Cabanas

[Hairy Harry]

Having heard about the cabanas on the Oceania's ships I wonder where does one view the berthing of the ship in the various ports, and secondarily, are the cabanas being used that much?

[phlewt]

The berthing process may be viewed from any outside cabin or deck access located on the side of the ship (whether port or starboard) closest to the dock.

 

As for the cabanas, they were not used at all on the Dec 22 Asia cruise that I was on. Jan reports that they were used extensively on her cruise through the Panama canal, however.

[ctinkle]

I believe we are on the same cruise Rome-Ist June 8. Have you rented a cabana for sea days ahead of time? should we wait until boarding? Are you doing any private tours? We would like to do both Florence and Pizza on our stop in Liverno and a private tour seems like the best way to customize the day and see as much as possible.

[Guest kcruisin]

What exactly are these cabanas? I don't remember seeing anything like this on our two Regatta cruises.

[SheilaNC]

FYI, we had a private driver for Florence and Pisa (and included a winetasting at a lovely winery) when we sailed on the Millennium last year. It was definitely the was to go. If you want name of tour company, let me know.

[Hairy Harry]

We just found out about the cabanas and are undecided what to do until we get aboard. We will find out then. Yes, we are on the same cruise and there are a few of us travelling together. We are mainly interested in Florence and so far are going to skip Pisa. Sounds nice to have a private tour for both cities. :cool:

[Liss]

We went through the Panama Canal on the Regatta in January. The cabanas were a HUGE negative for everyone except the 16 people (there were 8 cabanas) who could enjoy the forward view from their cabanas. Seriously, I thought there would be a riot. People in about three of the 8 cabanas were thoughtful enough to share their view but others were incredibly selfish and nasty about their view. They even asked the staff for clips to close off the view. People were so frantic about seeing the view forward that they were climbing up on the "roof" (I don't know what else to call it) in order to see the view. They were also peaking through the clipped curtains (I have a great photo of people trying to look but I can't figure out how to show you it). Anyway, IT WAS TERRIBLE!!!! I heard old elderly man complain: we spent all this money to see the canal and now we can't enjoy it.

 

Granted, you could go to the Horizon Lounge but it was air conditioned (and outside was hot and humid) so there was moisture on the windows. Plus we wanted to be outside. There were ~650 passengers on board. Eight cabanas (2 people per cabana) were available. That left about 98% of the people without a direct forward view of the canal. People complained loudly, bitterly and often throughout the rest of the trip and we all hoped that they made some qualifier while renting the cabanas on the return trip back through the canal: that on canal day, the curtains stay open.

 

We ended up going to the stern to get a nice view. But the view from the front -- seeing the huge freighters rising up in front of you --was incredible and just wasn't the same from the stern.

 

Other than that, the cabanas didn't bother people the rest of the trip. Nobody really cared. But when you are going through something like the Panama Canal, you want to be able to see what is in front of you and enjoy it. I hope Oceania heard all of our complaints. Did you, Frank?

 

Liss21

[Hairy Harry]

Seems an action inconsiderate of others just for a few bucks more from a very few. :rolleyes:

[gillianrose]

We went through the Panama Canal on the Regatta in January. The cabanas were a HUGE negative for everyone except the 16 people (there were 8 cabanas) who could enjoy the forward view from their cabanas. Seriously, I thought there would be a riot. People in about three of the 8 cabanas were thoughtful enough to share their view but others were incredibly selfish and nasty about their view. They even asked the staff for clips to close off the view. People were so frantic about seeing the view forward that they were climbing up on the "roof" (I don't know what else to call it) in order to see the view. They were also peaking through the clipped curtains (I have a great photo of people trying to look but I can't figure out how to show you it). Anyway, IT WAS TERRIBLE!!!! I heard old elderly man complain: we spent all this money to see the canal and now we can't enjoy it.

 

Granted, you could go to the Horizon Lounge but it was air conditioned (and outside was hot and humid) so there was moisture on the windows. Plus we wanted to be outside. There were ~650 passengers on board. Eight cabanas (2 people per cabana) were available. That left about 98% of the people without a direct forward view of the canal. People complained loudly, bitterly and often throughout the rest of the trip and we all hoped that they made some qualifier while renting the cabanas on the return trip back through the canal: that on canal day, the curtains stay open.

 

We ended up going to the stern to get a nice view. But the view from the front -- seeing the huge freighters rising up in front of you --was incredible and just wasn't the same from the stern.

