No to tent city

[1of4]

The decks were empty is because you were on a early-season Alaskan cruise (read "cold"). The decks are much more popular on tropical cruises.

 

igraf

 

Sorry...nope. We were on the 20 day repositioning cruise and it was hot, hot, HOT! I still saw next to nobody on the upper decks and I was up there every day either dropping off or picking up DS and DD from Club Hal.

[1of4]

But don't they have them on the lido deck too?

I saw a photo with them near the pool.

I wouldn't like that.

 

Not on the Westerdam.

[iancal]

Just one more item to consider when deciding which cruise line or ship to select for a specific itinerary that we are considering.

 

But look on the bright side. If you happen to be one of the unlucky few who end up in a cabin with no A/C or no HVAC ventilation at night, you can always spring for a cabana and spend the night camping on deck!

Edited May 17, 2015 by iancal

[Tampa Girl]

There is no "separation of classes" like on Cunard. The people in the cheapest inside can book a cabana, just like the occupants of the PS. That dog just won't hunt.

 

There are no cabanas at the Lido pool either on the Vista class ships. Another bogus issue.

 

I suppose the Neptune Lounge is also "separation of classes"....

 

But isn't the Noordam a Vista class ship?

[OVgirl]

But isn't the Noordam a Vista class ship?

 

Yes, you are right, Noordam is one of the Vista class ships and there are no Lido Cabanas on this ship. They only have the Retreat Cabanas.

[Stratheden]

Thanks, Krazy Kruizers, tent cities for just the Eurodam, Noordam and Nieuw Amsterdam so far then.

 

Zuiderdam came out of dry dock on April 14th and also has tent city.

[Typhoon1]

It's all about supply and demand. If people are willing to pay the price, cabanas will continue to be used.

[oaktreerb]

The description of tent city is pretty creative and accurate. it does take up a large area on the ship and I can see where these private cabanas would create issues on warm season cruises.

 

When we were on vacation at a resort on Kaanapali beach on Maui there were cabana like covered chairs which you could rent for the day in an area along the beach. They included service from beach boys to get food and drink for the residents. When I saw them I thought of those areas on the ships.

 

For families these cabanas could be handy as a meeting place out of the sun and I do see where some people would pay for such amenities. MY problem is that on the ship I am curious about who is behind those closed curtains. They certainly do not offer privacy since curious people watchers like me will be taking a peek!

Edited May 17, 2015 by oaktreerb

[Cruiser Andi]

 

Tent city? Pshaw! It's an Oasis of Awesome! Now with fresh salt air breezes, wide open (yet private) spaces - and the sweet, sweet smell of resentment. :D

 

 

Oasis of Awesome! Love it!

[Lottie Linda]

LOL! It isn't about feeling superior or to masquerade as members of an exclusive club. Its a nice area for those of us who don't want to be around the riff raff like yourselves!!!!!

 

Now you are beginning to know how I feel. I grew up vacationing on private yachts. Mostly family members. Some of the poorer relatives were forced to charter ships, which made the experience no less magical.

 

But now, due to circumstance and errant decisions, I am forced to go interior cabin with the hopes of being offered an upsell. All bad enough, but now the wounds are further salted by knowing the Nuevo upper-middle class is offended if I share a table with them and offer a Good Morning.

 

LOL, indeed.

[Boytjie]

Love hearing the cabanas described as a tent city, Down-Unders, makes it sound like a refugee camp. The appeal of the cabanas may be lessened if you can get everyone to refer them by an even less flattering name. I have not been on a tent city ship, but I don't like to be barred from what was once a common area either.

 

What are the tent city ships besides the Noordam and Eurodam?

 

On the Eurodam (and Nieuw Amsterdam) is never was an area that was "once a common area".`

[Boytjie]

By the way, all Princess ships have the adults only Sanctuary, for a fee. Again, a location that anybody on board can purchase. I guess that is discriminating against children?

