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

[OlsSalt]

A direct, personal and negative confrontation with another passenger is just not part of my own cruise serenity recipe cards. If I could not get back-up from staff upfront, there was no point escalating this person to person.

 

The parents knew there was a problem, and they chose to ignore it. Mine was not the only complaint, so the issue was known prior to our arrival .

 

 Stinky eyes and glaring, mainly at their backs turned away from the chaos was as "verbal" as I chose to get with them directly. I put my fingers to my lips to shush kids once, who looked back in puzzled bemusement  and went their merry ways a few seconds later.

 

The ship officially agreed to support their excuse - that 6 young kids could not be left alone in their cabin so they were allowed to join the parents in their two person cabana, during times they were not at Club Hal.

 

At that point, my only issue was with management and management was not moved by these complaints.  One day we noticed the stewards had upturned the little tables on top of the common area loungers where the kids gathered and played, possibly so they would not be available for use. Instead the kids invaded the empty family cabana next to us.

 

My choice was not to waste more time escalating this with management further and create more stress, but simply now warn others of this possibility so they can chose their own course of action if it occurs on their watch - a holiday cruise with a much higher numbers of families is  probably far more vulnerable to this happening than other times of the year. 

 

However management indifference to use of boom boxes by adults, as perviously reported, indicates caveat emptor remains the best advice when paying for this premium space. Get your expectations and house rules in writing up front, as well as a cancellation guarantee if these expectations are breached.

 

 

[tartanmom]

Last Zaandam cruise a lady thought it was fine to bring her portable speakers to the Lido pool. So besides listening to the HAL speaker music we were listening to her rap with explicit lyrics. We asked 2 different HAL staff members to sort it out but they both looked at us with a deer in the headlight look. They refused to get involved. Thankfully the lady left after an hour or two and the speaker never reappeared during the cruise. I can't imagine the stress of having a Retreat cabin and then dealing with what you did. 

[RAS4331]

Wow, for the staff to say that the kids are allowed in the retreat because their parents could not leave them alone in the cabin is the lamest excuse ever. With this logic, the children should also be allowed to sit with their parents at the bar, or accompany them to the casino.  How about letting them run around the spa while their parents are having a massage?   I’m sure none of those things are happening. 

 

 

[Jay5]

On 1/9/2023 at 5:29 PM, oaktreerb said:

 

 

HAL needs  a new brochure to define the actual permitted use of the Retreat.  Cabanas on the Lido Deck are kid friendly.  A Retreat for adults is not a kid friendly area.  

Are the cabanas on the Lido Deck free for anyone to use?

[Hlitner]

Expecting HAL staff to enforce rules or decorum is simply a pipe dream.  Consider that nobody enforces dress codes, saving of loungers, or just about anything else aboard a cruise.  Most crew members take the path of least resistance which means avoiding any kind of confrontation with a passenger.

 

Hank

[Sea42]

10 minutes ago, Jay5 said:

Are the cabanas on the Lido Deck free for anyone to use?

No. They are less expensive than the Retreat cabanas though.

[zgscl]

On 1/12/2023 at 7:58 AM, bdd123 said:

That's why I have a Neptune Suite and Cabana on my next cruise.  One of the many reasons. We have only cruised 2 times in the past, this will be our first cabana.  I hope it is not the disaster that a few people have mentioned.
 

Most likely sunrise will be in the fitness center for me. 

When do they kick you out of the Cabanas?

I routinely do both Neptune & Cabana on HAL cruises (at least in good weather destinations, I would not do it again for coastal cruise or Alaska). So far I have only had good cabana experiences other than where it has been impacted by weather which of course HAL cannot control. I mostly cruise to relax and do nothing. There is absolutely nothing better than sitting up there all day on a port day while they keep your drinks refreshed and bring lunch from the lido or the Grand Dutch Cafe. On sea days I always do Pinnacle Grill lunch, but it is nice having somewhere to hang out and relax during the day time. 

 

Service stops at 5 but I don't think I have ever been kicked out at that time. I usually leave around 4:30 or 5 anyway to get ready for dinner and the evening. 

 

[Don Kehote]

On 1/12/2023 at 1:19 AM, iceman93 said:

But I will point out that one of the recent controversies regarding retreat cabanas, the main offender was an adult (at least by age) who was blasting music that disturbed other guests, so even an adults-only designation will not eliminate problems or HAL's need (apparently unfulfilled) to enforce the rules.

So I'm the guy that raised the stink over that one.  Short version: We were refunded.

 

Long version: Our first trip to Guest Services was met with a "Did you tell the attendant?"  Why, yes, we did.  The attendant did nothing, which is why we are here.  "What do you want to do about it?"  Well, we'd like our money back. "We'll have to ask."  

