Koningsdam retreat cabins

[smiledr]

We are a family of 7 adults sailing December 22 to Mexican riviera.   The information I found online indicated that the corner cabins had four loungers all others had two.   When I called ships service to reserve I was told each cabana was for two adults and two children.    Representative could not tell me what that meant. So is that four loungers??   Where do the “children” sit?   I reserved two cabanas side by side numbers 20 and 21.    Will our seven adults fit?  Are there other chairs?   Can I count my two 20 something children as “children”.    
 

Also found an old flyer with a list of included amenities such as sparkling wine fruit basket etc.    are these still include?  Representative did not know. 
 

I have gathered the Koningsdam cabanas are configured a little differently so any replies appreciated. 
 

[twodjs]

I'm posting a photo of the size of a typical cabana, which can honestly fit only two adults. Some cabanas can have the partitions between them removed to create a bigger space. But I think you would be very hard pressed to fit 7 adults unless you booked a family cabana and another one side by side. The cabana space is really quite small and additional seating won't fit. The family design is larger with a table with four chairs, plus a couple of loungers and a couple more padded chairs. 

[twodjs]

Yes, the amenities you listed are included, along with lunch service, plus other treats throughout the day. I suggest you call again and speak to someone else who has actual knowledge of the Retreat cabana area.

[CruiserBruce]

The Retreat area (cabanas, not cabins) is for adults only. On the Pinnacle class ships, the corner cabanas (known as Family Cabanas) are for 4 people, and are smaller than the Family cabanas on other ships. 7 will definitely not fit. The standard cabanas are for 2 people only.

 

The furnishing can be arranged somewhat. Basic compliment is 2 chairs and 2 loungers, but that can be altered to 4 -6 chairs. Increasing the number of lounges will reduce the space considerably.

 

The amenities have not changed.

[Florida_gal_50]

There was no fruit bowls on the koningsdam either in November 2021 or March 2022 but they will get you fruit on request.  I asked why, they said they threw too much away.  Also listed are cold towels.  I rarely see those any more.  I've haven't seen any of the following for a very long time:

 

Handheld fans

Evian mister

Ice cream - I've never seen this but I do tend to go exercise right after lunch

 

[wdw1972]

I had a family cabana on Rotterdam (same as on Koningsdam) for 3 of us.  The cabana held 2 loungers, 2 sitting chairs (not loungers) and maybe a small table w/2 chairs but I'm not sure about that.  We had the stewards remove the 2 sitting chairs & the table w/chairs (if it was there) and bring in a 3rd lounger.  I can't imagine trying to cram 4 people into that space!  On an upcoming cruise a friend and I will share the family cabana as a party of 2 - they're the right size for that.  The other cabanas fit 2 people - period.  It would not be comfortable, or right, to try to put 7 people in cabanas that have an occupancy of 6 or 4 total (depending whether it's 1 family & 1 regular cabana or 2 regular cabanas).

 

Also, the Retreat is definitely NOT adults only, but it's exceedingly rare to see kids up there since there's nothing attractive about them to a kid.  One cruise there was a family with a young teen or preteen son who would come up and sit on a lounger reading at times.  Thankfully I've never encountered noisy little kids or multiple kids acting like kids up there.

 

Sue/WDW1972  

[Florida_gal_50]

9 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

I had a family cabana on Rotterdam (same as on Koningsdam) for 3 of us.  The cabana held 2 loungers, 2 sitting chairs (not loungers) and maybe a small table w/2 chairs but I'm not sure about that.  We had the stewards remove the 2 sitting chairs & the table w/chairs (if it was there) and bring in a 3rd lounger.  I can't imagine trying to cram 4 people into that space!  On an upcoming cruise a friend and I will share the family cabana as a party of 2 - they're the right size for that.  The other cabanas fit 2 people - period.  It would not be comfortable, or right, to try to put 7 people in cabanas that have an occupancy of 6 or 4 total (depending whether it's 1 family & 1 regular cabana or 2 regular cabanas).

 

Also, the Retreat is definitely NOT adults only, but it's exceedingly rare to see kids up there since there's nothing attractive about them to a kid.  One cruise there was a family with a young teen or preteen son who would come up and sit on a lounger reading at times.  Thankfully I've never encountered noisy little kids or multiple kids acting like kids up there.

 

Sue/WDW1972  

It’s really like night and day difference between the cabanas on the pinnacle class and those that aren’t on the pinnacle class.  They are huge in comparison.   On my last cruise there was 32 people sharing a regular cabana.  Yup you heard that right.  They thought it was fine because maybe 2 or 3 were there at a time.  What about the poor stewards?   Hal didn’t do squat about it from the appearance. I heard about it from another couple I frequently talked to.  They were livid.  I wasn’t happy about it either.

