harvest caye pool cabana worth it??

[Smong]

so i really wanted a beach cabana but it doesn't look like thats happening so i just held a pool cabana. just wondering if it is worth the money and also how far from the beach are they?

[Vyhanek]

No not worth it.   Harvest Cay is completely over rated, especially now that it is undergoing construction and the crowds are confined to one small side of the huge island.     The island has been hit recently by hurricanes one too many times.   It used to be completely sandy and nice.    Now it's hard, sharp coral uncovered from the hurricane's.

We always take the tender over, walk around talking about how much nicer the island used to be, how it used to be soft sand with lots of little coves you could explore, they used  to let you walk around the entire island, it was more like trails and we would walk to the end, find a remote cove and swim there by ourselves!

We sit on the beach with the masses of people and realize there is no one on the ship at this moment because they are all here, right on this beach.    Then we take the tender back to the ship and that's the day.    This is not the place IMHO to spend a lot of money to rent a cabana.   

[Lupush]

Totally agree. When I was in Harvest Caye last February we spent maybe 2 hours on the island. Best time to be on the ship!

[Smong]

6 minutes ago, Vyhanek said:

No not worth it.   Harvest Cay is completely over rated, especially now that it is undergoing construction and the crowds are confined to one small side of the huge island.     The island has been hit recently by hurricanes one too many times.   It used to be completely sandy and nice.    Now it's hard, sharp coral uncovered from the hurricane's.

We always take the tender over, walk around talking about how much nicer the island used to be, how it used to be soft sand with lots of little coves you could explore, they used  to let you walk around the entire island, it was more like trails and we would walk to the end, find a remote cove and swim there by ourselves!

We sit on the beach with the masses of people and realize there is no one on the ship at this moment because they are all here, right on this beach.    Then we take the tender back to the ship and that's the day.    This is not the place IMHO to spend a lot of money to rent a cabana.   

well ok! we will definitly be getting off the ship so would a pool cabana be better then just chairs on the beach?

 and now with being told the beach is a mess a day at the pool sounds not too bad

[GA Dave]

My wife and I loved our pool side canopy.  The service we received was as good as the service in the Haven and it was by far the most relaxing day of our whole vacation.

BTW, I think Vyhanek is confusing Harvest Caye with Great Styrup Caye.  There is no tender at Harvest Caye, and there have been no hurricanes there since it opened.  There was also no construction going on as of 9/12/18.

Edited October 18, 2018 by GA Dave

[jpcdds6]

30 minutes ago, Vyhanek said:

No not worth it.   Harvest Cay is completely over rated, especially now that it is undergoing construction and the crowds are confined to one small side of the huge island.     The island has been hit recently by hurricanes one too many times.   It used to be completely sandy and nice.    Now it's hard, sharp coral uncovered from the hurricane's.

We always take the tender over, walk around talking about how much nicer the island used to be, how it used to be soft sand with lots of little coves you could explore, they used  to let you walk around the entire island, it was more like trails and we would walk to the end, find a remote cove and swim there by ourselves!

We sit on the beach with the masses of people and realize there is no one on the ship at this moment because they are all here, right on this beach.    Then we take the tender back to the ship and that's the day.    This is not the place IMHO to spend a lot of money to rent a cabana.   

I think you have your Caye's confused.

Edited October 18, 2018 by jpcdds6

[Smong]

9 minutes ago, GA Dave said:

My wife and I loved our pool side canopy.  The service we received was as good as the service in the Haven and it was by far the most relaxing day of our whole vacation.

BTW, I think Vyhanek is confusing Harvest Caye with Great Styrup Caye.  There is no tender at Harvest Caye, and there have been no hurricanes there since it opened.  There was also no construction going on as of 9/12/18.

phewww Thank you Dave! I was getting a little concerned! we are staying in the haven as well and do appreciate that kind of service. still would love the beach cabana but unless someone cancels pool it is!

[GA Dave]

You can see how stressed out my wife is in our cabana in the attached picture!  We also had a nice outdoor table and chairs with a big umbrella where our server, Maria, brought us our lunch.  If you can, ask for a cabana closer down to the beach side.  The one bar is very close, so drinks get to you quicker, and the restrooms are right around the corner.

[Smong]

2 minutes ago, GA Dave said:

You can see how stressed out my wife is in our cabana in the attached picture!  We also had a nice outdoor table and chairs with a big umbrella where our server, Maria, brought us our lunch.  If you can, ask for a cabana closer down to the beach side.  The one bar is very close, so drinks get to you quicker, and the restrooms are right around the corner.

Thank you Dave! looks great! Thank you for making me feel better 

 

 

[Notnewtoit]

1 hour ago, Vyhanek said:

No not worth it.   Harvest Cay is completely over rated, especially now that it is undergoing construction and the crowds are confined to one small side of the huge island.     The island has been hit recently by hurricanes one too many times.   It used to be completely sandy and nice.    Now it's hard, sharp coral uncovered from the hurricane's.

We always take the tender over, walk around talking about how much nicer the island used to be, how it used to be soft sand with lots of little coves you could explore, they used  to let you walk around the entire island, it was more like trails and we would walk to the end, find a remote cove and swim there by ourselves!

