Double dip or concierge?

[Cheburashka]

Double dip FOR SURE…I get people love concierge but I don’t see it as an alternative to doing two crusies.

A double dip isn't two cruises. It's one cruise that stops at Castaway Cay twice.

Two cruises sailed consecutively is a "back-to-back".

 

[TestingH2O]

Another vote for the 5 night. The added space of two staterooms will make a huge difference in your comfort. While you can fit 5 in a room, it’s not as comfortable doing it on the ship as it is in a hotel.

Also, while I would prefer not to sail less than 7 nights, my husband thinks 5 is perfect. He gets at least 1 sea day, it makes sense to unpack, he feels confident navigating the ship, etc. The 4 days feel fast.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

A double dip isn't two cruises. It's one cruise that stops at Castaway Cay twice.

Two cruises sailed consecutively is a "back-to-back".

Boy do I feel dumb! Concierge it is!

 

[danikoski]

Well I ended up booking connecting navigator verandah staterooms on the double dip. The navigator verandah gives me a little more piece of mind with the 5 yr old. The two rooms together, with two people each, was around $200 cheaper than one family verandah room with all four of us in it. A regular verandah room with four of us was more as well. So two rooms it is on the double dip. Also booked through Dreams Unlimited and received a $300 on board credit. It is in September, which I recognize is hurricane season. Hopefully it all works out.

 

[Cheburashka]

Boy do I feel dumb! Concierge it is!

It's easy to mix up the two. Not dumb at all.

 

[danikoski]

Another vote for the double dip. We did concierge once when the price difference between a cat 4A and cat V on the Fantasy was only about $500 and, while we enjoyed it, it is not something that is necessary for having a great cruise. The extra premium they are currently charging for a concierge room is not something we would pay for the experience, especially since we have no interest in getting a cabana at Castaway Cay. I know you said you were looking at getting 2 verandah rooms for the double dip, but booking only one verandah room for the four of you would save you a lot of money. We are now platinum and have always sailed in a single verandah room with our 3 kids and found it was more than enough space for the five of us. Bank the extra $$, and be sure to book a placeholder while you are on board as there is a really good chance this won’t be a “one and done”.

So I went with 2 navigator verandah rooms that connect. I recognize they are an obstructed view but I jave more piece of mind with the little one. The 2 rooms with two people in it were cheaper then 4 of us in one room with a regular balcony. Kind of surprised me.

 

[danikoski]

Double Dip. You could try for a Cabana, but go in open-minded to give just time at the beach a try. The island clears out by 3:30 and it is never crowded. Lots if umbrellas and loungers available. Your next cruise can be tweaked based on your experience with this one.

Where I differ is the rooms: one Verandah, one interior - across the hall. We have rarely needed everyone to be on the Verandah at once. And older brother doesn’t have to watch out for the 5 yo climbing on the railing. And saves some money. You do not get the connecting door to access the 5 yo, though.

I say this for bedding reasons; plenty of 18 yos are adult size people and would appreciate having a real bed. While the sofa with its real mattress built in the flip-forward back is a decent sleeping surface, it is also a challenge. The entire sofa is 6’, but it has hard arms that cut into that space. Anyone in the upper 5’ height will have to sleep with bent knees.

I actually went with 2 navigator verandah connecting Rooms exactly because of the 5 yr old and the full balcony. I like having the connecting door in the room, but I can see the appeal of doing one verandah and one inside.

 

[auntlynne]

I actually went with 2 navigator verandah connecting Rooms exactly because of the 5 yr old and the full balcony. I like having the connecting door in the room, but I can see the appeal of doing one verandah and one inside.

Sounds wonderful. Access to parents for the little one, but space for all - and two toilet rooms, 2 showers and 4 sinks. Everyone can brush their teeth at the same time - for less money. I have enjoyed the Navigator Verandah. While you lose some of the openness of a plexiglass railing, you still get the light, view, and fresh air.

And these rooms can really play a smaller role in the overall cruise experience for a first-time cruiser. You’ve got shows, kids’ clubs, the MDR (Main Dining Room) experience unique to Disney.

Have a great cruise.

 

[John VN]

Sounds wonderful. Access to parents for the little one, but space for all - and two toilet rooms, 2 showers and 4 sinks. Everyone can brush their teeth at the same time - for less money. I have enjoyed the Navigator Verandah. While you lose some of the openness of a plexiglass railing, you still get the light, view, and fresh air.

And these rooms can really play a smaller role in the overall cruise experience for a first-time cruiser. You’ve got shows, kids’ clubs, the MDR (Main Dining Room) experience unique to Disney.

Have a great cruise.

r.e. bold -- like I mentioned in post 7, the bold makes life on a confined ship soooo much better

ENJOY

 

[MomOTwins]

I actually went with 2 navigator verandah connecting Rooms exactly because of the 5 yr old and the full balcony. I like having the connecting door in the room, but I can see the appeal of doing one verandah and one inside.

Good plan, just do make doubly sure you have “connecting” and not “adjoining”(next to eachother but no connecting door). There are only two pairs of connecting navigator verandahs on the Magic (6140/6142 and 6640/6642) and and they tend to book pretty early so if you got them that’s great.

 

[danikoski]

Similar to this but a little nicer, is that you can select a verandah that is right next to an oceanview (window), and book those next to each other. That way both rooms would have a view, while only you would have an actual verandah.

Good plan, just do make doubly sure you have “connecting” and not “adjoining”(next to eachother but no connecting door). There are only two pairs of connecting navigator verandahs on the Magic (6140/6142 and 6640/6642) and and they tend to book pretty early so if you got them that’s great.

We got one of those pairs. My husband was confused why I wanted to book more than a year in advance. Well, because I wanted those rooms if we did the double dip.