[wdw1972]

15 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It’s really like night and day difference between the cabanas on the pinnacle class and those that aren’t on the pinnacle class.  They are huge in comparison.   On my last cruise there was 32 people sharing a regular cabana.  Yup you heard that right.  They thought it was fine because maybe 2 or 3 were there at a time.  What about the poor stewards?   Hal didn’t do squat about it from the appearance. I heard about it from another couple I frequently talked to.  They were livid.  I wasn’t happy about it either.

I definitely would have complained to an officer about that!  I pay the big bucks and follow the rules - expect the same from the other people up there.

 

Agree with you on the non-Pinnacle cabanas.  After our family cabana on Rotterdam we had one on the Nieuw Amsterdam a few months later (same 3 people) and it was so much more comfortable.  I can see doing 4 in that class of ship.  In fact, I've got a family cabana booked on Eurodam for 3 of us this Nov/Dec and it'll be perfect.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[The-Inside-Cabin]

16 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It’s really like night and day difference between the cabanas on the pinnacle class and those that aren’t on the pinnacle class.  They are huge in comparison.   On my last cruise there was 32 people sharing a regular cabana.  Yup you heard that right.  They thought it was fine because maybe 2 or 3 were there at a time.  What about the poor stewards?   Hal didn’t do squat about it from the appearance. I heard about it from another couple I frequently talked to.  They were livid.  I wasn’t happy about it either.

Wow,  I had no idea that "groups" could share a cabana.  I always assumed that the cabana was for the same 2 people only.   I don't think that the official rules allow more that 2 people into the retreat area per cabana.    

 

Can you really book a cabana and invite 2 more friends each day for 4 people at a time?  I never thought that was allowed.    I don't think it is "allowed" but enforcement is always up to the 2 Cabana Attendants....

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Wow,  I had no idea that "groups" could share a cabana.  I always assumed that the cabana was for the same 2 people only.   I don't think that the official rules allow more that 2 people into the retreat area per cabana.    

 

Can you really book a cabana and invite 2 more friends each day for 4 people at a time?  I never thought that was allowed.    I don't think it is "allowed" but enforcement is always up to the 2 Cabana Attendants....

The regular cabanas are for 2 only, the family cabanas are for 4.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Just now, CruiserBruce said:

The regular cabanas are for 2 only, the family cabanas are for 4.

That's always been my experience - but I was surprised to read the post by @Florida_gal_50talking about 32 people sharing a cabana over the course of a cruise.   I have NEVER seen sharing - EVER.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Wow,  I had no idea that "groups" could share a cabana.  I always assumed that the cabana was for the same 2 people only.   I don't think that the official rules allow more that 2 people into the retreat area per cabana.    

 

Can you really book a cabana and invite 2 more friends each day for 4 people at a time?  I never thought that was allowed.    I don't think it is "allowed" but enforcement is always up to the 2 Cabana Attendants....

Exactly.  You shouldn't be able to bring whoever you like up there.  We all pay a premium for a reason.  The things I've seen.  On one of my cruises one of the family cabanas was open.  These dudes kept crashing, multiple times a day.  The 32 people were trying to paint a rosy picture for Hal.  It was some kind of a group.  They had a sign up and everything.  Told hal just think of the business we can bring you by doing this.  Yeah right.  It's all about enforcement.  Usually, the stewards have little power if people refuse to listen.  The white coats seem to turn a blind eye a lot from what I've seen.  So not cool.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 minute ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

That's always been my experience - but I was surprised to read the post by @Florida_gal_50talking about 32 people sharing a cabana over the course of a cruise.   I have NEVER seen sharing - EVER.

That's the most crazy thing I've ever seen for sure.  I'm pretty sure the 2 "leaders" rented it and then sprung this "surprise" when they got on the ship.  I don't think anyone was aware until they were on the ship.  They had a schedule and everything.  The people that I talked to that found out about this little scheme had a cabana next to them and heard all the details of this caper.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

That's the most crazy thing I've ever seen for sure.  I'm pretty sure the 2 "leaders" rented it and then sprung this "surprise" when they got on the ship.  I don't think anyone was aware until they were on the ship.  They had a schedule and everything.  The people that I talked to that found out about this little scheme had a cabana next to them and heard all the details of this caper.

I can understand the Cabana staff not wanting to play Sheriff - but I am surprised that that the HOTEL GM or F and B manager didn't lay down the law.

[Florida_gal_50]

24 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I can understand the Cabana staff not wanting to play Sheriff - but I am surprised that that the HOTEL GM or F and B manager didn't lay down the law.