 

Regal Princess actually has two "discrimination" areas: The Sanctuary (for and extra fee) and the Adults Only Retreat pool area. Rich No Kids and Poor No Kids. :D

[Boytjie]

I am still trying to get over the time when the cruise lines created balcony cabins on ships! People would spend money just so they didn't have to mingle with the riff-raff while enjoying fresh air. What: wasn't just seeing the ocean enough for these peope, they had to be able to smell it too?

[whogo]

Zuiderdam came out of dry dock on April 14th and also has tent city.

Thanks, Stratheden. Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam, Zuiderdam and Noordam with more to come.

[NoWhiners]

I don't know about everyone else, but we booked a Lido cabana on NA this past March, for 2 weeks and liked it. It was DH birthday and I wanted it as a surprise. And we find it very hard to find a table to eat by the Lido pool at lunchtime, much like finding a chair by the the pool. Too many table/chair hogs and it has nothing to do with "class" but a lot to do with 'class'. We enjoyed having a table for lunch & a quiet shady place to sit, and I'm glad we did it. We may never do it again but I am glad we did it for this cruise.

 

To each their own. Happy cruising either way!

 

ML

Edited May 18, 2015 by NoWhiners
typo

[Copper10-8]

I don't know about everyone else, but we booked a Lido cabana on NA this past March, for 2 weeks and liked it. It was DH birthday and I wanted it as a surprise. And we find it very hard to find a table to eat by the Lido pool at lunchtime, much like finding a chair by the the pool. Too many table/chair hogs and it has nothing to do with "class" but a lot to do with 'class'. We enjoyed having a table for lunch & a quiet shady place to sit, and I'm glad we did it. We may never do it again but I am glad we did it for this cruise.

 

To each their own. Happy cruising either way!

 

ML

 

Nice post NoWhiners! :)

[ellieanne]

I don't care one way or the other about the Retreat Cabanas, but I do object to the ones on the Lido. I find it makes an already-tight-to-navigate area more confined and closed in. Also, it blocks the view from one entire side of the ship. And no, I can't just go outside. I prefer the Lido deck because it's inside and sheltered from the weather and sun. Additionally, the view from outside is not the same as the view from the Lido, the Lido deck is higher than the Promenade deck, so it offer a different, and more often better view of the port.

 

I would prefer it if the Lido Cabanas went away. I comment every time on my post-cruise survey about that. So far my comments have fallen on deaf ears. If I were on a ship that had only the Retreat Cabanas I certainly would not mind them a bit. I never go up there anyway!

 

And it could quite possibly be the cruises I've taken but I have only ever seen one Lido Cabana being used. Hardly seems worth the lost table space for that. I have "snuck" into the Retreat Cabanas on embarkation day (hardly sneaking as the deck is open and there is nothing saying it's only for paying passengers at that time). I didn't really see anything I couldn't live without.

 

As I said, I would much rather have the Retreat Cabanas than the Lido ones.

 

Now -- about closing off the Ocean Bar EVERY sea day for art auctions…

Edited May 18, 2015 by ellieanne

[Boytjie]

When my brother and I were in the deserted Retreat area on embarkation day, we considered switching the names of all the Cabanas. They were only magnetic signs on the side. We thought it might be fun to cause the passengers a bit of confusion. But we decided against it as it might cause the ship staff some trouble.

 

As for the Lido ones, I often wondered what would happen if I stepped over the rope to take a picture out of the window. I never tried, but it's still tempting. Much like it's really tempting to wander through the Neptune Lounge when the doors are open. Like the Lido Cabanas, on most cruises I've been on, the Neptune Lounge is always empty when I walk past. Truly, the worst that can happen is I'll be asked to leave. And I've been kicked out of better places…

 

 

 

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:

Edited May 18, 2015 by Boytjie

[igraf]

Too bad that the other passengers can't enjoy that quiet area on deck.

