Dream Concierge

[kindman]

I have sailed concierge, went once to non-concierge and decided I didn't like going back. I'm waiting for the comment from previous poster stating I'm wrong but for me I decided I enjoyed the extras more and it isn't enough of a price difference for me personally to not pay extra. I like the lounge, the 120 day window, the never going to guest services, the cabanas. I realize the people that don't go concierge because they apparently take all these extra cruises with the money they save sounds very appealing but when I get one week away with the family to not need to worry about anything it's worth it to me personally. I know if I didn't pay extra apparently I could sail once a month but it's tough getting that much time off.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I have sailed concierge, went once to non-concierge and decided I didn't like going back. I'm waiting for the comment from previous poster stating I'm wrong but for me I decided I enjoyed the extras more and it isn't enough of a price difference for me personally to not pay extra. I like the lounge, the 120 day window, the never going to guest services, the cabanas. I realize the people that don't go concierge because they apparently take all these extra cruises with the money they save sounds very appealing but when I get one week away with the family to not need to worry about anything it's worth it to me personally. I know if I didn't pay extra apparently I could sail once a month but it's tough getting that much time off.

That's the point I have limited leave so I want to enjoy it, I do not live in Florida I can't cruise regularly, so when I do I want it to be good.

 

[LUVDisney1975]

Yes ask that, lower numbers are never cookies BBQ and the entrance higher further out and queiter.

Perfect! Thanks for the help!

 

[ForMyBoys]

Yeah, I'm curious about Concierge. I've only cruised once (leaving on the next on this Saturday!!). We had two connecting porthole rooms and had a blast. We have a family of 5 and I like separate rooms for the 3 boys. It was either the 1 or 2 bdrm concierge or connecting staterooms. The price diff was huge so we went w/ connecting staterooms. We are doing connecting staterooms again on the Fantasy (this time w/ a veranda).

While we can afford concierge it was so much more money that I didn't think it would be worth it. We never really have to go to guest services, I don't see us using cabanas... we like to move too much, and we don't drink that much so even w/ a large drink bill it wouldn't cover the diff. I'm curious to know what all the "unlisted extras" are.

However, I have a co-worker (who I deem to be a reasonable person) who has sailed concierge and has said she doesn't think she could do it any other way. I however am not sure if she has sailed non-concierge though, so I'm not sure if she has a basis for comparison. Disney customer service is so awesome I feel like we were treated special everywhere. Maybe one day I'll stomach the extra cost and find out for myself

I do agree w/ the prior posters about limited time off. Concierge or non-concierge chances are that we get one solid week together a year for a vacation. If we are lucky we get two. Whether or not we sail concierge would not increase the amount of our vacations. But I would have more money to funnel elsewhere.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Yeah, I'm curious about Concierge. I've only cruised once (leaving on the next on this Saturday!!). We had two connecting porthole rooms and had a blast. We have a family of 5 and I like separate rooms for the 3 boys. It was either the 1 or 2 bdrm concierge or connecting staterooms. The price diff was huge so we went w/ connecting staterooms. We are doing connecting staterooms again on the Fantasy (this time w/ a veranda).

While we can afford concierge it was so much more money that I didn't think it would be worth it. We never really have to go to guest services, I don't see us using cabanas... we like to move too much, and we don't drink that much so even w/ a large drink bill it wouldn't cover the diff. I'm curious to know what all the "unlisted extras" are.

However, I have a co-worker (who I deem to be a reasonable person) who has sailed concierge and has said she doesn't think she could do it any other way. I however am not sure if she has sailed non-concierge though, so I'm not sure if she has a basis for comparison. Disney customer service is so awesome I feel like we were treated special everywhere. Maybe one day I'll stomach the extra cost and find out for myself

I do agree w/ the prior posters about limited time off. Concierge or non-concierge chances are that we get one solid week together a year for a vacation. If we are lucky we get two. Whether or not we sail concierge would not increase the amount of our vacations. But I would have more money to funnel elsewhere.

There are listed extras and unlisted extras it's hard to post the unlisted ones as they can be different from cruise to cruise from host to host, basically keep talking to your hosts and see what they do.

