. A shore excursions staff member working at the entrance of the beach told me to check with a couple of guys in a golf cart near by. They were happy enough to drive us and drop us off just where I wanted to be. They even said they would come get us to take us to lunch if we could find someone with a radio to call them. Just ask for Mario they said!

Lots and lots of empty chairs.

Half Moon Cay is one of my favorite ports and it didn't take me long to get into that beautiful aqua colored water. It was a little chilly at first and the waves made it hard to keep from getting a face full of water, but it was wonderful! I had ordered an inflatable hammock from Amazon that I used for the first time. The waves were too big for me to feel comfortable laying on it, but I used it as a sling chair and had fun bobbing up and down in the surf.

Half Moon Cay...my happy place.

Bob and Jon have scuba dives booked in a few days so they spent the time at the beach practicing with their snorkel equipment. Because of the pandemic, neither of them had dove since 2019!

Around 11:30 we decided to head to the island BBQ. It was a little ways down the road but we lucked out and a guy in a truck came by and offered to drive us! Jon and Michelle had made reservations at the "lobster shack" so we parted ways. Bob and I both had hotdogs and shared our picnic table with two different couples. Visiting with fellow passengers is one of my favorite aspects of cruising.

Our luck ran out going back and we had to walk. Jon and Michelle had already returned and Jon was snoozing in one of the chairs. Michelle and I went into the water for awhile and then relaxed in the lounge chairs trying to dry off before it was time to leave. There were dozens and dozens of chairs on the far end of the beach where we were located but we were the only ones there. A few people walked by but we had our little chunk of ocean to ourselves.

Zzzzzzz

On the way back to catch the tender we got lucky once more and a large truck with benches in the back drove by and stopped for us. He took the "long way" back to the tender dock which gave us a small tour of the island.

The guys remembered going from this area on jet skis on a previous cruise.

The tenders hold around 400 people so we had some time to wait while they got a full load. Once back on the ship I showered and took a short nap while Bob went up to play pickleball. It was hard for me to hear (and understand) the captain's announcement while I was in the cabin but it sounded like the ship would remain in full precautionary mode against the norovirus. Valerie, the cruise director, also made an announcement that the show originally scheduled in the main theater, Song & Dance, was being switched to another show, Class Act.

It was dressy night in the dining room and Bob had called earlier in the morning and made a 5:30 pm reservation for the four of us. That time worked out well and we were done eating early enough to get to the theater to get good seats for the show. 

The "Captain's Welcome" was held before the show and he introduced the heads of the main departments on the ship. As each one of them walked onto the stage they stopped by a hand sanitizer dispenser and disinfected their hands. The whole thing was handled with humor, but the message was clear. Keep your hands clean and don't spread germs!

The captain sanitizing his hands on stage.

Captain Joost Eldering

The shows on our recent Holland America cruises were performances by the Step One Dance Company where the dancers performed in front of elaborate video screens. Although the shows were interesting the first time we saw them, after a few cruises we were tired of the repeats. We were excited to see that Holland America has gone back to the production shows featuring singers and dancers. The video technology is still being used to provide interesting backdrops for the musical numbers.

On our last cruise with Jon and Michelle we usually ended the day in the empty buffet where we could play cards and have a cup of tea. With the health precautions in place I didn't think they would appreciate us being in there. Chances are they wouldn't have even allowed us to be there. Instead we went to the Crow's Nest at the very front of the ship on the Observation Deck. Only a few people were there and the game room had nice tables for our card game. We played a game called "Alaska" which has seven different rounds, each one with totally different rules. Bob loves playing cards, but me...not so much. I don't want to be the party pooper though so I "try". For the record, I did end up losing.

Tomorrow...still no sea day. The Eurodam will be stopping at the port of Grand Turk.

Deja Vu at Half Moon Cay

February 10, 2023

We slept with the drapes open to keep us from oversleeping, but it wasn't necessary. Both of us were awake before the sun was up. That extra hour of sleep from turning back the clocks made a big difference. 

Repeating a port that we just visited a week ago wouldn't normally excite me, but Half Moon Cay is the exception. I was looking forward to a day on that beautiful beach...sand, surf and an island BBQ...the formula for a perfect day with no planning or extra cost involved!

Breakfast was in the crowded buffet before we gathered up our beach gear and tried to figure out where the tenders were loading. We were already in line on Deck 1 when the announcement came that the ship had been cleared for passengers to disembark. Last week on the little Zaandam, we had to collect tender tickets and wait for our number to be called. No numbers needed today however. Perhaps the number system was used last week because two ships were at Half Moon Cay together and the tenders had to be shared?

The tenders hold a TON of people (actually many tons!) 😄 and it didn't take long before we were headed to shore. Learning from our experience last week, we asked if there were seats at the very front of the boat. We were directed to a small bench at the side of the pilots bridge. It kept us from being crammed in with all of the other people and it turned out that we were the first to get off when the tender docked.

We knew exactly where we wanted to go and walked down the road to get there. Walking on the hard surface was easier than walking through the sand on the beach. Our destination was the same chairs we had been in the previous week...next to the hammock and under a group of trees. 

