Elation Review from 1/6/07

[CWNNP]

19snapshot,

Great review, thanx for posting it as well as the pics from HMC!!

 

we're sailing on the elation feb 26 ( along with a few others that have posted on this thread!!), can't wait!

 

we'll be trying to get a cabana too!

 

:D

[CWNNP]

i have 2 questions regarding the cabanas:

 

1. I know the idea of more than 4 per cabana has come up already- but..... do you think they would actually charge $50 extra for a family of 5???? what do you think?

(dh and i have 3 kids ages 8, 5, and an almost-3-yr-old- and when it comes to the tender to the island the littlest one would sit on our lap anyway!...and she hardly eats much nor does she take up much space on the beach, LOL!!)

 

2. when you go to book the cabana do they let you look at a map of where the cabanas are located on HMC before you pick the one you want?

 

thanx in advance...

eden

[19snapshot]

i have 2 questions regarding the cabanas:

 

1. I know the idea of more than 4 per cabana has come up already- but..... do you think they would actually charge $50 extra for a family of 5???? what do you think?

(dh and i have 3 kids ages 8, 5, and an almost-3-yr-old- and when it comes to the tender to the island the littlest one would sit on our lap anyway!...and she hardly eats much nor does she take up much space on the beach, LOL!!)

 

2. when you go to book the cabana do they let you look at a map of where the cabanas are located on HMC before you pick the one you want?

 

thanx in advance...

eden

 

1) The issue with not paying for the 5th person would be the tendering process. Only those that have paid for a cabana get to take the early tender and get transported via jeep-like vehicles to the cabana. You would have to split up. We arrived about 15 minutes before the non-early-tender passengers and it is an easy walk to the cabana's (depending on which one you get). If one of you is willing to give up about 15-30 minutes of beach time to tender over with the 5th person in your family, I don't think you will have any trouble. The only people I saw counting heads were the people giving us our tender passes.

 

2) They did not have a map of the island at the shore excursion desk, nor did they have one on the island. I took notes. It is not as good as a detailed map, but I hope it is helpful. Snorkeling, water park, bathrooms and tenders are closest to Taupe/Tan and Blue (in that order). Turquois and Orange are closest to the path that leads to the food and the misting tents. The sky blue and the peach are closest to the water sports rental area. Then there are the purple, pink, green, yellow and terra cotta. They are farther away from things, but more private (Terra Cotta being the most private). The horse excursion is pretty far down the beach past the Terra Cotta.

Holland America has a map, but the cabanas aren't labeled. There aren't enough red squares for all of the cabanas. The sky blue one should be added near the water sports center. You need to know what color you want when you go to the excursion desk or you will be randomly assigned a cabana. They are really close together and none of them is bad. The beach is more crowded near the tender side where all of the facilities are convenient and less so near the Terra Cotta side where everything is a little bit of a walk.

Heres' the link to the map...

http://www.hollandamerica.com/pdfs/dest/HMCmap.pdf

[CWNNP]

Thanks for all this great info!!!

:)

[AnnArborJC]

DH and I rented the Yellow Cabana while on the Elation on 3/1. After reading your review, we hoped we would manage to get one! I just posted my detailed review on the Ports - Private Islands forum. Hope those of you going in April are able to enjoy it. Wish we could be with you!!