Subjective Question of the AM: Cabanas on CC?

[Calantha]

Is it worth it for 4 people? (My dad and gf are mid-60s, and my son will be 6). When I was on CC last summer, there were 12 of us, and 5 of us did the 5k and then the rest of the day kind of sucked (there were other issues, like DH had a broken foot for the whole cruise). Our group barely had 3 chairs together, etc, etc.

I hadn’t planned to do it for our September cruise, but now, as my dad said, “it is a whole additional year to save.”

 

[petrola]

Very subjective question. For us personally - yes it was worth it. Love the CC cabanas and would book one any chance we get. It is so peaceful and relaxing - and nice to have the stocked fridge on a hot day! I’m sorry to hear about your DH’s broken foot - especially on vacation!

 

[Marc D]

Like @petrola said, it’s very subjective, much like sailing concierge. Some will say ‘not for me’, ’I don’t want to be stuck in the same place for the entire day’, ‘no need since there are enough chairs’, etc.

For us, we get one every chance we can, even if there are only three of us. Last March, we had the privilege of getting one twice in the same week, during our B2B on Magic. It’s a highlight of every cruise. We are on the island from all-ashore to all-aboard. We always snorkel and bike the island, and still get a lot out of the cabana. It gives us a place to safely store our electronics, grab some shade, eat comfortably, and have some protection if it starts to rain. We enjoy the private hammock and always use the included floats.

 

[Calantha]

We are on the island from all-ashore to all-aboard

That’s what I was thinking. My dad and son are going to want to be out there all day and I think that might be the best way to make it happen.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We love it-family of 4. Totally worth it. Shade, quiet. We did the 5k and headed straight there. A place to change. We were out there all day. They had to drag us away. LOL A year to save. Personally I would do it.

 

[T & R]

Yes, it's worth it but keep in mind your chances of getting a cabana are almost zero unless you are concierge. If you are concierge you need to be paid in full by 125 days from your sail date in order to snag a cabana. If you wait until paid in full date, it will be too late, you have to pay off early by 125 days.

 

[ScooterScott44]

A little background. We have done a cabana 3 times out of 12 cruises that had CC stops. Twice it was just our family of three and the other time it was a family cruise where we had the large family cabana. For the 5k, usually at least one of us does the race and sometimes it can be the whole family.

It is really nice to have the cabana and for us it is easy to say it is worth it. The benefits of having a cabana are pretty easy to justify even for a smaller group but it is still not for everyone. So the flip side, for the times we do not have one, we have always been able to get a good spot to settle into for the day.

Have to add that it is possible to get a cabana even if you are not concierge but that does make it much more likely. Funny that we have not had a cabana on most of our concierge cruises. Of the three cabanas we have had, none of those cruises were initially booked as concierge. For one we did do a port upgrade but the cabana was already reserved. We are platinum now so that helps but we were gold for our first cabana. We have also later turned down two cabanas after doing the the initial work to request one.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We’ve reserved a cabana for just two and would do it again. Nice splurge!

 

[CamColt]

Given how we usually spend the day at CC, it would not be worth it for me. With that said, I know some people who think it's the only way to go. So, like you said, it's subjective and really depends on you, and what you are looking to get out of your day there.

 

[JM23457]

Is it worth it for 4 people? (My dad and gf are mid-60s, and my son will be 6). When I was on CC last summer, there were 12 of us, and 5 of us did the 5k and then the rest of the day kind of sucked (there were other issues, like DH had a broken foot for the whole cruise). Our group barely had 3 chairs together, etc, etc.

I hadn’t planned to do it for our September cruise, but now, as my dad said, “it is a whole additional year to save.”

Are you aware that for a family beach cabana, you need to consider the cost of booking concierge as well as buying the cabana itself? Because realistically, being concierge is the only way to get a family beach cabana these days, and even for concierge guests it's not guaranteed.

They're harder to get than they used to be. I would disregard any comments from posters who talk about how they got one without being concierge. They either 1.) got one back in the day before they were as popular as they are now- these posters are typically platinum cruisers & have been sailing DCL for many years, 2.) are actually talking about Serenity Bay cabanas, which are easier to get but which only allow guests 18 & older, 3.) got one while sailing a classic ship before both classic ships increased their number of concierge cabins, and/or 4.) had a stroke of lottery luck, which isn't something you should expect to happen to you.

Plan realistically. If you really want a family beach cabana, book concierge & send in your request at 12:01am, 125 days before the cruise. Seriously. There are reports of concierge guests sending requests in the morning after & not getting a family beach cabana. The competition for them has gotten fierce over the past few years.

 

[lanejudy]

It is not impossible but unlikely to get a cabana if you are not booked concierge. You would need to stalk the website and just get lucky that a cancellation occurs while you are online. You can also join a cruise meet group and let people know you are interested if anyone is releasing one.

We find no need for a cabana. Others love it. Good luck!

 

[Calantha]

Thanks for everyone’s comments. I realize how hard it is to get one, I just wanted to know if the opportunity presented itself, was it worthwhile for 4 people.