Wow! The Cabanas sure go fast...

[jaguarstyper]

I just got of the phone with Shore Ex to confirm the turquoise cabana for October 9th. I reserved it online on Friday based on a heads up from this forum. You can only reserve it online and you still need to call to give them a credit card number to confirm it. Joyce from the Shore Ex desk informed me that they were all taken for that date already.

All I can say is I GOT MINE!!! Thanks a lot to the members of this board.

If you dont read these messages frequently, how the heck would you even know when the cabanas become available for booking? I feel bad for all the people out there who still think they can get to the port early and book a cabana. It aint happenin' folks.

I'm happy, but I feel like I lucked out. It seems like there ought to be a better way to handle this. If they are going to allow advance booking, they should allow you to book it at the same time you book your cruise.

Tim

[Sierrachik]

Yes, they sure do go fast, Tim. I was checking online several times a day and calling every few days. Last Wednesday I saw they were putting other shore excursions online for HMC and knew the cabanas would be right after that. I had spoken to Tiffany in Shore Ex at HAL and she told me they would be coming right up. We got ours as well. It's too bad there will be so many people disappointed that they don't get a cabana. The first person I spoke to at HAL told me mid-March they should be available. When I called and got the same guy a week later he said it would be June or July, basically he just didn't want to check.

[HeatherInFlorida]

We're here for you, Tim! Still I'd like to keep it a CC best kept secret because otherwise they would be gone over a year ahead (if people could book them when they book their cruise). There are only 11 of them and sometimes 2 ships in port.

It was through these boards that I found out about them and I know for sure you're going to LOVE "my" turquoise cabana;)

[cruznon]

I kept watching for the cabanas and yes, on Friday the cabanas for July appeared. I booked the Turquoise :D for the 31st on line and immediately got an e-mail confirmation.
I did't even know about the cabanas until I read about them recently. (It's our first trip to the Caribbean.)
I agree with Heather. If you could book cabanas with cruise, they'd be tied up a year in advance. It's nice that CCer's pass along the info to others here.:)

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I just got of the phone with Shore Ex to confirm the turquoise cabana for October 9th. I reserved it online on Friday based on a heads up from this forum. You can only reserve it online and you still need to call to give them a credit card number to confirm it. Joyce from the Shore Ex desk informed me that they were all taken for that date already.

Tim

Tim,
Why did you still have to call after booking the cabana online? I thought I did the credit card info online. At least I think I did. I didn't call after I booked ours. Did I screw up somehow?

Bill

[jaguarstyper]

Bill,

I'm not sure. When booking online, it would only let me go so far. I was never given the oppurtunity to pay for it with a credit card online. So, I just called shore ex to be sure. They took my credit card info over the phone. They did have the reservation information from the online transaction.

Tim

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I just checked my email confirmation and it says the excursion was charged to my credit card ending in XXXX. I wonder why it didn't let you pay online. Another of lifes little mysteries. Thanks for answering so quickly.

Bill

[BobMartha]

How far in advance do the cabana's become available on-line?
Thinking of surprising the wife and kids on our next sailing....plus I think it would awesome as well!!!!!!!

thanks all

[MarMac]

How far in advance do the cabana's become available on-line?
Thinking of surprising the wife and kids on our next sailing....plus I think it would awesome as well!!!!!!!

thanks all

So far the earliest I've seen is 7 months. I'm sailing on Nov. 5th and they aren't available yet. But I check everyday. I really want the turquoise cabana that everyone seems to like the best.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I think there's a bunch of us that just talk a lot about the turquoise cabana:D , but don't limit yourself! They're all good. The yellow, pink and green are great, too, because they're a little more away from everything. The yellow is the furthest out so if you have any walking problems you wouldn't want it.

But the orange is right next to the turquoise and equally good if you want to be near the food a rest rooms. The khaki is also close by there.

So all are very nice. It just happens that a few of us who had the turquoise and loved it have posted a lot.

