Concierge upgrade at port --success

[Curt Sole]

I have seen the question here many times so I thought I would share my experience.

I had been watching concierge room availability for weeks leading up to our cruise. We had never had the experience and wanted to try it out. On the day that out 7 day cruise on the wonder went dark online 2 concierge rooms still showed as available.

We arrived at the san diego port at 10am. They allowed us through security around 1040.

We had a 4a stateroom booked for a family of 5. The price difference prior to sailing had been 6k to get a concierge upgrade.

After checking in we went to the line to request an upgrade. We were in luck. The same 2 rooms that had been available prior to the blackout are still available. The price to upgrade 1750. About 70 percent less than it was going to cost 3 days earlier.

I can't wait to see how it works out. But so far so good. The kids are loving the unlimited canned drinks and I am very excited about the unlimited premium coffee.

 

[Marc D]

Good ! Say hi to to the team. I think it’s Glenn, Little G and Selina atm ?

 

[SnowWhite2]

Was it an upgrade to a 4a concierge or a 1 bedroom?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Was it an upgrade to a 4a concierge or a 1 bedroom?

4A is not a Concierge room, it's a Deluxe Family Oceanview Verandah.

The equivalent Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah is a category V.

 

[bcwife76]

Nice!!!! Enjoy!!!!

 

[Trera]

Good ! Say hi to to the team. I think it’s Glenn, Little G and Selina atm ?

Yes....that is our favorite concierge host team. When we were on a couple of months ago, they also had a concierge host named Jose that was working with them. I think they must be training new hosts for the ships.

 

[ScooterScott44]

Congratulations on the upgrade and have a great time.

If you don’t mind adding your details to the thread that tracks upgrades it would be great and help others estimate the chances and costs.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/lets-use-this-thread-to-track-port-upgrades.3009010/

 

[disneyholic family]

I have seen the question here many times so I thought I would share my experience.

I had been watching concierge room availability for weeks leading up to our cruise. We had never had the experience and wanted to try it out. On the day that out 7 day cruise on the wonder went dark online 2 concierge rooms still showed as available.

We arrived at the san diego port at 10am. They allowed us through security around 1040.

We had a 4a stateroom booked for a family of 5. The price difference prior to sailing had been 6k to get a concierge upgrade.

After checking in we went to the line to request an upgrade. We were in luck. The same 2 rooms that had been available prior to the blackout are still available. The price to upgrade 1750. About 70 percent less than it was going to cost 3 days earlier.

I can't wait to see how it works out. But so far so good. The kids are loving the unlimited canned drinks and I am very excited about the unlimited premium coffee.

thanks for posting!
this is something i'd like to try on our san diego cruise next year..

is the line identified as being for upgrades?
or did you ask and you were directed to that particular line?

.

 

[Marc D]

thanks for posting!
this is something i'd like to try on our san diego cruise next year..

is the line identified as being for upgrades?
or did you ask and you were directed to that particular line?

.

At the end of the check-in counters, there is a supervisor counter. In PC, it’s the last desk near the entrance to the ship. You simply need to go there. The line is informal.

 

[disneyholic family]

At the end of the check-in counters, there is a supervisor counter. In PC, it’s the last desk near the entrance to the ship. You simply need to go there. The line is informal.

thanks! this is the first cruise that's just my husband and me, so we can actually try this..
right now the difference between our verandah stateroom and a one bedroom for our 5 night cruise is about $3,500...
more than i'm willing to pay...
i'd probably be willing to go half that much...maybe even $2,000...
my husband really loves concierge, so he'll be even more gungho than i am..

.

 

[ScooterScott44]

thanks! this is the first cruise that's just my husband and me, so we can actually try this..

my husband really loves concierge, so he'll be even more gungho than i am..

.

Just need to ask why having just the two of you makes the upgrade more attractive to try?
If you upgrade at the port you are only paying the difference between the two cabins categories. So the number of guest does not impact the cost of upgrading. In reality, since it is a flat rate at the port, it would actually be better to have the kids included.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If you upgrade at the port you are only paying the difference between the two cabins categories.

It's a discounted difference. Not the difference had the upgrade been made the day before the cruise.

 

[ScooterScott44]

It's a discounted difference. Not the difference had the upgrade been made the day before the cruise.

