Is RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay Still a Tender Port?
No, RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay is no longer a tender port for Carnival guests. A new 1,005 foot pier opened on the north side of the island on 1 June 2026, so Carnival ships now dock and you walk straight off. But Holland America guests still tender, to the south side, and that takes around 20 minutes. Which line you are sailing decides your answer.
That split is the bit most articles skip past, and it is the bit that actually affects your day. So here is what changed, who it changes it for, and whether it makes your beach day more likely to happen at all.
In this article
Is RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay still a tender port?
It depends entirely on your cruise line, and this is the single most confusing thing about the island right now.
If you are on Carnival, no. The new pier on the north side means your ship ties up and you walk off. No tender tickets, no waiting in a lounge for your group number to be called, no boat ride.
If you are on Holland America, yes. HAL ships still anchor offshore and tender guests to the south side of the island, the same way they have done since 1997. The tender ride runs about 20 minutes.
So a search result that says "Half Moon Cay is no longer a tender port" is only half right, and if you are booked on a Holland America sailing it is wrong in the way that matters to you.
RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay at a Glance
- Officially Little San Salvador Island, in the Bahamas
- 2,400 acres, owned by Carnival Corporation
- Bought by Holland America in December 1996 for $6 million, opened as a port of call in 1997
- Renamed RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in December 2024
- New 1,005 foot north-side pier opened 1 June 2026
- Carnival docks (north side). Holland America tenders (south side)
- Pier holds two ships. Maximum three ships in port at onceWhich ships can dock at the new pier?
The headline here is Excel class. Carnival's biggest ships, including Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, can now call at the island for the first time ever. Tendering a ship that size is basically impractical, which is why they never used to come.
Carnival Sunrise was the first ship to actually dock, on 1 June 2026, arriving at 8am and leaving at 4pm, with a ribbon cutting led by Carnival president Christine Duffy.
In total, 22 Carnival ships are scheduled to call at RelaxAway. Itineraries run roundtrip from Baltimore, Galveston, Jacksonville, Manhattan, Miami, Mobile, New Orleans, Norfolk, Port Canaveral and Tampa, so there is a decent chance one sails from a port near you.
One caveat worth taking seriously: the pier holds two ships, and there is a cap of three ships in port at a time. If your ship is the third one that day, you may still be tendering. Check your cruise documents and the Carnival app close to your sail date rather than assuming.
What if you are sailing Holland America?
You tender, and there is no published date for that changing.
Holland America has always used the south side of the island, and both lines have been clear that this is deliberate rather than temporary. HAL president Beth Bodensteiner said the south side will stay the secluded paradise their guests are used to. Read that as: the quiet is the product, and the pier would have ruined it.
Whether that is a win or a loss depends on what you want out of a beach day. You keep the calmer, less crowded version of the island. You also keep the tender queue, and the weather risk that comes with it.
HAL is not being left out of the upgrades though. The south side is getting a new beach club with waiter service, priority tendering and its own food and drink menu, 15 refreshed private cabanas, four new pickleball courts, a refreshed food court and Lobster Shack, and drinks delivered by Aperol Spritz tricycles and Bacardi Beach Buggies. There is also a Private Oasis Cabana at 1,620 square feet, partially over the water, sleeping up to 12 guests. The two-storey beach villas are down for renovation in winter 2026.
Does docking make you more likely to actually get ashore?
Yes, and this is the part nobody puts in the headline.
Tender ports get cancelled. If the swell is up, the tenders cannot run safely, and the captain skips the call. It happens at Half Moon Cay, it happens at Grand Cayman, it happens at Cabo. You wake up, you look out the window, and the beach day you booked the whole cruise around just evaporated.
A pier removes that risk almost entirely. A docked ship is not weather-dependent in the same way. So the pier is not just a convenience upgrade that saves you 40 minutes of queueing, it is a reliability upgrade. For a private island that many people specifically book the itinerary for, that is the bigger deal.
If you do get a missed port day anyway, it is worth knowing what you are owed. We covered that in what cruise lines actually refund when a port is missed.
Is RelaxAway the same place as Half Moon Cay?
Yes. Same island, new name. Nothing moved.
Carnival and Holland America renamed it RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in December 2024. If your booking, your itinerary or an old blog post says "Half Moon Cay" and your app says "RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay", those are the same stop.
It also now sits inside Carnival Corporation's Paradise Collection, alongside Celebration Key on Grand Bahama and Isla Tropicale in Honduras, which was itself rebranded from Mahogany Bay. Plenty of 2026 and later Carnival itineraries call at both RelaxAway and Celebration Key on the same sailing.
What else changed on the north side?
The Carnival side is essentially a new development on an old island. Here is what is there now.
Getting around is by tram, with six stops running from the pier: Arrival Plaza, Mango, Lime, Pineapple, Guava and Avocado. If you would rather walk, there is the Papaya Pathway, a scenic route along the beach.
