Any concierge level tips / advice / suggestions for a first timer?

TigerLaw

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 17, 2000
After thinking about it for a while, my family decided just to go for it and book a concierge level room for our upcoming trip on the Disney Wish next may. Pretty excited to see what impact the concierge level will have on our trip. Was hoping to see if anyone who had done concierge level before on any of the disney ships had any tips / advice / suggestions for us first-timers.

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
After thinking about it for a while, my family decided just to go for it and book a concierge level room for our upcoming trip on the Disney Wish next may. Pretty excited to see what impact the concierge level will have on our trip. Was hoping to see if anyone who had done concierge level before on any of the disney ships had any tips / advice / suggestions for us first-timers.

Thanks in advance for the help!

DW's sister and family just got off WISH (1st Disney Cruise) on Friday and loved the ship as did daughter with the Kids Club. They upgraded to Concierge and felt disappointed with the $$ spent mentioning when they sail DCL again it will not be Concierge.

r.e. bold -- IMO, Concierge is what you make it to be, meaning you use their services, the Lounge, the minor PERKS or not, or enjoy a 1 Bedroom Suite for the extra luxury or go standard. We have done 2 DREAM 1 BR Concierge but will no longer cruise DCL Concierge due to the lesser value for amount paid.

Enjoy your cruise and I'm sure there will be posters who disagree with our view of DCL Concierge compared to other cruise lines but as is said ---

*What Ever Floats Your Boat*
 
DW's sister and family just got off WISH (1st Disney Cruise) on Friday and loved the ship as did daughter with the Kids Club. They upgraded to Concierge and felt disappointed with the $$ spent mentioning when they sail DCL again it will not be Concierge.

r.e. bold -- IMO, Concierge is what you make it to be, meaning you use their services, the Lounge, the minor PERKS or not, or enjoy a 1 Bedroom Suite for the extra luxury or go standard. We have done 2 DREAM 1 BR Concierge but will no longer cruise DCL Concierge due to the lesser value for amount paid.

Enjoy your cruise and I'm sure there will be posters who disagree with our view of DCL Concierge compared to other cruise lines but as is said ---

*What Ever Floats Your Boat*

I have similar feelings. I just don’t need or want most of the perks of Concierge.

[I have sailed Magic as a port upgrade (Med cruise, 11 nights - no Concierge Lounge). My niece wasn’t old enough for Palo, so we didn’t need help getting reservations. Our trip was planned out before arrival (we were B2B with the EBTA).

Other time was on the Dream.]

As Platinum, I have often checked in at the Concierge desk - I don’t see a lot of cruises in your signature, so this should be a plus). You will have a dedicated lounge area in the Terminal, which is reported to be enhanced.

Boarding in the first group after the Family of the Day.

Cabins are often ready earlier.

No waiting in line at Guest Services - there is a Concierge desk in the lounge or contact a Concierge.

On boarding - lunch in 1923. I think you talk with Concierge hosts then (Our Magic one was in Keys / Cadillac Lounge as a reception. I think it is now lunch - check out some trip reports). If you want to try Marceline Market buffet or the new pool deck food selections, do what you want, instead of or in addition to sit-down lunch.

If you have ever wanted a Cabana, this might be the best way to get one.

The same for getting reservations at Palo or Enchante.

My favorite aspect of Concierge was the Lounge. Not necessarily a wide variety of snacks and light foods, but it is better quality than Cabanas or the nighttime items in the pubs. I lived having the deconstructed Caesar salad. I can’t remember the rest of the food, though.

They had canned sodas all-day and afternoon happy hour (I remember seeing the bottles of wine; don‘t remember if there was liquor or mixed drinks).

Also, fridge was stocked with sodas of choice. I think water, too.

Have a great time.
 
DW's sister and family just got off WISH (1st Disney Cruise) on Friday and loved the ship as did daughter with the Kids Club. They upgraded to Concierge and felt disappointed with the $$ spent mentioning when they sail DCL again it will not be Concierge.
What was disappointing to them?
 


What was disappointing to them?

DW has often spoken to her sister about our YC cruises and I believe it was the comparison between what we receive for $$$ paid on our MSC YC cruises and how much less comes with more $$$ for a DCL Concierge cruise. Her experience was OK thanks to the discounted price the up-grade cost her but at normal pricing she felt much more should come with Concierge
 
DW has often spoken to her sister about our YC cruises and I believe it was the comparison between what we receive for $$$ paid on our MSC YC cruises and how much less comes with more $$$ for a DCL Concierge cruise. Her experience was OK thanks to the discounted price the up-grade cost her but at normal pricing she felt much more should come with Concierge

That's understandable. The Yacht Club, and The Haven on NCL, are in a completely different class than DCL Concierge.
 
