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

[TXcruzer]

On 9/14/2023 at 3:21 PM, Neesa said:

Looked to book it for our June sailing. Kiddo is 17 on embarkation day but turns 18 in the middle of our sailing. The day after she turns 18 we go to Coco Cay, so she will be 18 but even after numerous phone calls & I mean 4 plus getting my amazing TA Sharla involved the answer was no can do. I was told to wait & purchase the day she turns 18 on the ship from the shore excursion desk, um no thank you. We thought it would be a nice 18th birthday treat but I am so disgusted by the way they handled this and one representative was just so nasty I will pass. On my first time calling a very kind representative was able to book it for me, I had the reservation email as well but about 10 minutes later they sent my cancelation notification. Just another wonderful Royal experience, gees!!

As an aside after my confirmed reservation I canceled my beach bed at a great price, I had to pay 180.00 more to get the bed back to add insult to injury, but Icon is there the same day so I wanted a home base. I should have known better,

 

Rant over, sorry everyone 

Unfortunately this is par for the course; they seem to stand hard by the “your age on boarding is your age for the journey” rule. 
One of my children turned 21 mid journey several years ago, and there was absolutely no way, no how, they would allow her to purchase a drink on board. So I bought them, and hand delivered them to her. 

[TXcruzer]

On 9/15/2023 at 7:06 AM, asquared17 said:

i priced out a celebrity sailing for kicks and giggles and they used to be so insane but now with so much of what they offer being included (wifi, tips, etc) i'm thinking this may be the new way to go. i would miss central park and the oasis class fiercely but this new pricing beyond 2024 is just too insane for me.

X is changing the “all included” offering and tips won’t be included after October 4- seems RCG is trying to level the field a bit. 

[asquared17]

3 hours ago, TXcruzer said:

X is changing the “all included” offering and tips won’t be included after October 4- seems RCG is trying to level the field a bit. 

i remember thinking this would knock the “all included” out of the running for me since i wouldn’t benefit from the drinks + wi-fi only package. (wi-fi, yes, drinks no )

so maybe now it’ll be more cost effective, like you said!

[nferr]

On 9/16/2023 at 1:27 PM, asquared17 said:

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

I understand, but it's an OPTION. If it's not for you simply don't pay for it and find another nice quiet spot on the island.  And if the RCL cruise experience is not what you prefer - again look for a cruise line that caters more to the quiet, more sedate style of cruising. Holland America, maybe Celebrity for example.