5-Night Dream - Concierge, Cabanas, Remy & More, 3/27 to 4/1/2012

[Shazzasmd]

DH and I took the kids ( 2 x DD, 1 son-in-law, and 2 grand daughters) on the 5 Night Dream Cruise to the Bahamas, with two stopovers at Castaway Cay.

I won't attempt to outline our day-to-day activities (we're rather boring), but will highlight some areas that may be of interest to others. I learned a ton lurking here on the Disboards while preparing for the trip. The areas I'll try to cover include

1. Concierge - is it worth it?
2. Dining at Remy and Palo
3. Castaway Cay (and a Cabana)
4. The AquaDuck
5. Atlantis Aquaventure
6. General Dining Comments
7. Overall Impressions

Here's our crew, minus the old folks, anxiously awaiting entry to the Terminal. We arrived at 12:30 pm after a 2.5 hour drive from our house in South Florida (the kids are all from Southern California).

It took a brief 5 minutes to gain entry into the terminal. There, we were whisked to the almost empty Concierge Section, and were checked in and registered for the kid's clubs. We were then ushered past the waiting que to enter the ship, quickly stopping for our photo op, and right into the ship. Didn't have much time to take photos in the terminal:

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After oohing and aahing at the beautiful Atrium area, we headed to the Concierge Lounge, where we were told our rooms were ready.

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The kids went to explore the ship, and we headed back to the lounge to confirm all our reservations (and have a welcome cocktail ). I'll cover our Concierge experience in the next post. For now, here's a shot of the younger set on the bow of the boat, Deck 13, as we headed into open sea - it was windy but still very pleasant.

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Please feel free to ask questions - will be happy to help if I can.

 

[luvslikepi]

Anxious to hear more about your concierge experience. I'm considering upgrading, for my husband's enjoyment, but don't know if it would be worth the added expense.

 

[Shazzasmd]

Anxious to hear more about your concierge experience. I'm considering upgrading, for my husband's enjoyment, but don't know if it would be worth the added expense.

I'll explain my rationale for booking concierge, and maybe it will help.

IS CONCIERGE WORTH THE EXTRA COST?

Obviously, there is no one size fits all answer. I had no intention of booking Concierge. Our original group included Great Grandma and a niece and her husband. Turned out they couldn't make it, so I took a second look at cabin configurations. Our younger adult daughter was traveling without her SO, so the one bedroom suite made some sense for us. I thought about putting the other daughter with her husband and 2 kids in a different category, but was able to book adjoining rooms in Concierge. We are seldom able to travel together, so decided to make it special. The kids were not told of our room category until we checked in at the terminal, so that was a nice surprise.

I also knew DH would not partake in many on board activities, and having him comfortable would help keep grumpy bear at bay.

Online Check-in: the 120 day advance check in was a huge advantage - was able to book Remy, Palo, and Cabanas for both days at CC (and, yes, I did feel guilty about taking a cabana for both days...)

Port Check-in: knowing we would have a minimal wait was also a good thing. This allowed us to have a leisurely morning on arrival day, since the kids arrived from LA the night before. It went even better than expected - no wait at all, and an escort through the line onto the ship and the first photo experience, as well as guidance directly to the Concierge Lounge. None of this was a must-have, but was certainly a stress-reducer.

Reservations Confirmation- the kids explored our room and DH and I went to the lounge to straighten out our reservations - just needed to change the numbers for dinner at Remy and Palo, and the Cabanas. We were told no problem, but did have to check back twice before everything was correct (DH Grumpy Bear did come out for this. We also set up a birthday celebration on one of the nights we were all dining together - didn't happen, so we cancelled the last night's Palo Dinner so we could do it then. The Concierge Team recovered well, and Grumpy Bear got over it.

Concierge Lounge- a nice touch. Much like the first class lounge for the airlines. We ate lunch there the first day and had a continental breakfast in the lounge a couple of times ( the kids preferred the buffet breakfasts at Enchanted Garden). While we indulged at Happy Hour / 45 minutes once, we found The Cove Bar more relaxing for Pre-dinner cocktails. I was disappointed that the coffee machine didn't seem to be working, but that is a minor complaint.

