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Special area for suite guests at Coco Cay?


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Ive heard this rumour, and if its true, it makes sense.  They do it in Labadee, why not Coco Cay?   Suites come at a premium... for some a huge premium, so why should they pay extra for an area like the "Coco Beach Club"?    I walked through there....and it was nice, but IMO not worth the extra $$$.   Its the same sand, the same water, ok they have different loungers  ( some are with cushions and Im sure you must arrive early to get those)  and a nice but small infinity pool that can become crowded.  Along with that a superior offering of food.     The cabanas on the water are ridiculously priced and are for people with money to burn or want to be Fiji tourist wannabes .  Its not the same.  And certainly not worth $2,000 plus IMO.  I like Coco Cay... it needs some refinement. The sand feels artificial. Its not smooth powdery white like the rest of Bahamas.The water is murky along most of the shoreline including the manmade bay.   Ive been there 5 times, and each time someone steps on a sea urchin, and you must watch out for baby sharks, manta rays etc.....  My wife spotted a few of these creatures and now refuses to swim on the shorelines . We go to the bay area where it is netted off to keep the creepy crawlies away.  Personally I enjoy the massive pool area.   All in all I prefer Coco Cay to Labadee .   What say you?

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1 hour ago, Edmund said:

Ive heard this rumour, and if its true, it makes sense.  They do it in Labadee, why not Coco Cay?   Suites come at a premium... for some a huge premium, so why should they pay extra for an area like the "Coco Beach Club"?    I walked through there....and it was nice, but IMO not worth the extra $$$.   Its the same sand, the same water, ok they have different loungers  ( some are with cushions and Im sure you must arrive early to get those)  and a nice but small infinity pool that can become crowded.  Along with that a superior offering of food.     The cabanas on the water are ridiculously priced and are for people with money to burn or want to be Fiji tourist wannabes .  Its not the same.  And certainly not worth $2,000 plus IMO.  I like Coco Cay... it needs some refinement. The sand feels artificial. Its not smooth powdery white like the rest of Bahamas.The water is murky along most of the shoreline including the manmade bay.   Ive been there 5 times, and each time someone steps on a sea urchin, and you must watch out for baby sharks, manta rays etc.....  My wife spotted a few of these creatures and now refuses to swim on the shorelines . We go to the bay area where it is netted off to keep the creepy crawlies away.  Personally I enjoy the massive pool area.   All in all I prefer Coco Cay to Labadee .   What say you?

They charge a lot for cabanas because people will pay it.  its a discretionary activity - it can make sense for those traveling with a family or group.  

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5 hours ago, cruisellama said:

They charge a lot for cabanas because people will pay it.  its a discretionary activity - it can make sense for those traveling with a family or group.  

Yes, perhaps for large groups,, but there are only a few loungers in the Cabana. The cost of the Cabana equals the cost of another cruise. The value equation does not work for me. 

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17 hours ago, Edmund said:

Yes, perhaps for large groups,, but there are only a few loungers in the Cabana. The cost of the Cabana equals the cost of another cruise. The value equation does not work for me. 

Agree on practical affordability related to cabana's, but it must be a reliable revenue source for the company to be offered.    I have seen  some price fluctuations, "guessing" its throttled upon demand.  (If you want to see an interesting take on really nice cabanas, check out an all-inclusive vacation in the Maldives.   The cost (inc air) will surprise you as it can be less than cost of higher end suites on a cruise ship.  You just have to fly 30hrs to get there - if you're starting from North America.)

We found the beach club a very affordable alternative (as a couple)  to have nice beach front (or pool) with ample lounge chairs.  You also get a great lunch.  

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If they provide it for suite guests they would increase the price of the suites accordingly. Some classes of ships throw in additional things for suite guests but the suites cost more vs the class that doesn't throw those things in.

