CABANA at GSC - YES or NO?

[din2play2]

Hubby and I are debating on getting small cabana when we go to GSC for $299. I believe you are on earlier tenders to GSC - not sure. I understand that you get $50.00 credit for food & drinks, but isn't the food already included? About how long are you there for? Is it worth it? :confused:What would/did you do, and why?:confused:

[kba1988]

all good questions...as hubby and I were thinking of getting the Large one for us and our 7 additional family members. Will be watching for answers....:D:D

Edited August 13, 2014 by kba1988

[tel2]

Yes, yes, yes. So worth it. Fruit, Salsa, chips, cold water there when you arrived. Lounge chairs, floating mats. Outdoor shower. Shade whenever you want it. We used credit for buckeTs of beer and shrimp and hummus. Worth every nickel.

[bbryan5]

I think it all depends on your plans for GSC. We (I'm a 30 yr old guy, fiancé is 29 year old girl) have been there twice, and didn't get the cabana either time. Our thinking was, we wanted to explore the island, swim a lot, grab drinks, ect.. We knew it would be a waste for us to spend the money if we weren't going to spend much time using it. Our feelings were, if we are going to spend $300 on a cabana, we better spend a lot of time using it to get our moneys worth. Cabanas are definitely good for some folks, but IMO if you plan to walk around a lot, spend a lot of time in the water, and just explore, there's no need. Again, this is only my opinion. :D:D:D

[Out to sea!]

Not worth it to me. A cabana gets very few extra benefits that non-cabana users get. I sit in the chairs right in front of the cabanas in the exact same loungers so I get the same views, same beach, same ocean, same shade for $0. The lunch BBQ is free on the island with very good food. I think the cabana users get a couple of float mats and some snacks non-cabana users don't get, hardy worth $299.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Out to sea!

[sharandmike]

We just got back from the Gem/GSC, and got a small cabana. Totally worth every penny. For us it was a no brainer. Sitting elbow to elbow on a hot beach with no relief from the sun is not my idea of relaxation. And if a clamshell is in front of you, you have no view at all. The cabanas are in a separate, much more private area. We had shade when we wanted it and plenty of beach to spread out in if we wanted sun. We had a roof over our heads if it rained (and it did for 20 minutes straight, and we had a camera that would have gotten wet). The cabanas have a ceiling fan, a refrigerator to store our water and beer, shelter from the rain, and best of all, an outside shower. In addition to the lounge chairs, you get a table and chairs to eat the snacks they bring you (fruit, salsa & chips). You get use of the hippo slide all day for all members in your cabana. They provide you with towels, so you don't have to lug them off the ship. You get floats to float around the ocean. You get a $50 food & beverage credit. We already had the drink package, and between the buffet and snacks we didn't need any additional food, so our concierge said we could use our $50 credit for anything onboard (not just GSC). Our cabana was about 10 steps from the bar, and 10 steps the other way from the bathrooms. If we wanted to go anywhere else, the tram was also steps away, and we never waited more than a few minutes for it. Before this trip, I had never sat at the beach with such luxuries, and it was heavenly. A splurge I would not think twice about again. :)

Edited August 14, 2014 by sharandmike

[cruzsnooze]

I have better things to do with my money so it's a BIG NO.

[soaringfalcon]

A thousand times yes, for our family. We loved our cabana and would not hesitate to do it again. It all depends on what works for your family.

[sparks1093]

Hubby and I are debating on getting small cabana when we go to GSC for $299. I believe you are on earlier tenders to GSC - not sure. I understand that you get $50.00 credit for food & drinks, but isn't the food already included? About how long are you there for? Is it worth it? :confused:What would/did you do, and why?:confused:

 

We were on the fence before our cruise (well, I was, I'm cheap;)) but we got one because DW needed a place out of the sun and we wanted to splurge. I am glad we did and felt that the cabana was worth it. We got a small for the 5 of us. Plenty of room and it was nice having a refrigerator, storage cubby, etc. The cabanas are near the lagoon which is calmer and warmer than the ocean. We used the $50 credit to buy a bottle of rum and received a 2 liter bottle of pepsi with it because they were out of small bottles. There is a special menu for the cabanas that will be in your cabin when you board and you fill it out and return it to ShorEx before getting to GSC. You do receive priority tendering.

[TSUmom]

I also was not sure about the cabanas but after reading this thread we will definitely book one. We have a long wait but as soon as it will be available as an option I will jump on it.....:)

[Nalagh]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1799506

 

Hope this helps!

