Renting Half Moon Cay Cabana?

[misguidedangel]

Well, I have Platinum status so I ran to the VIP lounge and waited there until they said we could board at 11:15am. If there is a desk in the terminal the I never saw it.....The tour desk opens at 11:30am. It opened at 1130 for the Glory and Liberty, of which both ships made a stop at HMC....

 

If you have more than four for the cabana, record four people and then just take the loungers in front of the cabanas as yours and move them up and in if you want or just keep your stuff on it while in the cabana..

[reno3]

ME TOO! We're staying at a hotel next to the Miami port so we can get there bright and early. ThankYou to everyone for the great answers.

We are staying at the Conrad, 2.5 miles from the port:D

[reno3]

While I do think thats it a great benefit to have a SE desk in the port I dont see the fairness in it that folks that have arrived earlier are standing in line on the ship while another person is in the port terminal renting them out before you because they got a later zone number. especially for cabana rentals, things that go fast.

If you want a cabana so bad you should get your selves to the port early and stand in line like the rest.

 

I may at some point use this benefit on a future cruise I am stating both sides of the coin is all. I am not complaining about it all dont get me wrong.

 

Can you tell me what time this desk in open? is it open for folks that do have zone 1 and have to wait as well. can they go over there and reserve.

 

what time does the desk open on the ship? do they monitor sales from the terminal to the ship.

 

I know i would hate to be in line on the ship up front and told that they are sold out and wondering to myself how is that possible?

 

again I am not complaining or griping im only looking at it from both angles

Am I missing something:confused:

I will be getting to the port early either way. I plan on booking a cabana as soon as I get to the terminal...or on the ship if I can't book in the terminal. I don't see the difference if you book in the terminal (if possible) or if you book on the ship:confused: I don't see the "not fair" point.

[trvlqueen]

We got to the terminal early - probably by 10:30 or so - but due to a problem with getting the sail and sign cards printed from the line I was in, we didn't have those in hand until close to 11 or so - also, because I was sent to the "naughty room" for having too many bottles of wine (I had a 4 pack of small bottles instead of 1 large one), I had a later zone number. My mom and sister had an early one - and we could have just followed them onboard, but I was stressing out because of the cabana - I think the desk was open the whole time we were there. I asked the guy about it before I even got up to check in - stepped out of line and went over there - so I think it's open from the time they start checking people in - so there wouldn't be any 'unfairness' about it - it's just another spot where you can buy your excursions. I can see how you might be upset if it's not open when you board the ship but pops open before the one on the ship opens, causing you not to get your cabana - but to be honest, the percentage of cruisers that really read these boards is so small, I don't think you'd have to worry about it. (unless you're cruising during high season or on a group with a CC group - and in that case, hopefully your roll call would grab the grand cabana and not be worrying about the small ones)

[waykaylincruz]

As I see it, anyone can use the se desk in the terminal.....not only late arrivals. If you are lucky enough to get there around 10:30, you can still use it. No need to get on ship and stand in long lines. Everyone on the ship ahead of me last Saturday had the same opportunity to use the se desk in the terminal just as I did. Not really my fault the others didn't see the terminal se desk. They could have avoided the lines as well. Can't see the "unfairness" in that.

 

I do think more & more people will see and use this once word gets out here on cruise critic.

[cv322]

How many people can you have in your cabana? We have 6 in our group(2 adults, 4 kids), would we have to get two? Thanks

 

Ask at your roll call to determine whether or not you can get a total of 12. If so, you could book the Private Oasis cabana. That's what we did on our Miracle cruise in April. The cost is $1300...but divided by 12 is not bad at all. The bonus stuff with that is: all of your alcohol is free (with personal bartender), you have a private chef, a massage room, a hot tub, a private slide, privacy-enforcing staff, 2 showers (enclosed), 2 private bathrooms, fabulous, fabulous attention to detail.

 

Absolutely worth the price of admission. :D.

 

 

 

 

[goodtoglow]

CCL doesn't allow you to book them ahead of time.

 

It might be because we are part of a huge group, but I was able to prebook Oasis for my cruise Oct 29 2011.....

[Raven Days]

Wow! I wish I had of known that there was an excursion desk in the terminal. I wouldnt have nearly killed myself trying to get onboard so early and get to the excursion desk. I made it however and was about 7 or 8th in line and I got Cabana number 10 and loved it!!! And FYI unless you like paying extra for those additional people dont tell them you have more then 4 in your party. They bring enough for 6 or 8 people...except for towels, float mats and snorkle equipment.

[boomonster]

So can you book the "Behind the Fun tour" also in the terminal? I assume yes but just want to confirm .

