Carnival’s Revamped Private Island: Here’s What Changed

Carnival Cruise Line just opened a brand-new chapter for one of its favorite Bahamas stops. The island, once known simply as Half Moon Cay, now goes by RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, and it comes packed with fresh features for beach-loving cruisers.

A Fresh Look for a Longtime Favorite

USA TODAY travel reporter Nathan Diller walked the island’s new Papaya Pathway during a recent visit. He watched guests play volleyball on the sand and relax across long rows of loungers.

Trams rolled along the path, dropping off passengers at stops named after tropical fruits, from lime to guava. Rental stations nearby offered kayaks, paddle boards, snorkel gear, and three-wheeled Aqua-Cycles. Diller noticed the crowd stayed calm and easygoing, with most people simply sipping drinks or cooling off in the water.

Much of this setup is brand new. Carnival Cruise Line welcomed its first guests to the upgraded island on June 1. Passengers aboard the nearly 3,000-guest Carnival Sunrise got to explore the island’s newly built north side for the very first time.

This expansion marks a serious investment in Carnival’s land-based attractions. It’s also part of a bigger pattern, since the cruise line keeps growing its lineup of private destinations under what it calls the Paradise Collection.

What Changed at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay?

The name change is just one piece of the makeover. Diller described stepping onto his cabin balcony to see Carnival Sunrise docked at a brand-new pier, just a short five-minute walk from the welcome plaza.

The new tram system connects six separate stops, though guests can also walk between them. On-site maps show travel times, and the longest walk between stops takes about 15 minutes.

Each stop offers its own mix of food, drinks, and activities. Guests can browse an artisan market at the Coconut Tram Station near the entrance, grab a Bahama Mama at the Lil’ Tiki Bar near the Lime stop, or stop by the Luna Tide Beach Bar at the Avocado stop. Onboard drink packages don’t currently work on the island, so cocktails and sodas cost extra. Water and juice, though, remain free.

Two of the stops feature buffet-style dining. Diller saw long lunch lines at the Hibiscus Beach Grill, where guests could load up on free burgers, fries, and a nacho bar topped with pulled pork and chili. Lighter options like salads and fresh fruit were also available.

Loungers and umbrellas now come at no extra cost, a nice change since umbrellas once carried a fee. Travelers looking for more privacy can still rent cabanas or daybeds for an added charge, with pricing that depends on the sailing and package chosen.

Classic island activities remain part of the experience too, including the popular horseback ride along the beach.

Bigger Ships, Bigger Plans

According to Carnival President Christine Duffy, the island’s new pier can handle two ships docking at once, plus a third arriving by tender boat. That includes Carnival’s Excel Class ships and its upcoming Project Ace vessels. Still, the cruise line plans to limit how many guests visit through September while the island settles into its new routine.

Holland America, another Carnival Corp. brand, continues to visit the island’s original south side. That section is also getting some updates, including new design touches and upgraded food and drink spots.

Duffy explained that RelaxAway aims for a quieter vibe compared to Celebration Key, another Paradise Collection stop that opened last year on Grand Bahama with waterslides and large lagoons.

“The beach is what is really so amazing,” she said during a media briefing aboard Sunrise. “I mean, the colors of the water, the beauty of nature, that sometimes I think it gets lost if you load it up with just too many other things to distract from that.”

Guests don’t have to pick just one stop, though. Diller’s five-night cruise sailed round-trip from Miami with calls at both RelaxAway and Celebration Key, along with a stop in Nassau.

More Private Destinations on the Way

RelaxAway isn’t Carnival’s only recent island upgrade. The cruise line also unveiled a new look at Isla Tropicale, its exclusive spot in Roatán, Honduras, previously known as Mahogany Bay since it opened back in 2009. The new Mangrove Bay pool area adds a swim-up bar, a kids’ splash pad, and roughly 48,000 square feet of extra recreation space.

Carnival’s private destination lineup also includes stops in Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos, and Puerta Maya in Mexico. Duffy noted that these spots work a bit differently than RelaxAway and Celebration Key. She called them “gateways,” since they connect guests to nearby shore excursions and local attractions beyond the port itself.

Why Cruise Lines Keep Building Private Islands

Carnival’s bigger ships need ports that can actually handle them, and that’s part of why private destinations matter so much right now, according to Duffy. Many of these islands have been part of Carnival’s portfolio for years, just without the same spotlight they get today.

“And so now the focus has been on, as we’re investing in these new ships and the bigger ships that we have, we’re saying, ‘OK, we’ve got to invest in these destinations,'” Duffy said during a press briefing.

Longer cruises, like eight-day trips to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, remain part of Carnival’s lineup. But shorter itineraries make up a big chunk of its schedule, and having private islands nearby in the Bahamas offers real advantages.

“It’s close by, so obviously there’s a big environmental benefit,” Duffy said. “There’s a fuel benefit as well, and guests love it.” The new pier also makes port calls more dependable, since rough weather can sometimes prevent ships from using tender boats.

Carnival isn’t the only line investing in this approach. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises have all expanded or upgraded their own private islands and beach clubs in recent seasons.

Cruise travel analyst Marilyn Macallair told USA TODAY in 2025 that owning private destinations gives cruise lines more control over nearly everything, from design choices to food and drink pricing. With some communities pushing back against overtourism and shifting global events affecting itineraries, private islands offer cruise lines more predictability.

Carnival shows no signs of slowing down. Duffy said there’s still room to grow Isla Tropicale, and the company plans more investment at Celebration Key as well. “We’re always going to look at what’s next,” she added.