Yes...I've Got Some NEW HMC CABANA QUESTIONS!

[debjo]

Greetings to all the Former HAL Passengers who've experienced HMC Cabanas!

I have, what I think are, a couple of "NEW" Cabana questions (at least I've not been able to find any answers to these queries on the message boards:

1. Since the Cabanas have air-conditioners, ceiling fans & refrigerators, I know they have electricity...but, are there any electrical outlets that the Cabana occupants have access to? I'd like to bring along some "music player" for my CD's and need to know if it needs to be the battery kind or if I can bring my "plug-in" player. (I also might need to recharge my camera if I take too many pictures!)

2. On the back wall of the Cabanas where the counter and refrigerator are...is there any cupboard that we can "lock" our stuff in when we are out in the water or on a HMC excursion?

HERE'S A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE SEEN "MIXED" ANSWERS TO:
3. If you get the BUTLER UPGRADE for your Cabana, does that mean the Butler replaces the Cabana Steward -or- does the Cabana Steward take care of your Cabana plus the two other ones (I read they handle three Cabanas)?

4. Is it still true that the YELLOW & TERRACOTTA cabanas cannot get the BUTLER UPGRADE because of the far distance they are located in?

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS! Thanks in advance for all your pearls of wisdom!

Debjo (who is seriously thinking about the BUTLER UPGRADE, now that HMC Cabana real estate has been secured!)

[sail7seas]

I can't answer about the Butler but can tell you there is a cabinet in which you can lock your things. I still wouldn't bring lots of valuables to the beach with you but there is a cabinet that has a lock.

[debjo]

OH NO...I'VE GOT ANOTHER QUESTION!...

5. If we get the BUTLER UPGRADE...what does the Cabana Butler do when we are out in the water having "fun" or off on a HMC excursion? Does he stay in the Cabana and "guard" our "stuff"?

THANKS SAIL7SEAS...
Not planning to bring any "valuables" as such...just wanted to "lock up" our cameras because of our "valuable" pictures! We had our video camera stolen from the Show Lounge on a past cruise and, even though our trip insurance covered the "expense" of the camcorder, we "lost" all our precious video & photo memories from our 25th anniversary cruise & vow renewal!

Debjo

[K&RCurt]

Debjo:

Sorry, no answers here. I just wanted to say thanks for asking questions I never though of to ask. I am now awaiting the responses along with you.

[sail7seas]

I know exactly what you are saying. I 'lost' a camera on board a ship about 3 years ago. Hard to say I literally lost it as it 'was lost' during two days at sea and I had a name/address sticker on it that gave our cabin number. It was not returned and while I cared about losing the actual camera, I cared far more about the photos that I lost.

[twinkletoes4445]

Great thread!

Here's another question...

Does the cabana guy bring the BBQ lunch to the cabana? I've read where they don't. :)

[Randyk47]

I can only speak to the light or sky blue cabana that we rented last February but there was no locker or lockable storage in that cabana. Now, things change and it may have been added since then, but I know both my wife and I looked carefully as we wanted to go out in the water and didn't want to leave our cameras just laying around. There are cupboards with doors so we just put our stuff in there and kind of kept an eye on the cabana. I think there are lockers in another location...the main "village" area???....but that's too far from the cabanas to be a reasonable alternative for me. I don't remember seeing an outlet but, indeed, since there's electricity to the cabanas there might be one.

We didn't get a butler, and we discussed it at length before we decided not to, but not sure we missed out by not having one. The cabana/beach stewards are nice guys but it's not exactly like they just hang around near the cabanas waiting for you to ask for something. They were very pleasant and did check on us to see if we needed anything but that was maybe once an hour though mostly when we first got to the cabana. Might add that the sky blue cabana is kind of in the middle of the beach so it wasn't the case that we were isolated or out of the way.

[twinkletoes4445]

Randy...

Did the cabana guys bring the BBQ lunch to you, or did you have to go abd get it yourself? Did they run and get alcohol drinks for you?

[Randyk47]

I believe they would have gotten drinks but we didn't ask. They were not there to go get food for us other than to resupply what was provided as snacks in the cabana. Without the butler you have to walk up to the BBQ area and bring your food back. We decided it was easier just to eat up in the BBQ area than carry the food all the way back to the cabana.

[twinkletoes4445]

I believe they would have gotten drinks but we didn't ask. They were not there to go get food for us other than to resupply what was provided as snacks in the cabana. Without the butler you have to walk up to the BBQ area and bring your food back. We decided it was easier just to eat up in the BBQ area than carry the food all the way back to the cabana.

Thanks for the answer. :)

[spcl4cs_gal]

If you decide to go for the Butler Service, then you will not have a cabana boy at your service for the day. The butler (or butler and his assistant, as was the case twice with me) are yours for the day and they stay around/in your cabana while you are in the water. They bring you your "picnic lunch", which is enough to feed an army I might add, and they will carry your bags to and from the ship. they even help you jump the line when you are getting on the tender to head for the island for the day.

As someone posted, I don't recall the cabanas having locked cupboards but there are lockers available on the island. I don't think there are electrical outlets in the cabanas either, except for the a/c, ceiling fan, and fridge.

[twinkletoes4445]

If you decide to go for the Butler Service, then you will not have a cabana boy at your service for the day. The butler (or butler and his assistant, as was the case twice with me) are yours for the day and they stay around/in your cabana while you are in the water. They bring you your "picnic lunch", which is enough to feed an army I might add, and they will carry your bags to and from the ship. they even help you jump the line when you are getting on the tender to head for the island for the day.

As someone posted, I don't recall the cabanas having locked cupboards but there are lockers available on the island. I don't think there are electrical outlets in the cabanas either, except for the a/c, ceiling fan, and fridge.

Thanks for the information. :)

[debjo]

YOU CC'ers ARE GREAT...THANKS FOR GIVING ME YOU "TWO CENTS"!

Now, if I could just tweek your memory cells a bit more...I just realized that we won't be getting any "new" HMC/cabana info from the HAL boards, since all of their ships seem to be deployed to other parts of the globe and our October cruise will be amongst the first of HAL's ships to go back to HMC. So here goes...I read on a "googled" Cruise Critic thread from 2004 that the "transport" from the tender docks to the cabanas will only take you as far as the PINK CABANA. Was that true for the Spring of 2006 or does the "transport" now go all the way to the TERRA COTTA CABANA? And, while we're on the subject...has anyone seen a picture of the TERRA COTTA CABANA posted anywhere on the internet? I'd like to print one out to add to my "research".

Debjo

[Heart's ease]

hi debjo, you can view the terra cotta cabana on ziggys community webshots.
http://community.webshots.com/album/310184391qmbGBI

[Heart's ease]

Debjo,
I'm not sure if that the right web address or If I post it right. If you don't get the site, it was posted on the thread Cabana selection.

[spcl4cs_gal]

I read on a "googled" Cruise Critic thread from 2004 that the "transport" from the tender docks to the cabanas will only take you as far as the PINK CABANA. Was that true for the Spring of 2006 or does the "transport" now go all the way to the TERRA COTTA CABANA?
Debjo

When I stayed in the green cabana transportation drove me to it, stopping on the road that is just up a small hill from the cabana. The yellow cabana and terra cotta cabana are beside the green and are an easy walk away. You will find you are walking in thick sand but if that doesn't bother you then you will have little problem.