Hideaway Beach - Opinions?

[handbellplayer]

We will be visiting Coco Cay on Adventure the end of May.  We'll be sharing the island with Icon, which arrives 2 hours before us.  Since the Coco Cay expansions, we've never had any trouble with crowding, but I'm concerned this time.  Hideaway Beach passes are selling for $22.99/pp during the current "sale". For those who have been to Hideaway and/or been at CC with two large ships, would we have better chance of finding decent seats (we prefer pool to beach) at Hideaway?

[CruisingHogFan]

Beach Club….

[SilkySal]

I'd like to hear other thoughts as well. Isn't Hideaway Beach limited to a certain number of guests to improve the availability of finding chairs?

[handbellplayer]

 

27 minutes ago, CruisingHogFan said:

Beach Club….

No, thanks.  We paid <$80/pp for it when it first opened....not worth any more than that IMO.

[handbellplayer]

13 minutes ago, SilkySal said:

I'd like to hear other thoughts as well. Isn't Hideaway Beach limited to a certain number of guests to improve the availability of finding chairs?

That's the kind of info I'm looking for.....

[seabeew]

Hideaway Beach club is “limited” to 2,000 guests. If you buy your tickets in advance, you’ll get in whenever you arrive. You probably will have a hard time getting a chair, and you’ll probably not going to be able to get a chair near the pool. I’m speaking from experience. 
 

There is an outside lobby area, where many people eventually dropped off their stuff. 
 

Honestly, I I don’t think you’ll be able to get in unless you buy a ticket in advance.

 

I don’t know if you’ve been to CocoCay before or not, but the Oasis Lagoon pool is awesome. It’s supposed to be the biggest pool in the Bahamas, I believe. It’s free to use, offers a zero entry section, and has a swim up bar. Chairs and umbrellas are also free and permanently anchored in the ground. It used to be a big party area prior the opening of the hideaway.

 

 I think it will still be crowded at the Oasis pool, though. You can get chairs on the beach and walk a small distance to the Oasis pool. 

[CruisingHogFan]

48 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

 

No, thanks.  We paid <$80/pp for it when it first opened....not worth any more than that IMO.

It’s a little expensive currently but no worse than everything else. About the only way you can get away away from the crowds at the pools or loungers near the beach.
 

Hideaway is great for a party atmosphere but it’s just as packed as the big pool with 2 larger ships in port. I rather pay extra and have a better experience 

Edited April 14 by CruisingHogFan

[PhillyFan33579]

Since you are cruising in May there is no reason to pay for Hideaway Beach in my opinion. I have been to Hideaway Beach several times over the last few months, but the only reason we keep going there is for the heated pool. The area is definitely on the loud side, so when the water gets warmer (ocean and Oasis pool), there is no lure to pay for Hideaway Beach 

[BirdTravels]

Frat party. Nothing we would every want. 

[handbellplayer]

Thanks for the advice everyone.  We've enjoyed the Oasis lagoon on our other visits, and will probably try there again.

[sjb317]

We were just there Friday on Mariner. Icon was the other ship with us, they had just docked when we were getting off the ship so we had a head start.  Had no trouble finding chairs at the pool and that appeared to be true our entire day.  Pool was never as packed as I have seen the Oasis Lagoon pool. Lots of empty chairs at the beach, also.

 

We enjoyed our day there and would do it again at the right price.  Food was good, pizza was better than that on the ship.  More of a “frat party” atmosphere on sea days on Mariner than Hideaway.  I was concerned the DJ would be loud and irritating but did not find that to be the case.  DJ did not start until 11am.

 

Sherri🙂

[danoconnl]

Depends on price, but we did it when Wonder was the only ship in port.  I'd do it again in a heart beat.  We ended up with chairs on the beach,. but not far from the stairs to the pool.  We loved having a drink and resting against the wall overlooking the ocean.  WE ended up snagging one of the pool beds around 12:30/1 and enjoyed it the rest of the day.  

 

As far as chairs around the pool go, if you demand right next to the pool, you won't get those, but you'll find chairs in the pool area.

 

My wife and I discussed it and we would pay up to 40-50pp to go probably.

 

Dan

Edited April 15 by danoconnl

[oakvillemom]

Is Hideaway Bay accessible by scooter?  and how many stairs to pool?  We will be there inf Feb with Oasis in docking at same time.  Or should I just stay on ship?

[jean87510]

On 4/14/2024 at 2:04 PM, handbellplayer said:

 

No, thanks.  We paid <$80/pp for it when it first opened....not worth any more than that IMO.

Absolutely agree.  I would pay maybe $35 pp.  

 

We thought about Hideaway but decided to head to our usual antisocial spot on south beach all the way to the right.  Quiet and free with shade.

[handbellplayer]

9 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

Absolutely agree.  I would pay maybe $35 pp.  

 

We thought about Hideaway but decided to head to our usual antisocial spot on south beach all the way to the right.  Quiet and free with shade.

Maybe we'll try that this time.

[RFerrington]

We recently tried Hideaway.  I paid $19.99 PP

 

IMO it is not worth paying extra for.  I did like 2 things:

 

Heated pool

Some overstuffed furniture

 

other than those 2 things, there is nothing there that I can’t get for free on the “regular” side.