[FabFourLover]

We're going on Miracle in May 2011 leaving out of New York with a stop at HMC and we want a cabana also. Is there a SE desk in the NYC terminal too. That would be so much easier than running to the one on the ship, which I am more than willing to do. We booked this cruise just for HMC as I've never been there and I have always heard it's unbelievable.

Oh BTW, DH and I are going back and forth on this. Is it Half Moon KAY or Half Moon KEY? Just curious! Thanks!

[dvan68]

we're going on miracle in may 2011 leaving out of new york with a stop at hmc and we want a cabana also. Is there a se desk in the nyc terminal too. That would be so much easier than running to the one on the ship, which i am more than willing to do. We booked this cruise just for hmc as i've never been there and i have always heard it's unbelievable.

oh btw, dh and i are going back and forth on this. Is it half moon kay or half moon key? Just curious! Thanks!

 

key

[CruiseVacationQueen]

We want to rent a Cabana on Half Moon Cay and wondered how the process works. My husband has some health issues and the cabana would make things MUCH easier. Should we try to be early on the ship, so we can be sure to get one? Do these sell out quick in January? ANY and all answers are appreciated!

 

Hi! The cabanas are very popular, so yes, get to the port early! In my opinion, the cabanas # 9 - 12 are the best! A tram will drive you there and back, and those cabanas are very convenient to the food pavillion and restrooms. Best of all, they are "tucked away" from the crowds!

 

I pasted some pictures of the cabanas below. You can see more pictures and read a lot more about Half Moon Cay in my Destiny review by clicking here (HMC starts at post #221). Happy sailing!!!

 

View of cabanas #8 - 12, taken from the tender boat! Cabana # 12 is yellow, and on the far left. Cabana #8 is on the far right. (See the wooden ramp on the right-hand side of the picture? That walk-way leads to the restrooms located behind cabana #9... can you make out the roof line in the trees?):

 

 

 

Below is a view of the back side of the cabanas, taken from the path where the tram dropped us off. We rented cabana #11 that day. The restroom building is literally just to my left.

 

 

 

Below is a picture of the bartender who "set up shop" just outside our cabana #11... how convenient! The food pavilion is just a short stroll up the tram path... also very convenient!

 

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!!! Half Moon Cay is paradise! Hope you have a wonderful day there!

[reno3]

Wow! I wish I had of known that there was an excursion desk in the terminal. I wouldnt have nearly killed myself trying to get onboard so early and get to the excursion desk. I made it however and was about 7 or 8th in line and I got Cabana number 10 and loved it!!! And FYI unless you like paying extra for those additional people dont tell them you have more then 4 in your party. They bring enough for 6 or 8 people...except for towels, float mats and snorkle equipment.

Did you have other cruisers bothering you for your shower, floats etc in cabana 10?

[Shelbyjane56]

You need to do this to ensure you get the cabana you want.

 

1. Leave for the port by 10am. You will be checked in and waiting, but waiting is OK. Boarding in Miami starts at around 11:15am. If you are in Zone #1 that is excellent!!!!!

 

2. Get in line right away to shore excursions to book the cabana.

 

Cabanas

 

Cabana #2 and #3 are very close to food and the restrooms. Cabanas #7-9 are also close to the food and have a restroom so close you can walk there in around a minute or two. There are stairs to go up to the restrooms, so possible mobility issues for some.

 

All excursions before 11am (9am arrival) meet in a lounge and are escorted off the ship onto the first tender to the island. At the island you will be offered a ride to the cabanas, or you can walk along the beach (I usually go via the "I Wish" bar, but there is a pat that leads to the beach right from the welcome center as well. The I Wish bar is a short walk past the Rum Runners bar past the Bahamian church (on the left) and sport center (on the right) and then you take a left to the I wish Bar and down the stairs to walk the amazing beach to the cabanas......

 

Food and drinks should be there and you will NOT need your towels, they will give you up to four towels and you just leave then there when you leave. The food will not be in the fridge, you have to put it there yourself.

 

The water is amazing and the sand in the water is so soft on the feet. You can go out a fair distance and still be only waist or chest deep. I went all the way to the edge of the swimming area and it is deep.. *BG*....alas, riding the waves in fun......be warned, you'll burn crisp in the hot sun...

 

Have Fun!!!

 

CABANA question

 

 

does it help to be VIP, have heard that the vip and those who are not vip are in a different building..we have not sailed from Miami for several years and we are vip for the first time on this cruise. The cabana sounds wonderful. We will be staying at the intercontinental fairly close to the port we sail on May 14. Thanks for any and all suggestion!!