I have similar feelings. I just don’t need or want most of the perks of Concierge.

[I have sailed Magic as a port upgrade (Med cruise, 11 nights - no Concierge Lounge). My niece wasn’t old enough for Palo, so we didn’t need help getting reservations. Our trip was planned out before arrival (we were B2B with the EBTA).

Other time was on the Dream.]

As Platinum, I have often checked in at the Concierge desk - I don’t see a lot of cruises in your signature, so this should be a plus). You will have a dedicated lounge area in the Terminal, which is reported to be enhanced.

Boarding in the first group after the Family of the Day.

Cabins are often ready earlier.

No waiting in line at Guest Services - there is a Concierge desk in the lounge or contact a Concierge.

On boarding - lunch in 1923. I think you talk with Concierge hosts then (Our Magic one was in Keys / Cadillac Lounge as a reception. I think it is now lunch - check out some trip reports). If you want to try Marceline Market buffet or the new pool deck food selections, do what you want, instead of or in addition to sit-down lunch.

If you have ever wanted a Cabana, this might be the best way to get one.

The same for getting reservations at Palo or Enchante.

My favorite aspect of Concierge was the Lounge. Not necessarily a wide variety of snacks and light foods, but it is better quality than Cabanas or the nighttime items in the pubs. I lived having the deconstructed Caesar salad. I can’t remember the rest of the food, though.

They had canned sodas all-day and afternoon happy hour (I remember seeing the bottles of wine; don‘t remember if there was liquor or mixed drinks).

Also, fridge was stocked with sodas of choice. I think water, too.

Have a great time.
We've done a couple of concierge sailings on the Dream. I agree with others that the concierge experience is what you make of it/how you use it - it's expensive, so get the most out of it.

Adding on to the quoted response:
  • When your concierge email window opens, certainly request any of those activities or port adventures that are highest demand (as mentioned above: cabanas, adult dining/brunch, drinking experiences, etc.). This, along with early boarding, are the most valuable concierge perks for us.
  • If you arrive at Port Canaveral early, you may be able to speak with the concierge hosts in the concierge waiting area to get some of your requests fulfilled. The new concierge lounge area at Port Canaveral is a separate room with a drinks fridge and plenty of seating.
  • When you get to the terminal (or upon boarding), the concierge hosts will be able to help with reservations for: Hyperspace Lounge, spa services, changes in dining rotation - anything that you would have gone to Guest Services to do, they'll do for you.
  • Early entry to evening shows - on the Wish, concierge guests can enter the theater early from Deck 2, and have their pick of seats. On the Dream (and I assume on the other ships), you meet in the concierge lounge and the hosts take you down. And you get "free" popcorn.
  • Drinks (soft and hard) are available in the concierge lounge pretty much all day, and one of the staff will mix you anything you want, or make a fancy coffee, etc.
  • If you're getting a larger stateroom/suite - enjoy it. With a 1BR, kiddo was able to sleep in her bed and we could still use the rest of the suite. And enjoy the fancier toiletries they provide (have we taken home some of the individually packaged Elemis products? maybe...)
  • At any point, if you're confused about something or you need something, just go to your concierge host and ask them. The first time we sailed concierge, we were reluctant to bother them. Don't be! They can answer your questions and address any issues you may be having (or if they can't, they'll help in some other way).
Does that all add up to "worth it"? Honestly, I can't answer that. But it is definitely a premium experience, and the concierge hosts will try to make your cruise extra special, if you let them.

Good luck, and enjoy!
 


There have been plenty of threads that discuss if concierge level is worth it or not. Just adding that it seems to get the most out of DCL concierge, it seems to me that you either need or want the planning assistance. That is probably the most value that the DCL concierge brings.

There are some perks for others and the bonus for us with concierge rooms has been the relaxation and quiet. Since some others have mentioned the services, which we don't find super helpful since we are platinum, I'll focus on that benefit. We haven't done the Wish yet and are in no rush to do so. We have sailed in Concierge on the other ships and we spend a little more time in the room and like relaxing on the verandas so the extra space is nice. On the Dream class the easy access to the lounge is a bonus for quick bites or grabbing a drink. Not sure of your (OP) reasons to pick concierge but if a slightly more relaxed pace is a goal, it seems more likely with concierge.

Taking a slightly different view, I agree that the DCL concierge experience might be a little lacking for the price. The jump from a family veranda to concierge is a little steep for what it provides, especially when you compare to some of the perks of the suites programs on other lines. Others have compared to the Haven and Yacht Club and I'll add Royal's Star Class as another program that seems to surpass DCL concierge for the price. If you have to stick with Disney concierge is very nice but may or may not have the value you are looking for with its perks. If you are open to shopping for perks there might be other options that make your dollar go further.
 
