Carnival’s RelaxAway label on the same cay

Bahamas

Half Moon Cay renamed and enlarged for Carnival

The island has been Carnival Corporation property since the 1990s and long appeared on itineraries simply as Half Moon Cay. Carnival and Holland America announced the RelaxAway name with a multi-year upgrade of beaches, dining and a new pier. Carnival ships now concentrate on the north-side pier campus with higher capacity, tram links and expanded grills and bars.

Holland America continues to favour the quieter south beach end of the same crescent. Both brands can call the same day on opposite ends. If your ticket says RelaxAway, you are still on Little San Salvador. Celebration Key on Grand Bahama is a different Carnival destination — different island, different facilities, different call. Keep an eye on all-aboard before you invent a second outing.

The guest experience remains a private-island beach day: loungers, swimming, tram hops and facility lunch. There is no Bahamian capital ashore. Guests who treat the branding as a promise of a second island will be confused. Guests who claim shade early, swim while light is good and keep a pier buffer usually have the day the campus was built for. Keep an eye on all-aboard before you invent a second outing.

Ashore

Pier beach, tram, or quiet walk south

1. 01

   Claim the north-side beach from the pier

   Carnival’s designed free day: loungers, swimming and nearby lunch decks after you clear the pier. Arrive early for shade on busy Excel-class calls. Mark a landmark so the walk or tram back is obvious when afternoon volume rises.

2. 02

   Ride the tram between beach and bars

   Use the island tram rather than inventing a long hot walk in midday heat. Footwear still helps between sand and hard paths. The tram is how the larger north campus is meant to be covered — not a scenic railway outing.

3. 03

   Book a cabana only if reserved

   Private shade sells ahead. Without a booking, the open beach remains the normal pattern — same honesty as any private cay. Do not spend half the morning waiting for a cabana that was never available walk-up.

4. 04

   Do not confuse with Celebration Key

   Celebration Key is Carnival’s Grand Bahama facility. RelaxAway is the Little San Salvador cay under a new name. Different island, different call. Asking crew for Celebration Key directions here wastes everyone’s time.

5. 05

   Claim north-side water early

   Excel-class volumes fill the near-pier sand first. Walk a little farther along the crescent for space, then settle. Mid-afternoon is peak noise and towel density — morning swimming is the calmer choice.

6. 06

   Treat bars as a pause, not the itinerary

   Island drinks are part of the RelaxAway pitch and easy to over-prioritise. Swim first while energy and light are good. A late bar stop still leaves time if you protect the pier return rather than inventing a second outing.

7. 07

   Keep Celebration Key off your mental map

   Different destination, different facilities, different island. Enjoy the cay you actually landed on. A clear beach day with tram and lunch beats confusion about a facility that is not here. Keep an eye on all-aboard and do not invent a second outing once you are behind.

On the map

What's worth doing

Before you sail

Branding on one private cay

• This slug covers Carnival’s RelaxAway branding of Half Moon Cay — same Little San Salvador island as the classic Half Moon Cay guide, different guest zone and pier story. Confirm your ship’s pier and tram instructions in the daily programme.
• Carnival ships use the north pier campus; Holland America still leans on the south beach. Both can call the same day on opposite ends. Stay in your line’s zone unless you have clear time and directions for a longer beach walk.
• No Bahamian capital ashore. Return through pier security with a normal private-island buffer. Do not confuse this cay with Celebration Key on Grand Bahama — different island entirely.

Who calls

Ships that stop at Half Moon Cay

Tap a ship to compare UK cruise-only prices for that vessel in the months it calls here.