I've written before that I think they should quadruple the number of cabana's and cut the price in half, they would net nearly twice the $$. We went here during the restart and had two days on coco cay. We bought a land based beach club cabana one day and an over water cabana the other day. They were selling them at half price due to the low volume and I believed it was a value if you had 6-8 people. We had already planned on buying our way into the beach club for about 100 a day each. We had only 6 people so the difference was like $125 per couple to get the land based and $200 per couple for the floating. While there weren't 8 loungers (I think there was 4) there was also a sectional couch, a table with 4 chairs and a hammock think over the water, plus people went it pools, the ocean, there was never a problem because nobody sat in a lounger all day but that was our group, yours might be different. At full price I doubt we'd do the cabana but we would go back to the beach club, but we will miss those cabanas at that price they were very enjoyable.

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On 2/5/2022 at 8:20 AM, Edmund said:

Ive heard this rumour, and if its true, it makes sense.  They do it in Labadee, why not Coco Cay?   Suites come at a premium... for some a huge premium, so why should they pay extra for an area like the "Coco Beach Club"?    I walked through there....and it was nice, but IMO not worth the extra $$$.   Its the same sand, the same water, ok they have different loungers  ( some are with cushions and Im sure you must arrive early to get those)  and a nice but small infinity pool that can become crowded.  Along with that a superior offering of food.     The cabanas on the water are ridiculously priced and are for people with money to burn or want to be Fiji tourist wannabes .  Its not the same.  And certainly not worth $2,000 plus IMO.  I like Coco Cay... it needs some refinement. The sand feels artificial. Its not smooth powdery white like the rest of Bahamas.The water is murky along most of the shoreline including the manmade bay.   Ive been there 5 times, and each time someone steps on a sea urchin, and you must watch out for baby sharks, manta rays etc.....  My wife spotted a few of these creatures and now refuses to swim on the shorelines . We go to the bay area where it is netted off to keep the creepy crawlies away.  Personally I enjoy the massive pool area.   All in all I prefer Coco Cay to Labadee .   What say you?

Agree, I think they should have a dedicated suite area like at Labadee instead of offering only the beach club as a premium option. As for the sharks, rays and other creatures they are harmless and add an element of nature distracting you from the artificial nature of the island. I personally think overall they did a great job on coco cay and it’s the top tier private island of the cruise industry. I disagree re: refinement after seeing the private islands offered by the competition. 

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42 minutes ago, AlohaLivin said:

They already charge plenty.

I agree, I guess my point is on oasis and quantum class ships they throw in free voom with suites above a junior suite and the beverage package and specialty dining with the highest classes of suites on those same ships but it's not "free" it is priced in. We had a grand suite and an owners suite on non quantum/oasis ships and have the same rooms on a quantum in the future. I remember the salesman onboard telling me we will get "free" internet and coastal kitchen access that didn't have before. But it's not really free because the same room costs much more on those ships, granted they are newer ships and have more things but it's not "free" it is "included." Build a "free" coco cay beach club for suites and they will more than likely raise the price of the suite accordingly. The current set up gives you the option.

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CocoCay is designed to handle over 12,000 guests at once.  They couldn’t get there by designating real estate to suites which represent a small number on any given ship.  

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Labadee updated so that two ships becomes common like CocoCay where the expectation has become two ships everyday.   Barefoot Beach might have to be opened to the general population or changed for the same reason there isn’t a dedicated suite area on CocoCay.  

With more large ships coming they need ports to call on.  Private destinations become more important and the ability to accommodate two ships plays into that.  We’ve already seen some scheduling of two ships at Labadee to begin to appear   I suspect we’ll see this more frequently in time.

Enjoy Barefoot Beach as a suite guest while you can.   It may not be that way forever.

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We have a floating cabana booked for upcoming Wonder cruise over spring break. Yes the cost was expensive but for our family is will be well worth the price. This way our group can come and go as we please. The wives might stay and chill while the others enjoy thrill water park or oasis pool. It will be a nice relaxing day for the last day of our trip. 

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We really enjoyed going to the Beach Club while cruising in a non-suite cabin. I hope they never make it suite exclusive. 
 