Yes it's expensive it's not for everyone.

We have had msny benefits over the years which to us makes it worth it.

 

[Dug720]

I have sailed concierge, went once to non-concierge and decided I didn't like going back. I'm waiting for the comment from previous poster stating I'm wrong but for me I decided I enjoyed the extras more and it isn't enough of a price difference for me personally to not pay extra. I like the lounge, the 120 day window, the never going to guest services, the cabanas. I realize the people that don't go concierge because they apparently take all these extra cruises with the money they save sounds very appealing but when I get one week away with the family to not need to worry about anything it's worth it to me personally. I know if I didn't pay extra apparently I could sail once a month but it's tough getting that much time off.

I never said that for some people they can't or won't go back. Some people like having their hands held and like being separate and find the things they do things you don't want to cruise without. And that's fine. You're entitled to that. I didn't say you weren't said you weren't.

BUT it is a falsehood to make the blanket statement that once you sail concierge you'll never sail another way. And that is something I've seen more than one person say.

Just as with that saying about tests back in school "Always is always false, and never is never true."

(Besides, you should be glad! If everyone who cruised concierge never went back to commoner cruising, it would be a lot harder to get and the prices would rise even more! )

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I never said that for some people they can't or won't go back. Some people like having their hands held and like being separate and find the things they do things you don't want to cruise without. And that's fine. You're entitled to that. I didn't say you weren't said you weren't.

BUT it is a falsehood to make the blanket statement that once you sail concierge you'll never sail another way. And that is something I've seen more than one person say.

Just as with that saying about tests back in school "Always is always false, and never is never true."

(Besides, you should be glad! If everyone who cruised concierge never went back to commoner cruising, it would be a lot harder to get and the prices would rise even more! )

It was that posters opinion they will not go back, their entitled to their view, the same as you yours. There was no blanket statement, you have just not liked their view their opinion.

No one mentioned " commoner" cruising only you, and that's not inferred by any previous posts.

 

[Dug720]

It was that posters opinion they will not go back, their entitled to their view, the same as you yours. There was no blanket statement, you have just not liked their view their opinion.

No one mentioned " commoner" cruising only you, and that's not inferred by any previous posts.

Multi-quote is not working for me, but the statement was "Once you go concierge you will never go back!!!!!" Not "We went concierge and we will not go back."

And perhaps not in this thread, but in MANY threads about the value of concierge, the "us vs. them" attitude comes through loud and clear, making it definitely seem like a first-class vs. commoner status.

But we should probably stop responding to anything the other says as it seems we will never have common ground. (Not just from this thread.) But it's cool! That's why there is chocolate and vanilla!

 

[jcota]

I was in that cabin last March and it was great! My family all really enjoyed the room and it literally right across from the CL lounge. Nice thing about the lounge anything you want, ask the host and they will do their best for you to do get that done. They have a special meet and greet with a Disney character and other items for those who are staying in Concierge. Enjoy the cruise

 

[LUVDisney1975]

I was in that cabin last March and it was great! My family all really enjoyed the room and it literally right across from the CL lounge. Nice thing about the lounge anything you want, ask the host and they will do their best for you to do get that done. They have a special meet and greet with a Disney character and other items for those who are staying in Concierge. Enjoy the cruise

Great!!! Thank you!!! So glad you guys liked that room. Being right across from the lounge will be a nice perk. The special meet and greet also. We love to meet the characters. Soo excited!!!

 

[lulucornbread]

My family of four sailed concierge on the Dream last July.... FANTASTIC... they constantly spoil you. I fell in love with our three concierge hosts and the fantastic coffee machine in the lounge! They surprised us with goodies every day of our cruise. One day was the fruit basket, then cookies one night, a lithograph another... it was just nuts. We also had a private character meet and greet on the concierge sundeck one day (for us, it was about 4:30 before pirate night) and surprise -it was Mickey! My kids were thrilled! They have unlimited snacks & drinks in the concierge lounge.. you are able to take as many bottles of water & canned drinks to your room fridge as you want - very handy!

