Hideaway Beach appears in Cruise Planner - day pass needed to get in

[SMOKEY0202]

Sad to say reality has set in with Royal's prices across the board. Even the oldest ship in the fleet is hovering with outrageous fares with no Central Park or bells and whistles.

I have come to conclusion when wanting to sail it's been itinerary then ship and last 4 cruises this year, Celebrity had the better deal.  With all included and a nice OBC i was able to have funds for other things from the cruise budget.

[Ampurp85]

My brother made an interesting point. He thought the Hideaway beach would be offered to adults, aka people who are over 35 and wanted a quiet place to relax. When he read his email, he thought 18 is still children and given that a main draw is pizza and a DJ, he is right. This isn't what they touted it as, it is just a beach night club. 

I originally thought charging would go over like a lead balloon. But they are marketing towards the 28-30 crowd imho. And that crowd has no problem paying for something that is actually included and can be achieved for free. 

[Sweety]

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I am getting to this point as well. But it makes me really sad to acknowledge that.

I have a Celebrity cruise booked for February 14-17, 2025. The deal was amazing.

[Matt]

50 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

he thought 18 is still children and given that a main draw is pizza and a DJ, he is right.

Let's be fair. Not only is 18 an adult on land in pretty much every sense of the word, plenty of 20 and 30 year olds (and older) enjoy pizza and DJ music.

If you want to debate maturity, fine, but I think it's incorrect to assume no one above the age of 30 has any interest in those things (with the exception of your brother).

[Doug_Texas]

Wow, this is a surprise.  My January Icon cruise prices Hideaway at $88.99 pp.  I like a relaxing day at the beach and their first sentence in the overview describes it as "the ultimate beachfront party".   Looks like fun for the younger crowd.  I assume with the "Hideaway Beach Cabana" being "Sold Out" at $2,500 they will have no problem selling $90 day passes.

Just as an interesting point of reference - RCL revenues this year will end $10B+  The revenue per passenger cruise day is up 16.6% since 2019 (7/27 earnings call).  And their "onboard revenue" (meaning not cruise fare) is 34% of total revenue.  Wow, $3.4 Billion this year in cabanas, drink packages, casino, specialty dining, Hideaway Beach Club, etc.  And the profit margin for "onboard revenue" is much higher than the cruise fare.  This company knows exactly what they are doing.  Buy 100 shares of RCL stock and take the $100 cabin credit for every 7+ day cruise you take.    

[WAAAYTOOO]

20 minutes ago, Doug_Texas said:

And the profit margin for "onboard revenue" is much higher than the cruise fare. 

This has always been the case.  The cruise fare has always been a low margin profit center.  It's the onboard spending that makes them profitable.  Always has been.  Yes, they know exactly what they are doing....

[Ampurp85]

3 hours ago, Matt said:

Let's be fair. Not only is 18 an adult on land in pretty much every sense of the word, plenty of 20 and 30 year olds (and older) enjoy pizza and DJ music.

If you want to debate maturity, fine, but I think it's incorrect to assume no one above the age of 30 has any interest in those things (with the exception of your brother).

I would agree with you. I guess my point didn't come across as I thought it would be a quiet, relaxing place. 

[dr martini]

most of perfect day already is pretty quiet, I expected this to be an active space.  Hideaway beach project is clearly related to the demand they have for coco beach club and the other cabanas.  lots of people dropping lots of money on enhanced experiences and anything that is marketed as more exclusive (cough 'the key' cough), most of those folks obviously aren't here on the forums and plenty of us are going to scratch our heads and/or complain about it, but those dollars are absolutely being spent and people are voting with their feet telling Royal what they want to do with their dollars so.....here we are

[Jolly Ogre]

4 hours ago, Matt said:

Let's be fair. Not only is 18 an adult on land in pretty much every sense of the word, plenty of 20 and 30 year olds (and older) enjoy pizza and DJ music.

If you want to debate maturity, fine, but I think it's incorrect to assume no one above the age of 30 has any interest in those things (with the exception of your brother).

