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Cococay Cabanas vs bungalow


Todd W

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Does anyone have pictures of the Cococay cabanas and bungalows ?   I've been trying to find out the difference in what they look like and keep coming across conflicting information.    interested in finding out what to expect for the new "Chill Island Cabanas".       Seems like what i find shows the same pics for either one.    covered cabana with an L-shaped couch, couple of beach loungers next to it.    anyone have pics, i'd love to see them please.  thanks!

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it would be for Perfect Day but even currently, i still can't find anything that verifies the differences between the two.      My 2020 cruise has Chill Island cabana's up for purchase in the planner and wanted to get one locked in but wanted to see what it was i'd actually be paying for first lol.   I guess i may just purchase now to ensure i can have one and then cancel if it's not what i'm looking for.

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Unless something changes, the primary difference between a bungalow and a cabana is...

  • Bungalows have two walls (back wall and side wall) and usually a curtain wall.
  • Cabanas have three walls
  • Cabanas get more personalized service from the attendant (at least, in my experience).

With the new Perfect Day cabanas, there could be some changes to this, especially the pricey cabanas they are adding.

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From September 2017:

Cabanas

Cabanas have a thatched roof area with semi private walls (somewhat see through) and some have a wood deck and upgraded loungers in the front or on the side exposed to the sun as well as some standard plastic island loungers you can drag down to the water if you wish to. 

1324433905_CococayBung-Caba-3.jpg.0eff616c4849c464734bcbf2313e95fa.jpg

1594075986_CococayBung-Caba-2.jpg.13e8375d6fdbc0a8cc9d674ef454df30.jpg

Bungalows

Bungalows have solid back wall and curtain sides. Each also has some upgraded loungers exposed to the sun.

187900283_CococayBung-Caba-1.jpg.6bea240401a2035e09c9ae57f6e86d76.jpg

 

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  • 5 months later...

Great comparison photos Twangster!  We had a bungalow booked for Christmas Day 2018.... but it was too windy to go to Cococay so I spent the afternoon on the Flowrider instead, docked in Nassau... and enjoyed some extra onboard credit!

I just booked, through MEI (our first with an agent in years, and Sharla is great).... for next Easter on Anthem, and the first thing I want to book is AT LEAST one bungalow, but it is jNOT in the cruise planner!  Accckk!    Does anyone know if they are NOT going to be an option in April of 2020?  The only structures available are next to the wave pool, and that is NOT what we are looking for.  We enjoy what was Barefoot Beach (now South Beach)....  

Here's a photo of our Bungalow from Easter 2018.  It was worth every penny.  It really changed our experience, it is away from the crowds, and the shade, water, services... it was great!

Here's a photo of our Bungalow before we moved into it... and a view from our back row bungalow, which had much more shade than the others, and we were next to the bar... and all we ordered were diet cokes...  

121.JPG

097.JPG

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@Mrs. RoyalMoyal, most likely the bungalows aren't showing yet simply because it's too early. I think the earliest they typically show up is about a year away from sail date, but your mileage may vary.

Do check regularly (like, weekly) for when they appear. These are one of the few items in the Cruise Planner that only get more expensive as times goes by, because the inventory dries up and demand skyrockets. Soon as you see a price you're comfortable with, book it! Then, if you find the price actually drops later on, do a quick cancel and rebook.

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Thank you Mrs Royal for the photo comparison! I have limited mobility & needed a better idea of the structure difference as well.I surmise the lack in photos is due to them not being built yet? We are traveling HOTS in June .Gosh, for the price I originally paid, Chill Island Cabana started at $749& dropped to $549 I think I am building one just with my payment! Haha. Oh, FYI, there is a “known discrepancy “ on the website with how many people can visit/stay/be addressed by the cabana person. I am only mentioning this, if you are having people “pitch in” for the total price. The highlights mention “ up to eight of your favorite people”,which I took as myself & eight others = 9 total. The important notes mention “maximum eight per cabana”. When you complete the order, there will be an option if you are close to your cruise date to choose SIX. I worked with Customer Resolutions for over a month, Eva got back to me & said it is capacity of 6 adults & 2 children?  Also, these Chill Island Cabanas have a cocktail table, speaker, combination lock lid for storage, USB outlet, private cooler that the cabana person keeps stocked with water, and towels for your guests.

