Advantages of concierge

[Tikibear]

We’ve always sailed deck 6 on the Wonder. We really like it. In light of the possibility of an upgrade at the port, what are the advantages to concierge level? Is it worth the extra money?

 

[Kwami]

One of the biggest advantages is that you get to choose your onboard activities and port adventures before anyone else. You give up that benefit if you wait to upgrade at the port.

Otherwise, you get access to the concierge lounge and sundeck and you get access to the concierge hosts, who try to make sure that you have what you need and who handle requests for you. And you get a fancy golden card, I guess!

 

[Marc D]

We usually sail Concierge, mainly for the extra space in the 1BR. We enjoy the perks of the lounge, like the cocktail hour, small bites to eat and the excellent service. However, we would not pay to sail Concierge in a family verandah. We do not miss those perks when we sail in a ‘regular’ verandah room.

 

[mcrowder1978]

The already high level of service that you get on a Disney Cruise is taken to a whole new level. I upgraded about a month out from our cruise last month to a 1BR on the Dream. I wasn't able to take advantage of booking assistance because it was so late, but that was okay. It starts with you not having a port arrival time...essentially whenever you want to get there before the no later than time. At Port Canaveral once we got through security we went up the elevator and a CM greeted us and told us someone was coming to meet us half way. They then led us to the Concierge Lounge which was much more comfortable. Since we were there early we only had to wait about 20 minutes before we started boarding as the 3rd family on the ship. Once we had the welcome show in the Atrium they walked us to a Concierge lunch in Royal Palace. While we were eating a Concierge host came by to let us know some of the details of the stay and to introduce themselves. Once we finished eating we went right up to our room because the Concierge rooms were ready at 12:30 instead of 2ish like the rest of the rooms.

The Concierge Lounge was great...lots of nice snacks throughout the day and being able to pop in and grab a Diet Coke on my way up to the sun deck with the private hottub, and to grab a drink in the evening. On the fireworks nights they sectioned off an area on the top deck for us to be able to watch the fireworks where we could sit if we wanted to. Another big benefit was on port days we didn't have to get in the virtual queue to get off the ship. We were able to get off whenever we wanted to. Also the Concierge Hosts and the Stateroom Hosts will do whatever they can to accomodate you. Something as simple as making sure our fridge was stocked with Diet Cokes, Sprites and Waters was big because we didn't have to go anywhere for it. Speaking of which we found out part way through that the glass bottles of Evian that my daughter and her boyfriend were chugging were $6 a piece...but in Concierge there is no charge.

For us, I don't think we will go back to a regular stateroom because we enjoyed the level of care and comfort that we were afforded in Concierge even if it means we can't go as often as we would like. Next time I will go ahead and book it from the start so that we can test out the activity booking assistance so that we can try and snag an elusive cabana. I'd also agree with Marc D about preferring the 1BR to the veranda. Comparitive to a regular veranda stateroom the 1BR is about twice as much but you have essentially two staterooms put together. The non-1BR concierge rooms are the same as the family verandas and that cost increase for the same space wouldn't be as worth it.

 

[Kwami]

The non-1BR concierge rooms are the same as the family verandas and that cost increase for the same space wouldn't be as worth it.

The layout and space are the same, but the concierge verandah rooms do come with better materials, better soaps, and so on. They also have a nice location up top with the other concierge rooms, which tends to be quieter.

But, sure, the extra charge is for the service. And if you aren't using the extra space of a 1BR, then why pay double?

 

[mcrowder1978]

The layout and space are the same, but the concierge verandah rooms do come with better materials, better soaps, and so on. They also have a nice location up top with the other concierge rooms, which tends to be quieter.

But, sure, the extra charge is for the service. And if you aren't using the extra space of a 1BR, then why pay double?

That is very valid. If it was just myself and one other person or with smaller kids the 1BR would be way more space than needed. For me it is going to be me and most likely two teenagers who are almost adults. Having that extra space and especially the extra shower/bathroom was amazing, especially after we went on an excursion or to Castaway Cay. The level of service is the more important component of the concierge experience. If that hadn't been what it was then no amount of space would have made the price worth it.

 

[Sakura1017]

Is it all ships that are having concierge guests get to pick out seats for the broadway shows, or is it just the wonder? Do you think in the future they might let concierge guests get to shop early in the shopping stores as a perk?