Which Cabana is Which?

[eby]

Thanks for the photo and the information StanandJim! The cabanas do sound wonderful. I suppose we will request a corner cabana for the extra view and keep our fingers crossed!

 

I am very excited about the prospect of afternoon tea in the Cabana, but the wine and cheese idea is brilliant too. It's a shame the Black Sea cruise is so port intensive :p

Can you order room service and drinks to your cabana?

[Benita]

Kathie, That is why we did the canal crossing on Princess. The very front is the best place to view part of the crossing and Oceania rented that out to the few in cabanas,leaving no outdoor space for anybody else, except for the few whose balconies faced the front. Those of us who have sailed with Oceania before know this, but the rest of the passengers do not and are understandably (IMHO) disappointed and angered when they learn that as they are trying to watch the ship pass through the canal.

[raffeer]

Maybe it's me but I did not feel the least bit deprived watching the crossing from the balcony of an OS (in the REAR of the ship) along with everyone in the Terrace cafe/Tapas.

[lyndenfa]

thanks, Lyn, for "heads up" on the facilities (smile) on deck 10.

[Benita]

Maybe it's me but I did not feel the least bit deprived watching the crossing from the balcony of an OS (in the REAR of the ship) along with everyone in the Terrace cafe/Tapas.

 

If you tried part of it from the front, you would see what you were missing - we kept going between the front and the rear of the ship - both pretty amazing.

[GrammieK]

Benita,

You are right about the lack of space for Oceania guests to view the canal straight on. I came upon it accidently when I was checking out the deck plan for our cruise. The men in the group were not sold at first, but after the cruise they were glad we went for the cabana. Even if we were viewing nothing - the service up there is magnificient. On most days, more than half of the cabanas were empty. The cabana boys would set our water bottles up in a champagne bucket! Alas, then we had to return home and no one does that here....:(

I guess on Princess you could also see the crossing from the Sanctuary?

Kathie

[Benita]

Looking at the deck plan, there are lots of places - we have done this crossing before, although this time, it will only be through the first set of locks and then turning around and recrossing the same locks. It allows us to go roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, which is where we live. I have to start rereading "The Path Between the Seas"

[StanandJim]

The very front is the best place to view part of the crossing and Oceania rented that out to the few in cabanas,leaving no outdoor space for anybody else, except for the few whose balconies faced the front. Those of us who have sailed with Oceania before know this, but the rest of the passengers do not and are understandably (IMHO) disappointed and angered when they learn that as they are trying to watch the ship pass through the canal.

 

Benita-

I guess I don't get it, do you think that it is ok for those people who were "angered and disappointed" to be rude and push their way into GrammieK's Cabana :eek: ?

 

I don't really care for the total of my bar bill, but I don't reach over the bar to pour myself free drinks. :cool:

 

BTW, I've done several canal transits on HAL and Princess. 90% of the passengers sit in the air conditioned observation lounge to watch the transit, anyway.

Very few have the stamina to do it from the top deck forward......not for more than half an hour, anyway.

There is no shade on those open upper decks, and if you find a place to sit down, somebody else will inevitably stand in front of you.

IMHO, the passengers who are displaced by the Cabanas are that portion of the 10% who would trudge up there, and who also did not do their homework.

 

Can you order room service and drinks to your cabana?

 

Yes you can, but the Cabana Boys serve you, rather than a room service waiter.

[Benita]

I do not wish to imply that I think the behavior of the people who pushed their way into the cabana or were rude to the cabana occupants is acceptable. It is not. My point was that the viewing of the Panama Canal crossing while on a Panama Canal cruise should be available and I would be upset if I found out I would not have access to the front of the ship to watch. Having been on several Oceania cruises, I know it is the case, which is why I booked it on another cruise line. I guess I am in the 10% who want to stand outside and watch. I am fortunate to know in advance that this is not available on Oceania, which is why I booked the sailing on another cruise line. Now, do you "get" my point?

I'm sure that everybody is pleased that you do not reach over a bar to pour your own drinks - I guess we just don't get eachothers' point.

[hrprof]

On a 28 day B2B (Valparaiso to Rio) we asked for and got the port side cabana for the full cruise - it was Monte Carlo. We got the cabana because we were in an OS with a stern view and wanted a forward view - one of the dumbest things we've ever done! $1250 for less than an hour of use. That hour was spent sailing into Rio - almost worth the price!

[Timtammi]

Thank you StandandJim for all the good info on the Cabanas

 

I've been fighting with myself over whether or not to book one but have decided I NEED one and have reserved one through my TA! I will save it for a surprise for my daughter when we board. She also has her birthday on the second day of the cruise so it will be an extra surprise for her.

 

Cheers

[Oslo Dutch]

After having read all this info I've phoned Oceania and booked a cabana for Friday's cruise. Really look forward to it:) Just hope it won't be too hot at times

[StanandJim]

After having read all this info I've phoned Oceania and booked a cabana for Friday's cruise. Really look forward to it:) Just hope it won't be too hot at times

 

That's part of the beauty of a Cabana, it's cooler than most pool deck loungers because you have the adjustable roof and the wall mounted fans.

 

And if you really get warm, the fans have misting nozzles!

Just let the Cabana boys know what your preferences are, they will set everything up just the way you like it, and make any adjustments as needed.......all you need to do is relaxe! :D

[luvncuzn]

We just returned from a wonderful Mediterranean cruise on Nautica and we loved our cabana. We had an inside cabin (we love the dark, cave feel so we can get plenty of sleep for the port intensive cruise) and the cabana gave us the perfect ocean view whenever we wanted.

 

The only disappointment was requesting a particular cabana. We arrived on board ship early so we could reserve a corner cabana (since they have the best view). We were told the corner cabanas were reserved for VIP customers and were not available. Since we had an inside cabin, I know we don't qualify as VIP customers...LOL! What was truly disappointing was that one of the VIP passengers never (and I checked every day :-) used one of the corner cabanas for the entire cruise and it sat empty day after day.

 

What I did not realize about the cabanas was they are pre-assigned before you even embark on the cruise yet you are not able to reserve a particular one. When we arrived in our cabin, a beautiful tote filled with goodies (hat, visor, lotion, towels, etc.) was waiting for us. The tote also included a card which gave us our cabana assignment with a phone number for calling up to that particular cabana. Obviously, they don't switch cabana assignments once you are on-board since the cabana assignments are already distributed in the cabins.

 

Even though we couldn't choose our cabana, it was a special treat that made our cruise even more wonderful (if that is even possible).