On-board Cabana "swap"...is there such a thing?

[Seltzer76]

So, my husband and I were very lucky to score a cabana for our upcoming cruise...only issue is it's at Serenity Bay and we have 2 kids. As of right now, we are planning to spend a couple of hours with the kids at the family beach, then they will head to Scuttle's and we will head to Serenity Bay. Is it worth trying to check when we get on board to see if we can "swap" cabanas with someone/or see if a family cabana is open? Is that a thing people do? Thank you!

 

[Dug720]

I would guess that the people who reserved the Family Beach cabanas did so because they had children, so I would be very surprised if anyone "accidentally" got one when they meant to get an adult-only one.

You could always ask on your cruise meet thread. Or ask when you board - though my guess is on boarding they would give you the option to surrender yours and go on a waiting list for what you in fact need.

 

[Sytrace]

I would not bet on being able to switch cabanas with others once onboard.
But it does seem like you have a pretty good plan in place already with using your cabana after having some family time on the CC before you split up. I am sure the kids will have a great time at Scuttles Cove and you will have some nice quiet time.

If I were to suggest anything, it would be to check with your cruise group (if you are a part of one) and see if anyone would like to swap in advance.
Have a great cruise!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I agree with the previous posters that the chance of someone who has a family cabana wanting to switch to a Serenity Bay one is slim to none. But I can't imagine spending that much money on a cabana at Serenity Bay that you wouldn't be able to use for the entire day. It just doesn't seem worth it to me. Plus my daughter has never been impressed with Scuttles Cove so I wouldn't plan on her being there for most of the day while I relaxed in a cabana at Serenity Bay. I would keep checking for a family beach cabana and post on your cruise meet group that you are looking for a family beach cabana. It's possible someone might be planning to cancel one and be willing to coordinate with you so you could pick it up.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Aren't the two cabanas different prices?

 

[Dug720]

Aren't the two cabanas different prices?

Yes. Even more reason why I'm pretty sure anyone who was only adults in their party would not have "accidentally" booked a Family Beach cabana unless they really wanted the Family Beach for whatever reason.

And it would definitely complicate "swapping" cabanas.

With the prices involved, I would think that people would pay attention to what they are booking. I know if I decide to try for one when my window opens, I'm going to be darn sure I'm looking at SB cabanas as it is me (45) and my parents who are in their 70s.

 

[DisneyWonder'09]

me (45)

WOW! IDKW but I always pictured you as a young 19-25 person by your posts for some reason!

 

[Dug720]

WOW! IDKW but I always pictured you as a young 19-25 person by your posts for some reason!

Nope. I think young though. I usually say "I'm not sure what I thought 45 would feel like, but I know I don't feel like what I thought it would." Lol.

 

[Disney1992]

When is your cruise? It may be your lucky day. We booked our cruise late and the only Cabanas left were family ones, but I really wanted a SB one. If we're on the same cruise, I'm sure we can switch things around onboard. I'm on the 11/14 Dream.

 

[DisneyWonder'09]

Nope. I think young though. I usually say "I'm not sure what I thought 45 would feel like, but I know I don't feel like what I thought it would." Lol.

Feeling young and thinking young are 2 different things though?
Age also brings maturity and experience.

I guess I took your profile picture at face value!

 

[KristiMc]

I would skip the cabana on Serenity Bay since you won't have much time to spend there. Just go and enjoy the quiet beach for a bit.

 

[Seltzer76]

When is your cruise? It may be your lucky day. We booked our cruise late and the only Cabanas left were family ones, but I really wanted a SB one. If we're on the same cruise, I'm sure we can switch things around onboard. I'm on the 11/14 Dream.

AHHH...so CLOSE! We are the Nov 11th Dream. Thanks everyone for the advice. We are keeping the cabana for now...it is part of our master plan to make sure my motion sickness-prone husband (1st time cruiser) has the best possible experience. That's why we will keep the serenity bay cabana, even if he winds up using it by himself all day.

 

[aliron]

I would also expect a call from Concierge team asking about your plans for your children. We had a cabana reserved on SB. They contacted us to be sure what the plans were and we understood that children were not allowed. So, we decided to release it. Not sure if they needed it or not, but we were not charged. Since we had a 14 yo DD, it was better that we gave it up.

 

[RoseSanti]

You can always check with guest services as soon as you get on the ship. I remember reading on another thead that they have some sort of call waiting list, first come first serve kinda thing. You let them know you are interested and if a cancelation or something comes up they go down the list to see who still is interested.

 

[Disney1992]

Wow! Our cruises are as close as close can get. Sorry we aren't on the same cruise and could help you out. Have a wonderful cruise and enjoy your cabana!

 

[Seltzer76]

Thanks everyone for the help...I was able to switch my serenity bay cabana to a family one once on board the ship (checked in at port adventures and they called concierge to put us on a wait list). We had an awesome time, and I wrote an article for The DIS about it http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneycruise...dream-with-a-severe-motion-sickness-sufferer/

 

[twodogs]

Great news!

 

[Bear3412]

Glad to hear it worked out. Thanks for the follow up. Love follow ups. Don't get many follow ups.