Cabanas (Again!) but this time the nitty-gritty day-to-day details for inquiring minds

[Petronillus]

On 4/24/2023 at 9:51 AM, Shalandara said:

I do not want to commit some grave faux pas by doing/saying something wrong (which is uncomfortable for all parties involved then).  Knowing beforehand all the ins and outs relieves a great deal of anxiety for me.  (Which is why I have found these forums to be so incredibly helpful!) 

Amen to that!

This has been a delightful thread -- lots of information peppered with a lot of humor. Some of the early posts had me thinking that cabanas are not my thing, but later ones tempered the potential negatives with depth of perspective. 

One further set of questions occur to me. Is the cabana a suitable substitute for a verandah?  Assuming you book your cruise early enough, before all the cabanas are claimed, doesn't it make sense to book the lowest-fare inside cabin you can find and then use your cabana during daylight hours? Add in Club Orange and maybe you get a poor man's suite?

[stevec999]

Lots of good info here. My wife ran out of things to spend money on and booked a cabana for our 35 day cruise in February 2025.

 

Sounds like it is a good choice for us.

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by stevec999

[Shalandara]

3 hours ago, Petronillus said:

One further set of questions occur to me. Is the cabana a suitable substitute for a verandah?  Assuming you book your cruise early enough, before all the cabanas are claimed, doesn't it make sense to book the lowest-fare inside cabin you can find and then use your cabana during daylight hours? Add in Club Orange and maybe you get a poor man's suite?

We did have a verandah -- opposite side of the ship (starboard for cabin and port for cabana).  We did that on purpose to handle possible sun/shade issues.  This was a transatlantic in November after all.  And since we swung to a more southerly route it got quite warmish at times.  So the balance worked well.  We had the cabin balcony for late night after dinner as well.

But yes, if you have an inside then booking a cabana gets you fresh outside space of your own for a good portion of the day.

[bundtkate]

3 hours ago, Shalandara said:

But yes, if you have an inside then booking a cabana gets you fresh outside space of your own for a good portion of the day.

This is what we are doing for Alaska next year. I have no idea if it will prove an adequate replacement (we usually cruise with a balcony), but I wanted to shift spend from cabin to excursions and this seemed a good way to manage it. Plus, the idea that we can order coffee, lunch, and whatever else during scenic sailing seems a nice bonus.

[sunviking90]

How does one go about booking a cabana for a single day only? I was thinking of trying it on my upcoming cruise with my sister. I read somewhere else (but can’t find it now) that single days can only be booked once on the ship, but where?

Also a question about music. Is there background music constantly? I’ve read conflicting reports. I like quiet and can’t read if there is music.

 

[CruiserBruce]

11 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

How does one go about booking a cabana for a single day only? I was thinking of trying it on my upcoming cruise with my sister. I read somewhere else (but can’t find it now) that single days can only be booked once on the ship, but where?

Also a question about music. Is there background music constantly? I’ve read conflicting reports. I like quiet and can’t read if there is music.

 

You have to book it on board. Just go up to the Retreat and talk to the employees. They will take care of you.

 

Sometimes there is music, sometimes there isn't. Its usually low volume.