 

Time passed.  Refund was granted, and we relocated to the Sea Bar, where I broke down and bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked them all.  After a few drinks, and some calming down, we went BACK to guest services.  This time, we said that essentially, the refund is good and all, but the principle of the thing is what really matters. 

 

We were specifically not looking for any compensation of any sort, no freebies.  All we wanted was to get this thing fixed.  So, we asked to escalate, and were offered a chat with the Assistant Beverage Manager. 

 

After a wait, we sat with him in the atrium, and discussed how displeased we were with the handling of the whole situation, soup to nuts.  He said he was sorry, and we asked to further escalate.  We then arranged a meeting with the Director of Food and Beverage.

 

By this time, I think we really had the feeling that they were confused.  We already had our money back (albeit as OBC as far as I could see), so...what were we wanting now?  To the Director, we explained that we didn't want anything other than: 1) to have this issue fixed, and 2) To know how the heck this could have happened in the first place?  

 

So, promises were made to fix it.  And we were offered massages, which we didn't want, and didn't use.  Director called our room the next day to check in with us, and noted that we would be meeting with the Events coordinator as we also had purchased the Renewal of Vows for this sailing.  I can't tell you exactly what was said (wife answered the call), but I know she told Director. "We'll be talking to the Captain about it."  The call ended abruptly after that.

 

And, we DID end up speaking to the Captain.  At length, after our ceremony, in fact.  He agreed that the cabanas are supposed to be tranquil, and that things were poorly handled.  We asked if we should have our daughter cancel her cabana for her January sailing; would it be like this on Statendam, too?  He assured us that it would not be, and he mentioned that he had added the cabanas to his walk-around, to ensure that his presence was known.  I believe that the cabana staff were "retrained" as well.  

 

The next day, we were given thermal spa passes.  Again, didn't want, didn't use.

 

Overall, the 15 minutes we got in the cabana by ourselves was great.  The attendant's shakedown (seriously, he hadn't even asked our names before telling how generous other passengers were, about how he was missing his kids, how he bought his mother a washing machine with his first sailing's tips - and showed us pictures of the damn washing machine) was pretty terrible, and the recycling bin sized boombox started shortly thereafter.  0/10, will not book a cabana again.  I wouldn't take it if were offered for free unless they figure their mess out.

[Don Kehote]

On 1/18/2023 at 1:27 AM, Don Kehote said:

We asked if we should have our daughter cancel her cabana for her January sailing; would it be like this on Statendam, too?  He assured us that it would not be, and he mentioned that he had added the cabanas to his walk-around, to ensure that his presence was known.  I believe that the cabana staff were "retrained" as well.  

 

Shenanigans, unfortunately, continue.  My aforementioned daughter is currently on her honeymoon cruise.  Upon reporting to the cabanas, they were informed that they would not have the one they specifically requested when they booked it, but good old #13 is here for you!

 

It took them showing the original e-mails before the attendant relented and gave them the cabana they wanted.

 

I'm a lot miffed right now.  I sell a lot of cruises. A LOT.  Do they think that I'm going to recommend this to people?  I suppose a sternly written e-mail to the BDM will be my first act.

[Florida_gal_50]

18 minutes ago, Don Kehote said:

Shenanigans, unfortunately, continue.  My aforementioned daughter is currently on her honeymoon cruise.  Upon reporting to the cabanas, they were informed that they would not have the one they specifically requested when they booked it, but good old #13 is here for you!

 

It took them showing the original e-mails before the attendant relented and gave them the cabana they wanted.

 

I'm a lot miffed right now.  I sell a lot of cruises. A LOT.  Do they think that I'm going to recommend this to people?  I suppose a sternly written e-mail to the BDM will be my first act.

There needs to be better control of these cabanas   it's happened quite often that I've reserved and been confirmed a cabana to have it changed once on the ship.

[RMLincoln]

Question of ignorance:

Is the Retreat’s central lounge area also restricted to only those who rented cabanas?  
I ask because the Retreat is available on other cruise lines where it is adults only and has shaded loungers like on Carnival,  for example. Our adult granddaughters liked the loungers on Legend. They’ll be with us on Rotterdam next month. I figure best to understand beforehand. 
Thanks, m—

[Florida_gal_50]

1 minute ago, RMLincoln said:

Question of ignorance:

Is the Retreat’s central lounge area also restricted to only those who rented cabanas?  
I ask because the Retreat is available on other cruise lines where it is adults only and has shaded loungers like on Carnival,  for example. Our adult granddaughters liked the loungers on Legend. They’ll be with us on Rotterdam next month. I figure best to understand beforehand. 
Thanks, m—

No that area is restricted.  That is what you pay for.  On the koningsdam I believe on deck 11 there is a nicely shaded area which has comfortable loungers for free.  I’m not sure if the Rotterdam is the same.  Part of the reason I get a cabana is for those comfortable loungers.  I may not get it otherwise.

