For years, Half Moon Cay has been consistently ranked as one of the most popular destinations out there for Carnival Cruise Line guests. Now, not only has the name been changed to Relax Away Half Moon Cay, but the hot spot has some competition from sister site Celebration Key. But which is right for you?
Different Strokes
While both will offer a family plenty of amenities and ways to have fun in the sun, Relax Away Cay and Celebration Key offer vastly different experiences. While Carnival does offer sailings which visit both spots, many ships will stop at one or the other. That means that as guests begin planning their ideal vacation, they might need to take a closer look at each destination and decide which is right for them.
Half Moon Cay, as we’ll call it moving forward for simplicity’s sake, has been operated by Carnival since the late 1990s, but recently underwent a pretty massive glow-up. Despite the pretty massive expansion, Half Moon Cay does not feature a traditional pool, nor does it boast a water park.
Celebration Key, on the other hand, has two large freshwater lagoons as well as a large waterpark.
And that simple comparison speaks volumes about what each destination is — and isn’t.
Which Is Right For Your Party?
Everything about Celebration Key is bigger, bolder and louder that what you’ll find at Half Moon Cay. Celebration is more in keeping with Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day CocoCay or Norwegian Cruise Line’s currently-expanding Great Stirrup Cay.
Like those other destinations, Celebration Key offers not only more thrills but more opportunities to spend money. While there are many things to do at no charge, the big-ticket items — including the water park — come at a premium price.
Half Moon Cay, meanwhile, is a bit more low key. Its beaches feature thousands of free umbrellas and beach loungers. It’s color schemes are a bit more muted than the bright, fiesta-like structure at Celebration Key.
Even before Celebration Key opened, Carnival was making it clear that these were two very distinct experiences. Amy Martin Ziegenfuss, who at the time was serving as Carnival Cruise Line’s Chief Marketing Officer, explained it this way: “Half Moon Cay is much more of a hang out, have a drink at the tiki bar and enjoy the beach” vibe.
“At Celebration Key,” she added, “you can do that but so much more.”
Or, as Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy said at the opening ceremony for Half Moon Cay’s expansion, “We wanted to keep [Half Moon Cay] a little bit more relaxed and low-key versus what you see at Celebration Key with the big lagoons and swim-up bars and the castle the slides.”
That difference is as intentional as it is, at least for now, permanent. “Would we ever see a Perfect Day CocoCay-like experience at [Half Moon Cay]?” Duffy pondered. “No, I think we really wanted to keep [this] pristine and relaxing, more of a chance to enjoy nature.”
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