 

I hope that Azamara has no plans to add these cabanas to their arsenal of revenue enhancements.

 

I am glad you posted this information, as it is a great warning not to cruise on any line through the Panama Canal or the Kiel Canal or any place where a forward view is critical on ships that close off access to the majority of passengers.

 

I'm not a great fan of ships that have no stern access for the majority of passengers for the same reason.

 

We want to sail smokefree, or at least "essentially" smokefree, though, so we will look at both lines and we won't sail Oceania through these "forward view critical" itineraries.

 

One suggestion: Perhaps Oceania could remove the curtained off Cabanas during canal transit day and/or refuse to sell the Cabanas for those days and permit all passengers access?

[LHT28]

We went through the Panama Canal on the Regatta in January. The cabanas were a HUGE negative for everyone except the 16 people (there were 8 cabanas) who could enjoy the forward view from their cabanas. Seriously, I thought there would be a riot.

 

Liss21

 

We stood on deck 10 & 11 on the side it was just fine!

Even if the cabanas were not there most of the passengers would not be able to get the forward views as once people fill up along the rail your view is blocked.

We also went to horizons ...unless you were there at the crack of dawn you did not get the front locations.

[mdmourges]

I am surprised by the venting expressed toward the people who have a cabana re: blocking the view. If Oceania makes them available and people pay, aren't they within their right to determine who and who doesn't come into their space? It is just an extension of there cabin and I am sure you wouldn't think it was right to go into someone else cabin uninvited. If you don't like the concept of cabanas, call Oceania management.

 

Mark

[hondorner]

...Even if the cabanas were not there most of the passengers would not be able to get the forward views as once people fill up along the rail your view is blocked.

Whenever folks start getting a little excited I can rely on you to inject a dose of reality. Thanks.

[LHT28]

Whenever folks start getting a little excited I can rely on you to inject a dose of reality. Thanks.

 

always the practical Taurus that is me!!!

:D:rolleyes:

[gillianrose]

I am surprised by the venting expressed toward the people who have a cabana re: blocking the view. If Oceania makes them available and people pay, aren't they within their right to determine who and who doesn't come into their space? It is just an extension of there cabin and I am sure you wouldn't think it was right to go into someone else cabin uninvited.

 

While I absolutely agree that people who pay for cabanas are within their rights to exclusive use of that cabana for the day, I don't like the idea that anyone can book these cabanas for their exclusive use for an entire voyage.

 

No one should have exclusive use of these cabanas during "forward-view-critical" passages such as the Panama Canal, Kiel Canal, etc. I don't see how this is substantially different from someone buying all the laundry tokens in order to ensure their exclusive use of the laundry when they want.

 

I don't like either tactic.

 

I don't need to call Oceania to express my feelings about this, as I am sure that Oceania reads these boards. :)

 

I also "vote" my opinion with my money. I am quite interested in sailing with Azamara and Oceania in the future, and will watch both to see which includes policies and amenities which are most to my liking.

[lahore]

When these cabanas were first announced, I found the very idea offensive. My feelings are probalby at least partially generated by my general lefty communist leanings ;) ; but I do feel that deck space should be common - if people want private space they can book a cabin with a verandah, why do they need extra space on deck that formerly was common ground. Those of us who can't afford balconies rely on common deck space (and oh yes, us prols are still wanted by cruise lines, someone has to take up the middle deck space). Anyway, when this was first raised I said I wouldn't take a Panama cruise on any ship with cabanas up front - and sure enough (see previous posts)! I would have thought this was a no brainer. Having done the panama on another line, I am about to do Suez on Oceania. I won't be booking a cabana, but I have already seen one canal and will be just as happy to see the Suez from the sides and the stern. For those who are having their first canal experience, I would be pretty grumpy if I were them.

[gillianrose]

Those of us who can't afford balconies rely on common deck space (and oh yes, us prols are still wanted by cruise lines, someone has to take up the middle deck space).

 

Even when I DO book a balcony, I want that other deck space available to everyone, including me. The connection to the sea is very important, and the connection with other passengers is, too. You can't get that on your own sequestered balcony.

 

...Having done the panama on another line, I am about to do Suez on Oceania. I won't be booking a cabana, but I have already seen one canal and will be just as happy to see the Suez from the sides and the stern. For those who are having their first canal experience, I would be pretty grumpy if I were them.

 

As would I. Now, have you (or anyone else who reads this post) got any pictures of the cabanas from say, an aerial view or one that shows where they start? Do they take up the entire top deck?

