Concierge service??

[JsMom2]

Be sure to take advantage of the shoreside concierge. For our 7 night last December:

She was able to book our parasailing at CC when the website wasn't working correctly.

She also booked Palo for the rest of my group and me together - even though they couldn't make ressies until 60 and 90 days out.

She contacted the ship to book a nail appt right after embarkation for me.

She helped me arrange a bridal shower for one of the DISers in our meets thread.

She changed us from late to main dining, and then got us the rotation we requested.

It was wonderful to take care of all of these things from home, so we didn't need to worry about them on vacation!

We had Connie on the Magic and she was absolutely awesome! For the bridal shower, she made sure we had our chairs on time, and asked what else we needed, and she even sent up some complimentary sodas and water for my guests! On the last night of the cruise, right before dinner she gave us a Ducky Williams litho. I asked if it might be possible to have Ducky sign it, since he was on our sailing. By the time we came back after dinner it was signed and waiting for us!

And I definitely agree about tipping extra for a suite!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thank you for all the contributions

 

[outahere]

We had Connie on the Magic and she was absolutely awesome!

Connie was the Assistant Concierge on the EB repo in 2005, and was absolutely fantastic!! She was the one who decorated our door for my birthday and I "caught" her doing it. She was embarrassed at being caught, but we both had a good laugh about it. She is, without a doubt, the nicest CM we've ever met on DCL, and I really hope she is still on the Magic for our 8/2009 cruise.

As others have said, we book a suite more for the larger cabin than for the Concierge service. It is a nice perk, but certainly not the only reason to book a suite, at least not on DCL. While we love DCL, the suite perks on NCL last Summer were "over the top". I wish DCL would investigate what their suite perks are compared to other cruise lines and make some changes. Maybe when the new ships debut.....

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Connie was the Assistant Concierge on the EB repo in 2005, and was absolutely fantastic!! She was the one who decorated our door for my birthday and I "caught" her doing it. She was embarrassed at being caught, but we both had a good laugh about it. She is, without a doubt, the nicest CM we've ever met on DCL, and I really hope she is still on the Magic for our 8/2009 cruise.

As others have said, we book a suite more for the larger cabin than for the Concierge service. It is a nice perk, but certainly not the only reason to book a suite, at least not on DCL. While we love DCL, the suite perks on NCL last Summer were "over the top". I wish DCL would investigate what their suite perks are compared to other cruise lines and make some changes. Maybe when the new ships debut.....

How many Concierge CM's do you have, is it 'pooled' ie 3/4 for all suites, or one per room?

 

[kaseyC]

As others have said, we book a suite more for the larger cabin than for the Concierge service. It is a nice perk, but certainly not the only reason to book a suite, at least not on DCL. While we love DCL, the suite perks on NCL last Summer were "over the top". I wish DCL would investigate what their suite perks are compared to other cruise lines and make some changes. Maybe when the new ships debut.....

We also book for the space, for my DH it is a haven away from the crowds. We also absolutely loved the suite perks on NCL. The whole Courtyard Villa concept cannot be beat as well as the personalized attention of the butlers. I truly hope DCL adds something similar to the new ships.

How many Concierge CM's do you have, is it 'pooled' ie 3/4 for all suites, or one per room?

One Concierge and one Assistant Concierge. They handle all of the suites. There is also one land based concierge now too.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

We also book for the space, for my DH it is a haven away from the crowds. We also absolutely loved the suite perks on NCL. The whole Courtyard Villa concept cannot be beat as well as the personalized attention of the butlers. I truly hope DCL adds something similar to the new ships.



One Concierge and one Assistant Concierge. They handle all of the suites. There is also one land based concierge now too.

Thank you.

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Couple of points I'll add.....

Yes, there are just the two concierge people and they handle all the suites.

I also double tip the stateroom host....they are cleaning "two" rooms.

The concierge team will visit your stateroom every day in the late afternoon. But you can tell them a specific time preference if you know you will always be in your room at such-and-such a time.

Now that we can contact Concierge ahead of time I would call them before the cruise if you have any special requests like needing special items or hosting a party in your room. Then they they know ahead of time and can plan accordingly.

And yes, we book the suites for the bigger rooms, not for the concierge service. I think when DCL designed the Magic/Wonder they did not think through about how to offer concierge services.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Couple of points I'll add.....

Yes, there are just the two concierge people and they handle all the suites.

I also double tip the stateroom host....they are cleaning "two" rooms.

The concierge team will visit your stateroom every day in the late afternoon. But you can tell them a specific time preference if you know you will always be in your room at such-and-such a time.

Now that we can contact Concierge ahead of time I would call them before the cruise if you have any special requests like needing special items or hosting a party in your room. Then they they know ahead of time and can plan accordingly.

And yes, we book the suites for the bigger rooms, not for the concierge service. I think when DCL designed the Magic/Wonder they did not think through about how to offer concierge services.

Thank you

 

[AlexandNessa]

And yes, we book the suites for the bigger rooms, not for the concierge service. I think when DCL designed the Magic/Wonder they did not think through about how to offer concierge services.