Food and drink is spread across Orchid Beach Grill, Hibiscus Beach Grill, Luna Tide Beach Bar, Stay Awhile Beach Shack and Lil' Tiki Bar. Loungers and umbrellas are complimentary and scattered right along the beach, for Carnival and Holland America guests alike. Cabanas and daybeds are reservable and cost extra.
One thing to budget for: your drinks package does not work on the island. Neither does your wifi package. That catches a lot of people out, because on a sea day everything feels included and then you are handing over a card for a beer on the sand.
The beach itself is the same two mile crescent it always was, which Duffy called the crown jewel of the destination. Carnival have been careful not to pave over the thing people liked.
How does it compare to Celebration Key?
They are aiming at different people, and it is worth knowing which one you are before you get disappointed.
RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay
Celebration Key
**What it is**
A private island (Little San Salvador)
A private port on Grand Bahama
**Opened**
1997, expanded June 2026
July 2025
**Getting ashore**
Dock (Carnival), tender (Holland America)
Dock
**The vibe**
Beach first, natural, quieter
Resort playground, lagoons and slides
**Which lines**
Carnival and Holland America
Carnival, plus other Carnival Corp brandsPut simply, RelaxAway is a beach. Celebration Key is a resort with a beach attached. If you want a lounger, a book and quiet water, RelaxAway wins and it always did. If you want slides and swim-up bars and things for the kids to do, it is Celebration Key.
So is the pier good news or bad news?
Mostly good, with one honest catch.
The good: no tender queue, no weather cancellations, an easier day if you have mobility issues or small children, and the whole thing works without you losing an hour at each end.
The catch: the reason Half Moon Cay stayed uncrowded for nearly 30 years is that the tenders capped how many people could physically get ashore. That cap is gone. Excel class ships carry several thousand more guests than the older ships that used to tender in. The same pier that fixes your queue also puts a lot more towels on the sand.
Carnival have expanded the beachfront and spread the amenities out to absorb it, and the island is 2,400 acres, so there is room. But if you sailed the old Half Moon Cay and loved how empty it felt, go in expecting something busier. That is not a criticism of the upgrade, it is just the trade.
Worth it overall? If you were choosing an itinerary purely on the private island, this one is now a much safer bet than it used to be, simply because you are far more likely to actually set foot on it.
MORE PRIVATE ISLAND WALKTHROUGHS For a first-hand look at how a cruise line private island actually works on the day, see our full walkthrough of Perfect Day at CocoCay and our Royal Beach Club Paradise Island guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay a tender port?
Not for Carnival guests. Carnival ships dock at the new 1,005 foot pier on the north side, which opened 1 June 2026. Holland America ships still anchor offshore and tender guests to the south side, a ride of roughly 20 minutes.
What is RelaxAway at Half Moon Cay?
It is the new name for Half Moon Cay, the Bahamian private island officially called Little San Salvador. Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line renamed it in December 2024 as part of an expansion that added a pier, a tram service, new food and drink venues and expanded beach areas.
When did the RelaxAway pier open?
1 June 2026. Carnival Sunrise was the first ship to dock, arriving at 8am and departing at 4pm, with a ribbon cutting led by Carnival president Christine Duffy.
Which Carnival ships go to RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay?
22 Carnival ships are scheduled to call, and the pier now allows Excel class ships such as Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee to visit for the first time. Sailings run from Baltimore, Galveston, Jacksonville, Manhattan, Miami, Mobile, New Orleans, Norfolk, Port Canaveral and Tampa.
How many ships can be at RelaxAway at once?
The pier accommodates two ships, with a maximum of three ships in port at any one time. If yours is the third, you may still tender, so check your cruise documents closer to sailing.
Do Holland America guests still tender at Half Moon Cay?
Yes. Holland America guests continue to tender to the south side of the island. Both lines have said this is by design, to keep the south side quieter, rather than a temporary arrangement.
Do drink packages work at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay?
No. Neither drinks packages nor wifi packages extend to the island, so budget for paying separately for anything you order on the beach.
Is RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay the same as Half Moon Cay?
Yes, it is the same island under a new name. If your booking says Half Moon Cay and your cruise app says RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, those refer to the same port of call.
How do you get around RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay?
A tram runs from the north side pier with six stops: Arrival Plaza, Mango, Lime, Pineapple, Guava and Avocado. There is also the Papaya Pathway, a walking route for anyone who would rather go on foot.
Is RelaxAway better than Celebration Key?
They suit different people. RelaxAway is a natural, beach-first private island with a two mile crescent of sand. Celebration Key, which opened on Grand Bahama in July 2025, is a purpose-built resort port with lagoons, slides and multiple themed zones. Many 2026 Carnival itineraries call at both.
Walking Every Cruise Port, One at a Time
Full ship walkthroughs, honest port verdicts and no marketing fluff. New videos every week. Watch on YouTube → Been to RelaxAway since the pier opened? Tell me in the comments how busy it felt.