^This is perfectly worded.

I also agree that Royal’s Star Class leaves DCL in the dust, but that’s a different conversation lol. We are doing concierge on the Wish, but have only SC booked after that going forward based on the ROI we have found.

OP: I think that the intangibles of DCL’s Concierge are what give it value; I agree with PP saying that it’s what you make of it. We have taken older parents who never once knew that the ship was crowded in any way, because of Concierge. When my dad got a nasty cold on the Dream, he came back to our cabin one night to find a small apothecary’s worth of cough medicine, teas, etc. carefully arranged for him. One host had the Captain do our kid’s homework (don’t ask, but he got an A, so it worked out). Everything is just smoothed out; things that might make your day bumpy are just sort of removed. Impossible ideas like Remy at 6pm the same day, when fully booked, are somehow arranged. But, this comes with a certain level of interaction with the hosts that’s required in order for them to determine how they can improve your experience.

On the Wish, the lounge and sundeck are gigantic compared to Dream class ships, so I imagine that you wouldn’t even really need to go to the breakfast or lunch buffet craziness if you didn’t want to brave the crowds. The menus for the lounge look really good and the coffee machine alone is practically worth the upgrade.

If you are in a 1BD or higher, you have a special room service menu that is available to you all day and is a fantastic replacement for regular room service or breakfast/ lunch MDR options.

And of course, the cabana lottery is a huge factor 😜!

Have fun with your splurge- the planning is part of the value as well!
 
Provided our tests go well tomorrow, we’re sailing on the Wish this weekend and it’ll be our first time in Concierge, so I’ll be happy to report back our thoughts on it.

My oldest son is off to college in just over 2 weeks, and he really wanted to sail the Wish. So this is a big “off to college!” trip and celebration, so I decided to splurge, and we have a 1BR booked. It’s a surprise - neither my husband nor my kids know!

Part of the reason I booked it is to get the cabana. My oldest is not a big beach or crowds person and so doesn’t always join us at Castaway Cay. I wanted a cabana so he’d have a place to retreat to and a place we can all relax as a family to really enjoy this trip together. The big benefit so far for me for having Concierge was to get the Cabana. I didn’t get it at the booking window but Concierge can place you on a waitlist, and a few weeks ago they emailed me to let me know we got in. (Of course, I’m celebrating the fact that paying a lot extra for concierge enabled me to spend a lot more money at Castaway Cay, lol).

We don’t plan on leaving the ship, so I’m sure we’ll make more use of the lounge. And my sons will appreciate not having to go to the deck whenever they want a drink.

I don’t know if we’ll ever spend the extra money for Concierge again, but I’m excited to make use of it and all the space in the 1BR. The curtain between the living room and dining room will also help each boy feel as if they have their own room, too, which will be nice.

Three more days! Cannot wait!!
 

That's understandable. The Yacht Club, and The Haven on NCL, are in a completely different class than DCL Concierge.

I also agree that Royal’s Star Class leaves DCL in the dust, but that’s a different conversation lol. We are doing concierge on the Wish, but have only SC booked after that going forward based on the ROI we have found.

A plus for us going Concierge on any cruise line is the feeling of being buffered from the rest of the ship so it's like sailing on a more personalized - semi private yacht. MSC's YC besides being thousands of $$$ less compared to other lines is that you get entire BOW location deck areas for ONLY YC and not even Platinum/Diamond can access. You have a PRIVATE RESAURANT, your BUTLER 24/7 if you want/require the services, FULL BAR service in the full beam LOUNGE and TOP DECK that also has pool/hot tubs/grill - food area plus the full beam sun deck and pretty cool perk is the PRIORITY SCAN to woosh the elevator directly to your deck. We enjoy the very quiet/intimate dining experience that often is accompanied by live piano, strings or wonderful singing.

OLDER AGE has brought its own disadvantages/limitations that we don't mind and can within limits spend extra for to make things easier. Comparing value for $$$ spent, that's key.
 
Sorry for not getting back to this thread earlier, but I left the Disney Wish with the worst souvenir (I caught Covid on the ship).

This was our first time sailing concierge, and much as I loved it, I doubt I'd pay the premium again unless we really needed the perks or wanted a cabana.

The biggest advantage for us was the fact that having Concierge meant we were able to secure a Family Cabana on Castaway Cay, which was just a wonderful (and spoiling!) experience. But my kids will soon be out of the nest, and until we have grandkids or are traveling with a group, I don't think we'll need the cabana, much as again, it was an amazing, spoiling experience.

We had a 1 Bedroom, and I had someone gotten confused that as a 1BR Concierge we would still get room service for breakfast on disembarkation day. This proved not to be the case, and was a big difference. I wish we had therefore taken advantage of hot breakfast room service on another morning, but my kids actually love going to the buffet for breakfast, so we did not.

