Concierge Room on the Dream

[Mandersons04]

So our family is going on their first ever cruise in October to celebrate DD's 5th birthday. We currently are booked in an oceanview room but I had the crazy idea to DH into booking a concierge suite. Now of course he'll agree to this (he loves me so ) but I wanted to ask my fellow DISers what they thought about going concierge. Is it really worth the extra $?

 

[MenashaCorp]

So our family is going on their first ever cruise in October to celebrate DD's 5th birthday. We currently are booked in an oceanview room but I had the crazy idea to DH into booking a concierge suite. Now of course he'll agree to this (he loves me so ) but I wanted to ask my fellow DISers what they thought about going concierge. Is it really worth the extra $?

I would say it depends on the price. We were in a V on the MV and loved the concierge lounge, but we upgraded at port for ~$500. Worth it at that price, but would not have been if we had paid the $5,000 DCL asked for when they emailed us that our waitlist for a suite had come through. Now, I'm not sure that was for a V or T, but the port price for a T (which they didn't have anyway) was under $2,000. We love having the concierge personnel available because they make everything go as smoothly as possible.

 

[Mandersons04]

Thank you! I didn't think about trying to possibly upgrade at the port. That'll probably go over betterwith DH.

 

[Mandersons04]

We were in a V on the MV and loved the concierge lounge, but we upgraded at port for ~$500.

I was wondering, which category did you upgrade from?

 

[MenashaCorp]

I was wondering, which category did you upgrade from?

Good question. 5A, so from lower categories it may be more, but nothing like the "up front" price. I'll post a photo.

Hope DW doesn't see this one - she'll kill me.

Sorry I don't have one of the verandah.

 

[disneyholic family]

Good question. 5A, so from lower categories it may be more, but nothing like the "up front" price. I'll post a photo.

Hope DW doesn't see this one - she'll kill me.

Sorry I don't have one of the verandah.

which room were you in? and did you like the location?
i have a cat V room reserved for our cruise..

 

[MenashaCorp]

which room were you in? and did you like the location?
i have a cat V room reserved for our cruise..

12528, aft-most starboard V. Being so far aft in that hallway was nice because there's an outside exit door onto Deck 12 at the aft end of the hallway; the gates can thereby be bypassed for speedy exit to the adult pool area. I would prefer to be in a T or R based on the size of the room for the price. I would say it was adequate, but too pricey for me had we actually paid full price for it.

ETA : I'm very spoiled, having stayed Cat 3, 2, 1 on the Wonder our 1st 3 cruises... Just for perspective.

 

[MomsOf2boys]

I would be very interested to hear the differences between the concierge on the Wonder to the concierge on the Dream with the lounge and all. Did you find that with the lounge that you had less of the personalized concierge experiences because of the lounge? What other differences did you notice?

 

[disneyholic family]

12528, aft-most starboard V. Being so far aft in that hallway was nice because there's an outside exit door onto Deck 12 at the aft end of the hallway; the gates can thereby be bypassed for speedy exit to the adult pool area. I would prefer to be in a T or R based on the size of the room for the price. I would say it was adequate, but too pricey for me had we actually paid full price for it.

ETA : I'm very spoiled, having stayed Cat 3, 2, 1 on the Wonder our 1st 3 cruises... Just for perspective.

the room does look tiny....we've also been in the cat 1 and cat 3 on the wonder (and a miship cat 3 at that)...
they were wonderfully roomy (and the last time was in the cat 1, so it's a bit tough going from that to the cat V - which is kind of tiny and with a tiny verandah compared to the miship cat 3 and cat 1....

but the price difference between the V and T is ridiculous ....well...the price of the V is pretty ridiculous to begin with....but i just can't seem to be willing to give up on concierge...even though it seems i won't be able to receive FE gifts...

 

[FJS961]

the room does look tiny....we've also been in the cat 1 and cat 3 on the wonder (and a miship cat 3 at that)...
they were wonderfully roomy (and the last time was in the cat 1, so it's a bit tough going from that to the cat V - which is kind of tiny and with a tiny verandah compared to the miship cat 3 and cat 1....

but the price difference between the V and T is ridiculous ....well...the price of the V is pretty ridiculous to begin with....but i just can't seem to be willing to give up on concierge...even though it seems i won't be able to receive FE gifts...

well, the V is only slightly bigger size than largest advertised family stateroom, 306 vs 299 q ft. It may be dressed up some in decor (think toyota v lexus) but the premium you are paying for is not the space but the concierge perks and experience. We got the last V on an August sailing and it will be tiny for the five of us but, like you, we aren't willing to give up on concierge at this time.