 

igraf

 

 

 

I booked a Retreat Cabana on the NA last February for my two VIP's to give them a quiet outdoor place to escape without a lot of people, piped or live music (aft pool) or noise (Lido pool).

 

...

[igraf]

Ha ha. I love your spirit.

 

I have also peeked into the Neptune Lounge to see what the fuss is all about. What a disappointment. Seriously, why would I want to sit in a small windowless (no ocean view) lounge? The Explorations Cafe is better by all accounts. Apparently others agree as there is typically nobody in the Neptune Lounge.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellieanne

When my brother and I were in the deserted Retreat area on embarkation day, we considered switching the names of all the Cabanas. They were only magnetic signs on the side. We thought it might be fun to cause the passengers a bit of confusion. But we decided against it as it might cause the ship staff some trouble.

 

As for the Lido ones, I often wondered what would happen if I stepped over the rope to take a picture out of the window. I never tried, but it's still tempting. Much like it's really tempting to wander through the Neptune Lounge when the doors are open. Like the Lido Cabanas, on most cruises I've been on, the Neptune Lounge is always empty when I walk past. Truly, the worst that can happen is I'll be asked to leave. And I've been kicked out of better places…

[cruisr]

Too bad that the other passengers can't enjoy that quiet area on deck.

 

igraf

 

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.

[cruisin'girl]

Ha ha. I love your spirit.

 

I have also peeked into the Neptune Lounge to see what the fuss is all about. What a disappointment. Seriously, why would I want to sit in a small windowless (no ocean view) lounge? The Explorations Cafe is better by all accounts. Apparently others agree as there is typically nobody in the Neptune Lounge.

 

igraf

 

Maybe the Neptune 'Lounge' is misnamed if it is being mistaken by non-Neptune suite pax as a place one would spend a lengthy time. The purpose is to have access to the concierge for any help you might need with anything or everything on your cruise and/or to pick up snacks and refreshments all throughout the day. Most people take those back to their verandah though there is seating, reading materials and a tv if you would rather enjoy snacks there. You are misinterpreting the purpose and use of the Neptune Lounge.

[iancal]

Same here. We do not understand the big deal about the Neptune Lounge. Especially one that has no windows/ocean view.

 

We got the same on RCI simply for our Celebrity level. Concierge, coffees, drinks, appetizers, etc. GRATIS-NO CHARGE Not only that, you also get three complementary drinks a day each at any bar between 5-8PM. Plus some juice drinks and packages of shortbread in you room when you board.

 

It is not dependent on what cabin you book. We met many frequent RCI cruisers in this lounge who only book inside cabins.

Edited May 18, 2015 by iancal

[GeorgesGal]

Thanks, Krazy Kruizers, tent cities for just the Eurodam, Noordam and Nieuw Amsterdam so far then.

 

The Zuiderdam now has the Retreat cabanas after her retrofit! I'm very happy about it because, although I love cruising, I also need to have shade from the sun and the cabana guarantees that. I will keep booking them when available as I have on the Nieuw Amsterdam twice already. :):)

[kelleherdl]

We have booked them three times already and will book them for every warm weather cruise. Do you think maybe that is why HAL saw this as revenue stream? Even though we always book a cabin with balcony we will still book a cabana. We have booked two for our kids and nieces for their next cruise in the Western Caribbean, but we will not be booking one for Alaska in September on Noordam. I am willing to pay for the semi-privacy, available sunning chairs and the service from the cabana attendants. How is that impacting anybody else's experience on the ship? When we have been aboard with the Retreat I always look forward to the sunning deck in front of the Retreat. There always appeared to me to be plenty of chairs. I would challenge the idea that very many people ever ventured up to the observation area that is now the Retreat on the Vista ships before the cabanas were added anyway. Maybe once on their first cruise as they explored all the decks? Now the Lido cabanas on the the newer ships do 'take away' form the pool area in some people's minds, but not really. There never was a completely open pool area there in the first place. Lido cabanas do not interest me. Give me the Retreat.

 

Dennis