Concierge SunDeck- I knew we wouldn't spend much time here, but it is a nice private area, not too useful if it's hot since it is far from a pool, but a nice quiet reading spot. Never saw it busy. A photo taken in the evening:

Special Character Meet- Concierge guests get a chance for a session with a surprise character. Ours was Goofy, and Grumpy Bear enjoyed it as much as the grandkids:

We also received 100 free Internet minutes for each cabin, and the kids received an envelope from the Concierge Team with $10 worth of Arcade Coupons - a small thing, but they thought it was cool.

We didn't have any other special requests, but were always asked by Tom, Eddie, and Panos if we needed anything. The opportunity to take care of tips and photos in the Concierge Lounge on the last night was an added bonus.

So, was it worth it?- the answer for us is a Resounding Yes - for this trip, and for this special time with our family. All the kids say it was the best vacation they've ever been on, and I'm sure the Concierge Experience contributed to that, since it's something they've never experienced. I discussed this question with our married daughter - her view was Concierge would not be necessary for just their family traveling on their own, but was a decided plus for our blended group.

Whew - apologies for all the words. I'll cover our cabins in a later post - we had 11000 and 11002. The cabins are obviously a large part of the Concierge cost/decision.

 

[Shazzasmd]

The rooms are probably one of the reasons people end up on the Concierge Level - at least that was the case for us. We had adjoining rooms 11000 (cat V deluxe family verandah) and 11002 (cat T one-bedroom suite).

The verandah for the suite was huge, since it is on the bump-out. The verandah for 11000 is smaller, as only part of it is on the bump. Our cabin steward opened the door between the two balconies.

Here are a few snapshots of the rooms - I meant to take better pics later, but never got around to it.


First - the hallway door to the suite - there are one large closet and two smaller closets off the hallway, so storage is not an issue. The second bathroom is located off this hallway near the entrance, and is a good sized room with an enclosed shower. The "master" bedroom is off to the right, and can be fully closed in with pocket doors.

The main seating area includes a sofa (which makes into a bed)' 2 chairs, and a 42-inch TV:

And a dining table for 4:

I missed a photo of the master bathroom, but it was very large, with an over-sized tub as well as a separate shower.



Room 11000 turned out to be an Accessible room and is quite a bit wider than the regular rooms. The downside is there is only one bathroom, but this worked for us since we had adjoining rooms.

Even though Deck 11 is a hotbed of activity, our rooms were at the end of the hall, and well away from the elevators, so we never heard a thing from the hallway. It was very convenient for the kids to get soft drinks, and soft cones from Freezone (their favorite!). We also never saw any R- rated activities in the Couples Spa area located next to 11000.

A hint for those wanting to deliver FE gifts to the concierge rooms behind the gates - you can simply reach your hand through the grate and turn the latch on the inside of the gate handle.

The one-bedroom suite is great for 3 adults traveling together - would even work for 4 or 5 if all are family members. The kids - oldest daughter, husband, and 2 kids - enjoyed their room but readily said they would have been just as happy in any room if traveling by themselves since they spent little time in the room.

 

[Niebz]

Loving the report so far. We're doing the same itinerary in May. By chance do you have any navigators you could share?

 

[strega7]

Loving your trip report. I can't wait to hear about the Cabana's on Castaway Cay. We were lucky enough to grab one on our trip we leave for in a few days! I enjoy hearing about concierge, maybe someday on a future cruise we will have to look into that

 

[Shazzasmd]

Niebz - I'll check, I think I brought the navigators home. Still have a house full of company so it's a bit hectic.

strega7 - I think you'll love the Cabana. I'll do that part now, before Remy and Palo, since you're leaving soon. Concierge was good for reducing some of the stress of being on a crowded ship, and the larger rooms were nice, but I don't at all think it's essential for a great cruise.


Cabana on Castaway Cay

I never would have thought of booking a cabana if I hadn't read all the pros and cons here. For us, it made sense. I have had 3 semi-serious surgeries for skin cancer, and DH/Grumpy Bear does not like the beach. Without the cabana, we would have just spent most of our time on the boat. There are pics and comments below, but to save time, I'll just say the Cabana was the highlight of our trip. It made the day at CC very relaxing.

