Denied...No Lido or Retreat Cabanas available

[flagger]

Oh well...wanted to surprise my 7.5 year old daughter with a Cabana on our 19Feb Eurodam dad and daughter cruise but they are all sold. It is President's Day week, but we just made the reservation on Monday and were hoping. Our first HAL cruise, very excited.

[Cruisin Suzin]

You never know people cancel..change their minds I'd still check when I got aboard..would have been a nice surprise..

[Krazy Kruizers]

Did you put your name on the wait list just in case something does open up?

Maybe once you get on the ship there might be something open up for just a day.

Good luck.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Oh well...wanted to surprise my 7.5 year old daughter with a Cabana on our 19Feb Eurodam dad and daughter cruise but they are all sold. It is President's Day week, but we just made the reservation on Monday and were hoping. Our first HAL cruise, very excited.

 

I dont really know why people would book cabana on ship,but for 7.5 year old its not a big lost any way.they not gonna sit in cabana ,they wonna swim and run

[diamondgirl54]

I dont really know why people would book cabana on ship,but for 7.5 year old its not a big lost any way.they not gonna sit in cabana ,they wonna swim and run

Have you ever had a cabana on HAL? If so which ship was it on?

[flagger]

I dont really know why people would book cabana on ship,but for 7.5 year old its not a big lost any way.they not gonna sit in cabana ,they wonna swim and run

Because I am not a sun person at all, and a cabana allows a bit of luxury and for the same place for said 7.5 year old to return to each and every day. This cruise is all about the ship for us.

[NYteacher]

Hi Flagger,

 

I just made the reservation for our cabana last week, I don't know if I got the last one or not. We have an eight year old, turning nine on the cruise.

 

I had the same idea about surprising both him and my husband, so far I've been able to keep it secret.

 

A question for anyone who sees this, I got an email confirmation but it is nowhere on my HAL account or profile or reservations online. Should I be worried?

 

One last thing Flagger--we had a cabana booked for Half Moon Cay, then lost it when we got a lower price during a flash sale. We waitlisted all the cabanas and then were able to get one when someone cancelled. The only thing was, no one contacted us, I just happened to check the shore excursions page and saw one was available, so keep checking on your own rather than waiting for a call.

 

--Martha

[flagger]

Thanks. Ship's services didn't even have the ability for me to waitlist. Will try to call back. Not really interested in one on HMC. Too much for such a short time there.

[Mary Ellen]

A question for anyone who sees this, I got an email confirmation but it is nowhere on my HAL account or profile or reservations online. Should I be worried?

Nothing booked through Shipboard Services (on board cabana, renewal of vows...) will show on-line. Bring your confirmation e-mail with you - just in case.

[78232]

I hope someone cancels and you can get one. This certainly is a contradiction to all the posts over the past several months saying cabanas were a bad idea and very few people used them. I guess people are more aware of the existance and they are becpming popular.

 

Marcia

[flagger]

I hope someone cancels and you can get one. This certainly is a contradiction to all the posts over the past several months saying cabanas were a bad idea and very few people used them. I guess people are more aware of the existence and they are becoming popular.

One learns after seven years that posts by 2-5% of the cruising public while very passionate about the products do not represent that actual feelings of the majority of the cruising public. At least not in most cases.

[Cruisin Suzin]

To me the Cabana is the best "real estate" on the ship..no fighting for loungers, can have sun when I want it..can have privacy/food/special menus/private area/no smoking... when I want it without staying in my cabin..or on my balcony..in my opinion they will become more popular, so booking early is a must.But what do I know I am a new cruiser and have yet to experience cruising with HAL.I do know what I need though to make my vacation comfortable and this certainly sounded right for me...I only have email confirmations re the Cabana which I will bring with me..I also have the name and number of the person I booked it with at ships services..

 

I hope one opens up for you even for a day...but Martha was right don't wait for them to call you, keep calling to see if something becomes available especially as it gets closer to your sailing..

[flagger]

So has anyone heard of a cabana "opening" up before sailing?

