No to tent city

[ellieanne]

Would you be OK if someone stepped into your cabin when the door was open, to snap a picture of the layout, or maybe the balcony view? :confused:

 

I believe I said it was tempting, not that I'd done it, or even would do it. It's tempting to do many things that never get done.

 

And frankly, looking through an OPEN, UNOCCUPIED cabana to the LIDO windows beyond is hardly the same as barging into a cabin. Don't even begin to tell me you have NEVER looked though an open cabin door that you walked past.

 

Don't get all high-horse with me for being brave enough to voice what others are thinking. I have done nothing wrong.

[BruceMuzz]

HAL why are you using a common area which was freely available to every passenger and turning it into a segregated area. We took a 25 night cruise on the Noordam only to be confronted by a Tent City otherwise known as Cabanas ruining the whole ambiance of our much loved Noordam.

 

We felt we were on a two class ship, please put these Cabanas where they belong on your private island.

 

When word of this gets out in Australia, I predict all sorts of mayhem and drama.

 

Before you know it, Qantas will start charging extra for larger seats and better service in one part of their airplanes, making the areas off-limits to the rest of us.

Definitely a class system in play.

What's that? You say they have already done that?

 

Then I predict that people attending the Melbourne Cup Races will find that certain areas of the property have been reserved for those paying extra. The rest of us can't use those areas. Really? They already did that as well?

 

Well, what about the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I am betting that they will charge a fortune for people who want to climb it - shutting out the rest of us poor slobs who cannot afford it. Did that already as well?

 

Next will be the Overseas Cruise Terminal in Sydney. They will raise the prices so that only the wealthy cruise lines can dock there. The rest of us must go to the White Bay Terminal - in the middle of nowhere.

What? Already done as well?

 

How about the Sydney Opera House? I will bet that they will soon charge extra for box seats, forcing the rest of us to sit where we can barely see or hear the performance.

What's that you say? Already happening?

 

Thank goodness that Australia has a great train system, allowing free access to the entire train from Sydney to Fremantle.

Oh, they have a First Class area that we are not allowed to visit without paying?

 

Well, at least we can visit Australia and see their national symbols; kangaroos, ostriches, and koalas.

You must be kidding. We must pay extra to do that as well?

 

The class system is alive and kicking in Australia. We can blame all of this on Holland America Line. Whatever were they thinking?

Edited May 19, 2015 by BruceMuzz

[3rdGenCunarder]

Copper, thanks for posting the pictures. I've never been on a HAL ship that had cabanas, so I had no idea what they were like. Now I know I don't want one.

 

The service sounds nice, but they look too confining for my taste. Am I seeing this right, some of them don't even have an ocean view? And don't they get awfully hot on a warm-weather cruise?

 

I agree with the posters who commented on the difficulty of finding shady places on deck. That's been a problem on some ships I've been on. But I don't want to be walled in just to get some shade.

[ellieanne]

Well, at least we can visit Australia and see their national symbols; kangaroos, ostriches, and koalas.

You must be kidding. We must pay extra to do that as well?

 

First off, it's emus in Australia. Ostriches are not native to the country, nor are they native to France or China. So in either country you'd have to pay to visit a zoo to see them.

 

Second, I actually CAN and DO see those animals (with the exception of ostriches, see above) for free. In fact, just last week I had the pleasure of watching a foursome of kangaroo on the golf course I can see from my kitchen window. I have also had the pleasure of seeing wombats in the middle of the road driving home, and more wallabies than I can count along a drive on one of the islands near my home.

 

And lastly, the point is that the area where the Retreat Cabanas are WAS, until the last visit to dry-dock, free, unrestricted-access public space. Many of the things you mention on you laundry list were never free, unrestricted-access to begin with.

 

But thanks for the tip about seeing those ostriches. I'll be on the lookout for them. Do you think I should look in the paddocks with the camels? :rolleyes:

Edited May 19, 2015 by ellieanne

[Boytjie]

I believe I said it was tempting, not that I'd done it, or even would do it. It's tempting to do many things that never get done.

 

And frankly, looking through an OPEN, UNOCCUPIED cabana to the LIDO windows beyond is hardly the same as barging into a cabin. Don't even begin to tell me you have NEVER looked though an open cabin door that you walked past.

 

Don't get all high-horse with me for being brave enough to voice what others are thinking. I have done nothing wrong.

 

 

I did not accuse you of going into the cabanas or of doing anything wrong. Why so defensive? I merely asked how you would feel if someone came into your space, i.e. your cabin, to take pictures.