[Mum2Mercury]

On 4/14/2024 at 12:39 PM, handbellplayer said:

We will be visiting Coco Cay on Adventure the end of May.  We'll be sharing the island with Icon, which arrives 2 hours before us.  Since the Coco Cay expansions, we've never had any trouble with crowding, but I'm concerned this time.  Hideaway Beach passes are selling for $22.99/pp during the current "sale". For those who have been to Hideaway and/or been at CC with two large ships, would we have better chance of finding decent seats (we prefer pool to beach) at Hideaway?

I love Coco Cay, but since you're arriving after the bigger ship and you prefer pools, I'd consider taking a nice walk around Coco Cay ... maybe eating lunch on the island, then returning to the ship's pool, which will be less crowded than the Oasis Pool or the Hideaway Pool.  

On 4/14/2024 at 1:36 PM, CruisingHogFan said:

Beach Club….

Those prices are a whole lot more than $22.  

On 4/14/2024 at 2:50 PM, seabeew said:

Hideaway Beach club is “limited” to 2,000 guests.

No way that space can absorb 2000 people without being overcrowded.  

On 4/14/2024 at 2:55 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

but the only reason we keep going there is for the heated pool.  

I'd pay for Hideaway IF it were winter and the cost were no more than $30.  Maybe.  Hard to justify any cost when Coco Cay is awesome without paying anything.

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Hard to justify any cost when Coco Cay is awesome without paying anything.

 

This is our feeling. Even at $20pp we'd sooner use the $ for something else. There's just nothing offered there that holds value to us but everyone values things differently.

 

I only go in the pool if it's hot and I want to cool off so a heated pool doesn't interest me. My wife wouldn't try any of the extra food offerings out of pickiness and we've always loved the snack shack and chill grill food so that part doesn't make much sense. And we aren't bothered by kids so no need to pay to get away from them.

 

Different strokes...

[PhillyFan33579]

1 minute ago, Mum2Mercury said:

No way that space can absorb 2000 people without being overcrowded.  

I'd pay for Hideaway IF it were winter and the cost were no more than $30.  Maybe.  Hard to justify any cost when Coco Cay is awesome without paying anything.

I have been to Hideaway three times. We have paid $22.99, $25.99 and $49.99 (on Icon when nothing was cheap). Well worth it in my book for the heated pool and no kids. It was sold out all three times we went there and it never felt crowded, especially the pool (the Oasis Lagoon pool gets crazy busy in the swim up bar area). In my book it is easy to justify spending money for the water park and the Beach Club. The slides at the water park are excellent and I have never met anyone who has gone to the Beach Club who didn’t think it was the best part of Coco Cay. 

[OCSC Mike]

9 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

have never met anyone who has gone to the Beach Club who didn’t think it was the best part of Coco Cay.

Nice to meet ya! I enjoyed the filet & coconut crusted lobster sandwich (actual lobster is overrated IMO) but I’m just as happy sitting in our preferred spot by the Oass pool under an umbrella making frequent trips to the nearest snack shack and Chill Grill.

 

Only way I’d ever be back would be if someone else was treating… like the other two times.

 

I enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong, just not an experience I personally value as much as others may.

[Mum2Mercury]

23 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

We have paid $22.99, $25.99 and $49.99 (on Icon when nothing was cheap). Well worth it in my book 

I fully understand that my "worth-it meter" is set lower than other people's.

What really matters is that my husband and I are cheap at the exact same level.  

[PhillyFan33579]

10 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

Nice to meet ya! I enjoyed the filet & coconut crusted lobster sandwich (actual lobster is overrated IMO) but I’m just as happy sitting in our preferred spot by the Oass pool under an umbrella making frequent trips to the nearest snack shack and Chill Grill.

 

Only way I’d ever be back would be if someone else was treating… like the other two times.

 

I enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong, just not an experience I personally value as much as others may.

No doubt you can have a great time at Coco Cay without spending a dime. I have done that literally dozens of times. My favorite free area is South Beach and I enjoy hanging out at the floating bar (same goes for the floating bar at Labadee). 

[rrraydon]

On 4/14/2024 at 2:55 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

Since you are cruising in May there is no reason to pay for Hideaway Beach in my opinion. I have been to Hideaway Beach several times over the last few months, but the only reason we keep going there is for the heated pool. The area is definitely on the loud side, so when the water gets warmer (ocean and Oasis pool), there is no lure to pay for Hideaway Beach 

This is exactly my thought for my cruise in May. I did book it for my Feb one and loved the heated pool since the ocean and the lagoon pool water was so cold. I have it booked for my cruise next week because even though it is warming up a bit, the water will still probably be a bit chilly. But, I'm not booking it for my May cruise because then I think it's just a waste of money since the lagoon pool and the ocean should be warmed up enough.

[PhillyFan33579]

13 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I fully understand that my "worth-it meter" is set lower than other people's.

What really matters is that my husband and I are cheap at the exact same level.  

I understand everyone has a different worth it meter. In my world I can’t believe what people are paying to cruise on Icon. I booked a couple of cruises on Icon the day bookings were first available. I paid $3300 for a CP balcony on her second cruise, which I thought was a little high but not surprising for a new ship. But the prices I am seeing online and hearing from others what they spent to cruise on Icon is way more than I am willing to pay. I did mock bookings a few weeks ago comparing Icon to Oceania ships and for similar itineraries/same week Oceania was cheaper. 

[vagolferbob]

for $22 go for it. Get there early for the best seats, Enjoyed our visit last week.