It was overcast and even raining the morning we pulled into CC, but it started to clear and ended up being a nice day. The water was a little cool, but the kids spent most of the day in the water.

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We caught the tram to Pelican Landing (? can't remember for sure, but it's the second stop). We were lucky, as Captain Jack Sparrow was holding court and there was no line for a photo op. He took lots of time chatting with the girls, and they were excited.

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The Cabana Check-in is here as well. Grumpy Bear took care of those duties, while the kids picked up their snorkeling gear (included with the Cabana package) You are then taken by tram directly to your cabana - although it's a relatively short walk.

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On our first day at CC, we had Cabana No. 4 - it was perfect, and the kids fell in love with their own private beach hut. The fridge has sodas, water, fruit and cold towels. There are two kinds of high quality sun screen, as well as some chips and granola bars for snacks. We hardly touched the food, except for the water. The kids preferred sodas from Cookies Too, which was just a short walk away.

It's just a short walk to the beach, which was mostly deserted. The vegetation around the cabana gives a nice sense of privacy, even though the cabanas are not all that far apart. We had a nice view of the Dream.

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Floats and tubes are located in front of the cabanas:

We were lucky enough to see the Fantasy while at CC, and got to listen as the two ships serenaded each other with their tunes:

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It's just a short walk to Cookies Too for lunch or a snack (open from 11 til 2pm). No complaints about the food from our crew. The kids insisted on bringing their lunches back to the cabana.

The Concierge Team checks on you regularly to see if you need anything, and there is someone taking drink orders. As a nice surprise, Panos brought alcohol-free daquiris to the kids as part of the oldest one's birthday.


Here are a few more photos, including some from the Family Beach and Pelican Plunge. Also a couple of shots from our second day at Cabana No. 8 - just as nice as 4, even though it's a few steps further to Cookies and the Rest Rooms.

 

[luvslikepi]

I'll explain my rationale for booking concierge, and maybe it will help.

So, was it worth it?- the answer for us is a Resounding Yes - for this trip, and for this special time with our family. All the kids say it was the best vacation they've ever been on, and I'm sure the Concierge Experience contributed to that, since it's something they've never experienced. I discussed this question with our married daughter - her view was Concierge would not be necessary for just their family traveling on their own, but was a decided plus for our blended group.

Whew - apologies for all the words. I'll cover our cabins in a later post - we had 11000 and 11002. The cabins are obviously a large part of the Concierge cost/decision.

Thank you! This trip will just be the hubs and me....he's not a huge Disneyphile like I am so I'm thinking this may be the route to go to give him a break. He already complained this morning that he doesn't want to be dragged through a bunch of gift shops...so I promised him I wouldn't make him shop with me. Maybe the addition of concierge services will butter him up a little.

 

[strega7]

Thank you for posting about the Cabana's!! I can't wait. I love your trip report, and your pictures are beautiful.

Marci

 

[SharonK0527]

Thank you for the beautiful pics of your cabins and cabanas. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip and seeing more photos!

 

[Niebz]

Gorgeous photos! Can't wait to see more.

 

[Shazzasmd]

Thank you all, for the comments. I drove my family crazy taking photos, but they couldn't complain because I'd also done all the Cruise Planning


REMY REVIEW

Since our golf game was rained out, I've time for another section. I thought Remy might be something DH would enjoy, so made sure to book it. The kids went to their clubs, and Son-in-law entertained himself, so it was just us and DD x 2.

For a much more thorough review, please check out the one by Disneeat/Karin in her Trip Report. I hope she doesn't mind me referring people to her thread, but she did an excellent job naming all the dishes and has photos of everything.

We gathered at the Meridian Lounge for a pre-dinner cocktail, and to watch the romantic sunset. We were seated after 20 minutes or so, and were taken to the room in the back that overlooks the Kitchen (ok, it overlooks a picture of the kitchen where Remy learned to cook) - this may be the Chef's Table Private Dining Room. There were only two other couples in the room, and they finished just as we started our main courses. So, I didn't make a big production of taking photos until everyone else was gone. Our server was Matilda from Denmark (who now lives in North Carolina - she was very good).

