What's so special about Concierge?

[MacII]

Hi there. So what exactly is so special about Concierge rooms? What are the perks? The only one I know of is the ability to book excursions and the all important Castaway Cay cabanas before even Platinum guests.

Just trying to see if the price increase is justified by additional benefits.

Any comments, either way, would be welcome.

Thank you,

 

[MAYNARDS99]

From what I've read: First to board the ship. A private lounge with complimentary alcoholic beverages, and desk to book excursions or handle guest services. Private sundeck. In lounge character meet and greet. At disembarkation port your luggage is put aside. The verandah cabin is slightly larger. On Dream and Fantasy, access to the concierge cabin area is via key card.

There may be more, but I'm not aware of them.

 

[barbja99]

Depends on which type of ship you're talking about. We booked concierge on the Wonder to get the cabin: three separate sleeping spaces plus a large comfortable room for us to all come together and hang out that has enough room for everyone (without sitting on someone's bed).

We'll have to get three cabins to achieve that properly on the new ships. We'll probably do it improperly with two and pay at least 2x as much in the process.

The concierge benefits were a nice addition, but I would also like the option of a nicer room, but no concierge.

 

[MacII]

From what I've read: First to board the ship. A private lounge with complimentary alcoholic beverages, and desk to book excursions or handle guest services. Private sundeck. In lounge character meet and greet. At disembarkation port your luggage is put aside. The verandah cabin is slightly larger. On Dream and Fantasy, access to the concierge cabin area is via key card.

There may be more, but I'm not aware of them.

Thank you for your reply. Have you booked a Concierge room yourself? Did you feel it was worth the added cost?

 

[MacII]

Depends on which type of ship you're talking about. We booked concierge on the Wonder to get the cabin: three separate sleeping spaces plus a large comfortable room for us to all come together and hang out that has enough room for everyone (without sitting on someone's bed).

We'll have to get three cabins to achieve that properly on the new ships. We'll probably do it improperly with two and pay at least 2x as much in the process.

The concierge benefits were a nice addition, but I would also like the option of a nicer room, but no concierge.

Interesting distinction. Aside from the larger room, were there other perks that you found valuable? I'm looking on the Dream/Fantasy and the lowest end Concierge room has the same square footage as the Family Stateroom. Is the room appointed with higher quality furniture/decorations or is it just the same room on a different part of the ship? Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[All American]

These are some of the things we loved about Concierge when we sailed on The Fantasy (room 12508). My husband and I feel that they made it well worth the cost of admission.

1. Something I haven't seen mentioned is the the proximity to the pools and everything on decks 11 and 12. It puts you right where the fun happens. It was so easy to run back and forth if we forgot something or needed to go to the bathroom. We had our girls in bed before the second Pirate Party, and when I heard the fireworks, I just had to walk a few steps to be on deck to see them.

Additionally, you're next to Cabanas and the little Cars themed food stations. It didn't take long to get in a habit of grabbing a chocolate-chip cookie or two going between my lounge chair and the room.

2. Boarding. We spent a total of, maybe 30-minutes, from the time we arrived at the port to when we were actually having our name called. We showed up around 11:00, and they stopped the line, so we could bypass everyone, have our picture taken, and go on the ship. That was the moment my husband decided he would never book anything but concierge again.

3. If you get lucky, the bumpout verandah was amazing! We had extra room and were able to watch the crew in the captain's area. Very nice!

4. The concierge lounge. Oh my goodness. I don't know what they are called, but the little "sugar puffs" and chocolate rectangle cakes are being missed by my taste buds.

5. Close to the spa. Oh, how I loved the Rainforest room. It was easy to be in our room and say, I'm going to go sit on a tile lounger for a few minutes.

6. Drinks in a can that you don't have to pay for. I had to pay for a root beer at one of the places next to the theater. I realized I had taken that for granted, especially because the concierges had given me many Ginger Ales to keep on hand when they heard I was seasick. (Just the first two days.)

7. Concierge help when you need it. Our daughter lost her room key on St. Maarten, and one of them printed a new one up for us quick and easy.

8. Of course, a chance to book a Cabana so early. That was, for me, worth the price of admission.

9. Room decor. My sister was on deck 10, and while her room was really nice and airy, I preferred the darker tones. Not a big deal but pleasing to my eye.