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  • 2 months later...

looking into the same for my summer 2020 cruise (which happens to also be my first cruise experience).

traveling with about 9 children all under the age of 7, and 10 adults, so multiple cabanas/bungalows will be needed.  have a few questions for those that have recently experienced either or both:
- which are relatively closer to restrooms (cabanas or bungalows).  are said restrooms clean?

- what are the lunch options for each?  I recall reading that the bungalows come with lunch service delivered to your bungalow.  but are there other options for lunch available?  do you have to travel to the main buffet that's open to everyone?  is there a smaller buffet section open to those who have reserved a cabana/bungalow? 

since we have quite a few children, we are looking for the area with the nicest beach/water, and nearest clean restrooms.

thanks all in advance!

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When we went in March 2019 we had bungalows located on South Beach.  The location could change by the time your cruise rolls around as there are part of Coco Cay that aren't expected to be ready until this winter.  They may add bungalows in other parts of the beach, so I can only speak about the ones that we visited.

We had the three bungalows closest to the public area.  I believe they were numbers 23, 24, 25.  They were in the front row of the bungalows so we had an unobstructed beach view.  The water immediately in front of the beach was extremely shallow in spots and people could walk a considerable distance out on sand bars.  There were also some areas where it dropped off.  We were on the end of the area of bungalows closest to the floating bar that you can see on the maps.  I think it being shallow in that area is good for small children, but we did have one child in our group decide to pet a jellyfish..so there's always that to be aware of.

There was a restroom really close to the bungalows we had.  They had sinks and toilets and were clean.  There were open area rinse showers available outside as well.  The dedicated bar setup was nearby and an easy walk from the bungalows we were in, but we also had an attendant that would take drink orders and deliver to the bungalows.  You had to use your SeaPass to order drinks and the beverage package works on all of Coco Cay.  They took the food orders ahead of time which included starters, entrees, and desserts.  There was a variety to choose from on the menu but I remember tacos, nachos, chips, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, cookies, fruit, and cake.  The meals were packaged in plastic to-go containers.  There was no other dining options available immediately nearby.

They did have a shuttle that ran out to South Beach.  It was available to take guests back closer to the Oasis Lagoon pool and the buffet area if desired.

In March 2019, South Beach was very quiet and secluded and it seemed like there was more natural shade from trees in the area.  It was the farthest point from all the rest of the action, so that contributed to the quiet and feeling of seclusion.  I don't know how this will change once the water park is open and functional as it will back up to South Beach.

I didn't experience the cabanas area and I do believe they are going to be adding different areas of cabanas, so I can't attest to what will exist or be close there.  But the South Beach bungalows are currently the furthest away from all of the rest of the action on the island.  If the kids will be at all interested in pool time, I would recommend going for a cabana as it will be closer to everything else going on at Coco Cay.

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On 1/25/2019 at 7:47 AM, RTripp said:

Thank you Mrs Royal for the photo comparison! I have limited mobility & needed a better idea of the structure difference as well.I surmise the lack in photos is due to them not being built yet? We are traveling HOTS in June .Gosh, for the price I originally paid, Chill Island Cabana started at $749& dropped to $549 I think I am building one just with my payment! Haha. Oh, FYI, there is a “known discrepancy “ on the website with how many people can visit/stay/be addressed by the cabana person. I am only mentioning this, if you are having people “pitch in” for the total price. The highlights mention “ up to eight of your favorite people”,which I took as myself & eight others = 9 total. The important notes mention “maximum eight per cabana”. When you complete the order, there will be an option if you are close to your cruise date to choose SIX. I worked with Customer Resolutions for over a month, Eva got back to me & said it is capacity of 6 adults & 2 children?  Also, these Chill Island Cabanas have a cocktail table, speaker, combination lock lid for storage, USB outlet, private cooler that the cabana person keeps stocked with water, and towels for your guests.

@RTripp Hi RTripp....I noticed you mentioned mobility issues.  I have a question that I am hoping you can help me with.  My family and my brother's family are sailing on Mariner in July.  My brother is a full time wheelchair user.  It is a manual wheelchair which he navigates himself by wheeling with his arms.  When we co to CoCo Cay, we rented an ocean view cabana for the 9 of us since he will probably not be in the ocean as much of the rest of us and he wanted a shady place to be able to sit.  RC is not providing us with much information about accessibility of the ocean view cabanas.  

