Journey

A cruise ship usually brings thousands of passengers to its destinations. In the busy ports where there are more than one cruise ship dock at the same time, the crowds will be too overwhelming. But some of the cruise lines have their own private island. An island where you can enjoy your own space. Of course, nothing beats the tranquil atmosphere with an amazing view when we shut our thoughts off from the job routine. 

1. Half Moon Cay

Half Moon Cay is an exclusive port of call for Carnival and Holland America Lines in Bahamas. Its official name is Little San Salvador island. This is the best island I have been so far for the super white sand beach and crystal clear water. No filter needed in every snap of the pictures. The color of water originally looks like what we see in the beach advertising.

The cruise ship will dock at sea because the water level is too shallow at the pier. Crew and guests will go ashore with a tender boat. On the journey to the pier, we are surrounded by a beautiful panorama. Sometimes fishes are spotted from the tender too! The main place where most of crews and guests are going is the beach. The cruise ship background on the blue water gradation is the most popular view for the selfie's background :).

There are many options to enjoy the day at the beach. Beach lounges are free to use, either for sunbathing, sleeping, or just resting after swimming. Many colorful beach-side cabanas are ready to rent as well. For the adventure seekers, you can opt for water bikes, kayaks, and paddle boats.

To explore the island there are tours like the horseback riding, tropical kayak adventure, glass bottom boat and snorkeling tour. You can find more information here . I couldn't do any tour due to the working schedule, but spending the day walking around and swimming at the beach is cool enough for me.

There are plenty of bars, barbecue grills, and food huts that serves the guests and crews. A small Bahamian chapel is used for the beach wedding. It must be a wonderful experience to have the special day with loved ones in this beautiful place.

2. Princess Cays

Another exclusive island I have been is Princess Cays. It is at the southern end of Eleuthera island, Bahamas. The activites and facilities are mostly the same like Half Moon Cay, except there is no horse back riding. For more information about the price of equipments rental, click here.

On my fourth contract now, Princess Cays is our ship destination for every two weeks. The characteristic of the beach reminds me of my hometown. The water is not as spectacular as Half Moon Cay, but still clear and enjoyable. 

I tried to swim once. I took my snorkeling gear and saw some cute small fishes. The visibility was good. If it's not for its rocky bottom, I would say this place is great. In the shallow water we need to walk on the pretty sharp rocks. I would recommend to bring a beach shoes to protect the feet.

After all, this place is still nice to enjoy. My partner and I even had an engagement photoshoot recently here by our talented photographer friend, Wilma. I will give a sneak peek later 😉