Cabanas (Again!) but this time the nitty-gritty day-to-day details for inquiring minds

[Shalandara]

So, besides the snazzy fact sheet that HAL put out on the cabanas, what is the real deal with using them?  

I'm the type of person who needs to know all the ins and outs of how to access and use things before ever doing them.  Partly because I just research things by nature and partly (OK, mostly) because I do not want to commit some grave faux pas by doing/saying something wrong (which is uncomfortable for all parties involved then).  Knowing beforehand all the ins and outs relieves a great deal of anxiety for me.  (Which is why I have found these forums to be so incredibly helpful!)  And if my questions and any answers received help anyone else that's a bonus in my mind.

So, you've booked a Retreat and/or Lido cabana.  Then what?  For that first time (until they learn you) how do the staff know that you are allowed to be there?  Do you go up on just after embarking and introduce yourselves?  (Sidebar -- does the reservation rental even cover embarkation day?)  Some of the retreat areas look more sectioned off than others -- so is there a special way to access them (as in key card?).  Some (I think all the non-Pinnacle ships) look like they have stair access from open deck below in addition to the same level access.  Is this true or is that for staff movement only?  (I'm wondering about ease of access from the retreat cabanas to the either of the Lido pools (inside or outside).  

I hear/read people saying they have breakfast and lunch there.  Do you (can you) get food from Lido/Dive-In/Pizza and bring it up?  If you do (because you have *very* particular wants/desires or just cannot make up your mind until you see the food in person at the Lido because you are very indecisive) do you get a pained look from the attendants because you bypassed them?  If you do go the route of having them bring food and/or drinks, what can you get and from where?  And how?  Similar to ordering at a restaurant?  Standing "orders" possible?  "Timed" order, as in we are going to be there at 1 but place the lunch order earlier? How long does it take to get things (I realize that complex orders/wants might impact that as well as number of people asking for something all at the same time).

 

More than anything I'd love to know if you can get the afternoon tea service as they do in the MDR but at your cabana.  Seriously. 

Speaking of attendants, is it the same staff everyday or does it rotate? 

 

Do you really get 20% offers on spa services?  There are several things listed on the fact sheet as amenities but other forum threads seem to indicate they haven't really been available post-pandemic.  The one my husband really wants to know about is the frozen grapes -- he could care less about chocolate covered strawberries but offer him frozen grapes and he is beyond heaven.

 

While I'd never leave anything truly worth anything lying out and about anywhere outside our cabin, can you leave things in your cabana for a short time?  So, bring up the bag with the daily reading/entertainment but leave it there if you pop down to the spa for an hour or such?  And yes, I realize that they close up the cabanas each day so I'm not talking about leaving things overnight or for the whole trip.  For this question it is really about the retreat cabanas as the lido ones definitely do not look secure.

 

Thanks in advance!

[CruiserBruce]

If you look around the board, there are a number of threads on the cabanas.

 

Your first visit, (yes, embarkation day is included) you have to check in with the attendants, and discuss any ideas you have. In most cases, the same attendants will be with you the entire cruise. After that, they get to know you very fast.

 

The attendants will work their rear ends off for you, including what you want food wise, as customized as you like. You mentioned a good point...we like to see what's available in the Lido, so we rarely ask the attendants to get us lunch.

 

I don't know about the tea service, but I wouldn't be surprised if they could arrange it. Tip them well. The food treats (strawberries, frozen grapes, etc) may vary by ship a little.

 

You can leave things in the cabana. It is your for as long as you have it booked.

[OlsSalt]

We tried a upper deck Retreat Cabana on the Konigsdam over Christmas New Years; knowing it would be a very busy time and full of kids in the main Lido pool areas.

 

We expected for the price and the promotion, that it would be a quiet retreat from the normal noise and bustle of the public areas during that busy season.

 

But unfortunately six young children were allowed to join the parents who had rented a two person cabana, destroying any expectation of a quiet retreat space. Plus they piped in loud and very annoying music, which at least we got them to turn down.  

 

Several of us complained about the kids running around and making noise, but were told there was nothing that could be done about this. So don't assume this Upper Retreat space is adults only. Or that two person cabanas can not be used by a total eight people.

 

Yes, you can order food from the Lido, Dive in or NY Deli, but it takes forever to have it delivered, particularly when the family of eight in the two person cabana takes up much of the staff time and got their orders in first.  

