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Nellie's Beach Cabana - suite guests only now?


luckyprincess
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Hi! So I went to Labadee for the first time on my last cruise and we got an OTW cabana and it was magical! We got water in the cooler, our own attendant, pool floats, upgraded buffet and towels. Someone mentioned that the buffet is no longer included (totally fine if so) but are the cabanas still available online to non-suite guests that want to pay for it? Also does anyone know how early you can book one if so? Thank you!

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Hi! So I went to Labadee for the first time on my last cruise and we got an OTW cabana and it was magical! We got water in the cooler, our own attendant, pool floats, upgraded buffet and towels. Someone mentioned that the buffet is no longer included (totally fine if so) but are the cabanas still available online to non-suite guests that want to pay for it? Also does anyone know how early you can book one if so? Thank you!

Yes, cabanas on Nellie's are available to all, via the Pre-Cruise Planner portion of the website. There is no set time they are available. I've read posts that say sometimes a year in advance.

Edited by clarea
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I can tell you that I booked one last month for a cruise in November, so they're still available to non-suite guests. Not sure how far out you can book, but I know the OTW are sold out for my sailing. The others were not.

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If you're a non suite guest, and you book a cabana, do you get the different buffet area as well, or is that only for suite guests?

 

I'm a non-suite guest and it says this (I'm unsure if these are regular or upgraded buffets but the upgraded one I had last time wasn't really worth anything imo price wise - not a make or break): Rental includes 2 floating beach mats, lunch buffet at Columbus Cove Café, Dragon's Cafe or Café Labadee, water cooler with 6 bottles of water, the use of beach towels and the service of a cabana attendant.

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If you're a non suite guest, and you book a cabana, do you get the different buffet area as well, or is that only for suite guests?

It used to be that guests at Nellie's beach got the same upgraded buffet as the guests at the suite (Barefoot) beach. However, Royal discontinued that perk a year or so ago, and now guests at Nellie's only have access to the main buffet area that everyone else on Labadee uses.

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If you're a non suite guest, and you book a cabana, do you get the different buffet area as well, or is that only for suite guests?

 

We had a cabana on Nellies Beach in March and the cabana attendant arranged for the cabana shuttle to take us to one of the other beach lunches. We told the driver we wanted to take the lunch back to the cabana and he waited fo us and took us back. I've had the lunch on barefoot a few times and I didn't notice much differednce IMHO. Enjoy your cruise!!

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Is the price of the cabana by person or just a flat fee for both people. I looked on my planner and it said $250 for an adult. Is it $500 for both of us to use it?

 

It's a flat rate so when you choose it only choose 1 guest :)

 

Exactly, and the flat rate includes access for up to 6 people.

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Everybody lend an ear...I have a little secret.........

This might of happened to us on our stop at Labadee last October because we were lucky or because all were not booked that day but I had booked a hillside cabana on Nellies Beach and the wife and I were one of the first people there to check in that day. When we checked in we were given a Barefoot Beach hillside cabana instead of Nellies with full Barefoot Beach privilages including the Barefoot Beach wristband for the access. As I said we don't know the reason why this happened and we didn't ask! There were some suite guest that was in our Roll Call that had a cabana on Barefoot and they were shocked to see us there because they knew we were not in a suite! :cool:

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Everybody lend an ear...I have a little secret.........

This might of happened to us on our stop at Labadee last October because we were lucky or because all were not booked that day but I had booked a hillside cabana on Nellies Beach and the wife and I were one of the first people there to check in that day. When we checked in we were given a Barefoot Beach hillside cabana instead of Nellies with full Barefoot Beach privilages including the Barefoot Beach wristband for the access. As I said we don't know the reason why this happened and we didn't ask! There were some suite guest that was in our Roll Call that had a cabana on Barefoot and they were shocked to see us there because they knew we were not in a suite! :cool:

 

Lol that's awesome! You must be Irish! :D

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Yes, cabanas on Nellie's are available to all, via the Pre-Cruise Planner portion of the website. There is no set time they are available. I've read posts that say sometimes a year in advance.

