Shoreside concierge booking cabanas???

[princessmommyx3]

My 120 day window doesn't start until next month, but I called shoreside concierge yesterday to make some dining requests. While on the phone, the person told me that if I told her exactly what days/times I want for Palo and which cabana I want, that they would book it for me at midnight when my window opens. I said that I thought they wouldn't do it until the next morning when they got to work, and she said no, they would do it at midnight. I am skeptical. This makes me very nervous to put the fate of my cabana in somebody else's hands!

Has anyone done this before or heard of it being done before? I am thinking that it is too risky and that I should call back & remove all requests so that I have complete control.

 

[Meghatron]

My 120 day window doesn't start until next month, but I called shoreside concierge yesterday to make some dining requests. While on the phone, the person told me that if I told her exactly what days/times I want for Palo and which cabana I want, that they would book it for me at midnight when my window opens. I said that I thought they wouldn't do it until the next morning when they got to work, and she said no, they would do it at midnight. I am skeptical. This makes me very nervous to put the fate of my cabana in somebody else's hands!

Has anyone done this before or heard of it being done before? I am thinking that it is too risky and that I should call back & remove all requests so that I have complete control.

Unless the concierge has VERY recently acquired some additional access to the cabanas before the booking window opens (other than the single one on each beach that they are allowed to hold back) there's no way they can guarantee you a specific cabana number at midnight when all the Platinums pile on. So that alone makes me suspicious.

And, if this IS a new development and concierge guests now have access to cabanas, etc. before Platinum guests... that pretty much erases the biggest perk that makes attaining Platinum status something worth pursuing. I certainly wouldn't care anymore, given everything else they've taken away.

 

[KLK622]

We are sailing on the 4/27 Fantasy sailing and they didn't book at midnight for us. I e-mailed all of my requests (including a specific Cabana number if available) and they told me they would book them in the morning after my booking window open (I think they said 8:30). I woke up at 7:30 the morning after our booking window and booked the very last family cabana an hour before they would have even started the booking process for me.

I e-mailed them to let them know I booked and they told me that I booked the last one and they didn't have one held for me, now I don't know if that was true because they always seem to have them available for concierge guests but if you must have one I wouldn't risk it.

 

[princessmommyx3]

Thank you for the feedback! I think I may have just talked to a CM who didn't really know what she was talking about. I may call back another time and see if I can get more clarity on the situation....

 

[biged9973]

My 120 day window doesn't start until next month, but I called shoreside concierge yesterday to make some dining requests. While on the phone, the person told me that if I told her exactly what days/times I want for Palo and which cabana I want, that they would book it for me at midnight when my window opens. I said that I thought they wouldn't do it until the next morning when they got to work, and she said no, they would do it at midnight. I am skeptical. This makes me very nervous to put the fate of my cabana in somebody else's hands!

Has anyone done this before or heard of it being done before? I am thinking that it is too risky and that I should call back & remove all requests so that I have complete control.

We are sailing on the 7/28 sailing of the Dream. Shoreside Concierge called and said that they could book our cabana for us but we wouldn't get our confirmation email until the following morning at 8am (I think). We went with this method and did get a cabana. I didn't fully trust that it would work and logged in at 12:30am and we had a cabana at that time.

We didn't request a specific cabana so I can't say if you'd get that for sure though.

 

[lucyem]

We are sailing on the 7/28 sailing of the Dream. Shoreside Concierge called and said that they could book our cabana for us but we wouldn't get our confirmation email until the following morning at 8am (I think). We went with this method and did get a cabana. I didn't fully trust that it would work and logged in at 12:30am and we had a cabana at that time.

We didn't request a specific cabana so I can't say if you'd get that for sure though.

This must be brand new. Its the first i have heard of it. We are sailing next week. At our booking window shoreside concierge told us to go online at midnight to book the cabana. That they could not book for us until the next morning. All cabanas were gone in twenty minutes.

Shoreside concierge has given me a fair amount of mis information, so i am always thankful for the disboards. But this is sounding true if thats what you experienced. From a concierge standpoint it would be great to avoid having to be up at midnight. But from a platinum standpoint its one more perk down.

 

[Billinaz]

They hold back 3 cabanas on the family beach and one on the adult beach.

They are the 3 highest number ones on the family beach. If you want a lower number one, book it right at midnight yourself.......

 

[biged9973]

They hold back 3 cabanas on the family beach and one on the adult beach.

They are the 3 highest number ones on the family beach. If you want a lower number one, book it right at midnight yourself.......

