CruiseStar
Holland America fans have a new way to spend their day on Half Moon Cay, and it comes with a price tag. On October 22 the line opened its new Beach Club at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, a fenced-off corner of the private island with a dedicated beach, a waiter who comes to your daybed, and an open bar. The day pass costs $125 per person.
The first guests celebrated the opening with a toast alongside Nieuw Amsterdam captain Eric van der Wal and cruise director Zaid Barrera Abuassi. Nieuw Amsterdam was the first Holland America ship to call on Half Moon Cay during the 2026-27 Caribbean season.
The Beach Club sits inside the wider refresh of Half Moon Cay, the biggest island investment Holland America has made in years, timed ahead of the destination's 30th anniversary in 2027. Guests can experience the new island on more than two dozen Caribbean itineraries sailing from October 2026 through April 2027.
Here is exactly what the $125 buys, what you still get for free, and the honest math on whether the pass is worth it.
- $125 per person day pass, opened October 22, 2026
- Priority tendering ship to island, dedicated waiter, all drinks included
- Exclusive lunch plus beach accessories, daybeds, live music or DJ
- RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, during the 2026-27 Caribbean season
What the $125 Beach Club pass includes
The pass is built around never having to stand in a line or walk back to your bag. Priority tender service moves day-pass guests between the ship and the island ahead of everyone else, and a shuttle connects the tender landing to the Beach Club. Once you are in, a dedicated waiter handles the ordering, so the afternoon is basically: daybed, beach, drink, repeat.
The drinks are the biggest line item. All alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included in the pass. If you are a two-or-three-drinks-a-beach-day person, a chunk of the $125 covers itself right there.
Food is the second draw. The Beach Club lunch is an exclusive Caribbean-inspired spread: jerk chicken, spiced shrimp, sushi, tostones, and more. A media update on October 22 also confirmed Beach Club guests can order off the island's Lobster Shack menu. And the extras read like a resort fee that actually delivers: chilled towels, sunscreen, snorkeling equipment, beach toys, and entertainment in the form of live music or a DJ.
What changed on the free side of the island
If $125 sounds steep, the free side of Half Moon Cay got better this season too, and that matters for the math. A brand-new food pavilion serves a complimentary island-only barbecue menu developed just for the destination. The existing bars and eateries were renovated, the cabanas upgraded, and the island added more daybeds, beach chairs, and two-person canopy loungers. Four pickleball courts that debuted last season are still there for anyone who wants to burn off the barbecue.
In other words, the classic Half Moon Cay day, white sand, warm water, free barbecue, is still free. The Beach Club is a paid layer on top of it.
Priority tendering is the sleeper perk of the pass. Half Moon Cay is a tender port, and tender tickets can mean waiting an hour or more on a full sailing. If your ship day is short, boarding first can buy you more beach than anything else on the pass.
Is the $125 pass worth it?
It depends on how you do beach days. The pass pays for itself quickly if you plan to drink, eat, and lounge all afternoon: a few cocktails, a specialty lunch, snorkel gear rental, and a daybed would easily clear $125 if you paid a la carte. Add the priority tender and the waiter, and it becomes a convenience play as much as a money play.
Skip it if you are a towel-and-sand purist. If your ideal beach day is a free lounger, the water, and the complimentary barbecue at the new pavilion, Half Moon Cay already delivers that at zero extra cost. The pass also makes the least sense for families pricing several $125 tickets against kids who will be fine with the free side.
Holland America president Beth Bodensteiner called the opening part of a commitment to "invest in the guest experience, offering even more unforgettable moments in one of the Caribbean's most beautiful destinations." The ship line is clearly betting that private-island tiers are the future, following the same playbook as the industry-wide push to premium shore-day experiences.
The $125 price was reported on October 22 by FTN News and was not part of the September announcement, which said pricing was still to come. Confirm the current day-pass price with Holland America before you sail.
The bottom line
A private island inside a private island is a bold move, and $125 is a real number. But bundled drinks, a real lunch, gear, a waiter, and first-off-the-tender is the kind of all-inclusive math that beach-day people actually pay. The free side of Half Moon Cay got a glow-up too, so nobody is stuck with a bad day. Rate your Half Moon Cay sailing when you get home so the next sailor knows which side of the beach to pick.
How much is the Half Moon Cay Beach Club day pass? Reported at $125 per person as of the October 22 opening. Confirm the current price with Holland America before sailing.
Are drinks included in the Beach Club pass? Yes, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included, plus dedicated waiter service.
Is food included? Yes. An exclusive lunch (jerk chicken, spiced shrimp, sushi, tostones) plus access to the island's Lobster Shack menu, per the October 22 media update.
Do I need the pass to enjoy Half Moon Cay? No. The free side of the island has a new complimentary barbecue pavilion, renovated bars, upgraded cabanas, and new loungers.
Which ships visit Half Moon Cay? Holland America ships on Caribbean itineraries from October 2026 through April 2027. Plan your port day with the port day planner.
Rate the sailing after you get home so the next sailor knows what to pick.