Yes, that is true. But I didn’t split details because the point of my post is port upgrades do not take the number of passengers into account. It is a cabin to cabin calculation and it does not matter if it is just the 2 of them upgrading or the whole family.

 

[Rob1872]

Having never travelled concierge I don't have a frame of reference. However, from what I've read here, a significant piece of travelling concierge is getting first crack at excursions/shipboard activities/cabanas/etc., and being able to have your favorite drinks/etc. pre-loaded into your room. How much do you lose by not upgrading until the port? (If you are going from a 4A to V what do you get other than access to the concierge lounge?)

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

Having never travelled concierge I don't have a frame of reference. However, from what I've read here, a significant piece of travelling concierge is getting first crack at excursions/shipboard activities/cabanas/etc., and being able to have your favorite drinks/etc. pre-loaded into your room. How much do you lose by not upgrading until the port? (If you are going from a 4A to V what do you get other than access to the concierge lounge?)

I haven't sailed concierge yet, but I know that the Dream class ships have a concierge sun deck, complete with hot tub. If any cabanas or other coveted reservations become available during the cruise, concierge guests will be offered them first. They get priority embarkation onto the ship, a stateroom that's ready right away, and priority disembarkation at the end of the cruise. Yes, cruisers do miss out on some of the advance booking benefits, but for a 50 - 70% reduction in price, plenty of guests will still go for concierge if it's available at the port.

 

[Pinkgurlshubby]

I've never sailed concierge so like others I cannot compare. I have been up there with my wife to bring FE's and found they were very accommodating to us but when we cruise we usually pick a room we really want. Our first Dream we picked 10166 and cruised when it was available and this one we picked 5522 because we really want to try this room. The flip side is this being our 15th anniversary do we flip at the port if something is available or stick with the room we have wanted for some time? Our kids are too old and are not joining us so we were going to spend our time at quiet cove anyways.

 

[PurplePencil]

Having never travelled concierge I don't have a frame of reference. However, from what I've read here, a significant piece of travelling concierge is getting first crack at excursions/shipboard activities/cabanas/etc., and being able to have your favorite drinks/etc. pre-loaded into your room. How much do you lose by not upgrading until the port? (If you are going from a 4A to V what do you get other than access to the concierge lounge?)

I've never found that upgrading to a V was worthwhile for my party. However, when I've upgraded at the port it has been to a 1-Bedroom, the most obvious benefit being the extra space.

 

[MomOTwins]

I would like to try this at some point but I like fish extenders more and don't want my FE gifts going to the wrong room! Maybe when kids are older they will grow out of FEs

 

[disneyholic family]

Just need to ask why having just the two of you makes the upgrade more attractive to try?
If you upgrade at the port you are only paying the difference between the two cabins categories. So the number of guest does not impact the cost of upgrading. In reality, since it is a flat rate at the port, it would actually be better to have the kids included.

.

it makes a difference because with it being just the two of us, we're only in one stateroom....

on our cruise this past july, we were in 3 staterooms..
my kids wouldn't be interested in upgrading to concierge even if 3 concierge staterooms were crazily available.....
they're happy in the porthole staterooms on deck 2 of the Disney Magic/Wonder..

when our kids were young, we actually did go concierge....in the walt disney suite on the disney wonder..
amazing stateroom!!
but with multiple staterooms, i really can't afford it (concierge was much cheaper back in those days)...
and as i said, my kids wouldn't be interested..
but my husband and i definitely are if one's available at a discounted upgrade...
.

 

[disneyholic family]

Having never travelled concierge I don't have a frame of reference. However, from what I've read here, a significant piece of travelling concierge is getting first crack at excursions/shipboard activities/cabanas/etc., and being able to have your favorite drinks/etc. pre-loaded into your room. How much do you lose by not upgrading until the port? (If you are going from a 4A to V what do you get other than access to the concierge lounge?)

we both enjoy the lounge, plus i believe that concierge guests get discounted internet....
my husband has to be connected 24/7, so any discount on internet is good..
in other words, though we'd be paying for an upgrade, part of that can be considered the cost of the internet..
on the disney magic this past summer, my husband spent $500 on an internet connection for the 7 days...
but even if i'm wrong, and there's no discount for concierge, access to the lounge would be enough for my husband...he loves it in there..

.