Serenity Bay Cabanas questions

[SeaSpray]

I just grabbed a cabin at Serenity Bay for our October cruise. I have a few questions that I'm sure someone here will most likely have the answers to!

First of all: Do they still offer the tram ride from your cabana to the Serenity Bay BBQ so we can grab some lunch, and then drive us back to our cabana? I've read a few older threads that said they do.

Have any of you booked a cabana and then had bad weather (rain, lightning, etc) while there? Is there a point either before or during the day where they will "cancel" CC excursions and have everyone go back to the ship? In this case, would they refund part of the fee of the cabana?

Have any of you been to CC at the end of October? How cold is the water at that time?

Do they still put those adorable cardboard pop-up cabanas in your cabin the night before CC?

I think those are all of my questions right now. TIA.

P.S. I'm asking about the tram ride to get lunch because I have trouble walking, and I need to know in advance what I can reasonably expect. Thx!

 

[Bettyscruise]

First of all: Do they still offer the tram ride from your cabana to Cookies Too so we can grab some lunch, and then drive us back to our cabana? I've read a few older threads that said they do.

Serenity Bay has it's own food service, no need to go to Cookies 2. We did get a ride back to the ship that day.

Have any of you booked a cabana and then had bad weather (rain, lightning, etc) while there? Is there a point either before or during the day where they will "cancel" CC excursions and have everyone go back to the ship? In this case, would they refund part of the fee of the cabana?

If they dock you'll probably get charged. I've heard of weather affecting the bill, but I think it is rare.

Have any of you been to CC at the end of October? How cold is the water at that time?

Water was fine on our Oct 24 cruise. Air temp about 80 but it was very windy.

Do they still put those adorable cardboard pop-up cabanas in your cabin the night before CC?

Yes

I think those are all of my questions right now. TIA.

P.S. I'm asking about the tram ride to get lunch because I have trouble walking, and I need to know in advance what I can reasonably expect

 

[SeaSpray]

First of all: Do they still offer the tram ride from your cabana to Cookies Too so we can grab some lunch, and then drive us back to our cabana? I've read a few older threads that said they do.

Serenity Bay has it's own food service, no need to go to Cookies 2. We did get a ride back to the ship that day.

Have any of you booked a cabana and then had bad weather (rain, lightning, etc) while there? Is there a point either before or during the day where they will "cancel" CC excursions and have everyone go back to the ship? In this case, would they refund part of the fee of the cabana?

If they dock you'll probably get charged. I've heard of weather affecting the bill, but I think it is rare.

Have any of you been to CC at the end of October? How cold is the water at that time?

Water was fine on our Oct 24 cruise. Air temp about 80 but it was very windy.

Do they still put those adorable cardboard pop-up cabanas in your cabin the night before CC?

Yes

I think those are all of my questions right now. TIA.

P.S. I'm asking about the tram ride to get lunch because I have trouble walking, and I need to know in advance what I can reasonably expect

Thanks so much for all of that info! I meant to say "Serenity Bay BBQ" not "Cookies Too". Like I said, I have difficulty walking and use a rolling walker to get around, so the less that time that I try to use that in the sand, the better! lol

 

[BCV23]

Hi SeaSpray! Good to see you! We had a cabana on SB on one cruise. The host on that cruise offered us rides to the BBQ in his golf cart. DH and I actually walked to get food for our family. It is a much shorter walk than on the FB but still could be a hike with a walker. He also helped us change from our first assigned cabana to the last one on the beach. I think it is is 25 now? And he helped my husband get our DD into the cabana via the front porch rather than the main entrance which had several stairs. He took down a rope and drove his golf cart as far as he could onto the sand. He was wonderful. We were on the Magic that cruise and he worked by the pools on the ship. I think he was the pool manager.

But after that experience we have never tried for a SB cabana again because they are so inaccessible at least for her. There are a number of steps to get to each of them to the best of my memory. Happy sailing.

 

[2Bnºoºt2B]

I just grabbed a cabin at Serenity Bay for our October cruise. I have a few questions that I'm sure someone here will most likely have the answers to!

First of all: Do they still offer the tram ride from your cabana to the Serenity Bay BBQ so we can grab some lunch, and then drive us back to our cabana? I've read a few older threads that said they do.

Yes, your cabana "person" will pick you, drive the short distance to the BBQ where you can load up and then take you back - no problem - you may have to wait though if they are called away to help another Cabana guest ...

Have any of you booked a cabana and then had bad weather (rain, lightning, etc) while there? Is there a point either before or during the day where they will "cancel" CC excursions and have everyone go back to the ship? In this case, would they refund part of the fee of the cabana?

