Holland America to Open Paid Beach Club at Half Moon Cay in 2026
The separate club area will have open-air spaces with natural textures and Holland America’s blue, orange and cream color palette.
Holland America Line will open a paid Beach Club at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas in October 2026, alongside upgrades to dining and beach facilities. Guests will encounter the changes on more than two dozen Caribbean itineraries sailing through April 2027.
Standard beach access will remain complimentary, with the new club available through an optional day pass. Holland America has not announced pass prices or the number of guests the venue will accommodate.
The pass will include priority tendering from the ship to the island, dedicated waiter service, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, beach accessories, and specialty food and beverage offerings. The club will occupy a separate area of the island. Its open-air spaces will use natural textures and Holland America’s blue, orange and cream color palette.
“Every enhancement at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay is centered on creating an even more exceptional experience while building on everything guests already love about the island,” said Beth Bodensteiner, president of Holland America Line.
Complimentary dining and beach upgrades
A new food pavilion will serve a complimentary barbecue menu developed specifically for the island. Existing bars and eateries are also being renovated.
Along the beach, Holland America is upgrading cabanas and refreshing clamshells and daybeds. Additional daybeds and beach chairs will expand seating, while canopy loungers designed for two will provide another shaded option.
The island’s four pickleball courts, introduced during the previous season, will remain available.
More sister-brand calls to Half Moon Cay
The destination, on Little San Salvador Island, opened as a private cruise port in 1997. It is used by both Holland America and Carnival Cruise Line, sister brands within Carnival Corporation.
Princess Cruises will also send ships to Half Moon Cay this winter as it removes Princess Cays from its schedules beginning in November 2026. Celebration Key is another replacement destination. Princess has said Princess Cays is not closing and will remain available for year-round cruise calls; Carnival itineraries continue to include it in 2027 and 2028.
Individual Carnival sailings have also shifted visits to Half Moon Cay. Carnival Sunrise’s five-night October 31, 2026 departure from Miami will call there on November 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., replacing Princess Cays without changing the scheduled time ashore or the rest of the itinerary.
Carnival has not explained that substitution. Prepaid Princess Cays excursions for the sailing will be canceled automatically and refunded to the original payment method, allowing guests to book activities at the replacement destination.
Holland America’s island enhancements begin a yearlong celebration ahead of Half Moon Cay’s 30th anniversary in 2027. Advance bookings for Beach Club day passes are scheduled to open in early October 2026.
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