Umm...I am sure not many 20-30 year olds know what DJ music is... with real vinyl records spun by a real DJ like Wolf Man Jack. Not these wannabes  that are not on the radio. DJ = disc jockey... and not those CD's real vinyl!!

[Ditchdoc]

The best spot in CoCo Cay....stay on the ship...its nearly deserted....and free.

[OCSC Mike]

5 minutes ago, Ditchdoc said:

The best spot in CoCo Cay....stay on the ship...its nearly deserted....and free.

To each his own. CocoCay is also free and I enjoy the food there way too much to skip it.

[OCSC Mike]

7 minutes ago, Jolly Ogre said:

CD's

  CD's are as outdated as vinyl at this point.

[Ampurp85]

@Jolly OgreI laughed so had about the DJ thing. Lots of people just play music from their phone and think themselves a DJ.

I nearly died of laughter when one of the youths explained silent walking to me. Which is walking without some sort of device playing, at 38 I consider this just walking. 

I have been to PDCC enough that I mostly stay on the ship, the casino is open and I have the ship at my disposal. 

[WAAAYTOOO]

"silent walking" .  That's a good one.  OMG

[SweetPea]

23 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

IMO they got this backwards.  They should have made the adults-only venue the “upscale” theme and the all-age venue the “party” vibe.  Most families don’t want to pay big $$ for an upscale meal (which is really all you get for your money at the Beach Club) for the kids.

+1. My first thought was that the adults only section would be more Serenity Bay a la Castaway Cay. But it sounds more like an adults only Oasis Lagoon. I like to veg and listen to the waves, but I'm not getting that vibe from Hideaway. 

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, Ampurp85 said:

I nearly died of laughter when one of the youths explained silent walking to me. Which is walking without some sort of device playing, at 38 I consider this just walking.

That's a new one to me, lol.

[TheMaxRebo]

51 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

  CD's are as outdated as vinyl at this point.

recently vinyl actually outsells CDs 

 

[Vancity Cruiser]

It'll be interesting how this all plays out. I feel there are 2 'groups' of people looking for the 'adult only' experience and they want (expect) 2 very different things. There is the never had kids/haven't had kids yet crowd that are looking for a boisterous party atmosphere without kids around. Then there is the empty nesters/parents on vacation without their kids who just want some freakin peace and quiet.

This area seems to cater more to the first group.

[Montemy2419]

We usually stay away from Oasis due to the loud music.  I did have to go there because I was told that was the only location to get a Coco Loco drink for my husband.  While waiting for the drinks I noticed 4 ladies getting very familiar with each other as a couple of guys watched.  I would love for RC to move the DJ to Hideaway to allow all of us non-party people to enjoy the pool area.  The bar area is the only spot with shade while in the pool so I would like to go there without the DJ.

[WAAAYTOOO]

On the very rare occasion that I actually get off the ship at PDCC you will generally find me at the swim-up bar.  I don't really mind the DJ and I love watching people have a good time.  I really really hate the sand so the only place I am likely to "swim" is the Oasis pool.  I have to stay in the shade so I will generally maneuver around and find a seat near the bar somewhere.  I wouldn't mind if they moved the DJ over to the Hideaway side but I sincerely doubt they will do that.  My guess is that they will keep both DJs so there is a party atmosphere at both places.  After all, even people with children enjoy a party ! 

[OCSC Mike]

33 minutes ago, Montemy2419 said:

The bar area is the only spot with shade while in the pool so I would like to go there without the DJ.

It's pretty shady if you sit on the underwater bench by the trees where the big iguana hangs out. That's where we go to cool off before returning to our loungers under an umbrella. I can't handle the sun but that works for me.

[Ampurp85]

I don't think this new place will change anything at PDCC. In fact, I think they will start to see what they can monetize that already isn't. I avoid Oasis Lagoon other than a smidge of people watching. The pool is always a bit too crowded; I like South Beach because I can usually find shade and read. But I cannot imagine paying anything to do the same thing I can do for free, so Hideaway beach wouldn't be for me and that is fine. 

