I thought I'd finish off my trip report by touching on two topics that come up a lot on the boards.
Is Concierge Worth the Extra Cost?
This is always a tricky one. Whether or not concierge is worth it depends on lots of factors, but the biggest two are probably your budget and your priorities. It was never an option for DH and me to pay over $5,000 to book a one-bedroom suite in advance. Getting a good deal initially and then upgrading at port brought the suite in line with our budget, though. Our priorities for this trip included treating ourselves to some extra luxuries and being pampered, and concierge definitely fit the bill in those regards.
A third important factor is the extent to which you will use the perks that are available. It's helpful to know going in what the perks are. The concierge staff will "advertise" some of them, but not all. For instance, we would not have known that we could order room service from the MDRs if I had not read about it here. We made a point to utilize as many of the services and take advantage of as many of the perks as possible. Doing so definitely made us feel as if we were getting the most possible bang for our buck.
We talked a lot about whether we would sail concierge again. We both agreed that our favorite part of sailing concierge on this trip was the room itself. As much as we loved the lounge and just being catered to in general, we agreed that we'll probably only sail concierge again if we can get a good deal on a one-bedroom suite at port. The exception would be if, for whatever reason, the difference in price between a category 4 room and a category V when we book is fairly small (which apparently sometimes happens).
I've compiled a list of concierge benefits below. If some or all of these perks are important to you and a concierge room is within your budget, I'd go for it!
Concierge Benefits on the Dream & Fantasy: Concierge Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah, One-Bedroom Suites, and Royal Suites
-Access to shoreside concierge services beginning 120 days prior to sail date. Apparently now it's possible to submit requests as far as 150 days out, and this has completely changed the game for those who want cabanas on
Castaway Cay. (ETA: This policy has been changed again. Requests can now be submitted beginning at 125 days out.)
-The ability to reserve port adventures, adult dining, spa treatments, and nursery time, as well as make special MDR seating requests, 120 days out.
-Priority check-in and boarding (guaranteed assignment to boarding group 1)
-Separate concierge waiting area in terminal
-Welcome Aboard Reception during which concierge hosts take special requests (i.e., spa appointments, dining reservations, port excursions, special occasion planning, future cruise bookings, etc.); food & beverages are served
-Concierge hosts to fulfill requests during the cruise that would normally require a visit to Guest Services
-Fresh fruit basket in room upon arrival
-Rooms generally ready earlier than on the rest of the ship (12:30 on our cruise)
-Access to the concierge lounge on deck 12, which includes complimentary food and beverages from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (alcoholic beverages are free only at designated times)
-Two pre-dinner cocktail receptions per day (complimentary beer, wine, and mixed drinks)
-Complimentary water and canned soda via refrigerators in the lounge
-Complimentary espresso drinks via an espresso machine in the lounge
-Concierge-only sundeck (with cooling misters, shower, complimentary sunscreen and Evian facial mist)
-100 minutes of free Wireless Internet access (ETA: DCL now bills for Internet usage by the MB vs. by the minute. This perk is now 100 MB.)
-Expanded selection of H2O+ Spa products
-Choice of pillows via the Pillow Talk program
-Plush robes and slippers
-Priority tendering
-Private character meet & greet
-Complimentary iPad rentals
-Media library (CDs and Blu-ray DVDs) in lounge
-Selection of magazines, books, and games in lounge
-Complimentary $10 arcade card for kids
-Complimentary limited edition Disney lithograph
-Separate area for luggage in terminal after disembarkation
Additional Benefits for Guests in One-Bedroom Suites (all of the above, plus the following)
-Larger size room (622 square feet, including verandah) with dining area, separate bedroom, and two full bathrooms
-Large attached master bath with jetted tub, separate shower, and dual vanities with TV in mirror
-Two 42" HD flat screen TVs, one in the living room and one in the bedroom
-Double-width verandah
-Extra closet space, including a walk-in closet
-Upgraded mattresses and bed linens
-In-suite dining from any of the MDRs (including hot breakfast items)
-Continental breakfast available via room service on disembarkation day
Additional Benefits for Guests in the Two Royal Suites (all of the above, plus the following)
-Even larger size (1,781 square feet, including verandah)
-Extra large verandah with hot tub
-Butler's pantry with refrigerator
-In-suite dining from Palo
-Free unlimited Internet access
Is DCL a Good Choice for an Adults-Only Vacation?
Both DH and I were a little hesitant, initially, to book a DCL cruise for our anniversary trip. It was the promotion DCL offered and the feedback I got here on the DISboards that ultimately convinced us to give it a try. We had been on two DCL cruises with our DD, so we had experienced the family aspects of a DCL cruise. On our second cruise, DD spent some time in the Oceaneer Lab, and that allowed us to get a taste of what DCL offers for adults. So we knew enough about the way DCL cruises work to map out a plan of attack for our adults-only trip. Here are the main things that we did differently for this cruise:
1. Upgraded to concierge. This was a biggie. I feel certain that we would have had a great time if we had stayed in our original room (a 5A on deck 9), but being in a concierge suite really made this trip feel extra special. Also, even though there were kids in concierge, we found that many of the concierge perks are geared toward adults. I don't think our DD would have wanted to spend a whole lot of time in the lounge, nor would she have been interested in hanging out on the concierge sundeck. She also would not have benefited directly from many of the services the concierge hosts provide. She would, however, have loved the room itself.
2. Stayed on decks 11-13 forward for most of the time we were on the ship. It's amazing how much QUIETER it is forward of the first funnel! It's literally like a different world. Kids did sometimes walk through the Quiet Cove area (unavoidable due to the ship's design), but very rarely did they linger. A couple of kids tried to get into the adult pool on embarkation day, but a CM came over right away and nicely explained to them that it was for adults only. The same thing happened with the hot tub later in the day with the same result.
3. Avoided the MDRs and shows. On our two cruises with DD we ate in the MDRs every night for dinner and saw most of the shows, so we didn't feel the need to do those things this time around. We really enjoyed the quiet and privacy of our dinners at Palo, Remy, and in our stateroom. I would imagine that some people might prefer the more festive, social aspects of the MDRs, but we were happy with our decision.
4. Spent time at Serenity Bay while on Castaway Cay. We had planned to spend half the day at SB, but we loved it so much that we stayed all day. The peacefulness at SB and the additional options for lunch at the Castaway Cay Air BBQ make Serenity Bay a "must do" for adults.
DH and I both had an amazing time and agreed that we would definitely like to take another adults-only DCL cruise in the future. We found plenty to do to keep us happy, and we didn't even take advantage of all the things DCL has to offer adults! For example, we spent a little bit of time in the Rainforest Room on our sea day, but other than that we didn't use the spa at all. We didn't use the Fitness Center either, even though both of us are very active in real life. Aside from our mixology class and a couple of brief stops in Meridian, we didn't spend any time in the bars or lounges on the ship. Part of that is because we enjoyed being in our room so much. I suspect that we would have been out later at night if we had not upgraded to a suite.
Wow... the more I think about it, the more I realize that we only scratched the surface with this cruise. Time to start planning another!