We were able to book it for around $80  pp.  That’s a lot less out of our pocket than staying in a suite.  
 

To be clear, I have no problems with suites having exclusivity, it should be like that…just don’t take away opportunities for non-suites to have a place to step up a bit. 

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Considering the next phase of CocoCay is going to be an adults only area, they don't see it as important to provide a special area for Suite Guests. 

I think it's awesome that you can sail on a rock bottom rate on a cruise and still be able to pay to experience the Beach Club if you like.

I appreciate that Labadee and CocoCay offer different things.  I haven't experienced Barefoot Beach but from what I've heard it isn't that much of a step up from the general public areas on Labadee, at least not as great of a step up as the Beach Club is on CocoCay.

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3 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

Considering the next phase of CocoCay is going to be an adults only area, they don't see it as important to provide a special area for Suite Guests. 

I think it's awesome that you can sail on a rock bottom rate on a cruise and still be able to pay to experience the Beach Club if you like.

I appreciate that Labadee and CocoCay offer different things.  I haven't experienced Barefoot Beach but from what I've heard it isn't that much of a step up from the general public areas on Labadee, at least not as great of a step up as the Beach Club is on CocoCay.

100% true. The Barefoot beach area is nice but it’s not anything special other then the “special access” if that’s your thing. I enjoyed the beach club at Coco Cay and wouldn’t want that to be suite exclusive at all but rather develop a separate area if that was an option. Personally if we sail suite or not (mostly suite) we prefer to hang around at that amazing pool with the swim up bar anyway and not go to the club. Wow, I think I miss Coco Cay and Labadee about now. 

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4 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

I haven't experienced Barefoot Beach but from what I've heard it isn't that much of a step up from the general public areas on Labadee, at least not as great of a step up as the Beach Club is on CocoCay.

There are some exclusive items on the buffett in Barefoot Beach but otherwise it's the same lounger and same sand as Nellie's Beach next door.  It's the exclusivity that some people seek.  The only perk really is having a decent chance at a lounger (not front row) if you stroll in at 11am.  If it was genpop it would fill up quickly since it is nicer than the ocean facing beach on the opposite side which is rocky and Barefoot Beach is the closest beach to the ship that isn't rocky.  

Beverages still require Seapass cards so no beverage perks there for suite guests.  DX works of course, as do Diamond vouchers now.

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22 minutes ago, twangster said:

There are some exclusive items on the buffett in Barefoot Beach but otherwise it's the same lounger and same sand as Nellie's Beach next door.  It's the exclusivity that some people seek.  The only perk really is having a decent chance at a lounger (not front row) if you stroll in at 11am.  If it was genpop it would fill up quickly since it is nicer than the ocean facing beach on the opposite side which is rocky and Barefoot Beach is the closest beach to the ship that isn't rocky.  

Beverages still require Seapass cards so no beverage perks there for suite guests.  DX works of course, as do Diamond vouchers now.

Yes the good loungers in the front fill up quick. 

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I've done Chill Island Cabana and over-the water Cabana.  Loved the chill island Cabana; quiet area and serve as a base for our party to meet, eat and drink. Very affordable with another couple.  The over-the-water Cabana was phenomenal especially for our anniversary celebration.  In both cases, prices dropped significantly.  [$499 (5 Jan 2020) and $699 (31 Oct 2021)]   Just keep looking at the price.  

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On 2/6/2022 at 7:30 PM, tonyfsu21 said:

Agree, I think they should have a dedicated suite area like at Labadee instead of offering only the beach club as a premium option. As for the sharks, rays and other creatures they are harmless and add an element of nature distracting you from the artificial nature of the island. I personally think overall they did a great job on coco cay and it’s the top tier private island of the cruise industry. I disagree re: refinement after seeing the private islands offered by the competition. 

Yes you may be right with regards to nothing much to compare to. They spent a lot of money doing it.  Im ok with sea creatures, but you must be careful with the sea urchins and jelly fish. (not harmless) My rule for ocean swimming.....if I cant see my toes, Im not going in.  

