Here’s the scoop on how we live it up at low cost to our sharehouse members.
What are the house rules?
- Members may not use hard drugs or engage in reckless and/or threatening behaviors. Being excessively drunk is no excuse for engaging in such behaviors.
- Pay on time (for yourself, for your guests, etc) .
- Help out (with cooking, cleaning, and around the house) when you can, wherever you can.
- No kids.
- No pets (besides our mascot Yorkie, Prozac).
- No cigarette smoking indoors or inside the yoga studio/movie screening room. Cigarettes may be smoked on the upstairs deck and should be disposed of in the ashtrays (not the planters, please). And please don’t throw cigarettes into the yard or woods. No cars = no firetrucks, get it?
- No refunds.
Is the cost of our food and alcohol really included?
Yes. EVERYTHING we eat and drink- from gruyere to granola is included. The house is restocked every Thursday morning.
What else is included in my share?
When you pack your bags to come to Seven Seas, you only have to bring your clothes, your personal toiletries, and your toothbrush. We provide everything else you might need: freshly laundered sheets, towels, and blankets, sun screen, bug spray, beach chairs, board games, trashy mags, yoga mats, exercise equipment, stocked medicine cabinet/first aid kit, and even dental floss!
Who cooks and cleans?
On weekends, sharehouse members can sign up to try their hand at cooking for the rest of us. In the past, current members of Seven Seas have prepared many successful dinners: fresh tuna, salmon, and squid sushi; a Brazilian feast featuring carne del sol churrasco; grilled lamb chops with a cherry balsamic reduction; and much more. Not cooking this time? We ask that you pitch in with the clean-up from meal preparation. We are happy to include weekly housecleaning and laundry service with the price of your share. We also grant eternal karmic goodness to those who tidy up during the weekends before or after heading to the bars.
What if I know I can’t make it on one of my scheduled weekends?
You are able and encouraged to trade weekends with others. It helps with scheduling and lets you meet more people too! If your Great Aunt Mildred is celebrating her 100th birthday and you absolutely won’t be able to come on your regularly-scheduled B-weekend, you can trade with another member who may want out of one of his/her regularly-scheduled weekends for a similar momentous event. Then, you both get what you want! We love cooperating!
Is it a good idea to trade weekends?
At the risk of sounding a bit like Big Brother, trading weekends is good for you. Not only does it grease the eternal karmic wheel, it mixes things up a bit. Sharehouse veterans will tell you the snoozer weekends are typically the ones where everyone already knows one another. We recommend you try to trade into every weekend series so you get to meet everybody in the house, and thus multiply your chances at meeting someone special you might really really really like.
Trading is tedious, can I sell my weekend to someone else, or have a friend come in my place?
No.
What is the procedure for executing a trade?
In May, once sharehouse members have been finalized, your fearless sharehouse managers will send you a master e-mail list. Should you desire to procure a trade, you simply use this e-mail to “Reply All” and find someone who matches your needs. For example, you might send an e-mail titled “Female A trying to trade out of 8/15 weekend,” or “Male C trying to trade into 7/2 weekend.” Once you’ve gotten a bite, you send us an e-mail with your confirmed trade, we all e-sign on the imaginary dotted line, and we’re good to go. NOTE: We strongly prefer trades between same-gender members, as we want to keep the balance 50-50.
Can I bring my friend out with me for one of my weekends?
Absolutely. Of course, you’ll want to bring your coolest friends out here to show them how we roll. We want you to be able to share the Seven Seas experience with the people you love most. In fact, many of the founding members of Seven Seas were guests at sharehouses in Kismet at one point or another! It’s worth stating the obvious here- people you bring should be good representations of you and should be the kind of people we’d all like in our beach house.
How much does it cost?
Guests pay a pro-rata portion of the share price of the weekend they stay with you. Guests can arrive anytime on Friday and leave anytime on Monday. All guest fees are paid in advance when the spot is booked on our easy online system. This is an all-inclusive price for your guest- they won’t be asked to chip in any more for food, booze, or other amenities. Spots are not reserved until the money is paid.
What are the guest policies?
Guests may make an appearance at Seven Seas a maximum of ONCE per season. House members can guest one additional weekend (besides your designated series) per summer. All Seven Seas guests must be invited to guest by a sharehouse member on a weekend when their host will be present. All guests are subject to approval by the manager. Should a guest “not work out,” they will be asked to leave the house/island immediately at their own cost, and will not be given a refund.
Can I stay at the house on weekdays too?
Yes. When the weekends are just not enough, why not stay the whole week? You get unlimited mid-week access included in the price of your seasonal weekend share. Subject to availability and possible blackout dates.
What about guests on midweeks?
If you are staying during the midweek and would like to have a guest stay in Seven Seas with you, they can guest at the regular midweek rate of $75/night. The same guest policies for weekend guests apply (see above). The mid-week begins Sunday evening and ends Friday at noon. Midweek access is subject to availability and blackout dates.
What are the midweeks like?
Take our word for it- the mid-weeks are some of the best times out in Fire Island. The calm and quiet atmosphere makes for great lazy days on the beach, long bike rides to neighboring villages, and your unlimited use of our much emptier beach house. It clears out in Kismet, which means you have the run of the place and can enjoy the island however you like.
Do you rage until 6 a.m. or go to bed at 6 p.m.?
For the sake of our house members and our friendly Kismet neighbors, we have instated house quiet hours from 1am-10am. Although the house is young and lively, we are respectful enough to understand that when people want to go to sleep, we should party on elsewhere. If you’re still revved up at 1am, take the crew to the bar or the beach. In the morning, we ask that people be respectful of their sleeping house mates by keeping down noise levels until 10am.
I came out and didn’t like the rules (or the food, or the music, or the fun). Can I have my money back?
No. There are NO REFUNDS and no guarantees.
Can I get a refund?
No. There are NO REFUNDS of any kind whatsoever ever.
What should I bring for a typical weekend?
You should bring enough clothing for the length of your stay and appropriate attire for the weather and the activities in which you plan to participate. You will need your own personal toiletries (i.e. toothbrush, razor, hair comb, deodorant, etc.), although shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, and other sundries will be provided for you (see above). We provide clean bedding and towels.
Can I leave items at the house between weekends?
If you desire to leave some clothes or a few other personal items behind, you are welcome to do so, provided that they occupy a space equivalent to one drawer or less. Seven Seas Sharehouse is not responsible for your personal belongings, and cannot guarantee your favorite striped tee will be in the drawer upon your return. For larger items (bike, surfboard, conga drum), you must get approval from management first.
What should I leave at home?
Besides the obvious items we mentioned above as not allowed (hard drugs, kids, pets), we also suggest you leave items of value at home. There is no need for fancy stuff at the beach. You don’t need a lot of cash here except if you plan on going to the bars where there is an ATM and where they do accept credit cards.
