Cabana + CC5K

[GBBTomorrow]

Has anybody ever booked a cabana (we're hoping and hoping to snag one at Serenity Bay) and done the morning 5K on Castaway Cay? How did that work out? Any reason not to do the 5K?

I'm thinking the earlier I can get off the ship, the more time I get on CC, and when we were there last the 5K people disembarked first. I'm hoping that's still the case!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Has anybody ever booked a cabana (we're hoping and hoping to snag one at Serenity Bay) and done the morning 5K on Castaway Cay? How did that work out? Any reason not to do the 5K?

I'm thinking the earlier I can get off the ship, the more time I get on CC, and when we were there last the 5K people disembarked first. I'm hoping that's still the case!

Whether the 5K people debark first or not varies. My experience, on the classic ships, they did get off first, but on the Dream class they just used a specific staircase/gangway at the same time that all the others were debarking. That is, only they could use the aft staircase/gangway, everyone else had to use the forward staircase/gangway.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We have done it (cabana+5K) -twice. Only difference is we had a family cabana. No reason not to do both. We were off the ship among the first both times-although from what I have read here, sometimes that is not always the case. Cabana is a really nice place to be after what is usually a warm run. Cool towels, fruit, a snack. Place to put your feet up. Can't be beat. Plenty of time. I still snorkel or bike ride and take a nap.

 

[Steve Dexter]

Lady - I'm also interested in this and love that you have actual experience with cabana+5K. We have a family beach cabana and will be doing the 5K in a few weeks. I've done the CC5K many times, but never with a cabana. I'm curious of some of the details. Did you go back to the ship to take a shower after the run, or did you just bring everything you need for the day to the run, then go straight to the cabana after the run? I'd be interested in any other observations you may have about the cabana. We have never had a cabana before.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Lady - I'm also interested in this and love that you have actual experience with cabana+5K. We have a family beach cabana and will be doing the 5K in a few weeks. I've done the CC5K many times, but never with a cabana. I'm curious of some of the details. Did you go back to the ship to take a shower after the run, or did you just bring everything you need for the day to the run, then go straight to the cabana after the run? I'd be interested in any other observations you may have about the cabana. We have never had a cabana before.

The cabanas have their own showers (each).

 

[Steve Dexter]

Princess, from what I can tell the showers at the cabanas are mostly for rinsing off after swimming in your bathing suit, not a real "soap up-naked" type shower. Am i wrong?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Princess, from what I can tell the showers at the cabanas are mostly for rinsing off after swimming in your bathing suit, not a real "soap up-naked" type shower. Am i wrong?

No, you're correct. But, if you just want to shower off (are you planning on going in the water - ocean at all?) they are more convenient than returning to the ship.

I can see, if you want to soap up and all, and don't plan on any more "dirty" pursuits for the remainder of the day, going to the ship would be better.

 

[bumbershoot]

Lady - I'm also interested in this and love that you have actual experience with cabana+5K. We have a family beach cabana and will be doing the 5K in a few weeks. I've done the CC5K many times, but never with a cabana. I'm curious of some of the details. Did you go back to the ship to take a shower after the run, or did you just bring everything you need for the day to the run, then go straight to the cabana after the run? I'd be interested in any other observations you may have about the cabana. We have never had a cabana before.

DS and I left for the 5K and DH brought our stuff a little later. DS and I did the 5K, checked in at the end for the cabana, and were taken to the cabana. DH got there quickly. I sweatily changed into my swim suit and then stood under the outdoor shower.


First time I did the 5K I did the same basic thing but I changed in the public bathrooms in the stall, then took the outdoor shower on the side of the bathroom building.


But I prefer just going back to the ship to shower and grab breakfast and then leave the ship with the family (who, apart from DS joining me the one time, like to just sleep in). But I'm a value-oriented person, and leaving the cabana empty for any period of time decreases my perceived value of it, so that was NOT going to happen the one (and only) time we got a cabana.



OP I don't know where checkin is for the Serenity cabanas, but the 5K finish is near checkin for (at least) the family side cabanas. You'll be running really close to the adult-only cabanas then turning back and doing the loop again then going to the finish area. After that you'll figure out where to go!

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Lady - I'm also interested in this and love that you have actual experience with cabana+5K. We have a family beach cabana and will be doing the 5K in a few weeks. I've done the CC5K many times, but never with a cabana. I'm curious of some of the details. Did you go back to the ship to take a shower after the run, or did you just bring everything you need for the day to the run, then go straight to the cabana after the run? I'd be interested in any other observations you may have about the cabana. We have never had a cabana before.

We did not go back to the ship. We changed and used the outdoor shower. As others have stated, it is not the soapy-kind of clean me up experience, but since we were biking, snorkeling and quite active there was no benefit to us to get all squeaky clean just to get sweaty or plunge right back into the ocean. More island time for us.