[flagger]

Score:

 

A woman in our Roll Call said that two Retreats had opened up on our sailing. I was able to get one this afternoon! It is not as close to the pool for my daughter, but I am sure it will be quite lovely!

[kyriecat]

That's great news. I hope you and your daughter have a wonderful cruise and enjoy your cabana.

[kazu]

I hope someone cancels and you can get one. This certainly is a contradiction to all the posts over the past several months saying cabanas were a bad idea and very few people used them. I guess people are more aware of the existance and they are becpming popular.

 

Marcia

 

When we were on the NA in October, most of the cabanas were empty all the time. I don't know if someone rented them and didn't use them but from what I could see they weren't being used. (no pillows, etc.)

 

I am sort of surprised too. However things vary from ship to ship, cruise to cruise and week to week.

 

It wouldn't hurt to check back once a week with services in case there is a cancellation either.

[jjeffjb]

We booked a retreat cabana on Eurodam for this past New Years cruise. We got a call from HAL saying they were oversold on the cabanas. They offered us a refund and a $300. OBC to give up our cabana. We took it and were happy we did. The first sea day the cabanas were empy because it was too cold. The next few days we were in port. If you're looking for a nice place on the ship, try the promenade deck. It's quiet, the chairs are wonderful and the views can't be beat. Don't worry about not having a cabana. We never missed it.

[beachluvr!]

I hope someone cancels and you can get one. This certainly is a contradiction to all the posts over the past several months saying cabanas were a bad idea and very few people used them. I guess people are more aware of the existance and they are becpming popular.

 

Marcia

Not familar with cabana rental. They had them on Celebrity free of charge but maybe HAL's are different? They are on the ship and also available at some of the beach ports? How do you rent them and what is the cost?

[igraf]

Quite right. The experience to me is the whole ship and not one chair. If I had to stay in one place on the ship I would go bonkers. I really need to move around a lot between meals!

 

igraf

 

 

I dont really know why people would book cabana on ship,but for 7.5 year old its not a big lost any way.they not gonna sit in cabana ,they wonna swim and run

[catl331]

Quite right. The experience to me is the whole ship and not one chair. If I had to stay in one place on the ship I would go bonkers. I really need to move around a lot between meals!

Ditto! The only time we're any place more than an hour is when we're at a show or eating dinner. A cabana would be a waste of money for us. That goes for HMC cabanas too.

[diamondgirl54]

We were on the Eurodam in Oct and every cabana was sold out. Many people were asking how to get one. I thought it was the best part of our cruise.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Have you ever had a cabana on HAL? If so which ship was it on?

 

No,I never had cabana,I was planning to take one on Eurodam,but really did not like the idea and did not found one reason why I needcabana.If I am by the pool,I am most of the time inside the pool,if I wont privacy I have my balcony in cabin.Hals pools never have many people even during sea days

[flagger]

Quite right. The experience to me is the whole ship and not one chair. If I had to stay in one place on the ship I would go bonkers. I really need to move around a lot between meals!

It will be great not having to reserve a space when one is already reserved. I cannot for the life of me imagine going to formal night, so for everyone a cruise is different!

[igraf]

A better idea is to have many chairs available on several decks. You sit down for a while, then get up and do something else. Someone else then sits in the chair. This has always worked for me.

 

Take the private cabana situation a step further and there might be 500 reserved chairs taking up much of the available deck space, and that would only accommodate one fourth of the passengers on a larger HAL ship. Kind of like the privatized beaches of Europe. The whole cabana idea is just bad. Greedy on HAL's part and selfish for those who cannot share a common resource.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

We were on the Eurodam in Oct and every cabana was sold out. Many people were asking how to get one. I thought it was the best part of our cruise.

[dshroyer]

we just got back and had a cabana (deck 11) on the Nieuw Amsterdam and it was great. You will not see it on anything on the web. I called and made the reservation. the chage came through on the credit card. Then when we arrived in our cabin there was a note that said we had reserved the Cote d Azure cabana. We then went up with the invite and met the attendants. From then on we did not need to show anything.

 

It is a little weird not getting any confirmation in writing beforehand.