My question is......do you know anything about the accessibility of the cabanas?  Are there steps up to all of them, or are their ones that are accessible to a wheelchair user.  We may be able to pull his wheelchair up a few steps without a problem.  Also, is it difficult to get to the ocean cabanas?   I would appreciate anything  you may know to help us.  

Thanks!

Sue M.

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34 minutes ago, SMM799 said:

@RTripp Hi RTripp....I noticed you mentioned mobility issues.  I have a question that I am hoping you can help me with.  My family and my brother's family are sailing on Mariner in July.  My brother is a full time wheelchair user.  It is a manual wheelchair which he navigates himself by wheeling with his arms.  When we co to CoCo Cay, we rented an ocean view cabana for the 9 of us since he will probably not be in the ocean as much of the rest of us and he wanted a shady place to be able to sit.  RC is not providing us with much information about accessibility of the ocean view cabanas.  

My question is......do you know anything about the accessibility of the cabanas?  Are there steps up to all of them, or are their ones that are accessible to a wheelchair user.  We may be able to pull his wheelchair up a few steps without a problem.  Also, is it difficult to get to the ocean cabanas?   I would appreciate anything  you may know to help us.  

Thanks!

Sue M.

The cabanas present today are surrounded by sand.  A conventional wheelchair won't do well in sand.  Cabanas are elevated from the beach requiring one to set up onto the platform that is the decking for the cabanas.  There are golf carts and trams to move guests around the island but they don't stop right at the cabanas. 

Royal does have beach wheelchairs available at CocoCay.  They have very large beach tires on them.  You may want to call Royal or your travel agent and discuss this with them.

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2 hours ago, SMM799 said:

Great!  Thanks. 

I wonder if anyone on this blog can help give insight on the beach wheelchairs?  How do you get one and what is the process?

 

Thanks again!

 

I noticed them lined up under a pop-up tent on the pier and there was an attendant there.  Not sure if it's something you would have to arrange ahead of time or if it was something they offered when they saw someone in a chair as the sand started immediately at the end of the pier (this will change once all the construction is complete).   You can reach out to your TA and see if they can inquire how it can be requested.  If you haven't come across any answers by the time you sail, ask at the shore excursion desk.  

Also put in a request through:  https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/guestSpecialNeeds.do  to cover all bases for other needs for your trip!

 

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  • 1 month later...

@fuce4609  Which cabana are  you looking at?  Chill, Oasis or Thrill?  The prices really vary depending on which part of island you are looking at.  We have one for our July on Chill and we got it for 449 last fall.  Since the time we purchased it I have seen it go as high as 1099 one week and the following week it was down to 649, with the week after that at 749.  You  just have to watch the prices.  For Thrill I have never seen it go below 800.  Oasis usually hung in the 600 range. 

 

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sorry for the noob question, but can someone provide some description of each?  from what I recall reading in the past, Thrill beach is where the water sports are, like wave runners?

Think I've read about Chill beach, but not Oasis.  Basically looking for the most kid friendly beach, close to restrooms.

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Thrill is the water park.  Chill cabanas are located by the jet skis on the beach.  Oasis is the new pool.  If you are looking for a beach than you want Chill.   

If you look at pics/videos of the Perfect Day, basically when you get off at the end of the pier, Thrill is to the right.  Oasis is straight ahead.  Chill is to the left.  Oasis pools are free.   You can also see the location of the Chill Island Cabanas regarding the proximity to the jet skis.  

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 1/24/2019 at 7:59 PM, JLMoran said:

@Mrs. RoyalMoyal, most likely the bungalows aren't showing yet simply because it's too early. I think the earliest they typically show up is about a year away from sail date, but your mileage may vary.

Do check regularly (like, weekly) for when they appear. These are one of the few items in the Cruise Planner that only get more expensive as times goes by, because the inventory dries up and demand skyrockets. Soon as you see a price you're comfortable with, book it! Then, if you find the price actually drops later on, do a quick cancel and rebook.

I would call RC. I was looking for the South beach cabanas for January 2020, I had seen them online one morning but a few hours later they were gone. I called, they had 5 available, i booked 3 ? 

 

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