Was there anything about how they expect people to get there? Is the transportation separate and included in that cost?

 

[smokeybandit]

12 hours ago, Matt said:

In seeing all the marketing for Hideaway, I think they're going for a Las Vegas pool party vibe instead of a continuation of the Solarium on land.

 

All I picture is the DJ playing a rotation of Pitbull, Gloria Estefan and Shakira over and over again.

[Rackham]

11 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

All I picture is the DJ playing a rotation of Pitbull, Gloria Estefan and Shakira over and over again.

Can't wait for "Perfect Day at CoCoCay" (trap remix) to be spun.

I've been thinking about my position on Hideaway being another upcharge and different from what was expected after the original announcement. Having Hideaway be an upcharge doesn't change what's offered on the rest of the island. Hideaway being da club on da beach doesn't change the spots I'd typically hang while on CoCoCay. So while it's disappointing that there isn't going to be a shoreside Solarium, what Hideaway turned out to be doesn't change what's already on offer. Altogether, it's easy enough to ignore if I'm not wanting to visit. I might check it out once, depending on pricing for a visit in 2025, but I don't feel a need to spend extra just because it's there.

[smokeybandit]

8 minutes ago, Rackham said:

Can't wait for "Perfect Day at CoCoCay" (trap remix) to be spun.

I think you're onto something.

[Matt]

19 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

I would agree with you. I guess my point didn't come across as I thought it would be a quiet, relaxing place. 

Makes sense.

I am hoping the DJ being at the swim up bar will make areas further away (i.e. the beach) quieter

[asquared17]

it's funny; i was reading in the sister thread to this (in the main discussion forum) and someone had mentioned something along the lines of, what about those of us who sailed when the capacity was limited/have been faithful all these years??

and i agreed, because -- while we may not partake of the new offerings, or benefit/enjoy the features that are being added to the fleet and excursions as RCI goes after their competitors with LETHAL accuracy (disney, virgin voyages, i'm looking at you) -- we may be the tried and true sailors who have now reached diamond/diamond + and beyond, without needing the bells and whistles.

and then it hit me..... those of us who have those perks, were faithful all these years, and generally may prefer a more low-key experience -- is this their way to PHASE US OUT?!

QUELLE HORREUR!!!!

then i promptly became depressed and stared into the void.

[Neesa]

Hope you all are sitting down, remember my Hide Away Beach fiasco trying to get admissions to celebrate kiddos 18th birthday on the 18+ beach because I thought it would be an amazing birthday treat? Remember she is 17 on embarkation day but 18 the day before we visit Coco Cay & my entire cancelation of reservations by Royal mess? 

Well when I escalated the other day the young lady said she would call me back, I was like "sure, not holding my breath" & went ahead and rebooked the beach bed on South Beach for 180.00 more. I made up my mind I would not go to the Royal's Virgin Voyages party beach, humph! Well to be transparent with my fam here & fair to Royal here is what happened.

I'm doing my home chores yesterday with my fitness watch on (because I cheat) & it buzzes, Royal Caribbean calling, wait...what? I go & grab the phone & a young lady asks is it okay I called we want to know exactly what transpired please, my name is Janelle & I'm from Michael Bayley's office. Besides being flabbergasted I sit down and painstakingly explain everything, she then brings another person from excursions on the line and all 3 of us interact. Long story short she thanked me & apologized and offered to secure our reservations for the day. This was 200.00 cheaper then my beach bed and she was so nice I did it, I am going to party beach! 

After reading everything and as @Sharla stated the adults beach on DCL is quiet & included with the sailing fare (we visited in June 2023) I'm bringing earplugs & a great attitude, hopefully it won't be too loud on the beach but this old girl is going for it. How could I not, after all that I could not say....oh, thanks never mind; that's not my nature. My girls will be secured so no tripping & my newly minted 18 year old hopefully will remember this for the rest of her life. 