 

[Idaholion]

We will be going on the Fantasy the end of the month, by coincidence in room 12016. We have done one other cruise, Cat 5. This will be our first Concierge cruise. Normally, I wouldn't have gone concierge, since we don't drink coffee or alcohol, but we lucked in to a deal for a concierge room. I have enjoyed the 120 day sign-up, and we are going to try a cabana. (Last cruise the weather didn't let us dock at Castaway Cay, so I haven't even seen the cabanas yet, or anything on CC). So I am very interested in this conversation. I will try to report back after we return to tell you if we are one-time concierge people or long-term concierge. Our vacation schedule is such that we won't be cruising for at least 2 more years, so the point might be moot.

 

[robin19871]

I have sailed concierge, went once to non-concierge and decided I didn't like going back. I'm waiting for the comment from previous poster stating I'm wrong but for me I decided I enjoyed the extras more and it isn't enough of a price difference for me personally to not pay extra. I like the lounge, the 120 day window, the never going to guest services, the cabanas. I realize the people that don't go concierge because they apparently take all these extra cruises with the money they save sounds very appealing but when I get one week away with the family to not need to worry about anything it's worth it to me personally. I know if I didn't pay extra apparently I could sail once a month but it's tough getting that much time off.

This is exactly how we feel.. We have sailed non concierge on our first cruise and then sailed in a 1 bedroom on the Dream on our last cruise.. We LOVE concierge... As long as we can afford it we will be sailing that way. I only get 1 cruise/ big vacation a year so I am going to make the most of it.. We do not have the luxury of getting a lower category and going more than once a year so we go all out. So looking forward to our next concierge cabin in 7 months... Thankfully it will be on the Fantasy so we have a longer time on board.

 

[robin19871]

Multi-quote is not working for me, but the statement was "Once you go concierge you will never go back!!!!!" Not "We went concierge and we will not go back."

And perhaps not in this thread, but in MANY threads about the value of concierge, the "us vs. them" attitude comes through loud and clear, making it definitely seem like a first-class vs. commoner status.

But we should probably stop responding to anything the other says as it seems we will never have common ground. (Not just from this thread.) But it's cool! That's why there is chocolate and vanilla!

I have never seen a "Us vs Them" attitude from anyone in concierge. We are all the same people but some of us just choose to spend our money on concierge. The same could be said that some prefer DCL and some only sail Carnival.. DCL way out prices Carnival and I don't see people saying that there is a "Us vs Them" because we prefer DCL.

 

[kindman]

I have never seen a "Us vs Them" attitude from anyone in concierge. We are all the same people but some of us just choose to spend our money on concierge. The same could be said that some prefer DCL and some only sail Carnival.. DCL way out prices Carnival and I don't see people saying that there is a "Us vs Them" because we prefer DCL.

Well put, I certainly don't do it for any hand holding, I don't do it for any concerns with "commoners." I do it for personalized service and attention, I do it for the friendly concierge staff that make my kids feel special whenever they see them either in the lounge or out by the pool. I enjoy the lounge and take full advantage of the convienent food selection and the coffee. I certainly don't think if you do it for the happy hour your are somehow going to come out ahead, you would really need to have some serious cocktails to make that an advantage. I don't understand the chip on the shoulder the previous poster has about choosing to sail concierge, heaven forbid they find out that I'm also staying club level at the resort prior to the cruise, the shame.

 

[phinz]

I don't understand the chip on the shoulder the previous poster has about choosing to sail concierge, heaven forbid they find out that I'm also staying club level at the resort prior to the cruise, the shame.

+1000. I sail Concierge because I can and because I like the special attention, access to the lounge and priority embarkation and disembarkation. Not because I think every other peon in the world deserves to be in steerage. The best friends I've made on my cruises have all been from the "other side of the tracks" and they've been nicer and more fun than my fellow Concierge passengers have been.

If you can do it, try it. You'll understand why a lot of Concierge passengers will only sail Concierge. But then again, maybe you won't. Some people find it to be a good value. Some don't. We do.

