DCL Concierge?

[brifraz]

Hello! My family is considering our very first Disney Cruise for summer 2018. We are already pretty set on a 7 day, Western Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy. However; we are thinking about the possibility of doing concierge level for the cruise. Most of the different guidebooks that we peruse (Unofficial Guide and Passporter) don't have a whole lot of info about concierge and most of the info on here is a bit older. So, anybody out there with some experience with concierge want to either sell us on it or convince us otherwise??

 

[pilka214]

I think the largest perks of concierge are the private deck spaces and the upgraded room. Those suites are lovely, huge verandahs and upgraded amenities, and not having to fight for a deck chair on the main pool deck is a MAJOR perk. Customer service on a disney cruise is already top notch, so having the concierge service isn't the biggest of deals, but having a private attendant to answer all your inquiries is reasonable, especially being your first cruise.

Honestly, I don't know how necessary it is, personally i'd splurge on a mini-suite, and use the extra funds you saved to spend on shore excursions and other upcharge events like the alcohol seminars (the mixology and tequila/margarita classes are amazing) you WILL spend more money on board than you imagine... But if money isn't too much of a concern, and since it's your first cruise, go big or go home! Have a great cruise!

 

[Sans Souci]

I have stayed concierge level on the Dream. You get a special line to check in at the terminal, a concierge waiting area and you are the first to board. Your stateroom is ready before the rest of the ship. I think you get first crack at reserving a cabana at CC. Instead of going to the MDR, you can have your dinner served in your room.

There is a lounge that serves nibbles at designated times. There is also wine and beer. There is a designated desk in the lounge, so you don't have to go downstairs to reserve mixology classes, excursions, check your spending, etc. They also have private meet n greets in the lounge.

I took some photos (I stayed in a 1 BR suite.), but these were never meant for public consumption, so forgive the poor quality:

Big Tub--there is a shower in this bathroom, too

Dining table

Main bedroom

Murphy bed

Bathroom again

Not pictured: couch that is a pullout, another bathroom, large closet.

I don't know if it's worth it. I've cruised twice since staying in concierge and although it's very luxe, I haven't felt like I've missed it. I still enjoyed my cruises at hoi polloi level .

 

[brifraz]

I think the largest perks of concierge are the private deck spaces and the upgraded room. Those suites are lovely, huge verandahs and upgraded amenities, and not having to fight for a deck chair on the main pool deck is a MAJOR perk. Customer service on a disney cruise is already top notch, so having the concierge service isn't the biggest of deals, but having a private attendant to answer all your inquiries is reasonable, especially being your first cruise.

Honestly, I don't know how necessary it is, personally i'd splurge on a mini-suite, and use the extra funds you saved to spend on shore excursions and other upcharge events like the alcohol seminars (the mixology and tequila/margarita classes are amazing) you WILL spend more money on board than you imagine... But if money isn't too much of a concern, and since it's your first cruise, go big or go home! Have a great cruise!

Thanks for the insight! Are you talking about the 'family' staterooms - as I don't see any suites except the concierge ones on the Fantasy? Money is definitely a concern as the decision to do concierge would mean tinned meat and rice for 6 months to save the money (okay, slight exaggeration). DW and I are both teachers, but quite frugal so we could make concierge work. Just trying to figure out if it is worth it. We'd definitely like to do the alcohol seminars, but excursion-wise we aren't looking at too many big ticket ones.

 

[brifraz]

I have stayed concierge level on the Dream. You get a special line to check in at the terminal, a concierge waiting area and you are the first to board. Your stateroom is ready before the rest of the ship. I think you get first crack at reserving a cabana at CC. Instead of going to the MDR, you can have your dinner served in your room.

There is a lounge that serves nibbles at designated times. There is also wine and beer. There is a designated desk in the lounge, so you don't have to go downstairs to reserve mixology classes, excursions, check your spending, etc. They also have private meet n greets in the lounge.

I took some photos (I stayed in a 1 BR suite.), but these were never meant for public consumption, so forgive the poor quality:

Not pictured: couch that is a pullout, another bathroom, large closet.

I don't know if it's worth it. I've cruised twice since staying in concierge and although it's very luxe, I haven't felt like I've missed it. I still enjoyed my cruises at hoi polloi level .

Thanks for the info and photos. Don't think there is any chance on earth we could afford the 1BR suite in concierge although it does look nice!!! Appreciate the last comment (that you don't really miss it). The cruise we are looking at is about $7K for a verandah room and about $13K for the concierge room (not suite), so if the difference isn't 'all that' we might look into using our extra savings for other things! Hmmm...

 

[Sans Souci]

Thanks for the info and photos. Don't think there is any chance on earth we could afford the 1BR suite in concierge although it does look nice!!! Appreciate the last comment (that you don't really miss it). The cruise we are looking at is about $7K for a verandah room and about $13K for the concierge room (not suite), so if the difference isn't 'all that' we might look into using our extra savings for other things! Hmmm...

I think verandah staterooms are awesome. It is so lovely to sit out there to chill with coffee, wine, a book, etc.

There are loads of other things to spend your money on while on the cruise--trust me.

 

[rob0519]

Well our first cruise ever, and only DCL cruise was 4 nightsin a 1BD Concierge on the Wonder. There was no concierge lounge on the ship, so some snacks were brought in each day by one of the two concierge. There were a few perks, help with spa appointments and exclusive meet and greets. It really was worth what we paid for it. The balcony was huge and almost everyone in our party of 21 wound up in our stateroom and balcony at some point.