 

Looking into a cabin where the door is open is hardly the same thing as wanting to go into the cabin. Same for cabanas; yes, I have looked passing by because it is hardly private but I have never felt an urge to impose into their space uninvited.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Boytjie

[ithaca gal]

My husband and I discovered the Retreat Cabanas on the Nieuw Amsterdam a two years ago. We have since rented these cabanas on the NA and the Eurodam. We enjoy them so much that we choose our cruises according to whether or not Retreat Cabanas are available.

 

We always have a balcony cabin, but it is so isolating to sit on your balcony all day. We spend a lot of time reading and chatting in the cabana, then walk over to the Crow's Nest for a bit, then back to our cabana.

 

I never thought of it this way, but judging from the tone of some of the posts here, there definitely is a separation of the classes. The whiners have no cabanas and, it seems, no class. Get over yourselves! If you don't like it, don't cruise on a ship that has them! Boy, that was simple!

[Bedruthen]

We noticed these on NA and the thought occurred to us that if we were to return to HAL we would consider booking an inside guarantee cabin, cheapest available and use the considerable saving made over booking a balcony to take a cabana. On our recent cruise this would have resulted in a net saving of $1500.

 

And at the same time, we could have sat in our cabana in Lido deck looking superior to everyone hustling for a sunlounger.

[ellieanne]

Looking into a cabin where the door is open is hardly the same thing as wanting to go into the cabin. Same for cabanas; yes, I have looked passing by because it is hardly private but I have never felt an urge to impose into their space uninvited.

 

Wanting is not a problem. Wanting is not wrong. I have done nothing wrong.

 

A cat may look on a King.

(something you may be forgetting here.)

[ithaca gal]

Wanting is not a problem. Wanting is not wrong. I have done nothing wrong.

 

A cat may look on a King.

(something you may be forgetting here.)

 

Those of us who choose to rent cabanas have never considered ourselves to be royalty nor have we ever considered those of you with wishful thinking to be animals. You did.

 

In all the times we have enjoyed our cabana, not once did we look down on those people who chose not to rent one. Not once did we think people would be jealous. In all the times we have enjoyed our cabana, not once did we look down on those people who chose not to rent one. Not once did we think people would be so uncouth as to talk trash about those of us who had cabanas while they didn't.

 

Till now.

Edited May 19, 2015 by ithaca gal
Grammar

[3rdGenCunarder]

We noticed these on NA and the thought occurred to us that if we were to return to HAL we would consider booking an inside guarantee cabin, cheapest available and use the considerable saving made over booking a balcony to take a cabana. On our recent cruise this would have resulted in a net saving of $1500.

 

And at the same time, we could have sat in our cabana in Lido deck looking superior to everyone hustling for a sunlounger.

 

I don't think there's anything "trashy" about doing that. I wouldn't bother with a cabana because I love sitting on my balcony, and I can't see paying for two outside places. If you think you're going to spend your time at sea in a cabana, why not save some money by buying a less expensive cabin? Sounds practical to me.

[Nanner]

I have never had the (mis)fortune of sailing on one of the ships with cabanas. While I understand the appeal to some, I do lament that they seem to inhibit everyone's view of the ocean on the sides where they are located. It also would make things seem cramped, and from entries here, at times their location really is an impediment to being able to freely walk through the ship.

 

The argument that the cabanas are like the ones on HMC is incorrect in one respect, from what I see in the photos. On HMC, I can still walk between the ocean and the cabanas. If I look ahead and towards the water, I can ignore the cabanas and bars. It appears that the "tents" are along the windows or outside along the ship's edge. If we can't walk behind them (they are roped off?), that denies all passengers the open feeling of being on the deck, or the view from the Lido windows. Ugh.

 

As I said, I have yet to board a ship with the onboard cabanas. This discussion, with accompanying photos, leads me to lament the day when I will no longer have that choice on HAL. I do think they lessen the "at sea" feel for all aboard, even those who rent them.

 

Cabana related, if the ship hits a really rough patch of weather, do they remove them from the outside areas?

[Randyk47]

Would you be OK if someone stepped into your cabin when the door was open, to snap a picture of the layout, or maybe the balcony view? :confused:

 

On a lighter and somewhat funny note, at least in retrospect, I remember the guy who "invited" himself into our Neptune cabin because he wanted to see "how the rich lived". :eek::D

[Khaos WolfKat]

I don't get why it's such a big deal.

