Twelve days earlier than my household and I have been set to embark on our first Disney cruise, I received an e mail that set my coronary heart pounding. We had secured the holy grail of Disney Caribbean cruises: a cabana on Castaway Cay.
For these of you unfamiliar with this cruise ship personal island phenomenon, a cabana is a personal seashore hut you can hire for the day. Cabanas vary from fundamental wooden setups to full-on luxurious buildings with bedrooms, air-conditioning and indoor plumbing. Most include extras like snacks, devoted food and drinks service or entry to an unique seashore space.
After doing a victory dance in my workplace (good factor I work at home), I began to daydream about what I might count on from this VIP island expertise. Would shade, a stocked fridge and a quieter seashore be sufficient to warrant the hefty price ticket, or have been there different, sudden upsides of the Castaway Cay cabanas?
This is what I discovered, in addition to every part it’s good to learn about Castaway Cay cabanas.
Methods to guide a cabana on Castaway Cay
There is a motive I referred to snagging a Castaway Cay cabana as discovering the holy grail. The cabanas promote out in a flash and often go to individuals with excessive standing in Disney’s Castaway Membership loyalty program or individuals staying in concierge-level suites as a result of they’re allowed to guide shore excursions earlier than the remainder of their shipmates can.
The early reserving alternative is without doubt one of the methods I used to be capable of persuade my husband that we should always shell out for a concierge suite. He wasn’t onerous to persuade as a result of the opposite advantages of crusing in a concierge suite — just like the personal solar deck, day by day glad hour with free drinks and a assure that we would not have to take a seat with anybody however our household at dinner — are fairly compelling. Getting a greater shot at a quiet and cozy day on Castaway Cay was simply the icing on the cake.
I notice that it is probably irresponsible and a little bit foolish to pay additional for a concierge room so as to pay additional for a cabana, however we did it anyway. Name it “Disney math.”
Concierge company can guide their cruise actions 123 days prematurely of crusing, whereas common passengers with out standing in Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Membership can guide 75 days prematurely. Castaway Membership members who’ve Platinum standing can guide 120 days prematurely.
This is the factor about reserving a cabana as a concierge visitor: You are not really reserving the cabana 123 days out. As a substitute, 123 days earlier than your embarkation date, you’ll be able to e mail the concierge staff, and so they’ll guide your cabana for you when the 120-day window opens up. Concierge company are in competitors with the Platinum members of the Castaway Membership, however concierge company have concierges making the reservation, which could or may not confer a bonus.
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Notice that when you’ve got not paid on your cruise in full by the point your reserving window opens, you will be unable to make a reservation, so make that closing fee early. That is very true for those who booked and are paying by means of a journey agent. It might take a number of days for the fee to register with Disney if it is going by means of a 3rd occasion, and that delay might stop you from reserving shore excursions as early as your room class or standing within the Castaway Membership permits.
The reserving window is predicated in your crusing date, not the date your cruise stops at Castaway Cay, so mark your calendar accordingly.
The on-shore concierge staff despatched an e mail 4 days earlier than reservations opened with all the main points we would must request a cabana, in addition to pricing. Reserving opened at midnight, and we simply wanted to e mail our requests to the staff. I scheduled my reply e mail (“CABANA PLEASE!”) for precisely midnight and waited. And waited.
After two days with no reply, I emailed once more, and the concierge staff advised me that we have been on the waitlist. That is proper — regardless of reaching out on the earliest attainable second for any cruise passenger, we did not initially get a cabana. I opted to remain on the waitlist and maintain out hope, which finally paid off.
How a lot do Castaway Cay cabanas value?
An everyday household cabana on Castaway Cay prices $963 for as much as six company, with further company costing $56 a head, although company underneath the age of three are free. You may have as much as 10 company in a daily household cabana. The grand household cabana prices $1,375 and may host 10 individuals. As much as six further company will be added to a grand household cabana for $56 per particular person.
Although I did not expertise Serenity Bay, the adults-only space of Castaway Cay, as a result of I had my children with me, cabana leases there are a bit cheaper at $523 for as much as 4 company and $56 per particular person for every further visitor, with a most of 10 individuals per reservation. All company have to be over the age of 18 to entry the Serenity Seaside space and its cabanas.
What’s included in a Castaway Cay cabana?
A Castaway Cay cabana comes with sunscreen, towels, a big bowl of fruit, some mild snacks, sand toys and a fridge stocked with water, gentle drinks and chilled towels. There’s additionally a Bluetooth speaker, so you’ll be able to play your individual music. Not having to lug snacks, drinks, towels and sunscreen to the seashore was an enormous plus (and I think about it might be a good greater plus for somebody with youthful children).
Cabana company get free snorkel gear and bicycle leases, and the cabana seashore has loads of floats for company to make use of. It is very nice that these are included, as these rental prices can actually add up, particularly when you’ve got a big group.
After all, the cabana itself can be included. We had household cabana quantity 12. The cabana itself is rustic, particularly when in comparison with the villas at Silver Cove on Norwegian Cruise Line’s personal island. My household rented a villa on an NCL cruise in January 2023 and our villa had air con, a full personal lavatory, a tv with a collection of free movies and a personal bar and buffet.