We also were able get a cabana on Castaway Cay which made an outstanding experience even better. I'm told there are double the amount of concierge staterooms on the Fantasy than there are on the Wonder, but there are still only 2 Concierge per ship. If that's true, you'll be getting only half the attention you would on one of the original ships.

 

[gdisneyfans]

We just got back from our first Disney cruise and had a veranda room on Deck 7 (Disney Magic). There were only three of us in the room and it was plenty for the three of us. Plus we were really never in the room long enough besides showering/getting ready for dinner and then of course sleeping! We loved having the veranda, and as @Sans Souci mentioned, it is a great place to relax in the morning with a cup of coffee or while others in your group are getting ready. We were on the side of the ship that docked at Castaway Cay and were able to watch the entire process of the ship dock at Castaway Cay - it was amazing to see how they get a boat that size tied up. But I'm sure whatever room you decide to go with, you'll have an amazing time. As I said, this was our first Disney cruise and we're hooked. Already trying to decide when our next one will be

 

[brifraz]

We are now leaning toward just getting one of the nicer verandah rooms and not doing concierge. The savings would allow more fun with excursions and other vacations...but, will definitely be a bummer not to have the lounge (which looks most excellent), the nicer room, and the booking assistance.

 

[msidescooter]

We are now leaning toward just getting one of the nicer verandah rooms and not doing concierge. The savings would allow more fun with excursions and other vacations...but, will definitely be a bummer not to have the lounge (which looks most excellent), the nicer room, and the booking assistance.

What type of vacationers is your family? If you are going for a luxury vacation where you're lounging around the pool or in the spa all day than the suite may be worth it. But as this is your first Disney cruise you'll most likely spend more time out of the room than in, so the extra space and amenities won't be used. The advice I give my new clients is to start out with a regular verandah room and work your way up to concierge. This way you can experience the ship without feeling the stress of having to use the extra perks of going concierge.

 

[brifraz]

Just booked the other day and decided not to do Concierge. We got room 5650 on the Fantasy, which is a room with a nearly triple sized verandah (it is next to a staff area for the Oceaneer's Club and thus has extra width in addition to the extra depth). Quite happy to have made the decision and gone ahead and started the process. Now we've got almost a year to figure out excursions and whether we are going to do Palo or Remy (or both). Quite excited to be doing something new!

 

[jgold]

Just booked the other day and decided not to do Concierge. We got room 5650 on the Fantasy, which is a room with a nearly triple sized verandah (it is next to a staff area for the Oceaneer's Club and thus has extra width in addition to the extra depth). Quite happy to have made the decision and gone ahead and started the process. Now we've got almost a year to figure out excursions and whether we are going to do Palo or Remy (or both). Quite excited to be doing something new!

We just stayed in this stateroom. It was great! The veranda really is enormous and we were very close to kids club (in a good way).

 

[jaklgreen]

One of the perks of concierge is that you can order anything off of the 3 main dining rooms as room service. So you can get a grand marnier souffle delivered to your room in the evening(or 3). The concierge area on deck is also a nice feature.

 

[Monty]

I thoroughly enjoyed Concierge on the Fantasy. I booked it to impress my son's new Fiance. She'd never really experienced Disney, so I wanted her first impressions to be good ones [that way when they have kids but can't go, "Grampa" can take the wee ones! ]. We had amazing service and all had a great cruise. She's hooked, so I think my subterfuge worked, time will tell.

In Concierge, you get to book excursions and Castaway Cay cabanas at 120 days before sailing, a perk reserved for Concierge and Platinum guests. You have early/priority boarding, escorted aboard first or with priority if you arrive later. There is beer and wine in the lounge almost all the time and "happy hours" with mixed drinks available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner there is food available, continental breakfast and hot and cold canapes otherwise. The drinks can be taken with you to the theatre shows, rather than paying for delivered drinks there. Free popcorn for the theatre or movies can be picked up on your way.

The decision really comes down to what you can afford and if there are limitations, where you want to spend what you do have. I'm fortunate that I can comfortably afford to splurge occasionally, so Concierge is viable. I don't do it all the time, but will as a "treat" every few cruises.

 

[jaklgreen]

I thoroughly enjoyed Concierge on the Fantasy. I booked it to impress my son's new Fiance. She'd never really experienced Disney, so I wanted her first impressions to be good ones [that way when they have kids but can't go, "Grampa" can take the wee ones! ]. We had amazing service and all had a great cruise. She's hooked, so I think my subterfuge worked, time will tell.

In Concierge, you get to book excursions and Castaway Cay cabanas at 120 days before sailing, a perk reserved for Concierge and Platinum guests. You have early/priority boarding, escorted aboard first or with priority if you arrive later. There is beer and wine in the lounge almost all the time and "happy hours" with mixed drinks available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner there is food available, continental breakfast and hot and cold canapes otherwise. The drinks can be taken with you to the theatre shows, rather than paying for delivered drinks there. Free popcorn for the theatre or movies can be picked up on your way.

The decision really comes down to what you can afford and if there are limitations, where you want to spend what you do have. I'm fortunate that I can comfortably afford to splurge occasionally, so Concierge is viable. I don't do it all the time, but will as a "treat" every few cruises.

I wish you were my father in law.