 

[disneyholic family]

well, the V is only slightly bigger size than largest advertised family suite, 306 vs 299 q ft. It may be dressed up some in decor (think toyota v lexus) but the premium you are paying for is not the space but the concierge perks and experience. We got the last V on an August sailing and it will be tiny for the five of us but, like you, we aren't willing to give up on concierge at this time.

well i'll keep my fingers crossed for you that you'll get a cheap port upgrade to T

it's funny - i look at some of those huge aft rooms (whatever class they are - not sure) and keep thinking i should switch to one of them, but then i remember how we'll be able to make all those advance reservations (not to mention the onboard perks) and i just can't make the change..even though i'd almost kill for one of those verandahs!!

 

[drparoo]

This is one thing that's keeping me from jumping on the Dream bandwagon. I don't want to give up concierge, but I simply don't want to be that far forward on the ship. And the fact that there are no two bedroom options....AND you can't even book two connecting V's. If you want two bedrooms, you have to get at least a T and V. I could probably handle the movement in the most mid-placed concierge rooms, but I'm not all worked up about the Dream at this point.

 

[kaseyC]

We just got off the Dream's 1/30 cruise where I sailed with my 2 youngest DDs in a Category V. We are here in the terminal waiting to board the 3 night portion of our back to back. I just upgraded our Cat. 5b to a Cat. T for this cruise. There were quite a few Vs and Ts available. I will be able to offer a comparison of both staterooms on Sunday.

I do have to add that the concierge service we had on the Dream was the best and most consistent we have had on any of our Magic or Wonder cruises.

Oh yeah, the Cabana on CC... Absolutely AMAZING!!!

 

[FJS961]

We just got off the Dream's 1/30 cruise where I sailed with my 2 youngest DDs in a Category V. We are here in the terminal waiting to board the 3 night portion of our back to back. I just upgraded our Cat. 5b to a Cat. T for this cruise. There were quite a few Vs and Ts available. I will be able to offer a comparison of both staterooms on Sunday.

I do have to add that the concierge service we had on the Dream was the best and most consistent we have had on any of our Magic or Wonder cruises.

Oh yeah, the Cabana on CC... Absolutely AMAZING!!!

Oh yeah baby! Thanks for that. I sure hope a T opens up for my august double dip. The 5 nighters have no concierge available but the shorter cruises have V and T thru online booking (at least around the time frame I was looking)

 

[jettybean]

I have sailed concierge once on the Magic and just sailed concierge on the MV Dream.
Both times we upgraded at the port so, we were unable to take advantage of
presailing benefits. Can you tell me what the concierge staff did for you once on board. Other than smile as we walked by, they really didn't do anything for us. What are we missing?

 

[TLSnell1981]

*Sorry, meant to start a new thread.**

 

[FJS961]

I have sailed concierge once on the Magic and just sailed concierge on the MV Dream.
Both times we upgraded at the port so, we were unable to take advantage of
presailing benefits. Can you tell me what the concierge staff did for you once on board. Other than smile as we walked by, they really didn't do anything for us. What are we missing?

In my experience:
once on board, the initial meeting with the concierge staff was very helpful. Instead of running around the ship trying to make changes and putting self on wait list for things, its a much more pleasant experience. You get yourself a snack and drink (alcoholic, non, coffee) and they go over everything you have booked and ask if you want to book anything else or make changes to what you have. There is a rep from the spa and kids club to expedite registration and book spa appts if desired.

I didn't put much stock in the daily "treats" but bringing DVDs and popcorn as well as arcade cards for the kids was cool. On our first cruise, mother nature caught DW off guard so to speak... I called my concierge host and within a few minutes he hand delivered a baggie with any feminine hygiene products one could need .... another time I didn't bring long pants (oversight) and thus could not go to Palo ... my c. host brought me a pair of crew black trousers after I told her my waist and inseam measurements ... next time I'm gonna see if we can get a tour of the bridge ...

