Cabana at Half Moon Cay...pros and cons.

[Drazil65]

We rent one if available when going to HMC, we normally do many things on our own when cruising being seasoned travelers but we do splurge on a cabana via CCL. We get a higher number away from the crowds (9 - 13 typically) and enjoy our little piece of real estate in paradise for the day.

 

Very relaxing and the bar server usually right on the ball so no need to run to bar. Do it once and see if worth it to you and your family, if not then dont do it again. :)

[bjm123]

What are the cabanas up to now....$300? For $300 you get a tool shed with some chips, an apple and a 6 pack of soda. Or you can rent a clamshell under a palm tree for about $10....not really a hard choice now

 

 

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You get much more than that. You get a plate of cut up fruit, and plate of cut up veggies, 8 soft drinks, 2 large bottles of water, a/c, misting fan, shower, 4 floats, 4 snorkel gear, tables &chairs, 2 padded loungers. You have the best of all world's.

[aflyingbuttress]

We went on a Carnival cruise a year and a half ago and hated nearly every second of it with the exception of our day in Half Moon Cay which was absolutely paradise. We got a cabana and it was worth every penny. It set us up for complete relaxation. No worries about finding seats or shade, snacks and drinks available to us, and my daughter, who was 3 at the time, enjoyed playing in the sand at the foot of the cabana.

 

When we booked the cabanas were already sold out. I emailed them (I'd have to look up the address I used) and got myself on a waiting list for one. Nothing opened up before we cruised but as soon as we embarked we went to the excursions desk to ask about it. They had our names and luckily for us, it bumped us up to the head of the list. 2 people had gotten to the desk before us. We got lucky and ended up getting the cabana a couple days later when someone cancelled. So it's totally worth it to send the email and get on the waiting list. It will bump you up before anyone else who gets on the ship before you.

[aflyingbuttress]

You get much more than that. You get a plate of cut up fruit, and plate of cut up veggies, 8 soft drinks, 2 large bottles of water, a/c, misting fan, shower, 4 floats, 4 snorkel gear, tables &chairs, 2 padded loungers. You have the best of all world's.

 

Yes! It was really nice having the floats and the tables and chairs. We were able to take food back from the buffet and enjoy it in our cabana, which was really nice. And we had enough soda to take back on the ship with us too.

[LynnTH]

The Villas/Cabanas came available for our sailing last night. I had looked during the day and nothing was there, so did not look until this morning. The Villa's were all sold out. So, bummed. Did get a cabana though. Now trying to figure out a good cabana # to reserve on board. We have FTTF so hopefully get on board right away and get one of our top choices. Would love to hear recommendations.

[hard_eight]

The higher the number, the better for me.

[LynnTH]

The higher the number, the better for me.

 

How far to get to buffet/bars and bathrooms for the farther down cabanas?

[hard_eight]

How far to get to buffet/bars and bathrooms for the farther down cabanas?

It's a bit of a hike, as is the walk there and back to the ship but, for the serenity, it's worth it.

[imluvncruzn]

The Villas/Cabanas came available for our sailing last night. I had looked during the day and nothing was there, so did not look until this morning. The Villa's were all sold out. So, bummed. Did get a cabana though. Now trying to figure out a good cabana # to reserve on board. We have FTTF so hopefully get on board right away and get one of our top choices. Would love to hear recommendations.

 

We are on the same sailing! I booked my villa at around 5:30pm yesterday. If you want less of a crowd then go for a higher numbered cabana. We like to be right in the middle of the action so usually book 5-7 when we get a cabana. Keep in mind that there is a bathroom right behind 7 and also one in the Ship (bar) that not a lot know about. We loved cabana #5. The cruise director does all the funny activities (hairy chest, baywatch re-enactment) in front of the ship bar and also the DJ is stationed there too. But if you want peace and quiet go further down. The food pavilion is located closer to cabana 4 so it'll be a long walk to the higher numbered cabanas.

Edited April 19, 2017 by imluvncruzn

[BG18]

The only "con" is it is a little pricy, but it's a luxury to have, we rented the 2 story villa for $450 and split it between the 10 of us. The private decks overlooking the beach area was pretty sweet, they also provided all kinds of water toys to go snorkeling or float around in the water. They also provided towels so there was no need to worry about bringing them off the boat. it also has a private shower and restroom which was very nice as i noticed some small lines for the restrooms. they provided a nice spread of veggies,fruits, and chips with a nice amount of soda and water. there was a server checking on us every few minutes to see if we wanted drinks from the bar.