 

I have seen a picture of one of the foreward-most cabanas, but not of the "set" of them.

[sptrout]

As would I. Now, have you (or anyone else who reads this post) got any pictures of the cabanas from say, an aerial view or one that shows where they start? Do they take up the entire top deck?

 

Sorry, but I do not have any pictures, but the Cabanas do take the entire front portion of the top deck (the first ~10' all the way across). We rented a Cabana for our entire cruise last January and we really enjoyed it. Most, if not all, of the Cabanas were pre-sold, but I do not remember seeing them all in use at the same time. Most renters come and go. Sea days being the exception when they were mostly full.

 

If the Cabana is not rented, or occupied, the curtains are open and there is only a small chain with a sign blocking entrance to the Cabana(s). One can easily step over the chain and walk up to the glass wall all the way forward. The glass wall has a blue tint so it is not the perfect place for taking pictures forward. (All public accessible windows (not cabin doors/window) have this same tint - check the pictures of the ships in the brochure). So if you are taking pictures of things off the ship, you need to be in a fully exposed area. Therefore, in my opinion, the Cabanas are not an issue for picture taking, they are a poor choice unless you like blue in your photographs.

 

I have been to the Panama Canal twice (and a third trip to Panama that did not enter the Canal). The bow area of both ships were crowded so I just avoided that area and moved all around the ship taking pictures. Even if I had been on a ship that had Cabanas during those two visits, I would not have spent much time in the Cabana while in the Locks. There is too much to see all around the ship just to sit in one spot. Other than the few minutes that are spent approaching a set of Locks, there is no reason to be all the way forward for the entire Canal transit. And once in a set of Locks, all the action is on the sides of the ship, mostly out-of-sight of the bow area.

[lahore]

That's a fair comment SPTROUT about the action on a Panama cruise - certainly I agree that interesting things happen port, starboard and aft. However I do like to have the option of looking foward as well, and on our canal cruise it was quite exciting up the front watching as the ship approaches the locks.

[leonardray]

We took Crystal through the panama canal and the only ones allowed on the bow of the ship for the best view was the crew.

[Ask4Jay]

. . . here is a picture.

As you can see, only #2 was reserved. During our E/B crossing last March I saw it occupied only a few times. The others were readily accessible, albeit without cushions. You could get to the windows though.

I believe there were eight cabanas.

[orchestrapal]

Just returned from 26 days on Regatta and never saw

any of the cabanas being used.

There always seemed to be plenty of chairs on the pool deck

and lots of room to watch sail-aways from the upper deck.

I cannot understand why anyone would object to these cabanas

anymore than the OS or VS. If you have the money and want to spend it that way more power to you. It does not take away from any one's enjoyment of the cruise who is in a low inside cabin or anywhere else.

Mellow out and enjoy!:)

[lahore]

Just returned from 26 days on Regatta and never saw

any of the cabanas being used.

...I cannot understand why anyone would object to these cabanas

anymore than the OS or VS. If you have the money and want to spend it that way more power to you. It does not take away from any one's enjoyment of the cruise who is in a low inside cabin or anywhere else.

Mellow out and enjoy!:)

 

Hmm, well we'll have to agree to disagree. I would say that if there is never anyone in them then why waste that space that somebody else might want to use (but not pay extra for). OK, you can't understand why anyone would object - that's fine, but your inabilty to understand doesn't undermine other people's right to have that opinion. I don't philosophically agree with 'have money, then whatever you can do is OK'. And yes, it potentially does take away from someone else's enjoyment if, as pointed out in this post and others, there is something good to see from up there that is otherwise unable to be seen.

[mdmourges]

I agree with Orchastrapal. In a business venture, which cruising is, if you have more money to spend, you will get more amenities. Not my opinion, just a fact of doing business. I mean should they get rid of the larger suites to make more smaller ones so they could lower the price of all of the smaller ones? I wouldn't vote for that.

 

Mark

[Benita]

I never thought being able to look over the railing at the ocean in front of the ship was an amenity - after all, you are on a cruise and that is one of the purposes of going out on deck.

[PA Nana]

Agree with you 100%. Had a cabana, loved every minute of it. Don't consider myself to 'have money' but I'd venture to say my cabana for full cruise cost less than many folks' bar tab. As has been said many times before, life is choices and we all choose what is best for us and where we want to put our $$$. If the business plan does not work Oceania will change things accordingly. If the cabanas make money, they will keep them as is...I personally hope they keep them.