Who knows if it got that far.  I know I didn't pursue it.  I had a mountain of problems on my last cruise and I ended up dealing with the front desk manager.  He tried to brush me off at first too thinking I didn't know what I was talking about.  When I started to show him the "receipts" of my issues he changed his tune drastically.  I ended up walking off the ship with a far different opinion than I did at first.  Anyway, I did complain and somehow he got wind of it and he did come to the cabana to talk about it.  I was worried that he thought all I did was complain so I didn't say a ton.  I have seen people sharing a regular cabana, usually 4 people and I have complained about it because it's not fair.  Its always people that eat every single meal in the cabana so the stewards are hopping.  I never eat there because I feel I can get off my but to get something but I like my water iced in the bucket.  Usually that doesn't happen unless I ask a ton.  I get told those people have paid extra to have that many people in the cabana.  I'm thinking not.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[The-Inside-Cabin]

8 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Who knows if it got that far.  I know I didn't pursue it.  I had a mountain of problems on my last cruise and I ended up dealing with the front desk manager.  He tried to brush me off at first too thinking I didn't know what I was talking about.  When I started to show him the "receipts" of my issues he changed his tune drastically.  I ended up walking off the ship with a far different opinion than I did at first.  Anyway, I did complain and somehow he got wind of it and he did come to the cabana to talk about it.  I was worried that he thought all I did was complain so I didn't say a ton.  I have seen people sharing a regular cabana, usually 4 people and I have complained about it because it's not fair.  Its always people that eat every single meal in the cabana so the stewards are hopping.  I never eat there because I feel I can get off my but to get something but I like my water iced in the bucket.  Usually that doesn't happen unless I ask a ton.  I get told those people have paid extra to have that many people in the cabana.  I'm thinking not.

I called Ship Services - they told me you can have a guest for $25 pp/per day - otherwise - no sharing - you can't let someone else "use it" if you are not going to show up.  

 

It's infuriating when the ship's management doesn't enforce rules - I get that the front line people are in a tough spot, but for those folks with Gold on their shoulders - that's part of the territory..

Edited October 13, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[Florida_gal_50]

Just now, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I called Ship Services - they told me you can have a guest for $25 pp/per day - otherwise - no sharing - you can't let someone else "use it" if you are not going to show up.  

That all lovely in theory but I bet none of that happens.  I'd love to see the receipt for that payment of $25 a day :).  Thanks for checking into it.

[twodjs]

Back to the original focus of the thread. I found a better picture of the cabana space, including the common area space on Koningsdam. Very little extra space, even in the common area for extra people (But there is room for a big green rabbit!). This gives you a better idea of the limited space in each cabana. The one in the corner is a family cabana - bigger, but still not large.

[Florida_gal_50]

2 minutes ago, twodjs said:

Back to the original focus of the thread. I found a better picture of the cabana space, including the common area space on Koningsdam. Very little extra space, even in the common area for extra people (But there is room for a big green rabbit!). This gives you a better idea of the limited space in each cabana. The one in the corner is a family cabana - bigger, but still not large.

They should take that rabbit and stick it in the kids club that it was purchased for.  It makes no sense for it to be in the cabanas.  Too bad no one thought to get a measuring tape when they bought it.  I doubt it was cheap.

[Josie201]

Where can I find information on renting a cabana?  We’re on Koningsdam in January with a lot of sea days and a lot of OBC to use.  This might be nice.  

[Florida_gal_50]

26 minutes ago, Josie201 said:

Where can I find information on renting a cabana?  We’re on Koningsdam in January with a lot of sea days and a lot of OBC to use.  This might be nice.  

Take a look at the attached link.  Cabanas may or may not be available when you board

 

https://rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/HAL-Cabanas.pdf

[CruiserBruce]

28 minutes ago, Josie201 said:

Where can I find information on renting a cabana?  We’re on Koningsdam in January with a lot of sea days and a lot of OBC to use.  This might be nice.  

Search the board for the many threads with the cabana maps in them. Then you call Ship's Services...800-541-1576, to book. Waiting until you get on board may mean you don't get one for the entire cruise.

[Josie201]

6 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Take a look at the attached link.  Cabanas may or may not be available when you board

 

https://rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/HAL-Cabanas.pdf

Thanks.  I’m not interested in the full cruise package so I’ll look into it when I board and take my chances.  

[Florida_gal_50]

3 minutes ago, Josie201 said:

Thanks.  I’m not interested in the full cruise package so I’ll look into it when I board and take my chances.  

You’ll likely have a better chance with a day here and there.  On my last couple of cruises there were a couple cabanas open for day rentals but you never know.  I hope you will enjoy it if you do.

[HRH SR]

Has anyone taken a cabana on the Koningsdam on a circle Hawaii cruise?  Planning to book the entire cruise, debating ocean view or pool view (leaning towards ocean view) and maybe cabana #1 or #2, but not sure if there is an entrance to the Retreat there or not.  I also read some cabanas are more stuffy than others, so I wonder if going more forward in cabana 1 or 2 is better than say 7 or 8?   and Would that side be less busy than where #21/22 is?  I'm not sure if you can enter both sides or only by #21/22.   Appreciate the comments.  Thanks.