Chapel at Half Moon Cay

Bob decided to take his walk down the beach right away during the cooler morning temps. I sat and read and got caught up online while he was gone. (Thank you T-Mobile!) Once the sun got to be a little warmer, I blew up my noodle and went into the water. The water temps were cool, but warmer than last week. I was in for quite awhile before I could see Bob's fluorescent yellow shirt off in the distance on his way back.

Bob came in the water for a little while and then we got out to dry off before going to lunch. The food pavilion was absolutely packed...much worse than last week. The menu was the same however. Various salads and items from the Dive In menu...burgers, chicken sandwich, hotdogs, etc. We chose one of the picnic shelters that had a view of the water and the ship.

Our view at lunch. 

Looking through the pirate ship bar. 

Last week Bob had spent very little time in the water, but I convinced him to blow up the extra noodle I brought and we both bobbed around on the waves. Occasionally a bigger than normal wave came through. It was fun to watch some people get caught off guard and get knocked off their feet!

The time went by too quickly. I have no idea when (or if) we will make it back to Half Moon Cay and I tried my best to remember the sounds of the surf and the many shades of blue of the water.

An open air tram came by as we were walking down the road to get back to the ship and they stopped and offered us a ride. It worked out well because we were one of the last ones to get on the tender being loaded and didn't have to wait at all. We weren't quite as lucky with the seats though and were crammed into the hot lower level shoulder to shoulder with many others.

I was concerned about getting checked in for our SWA flight. I had planned to check in while we had cell service at Half Moon Cay, but since we were using Luggage Direct program, someone from guest services would be doing the check in for us. I was afraid they would check us in so late that we would have an awful boarding position. I checked my Southwest Airlines app as soon as we got back to the ship, but all I got was a reminder to check in. Just as the ship started to sail away, I checked one more time and was excited to see that we were checked in and our boarding pass was available! I did a screen shot just as I lost my cell connection. 

Our boarding group was towards the end of Group B. Not the best, but it could have been worse. We did find seats together on the flight. 

Once we were showered, the dreaded job of packing began. In some ways it was a little easier because there weren't as many things that I felt needed to go in my carry on bag. Losing our luggage on the way home wouldn't be as devastating as it would have been coming TO the cruise.

Once most of the job was complete, Bob suggested we go have a bowl of split pea soup at the Dutch Cafe (he loves that soup!!) I also stopped in the shops to use up the remainder of our onboard credit. I bought a HAL water bottle to replace the one I dropped and broke while on the Zaandam and also a ball cap from the $10 items. 

I thought one of our 3-star Mariner perks was a discount in the gift shop, but I was wrong. But while I'm on the subject, we had a note in our cabin today saying the ship was out of the delft tiles that we usually get on each cruise. The note said I "might" be able to get the missing tiles on a future voyage if I saved the note. I was surprised that we hadn't gotten any invitation to a Mariner's reception on this cruise or even a coupon for a free drink. We had gotten both on the Zaandam.

Since this was the last night, I thought maybe we should give the MDR one last try. But we didn't. The buffet is where we ended up...mostly just laziness on our part. I am dreading going home to a house with am empty fridge and cupboards after having so many options at each meal on the ship. 

Artwork at aft elevators near entrance to the buffet. 

The Step One dance show, Off the Charts, was scheduled for the World Stage. I was looking forward to this show especially since it would also feature the Lincoln Center Stage musicians and maybe the Billboard Onboard piano players. Also it was a show that we hadn't seen previously. But...since the show, In Tandem, had been cancelled last night it was performed instead. 

We thought we were getting to the theater in plenty of time by going 30 minutes in advance, but by that point there weren't many seats left. We were fortunate to find two seats together in the upper section where the view of the stage is better. By showtime the theater was standing room only with at least a dozen people standing along the wall. Although we would have rather seen a new show (for us) it was interesting to compare the same show done on the small stage on the Zaandam to the Nieuw Statendam with the wrap around video screens. Now we can say we have seen In Tandem two and a half times. (This was the show that was cancelled midway on the last cruise when the seas got too rough.)

Our packet for the Luggage Direct service was delivered to our room and had luggage tags plus our printed boarding passes for both legs of our flights. This was our first time using the service so after setting the bags outside our door, I crossed my fingers that our bags would show up in Minneapolis tomorrow. Besides being extremely convenient (if all goes well) we are not obligated to pay for overweight bag fees. (Remember those two big conch shells that Bob found....?) It will also be a test to see if my Apple AirTag can keep me updated on the location of the luggage.

See those conch shells…they were HEAVY! 

Thankfully we didn’t have to pay for overweight luggage!

I always get nervous on the last night of a cruise, hoping that I won't need anything from the large bags we set out OR that I won't have left more things to pack in the morning than what I can fit into my carry on. 

Our assigned time to debark was 7:45 am...much earlier than we needed to get to our 1:25 flight. We stopped by guest services and asked if it would be OK if we stayed on the ship a little longer and were told NO. I questioned the reasoning (since we didn't need to pick up any luggage in the terminal) and was told that U.S. Customs was expecting us at that time. Well...Ok then...I guess.

I was so worried about not waking up on time that I scheduled a wake up call, set my travel alarm clock and also set an alarm on my iPhone. I also left the drapes open but by the time the sun would waken us we would be running really late. So, as my dad used to say about his time in the Army...we will hurry up to wait.

One last sunset. 😢

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.

One last cup of tea by the pool and then it was back to the cabin to finish packing.

Tea Time Selfie