We sit on the beach with the masses of people and realize there is no one on the ship at this moment because they are all here, right on this beach.    Then we take the tender back to the ship and that's the day.    This is not the place IMHO to spend a lot of money to rent a cabana.   

 

You must have been on a different island to me... I suspect that you may be remembering Great Stirrup Caye which used to be largely as described but it's been a while...

OP - Harvest Caye is pretty lovely - as long as your OK with what is basically a giant resort island close to Belize... as opposed to an authentic immersion in Belizean culture!

The pool... is the pool... it's large, appealing, busy and noisy. Not unlike the pool deck on board! That's not to say it's bad at all... The thing I would note here is that since much of the tree planting on HC is new, shade is at something of a premium so a Cabana is handy if you like to hide from the sun a little. I would say it's not a particularly 'premium' experience, they are very close together and very close to the pool edge, so don't expect too much respite from the hustle and bustle. This is really what sets the Beach Villa doohickey's apart... private beach, a lot of privacy/quiet and exclusivity - if that's what you seek it's very, very worth it.

 

I would CERTAINLY take a pool cabana if that is the only option available to you!

HC has one large beach (one end reserved for the Villas)... and of course a whole bunch of activities.

One can also rent a 'clamshell' ON the beach... something of a halfway house - affords you some shade and a base of operations, not much privacy but at least you are looking at the ocean - which for me is what I want to see when I sit on a tropical island sipping a cocktail.

🙂

Edited October 18, 2018 by Notnewtoit

[Smong]

2 minutes ago, Notnewtoit said:

 

You must have been on a different island to me... I suspect that you may be remembering Great Stirrup Caye which used to be largely as described but it's been a while...

OP - Harvest Caye is pretty lovely - as long as your OK with what is basically a giant resort island close to Belize... as opposed to an authentic immersion in Belizean culture!

The pool... is the pool... it's large, appealing, busy and noisy. Not unlike the pool deck on board! That's not to say it's bad at all... The thing I would note here is that since much of the tree planting on HC is new, shade is at something of a premium so a Cabana is handy if you like to hide from the sun a little. I would say it's not a particularly 'premium' experience, they are very close together and very close to the pool edge, so don't expect too much respite from the hustle and bustle. This is really what sets the Beach Villa doohickey's apart... private beach, a lot of privacy/quiet and exclusivity - if that's what you seek it's very, very worth it.

HC has one large beach (one end reserved for the Villas)... and of course a whole bunch of activities.

One can also rent a 'clamshell' ON the beach... something of a halfway house - affords you some shade and a base of operations, not much privacy but at least you are looking at the ocean - which for me is what I want to see when I sit on a tropical island sipping a cocktail.

🙂

thank you for your input  i REALLY want the beach cabana for all the reasons you listed but unfortunatly they are all sold out and have been for some time now so i decided the pool cabana was better then nothing! 

[Notnewtoit]

21 minutes ago, Smong said:

thank you for your input  i REALLY want the beach cabana for all the reasons you listed but unfortunatly they are all sold out and have been for some time now so i decided the pool cabana was better then nothing! 

Yeah I hear you... I literally check every day leading up to my cruises for the beach villas to appear on the website and grab one immediately, as they book up pretty quickly. I think you'll enjoy the pool cabana just fine and it's worth the 'upgrade'.

I'm sure that you will enjoy HC, some folks have a bad attitude about the place... but it is what it is... a giant beach resort in the sun!

[salboz]

On 10/18/2018 at 12:10 PM, Notnewtoit said:

 

You must have been on a different island to me... I suspect that you may be remembering Great Stirrup Caye which used to be largely as described but it's been a while...

OP - Harvest Caye is pretty lovely - as long as your OK with what is basically a giant resort island close to Belize... as opposed to an authentic immersion in Belizean culture!

The pool... is the pool... it's large, appealing, busy and noisy. Not unlike the pool deck on board! That's not to say it's bad at all... The thing I would note here is that since much of the tree planting on HC is new, shade is at something of a premium so a Cabana is handy if you like to hide from the sun a little. I would say it's not a particularly 'premium' experience, they are very close together and very close to the pool edge, so don't expect too much respite from the hustle and bustle. This is really what sets the Beach Villa doohickey's apart... private beach, a lot of privacy/quiet and exclusivity - if that's what you seek it's very, very worth it.

 

I would CERTAINLY take a pool cabana if that is the only option available to you!

HC has one large beach (one end reserved for the Villas)... and of course a whole bunch of activities.

One can also rent a 'clamshell' ON the beach... something of a halfway house - affords you some shade and a base of operations, not much privacy but at least you are looking at the ocean - which for me is what I want to see when I sit on a tropical island sipping a cocktail.

🙂

 

[salboz]

I am just interested in a clamshell which I have booked online on other lines.  I gather that NCL doesn't do that and you have to get off the ship early and rent a clamshell on shore.  Is that correct?  If so, can I use my ship card or do I need cash?  Anyone know how much they cost these days?