 

Use you onboard Navigator to make choices from the Lido or other venues but you then must order when the retreat staff comes around to take your order. You can try to get your order in first, and hope you can beat the long delay. Yes, you can order breakfast, but I would assume by the time it arrives it will be cold. We never tried this ourselves.

 

The loungers in fact were not very comfortable, the view is static and depending on the side of the ship you are on and the time of the day, you may need to keep the curtains closed and the sun ard/or wind out. Which means you are in a closed small space. Might as well stay in your own cabin for free. Few used the additional loungers outside of the cabanas, due to no shade and full sun and wind exposure.

 

The concept sounded wonderful and many reviews were very encouraging, but the execution on our cruise was a huge disappointment. But please note, others do love this option and we are glad we tried it.

 

We thought they would be the answer when using these larger new ships, but it was a waste of money for us, on that particular bad holiday cruise experience. This may change entirely on a less impacted cruise, but then there is also less reason to pay for the space. 

 

Getting a few chocolate dipped strawberries and a glass of white sparkling in the later afternoon was the only value added for the price, but for what we paid for the cabana we could have ordered a few bottles to Vueve Cliquot on our own.

 

We finally stopped using it towards the end. It was hopeless and became an irritant, instead of a place for relaxation. Once we learned it was not the adults only retreat space we expected, we tried to get our money back but were not given any guarantee it would be returned to us. So we gave it a few more chances, but it simply did not work out for us.

 

I applaud HAL's efforts trying to create a special space - with all good expectations. But for the price, they need to really up their game a lot to make offer good value in return. Others have also complained it is not just kids making noise, but adults bringing in boom boxes and staff helpless to do anything about this. 

 

I would want 100% assurances these were dedicated Quiet Zones (no cell phone chatter  either) and that any violation would require forfeiture of use of this space. HAL has a long way to go before ever offering those assurances. So currently, you "pays your money and you takes your chances".

 

YMMV.

[OlsSalt]

They offered a fruit bowl and a bottle of chilled mineral water, but never saw a frozen grape the entire time. There is a disconnect between marketing and the actual experience. So you will need to be flexible about what you actually get.

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by OlsSalt

[ottahand7]

We have booked them on most classes of HA ships.    The stewards up there took terrific care of us but we found one drawback and that is wind when the ship is at sea.   Our stewards seemed hurt when we bailed out but even inside the cabana the wind issues made us uncomfortable.  There were mainly in Caribbean itineraries.  

[tupper10]

We did one on the Statendam and other than awful piped music which I asked them to turn down it was fine. It did get very hot due to the sun but we were on a non holiday cruise post covid so the ship was pretty empty and I could 'switch sides' of the cabana since most were empty from the AM to the PM.  We didn't have an issue with kids or loud neighbors - again though the ship was probably 1/2 full.  Based on what I am reading I don't think we will get one again - and that is why I keep booking cruises on the smaller ships which have chaises on the promenade deck - which have shade and don't cost extra.  

[wdw1972]

I book a Retreat cabana every cruise - have done so for years (prior to covid).  Fortunately I've never experienced unruly/loud people up there and certainly no families with a bunch of kids.  Kids would be bored to death up there (as it should be).

 

On embarkation day the stewards will immediately approach you to find out who you are - they'll have your name on their list & will show you to your cabana.  We usually do sailaway from up there - much more peaceful than by the aft pool!  The non-Pinnacle ships have a staircase with a gate at the bottom.  On the gate is a sign saying Retreat guests only (or some such thing).  Anybody can simply open the gate & climb on up, but I haven't noticed that happening much.  By the 2nd/3rd day anyone who doesn't belong up there stands out like a sore thumb - "who is that stranger?".

 

Access to pool(s) is limited - you'd have to leave the Retreat area entirely and either go downstairs to the Lido pool or downstairs and out to the aft for the Seaview pool.  Nieuw Statendam & Rotterdam have a small hot tub in the Retreat.  The other ships have no water up there, other than a shower - which I use as needed to cool off when laying on a sunny chaise lounge.