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On 2/6/2022 at 8:49 AM, cruisellama said:

Agree on practical affordability related to cabana's, but it must be a reliable revenue source for the company to be offered.    I have seen  some price fluctuations, "guessing" its throttled upon demand.  (If you want to see an interesting take on really nice cabanas, check out an all-inclusive vacation in the Maldives.   The cost (inc air) will surprise you as it can be less than cost of higher end suites on a cruise ship.  You just have to fly 30hrs to get there - if you're starting from North America.)

We found the beach club a very affordable alternative (as a couple)  to have nice beach front (or pool) with ample lounge chairs.  You also get a great lunch.  

Maldives is on my bucket list!  The cleanest clearest  aqua blue waters and whitest sands.  Flight is a drawback ( hate flying)  so I would have to take a sleeping pill for that!    Royal needs that revenue.. agreed.  From what I've researched  the bulk of staterooms are really  "wholesale priced"  The cruise lines make most of their money on the extras., which I think is about 30%   As far as the food goes on these short visits to a private Island or some excursions,  my stomach can wait. With the cruise ship just a short walk away, I know I can get a decent lunch/dinner on board. It never ceases to amaze me the constant consumption of food .  I might do the chicken sandwich that Matt likes... however.

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On 2/7/2022 at 7:13 AM, twangster said:

CocoCay is designed to handle over 12,000 guests at once.  They couldn’t get there by designating real estate to suites which represent a small number on any given ship.  

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Labadee updated so that two ships becomes common like CocoCay where the expectation has become two ships everyday.   Barefoot Beach might have to be opened to the general population or changed for the same reason there isn’t a dedicated suite area on CocoCay.  

With more large ships coming they need ports to call on.  Private destinations become more important and the ability to accommodate two ships plays into that.  We’ve already seen some scheduling of two ships at Labadee to begin to appear   I suspect we’ll see this more frequently in time.

Enjoy Barefoot Beach as a suite guest while you can.   It may not be that way forever.

Im not so sure on this. If you look beyond the fenced areas of the Island you can see more construction going on.  The suite area if designated would be a very small piece of real estate.  I would like to place a wager on this. Lets say 20 bucks?   Ive seen the other side of Barefoot beach..and its crowded... so you have a point. But I still think Barefoot beach is permanent for suite guests. The cabanas are not free there either., so there is a more revenue produced.

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On 2/6/2022 at 2:32 PM, Temeculaguy said:

If they provide it for suite guests they would increase the price of the suites accordingly. Some classes of ships throw in additional things for suite guests but the suites cost more vs the class that doesn't throw those things in.

I've written before that I think they should quadruple the number of cabana's and cut the price in half, they would net nearly twice the $$. We went here during the restart and had two days on coco cay. We bought a land based beach club cabana one day and an over water cabana the other day. They were selling them at half price due to the low volume and I believed it was a value if you had 6-8 people. We had already planned on buying our way into the beach club for about 100 a day each. We had only 6 people so the difference was like $125 per couple to get the land based and $200 per couple for the floating. While there weren't 8 loungers (I think there was 4) there was also a sectional couch, a table with 4 chairs and a hammock think over the water, plus people went it pools, the ocean, there was never a problem because nobody sat in a lounger all day but that was our group, yours might be different. At full price I doubt we'd do the cabana but we would go back to the beach club, but we will miss those cabanas at that price they were very enjoyable.

Yes, I think Coco Cay is still a work in progress. Things will change as feedback comes in.  I simply dont understand couples who are willing to pay $2000.00 for a cabana. ( i get the shared part)  If I was prepared to do that , then I would have considered a different kind of vacation. or a luxury cruise line. 

 

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14 hours ago, Bob_KY said:

I've done Chill Island Cabana and over-the water Cabana.  Loved the chill island Cabana; quiet area and serve as a base for our party to meet, eat and drink. Very affordable with another couple.  The over-the-water Cabana was phenomenal especially for our anniversary celebration.  In both cases, prices dropped significantly.  [$499 (5 Jan 2020) and $699 (31 Oct 2021)]   Just keep looking at the price.  

