The HAL Retreat Cabana casino - pay your money and take your chances

[OlsSalt]

HAL promotional material claims the Retreat Cabanas on Pinnacle class ships to be tranquil, peaceful spaces, adults only, with occupancy restricted to 2 adults in most retreat cabanas along two "family" cabanas limited to four adult occupants.

 

Our recent experience on the Konnigsdam - New Years cruise - was anything but. At approximately a $500 surcharge for  9 day cruise, we learned our tranquil, adults only space would be shared two cabanas away with a family with six children under the age o 12 who were given free reign of the central area while making  excessive services demands on the two staff attendants.  (They were not in the "family" cabana, but the kids did invade this adjacent family cabana space at will to play games, when the reserved occupants were not present.)

 

Guest Services complaints by myself and other Retreat Cabana occupants were ignored, and we were told there was nothing they would do about this, let alone assure us we could cancel and get our money back. So we hung in there and tried to work around it. We finally stopped going. So did another adjacent occupant who shared in the complaints. We were told we had to accommodate to them, instead of asking this large family unit to accommodate to our clear expectations about the use of this reserved space. Cabana steward told us after our first complaints, they wanted to make "everyone happy" - yet they only made the large family happy; not the other impacted cabana occupants.

 

Besides being greeted by the unexpected numbers of young occupants, there was also the awful loud music that plagues far too many other areas of the ship. At least we got this music turned down, again with the support of other cabana occupants who also expected this to be a quiet retreat space. The sounds of the sea and waves is what we personally find tranquil and peaceful. Asked if this music could be turned off instead of just lowered in volume, the staff attendant was shocked by the request and said not possible, but at least it was reduced to be minimally intrusive.

 

Overall retreat cabana experience was a C -:  breach of expectations; no, peace and or occupancy limits; not adults only, food delivery service took well over a half hour or 45 minute, so items arrived cold - pick sandwiches, salads and potato chips if you want predictable choices. 

 

A few chocolate strawberries and a glass of white sparkling wine at the end of the afternoon for a "reserved" lounger was not value added for the expense in our final assessment, especially since Guest Services refused to honor the original expectations.

 

There are plenty of loungers all over the ship, with speedier access to Lido food for...... free. And with a little searching one can find a few spots around the ship, blissfully free from the ubiquitous piped in music. (Port side Crows Nest special meeting room, Ocean Bar -daytime, window seating outside Club Orange-daytime .......and ironically the elevators...... which do not have piped-in elevator music!)

 

Report from a long time "Old Hal"  600 day plus (S,R, Vista ships) cruiser who found this first experience on a Pinnacle Class ship to be a 50/50 good/bad experience. The Gelato Bar was the one 100% happy experience, even with the minimal surcharge. It was delicious.

[Sea42]

I didn't know the Retreat are was adult only. It seems odd that they would have family cabanas but not allow kids. I couldn't find anything in the HAL descriptions that says adult only.

[OlsSalt]

From the Holland America blog:

 

 

 

As many cruisers know, Holland America Line combines personalized service and once-in-a-lifetime experiences with innovative and engaging onboard amenities. One of the amenities that best shows Holland America Line’s unique ambiance is “The Retreat.”   Currently on Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Westerdam and Zuiderdam, The Retreat is an outdoor area that is perfect for guests looking for a quieter, more luxurious place to rejuvenate during their cruise. To make sure those at this prime location can enjoy the wonderful views and take in the relaxing atmosphere, The Retreat includes private cabanas, lounge chairs, sun beds and exclusive bar service.   The cabanas are perfect for guests who love to be outside but seeking a secluded sanctuary where they can be pampered by a dedicated staff. Some of the cabanas overlook the sea; others overlook the pool deck — but they all provide unique views of the surroundings.   An aerial shot of Koningsdam’s Retreat area. Imagine watching the glaciers of Alaska pass by, seeing the lakes and locks of the Panama Canal up close or simply enjoying the sunshine of the Caribbean in a private area where you know your cabana and deck chairs will be waiting. Along with the luxurious amenities, a simple lunch is served at The Retreat each day, which can be enjoyed with a mixed drink from the exclusive bar for Retreat guests.   The corner cabana at the The Retreat on Eurodam has stunning sea views.   The Retreat on Westerdam.   We’re ready to serve you at The Retreat! Ready to experience The Retreat? Add Retreat reservations, which include a cabana, to your next cruise by calling ship services or through your preferred travel professional prior to your cruise. Relax, recharge and reach total rejuvenation at The Retreat today!