So, those are a few things off the top of my head that I really liked about traveling Concierge with Disney. It was our first cruise, and should we go again, we will definitely go that route again.

 

[MacII]

These are some of the things we loved about Concierge when we sailed on The Fantasy (room 12508). My husband and I feel that they made it well worth the cost of admission.

1. Something I haven't seen mentioned is the the proximity to the pools and everything on decks 11 and 12. It puts you right where the fun happens. It was so easy to run back and forth if we forgot something or needed to go to the bathroom. We had our girls in bed before the second Pirate Party, and when I heard the fireworks, I just had to walk a few steps to be on deck to see them.

Additionally, you're next to Cabanas and the little Cars themed food stations. It didn't take long to get in a habit of grabbing a chocolate-chip cookie or two going between my lounge chair and the room.

2. Boarding. We spent a total of, maybe 30-minutes, from the time we arrived at the port to when we were actually having our name called. We showed up around 11:00, and they stopped the line, so we could bypass everyone, have our picture taken, and go on the ship. That was the moment my husband decided he would never book anything but concierge again.

3. If you get lucky, the bumpout verandah was amazing! We had extra room and were able to watch the crew in the captain's area. Very nice!

4. The concierge lounge. Oh my goodness. I don't know what they are called, but the little "sugar puffs" and chocolate rectangle cakes are being missed by my taste buds.

5. Close to the spa. Oh, how I loved the Rainforest room. It was easy to be in our room and say, I'm going to go sit on a tile lounger for a few minutes.

6. Drinks in a can that you don't have to pay for. I had to pay for a root beer at one of the places next to the theater. I realized I had taken that for granted, especially because the concierges had given me many Ginger Ales to keep on hand when they heard I was seasick. (Just the first two days.)

7. Concierge help when you need it. Our daughter lost her room key on St. Maarten, and one of them printed a new one up for us quick and easy.

8. Of course, a chance to book a Cabana so early. That was, for me, worth the price of admission.

9. Room decor. My sister was on deck 10, and while her room was really nice and airy, I preferred the darker tones. Not a big deal but pleasing to my eye.

So, those are a few things off the top of my head that I really liked about traveling Concierge with Disney. It was our first cruise, and should we go again, we will definitely go that route again.

Wow, what an answer! Thank you so much. I particularly like #2!

 

[wallawallakids]

I have never stayed concierge on the dream or fantasy, so what I have to say may not apply to those ships because you do have the lounge and extra perks on those ships. However, we did stay concierge on our last trip on the Magic. Honestly, it wasn't worth the increase in price for us and I don't see us doing it again. The nicest part was the ability to book out so far ahead and the ability to board in group #1. All of that was great, but beyond that??? Meh. I loved the room we had (2 bedroom suite) and the space that came with it for our family of 6 but the perks pretty much stopped there. We never really saw concierge on our trip. We did get some fruit gifts in the room and a lithograph at the end but overall it wasn't what I expected. Next time I would rather just save the money and go on a second cruise! Good luck with your decision. I know a lot of people love the concierge but it really just wasn't for us.

 

[MacII]

I have never stayed concierge on the dream or fantasy, so what I have to say may not apply to those ships because you do have the lounge and extra perks on those ships. However, we did stay concierge on our last trip on the Magic. Honestly, it wasn't worth the increase in price for us and I don't see us doing it again. The nicest part was the ability to book out so far ahead and the ability to board in group #1. All of that was great, but beyond that??? Meh. I loved the room we had (2 bedroom suite) and the space that came with it for our family of 6 but the perks pretty much stopped there. We never really saw concierge on our trip. We did get some fruit gifts in the room and a lithograph at the end but overall it wasn't what I expected. Next time I would rather just save the money and go on a second cruise! Good luck with your decision. I know a lot of people love the concierge but it really just wasn't for us.

When was your cruise on the Magic?

Funny thing about the boarding, we fly in the day of sail so we don't even land in Orlando till about noon. I don't think I'd be there in time to be part of an early boarding group anyways.

Thank you,

 

[wallawallakids]

When was your cruise on the Magic?

Funny thing about the boarding, we fly in the day of sail so we don't even land in Orlando till about noon. I don't think I'd be there in time to be part of an early boarding group anyways.

Thank you,

We were on the April 16th sailing. Just this year.