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, salboz said:

I am just interested in a clamshell which I have booked online on other lines.  I gather that NCL doesn't do that and you have to get off the ship early and rent a clamshell on shore.  Is that correct?  If so, can I use my ship card or do I need cash?  Anyone know how much they cost these days?

Once you are on the ship, you can use any of the touch screen kiosks in public areas to book a clam shell. Select Shore Ex, Harvest Caye, Clam Shell, scan your room key, and the voucher will be left in your room. 

 

There are a lot of clam shells at Harvest Caye. But there is a small possibility that if you don't book in advance, they could sell out. 

 

Food and drink on the island require cash or a credit card. There are carts and servers walking up and down the beach for bar service.

 

Starting on post #159 on this thread, you'll see the clamshells and loungers on the beach. 

 

[BirdTravels]

On 10/18/2018 at 10:58 AM, Vyhanek said:

No not worth it.   Harvest Cay is completely over rated, especially now that it is undergoing construction and the crowds are confined to one small side of the huge island.     The island has been hit recently by hurricanes one too many times.   It used to be completely sandy and nice.    Now it's hard, sharp coral uncovered from the hurricane's.

We always take the tender over, walk around talking about how much nicer the island used to be, how it used to be soft sand with lots of little coves you could explore, they used  to let you walk around the entire island, it was more like trails and we would walk to the end, find a remote cove and swim there by ourselves!

We sit on the beach with the masses of people and realize there is no one on the ship at this moment because they are all here, right on this beach.    Then we take the tender back to the ship and that's the day.    This is not the place IMHO to spend a lot of money to rent a cabana.   

Wrong island. You are describing Great Stirrup Cay. 

[BirdTravels]

On 10/18/2018 at 10:39 AM, Smong said:

so i really wanted a beach cabana but it doesn't look like thats happening so i just held a pool cabana. just wondering if it is worth the money and also how far from the beach are they?

The beach is right on the other side of the pool. That being said, it is really not worth the money.

 

A nice clam shell would be a better investment. On the beach and less than a minute to the pool. 

 

 

[richstowe]

38 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The beach is right on the other side of the pool. That being said, it is really not worth the money.

 

A nice clam shell would be a better investment. On the beach and less than a minute to the pool. 

 

 

Any idea how much the clamshells are .

[Stlcardsfan79]

Cheap, I think less than $40 is what the NCL website said. 

[C cruise]

so am I to understand that Great Stirrup Cay is a mess? I was looking forward to being there early January... now, not so much 😞

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, C cruise said:

so am I to understand that Great Stirrup Cay is a mess? I was looking forward to being there early January... now, not so much 😞

Not at all. The island is very nice after the upgrade a couple of years ago. There is one area at the furthest beach that they have been building deluxe cabanas for Haven guests for the past 2 years (still not finished), but that does not affect the main beach areas any. NCL spent a lot of money updating the buffet and planting more palm trees. It's nice now. 

[BirdTravels]

On 10/19/2018 at 11:20 PM, richstowe said:

Any idea how much the clamshells are .

$35-$40. We had the $50 ShoreEx credit and didn't do anything else on the island, so the clam shell was free. 

Edited October 21, 2018 by BirdTravels

[MichMom06]

Sooooo, we must be in the minority here but we loved Harvest Caye.  We were there in April and had a picture perfect day, mostly by the pool, but we did walk over to one of the beach areas, ate at the indoor restaurant and let the kids play a bit at the splash pad and it was a perfect day.  We were the only cruise in port that day, so maybe that helped, but it wasn't crowed at all.  The pool is huge!  I would think a cabana would be nice if you were planning to stay in it  all day, other wise, we really weren't near our chairs much at all.  But if you really want the cabana, go for it!  The pool area is very nice and I don't think you will be disappointed.  We found the beach to be hard and uncomfortable sand, not the sugar white sand of Florida that we love, so that may have influenced our choice to set up shop by the pool instead.  

[Stlcardsfan79]

18 minutes ago, MichMom06 said:

Sooooo, we must be in the minority here but we loved Harvest Caye.  We were there in April and had a picture perfect day, mostly by the pool, but we did walk over to one of the beach areas, ate at the indoor restaurant and let the kids play a bit at the splash pad and it was a perfect day.  We were the only cruise in port that day, so maybe that helped, but it wasn't crowed at all.  The pool is huge!  I would think a cabana would be nice if you were planning to stay in it  all day, other wise, we really weren't near our chairs much at all.  But if you really want the cabana, go for it!  The pool area is very nice and I don't think you will be disappointed.  We found the beach to be hard and uncomfortable sand, not the sugar white sand of Florida that we love, so that may have influenced our choice to set up shop by the pool instead.  

When reading thru this thread there was a confusion at the beginning of it between Harvest Caye and Great Stirrup Caye. Most posters like Harvest Caye. 

[LeesaB]

One thing I would add is that the areas on Harvest Caye away from the beach can get rather stuffy, as the breeze is blocked by the trees/buildings.  So unless there's a great fan in those pool cabanas, expect it to be breezeless.  My husband couldn't take it when we were there in March (he is very hot natured though, and luckily we didn't rent a cabana but were just sitting in chairs around the pool and walking around other areas).