 

I just looked at these for my upcoming cruise next April, they were shown as not available for booking yet.

Edited by BillOh
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I just looked at these for my upcoming cruise next April, they were shown as not available for booking yet.

That's strange. I already booked an over-the-water cabana at Nellie's Beach for my Independence of the Seas cruise next March back on April 23.

 

This was probably using the older system for booking shore excursions, though, so now that they've switched to the new Cruise Planner, perhaps things are different... Nope, I just looked in the Cruise Planner, and Nellie's Beach cabanas are showing up as available with the [Add to Cart] button available.

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That's strange. I already booked an over-the-water cabana at Nellie's Beach for my Independence of the Seas cruise next March back on April 23.

 

This was probably using the older system for booking shore excursions, though, so now that they've switched to the new Cruise Planner, perhaps things are different... Nope, I just looked in the Cruise Planner, and Nellie's Beach cabanas are showing up as available with the [Add to Cart] button available.

 

Similar timing with us, Marc. We booked ours for our upcoming October Freedom late last winter.

 

They do tend to book quick then drop off - at least with the old system. Not sure how that all works now. But there are always a few held back for on board booking, which should be done first day.

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The food at Barefoot beach has been an upgraded buffet, that pleases some but not others. A little upgrade from the hamburger scene.

 

It remains picnic style, chicken, shrimp, steaks, cookies and salads and of course hambures if you want.

 

It is nice because it is not as crowded as the traditional BBQ buffet where everyone herds in like cattle to feed. And seating goes quickly.

But I guess if you have a cabana on Nellies you can walk your food to it to eat. But go early, some posters have stated that they can and have run out of food, and they close at the time listed.

 

Although some posters have shared that they have been invited to the Barefoot beach buffet by their attendant...........guess it is hit or miss.

It was suppossed to end after a specific date ....and you only recieved it if you booked prior to October of 2013.

 

The privacy makes the luncheon nice at barefoot beach. Crowds are to a minimum. Tables with those funky chairs are by the buffet, they are awkward chairs.

They actually prepared my steak to my liking last time, since I do not like "hard leather" well done as the ones at the buffet were.

 

I guess thats why they made the area a benefit to suites only, to keep the crowds down.

And keep it a suite perk.

 

We will be back again to Labadee in about 17 days. That is why we book the western route. This will be our 5th. visit.

We opt to not get a cabana at barefoot beach at this point in our lives because we are too busy on the island, jet skis, volleyball, swimming, vendors..........we just line up our beach chairs drop our stuff and away we go.

 

We have never had a problem with our stuff (towels shoes) that we leave on the lounger, we keep valuables on us and sea passes. The attendant kinda keeps an eye on our stuff.

Then at the end of the day we tip him for all his trouble.

 

Enjoy Labadee, we do.

 

 

Sea Ya

Edited by Lionesss
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Our last Alure trip the cabanas were listed as sold out upto 4 months before the cruise. Then 4 weeks out 6 were re-listed. 2 over the water. A keen eyed CC member spotted the listings and we snagged an over the water. The rest sold out within a few hrs. I can only guess they hold some back for the suit guests them release them when then can't sell them.

It was a magical day. Well worth the cost.

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I just looked at these for my upcoming cruise next April, they were shown as not available for booking yet.

 

Once we got home from the last trip where we booked the upcoming one, I was assigned (DW: "I want one like in the photo, and don't want to look and they're all gone. I know you'll figure it out" ;) ) to check the website and book as soon as our reservation and available cabanas showed up. I'm sure we had that one snapped up 11 months in advance.

 

That WAS on the old system though so heaven knows how it works now.

 

Our last Alure trip the cabanas were listed as sold out upto 4 months before the cruise. Then 4 weeks out 6 were re-listed. 2 over the water. A keen eyed CC member spotted the listings and we snagged an over the water. The rest sold out within a few hrs. I can only guess they hold some back for the suit guests them release them when then can't sell them.