[carly chloe]

Did you have other cruisers bothering you for your shower, floats etc in cabana 10?

We had cabana #6 and no one came around our cabana.

[susique333]

Hi! The cabanas are very popular, so yes, get to the port early! In my opinion, the cabanas # 9 - 12 are the best! A tram will drive you there and back, and those cabanas are very convenient to the food pavillion and restrooms. Best of all, they are "tucked away" from the crowds!

 

I pasted some pictures of the cabanas below. You can see more pictures and read a lot more about Half Moon Cay in my Destiny review by clicking here (HMC starts at post #221). Happy sailing!!!

 

 

View of cabanas #8 - 12, taken from the tender boat! Cabana # 12 is yellow, and on the far left. Cabana #8 is on the far right. (See the wooden ramp on the right-hand side of the picture? That walk-way leads to the restrooms located behind cabana #9... can you make out the roof line in the trees?):

 

 

 

 

Below is a view of the back side of the cabanas, taken from the path where the tram dropped us off. We rented cabana #11 that day. The restroom building is literally just to my left.

 

 

 

Below is a picture of the bartender who "set up shop" just outside our cabana #11... how convenient! The food pavilion is just a short stroll up the tram path... also very convenient!

 

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!!! Half Moon Cay is paradise! Hope you have a wonderful day there!

 

 

These are just beautiful!!!! Thank you!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

These are just beautiful!!!! Thank you!

 

You are VERY welcome! Happy sailing! :)

[CruisinChris412]

Okay, so there's only 15 cabanas available?

Yet, they seem to sell out so quickly that you have to be first in line and all this fun stuff?

Why don't they have more cabanas if they sell so well?

[carly chloe]

Okay, so there's only 15 cabanas available?

Yet, they seem to sell out so quickly that you have to be first in line and all this fun stuff?

Why don't they have more cabanas if they sell so well?

The island is small.

[Typhoon1]

Okay, so there's only 15 cabanas available?

Yet, they seem to sell out so quickly that you have to be first in line and all this fun stuff?

Why don't they have more cabanas if they sell so well?

 

 

45 acres of beach have been developed. I certainly wouldn't want to see the entire beach littered with cabanas. I remember some years ago, when only four cabanas existed.

 

If you don't want to stand in line, sail HAL, you can book on line.

[CruisinChris412]

45 acres of beach have been developed. I certainly wouldn't want to see the entire beach littered with cabanas. I remember some years ago, when only four cabanas existed.

 

I wouldn't call those cabanas as anything close to littering. When I type in Half Moon Cay in google and search Images, I see pictures of a beach covered in chairs and clamshells. I mean these cabanas don't even appear to be on the beach. They appear to be on the line where the vegetation ends and sand begins. Are they an eyesore for people?

 

Would adding another 15 be that bad? Is another 30 out of the question? Is the last cabana (#15?) all the way at the egde of the strip of beach? There seems to be good spacing between cabanas, would it be possible to reduce the spacing between cabanas? Would it ruin the cabana experience?

[susique333]

I wouldn't call those cabanas as anything close to littering. When I type in Half Moon Cay in google and search Images, I see pictures of a beach covered in chairs and clamshells. I mean these cabanas don't even appear to be on the beach. They appear to be on the line where the vegetation ends and sand begins. Are they an eyesore for people?

 

Would adding another 15 be that bad? Is another 30 out of the question? Is the last cabana (#15?) all the way at the egde of the strip of beach? There seems to be good spacing between cabanas, would it be possible to reduce the spacing between cabanas? Would it ruin the cabana experience?

 

You might send a note to Carnival to see if theyd think about it.

[reno3]

You might send a note to Carnival to see if theyd think about it.

This picture is absolutely beautiful:D:D

[CruiserBruce]

Carnival won't do anything about extra cabanas. HAL owns the island. HAL's ships are smaller than Carnival's, so perhaps a need isn't detected.

It is a business decision. If the revenue will exceed the cost, they will do it.

 

I think the impression is the cabanas always sell out. They don't, at least not every cruise. So they have settled on a number that the market will support.

[Typhoon1]

IIRC, the cabanas steadily grew from two to four to eight to fifteen.

 

I would suspect they have reached their maximum. Adding another fifteen along that beach doesn't just involve slapping together some wood and building a cabana.

 

There are all the other infrastructure additions that would be required, i.e. plumbing, electrical. As they move further down the beach, they are getting farther away from the main area of the island.

 

As Bruce noted, it is a business decision. Adding to the island infrastructure probably wouldn't justify the costs involved.

 

Additionally, that island is often raked by hurricanes each season. That just adds to the maintenance costs.