 

[taswira]

These are some of the things we loved about Concierge when we sailed on The Fantasy (room 12508). My husband and I feel that they made it well worth the cost of admission. >>> Additionally, you're next to Cabanas and the little Cars themed food stations. >>>

Actually, it is the opposite. Cabanas is all the way Aft on Deck 11. Concierge rooms are all only Forward on the new ships - the opposite end of the ship.

 

[All American]

Actually, it is the opposite. Cabanas is all the way Aft on Deck 11. Concierge rooms are all only Forward on the new ships - the opposite end of the ship.

Meh. A mere technicality. It's such a short walk it that you get so used to it really feels like it's right next door. "All the way aft" makes it sound like you're walking miles to get there. Not the case and a heck of a lot better than having to wait for elevators.

 

[taswira]

Meh. A mere technicality. It's such a short walk it that you get so used to it really feels like it's right next door. "All the way aft" makes it sound like you're walking miles to get there. Not the case and a heck of a lot better than having to wait for elevators.

Ah, okay. Sorry. My response was to your comment that "it's right next door" - not "it feels like it's right next door." I said "all the way aft" because it IS at the back of the ship. I did not mean to imply that it's too far to walk, but it's about as far as you can get from the Concierge cabins other than lower decks.

 

[Slappy32]

Also, a 24 hour snack buffet with unlimited bottled water and sodas as mentioned before. An amazing coffee machine that makes Cappuccino, espresso, americano, & hot chocolate. 100 minutes of free wifi, an arcade card. The best stateroom hosts, you never have to wait in line at the excursions or guest services desk, additional adult dining reservations open up like magic, Castaway Cay Cabanas are easier to reserve. Quiet hallways, free sunscreen. Complimentary cocktail hour before dinner. Amazing concierge staff.

 

[MAYNARDS99]

MacII - We went from a 4A verandah to the Concierge verandah, in large part because I wanted to prebook a cabana on Serenity Bay. In addition, Shoreside Concierge was able to prebook our Remy and Palo reservations.

In fact, while speaking with Shoreside, they asked which main dining room we wanted for Pirate Night. I like that they are proactive! I just need to call back, and they will set us up. They also mentioned that concierge guests have their own table, unless a shared table is requested.

Sometimes it is nice to splurge a bit. In the end it all evens out, we sailed Royal for a ten night Mexican Riviera cruise in an oceanview for $481 each (tax and port charges included)!

 

[Subi WRX]

Also, a 24 hour snack buffet with unlimited bottled water and sodas as mentioned before.

Are you implying that the concierge lounge is open 24 hours? Is this new? The lounge has never been open 24 hours when we've cruised.

 

[Dug720]

Are you implying that the concierge lounge is open 24 hours? Is this new? The lounge has never been open 24 hours when we've cruised.

It certainly wasn't 24-hours at the beginning of July. It closed at like 10 or 10:30.

 

[amie416]

Hi there. So what exactly is so special about Concierge rooms? What are the perks? The only one I know of is the ability to book excursions and the all important Castaway Cay cabanas before even Platinum guests.

Just trying to see if the price increase is justified by additional benefits.

DH and I have never been on a cruise before, but here are the reasons why I decided to book a Concierge room for our first cruise in May 2014:

• At the time that we booked our 3-night Dream cruise, Cat. V was only $75 more per person than 4A
• Priority boarding
• Espresso machine in the lounge
• 100 Minutes of WiFi
• Private sundeck with complimentary sunblock

Those are the the things that tipped the scale for us... but also because we've never been on a cruise before and wanted to make this one special.

 

[Donna3271]

I LOVE DISNEY, and it is my cruiseline of choice (I have 3 children). I have never sailed concierge with Disney. I have sailed with another cruiseline, and concierge guests had their own pool and gym (albeit small).

Also, the concierge sun deck on Disney does me no good, since I need to sit next to the pool to helicopter around my kids.

 

[MacII]

Thank you all once again, a few new perks listed. I do like the free WiFi, does it work in the rooms or do you have to go to the Internet lounge? Arcade card sounds cool, I can relive my late 80's youth wasted in arcades. How much credit do you get? And the snack/lounge sounds tasty.

I read somewhere that there is an option perhaps only in some rooms for Palo room service? Any truth to that rumor?

Did some spreadsheet dreaming and for my fam of three the differential is between $1000 - $1500 total for the cruise vs our usual category 4A. Strongly considering it. Thanks for all the feedback and opinions!