That said, we're cruising VGT this time, and unless there is a cheap Concierge upgrade available at the port, we'll be staying on the same hallways as the unwashed masses. I'm guessing we're going to have just as great a time as we have on our other cruises.

 

[rawdata]

We've stayed in 12010 and (I think) 11006. 12010 was similar to 12016 in layout, based on what I see on the online maps. It's a nice room. You'll have the regular sized verandah instead of the bump. It's nice being close to the inside door for concierge.

What to do/not do is truly covered in a million other threads...

We like Concierge for the fact that they do stuff for us. We can ask for something and generally get it. Lucked out with cabana our first time. Considering the mid-afternoon rainstorm that hit, we were thrilled to have the cabana!!

 

[poison ivy]

Multi-quote is not working for me, but the statement was "Once you go concierge you will never go back!!!!!" Not "We went concierge and we will not go back."

And perhaps not in this thread, but in MANY threads about the value of concierge, the "us vs. them" attitude comes through loud and clear, making it definitely seem like a first-class vs. commoner status.

But we should probably stop responding to anything the other says as it seems we will never have common ground. (Not just from this thread.) But it's cool! That's why there is chocolate and vanilla!

I seem to recall reading those threads and even more in debate on the cabanas. We've done 5 cruises - 2 dream - 2 fantasy - 1 magic. and we've had inside / outside / and 1 concierge on the Dream as a family in 2 Cat T's and 2 Cat V's, (which was the Cadillac of all cruises for our group!!) We were in 12506-12512 a/k/a the bump out verandas which aren't the same cabin as the OP but I'll post some pics to hopefully build the anticipation.

We actually followed our Dream concierge stay (which I will not deny was awesome) with a cruise in an inside stateroom on the Magic. So personally I can go back and forth and feel each cruise was such a unique experience that we loved all of them.

I was similar to you in that I didn't actually utilize the staff and the service in concierge all that much either, and I think I visited the lounge only a few times - much less than some of my family. But I wasn't trying to get my money's worth thru those avenues. I wanted my family to experience the staterooms and have access to the amenities should they need something. And I wanted to give my parents who are in their mid 70's a wonderful experience. It was more for them than anyone or anything and I probably won't cruise with them again without upgrading to this level. They can't travel as often or as easily as we can and need to have family around. For this circumstance alone, the concierge option is invaluable on a cruise.

But if it's just us , yeah we're happy either way. Heck "we're on a Boat!!!"

 

[z28wiz]

.

I never said that for some people they can't or won't go back. Some people like having their hands held and like being separate and find the things they do things you don't want to cruise without. And that's fine. You're entitled to that. I didn't say you weren't said you weren't.

BUT it is a falsehood to make the blanket statement that once you sail concierge you'll never sail another way. And that is something I've seen more than one person say.

Just as with that saying about tests back in school "Always is always false, and never is never true."

(Besides, you should be glad! If everyone who cruised concierge never went back to commoner cruising, it would be a lot harder to get and the prices would rise even more! )

You are the one comparing entitled to "commoner". I have never said that either. All I said, is once your concierge you never go back, its a saying that goes with a lot of things. You took it way to literal. As I said everyone is entitled to their opinions and I stated mine. You may have stated yours but you jumped on everyone who stays in concierge.

 

[Dug720]

.



You are the one comparing entitled to "commoner". I have never said that either. All I said, is once your concierge you never go back, its a saying that goes with a lot of things. You took it way to literal. As I said everyone is entitled to their opinions and I stated mine. You may have stated yours but you jumped on everyone who stays in concierge.

And by saying "YOU" rather than making it personal to your experience and saying "Once WE sailed concierge..." you made it general to everyone as well. That is not taking it too literal - that is reading exactly what you wrote. By saying "YOU" in the statement "Once you sail concierge..." the natural reading is that it happens (or should) for everyone.

I don't think I jumped on people for choosing to stay concierge - I was just stating that not everyone who does can never go back. People can do what they want. I would rather cruise more often and not have people fussing over me. People should choose for themselves - BUT I don't think that people should assume that that is now the only way they will ever be able to cruise.