 

I later explained Nellie's Beach vs. Barefoot Beach to DW so now the Nellie's beach cabana is "in case we can't get one like that at Barefoot Beach." So the plan is if the concierge can get a Barefoot Beach cabana, someone may find a Nellie's beach OTW back 'on the market' just before this cruise too. So never hurts to keep checking as time draws near.

Edited by MichaelCMTX
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The food at Barefoot beach has been an upgraded buffet, that pleases some but not others. A little upgrade from the hamburger scene.

 

I guess that's why they made the area a benefit to suites only, to keep the crowds down.

And keep it a suite perk.

 

My apologies if this is a dumb question, but would those staying in a Junior Suite be able to go to Barefoot beach? Maybe a better way to ask; does the Junior Suite get all of the "suite benefits" like the concierge lounge, Barefoot Beach, etc? Thank you in advance as all our cruise experience has been in the cheap cabins...

 

:)

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My apologies if this is a dumb question, but would those staying in a Junior Suite be able to go to Barefoot beach? Maybe a better way to ask; does the Junior Suite get all of the "suite benefits" like the concierge lounge, Barefoot Beach, etc? Thank you in advance as all our cruise experience has been in the cheap cabins...

 

:)

 

Not at all a dumb question. I know that you get 2x Crown and Anchor points in a JS but no Concierge Lounge access, priority boarding, and a lot of the other perks. You get a larger, nicer room, but not much else.

 

I know we checked this one pretty thoroughly before casting our lot with Royal. It seems so shallow but the Concierge Lounge was a huge deal to us, as our bar tab otherwise is nil when we sail. Even chatting with Pinnacle Club members, they have told us considering our relative youth and how infrequently we cruise due to work commitments and such, we're "doing it right."

 

We still wonder after we have Diamond Lounge access if we'd consider a JS to save a chunk of change but still keep getting the 2x points. Still got a L-O-N-G way to Diamond Plus.

 

Hopefully this link will post : http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithHero.do?pagename=enhanced_program_for_suite_guests

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Not at all a dumb question. I know that you get 2x Crown and Anchor points in a JS but no Concierge Lounge access, priority boarding, and a lot of the other perks. You get a larger, nicer room, but not much else.

 

Hopefully this link will post : http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithHero.do?pagename=enhanced_program_for_suite_guests

 

Got it - thank you. I remember that link now - everything says "* Excluding Junior Suites" so it is a bit confusing. None of those perks really interested me at the time but having access to a less crowded beach (i.e. Barefoot Beach) does sound appealing. I guess something to consider for the future. Thanks again...

 

:)

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Got it - thank you. I remember that link now - everything says "* Excluding Junior Suites" so it is a bit confusing. None of those perks really interested me at the time but having access to a less crowded beach (i.e. Barefoot Beach) does sound appealing. I guess something to consider for the future. Thanks again...

 

:)

 

The other side of the coin is if we ever sail on the cheap, there's this list of stuff we may not realize we take for granted that'll go "poof". Aw well, it's like I've said, we can only get the days off to go once a year for now and our kids are little furry ones who won't want a car or college education. My Dad taught me to shop on a budget, DW finessed that into getting the most for the $$$ we're willing to spend.

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That's strange. I already booked an over-the-water cabana at Nellie's Beach for my Independence of the Seas cruise next March back on April 23.

 

This was probably using the older system for booking shore excursions, though, so now that they've switched to the new Cruise Planner, perhaps things are different... Nope, I just looked in the Cruise Planner, and Nellie's Beach cabanas are showing up as available with the [Add to Cart] button available.

 

labadee.gif

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  • 1 month later...
My apologies if this is a dumb question, but would those staying in a Junior Suite be able to go to Barefoot beach? Maybe a better way to ask; does the Junior Suite get all of the "suite benefits" like the concierge lounge, Barefoot Beach, etc? Thank you in advance as all our cruise experience has been in the cheap cabins...

 

:)

 

NO -JS don't have access to the concierge lounge or Suite amenities. You do get a great balcony cabin with extra room. Walk in Closet, and a Tub in the Bathroom. bigger balcony.

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