 

 

is it a necessity? no

is it nice to have? yes

[Pellaz]

You get much more than that. You get a plate of cut up fruit, and plate of cut up veggies, 8 soft drinks, 2 large bottles of water, a/c, misting fan, shower, 4 floats, 4 snorkel gear, tables &chairs, 2 padded loungers. You have the best of all world's.

 

Yep. So, let's look at this financially.

 

4 x snorkel sets (at about $15 each to rent) = $60

4 x floaty mats (about $15) = $60

8 x soft drinks ($2.50 aboard ship) = $20

2 large bottles of water ($3 each) = $6

1 bag of chips, plus salsa...we'll call it = $6

1 plate cut-up fruit...we'll call it = $5

1 plate veggies plus dip...we'll call it = $8

1 A/C unit, guaranteed shade, misting fan, etc............ = priceless! (not really, but nice perks)

 

Total tangible benefits per cabana = $165 or so. That's over half of Carnival's price right there. Add in the intangibles and it's really a no-brainer.

Out of my five scheduled port-stops at HMC I've had a cabana, a villa or the Private Oasis booked each time. I've only actually made it to HMC twice, both times with a cabana -- #11 and #9 -- and I'll get at least a cabana for any visit from here on out. There is a reason why the cabanas, villas and the Private Oasis are among Carnival's most popular excursions at any port: there are no cons aside from the price, and so many pros.

 

How far to get to buffet/bars and bathrooms for the farther down cabanas?

 

There is a set of bathrooms right behind Cabana #9, so that distance isn't too bad. It's a bit farther to get to the buffet and the nearest bar (pirate ship I think), but you can always use the roadway behind the cabins to walk back and forth if you don't want to walk along the beach. If the tram comes along, they'll often give you a lift.

[joepeka]

One final question (and please forgive the ignorance as we've not been to HMC in over a decade): can I assume that, like any excursion that you reserve and pay for ahead of time, you can cancel a cabana or villa reservation and get a full refund?

[imluvncruzn]

One final question (and please forgive the ignorance as we've not been to HMC in over a decade): can I assume that, like any excursion that you reserve and pay for ahead of time, you can cancel a cabana or villa reservation and get a full refund?

 

You can cancel up to 24 hours before sailing and get a full refund back to your credit card. Once onboard there are penalties and the refund is posted to your sail and sign card. This was copied from the Carnival website:

 

Shore Excursion Cancellation and Refund Policy

Shore excursions may be cancelled by Carnival or the Tour Operator for any reason whatsoever. In the event of cancellation your sole recourse is a refund of the amount paid for the cancelled activity.

Excursions and performances may be canceled or modified depending on the number of guests participating. Some excursions require a minimum number of guests to operate. If this minimum is not met, excursions may be cancelled by the Tour Operator and full refunds will be issued.

Sometimes the weather does not realize that our guests are on vacation and subsequently forgets to cooperate. It should be noted that excursions operate rain or shine. At times, tour operators will cancel particular excursions due to weather-related safety considerations. In this instance, refunds will be made for guests holding tickets on a cancelled excursion, and all efforts will be made to accommodate guests on an alternate excursion.

For online cancellations of excursions or Carnival LIVE purchases that occur before the cut-off window (24 hours prior to sailing), a full refund will automatically be posted to the credit card that was used to pay for the shore excursion order, regardless of whether the person who made the purchase is sailing. Please allow 7-10 business days for the credit to post to your account. No changes can be made after the cut-off window until sailing and must be approved by the Shore Excursion Manager onboard. For cancellations made once onboard, any refunds will be made to the Sail and Sign account of the order’s contact person, not the original credit card used to secure the online order. This condition applies even in the event that shore excursions were purchased as a gift by someone who is not sailing.

In the event of a cruise booking cancellation before the 24 hour cut-off window, a full refund will automatically be posted to the original credit card used to pay for the order. If the designated contact person on a shore excursion order must cancel their cruise booking and the remaining guests who are sailing would like to retain the shore excursion order, a new contact person needs to be assigned. If a designated contact person cancels and does not reassign the responsibility, the associated shore excursion orders will automatically be cancelled and refunded.

Cancellations made once onboard are subject to a 25% cancellation charge. . A refund, less any applicable cancellation charges, will be applied to the designated contact person’s sail and sign account. Carnival will only offer shipboard credit for shore excursion order refunds, but note any credit not utilized by the end of your cruise will be refunded via check to the order’s designated contact person on the morning of debarkation. However, within 24 hours of arrival in port where the shore excursion is to occur, orders become non-refundable.