[OlsSalt]

(NB: this was from 2017 - obviously the adults-only terms have changed) - from HAL facts link to HAL official Guest Services site)

 

2017 CABANA PRICING

CABANA CLUB/RETREAT CABANAS

for two adults with two loungers

 

ms Eurodam, ms Koningsdam, ms Noordam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Oosterdam,
ms Westerdam, ms Zuiderdam
PACKAGE

Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana per day — port day Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana per day — sea day Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — up to 7 days Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — up to 10 days Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — up to 15 days Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — up to 20 days Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — over 20 days

RETREAT CABANAS

ms Oosterdam, ms Westerdam

RETREAT CABANAS

ms Noordam, ms Zuiderdam

   

CABANA CLUB/RETREAT FAMILY CABANAS

for four adults with four loungers

 

ms Eurodam, ms Koningsdam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Oosterdam, Westerdam, ms Zuiderdam

M
5 4 3 2 1 W Del Sol

PACKAGE

Family Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana per day — port day Family Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana per day — sea day Family Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — up to 7 days Family Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — up to 10 days Family Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — up to 15 days Family Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — up to 20 days Family Cabana Club/Retreat Cabana Package — over 20 days

 

[Mary229]

All of these recent posts convince me never to sail in the fall/early winter in the Caribbean.   I am sorry they disrespected their own policy.  Be sure to be very vocal here, Facebook, on surveys etc….  If you are still onboard open the app and leave a message on the contact area

[CMDE]

We had a cabana on the Eurodam for 2 cruises, from December 10-28, and it was excellent. It did have some music all the time but luckily it was pretty peaceful. I am sorry to hear about younger children, though, on a different ship, and I can see finding that difficult. I thought that is what the other retreat areas near the pool were supposed to be used for.

 

The ship for the Christmas portion was completely packed, compared to the first one, and I am so glad we had the cabana. But we may schedule differently for next time,

[AncientWanderer]

OlsSalt, it sounds like the cabana was a total bust.  We were onboard for this Koningsdam New Year's cruise.  I don't think that anything was typical of a HAL cruise.  We'd never been on a holiday cruise before.  Once we figured out it was going to be a bit like going to Disneyland during the holidays, we had a great time.  It took a few days to get into that mindset.

 

FWIW, I quit going to the thermal suite, too, after going only twice. Usually that add-on is enjoyable.  The area was too crowded.  I was concerned about the cleanliness of it.  

 

Still, we want to book another NYE cruise.  We usually stay home and do nothing.  Being in the mix for a change was nice.

[shack]

Likely cheaper and way more private to pay for a balcony stateroom.

[OlsSalt]

7 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

All of these recent posts convince me never to sail in the fall/early winter in the Caribbean.   I am sorry they disrespected their own policy.  Be sure to be very vocal here, Facebook, on surveys etc….  If you are still onboard open the app and leave a message on the contact area

 

Sent a message on the Navigator immediately asking to cancel on  the first day.

 

Did get a phone call from Guest Services who said she did not know if we could get a refund - she would need to check with accounting.  She never got back to us, we decided to continue with the contract and use the space -why lose out of both ends of this contract? The biggest impact was when Club HAL was closed mid-day; less so when they were on a shore excursion while we stayed on the ship, only for the noise and intrusions to return when they came back.

 

Final days, again made a report to Guest Services and stated ongoing problems for the record  - no response obviously.  

 

Basic question - why were we asked to accommodate to failed expectations while the other offending party was not? We both paid the same amounts - two adults using a two person cabana; compared to this party paying for a two person cabana, but used by 8 people - adults and six children? Did they in fact rent four 2-person cabanas? It did not look like it, since they had an extra table set up outside and all the food delivery for 8 people collected in one cabana.

 

Two problems -  (1) lack of clear stated policies - I picked up my expectations from available online official HAL promotional material (which I just posted here). (2) Failure to enforce policies, if they indeed are as stated in their own promotional material.

 

Caveat Emptor.  Luck of the draw that our cabana was close to this large family group - others on the other side of the deck may not have been so immediately impacted. We asked for a change of cabana's but was told they were all sold out - which makes renting a cabana a gambling proposition, if you want "tranquility and quiet".

[OlsSalt]

9 minutes ago, AncientWanderer said:

OlsSalt, it sounds like the cabana was a total bust.  We were onboard for this Koningsdam New Year's cruise.  I don't think that anything was typical of a HAL cruise.  We'd never been on a holiday cruise before.  Once we figured out it was going to be a bit like going to Disneyland during the holidays, we had a great time.  It took a few days to get into that mindset.

 

FWIW, I quit going to the thermal suite, too, after going only twice. Usually that add-on is enjoyable.  The area was too crowded.  I was concerned about the cleanliness of it.  