ITA with this. DCL needs a concierge lounge that is staffed during the day on their new ships. We have sailed concierge on HAL many times and MUCH prefer it to DCL's concierge. HAL has a concierge lounge that is staffed from say 7:30 am to 8 pm (give or take). In the lounge, they have a continental breakfast in the morning, light snacks throughout the day, cold appetizers in the evening, and coffee/tea/latte/cappuccino throughout the day. I like this much better then getting a snack delivered every day on DCL. On HAL, the concierge lounge has some TVs, beautiful sitting areas, a library, games. It's nice and quiet and very relaxing. I wish DCL had something similar. Also, HAL includes all laundry, pressing, and dry cleaning in the cost of the suite. We love that. No such equivalent on DCL. We hope that DCL rethinks their suite and suite perks with the new ships. They at least need a lounge. You'd think that DCL would set the standard when it comes to concierge service, but this is one area where I find them to be less than par.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

ITA with this. DCL needs a concierge lounge that is staffed during the day on their new ships. We have sailed concierge on HAL many times and MUCH prefer it to DCL's concierge. HAL has a concierge lounge that is staffed from say 7:30 am to 8 pm (give or take). In the lounge, they have a continental breakfast in the morning, light snacks throughout the day, cold appetizers in the evening, and coffee/tea/latte/cappuccino throughout the day. I like this much better then getting a snack delivered every day on DCL. On HAL, the concierge lounge has some TVs, beautiful sitting areas, a library, games. It's nice and quiet and very relaxing. I wish DCL had something similar. Also, HAL includes all laundry, pressing, and dry cleaning in the cost of the suite. We love that. No such equivalent on DCL. We hope that DCL rethinks their suite and suite perks with the new ships. They at least need a lounge. You'd think that DCL would set the standard when it comes to concierge service, but this is one area where I find them to be less than par.

Intesrting.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

ALL EARS NET TODAY-E.MAIL NEWSLETTER.

-- Disney Cruise Line is introducing an innovative pre-arrival
planning service available to concierge guests sailing aboard
the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder. Guests booking a
concierge level stateroom have access to this one-of-a-kind
service where Disney Cruise Line Concierge Services Specialists
assist guests in planning every cruise detail before setting
sail. Guests may contact dedicated Concierge Services
Specialists 105 days prior to their sail date to begin planning
their vacation. Specialists are available Monday through Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. via a toll-free number or e-mail.

 

[OceanLvr]

My family and I are heading out in May for a quick 3 night trip. This will be the third time we have sailed Concierge (03/07 - 09/07 - 05/08) all Cat 3 and all the same stateroom (sorry creature of habbit).

We sail Cat 3 for the space (5 of us). The perks are nice, although I'm sure we underutilize them. We enjoy the daily visits and "goodies". We have only been to the reception one time, it was nice but I wouldn't kill to get there again.

I go now and check in with the staff in the Cadillac Lounge, just to make sure everything is all set. We call in advance to have cases of water pre-delivered and whatever other special things we want. (Don't tell anyone, but we book private time with one of the Fab 5). SHHHHHHH!!!!

That is a little overboard, but we have 3 children and it's all about them when we travel together. Because we don't get alot of alone time, I send flowers to the suite for my wife, I think she enjoys it...

I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have....

HAPPY CRUISING!!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

My family and I are heading out in May for a quick 3 night trip. This will be the third time we have sailed Concierge (03/07 - 09/07 - 05/08) all Cat 3 and all the same stateroom (sorry creature of habbit).

We sail Cat 3 for the space (5 of us). The perks are nice, although I'm sure we underutilize them. We enjoy the daily visits and "goodies". We have only been to the reception one time, it was nice but I wouldn't kill to get there again.

I go now and check in with the staff in the Cadillac Lounge, just to make sure everything is all set. We call in advance to have cases of water pre-delivered and whatever other special things we want. (Don't tell anyone, but we book private time with one of the Fab 5). SHHHHHHH!!!!

That is a little overboard, but we have 3 children and it's all about them when we travel together. Because we don't get alot of alone time, I send flowers to the suite for my wife, I think she enjoys it...

I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have....

HAPPY CRUISING!!!

Have a great cruise and post some pictures after your stay, I will be very interested, and any tips.

 

[kaseyC]

We used the land based DCL concierge services for our Dec. 2007 Magic cruise. Last July we received a letter from DCL with the Concierge contact number. I still made all of my arrangements online at the 105 day mark. Our 105 day mark was also the day we boarded the Magic in Barcelona for the TA Repo. I learned you can access the DCL website for free on board.

I did call the Concierge services in October to make some special requests and to arrange some surprises for my mom who was sailing with us and sharing a seperate stateroom with DD(12). They were great and all of our requests were taken care of. It was nice to have dedicated phone number and email address for pre-planning. It seems DCL is starting to model the ships' concierge services after the WDW resort concierge services. We have had excellent experience with the resorts concierge.