I complain when Royal gets it wrong, I must let you guys know when they make an amazing effort at customer care, now if only the suites amenity could be streamlined, LOL! 

 

[Neesa]

4 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

it's funny; i was reading in the sister thread to this (in the main discussion forum) and someone had mentioned something along the lines of, what about those of us who sailed when the capacity was limited/have been faithful all these years??

and i agreed, because -- while we may not partake of the new offerings, or benefit/enjoy the features that are being added to the fleet and excursions as RCI goes after their competitors with LETHAL accuracy (disney, virgin voyages, i'm looking at you) -- we may be the tried and true sailors who have now reached diamond/diamond + and beyond, without needing the bells and whistles.

and then it hit me..... those of us who have those perks, were faithful all these years, and generally may prefer a more low-key experience -- is this their way to PHASE US OUT?!

QUELLE HORREUR!!!!

then i promptly became depressed and stared into the void.

Oh my goodness, I was thinking the same when I stepped off my demon ship experience. THE.SAME.EXACT.THING. You are in my head, SCARY!

[TheMaxRebo]

5 minutes ago, Neesa said:

Hope you all are sitting down, remember my Hide Away Beach fiasco trying to get admissions to celebrate kiddos 18th birthday on the 18+ beach because I thought it would be an amazing birthday treat? Remember she is 17 on embarkation day but 18 the day before we visit Coco Cay & my entire cancelation of reservations by Royal mess? 

Well when I escalated the other day the young lady said she would call me back, I was like "sure, not holding my breath" & went ahead and rebooked the beach bed on South Beach for 180.00 more. I made up my mind I would not go to the Royal's Virgin Voyages party beach, humph! Well to be transparent with my fam here & fair to Royal here is what happened.

I'm doing my home chores yesterday with my fitness watch on (because I cheat) & it buzzes, Royal Caribbean calling, wait...what? I go & grab the phone & a young lady asks is it okay I called we want to know exactly what transpired please, my name is Janelle & I'm from Michael Bayley's office. Besides being flabbergasted I sit down and painstakingly explain everything, she then brings another person from excursions on the line and all 3 of us interact. Long story short she thanked me & apologized and offered to secure our reservations for the day. This was 200.00 cheaper then my beach bed and she was so nice I did it, I am going to party beach! 

After reading everything and as @Sharla stated the adults beach on DCL is quiet & included with the sailing fare (we visited in June 2023) I'm bringing earplugs & a great attitude, hopefully it won't be too loud on the beach but this old girl is going for it. How could I not, after all that I could not say....oh, thanks never mind that's not my nature. My girls will be secured so no tripping & my newly minted 18 year old hopefully will remember this for the rest of her life. 

I complain when Royal gets it wrong, I must let you guys know when they make an amazing effort at customer care, now if only the suites amenity could be streamlined, LOL! 

 

Glad to hear they called you back and got it figured out. 

 

Guest recovery is very important and feels like they made things right, even if some initial stress occurred

 

Hope you all have a great time and you daughter has a happy birthday!

[OCSC Mike]

57 minutes ago, Neesa said:

Long story short she thanked me & apologized and offered to secure our reservations for the day. This was 200.00 cheaper then my beach bed and she was so nice I did it, I am going to party beach!

So happy to hear something go well for you. Hope you have a great time there!

[GatorCruiser]

Mr worldwide, mr 305, dale 

[Matt]

38 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

Mr worldwide, mr 305, dale 

He prefers to go by @twangster

[nferr]

On 9/14/2023 at 5:40 PM, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

Like @Gilley I reserved (in my cart) for our Utopia cruise next September.  Price is $70.99/pp so hoping Black Friday might bring the prices down a bit?  I’m just curious…lol 

Reserving in your cart really does nothing until you pay. It "reserves" nothing. 

[nferr]

On 9/15/2023 at 11:01 AM, Matt said:

Let's be fair. Not only is 18 an adult on land in pretty much every sense of the word, plenty of 20 and 30 year olds (and older) enjoy pizza and DJ music.

