Heaven on Castaway Cay

Check-in went very smoothly. They did have to radio the ship to make sure no one had indeed reserved the cabana on board. Once we got the go-ahead, we boarded our golf cart for a ride to our cabana. Rafael was our cabana cast member. (Oh how I have always wanted to say, "Oh cabana boy!") He told us about all of the amenities that came with the rental and showed us where the button to call him was located. Ah ... a cabana boy at my beck and call. life is good!

The first amenity that comes with booking a private cabana was Rafael himself! Rafael told us he would pick us up and take us to the adult dining area, wait and drive us back. He would go get our food for us if we chose, but since lunch is a buffet he suggested we may want to make our own plates. Rafael stopped by the cabana a few times to check if we needed anything and drove us to and from the restrooms. At the end of the day he came back to drive us to the Pelican Point tram stop. OK, enough raving about Rafael, although I loved him.

On to the cabanas themselves! Heaven is the first word I can think of to describe our experience. When we entered the cabana the windows and doors were opened to the gorgeous blues of Serenity Bay, the beach, and colorful umbrellas. Just inside the door was a closet in which to store our personal items, and a safe for our valuables. There was a basket full of fluffy towels and another with a selection of fresh fruit. There was a mini-fridge loaded with Evian water and Coca Cola products. Also available were chips and granola bars, and we craved an adult beverage or an extra dessert from lunch, we could just press the call button and Rafael would appear.

Inside the cabana there were sofas and chairs as well as privacy curtain that, when closed, made a changing area to get out of or into our bathing suits. Just in case there was not a natural breeze from the ocean, a ceiling fan could keep us cool inside the cabana. There were even magazines for us to read!

On the deck were two delightful loungers made up of chairs and ottomans. There were also two straight-back chairs and a table. If we'd forgotten our sunblock, no worries, for it too was provided. A small basket held both SPF 30 and SPF 50 sunblock. Just off the deck was our personal hammock. No need to rush to Serenity Bay to claim one, it came with our rental! Bikes are also included with the cabana and we just needed to call the cabana host and he would drive us to the bike rental area. Next to the hammock were two floats and four tubes for our floating pleasure.

While there is no private beach area with the cabana rental on Serenity Bay, the cabana area does have its own gated entrance. (The cabanas at the Family Beach do have a private beach.) The cabanas are located at the far end of the adult beach, which is very private anyway. After frolicking in the water and sand, you can make your way back to the cabana and awaiting you will be your very own outdoor shower to help rid you of the sand, and in the refrigerator will be a tray of cooled face cloths to refresh with. Back to my word - heaven!

Ok now for the facts. Serenity Bay private cabanas are $399.00 for four adult guests; you can add two additional adults for $50.00 per person. Everything mentioned above was included except for the adult beverages. The Family Beach cabanas are $499.00 for up to six guests -- up to four additional guests may be added for $50.00 per person.

Entrance to Private Cabanas
Cabana photo by Nancy Swope

Your all-day rental includes private beach retreat (Family Cabanas only), comfortable seating, freshwater shower, hammock, unlimited bottled water and soda, fresh fruit, snacks, Coppertone sun care products, snorkel equipment (Family beach only), float and tube rental, bike rental for 1 hour [Editor's Note: As for February 2014, bike rentals were no longer included; but an hour of snorkeling for the family beach cabana rentals WAS included] , and sand toys for the younger set to enjoy on the private beach (Family cabanas only). There are a total of 20 cabanas, four on Serenity Bay and 16 on the Family Beach. These are great for multi-generational families, families with young children or faired-skinned folks who may like the beach but do not want a lot of sun. Did I mention it was heaven?

VIRTUAL CABANA: Click here to enter PassPorter's Virtual Cabana with immersion videos, panoramic photos, and even a tropical drink!

VIDEO: Click here to see Jennifer's video tour of a private cabana!

PHOTOS: View many Castaway Cay Cabana Photos here in the PassPorter Photo Archive

About the Author: Brenda Verrico is a Travel Planner affiliated with MEI & Mouse Fan Travel. Originally from Massachussetts, she and her husband now make their home in Poinciana, Florida.