 

Breakfast would come from Lido.  I'm an early riser and generally have been up a couple hours before the Lido opens so I eat there.  One time I did hold off and ordered eggs benedict & a mimosa in the Retreat and it was perfect - the food wasn't cold.  Lunch is generally Lido, Dive In or NY Pizza - they'll give you all 3 menus.  Typically around 11-11:30 they'll bring around menus and pencils to everyone - you select what you want, can specify approx what time you'd like to eat, or simply say "no thanks today".  I've never seen the tea food available - nor anything else coming from Main Dining room (or Grand Dutch Cafe).  

 

I've almost always had frozen grapes included in the afternoon treat - if you're ever onboard with me  your hubby is welcome to mine!  Your stewards will pay attention to your habits, likes, etc & will go out of their way to provide great service.  Tell them your hubby likes the frozen grapes - you may end up with many of them!  

 

We always leave our stuff unattended in our cabana and haven't ever had a problem.  This includes camera, kindle, phones, tablet, etc.  It's an environment where everyone is "known" and it would be really odd for one Retreat guest to enter another guest's cabana.  There's also no body (strangers) passing by like near the godawful lido cabanas.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[Florida_gal_50]

My experience mirrors the previous poster.

 

I'm not sure how food magically becomes hot when it's not hot to begin with.  The only food that I've  found hot is the pizza and I pick it up myself. Even when I carry it to my room it cools off a lot.

[Shalandara]

3 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

If you look around the board, there are a number of threads on the cabanas.

 

Your first visit, (yes, embarkation day is included) you have to check in with the attendants, and discuss any ideas you have. In most cases, the same attendants will be with you the entire cruise. After that, they get to know you very fast.

 

The attendants will work their rear ends off for you, including what you want food wise, as customized as you like. You mentioned a good point...we like to see what's available in the Lido, so we rarely ask the attendants to get us lunch.

 

I don't know about the tea service, but I wouldn't be surprised if they could arrange it. Tip them well. The food treats (strawberries, frozen grapes, etc) may vary by ship a little.

 

You can leave things in the cabana. It is your for as long as you have it booked.

Thanks CruiserBruce!  I had gleaned some from previous posts, but not details on some of my questions.  Your experience and comments helped.

[Shalandara]

2 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

We tried a upper deck Retreat Cabana on the Konigsdam over Christmas New Years; knowing it would be a very busy time and full of kids in the main Lido pool areas.

 

We expected for the price and the promotion, that it would be a quiet retreat from the normal noise and bustle of the public areas during that busy season.

 

But unfortunately six young children were allowed to join the parents who had rented a two person cabana, destroying any expectation of a quiet retreat space. Plus they piped in loud and very annoying music, which at least we got them to turn down.  

 

Several of us complained about the kids running around and making noise, but were told there was nothing that could be done about this. So don't assume this Upper Retreat space is adults only. Or that two person cabanas can not be used by a total eight people.

 

Yes, you can order food from the Lido, Dive in or NY Deli, but it takes forever to have it delivered, particularly when the family of eight in the two person cabana takes up much of the staff time and got their orders in first.  

 

Use you onboard Navigator to make choices from the Lido or other venues but you then must order when the retreat staff comes around to take your order. You can try to get your order in first, and hope you can beat the long delay. Yes, you can order breakfast, but I would assume by the time it arrives it will be cold. We never tried this ourselves.

 

The loungers in fact were not very comfortable, the view is static and depending on the side of the ship you are on and the time of the day, you may need to keep the curtains closed and the sun ard/or wind out. Which means you are in a closed small space. Might as well stay in your own cabin for free. Few used the additional loungers outside of the cabanas, due to no shade and full sun and wind exposure.

 

The concept sounded wonderful and many reviews were very encouraging, but the execution on our cruise was a huge disappointment. But please note, others do love this option and we are glad we tried it.

 

We thought they would be the answer when using these larger new ships, but it was a waste of money for us, on that particular bad holiday cruise experience. This may change entirely on a less impacted cruise, but then there is also less reason to pay for the space. 

 

Getting a few chocolate dipped strawberries and a glass of white sparkling in the later afternoon was the only value added for the price, but for what we paid for the cabana we could have ordered a few bottles to Vueve Cliquot on our own.

 

We finally stopped using it towards the end. It was hopeless and became an irritant, instead of a place for relaxation. Once we learned it was not the adults only retreat space we expected, we tried to get our money back but were not given any guarantee it would be returned to us. So we gave it a few more chances, but it simply did not work out for us.