 

Still, we want to book another NYE cruise.  We usually stay home and do nothing.  Being in the mix for a change was nice.

 

The onboard feeling was much more "old Hal" on the New Years cruise, compared to the Christmas cruise -which was an unmitigated zoo - but we knew that upfront.

[AncientWanderer]

1 minute ago, OlsSalt said:

 

The onboard feeling was much more "old Hal" on the New Years cruise, compared to the Christmas cruise -which was an unmitigated zoo - but we knew that upfront.

 

I can't even imagine Christmas.

We booked the NYE cruise because we can't be away from family over Christmas.  I looked for something similar for next year and saw only holiday cruises that include both Christmas and New Year.  I guess that's why we've never been on a holiday cruise before and did book this one  -- it's not something they usually offer.   We'd like to see them offer the separate NYE itinerary.   We also appreciated the nine nights, rather than just one week.  Those couple of extra days do make a difference, and Loreto and La Paz were a nice treat.

[OlsSalt]

11 minutes ago, shack said:

Likely cheaper and way more private to pay for a balcony stateroom.

 

This was the crazy part - we booked last minute when only ocean view cabins were available, which is why we booked the additional cabana. 

 

Then verandah cabins became available so we paid to upgrade to one on Deck 4 - the extended length verandahs. (Sorry I did not use the "Club Orange" upgrade option to get both the upgraded and Club Orange in the same package - live and learn).

 

We debated up to the last minute about cancelling this now no longer needed cabana, but was swayed by the good reports to give it a try, just to see if we enjoyed having the extra privacy and tranquility. Or if it might make sense to book a cheaper ocean view cabin along with a cabana, in the future.

 

Since the future of HAL looks like larger ships, it was worth trying the cabana experiment just to see.  Hope our experience helps others to weigh this additional expense option, with their eyes open, and make sure there is a clear understanding about what to expect for the price.

 

Yes, in retrospect an upgraded cabin is the better option, or a good set of headphones.  Plus, it is the luck of the draw as I stated, others on the other side of the deck were not impacted.

 

BTW: Internet connections inside the cabana were very spotty. So if one plans using this private space for working online, this is not a guarantee either.

[oaktreerb]

Kids sail free holiday cruises!  Some ships have the cabana areas on one side of the Lido pool area.  That keeps the kids in a more confined, activity area.  I agree the Retreat  on the Koningsdam should be for adults only and HAL should make that clear when the Retreat is booked.   It’s not even on the same level as the pool or ping pong table.

 

In the “What and Where” in November we were encouraged to submit a request for a visit with the Hotel  Manager on the ship.  Not only did I ask for a meeting, I also submitted a request on the Navigator App.

He never did contact me.  I hope the Koningsdam has a new Hotel Manager on my next cruise.  To request feedback and not make yourself available to receive feedback tells me he’s not doing his job.  He’s  expecting every problem to be resolved by someone else.

 

@OlsSaltDid you contact the Hotel Manager?  If he says it’s not his department, then find out whose department it is.

 

 

[OlsSalt]

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

.............

 

@OlsSaltDid you contact the Hotel Manager?  If he says it’s not his department, then find out whose department it is.

 

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

 

 

 

I believe the Cabanas are handled via Guest Service and perhaps Food and Beverage? - you make reservations only through Guest Services or if you want to cancel a reservation.

 

Escalating this just seemed more stressful than it was worth for the short duration cruise, after the first rebuff.

 

And the next day follow up from the Cabana steward, that he had no authority to deal with anything - other than try to make "everyone happy". We did not want him to get caught in the middle since this was a management issue; not an onside deck steward issue.

 

I did notice them i would be complaining both here and to management on the survey, so we are not rolling over completely on this - but the immediate value is to inform others right now.

 

Agree, less likely this cabana issue would be a problem on other than holiday cruises which are much more "family" intensive" than expected on non-holiday or longer cruises. 

[Copper10-8]

24 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

.............................

 

@OlsSaltDid you contact the Hotel Manager?  If he says it’s not his department, then find out whose department it is.

 

 

 

FYI -The cabanas are staffed by the Beverage Dept., so the beverage manager and, above him/her, the F&B manager would be the one with overall supervision

[Destiny0315]

Welcome to the first Cabana Capers thread of the new year folks. HAL and it's customers really need to figure out if these fancy tents are really worth the investment that is being made by the company and it's customers in them. For every positive experience with them described on here comes a negative one, and we all know that the negative ones quickly get magnified.