We checked out the menu, and I decided to try the "Saveur," DH did "Gout," and the girls ordered a la carte. My selection supposedly included the recommendations of the French Chef, while DH had the creations of the American Chef (but was still supposed to be French cuisine). Here's where I thought our experience could have been enhanced. When choosing off of the a la carte portion of the menu, you end up with 4 courses, compared to 5 when choosing either of the two primary flights. As people were trying to decide what to get, it would have been nice if the server had offered to bring them out an extra dish or two - I've read of this being done.


Since I don't have a photo record of each dish, I'll comment on just a few. The Langoustine Royale as a starter was quite nice - not necessarily something I'd rave about.

I did really like the Asperge Verte - asparagus with truffe sauce that was quite good, although I wasn't crazy about the little poached egg they sneaked in. The others had the Tomato Ratatouille, which they said was "just okay."

For our main courses, we had the Australian Wagyu Beef, Lamb Tenderloin, and the Sea Bass. I had the Sea Bass - it was excellent with a nice crispy top. The Beef got good reviews, but DD2 did not care for the lamb or fennel potato cake whatchamacallits that were served with it. Now we had the dining room to ourselves, and I did catch a snap of the beef and lamb:

The shredded braised shortribs on the potato sidedish received rave reviews:

The lamb and blurry fennel cakes:

I also had the Poularde Rotie - a very nice portion of chicken with the ever present bubbly champagne (?) sauce.

It came with a tiny dab of vegetables in a very large bowl, with more bubbly sauce:

Things picked up once we got to the Cheese Course - Matilda explained each type of cheese, and we each selected 3 or 4 pieces. I'm not a cheese-after-dinner-person, but this was quite good:

Moving on to dessert, I was the winner here with my Raspberry/Meringue delight:

The others had the Chocolate Dessert - a very rich mousse decked out in a chocolate Remy Ribbon. It came with a side of chocolate eyelashes with vanilla sorbet and raspberries:

And, of course, the after-dessert-treats:

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Our Remy experience lasted about 3 hours. We were never rushed. All in all it was a good time. Did it live up to my expectations? Truthfully, "No." I thought the food was okay, but nothing was truly outstanding. It's a tasting menu, but there were few of the tiny surprises we've come to expect. We've been to restaurants offering Prix Fixe / Tasting menus before and always enjoy the experience - notably, The French Laundry in Napa, Binkleys in Cave Creek, AZ, Victoria & Alberts, and many others during our travels.

Other than the wine pairing, which DH did, I thought the experience was a good value, and had no issue with the upcharge. Not sure we would do it again, but that's not to say it wasn't a nice time. Dad especially enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with his two best girls:

 

[Toria]

DH and I are wanting to do one of the specialty restaurants, and form the sound of it Remy may be off the list. Look forward to reading the rest of your TR.

 

[Shazzasmd]

DH and I are wanting to do one of the specialty restaurants, and form the sound of it Remy may be off the list. Look forward to reading the rest of your TR.

Thank you, Toria. We may have just had a slightly off night at Remy, and expectations were probably too high. We had an excellent dinner at the Royal Palace on Night One, which also upped the ante.

I'll get to my Palo review soon, but let me say that was a really nice evening - one we would definitely do again!

 

[Shazzasmd]

Most of the family has returned home, so back to the Review...


DINNER AT PALO

Just the two old folks had dinner at Palo - the kids ate at the Enchanted Garden and enjoyed the Pirate Menu.

Our server was Alicia (Alycia?) from Trinidad and she was top notch. She decided we weren't in a hurry, and deserved some romantic alone time away from the kids This made for a nice leisurely dinner, but since we had an 8 pm start time, I almost missed the fireworks.

My review of Remy may have given the impression we are fussy - but let me say that Palo exceeded our expectations. The restaurant didn't seem that busy - same situation at Remy, so I don't know if there were available seatings or they just don't take enough ressies to fill the tables.