Guests are encouraged to purchase Carnival’s Cruise Vacation Protection Plan to cover any eligible non-refundable shore excursion or Carnival LIVE cancellation charges.

[joepeka]

I thought as much.... but since the cabanas/villas aren't really an "excursion", I figured I should ask. Thank you! ;)

[imluvncruzn]

I thought as much.... but since the cabanas/villas aren't really an "excursion", I figured I should ask. Thank you! ;)

 

You're welcome!

[sk84fungirl]

Yep. So, let's look at this financially.

 

4 x snorkel sets (at about $15 each to rent) = $60

4 x floaty mats (about $15) = $60

8 x soft drinks ($2.50 aboard ship) = $20

2 large bottles of water ($3 each) = $6

1 bag of chips, plus salsa...we'll call it = $6

1 plate cut-up fruit...we'll call it = $5

1 plate veggies plus dip...we'll call it = $8

1 A/C unit, guaranteed shade, misting fan, etc............ = priceless! (not really, but nice perks)

 

Total tangible benefits per cabana = $165 or so. That's over half of Carnival's price right there. Add in the intangibles and it's really a no-brainer.

Out of my five scheduled port-stops at HMC I've had a cabana, a villa or the Private Oasis booked each time. I've only actually made it to HMC twice, both times with a cabana -- #11 and #9 -- and I'll get at least a cabana for any visit from here on out. There is a reason why the cabanas, villas and the Private Oasis are among Carnival's most popular excursions at any port: there are no cons aside from the price, and so many pros.

 

 

 

There is a set of bathrooms right behind Cabana #9, so that distance isn't too bad. It's a bit farther to get to the buffet and the nearest bar (pirate ship I think), but you can always use the roadway behind the cabins to walk back and forth if you don't want to walk along the beach. If the tram comes along, they'll often give you a lift.

 

 

We also had cabana #9 and it was the perfect location for us. Beach in front of us was never overly crowded, right near bathrooms, and short walk to lunch area.

[AnitaVacation]

We got a cabana last year....it is pretty awesome...BUT...#1 they are hard (nearly impossible) to get (but I can give you tip on how to snag one)....#2 they are pricey and the price has gone up...(from $229 to now $279)...

 

We had #15, furthest away....they shuttle you there, but good luck trying to get a ride back at the end of the day....we had to start walking (and it was a really hot day) until we finally happened on an employee with a little jeep buggy to give us a ride....it was also a long, hot walk to the food (for lunch)....

 

I spent 1/2 the day floating around in the water on a raft (that was awesome)....did not use the snorkel gear as the area that would be good for snorkeling was pretty far away (I do love to snorkel)...

 

#15 was very peaceful.....not alot of people will walk down the beach that far....but mid afternoon, a group of young ladies (ship workers) came along and camped out right at the bottom of our stairs ??!! They were kinda loud (talking and playing music) and there were plenty of other places they could have gone....:o

 

We are returning to HMC in June...but this time around we are opting for a clamshell, closer to the food area and renting the rafts...

 

I was told by the excursion desk, that the cabanas are open for reserving 7 weeks from your sail date....I logged on 8 weeks before our sail date and they were SOLD OUT! I was very disappointed and shot off an email to the excursion desk.....they said they would put me on the waiting list and let me know if there were any cancellations....

 

As soon as we got on the ship, I bolted for the excursion desk to make sure my name was on the list...(and it was)....and about an hour later, they called us and said there was one available....

 

So my tip to you....if they are sold out.....email the excursion and ask to be put on the waiting list for one... and as soon as you get on the ship, check with the excursion desk to make sure you are on the list (it is also helpful if you bring a copy of the email that you will get from the excursion desk)...This is how I snagged a cabana twice (but the first time, the port was cancelled due to weather)...

[amandajean06]

We are not usually "splurge" type folks, and rarely does our budget allow it, but for the first time ever on our upcoming Pride cruise we have a cabana for two main reasons:

 

1. We will have our sons (3 and 1) with us and I think it will be a good option for them to lay down, nap, cool off, get a break from the sun, change diapers, etc.

 

2. Due to medication issues, my mom is very sun-sensitive and can't handle much at a time even with sunscreen. So, the guaranteed shade was a must for her.

 

Hope this helps! I plan on leaving the kids with my hubby and sprinting to the excursion desk as soon as we board to try for a higher-numbered cabana! :p