 

I applaud HAL's efforts trying to create a special space - with all good expectations. But for the price, they need to really up their game a lot to make offer good value in return. Others have also complained it is not just kids making noise, but adults bringing in boom boxes and staff helpless to do anything about this. 

 

I would want 100% assurances these were dedicated Quiet Zones (no cell phone chatter  either) and that any violation would require forfeiture of use of this space. HAL has a long way to go before ever offering those assurances. So currently, you "pays your money and you takes your chances".

 

YMMV.

Thanks OlsSalt for sharing.  I think I saw some of your posts about that holiday cruise -- it has made me think hard about ever sailing over a standard holiday break for anytime soon that's for sure. 

[Shalandara]

2 hours ago, ottahand7 said:

We have booked them on most classes of HA ships.    The stewards up there took terrific care of us but we found one drawback and that is wind when the ship is at sea.   Our stewards seemed hurt when we bailed out but even inside the cabana the wind issues made us uncomfortable.  There were mainly in Caribbean itineraries.  

Thanks for the comment about the wind and conditions.  That is definitely something to take into consideration.

[Shalandara]

1 hour ago, wdw1972 said:

I book a Retreat cabana every cruise - have done so for years (prior to covid).  Fortunately I've never experienced unruly/loud people up there and certainly no families with a bunch of kids.  Kids would be bored to death up there (as it should be).

 

On embarkation day the stewards will immediately approach you to find out who you are - they'll have your name on their list & will show you to your cabana.  We usually do sailaway from up there - much more peaceful than by the aft pool!  The non-Pinnacle ships have a staircase with a gate at the bottom.  On the gate is a sign saying Retreat guests only (or some such thing).  Anybody can simply open the gate & climb on up, but I haven't noticed that happening much.  By the 2nd/3rd day anyone who doesn't belong up there stands out like a sore thumb - "who is that stranger?".

 

Access to pool(s) is limited - you'd have to leave the Retreat area entirely and either go downstairs to the Lido pool or downstairs and out to the aft for the Seaview pool.  Nieuw Statendam & Rotterdam have a small hot tub in the Retreat.  The other ships have no water up there, other than a shower - which I use as needed to cool off when laying on a sunny chaise lounge.

 

Breakfast would come from Lido.  I'm an early riser and generally have been up a couple hours before the Lido opens so I eat there.  One time I did hold off and ordered eggs benedict & a mimosa in the Retreat and it was perfect - the food wasn't cold.  Lunch is generally Lido, Dive In or NY Pizza - they'll give you all 3 menus.  Typically around 11-11:30 they'll bring around menus and pencils to everyone - you select what you want, can specify approx what time you'd like to eat, or simply say "no thanks today".  I've never seen the tea food available - nor anything else coming from Main Dining room (or Grand Dutch Cafe).  

 

I've almost always had frozen grapes included in the afternoon treat - if you're ever onboard with me  your hubby is welcome to mine!  Your stewards will pay attention to your habits, likes, etc & will go out of their way to provide great service.  Tell them your hubby likes the frozen grapes - you may end up with many of them!  

 

We always leave our stuff unattended in our cabana and haven't ever had a problem.  This includes camera, kindle, phones, tablet, etc.  It's an environment where everyone is "known" and it would be really odd for one Retreat guest to enter another guest's cabana.  There's also no body (strangers) passing by like near the godawful lido cabanas.

 

Sue/WDW1972

Thanks Sue for that detailed comment.  That sure answers a lot of my questions, and then some.

[Shalandara]

8 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

My experience mirrors the previous poster.

 

I'm not sure how food magically becomes hot when it's not hot to begin with.  The only food that I've  found hot is the pizza and I pick it up myself. Even when I carry it to my room it cools off a lot.

Well...its amazing how food and opinions on food really brings out widely different reactions and opinions in people!

[Shalandara]

2 hours ago, tupper10 said:

We did one on the Statendam and other than awful piped music which I asked them to turn down it was fine. It did get very hot due to the sun but we were on a non holiday cruise post covid so the ship was pretty empty and I could 'switch sides' of the cabana since most were empty from the AM to the PM.  We didn't have an issue with kids or loud neighbors - again though the ship was probably 1/2 full.  Based on what I am reading I don't think we will get one again - and that is why I keep booking cruises on the smaller ships which have chaises on the promenade deck - which have shade and don't cost extra.  