If you want to debate maturity, fine, but I think it's incorrect to assume no one above the age of 30 has any interest in those things (with the exception of your brother).

I think some people would be much happier with 55+ only sailings.

[asquared17]

10 minutes ago, nferr said:

I think some people would be much happier with 55+ only sailings

i thought about this for a bit because a certain demographic could certainly be appealing, however — what about those of us who are in higher stress environments (or low stress quite frankly); the service industry; or simply wish for a modicum of peace and quiet when vacationing?

this is not to say that entertainment on any level is bad — or that we don’t enjoy it! — but more so that it seems moves are being made to capitalize (again, nothing wrong with that!) and maximize less “chill” options and more “full on” experiences. 

and again, i will state: there is NOTHING wrong with that

i am in my thirties and have been in customer service and parts of retail/food industry prior to kicking into tech. for me, a large part of what i look forward to is being able to unplug when i go on vacation and turn my brain off. 

can i still do this at PDCC? ABSOLUTELY. i don’t even need to pay extra money or go to the beach club if i prefer not to. i could stay on the ship, or my balcony and enjoy the weather. 

i think initially i was under the impression that adults only WOULD be more geared like an on land solarium situation — but more enforced age restriction with kids bc we all know kids are in the solarium while aboard. 

the fact that hideaway beach isn’t that way doesn’t mean i HATE it — just means it’s not for me.

my age excludes me from a 55+ cruise and i love people watching as others enjoy various forms of entertainment and activities, so i generally prefer a royal cruise to be my cruise of choice.  

however there is definitely a feeling that there is more emphasis on cramming in additional experiences — paid or included — on the newest ships and now, hideaway beach — to leverage a different kind of crowd. 

and again, this is not bad, or wrong, in ANY way. 

but i also don’t necessarily believe i’d be happier on a 55+ cruise even if i were of age for that haha

[Pattycruise]

On 9/15/2023 at 5:36 PM, WAAAYTOOO said:

"silent walking" .  That's a good one.  OMG

Yeah, the youngins invented it!

[Ampurp85]

I get what @asquared17 is saying. I feel like as a loyal member, I am being both priced and sort of phased out. 

Most of the things I read prior had me believing it would be quiet and relaxing. However, if you are charging just to have a DJ and access to pizza it sounds more like an experience. It sounds like a club at PDCC.

I like to people watch and chill, I don't need the beach to do that, but I was excited for Hideaway Beach because I thought it would be some bars, hammocks, shaded chairs etc. Meaning I could read without some child being extra and screaming about an itchy butt(sand) . Now I feel like it is literally a Vegas pool knockoff, which is imho the worst thing about Vegas. 

[Xaa]

6 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

I get what @asquared17 is saying. I feel like as a loyal member, I am being both priced and sort of phased out. 

Most of the things I read prior had me believing it would be quiet and relaxing. However, if you are charging just to have a DJ and access to pizza it sounds more like an experience. It sounds like a club at PDCC.

I like to people watch and chill, I don't need the beach to do that, but I was excited for Hideaway Beach because I thought it would be some bars, hammocks, shaded chairs etc. Meaning I could read without some child being extra and screaming about an itchy butt(sand) . Now I feel like it is literally a Vegas pool knockoff, which is imho the worst thing about Vegas. 

Yeah, I hate to see it, but it is a natural step in maximizing profits.  When you have full sailings and super high demand, the loyal are costing you revenue that the new would spend.  While I don't think there is any active policy to alienate the loyal, there's also no fear barrier preventing it from being a side effect of other maximization efforts.

[Xaa]

18 hours ago, Neesa said:

I complain when Royal gets it wrong, I must let you guys know when they make an amazing effort at customer care, now if only the suites amenity could be streamlined, LOL! 

I love it @Neesa.  I have seen them improving shore side service lately.  Fingers crossed that it continues down that path.