[HALcruiser2001]

11 hours ago, RMLincoln said:

Question of ignorance:

Is the Retreat’s central lounge area also restricted to only those who rented cabanas?  

 

Yes

[HALcruiser2001]

15 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

There needs to be better control of these cabanas   it's happened quite often that I've reserved and been confirmed a cabana to have it changed once on the ship.

Arg!

[HALcruiser2001]

On 1/17/2023 at 11:27 PM, Don Kehote said:

So I'm the guy that raised the stink over that one.  Short version: We were refunded.

 

Long version: Our first trip to Guest Services was met with a "Did you tell the attendant?"  Why, yes, we did.  The attendant did nothing, which is why we are here.  "What do you want to do about it?"  Well, we'd like our money back. "We'll have to ask."  

 

Time passed.  Refund was granted, and we relocated to the Sea Bar, where I broke down and bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked them all.  After a few drinks, and some calming down, we went BACK to guest services.  This time, we said that essentially, the refund is good and all, but the principle of the thing is what really matters. 

 

Your order was wrong.

 

Attendant, no action.

Sea Bar, drinks, smokes

Guest services.

 

Once you were refunded, the cabana was filled and ship staff moved on.  The only choice to make it right were unacceptable alternatives.

[PACD_JG]

16 hours ago, Don Kehote said:

I'm a lot miffed right now.  I sell a lot of cruises. A LOT.  Do they think that I'm going to recommend this to people?  I suppose a sternly written e-mail to the BDM will be my first act.

 

15 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

There needs to be better control of these cabanas   it's happened quite often that I've reserved and been confirmed a cabana to have it changed once on the ship.

 

Then vote with your $$$$.  IMO, what HAL did to Don is very grievable, and Florida's complaints are continuous.  Yet, you still sail with HAL...

[Florida_gal_50]

55 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

 

 

Then vote with your $$$$.  IMO, what HAL did to Don is very grievable, and Florida's complaints are continuous.  Yet, you still sail with HAL...

I have zero cruises booked with hal.  There is no need to make things up.

[PACD_JG]

10 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I have zero cruises booked with hal.  There is no need to make things up.

And yet you're still here...

[Florida_gal_50]

7 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

And yet you're still here...

I must have missed the guidelines where it says you can’t read or participate in board discussions if you don’t have a cruise booked with the line.  Can you supply that?  I’ve reported both your posts.

[PACD_JG]

1 minute ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I must have missed the guidelines where it says you can’t read or participate in board discussions if you don’t have a cruise booked with the line.  Can you supply that?  I’ve reported both your posts.

Of course you have.

[Don Kehote]

17 hours ago, bdd123 said:

 

Your order was wrong.

 

Attendant, no action.

Sea Bar, drinks, smokes

Guest services.

 

Once you were refunded, the cabana was filled and ship staff moved on.  The only choice to make it right were unacceptable alternatives.

You are incorrect.  The cabana was not filled; the director of food and beverage continued to invite us to utilize it up to the very end of our sailing.

[HALcruiser2001]

On 1/23/2023 at 12:36 AM, Don Kehote said:

You are incorrect.  The cabana was not filled; the director of food and beverage continued to invite us to utilize it up to the very end of our sailing.

 

Wow.   Quite surprised.

[TiogaCruiser]

On 1/22/2023 at 7:39 AM, Florida_gal_50 said:

I must have missed the guidelines where it says you can’t read or participate in board discussions if you don’t have a cruise booked with the line.  Can you supply that?  I’ve reported both your posts.

Ahh, the Block List. It is a beautiful thing!

 

Its amazing how a few well placed blocks makes CC a much more pleasant place.😉

Edited January 26, 2023 by TiogaCruiser

[Arrowinc]

We rented a retreat cabana on our last cruise on Rotterdam and we’re less than pleased.  Although we did not have to deal with rampant children, meal and drink service took forever once the attendant showed up.  Further, the cabana is on a different floor than the lido, which makes visits more difficult. 
 

although I know that this is somewhat controversial, we actually enjoyed the lido cabanas on the smaller ships a lot more - far better and quicker service, and quicker access to the lido, bar, and pool.  Honestly, we also enjoyed the folks walking alongside. We struck up conversations with many. 

[OlsSalt]

5 hours ago, Arrowinc said:

.......

although I know that this is somewhat controversial, we actually enjoyed the lido cabanas on the smaller ships a lot more - far better and quicker service, and quicker access to the lido, bar, and pool.  Honestly, we also enjoyed the folks walking alongside. We struck up conversations with many. 

 

One reason a lot of people like the Lanai cabins on some of the older ships too - great for people watching from your dedicated lounger and chatting with those making their promenades around the 360  outside deck.