I had the beef ravioli and the osso buco - sauce was similar on both, so would choose a different combo next time. Both were delicious. DH had the lamb - said it was very good. Of course, I couldn't resist the Famous Chocolate Souffle - it was very nice. Didn't take a lot of photos, but here's what I have:

On the walk back from dinner, we stopped for a minute to catch the Pirate Party action - lots of people having a good time:

Reached the room at 10:25 pm, so no time to get my tripod set up for fireworks photos - changed and ran up to Deck 13 just in time for the show. Here's a nice photo of the Fireworks ; this is not my photo. It was taken by Trey Ratcliff of Stuck in Customs fame (he is kind enough to allow his photos to be shared, as long as they are credited). Look closely, and you'll notice his shot is from the Fantasy

 

[Shazzasmd]

Palo Brunch

No need to go into great detail on Palo Brunch, as it's been covered many times. Let me say it was very good. We enjoyed it, and I'd highly recommend it. We had a 10:30 am seating, were lead to a nice table by the window, and immediately offered mimosas. Heidi was our server, and she was very gracious and helpful. If we cruise again, both Palo Dinner and Brunch will be on our wishlist.

The variety of food was impressive, as was the ability to order hot entrees as well. Our group was partial to seafood, and enjoyed their fill of crab legs, oyster, shrimp, and more. We did order the sausage pizza, pan cakes, pasta with cream sauce (a special request), and all were yummy.

 

[Shazzasmd]

The AquaDuck

The girls, 12 and 9, loved the AquaDuck. We found the best time to ride it was starting at 5pm. The crowds had thinned to get ready for dinner or for a show. The kids made the decision to skip the shows in the evening - they used this time for the AquaDuck or club activities.

During the uncrowded times, it's also easy to get close-up photos of the riders on the AquaDuck.

 

[Tinkerbell139]

This is all very useful information! Thanks for sharing! Glad you had such a wonderful vacation!

 

[Shazzasmd]

Thanks, Tinkerbell.

I'll finish up with a few more comments.

Aquaventure

The kids and grand kids took the 9:45 am excursion to Atlantis. They enjoyed the day, especially the Lazy River. They had no complaints about the length of the stay, although they had a 40 minute ride back to the ship because of an accident on the bridge. The 12 year old said it was her favorite day. The parents said they'd skip it next time (presumptuous, aren't they? )


Rotation Dining

We all enjoyed our dinner the first evening in the Royal Palace. We had a nice table mid-room against the wall. Dwight and Surapaya were our servers, and they were great. My favorite dish on the trip was served at the RP - the Grand Marnier Soufflé:

Regrettably, we never made it to Animator's Palate, as that was our Remy night. Next time, I'll try to do a better job of coordinating our dining reservations with the rotation schedule.


We had the Enchanted Garden for Pirate Night (this was Palo night for the grand parents, so we missed it), but the kids enjoyed it. They did warn us the table location was not so good. We found out what they meant on the next to the last night when we were back at EG. Our table, No. 55, had to be one of the worst - surrounded by serving stations with busy wait staff zooming by. We all just laughed about it and enjoyed our meal. Probably our least favorite food, and also seemed very rushed, but it could have been that we were all a bit tired.

The kids enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the EG most days, and enjoyed a table with a great view:

Our last evening was back at the Royal Palace, where we had a nice dinner and Dwight entertained us with his crayon puzzles:

Final Thoughts

It was a fantastic vacation - all the kids thought it was the best one they've ever had. It was a great way for us, as grand parents, to spend some time with our family in a fun and relaxed setting.

The extras we included - Concierge, Remy, Palo, Aquaventure, and the Cabanas at CC - added to the trip, but none were essential for a good time. We all agree the Cabana was the best upgrade of the trip ( of course, I never would have been able to reserve the Cabanas if I hadn't booked Concierge). While we loved our rooms and the bump-out balcony, I think all but DH would have been happy in most other locations.

There were so many things we didn't do - Animator's Palate, the Shows, the District and night clubs. But, no real regrets, as we will have something new to do should we go on another Disney Cruise. I think taking a more relaxed view to activities actually made the Cruise better.

Thanks for reading. Note - I do have Navigators, but I saw where someone else has posted for the same itinerary, so I'll skip the scanning exercise :

 

[Skyw]

Thanks for the great review. Love your pictures. the Cabanas look awesome. Wish we could swing the extra price.