The other big advantages of the concierge was:
(1) being able to board first, in front of everyone else, and not being set to a boarding time
(2) dedicated check-in line and lounge prior to embarkation
(3) rooms ready by 1pm
(4) going to the Concierge Desk with our requests once we were boarded. The Concierge team was able to secure us Hyperspace Lounge during family hours for the time we requested, and was able to get us Royal Gathering reservations for character photos. It basically meant that we told them what we wanted, and then we were free to have fun during the cruise and not worry about it.
(5) special lunch service in 1923 restaurant
(6) food/snacks and drinks throughout the day in the lounge. Not a huge variety, but it was a good offering
(7) stocked fridge in our room. This was perhaps the thing my kids loved most
(8) Concierge sun deck, which was a nice spot to escape from most of the crowds. I say most because with 77 concierge rooms, it still got crowded from time to time.
(9) Free popcorn during movies and shows
(10) Early seating at shows
(11) Express elevator during disemebarkation

Sadly during our cruise they were not doing any character meet and greets in the concierge lounge, and they didn't have a time frame as to when it might be offered again in the future.

I think the only disappointing thing for us was not directly related to the Concierge, though I do wish they could have helped us with the feedback. That is, we had booked a Hydration Suite Couples Massage Treatment in advance, and the suite was supposed to have these new hydration beds that mimicked laying in water. Instead, there were normal massage beds in the room. We paid the premium for the treatment as we wanted to try the beds, and absolutely no one at any step told us they weren't specialty beds. We discovered this when we were actually laying down in the beds for the massage and thus noticed they were normal massage beds. Had we known the beds weren't available, we would have either rebooked to the Zero Gravity beds or downgraded to a regular couples massage. When we brought this up, the spa was basically "sorry." We brought this up with Concierge, and they were sympathetic, but otherwise didn't do anything to help make it right. I admittedly didn't push the issue, and I'll just write a followup email to Disney Guest Services, but I would have expected Concierge to help address this issue for us.

There definitely weren't enough of the Concierge team available during busy periods, and so sometimes there was a wait to be able to speak to anyone in Concierge.

That said, they were all amazing and friendly and went out of their way to make it a wonderful experience for us overall. Enough so that I did look at the cruise just my husband and I are planning to take in April to see what it would cost to sail Concierge, but it's double what we're paying for a Verandah. If the upgrade cost wasn't so drastic, I'd consider it again, but I'd rather take two cruises in a Verandah for that price. :)
 
I didn't know in the past they had character M&Gs in the conceirge lounge... can anyone discuss what characters they had in the past? Thanks
 
I didn't know in the past they had character M&Gs in the conceirge lounge... can anyone discuss what characters they had in the past? Thanks
The Dream in the past had Stitch, Goofy, and Mickey. Not necessarily all on the same cruise but I know we had Stitch and Goofy Nov 19.
 
I have a cruise booked in concierge on the Dream in December. Right now it has been a great advantage for me. I was able to secure a cabana on Castaway Cay. I'm not a big fan of the MDR's so it was so nice to be able to book Palo dinner twice, Palo brunch, and Remy dinner twice. I also was able to get all the tastings that we wanted as well. I'll admit, I'm looking forward to being able to board the ship earlier, enjoy the lunch in concierge, and the reception. The private area will be nice to relax, and just having a cold beer or a glass of wine in the concierge lounge prior to our evening dinners will be nice as well.

We are doing a cruise with another couple on Regent Seven Seas in March and that experience may spoil us. But on this trip it's just my wife and I on this Disney cruise. We have decided to really splurge for us two and will be using a ton of Disney rewards credits from our Visa. Concierge helped to assure we got everything we wanted. Once we are done with this cruise, will it be worth it? I don't know. Once we have experienced it I'll see if we do it again. Either way, after two cancelled cruises with Disney, I'm really looking forward to this cruise.
 
I didn't know in the past they had character M&Gs in the conceirge lounge... can anyone discuss what characters they had in the past? Thanks

We've had Stitch, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy on previous cruises.
 
Sadly during our cruise they were not doing any character meet and greets in the concierge lounge, and they didn't have a time frame as to when it might be offered again in the future.
I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped the private meet and greet. It was sometimes very chaotic and time consuming on the other ships and with 30+ more Concierge rooms on the Wish, it will only be worse.
 
Got some great answers here so just thought I would bump this up for everyone and also to see if anyone else wanted to add to the discussion...
 
No private character m&g on our norwegian Fjord cruise on the magic, sadly. But it was still very much worth it for our family with 3 littles on a port intensive trip (we found the drinks in rooms, coffee, snacks and immediate disembarkation very helpful! )
 

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