Posted by: Editor on Jan 10, 2005 – 11:16 AM
exoticlocations The smiles said it all.
“So fun,” 13-year-old Caroline said.
“Awesome,” agreed Melanie.
“I want to do it again,” added Joanna, who had been so scared before her first attempt at parasailing.
The trio couldn’t have been more pleased with themselves after floating up in the blue sky over the ocean, harnessed to a parachute and tethered by rope to the speeding boat. Gulp. I stayed in the boat and took pictures of my daughter Melanie and her friends.
We were in the Bahamas on Half Moon Cay, the private island owned by Holland America Line and reserved for its cruise ship passengers.
Princess, Disney, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian cruise lines also operate private islands that prove to be the high point for many Caribbean cruisers, especially parents and grandparents. They like the chance to play on a beach with the kids, without the hassles of finding one or paying for anything once they get there. Meals are included, as are children’s activities. Anything else can be conveniently billed to their shipboard account. Another plus: a full schedule of complimentary kids’ programs run by energetic counselors make it easy for the adults in the group to grab a little time for themselves.
Separate teen beaches
The kids and teens are just as enthusiastic, because they easily can meet up with friends they’ve made on board, joining a beach volleyball game or treasure hunt. They can eat all they want when they want without needing any money or parental supervision.
“Much better than a public beach,” Joanna declared.
It’s no wonder that the cruise lines continue to upgrade and improve these island facilities and activities, which include elaborate beach barbecues, calypso music and a full schedule of activities. (Yoga, anyone?)
Holland America recently pumped more than $25 million into Half Moon Cay, according to Holland America’s vice president of Caribbean relations, Matthew Sams, who oversees the island — in part to repair substantial damage from last fall’s hurricanes but also to add more services and activities.
“People are looking for something different, more active,” Sams said.
Holland America is working hard to deliver. Would you prefer a beach massage or a private cabana with butler? Horseback riding in the ocean or swimming in a lagoon? Kids, take note: More (and bigger) water slides are on the way. The cruise line even is considering making two stops on the island during some sailings.
Disney touts separate teen and adult beaches, as well as a terrific water-play structure anchored in the water off its family beach. And, of course, there’s the chance to take a beach picture with Mickey at Castaway Cay. Norwegian cruisers play sand volleyball or jog on Great Stirrup Cay, while Royal Caribbean has two private enclaves — Labadee, a peninsula on the north coast of Hispaniola, and Coco Cay, an island in the Bahamas. Kids give a thumbs-up to the water trampolines. Princess Cays has a replica galleon for the children in its supervised play area, “Pelican Perch.”
On a sunny morning recently, tenders brought us from our ship, the MS Westerdam, the newest in the Holland America fleet, to Half Moon Cay. Looking around at the pristine white-sand beaches, the gently swaying palms, the aqua play area for the younger children with its gentle slides and giant water creatures to climb, you’d never know that the island had been so badly damaged in the fall. In fact, the refurbishing efforts have just been completed, said Sams.
Free to roam the beach
The beach was busy, like any on a bright summer day, but not nearly as crowded as I’d feared. Sams boasts that there’s room for 5,000 people — two cruise ships’ worth — to spread out comfortably. There were no lines for the buffet or to rent snorkeling gear. Smiling waiters circulated, offering tropical drinks. There were even plenty of beach chairs — not always the case at even the fanciest resorts.
My trio of teens was enthralled — the two-mile beach, clear water, an outdoor restaurant where they didn’t have to pay for their burgers, the banana boat rides and, not incidentally, the freedom they wouldn’t have had on a public beach. Because the island was patrolled by ship security and I knew they couldn’t get lost, I allowed them to cruise the beach at will. They certainly had plenty to do. In addition to parasailing, they could have snorkeled, kayaked, played basketball or shopped for souvenirs from local Bahamians. There were nature walks (part of the island is designated by the Bahamian National Trust as a wild bird reserve), glass-bottomed boat rides and jet-ski tours.
But for the most part, the girls, like many of the other passengers, were content to laze on the beach chairs in the sand and play in the water. Families tossed footballs, built elaborate sand sculptures and gorged on an island barbecue. This being a cruise-line island, there were nine bars where the girls could order any frothy non-alcoholic concoction they liked, while older passengers looked out over the ocean, indulging in piña coladas, margaritas and mai tais.
At 3 p.m., tired, sunburned cruisers lined up for the last tenders back to the ship. The parasailing had run late, and we were among the last to return to the ship. Lamented Caroline: “I just wish we could stay here longer.”
Note: By Eileen Ogintz
Mercury News