Booked a JS on Navigator. A lot has changed in 7 months

[Toddcan]

30th Anniversary next year, and we already have a 2 week summer trip to Hawaii planned, but, being the model consumer that I am, I clicked on some promotional email from Royal - "just curious" to see what March cruises are booked at.

 

Navigator, leaving March 13. Western - so it stops at my favourite port - Labadee! I'm thinking that due to Hawaii, we will just go cheap this time, and book an inside cabin at $1,213 total for 2 ppl. Not bad. But, I decide to sleep on it.

 

Today, I call back and my cruise planner tells me that Junior Suites are currently cheaper than an E2 balcony - $2,082 total for 2 ppl. I ask if they have a hump cabin... yes they do. So.. we're booked.

 

Out of curiosity (and prompted by some disturbing posts I read here last night), I ask if any Labadee Nellie's Beach OTW (Over the Water) cabanas are available for booking. Yessir, they are.. $495. .... :eek: :eek: :mad:

 

I tell him that for the past 3 cruises, we've spoiled ourselves with an OTW cabana and paid $250, or maybe $280, cannot exactly remember... But $495!!?? Wowser. Palm-tree shade it is :) He said that 5 of the OTW were still available. I said, at that price, I am not surprised. Ah well.

 

Now the pre-cruise fever begins all over again! It just FEELS right to have a cruise booked.

[Big_G]

It will be interesting to see where the prices go from there.

[cb at sea]

If folks will stop booking them at that price, they will lower it...I think $200 is a rip-off...there is plenty of shade, and a bottle of water, some shrimp at lunch and a float isn't worth even $200 to me!

[jakenashleysmom]

Not to mention the bottled water and shrimp at lunch aren't included any more...

 

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[Stephluva2711]

I agree, I think at $250 and $275 that price was a stretch for cabanas, but it wasn't per person, so if you had the max of 6 people, yea I can see you splitting the price and it not being so bad.. Now the fact that it's $400+ is ridiculous. Of course people will still book it, and therefore Royal won't feel the need to lower the prices back down. People like the feeling of being "elite" I think and having a cabana. I love labadee, but really, i enjoy myself weather i'm laying on a beach chair under a palm tree, or in a cabana. We're all going in the same ocean. They can keep that cabana charging nearly 500$

[Susie51]

I like being on a lounge chair under a palm tree better than being in a cabana. Being able to have a 360* view is lovely. At nearly $500 makes having a cabana even less desirable.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Susie51

[Toddcan]

You're booking at the height of spring break, too. When was your last Navigator sailing?

 

Yes, I have to sail during March break - my wife works in the schools.

 

I've never sailed on the Navigator class - this is a new ship for this route - Royal switched it up earlier this year. As you can see from my signature, Indy and Liberty were the ones on those routes in recent years.

[Mominor]

I can get an over the water for $395 or a regular one for $250 for our december cruise. Is the cabana not over the water still nice to have? My kids are 9, 11, and 14 and my mom is going too and we want it as a location to go back to if we split up while on Labadee. Not sure if it's better to just get chairs (hopefully in shade) and hope that they don't get taken if we all go off somewhere together?? Any insights?

[mattpro]

Go to Columbus Cove all the way in the back on the right side.

 

Nicest sand beach on Labadee (much better than Nellie's or Barefoot beach - the beaches by the zip line are the worst) - plenty of loungers and palm trees - steel band and large covered area for the buffet, next to the water park and the dock for the ferry.

 

Accessible by walking, taking the free tram or taking the ferry boat from the dock near where you get off the ship.

[Mominor]

Go to Columbus Cove all the way in the back on the right side.

 

Nicest sand beach on Labadee (much better than Nellie's or Barefoot beach - the beaches by the zip line are the worst) - plenty of loungers and palm trees - steel band and large covered area for the buffet, next to the water park and the dock for the ferry.

 

Accessible by walking, taking the free tram or taking the ferry boat from the dock near where you get off the ship.

 

Thanks so much! Can I ask you a couple of questions? Do we need to get there right when boat docks(7am) to get spots for 6 of us in the shade? If we all walk over to have lunch together or to ride the coaster, would we be forfeiting our spots? If not, how do we save them? How far is this spot from Colunbus Cove from the coaster? The things I see us wanting to do is the water park, coaster and just hanging by the water. Thanks so much for your help!

[mattpro]

Well, each cruise is different with pax as well as the possibility of 2 ships being there on the same day.

 

However, since Columbus Cove is all the way in the back very few new cruisers even know it exists because all they hear about is Nellie's & Barefoot beach.

 

I believe if you're at the beach between 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. you should have your choice of location. Note - some folks even put their loungers right in the water.

 

The water slide ends just off Columbus Cove beach and the coaster ends very close too. The water park is right before you get to Columbus Cove beach.

 

As far as saving your loungers - it's just like on the loungers around the pool on the ship. Just put your towels and belonging on the loungers and no one will bother them while your swimming, eating and playing.

 

This is the only beach you do NOT have to wear any water shoes while the other beaches all have coral shards or worse (like the beaches closest to the zip line ).

 

This would be the best beach location for things that you want to do.

 

Enjoy your beach day

[LMaxwell]

I can get an over the water for $395 or a regular one for $250 for our december cruise. Is the cabana not over the water still nice to have? My kids are 9, 11, and 14 and my mom is going too and we want it as a location to go back to if we split up while on Labadee. Not sure if it's better to just get chairs (hopefully in shade) and hope that they don't get taken if we all go off somewhere together?? Any insights?

 

Ton of chairs in shade at Labadee. Leave some stuff there and no one will touch them.