[BobMartha]

Thanks all
Heather I also noticed that everyone talks about the tourquise cabana - but on another posting that showed photo's of all of them I also thought the orange one would be good as well - maybe not the light blue since that is "next" to the watersports area - is that where they all launch from? I assume that would be rather noisy.

Nevre having walked down the beach that far - are the restrooms near tourquise and orange the only restrooms along the beach? With two kids - I need to consider proximity!!!!!

I'd almost rather be a little further down the beach where it is not so crowded - the water and sand/beach are just as pristine I'd assume? right?

[gbc]

We had the green one about a year and a half ago - it was the furthest cabana at the time (two have been added since) and it wasn't a terrible walk (and I am fat and lazy :)). I loved the cabana. Just reserved the pink one for my 9/10 cruise - I figure after a while I can say I've tried them all! Once you have a cabana, there is no going back. I told my TA that if we couldn't get a cabana we were cancelling the cruise - and I meant it. I've decided that what I really want is to be dropped off at HMC and live in the cabana for a few days and then go back to Ft L and disembark.

[cruznon]

Oceanlover,
I booked online also and reserved using a credit card, then got an email confirmation. I didn't have to call either.
Marmac,
The cabanas just became available last week for July cruises.

[Ziggy7]

Thanks all
Heather I also noticed that everyone talks about the tourquise cabana - but on another posting that showed photo's of all of them I also thought the orange one would be good as well - maybe not the light blue since that is "next" to the watersports area - is that where they all launch from? I assume that would be rather noisy.

Nevre having walked down the beach that far - are the restrooms near tourquise and orange the only restrooms along the beach? With two kids - I need to consider proximity!!!!!

I'd almost rather be a little further down the beach where it is not so crowded - the water and sand/beach are just as pristine I'd assume? right?Here is a link with a map on hmc and where cabanas are , all restrooms are only as far as the turquoise cabana. The Orange cabana is the same, just different colors :) And we stayed in the lt. Blue cabana and it was not busy or noisy from water sports, wave runners and noisy water sports are on other side of the island, here there are only sail boats, paddle boats, and banana boat rides were at. :)

http://community.webshots.com/photo/189722811/202108843vZFIiW

[scluvsrain]

I stayed in the Blue cabana last July when it was still a canvas-sided one. It was next to the Turquoise one. Loved it. Next month I've got the Turquoise one reserved and look forward to it as well.

I had thought about changing over to the purple or pink one, to be in a more remote/quieter location, but changed my mind and kept the turqoise one since we'll be the only ship at HMC that day.

In fact, last I checked, we were the only cabana booked and our sail date is April 27th!! Kinda odd.:confused:

--Sherita

[MarMac]

Every day I check to see if I can book a cabana, but they aren't avaiable online yet. I also noticed that before all the cabanas were at least listed (even though you couldn't actually book them), now they only show clam shell rentals. I may take everyone's advice and try calling them weekly until I'm able to book one? Could someone give me the number to shore excursions? I'm less than a month behind jaguarstyper who has all ready booked for October 9th and I don't want to find out that I should have called instead.

My many thanks,

Mary

[RobbieCruises]

I kept watching for the cabanas and yes, on Friday the cabanas for July appeared. I booked the Turquoise :D for the 31st on line and immediately got an e-mail confirmation.
I did't even know about the cabanas until I read about them recently. (It's our first trip to the Caribbean.)
I agree with Heather. If you could book cabanas with cruise, they'd be tied up a year in advance. It's nice that CCer's pass along the info to others here.:)

your board name is familiar: are you on the westerdam this coming sunday?

i have the taupe cabana next week. Anybody know if that's a good one? (we need to research what's there and share more tips with each other on the boards on our return!)

[HeatherInFlorida]

your board name is familiar: are you on the westerdam this coming sunday?

i have the taupe cabana next week. Anybody know if that's a good one? (we need to research what's there and share more tips with each other on the boards on our return!)

Take a look at Ziggy's post above which has a link to pictures, etc., of the cabanas. The taupe cabana is in a very nice location, but it's right in the midst of everything. The pink, yellow, green are further down the beach.