They can do little things that can make your vacation experience extra special. For me, its vacation, and anything that helps make it more relaxing, less stressful and more pleasant is worth the extra $

 

[disneyholic family]

We just got off the Dream's 1/30 cruise where I sailed with my 2 youngest DDs in a Category V. We are here in the terminal waiting to board the 3 night portion of our back to back. I just upgraded our Cat. 5b to a Cat. T for this cruise. There were quite a few Vs and Ts available. I will be able to offer a comparison of both staterooms on Sunday.

I do have to add that the concierge service we had on the Dream was the best and most consistent we have had on any of our Magic or Wonder cruises.

Oh yeah, the Cabana on CC... Absolutely AMAZING!!!

can i ask how much you had to pay to upgrade at the port? just curious, as i've already booked a V, but it would be nice to hope that a T will be available at the terminal for a slightly more reasonable rate...

I have sailed concierge once on the Magic and just sailed concierge on the MV Dream.
Both times we upgraded at the port so, we were unable to take advantage of
presailing benefits. Can you tell me what the concierge staff did for you once on board. Other than smile as we walked by, they really didn't do anything for us. What are we missing?

what the other poster wrote - on the day of embarkation, there was a meeting place for Concierge guests to go to where we could make last minute reservations (palo, spa, etc)....it seemed to me that they had held some open for the last minute, but i could be wrong..

also, when we had a conflict, i tried arranging a change through the spa without success....so then i called the concierge and they took care of it right away..

also, on our second cruise (when we were in the Walt Disney Suite), the concierge made a reservation at Palo for the 4 of us, even though DS was only 17...(he looked about 30 - 6' 3" with a beard so other diners wouldn't have suspected).....i don't think they would have let us book palo for the 4 of us had we not been concierge...

and the treats each day were fun too...

the thing is, you might never use their services, but they are there if you need them...

 

[MenashaCorp]

I would be very interested to hear the differences between the concierge on the Wonder to the concierge on the Dream with the lounge and all. Did you find that with the lounge that you had less of the personalized concierge experiences because of the lounge? What other differences did you notice?

The lounge made it easier to get snacks/drinks at our own pace instead of bugging the concierge CM (which I start feeling guilty about after the 2nd or 3rd request - my issue). Having a smaller personal space (Cat V), it was nice to have a serene lounge that was (arguably) the least crowded "public" space on the ship. Remember, though that this was the MV and regular cruises won't likely be as packed. We had three concierge CMs and they were all very friendly and personal. We missed Mike from the Wonder, but he helped orchestrate my proposal to DW, so not a fair comparison.

I do have to add that the concierge service we had on the Dream was the best and most consistent we have had on any of our Magic or Wonder cruises.

Great to hear!! We had some "misses" from ours, but I chalk that up to the newness of everything on the MV, getting some kinks worked out, and the fact that there were SO many people they had to deal with.

I have sailed concierge once on the Magic and just sailed concierge on the MV Dream.
Both times we upgraded at the port so, we were unable to take advantage of
presailing benefits. Can you tell me what the concierge staff did for you once on board. Other than smile as we walked by, they really didn't do anything for us. What are we missing?

They could have made reservations for you in Palo/Remy, excursions. There are almost always slots left open for on-board booking, but concierge guests get priority, which I'm sure you knew already from the Magic. This time for us, they tried (unsuccessfully but diligently) to get caffeine-free diet soda for my DW, who has migraines and has to avoid caffeine. They immediately fixed a broken floorboard that was blocking the door from the elevator to Deck 12 (which any CM could do but they were insistent with maintenance). They took care of my gratuity form when Guest Services asked me to wait in the long line just to drop it off (which was soon fixed by their putting out the boxes as they should have originally). We don't usually ask for much, but it's reassuring to know that we can get special dining reservations without yet being platinum castaway.

 

[kbmo4444]

Thank you so much for all the info so far. I have 2 questions do you remember the name of the 3 concierge hosts? Did you have a meet and greet with them once you boarded as on the Magic/Wonder and was this held in the concierge lounge? Thanks again