On our return to Castaway Cay on the second leg of our B2B aboard the Fantasy, there were high winds which forced the cancellation of some activities such as parasailing ... they also had to secure the umbrellas on the Serenity Bay side as it was quite windy there - not as many people there as a result but Cabanas were still operational. I assume that a refund is in order only if they closed the Beach or could not dock.

Have any of you been to CC at the end of October? How cold is the water at that time?
Overall weather was great!

Do they still put those adorable cardboard pop-up cabanas in your cabin the night before CC?
On our last trip we were fortunate to join a pair of ladies in sharing an adult Cabana so not aware if they sill provided the pop-up - I thought I had read somewhere they did not but I could be mistaken

I think those are all of my questions right now. TIA.

P.S. I'm asking about the tram ride to get lunch because I have trouble walking, and I need to know in advance what I can reasonably expect. Thx![/COLOR]

DW also has some mobility issues ... having a Cabana is about the only way she can enjoy Castaway Cay as it provides a refuge to relax in comfort. You will love the Cabana !! Ooops ... click on above quote to see my answers to your questions ...

 

[phinz]

We've never had the host show up when we've pushed the button for cart service. We wound up walking every time and expect that we will be again in November. We have friends who had the same experience, and she doesn't walk well either.

We only got the pop up cabana thing on our first cruise. We asked why we didn't get it on our second cruise and we were told that the mouse was on a budget (Yes, that's what we were told by Andy.) but that he would check and see if there was one available. He managed to "find" one.

 

[cruisehopeful]

There was a trip report by @ukintheus a few months ago about a cabana on serenity bay. I thought it gave a great description of everything. Maybe you can find that report or now that I pinged her, she can just post about it here.

 

[RedSox68]

Thanks so much for all of that info! I meant to say "Serenity Bay BBQ" not "Cookies Too". Like I said, I have difficulty walking and use a rolling walker to get around, so the less that time that I try to use that in the sand, the better! lol

Yes, when the CM dropped us off at our cabana he asked when we'd like him to come back and pick us up for lunch. It was amazing bringing all our food back to the privacy of our cabana and relaxing.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have difficulty walking and use a rolling walker to get around, so the less that time that I try to use that in the sand, the better! lol

I'll just point out, you won't have to use it in the sand. There's a paved road directly behind the cabanas that parallels the beach (shaded for the most part). You can use that to get from your cabana to the BBQ area.

 

[ukintheus]

Got the tag from @cruisehopeful Here's the link to the Castaway Cay portion of my trip report from November last year and our cabana on Serenity Bay. Awesome - I'm hoping to snag it again on our cruise in January as we will have my 88 year old Mum with us and we had excellent service with the golf cart, with him even taking us all the way back to the last tram stop before the ship on our return.

Wonderful B2B on the Wonder from Galveston - 11/6/15 & 11/13/15 - COMPLETED

 

[gometros]

We just cruised on the Dream in June. Did not get the pop up diorama. It rained a little early in the afternoon, which is why I was glad to have had the cabana. While a lot of people headed back to the ship, we were able to stay and enjoy a quiet beach.

 

[CM Dad]

Have any of you booked a cabana and then had bad weather (rain, lightning, etc) while there? Is there a point either before or during the day where they will "cancel" CC excursions and have everyone go back to the ship? In this case, would they refund part of the fee of the cabana?

We had a cabana on Serenity bay for the second cruise in our B2B in January. High seas were predicted for CC day, so the captain actually docked at CC around midnight the night before. All CC excursions were cancelled due to wind/rain. We still had our cabana and were charged the full amount. Closed the doors and sat inside during the worst of the rain in the morning. For lunch the CM took us in a golf cart to the Serenity Bay BBQ and trams stop. We had to take the tram to get to Cookies, since my wife has some dietary restrictions, and that is were they have the allergy friendly meals prepared.

 

[SeaSpray]

Hi SeaSpray! Good to see you! We had a cabana on SB on one cruise. The host on that cruise offered us rides to the BBQ in his golf cart. DH and I actually walked to get food for our family. It is a much shorter walk than on the FB but still could be a hike with a walker. He also helped us change from our first assigned cabana to the last one on the beach. I think it is is 25 now? And he helped my husband get our DD into the cabana via the front porch rather than the main entrance which had several stairs. He took down a rope and drove his golf cart as far as he could onto the sand. He was wonderful. We were on the Magic that cruise and he worked by the pools on the ship. I think he was the pool manager.