We like to have a cabana, if possible. Quiet place to relax or nap or have lunch. Beach is blissfully quiet. Cabanas also have a safe, so I did not worry about valuables and such as we snorkeled. Nice snacks, fruit, cold drinks and cold towels made the apres-run, really nice. That being said, we have done the run w/o the cabana and that works too. Any day I am on Castaway Cay works for me! Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[hanscarlet]

I have and I was disappointed that I didn't get to the cabana until about 10:30, I feel like we lost 1 to 2 hours. Next time if I was to do the CC 5K, I would have my husband and kids just go straight to the cabana at the same time I leave to do the CC 5k and then I would just change in the cabana into my bathing suit and jump in the ocean or use the fresh water shower to cool off

 

[MaleficentRN]

I had a family cabana and ran the 5K. How much time you spend there depends on how fast you run. By the time we got to the start, people were disembarking. After I finished, I walked to my cabana, grabbed a cold towel and water from the refrigerator and waded into the water. Ahhhhhhh!
My family arrived soon after with my bathing suit and I changed in the cabana and then went for a swim. This was all by 10am
Any reason not to run the 5k? It gets really hot. And you run on asphalt at one point.

 

[Mickey4me!]

We had a cabana at SB last Nov and our daughter who was traveling with us ran the 5k. She disembarked prior to my DH and I but. Don't remember how much earlier it was but he and I disembarked as soon as they they announced. We took her beach stuff with us so she could come directly to the cabana. We told Eric(our host) that our daughter would be joining us after the race and some time later he appear at the cabana with her! After the race was over she had decided to walk to SB instead of taking the tram. Eric was cruising in the golf cart and asks if she was meeting her parents at a cabana and gave her a ride. It was really hot and she was very grateful he found her! She immediately went and stood under the cabana shower and then changed into her suit, grabbed a float and hit the ocean. She now thinks a cabana is the only way she would run it again! Ha! I told her she needed to start saving. I don't remember what time she got there but I do know the beach was still empty when she did.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Thanks for all these responses. All I have to do now is see if I can snag the cabana!

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

Has anybody ever booked a cabana (we're hoping and hoping to snag one at Serenity Bay) and done the morning 5K on Castaway Cay? How did that work out? Any reason not to do the 5K?

I'm thinking the earlier I can get off the ship, the more time I get on CC, and when we were there last the 5K people disembarked first. I'm hoping that's still the case!

We had a cabana (#5 on the Family Beach) in May on the Fantasy and I also ran the 5K. DW and DS (11), both of whom did not run, got off like always and went to the cabana. I got off with the group running the 5K (we met in The Tube first, just like going on an excursion), we all walked to the starting line and after a few minutes, they started the race. When I finished I got my medal, bought a couple souvenirs (the finish is right next to the shops) and walked over to the cabana area (also very close to the finish line). No problem. How much time you miss in the cabana really depends on how long it takes you to run the race, but you are basically certain to miss at least a few minutes. There is even an outside shower at each cabana where you can wash off. But since I was just going to the beach right away anyway, I just changed in the cabana. Now, if I would have returned to the ship, showered and changed, that probably would have cost the better part of an hour to get back to the cabana.

 

[hanscarlet]

We had a cabana (#5 on the Family Beach) in May on the Fantasy and I also ran the 5K. DW and DS (11), both of whom did not run, got off like always and went to the cabana. I got off with the group running the 5K (we met in The Tube first, just like going on an excursion), we all walked to the starting line and after a few minutes, they started the race. When I finished I got my medal, bought a couple souvenirs (the finish is right next to the shops) and walked over to the cabana area (also very close to the finish line). No problem. How much time you miss in the cabana really depends on how long it takes you to run the race, but you are basically certain to miss at least a few minutes. There is even an outside shower at each cabana where you can wash off. But since I was just going to the beach right away anyway, I just changed in the cabana. Now, if I would have returned to the ship, showered and changed, that probably would have cost the better part of an hour to get back to the cabana.

I think the regret I had was after I ran the race I had to go all the way back to the ship and then change and then come all the way back to the cabanas... I was done by 9:30 ish but it was another 45 minutes on top of that before I got to the cabana. 45 mins may seem like nothing but to think my family could have been spending 8:30am-1030am in the cabana instead of sitting waiting around for me in the ship is kind of a regret considering how $$ the cabanas are

 

[bumbershoot]

I think the regret I had was after I ran the race I had to go all the way back to the ship and then change and then come all the way back to the cabanas... I was done by 9:30 ish but it was another 45 minutes on top of that before I got to the cabana. 45 mins may seem like nothing but to think my family could have been spending 8:30am-1030am in the cabana instead of sitting waiting around for me in the ship is kind of a regret considering how $$ the cabanas are

Yep. Totally with you. Spending that much money, I need every single moment in it! (which was actually pretty boring. DH and DS went off and snorkeled and used the floats while I sat there, IN the cabana. Silly me.)

 

[hanscarlet]

Yep. Totally with you. Spending that much money, I need every single moment in it! (which was actually pretty boring. DH and DS went off and snorkeled and used the floats while I sat there, IN the cabana. Silly me.)

For sure, if the average time spend on the cabana is 7 hours, that works out to $85/hour, pricey but worth it and pure bliss!