When you split that cost, it makes more sense.  As one poster said " there is so much to do at Coco Cay"  .   I simply would not see the value in the cabana at any price, as I would be out and about, in the pool, at the bar, strolling etc.  To each his own. Glad you enjoyed it . Cheers

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1 hour ago, Edmund said:

Im not so sure on this. If you look beyond the fenced areas of the Island you can see more construction going on.  The suite area if designated would be a very small piece of real estate.  I would like to place a wager on this. Lets say 20 bucks?   Ive seen the other side of Barefoot beach..and its crowded... so you have a point. But I still think Barefoot beach is permanent for suite guests. The cabanas are not free there either., so there is a more revenue produced.

Perfect Day has surpassed even their modest projections for revenue.  Naturally there will be more revenue areas added.   That's an easy investment to sell to the board.  Adding a suite area generates zero new revenue and costs money.  

Limiting Barefoot Beach cabanas to only suite guests has cost them revenue.  Sometimes they don't all sell.  If they open them up to all guests they will sell.  I'd also expect Labadee Cabanas to see price hikes going forward.  Currently they are a bargain compared to CocoCay.  

They are leaving money on the table at Labadee.  That will change.  Especially now that Jason Liberty has taken the reins.  They will take lessons learned from Perfect Day and apply them at Labadee.  

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12 minutes ago, twangster said:

Perfect Day has surpassed even their modest projections for revenue.  Naturally there will be more revenue areas added.   That's an easy investment to sell to the board.  Adding a suite area generates zero new revenue and costs money.  

Limiting Barefoot Beach cabanas to only suite guests has cost them revenue.  Sometimes they don't all sell.  If they open them up to all guests they will sell.  I'd also expect Labadee Cabanas to see price hikes going forward.  Currently they are a bargain compared to CocoCay.  

They are leaving money on the table at Labadee.  That will change.  Especially now that Jason Liberty has taken the reins.  They will take lessons learned from Perfect Day and apply them at Labadee.  

Added value is needed for suite guests who have dropped $10,000 plus. Im going to disagree on this one. 20 bucks.  

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5 minutes ago, Edmund said:

Added value is needed for suite guests who have dropped $10,000 plus. Im going to disagree on this one. 20 bucks.  

I have yet to hear anyone say "I won't book a suite because CocoCay doesn't have a suite area".   No one says that.  

As an investor who wants to see the dividends return I don't see it and hope they don't.  

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15 minutes ago, twangster said:

I have yet to hear anyone say "I won't book a suite because CocoCay doesn't have a suite area".   No one says that.  

As an investor who wants to see the dividends return I don't see it and hope they don't.  

 

15 minutes ago, twangster said:

I have yet to hear anyone say "I won't book a suite because CocoCay doesn't have a suite area".   No one says that.  

As an investor who wants to see the dividends return I don't see it and hope they don't.  

Possibly. Take something away however and watch people scream.  20 bucks stands

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7 minutes ago, Edmund said:

 

Possibly. Take something away however and watch people scream.  20 bucks stands

What are they taking away?   CocoCay briefly had a suites grouping of loungers within the cabana compound prior to the pier being added.  It proved to be lightly used.  

$20 CAD?  That's not even a nice glass of wine 😉 

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44 minutes ago, twangster said:

What are they taking away?   CocoCay briefly had a suites grouping of loungers within the cabana compound prior to the pier being added.  It proved to be lightly used.  

$20 CAD?  That's not even a nice glass of wine 😉 

 

44 minutes ago, twangster said:

What are they taking away?   CocoCay briefly had a suites grouping of loungers within the cabana compound prior to the pier being added.  It proved to be lightly used.  

$20 CAD?  That's not even a nice glass of wine 😉 

take away Labadee even though its "meh" for you.    My favourite wine is Silver Oaks Napa Valley.  $50 bucks glass ok

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