 

Cherie

[din2play2]

You all have been very helpful - TY :) I am still not sure since we love the water and the sun, (with plenty of sunblock on) :o

[ncklhaus]

We just got back from the Gem/GSC, and got a small cabana. Totally worth every penny. For us it was a no brainer. Sitting elbow to elbow on a hot beach with no relief from the sun is not my idea of relaxation. And if a clamshell is in front of you, you have no view at all. The cabanas are in a separate, much more private area. We had shade when we wanted it and plenty of beach to spread out in if we wanted sun. We had a roof over our heads if it rained (and it did for 20 minutes straight, and we had a camera that would have gotten wet). The cabanas have a ceiling fan, a refrigerator to store our water and beer, shelter from the rain, and best of all, an outside shower. In addition to the lounge chairs, you get a table and chairs to eat the snacks they bring you (fruit, salsa & chips). You get use of the hippo slide all day for all members in your cabana. They provide you with towels, so you don't have to lug them off the ship. You get floats to float around the ocean. You get a $50 food & beverage credit. We already had the drink package, and between the buffet and snacks we didn't need any additional food, so our concierge said we could use our $50 credit for anything onboard (not just GSC). Our cabana was about 10 steps from the bar, and 10 steps the other way from the bathrooms. If we wanted to go anywhere else, the tram was also steps away, and we never waited more than a few minutes for it. Before this trip, I had never sat at the beach with such luxuries, and it was heavenly. A splurge I would not think twice about again. :)

 

Is the Hippo Slide still included? I booked a small cabaña for our Breakaway cruise in October and I also booked and paid separately for the Hippo Slide for the 3 of us.

[sparks1093]

It was not included in May and it's my understanding that it has not been included for some time.

[Nalagh]

The hippo slide has not been included since the first hippo slide was destroyed by hurricane Sandy. Once the new slide was up and running, NCL decided to defray the cost by charging all users and deleting it from the Cabana amenities.

[hockey1963]

300 dollars for shade and a couple of floaters really? I would not pay for that, total waste of money.

[sparks1093]

300 dollars for shade and a couple of floaters really? I would not pay for that, total waste of money.

 

Different strokes for different folks is all.

[antsnanny]

Yes, yes, yes. So worth it. Fruit, Salsa, chips, cold water there when you arrived. Lounge chairs, floating mats. Outdoor shower. Shade whenever you want it. We used credit for buckeTs of beer and shrimp and hummus. Worth every nickel.

 

 

Ditto!

[jusstice]

We thought about doing it last December. It was me, DH & DS. We decided against it, but did get one of the clamshells. That was the best decision. It gave a place to drop our gear, to meet up, and to lie in the shade if we needed to near the water. Cheaper too. For the three of us it was perfect as our son spent most of his time in the water and running around. My huby and I laid out, swam, and relaxed in the clamshell.

[kba1988]

Thanks for all the opinions and viewpoints. We're gonna do it!!! And i'm so excited. We're a large family totaling 8 adults and one child. We're gonna go ahead and get the large cabana. I think it will be wonderful for us to have a place to gather and sit, eat, drink, play.... in the shade. I can't wait.:D:D

 

Do you think it will be too cold in November for Cabanas???:confused::confused:

[sharandmike]

Is the Hippo Slide still included? I booked a small cabaña for our Breakaway cruise in October and I also booked and paid separately for the Hippo Slide for the 3 of us.

 

When I booked our cabana, the website said unlimited use of hippo slide was included with cabana. That was Nov, 2013. While we were on the ship looking at the excursion descriptions, I noticed that use of the hippo slide was no longer described as part of the cabana package. I asked at guest services and they had no idea. Luckily I print everything out and had the paperwork with me. When we got to GSC, we went to the excursion hut to get our wristbands for the cabana. We were given disclaimer forms to fill out for the hippo slide and after we filled them out, she gave us wristbands for both the hippo slide and the cabana. We were never charged extra for the hippo slide. I don't know if we just got lucky or if they are still sort of "grandfathering" the people who made cabana reservations a long time ago. Either way, I had proof that it was advertised as included when I paid for the cabana. I would wait to pre-book a separate Hippo Slide excursion. The hippo slide won't sell out, and you can always ask nicely at the excursion desk, and maybe they'll give it to you. $20 per person for all day use is almost as steep as the slide itself:D I didn't go on it at all, DH and DS (age 18) only went on once. DDs (pre-teen, teen) went on about 3 times.

[bahamaman]

Worth every penny!

[candydane]

We've never been to GSC but we've been to Princess Cays several times and always got the cabanas! We loved them and, for us, it was well worth the cost.

 

On GSC, what is the difference between the large and small cabanas?

[Out to sea!]

We've never been to GSC but we've been to Princess Cays several times and always got the cabanas! We loved them and, for us, it was well worth the cost.

 

On GSC, what is the difference between the large and small cabanas?

 

The amount of people allowed in them because of the difference in size.

[din2play2]

We thought about doing it last December. It was me, DH & DS. We decided against it, but did get one of the clamshells. That was the best decision. It gave a place to drop our gear, to meet up, and to lie in the shade if we needed to near the water. Cheaper too. For the three of us it was perfect as our son spent most of his time in the water and running around. My huby and I laid out, swam, and relaxed in the clamshell.

 

Now you just added more confusion to my list...lol :eek:

Where do you get the clamshells? I just tried to look it up but I couldn't find them. Do you rent them prior to sail, during sail or on island? how much are they? Do you get on earlier tender if you have one?

Edited August 16, 2014 by din2play2