Would it be better for cruises to go back to being prohibitively expensive for regular people? This way, going on a cruise is accessible to lots more people, and those who want to upgrade and can afford it can do so. There is ALWAYS going to be "class separation", no matter where you go. The people with more money to throw around get to do/go to/have/eat fancier fare. That's just the way it is! Should expensive restaurants be outlawed just because I can usually only afford as "fancy" as Subway?

 

If folks want to pay more to hide out in a little alcove outside, it's no skin off my... errr... "nose". And as long as the cabanas are being filled up (if they aren't, the line will make less of them, since they ARE in the business of making money!), it isn't making any less space for everyone else in the pool areas. There are still the same number of people on the ship. Every person in the glorified tent is someone who isn't in that lounger that you had your eye on earlier.

 

All that said, I think the comparison to "tent city" is bloody hilarious!

[Khaos WolfKat]

Nobody is stopping them, Pay for it, you get it. Simple. That's like saying too bad other passengers can't all experience fine dining in Pinnacle Grill.

 

Exactly my point!!

[iancal]

Not certain what all the fuss is about.

 

If you don't like cabanas then don't get one. If you do not like to see cabanas on your ship simply select a cruise on a ship that does not have them. How difficult is that?

 

Cruise ships are a business, not a public park. It is up to the cruise line to decide what to offer their customers and it is up to the customers to decide what they are willing to buy and for how much.

 

Cruise ships are not tailored to our individual requirements. There are lots of cruise ships out there to choose from. Just choose one that ticks as many of your boxes as possible. Carnival Corp alone has over one hundred of them at last count, not to mention all the non Carnival Corp. cruise lines/ships that are floating on the world's oceans.

 

Either that, or buy your own yacht.

Edited May 19, 2015 by iancal

[AZNative2000]

I have never spent much time around the pool on a ship but, if I did, I'd give serious thought to getting a Cabana just so I'd always know where my lounger is and not have to go searching every day for one that is available. (And not have to get up at the crack of dawn to go "reserve" one.)

 

Avoiding the hassle would add to the pleasure of our cruise in the same way that the unlimited laundry package does.

 

All the amenities and being pampered by the staff would just make it that much better.

 

And, no, I am not royalty or super rich.:)

 

Cheers!

Edited May 19, 2015 by AZNative2000

[OVgirl]

When HAL first introduced cabanas on the then new Signature class ships, there were a lot of negative comments flying around. Slowly as more people were able to book and enjoy them, the criticism has dropped dramatically.

 

It's too bad that according to your comments, many will never get a chance to experience the "crack cocaine" of cruising on these ships.:eek:

 

Try it, you might like it.;)

[POA1]

For those wanting an entirely egalitarian experience, I highly recommend the Staten Island Ferry

 

http://www.siferry.com/schedules.html

 

There are no cabanas anywhere on board. For a special treat, add an excursion to one of the largest human-made structures in the world, the Fresh Kills Landfill!

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Kills_Landfill

 

Rejoice in the majesty and never worry about seeing a Tent City / Oasis of Awesome.

[Boytjie]

Wanting is not a problem. Wanting is not wrong. I have done nothing wrong.

 

A cat may look on a King.

(something you may be forgetting here.)

 

I have no idea why you think that applies; I have not inferred anything about inferiority/superiority.

 

You keep claiming you have nothing wrong yet I don't recall accusing you of anything. :rolleyes:

[Boytjie]

for those wanting an entirely egalitarian experience, i highly recommend the staten island ferry

 

lmao!

Edited May 19, 2015 by Boytjie

[buckirj1]

I can see where cabanas might be a PITA to navigate on the Lido Deck, but I'm not fussed either at their existence or the fact that people pay to enjoy the use of them. I'm not at all sure that makes anybody a snob. Others have more money than I, or at least choose to spend money differently. I accept that without question. Not a big deal.

[cruz chic]

For those wanting an entirely egalitarian experience, I highly recommend the Staten Island Ferry

 

http://www.siferry.com/schedules.html

 

There are no cabanas anywhere on board. For a special treat, add an excursion to one of the largest human-made structures in the world, the Fresh Kills Landfill!

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Kills_Landfill

 

Rejoice in the majesty and never worry about seeing a Tent City / Oasis of Awesome.

 

You rock.

 

I'm a cabana lover and not afraid to say it. For those that are so offended book another ship:rolleyes:.

[1of4]

You rock.

 

I'm a cabana lover and not afraid to say it. For those that are so offended book another ship:rolleyes:.

 

Exactly! :)