In distinction, a Castaway Cay cabana is a straightforward wooden construction that will be at residence at any summer time camp. It doesn’t have air con, solely a ceiling fan. Home windows have wood shutters, however no glass or display screen. One aspect of the cabana is open to the gorgeous seashore, although there are folding doorways you’ll be able to shut.
Inside, the cabana has a snug sofa and chairs, in addition to a small curtained-off altering space. A small closet with a secure is a brilliant addition as a result of there is no actual technique to safe the cabana itself. However, it is fairly foolish to convey any valuables to the seashore. (All purchases on Castaway Cay are made along with your cruise card, so that you needn’t convey money or bank cards.)
The cabanas all have a porch that overlooks the seashore and personal cabana-only cove. The porch has two loungers and a chair with an ottoman. Every cabana additionally has a hammock and outside freshwater bathe, in addition to further lounge chairs on the seashore. Cabanas don’t have personal bogs, although a cabana-only restroom is a brief stroll away. Cabana company get lunch on the identical buffet (Cookie’s Too) as company on the household seashore.
Every cabana additionally has a button you’ll be able to push to get service, resembling drinks or snack refills. The cabana attendants have been largely concierge employees, so we acknowledged their pleasant faces. We did not use the button to get additional service on our cabana day, however the identical crew members we noticed working within the cabana space offered wonderful service after we have been on the ship. I can solely think about they have been equally useful and attentive on the island.
This is one factor that isn’t included in a cabana on Castaway Cay: crowds. As I floated blissfully alone within the water of the cabana seashore, I might see the adjoining household seashore. It was a madhouse. After we walked to lunch later, my impression was that the household seashore was extraordinarily loud and crowded. In contrast, the cabana space was quiet and serene.
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Who ought to guide a Castaway Cay cabana
Since there are solely 4 of us in my household, the cabana was an indulgence. For bigger teams, a cabana would make your seashore day a lot simpler. You’d have loads of seating shut collectively in addition to a gathering place. Plus, a bigger group might extra simply share the price.
When you’re touring with somebody who wants a daytime nap, a cabana can be an enormous plus. I can attest to that as a result of I took a nap on our sofa. It wasn’t onerous to make the cabana quiet, cool and darkish. Whereas I might hear some seashore noise, it was quiet sufficient for me to sleep. In case you have a white-noise app in your cellphone, you possibly can join it to the cabana’s speaker to dam exterior sounds.
Whereas there is no air-conditioning to blast in a Castaway Cay cabana, it is a wonderful technique to calm down from the Bahamian warmth. When you’re touring with somebody who’s delicate to warmth and solar (like yours really), a cabana might be the distinction between a full seashore day and heading again to the ship early.
What’s not nice a couple of cabana on Castaway Cay
Our cabana expertise was not totally Mickey bars and Dole Whip. It missed the mark in a number of respects.
For one, sure cabanas are set shut collectively. As a result of it is so onerous to guide a cabana, it’s important to take what you will get. We might hear different households of their cabanas, and I noticed a number of youthful children going to the unsuitable cabana once they left the water.
The altering space can be not probably the most personal. It is within the nook with a curtain to cowl the 2 open sides, however it’s additionally subsequent to a window, with an enormous hole between the curtain and the wall. It wasn’t an enormous deal to shut the window, however theoretically if somebody actually, actually wished to, they’d have the ability to see in. Do not count on to lounge round in your birthday go well with.
Disney thoughtfully shares cabanas with sunscreen (together with a baby-friendly system), so company do not must lug it from the ship. Sadly, the Coppertone sunscreens offered weren’t reef secure. It is disappointing that Disney wasn’t desirous about defending ocean reefs — particularly as they promote snorkeling on Castaway Cay.
Lastly, the method for getting a cabana — and your odds of getting one — are additionally a draw back. There’s clearly an enormous demand, and I want Disney merely had extra of them.
Are Castaway Cay cabanas price it?
For my anti-social household, the cabana on Castaway Cay was 100% price it. To have a quiet seashore and never fear about discovering shade or a lounge chair or shedding sight of our youngsters within the crowded water was effectively definitely worth the value of admission. The stocked fridge and snacks have been additionally extra “price it” than I anticipated. We did not must stroll to one of many buffets on the island to get a drink or one thing to eat exterior of lunch. Additionally, the fruit within the fruit bowl was amazingly good.
My daughter and I ran the Castaway Cay 5k that morning, and it was extremely handy to drop our belongings on the cabana, run after which come again to vary. My husband and son might benefit from the seashore whereas we ran slightly than maintaining a tally of our stuff. Rinsing off the sand and salt within the freshwater bathe was additionally so handy, and it made for a pleasing stroll again to the ship slightly than a sticky, sandy hike.
Regardless that I’ve skilled extra luxurious seashore cabanas and villas, a cabana on Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Cay is one of the best expertise I’ve had. The relative quiet of the cabana seashore, ease of accessing snacks and never having to lug every part we would have liked for a full seashore day made the day really feel like an precise seashore day. We left our Castaway Cay cabana feeling relaxed and recharged.
In case you have the standing or the suite and may get a cabana in your Disney cruise, I encourage you to go for it. It is positively definitely worth the cash.
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