HMC and Cabanas- Status and locations as of 6/6/04

[online2much]

All's well that ends well... one day after the web site shows all the cabanas are reserved (and calling HAL to verify it) and getting on the wait list for all of them, I just got an email saying 3 of them are now available - yellow, green and taupe. They gave me 72 hours to decide, but I don't think we took 72 seconds, and now will be in taupe cabana style on our HMC day. Just gotta decide on that butler service now.....:D

[Sinbad37]

[quote name='online2much']All's well that ends well... one day after the web site shows all the cabanas are reserved (and calling HAL to verify it) and getting on the wait list for all of them, I just got an email saying 3 of them are now available - yellow, green and taupe. They gave me 72 hours to decide, but I don't think we took 72 seconds, and now will be in taupe cabana style on our HMC day. Just gotta decide on that butler service now.....:D[/QUOTE]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=red]"You Only Live Once".... go for it! :D [/color][/font][/b]

[Ziggy7]

[quote name='online2much']All's well that ends well... one day after the web site shows all the cabanas are reserved (and calling HAL to verify it) and getting on the wait list for all of them, I just got an email saying 3 of them are now available - yellow, green and taupe. They gave me 72 hours to decide, but I don't think we took 72 seconds, and now will be in taupe cabana style on our HMC day. Just gotta decide on that butler service now.....:D[/QUOTE][font=Arial][size=4][color=black]Congratulations on the cabana!!! If you like BarBQ food, you dont need the butler package, if you want to be treated like the rich and famous and have fancy food, go for it!!![/color][/size][/font]

[lgarner]

How about a question from someone to poor (or too cheap LOL) to pay for a cabana? I get a rash from too much sun so aside from the cabana, what can you all tell me about the clamshell thing? Does it provide as much shade as the umbrellas used to? Why don't we have umbrellas anymore? If I order one of these clam shells, does that mean we will have lounge chairs too or are they on a first come first served basis?? I can't remember if there is enough shade from trees along the beach - does anyone know?

Thanks in advance for any answers!!

Lgarner

[Candy]

Clamshells are large enough for two lounge chairs (also provided) to be completely covered. There's a photo floating around here somewhere... I'll try to find you one.

[quote name='lgarner']How about a question from someone to poor (or too cheap LOL) to pay for a cabana? I get a rash from too much sun so aside from the cabana, what can you all tell me about the clamshell thing? Does it provide as much shade as the umbrellas used to? Why don't we have umbrellas anymore? If I order one of these clam shells, does that mean we will have lounge chairs too or are they on a first come first served basis?? I can't remember if there is enough shade from trees along the beach - does anyone know?

Thanks in advance for any answers!!

Lgarner[/QUOTE]

[lgarner]

Completely covered sounds good to me. And a picture would be great. Oh, one more question... if DH is in one chair and I am in the other there is no way for him to get sun if I am covered is there? Will the clamshell work on one chair so he could pull his chair into the sun?

[Candy]

[url="http://community.webshots.com/album/310184391qmbGBl"]These photos[/url] belong to ziggy:

[url="http://community.webshots.com/photo/370824982/370824982sgTWoc#"]Clamshell with 2 residents[/url]
[url="http://community.webshots.com/photo/310193755/310193755qyzTCN#"]Back View of Clamshells[/url]
[url="http://community.webshots.com/photo/310198828/310198828yKSTTe#"]Collapsed Clamshells[/url]

[quote name='lgarner']Completely covered sounds good to me. And a picture would be great. Oh, one more question... if DH is in one chair and I am in the other there is no way for him to get sun if I am covered is there? Will the clamshell work on one chair so he could pull his chair into the sun?[/QUOTE]

[oliviaonthe beach]

With regard to the unlimited beverage package for two for $29.99. Is there a need for me to reserve that in advance of embarkation or can I wait till I board. I am sooo excited to have the pink cabana for 7/23 Zuiderdam. I just decided on the beverage thing.

[OrthoRN]

[quote name='oliviaonthe beach']With regard to the unlimited beverage package for two for $29.99. Is there a need for me to reserve that in advance of embarkation or can I wait till I board. I am sooo excited to have the pink cabana for 7/23 Zuiderdam. I just decided on the beverage thing.[/QUOTE]

You take care of the pink cabana.... :) We will have that one in late November when we cruise, and I can't wait :)

[willowoodf]

And we have it in early December!!

Mary

[shmily]

[quote name='lgarner']How about a question from someone to poor (or too cheap LOL) to pay for a cabana? I get a rash from too much sun so aside from the cabana, what can you all tell me about the clamshell thing? Does it provide as much shade as the umbrellas used to? Why don't we have umbrellas anymore? If I order one of these clam shells, does that mean we will have lounge chairs too or are they on a first come first served basis?? I can't remember if there is enough shade from trees along the beach - does anyone know?

Thanks in advance for any answers!!

Lgarner[/QUOTE]

Hi There,

We just got back last weekend from our trip on the Zuiderdam and had a wonderful time. We were with another couple and the wife is a major fair-skinned redhead. We both had a clamshell per couple and found them to be great. They were more than adequate in providing head to toe sun shade plus later in the day you could lean them forwards to get full air flow through it. I would definately recommend one to everyone. I saw the cabanas and they were nice, but not enough to warrant the big $$ involved IMO.

About the food on HMC...we were VERY impressed. We were expecting lunch to be backyard dried out burgers and dogs but instead they had mounds of fresh fruit and cheese, a large salad bar, burgers, [u]turkey[/u] dogs, chicken, fish (sorry can't remember what kind but it was DELICIOUS!), ribs, plus a really good selection of desserts. The cookies were the best cookies I have ever had plus they had some really great brownies. They had free tea and water.

We had noticed that at the bars, they had these really great looking insulated (koosie) waterbottles which they also had alcoholic drinks served in but assumed that they would probably be pretty expensive. Thinking this, I spent $5 at the HMC gift shop to buy one. While we were at lunch, a waitress came around with a bunch of them full of pina coladas and strawberry
daiquiri. So just out of curiosity, we asked how much. $6.50!!! I couldn't believe it. BUY THEM!!! Even if you don't drink the drink, they are wonderful to carry around with you on ship or when you go into port. Fill them up with water or tea from the Lido and you are set without having to spend $2 for a bottled water the ship offers as you leave for your day in port.

Have a wonderful time!
~Chris

[cruznon]

Oooo,Chris,

Thanks for all the info about HMC.
In 37 days we'll be in the turquiose cabana!:D We're so excited!

[lgarner]

Thanks for all the info and the photos!! I will be renting a clamshell and not a cabana (can't afford that!) Is the unlimited drink price only for cabana users?

Maybe I was dreaming but I thought that a few months ago, I read in a Carnival brochure that some of their cruises were now stopping at HMC - does anyone know if this is true? I am trying to check to see if we will be the only ship at HMC on our cruise. I checked all of the HAL ships and none of the others are scheduled on the same day we are. I tried to check Carnival and don't see any of them going to HMC unless it is just special cruises.