[boulders]

I booked a cabana soon after they first came out, for a 24 day cruise. It was pricey, but I thought the reserved outdoor space would be worth it since I had an inside cabin. It was hot and stuffy. Anytime we ordered something through the waiters, it took forever to get there. It was pretty much a waste of money. We ended up using it maybe 3 times the whole cruise. 

 

Oh, and I had 3 kids with me. I asked for a family cabana, since we were 4 people, but they were all sold out. The person who booked me into a regular cabana definitely knew that we were a group of 4, but since it was 1 adult and 3 kids, it was ok to be in a 2 person cabana, they said. The three times we went, I only had 2 kids with me at a time. 

 

I can't find anything that says that the cabanas are supposed to be adult only. I suppose that being on a deck with 6 kids running around is quieter than being on a deck with 200 kids running around. 

 

@OlsSalt, I'm sorry your expensive cabana experience was a bust. 

Edited January 8, 2023 by boulders

[OlsSalt]

Link to upload of HAL 2017 Cabana promotional info and pricing - adults only, limited occupancy: YMMV in 2023.

 

http://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/HAL_2017_Cabanas.pdf

 

[Florida_gal_50]

I can't imagine why any kid would enjoy the retreat cabana.  It is absolutely hot in the area plus there is nothing to entertain them. I can definitely see the Lido cabanas being a draw on the ships they are on because the pool is right there.  They would be hot too though.

[boulders]

7 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Link to upload of HAL 2017 Cabana promotional info and pricing - adults only, limited occupancy: YMMV in 2023.

 

http://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/HAL_2017_Cabanas.pdf

 

That flyer doesn't say adult only. It just says "for two adults" for the regular cabana or "for four adults" for the family cabana. 

[Crazy For Cats]

On social media someone is reporting that they boarded the NA today and HAL cancelled their cabana reservation, notifying them once onboard.  Reason given was so that they could prepare for a charter.

[Florida_gal_50]

16 minutes ago, Crazy For Cats said:

On social media someone is reporting that they boarded the NA today and HAL cancelled their cabana reservation, notifying them once onboard.  Reason given was so that they could prepare for a charter.

I guess it’s one of those surprise charters hal didn’t know of ahead of time 😛.  To me that’s not acceptable.

[OlsSalt]

30 minutes ago, boulders said:

That flyer doesn't say adult only. It just says "for two adults" for the regular cabana or "for four adults" for the family cabana. 

Two adults and six kids in one two-person "adult cabana" was the problem.  

 

There may have been a babysitter in another cabana - which would still make this 3 adults and six kids in two " two adult" cabanas. Total official occupancy -four. Actual use by nine.

 

The message from Guest Services was the children could not be left alone in their cabin, so they were allowed to free-range in the Retreat Cabana where their parents had rented a two person adult cabana. Some how this explanation was intended to make us understand why this turned out this way.

 

However, one  must still ask why HAL designated in their own promotional material for "adults" ,; and not for "persons".

 

The point is not to quibble over semantics- the point is to know up front what you may run into if their prior descriptions of "adult occupancy limitations" remain confusing to any remaining unwary.  

 

One can get plenty of happy kids playing, running and shouting at each other with piped in music for free at both pool sides - center pool and the aft "adults only" pool. No reason to pay extra for it. Plus get quicker food service standing in line at the Lido, Dive Inn or NY Deli.

 

One can have fun doing the math for the actual daily cost to obtain the value-added of one bottle of mineral water,  two chocolate strawberries and one glass of prosecco. And a reserved lounger.

[Florida_gal_50]

Unfortunately when cabana stewards are running from pillar to post to get food for people it's going to get cold.  This is one of the many reasons I never ask them to get me food.  Also I can't  sit without moving for very long. These cabanas are not for everyone, nor should people have to explain why they aren't or are.  I've even had people ask why I need both a balcony and cabana.  I can't imagine why anyone would need an answer to that.

[cbr663]

20 hours ago, boulders said:

That flyer doesn't say adult only. It just says "for two adults" for the regular cabana or "for four adults" for the family cabana. 

 

That flyer is also no longer available on HAL's site so it shouldn't be relied upon as accurate.

 

This is a second recent thread on the topic of noise and cabanas and it got me interested in searching for up to date information on the cabanas on HAL's site.  There doesn't appear to be any up to date information.  The most recent information was a HAL Blog post from 2017.

 

I have a cruise booked and logged in to see what I could find about the cabanas for my cruise.  I couldn't find anything.  The cabanas aren't even shown on the ship's deck plans.  I don't know how a new cruise passenger would even discover the cabanas if they didn't even already know about them.