Hopefully, they will add a dedicated concierge lounge to the new ships.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

We used the land based DCL concierge services for our Dec. 2007 Magic cruise. Last July we received a letter from DCL with the Concierge contact number. I still made all of my arrangements online at the 105 day mark. Our 105 day mark was also the day we boarded the Magic in Barcelona for the TA Repo. I learned you can access the DCL website for free on board.

I did call the Concierge services in October to make some special requests and to arrange some surprises for my mom who was sailing with us and sharing a seperate stateroom with DD(12). They were great and all of our requests were taken care of. It was nice to have dedicated phone number and email address for pre-planning. It seems DCL is starting to model the ships' concierge services after the WDW resort concierge services. We have had excellent experience with the resorts concierge.

Hopefully, they will add a dedicated concierge lounge to the new ships.

 

[BethA]

So much of what you receive and the level of service seems to depend on the team--we have had excellent teams and one awful team!!

I think in the Cat 1 they replenish the drinks through the whole trip-at least that is what we experienced --in a cat 3 they did not.

I think it is important to go to the meeting when you first get onboard, just so they get to know your family. We do not usually have a lot of requests, but having someone to call is great. They will try to change your rotation if you ask, but it depends on how full the ship is.

The print seems to be the standard suite gift.

We love the suites and find it hard to go back when none are available.

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Our family of 4 has sailed twice with DCL, both in suites. When we sailed on the Wonder, we only ever saw the concierge team at the meet and greet. We did receive the daily snacks, the arcade cards for the kids, and the lithograph at the end of the cruise.

Our last cruise was an Eastern on the Magic. Our team was Jonathan and Jenny and we loved them! They came by personally daily, and if we weren't in the suite, they came and tracked us down! They made sure our waters and sodas were restocked daily (no charge!) and took care of our tips for us. They did help me track down my autographed pillowcases on our last night!

Concierge decline tips. It's part of the service. On the other hand, if they've done something quite special for you, I'd want to tip for going 'above and beyond.'

I understand that if you offer the tip several times, they are allowed to accept (I believe on the third offer) - but that may be an old DIS's tale!

While we didn't ask for 'special' treatment, we felt that they were so superb compared to our previous experience that we wanted to give them a tip. We tried once, we tried twice, and the third time my hubby told Jenny that she couldn't tell him no anymore! Even if they use the extra money for a lunch onshore or to pool for a concierge staff party, we were happy to contribute!

My family and I are heading out in May for a quick 3 night trip. This will be the third time we have sailed Concierge (03/07 - 09/07 - 05/08) all Cat 3 and all the same stateroom (sorry creature of habbit).

We sail Cat 3 for the space (5 of us). The perks are nice, although I'm sure we underutilize them. We enjoy the daily visits and "goodies". We have only been to the reception one time, it was nice but I wouldn't kill to get there again.

I go now and check in with the staff in the Cadillac Lounge, just to make sure everything is all set. We call in advance to have cases of water pre-delivered and whatever other special things we want. (Don't tell anyone, but we book private time with one of the Fab 5). SHHHHHHH!!!!

That is a little overboard, but we have 3 children and it's all about them when we travel together. Because we don't get alot of alone time, I send flowers to the suite for my wife, I think she enjoys it...

I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have....

HAPPY CRUISING!!!

Joel, thanks for spilling! I've always wanted to ask for an invite to the character meet and greet! Can I do that as a concierge guest? After 2 cruises, none of us have ever had our picture taken with any character on our Disney Cruises! On the second cruise I offered to 'bribe' someone to have my hubby picked to be in the pirate party! The Pirate Party on the Wonder had would be pirates swab the deck and dance to earn their spot as a pirate! Sadly, my bribe didn't go through!

I love the idea of the character meet and greet, the instant tendering, and the idea of requesting a portrait session. Does anyone else have any good ideas? I've got 18 months and 1 day to finish my planning!

 

[pumpkinbaby]

We sailed in a Cat. 3 on our first cruise and are sailing in a Cat. 1 this summer. Anyway I called the concierge land line and was able to book excursions for the rest of the people we are sailing with. I booked mine online at the 105 day mark, but the others couldn't book until last booking. I was worried that we couldn't get the excursions together so I called and they were able to book those for them and get Palo together. We wanted a dinner for 5 and a brunch for 7. The concierge team I called was GREAT they were able to do everything I asked, and I even put in a request for the type of cake for my dad's birthday. They couldn't guarantee the cake type, but we will see.





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[domiii]

Subscribing for our upcoming cruise. This is a once in a life time for us, sailing in a cat 3. It's our 50th birthday present for DH and I. DD (20) and DM (82) will be with us, too. I am excited to make our reservations 105 days out.

 

[binky1]

We had Jonathan and Jenny as our concierge team as well and they were AWESOME!! All kinds of little goodies throughout the cruise, they dropped off a kite for my daughter to colour that she could fly on Castaway Cay and they were super efficient in everything they did.

We were a fairly easygoing family of 4 plus my MIL but it was still nice to know that we could ask for anything and it would be taken care of promptly.

Wishing everyone happy cruising!!