But after that experience we have never tried for a SB cabana again because they are so inaccessible at least for her. There are a number of steps to get to each of them to the best of my memory. Happy sailing.

Hi BCV!! Great to see!!! I'm surprised that there isn't at least 1 SB cabana with accessibility. They have some on the family beach, right? I'm glad that the CM did what he could do to help.

DW also has some mobility issues ... having a Cabana is about the only way she can enjoy Castaway Cay as it provides a refuge to relax in comfort. You will love the Cabana !! Ooops ... click on above quote to see my answers to your questions ...

Thanks for replying As much as I love Castaway Cay and Serenity Bay, it seems that the amenities in the cabins will be the difference between spending just a couple of hours there, versus spending the entire day

We've never had the host show up when we've pushed the button for cart service. We wound up walking every time and expect that we will be again in November. We have friends who had the same experience, and she doesn't walk well either.

We only got the pop up cabana thing on our first cruise. We asked why we didn't get it on our second cruise and we were told that the mouse was on a budget (Yes, that's what we were told by Andy.) but that he would check and see if there was one available. He managed to "find" one.

Well that's not good. Supposedly being able to call, even just for someone to bring you drinks, is part of the service that's included. I read in the cabana literature. Were you told that they would come when you pushed the button? I would've complained.

There was a trip report by @ukintheus a few months ago about a cabana on serenity bay. I thought it gave a great description of everything. Maybe you can find that report or now that I pinged her, she can just post about it here.

Thank you!

Yes, when the CM dropped us off at our cabana he asked when we'd like him to come back and pick us up for lunch. It was amazing bringing all our food back to the privacy of our cabana and relaxing.

This sounds so good! I remember that the tables and benches at the Serenity Bay BBQ were not very comfortable. Can't wait to experience a cabana!

I'll just point out, you won't have to use it in the sand. There's a paved road directly behind the cabanas that parallels the beach (shaded for the most part). You can use that to get from your cabana to the BBQ area.

Thanks, this is good to know!!

Got the tag from @cruisehopeful Here's the link to the Castaway Cay portion of my trip report from November last year and our cabana on Serenity Bay. Awesome - I'm hoping to snag it again on our cruise in January as we will have my 88 year old Mum with us and we had excellent service with the golf cart, with him even taking us all the way back to the last tram stop before the ship on our return.

Wonderful B2B on the Wonder from Galveston - 11/6/15 & 11/13/15 - COMPLETED

Thank you so much for posting your link! My husband and I read your report last night, and loved your pictures. We loved your funny narration of them, too!!

We just cruised on the Dream in June. Did not get the pop up diorama. It rained a little early in the afternoon, which is why I was glad to have had the cabana. While a lot of people headed back to the ship, we were able to stay and enjoy a quiet beach.

I'm glad that the cabin allowed you to spend the entire day on the beach. That's what I'm looking forward to.

We had a cabana on Serenity bay for the second cruise in our B2B in January. High seas were predicted for CC day, so the captain actually docked at CC around midnight the night before. All CC excursions were cancelled due to wind/rain. We still had our cabana and were charged the full amount. Closed the doors and sat inside during the worst of the rain in the morning. For lunch the CM took us in a golf cart to the Serenity Bay BBQ and trams stop. We had to take the tram to get to Cookies, since my wife has some dietary restrictions, and that is were they have the allergy friendly meals prepared.

It sounds like you made the best out of the bad weather. I could see my husband and I doing the same thing!

 

[phinz]

Yes we were told they would come, and they even showed us their pager. Yet they've never come. :/

 

[2Bnºoºt2B]

Thanks for replying As much as I love Castaway Cay and Serenity Bay, it seems that the amenities in the cabins will be the difference between spending just a couple of hours there, versus spending the entire day

The Cabanas are "heavenly" ... fridge stocked with water and soda and chilled towels, hammock, two loungers, bench seating and chairs, snacks, a safe, tubes and floats, fresh water shower ... and so forth. We made the "mistake" of booking activities elsewhere on Castaway when we had our first cabana ... taking into account the travel time, the activity and then travel back to the Cabana, it eats up into your time. Booking a second activity really cuts into your time. So when we were able to stay at a Cabana on our 3rd Fantasy cruise, we spent the day with no booked activities ... much more relaxing ... and still wonderful.

We never had any problems getting the golf cart to drive us back and forth from the Cabana to the BBQ area and washrooms. Just push the buzzer and wait for the "cabana boy" (or girl) ... not sure if it is busier with the family side Cabanas ... but we love Serenity Bay.