We got #5.

 

[zippingalong]

It is a very new change. And I have confirmed it with shoreside. And I'm not sure how it's going to work out in the long run.

When I got my shoreside email the week before my booking window opened, I called with a question. I was told then that I could reserve a cabana. I'd actually heard this from another friend sailing in July (we're sailing in August) and he'd told me the same thing.

Apparently, there were a lot of complaints about "we're paying these crazy prices and you still want me to wait up until midnight?!". So, they took all my requests (it wasn't even what I called for) including the family cabana.

I was still online at midnight, and before midnight, my family cabana was already held and showed (greyed out) in my excursions.

I got Cabana 2 (as did my friend who booked in July and held early with concierge).

I am concerned how this will work in the long run. What if EVERY concierge guest wants a cabana and calls early? How early will you have to call? And, I agree that it will be a devastating blow to platinum guests because theoretically, all the cabanas can already be held before the window ever opens.

 

[AlexandNessa]

I would suspect as well that given how easy it is make Platinum CC, there may have also been complaints from concierge guests that they were not able to reserve cabanas at their 120 mark. Shoreside Concierge used to tout "worry-free" booking of shorex dinner reservations, etc., at the 120 day mark. This was before the CC levels were instituted. Now the concierge pre-cruise letter no longer includes that term.

I wonder as well if there will have to be a hierarchy of suite guests for booking cabanas, given the number of concierge guests v. the number of cabanas. For example Cat S given priority before Cat T on the Classics, and Cat T before Cat V on the Dream class, with Cat R trumping all across the board.

Good deal for concierge guests. Not such a good deal for Platinums.

 

[Namsupak]

I think the change makes sense. Honestly it is a good change given the cost of concierge. I don't think they would do the hierarchy thing very soon if at all. Or at least they may not tell people they are doing it, until it leaks here.

 

[zippingalong]

I'm sailing the Fantasy and paying $10,000 for my family of 4 to be sardines in a V. (I know, CRAZY!) A T is $19,000 for 4. If the T's start bumping the V's, I'm out and will go back to two cabins. I'm NOT spending that kind of money for one vacation.

I'm also gold and heading towards platinum, and hate to see such a perk taken away from loyal cruisers.

Really don't know what I think of the whole thing.

 

[AlexandNessa]

Oh, no WAY would they actually TELL anyone there would be a hierarchy. But let's face it. All things have a pecking order. On the Dream class, there are roughly 2x the concierge rooms than there are cabanas.

 

[kaseyC]

I think the change makes sense. Honestly it is a good change given the cost of concierge. I don't think they would do the hierarchy thing very soon if at all. Or at least they may not tell people they are doing it, until it leaks here.

I agree. IMO, I believe there will be a hierarchy eventually and it makes perfect sense. I think a cabana should be included in a Cat. R booking considering how much it costs.

 

[MaleficentRN]

I think a cabana should be included in a Cat. R booking considering how much it costs.

And a unicorn!

 

[mommyto3princesses]

And a unicorn!

 

[jrbdad]

It is a very new change. And I have confirmed it with shoreside. And I'm not sure how it's going to work out in the long run.

When I got my shoreside email the week before my booking window opened, I called with a question. I was told then that I could reserve a cabana. I'd actually heard this from another friend sailing in July (we're sailing in August) and he'd told me the same thing.

Apparently, there were a lot of complaints about "we're paying these crazy prices and you still want me to wait up until midnight?!". So, they took all my requests (it wasn't even what I called for) including the family cabana.

I was still online at midnight, and before midnight, my family cabana was already held and showed (greyed out) in my excursions.

I got Cabana 2 (as did my friend who booked in July and held early with concierge).

I am concerned how this will work in the long run. What if EVERY concierge guest wants a cabana and calls early? How early will you have to call? And, I agree that it will be a devastating blow to platinum guests because theoretically, all the cabanas can already be held before the window ever opens.

Hi friend!

 

[MadaNickDis]

I had requested a Cabana for our August 11th Dream cruise via shoreside concierge. I asked if they REALLY sit there at midnight for me. They laughed and said, "Something like that." We received an email this morning at 8:30 am confirming Cabana #2.

 

[Wenawen]

My window opens in 5 days and I don't even know how to get hold of shoreside concierge! I am on the 8/17 sailing of the Fantasy.

 

[Namsupak]

My window opens in 5 days and I don't even know how to get hold of shoreside concierge! I am on the 8/17 sailing of the Fantasy.

Call their number:

1 (866) 784-1654