Thanks for the comment tupper10.  We are trying one on a fall transatlantic -- so we'll see how it goes.

 

[tupper10]

20 minutes ago, Shalandara said:

Thanks for the comment tupper10.  We are trying one on a fall transatlantic -- so we'll see how it goes.

 

Fall transatlantic it may be way too cold and windy for the cabana - just my 2 cents. I would only get one for warm weather cruising, but that is me.  

[Shalandara]

1 hour ago, tupper10 said:

Fall transatlantic it may be way too cold and windy for the cabana - just my 2 cents. I would only get one for warm weather cruising, but that is me.  

My husband wears shorts in winter .... and we do not live in a warm weather state! 

[OlsSalt]

My guess is the cabanas may not be sold out for a transatlantic cruise. Might want to wait and rent on by the day to see if you think they are worth it, once you are on board.

 

But there is no crystal ball to tell you if this in fact will happen.

 

Good way to get a feel is to ask which cabanas are still available - if there are many to chose from that could tell you they are maybe not hot sellers for that potentially cold weather/ cold wind transatlantic cruise.  

 

When it is windy, the cabanas are also very noisy as the heavy drapes bang around and metal fasteners clang on the railings.  There best time in my opinion, is when one is docked in port,  and you not leaving the ship. The staff has more time to fuss over you then too.

[OlsSalt]

For a transatlantic cruise I would get the indoor Thermal Spa pass,  instead of a cabana.  Nothing beats gazing over the waves from the heated loungers,  and then sloshing about in the wonderfully warm spa paddle pool. 

[*Miss G*]

FWIW, we had a family cabana on an October trans-Atlantic crossing and the weather was perfect.  It was Rome-Fort Lauderdale so a southern crossing.  I would definitely rent one again under similar circumstances.

 

Editing to add that, on that particular cruise, I would be up early and at the Retreat while the stewards were prepping for the day.  As soon as they saw me they’d bring me a coffee and check in for a refill.  They knew to give me time before asking what I’d like for breakfast.  I’d usually get bacon, eggs, and toast and it always arrived warm.  In the afternoon they’d pop in to ask my parents if it was time for ice cream and the answer was always yes.  I could even order off-menu.  In the evening, if I happened to still be there while they were tidying up, they were happy to leave me with the lounger cushion and let me depart when I was ready.  They deserved every penny of their tip.

Edited April 24, 2023 by *Miss G*

[southamptoncruisers]

Hi, we have a cabana booked for 12 days on a Med cruise this summer. How much should we tip the attendant? 

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, southamptoncruisers said:

Hi, we have a cabana booked for 12 days on a Med cruise this summer. How much should we tip the attendant? 

Tipping is entirely personal, and totally up to you. There is no right or wrong answer. It will depend on how much service they provide. By the way, there will be at least two attendants, 3 on the Pinnacle class ships.

[Florida_gal_50]

Definitely tip higher if you are asking for a lot especially before/after hours.  I will never ask them to get my food when I’m perfectly capable.  I still give a pretty healthy tip even though they do very little.  They work long hours so I don’t go up before 9 and I’m long gone by 5.  I’m up usually around 5 am so I potentially could go, I just don’t.  They have enough to do.

[Cheekyrn1]

We have used the lido cabanas on the eurodam. I hated it while my sister loved it. Too many people walking by watching you. The music was way too loud..it was very warm in the cabana. Never saw a grape..we always went to the lido and got our own lunch. But we are thinking of getting a retreat cabana next January on the Noordam when cruising in New Zealand. 

[Florida_gal_50]

45 minutes ago, Cheekyrn1 said:

We have used the lido cabanas on the eurodam. I hated it while my sister loved it. Too many people walking by watching you. The music was way too loud..it was very warm in the cabana. Never saw a grape..we always went to the lido and got our own lunch. But we are thinking of getting a retreat cabana next January on the Noordam when cruising in New Zealand. 

I don't know if the cabanas are on the Noordam any longer.  I thought they got damaged somehow and they just removed them after that.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don't know if the cabanas are on the Noordam any longer.  I thought they got damaged somehow and they just removed them after that.

Think that is the Oosterdam which got some cabana damage and it hasn't yet been fixed.