Just back from 7-night Eastern on the Fantasy (Concierge)! Ask me whatevs.

[CampbellzSoup]

What is the actual benefit of concierge?

What characters did you see?

How was your dining?

Did you go to Palo?

How were the shows?

 

[artnerds]

Hello, thanks for posting all of your info... if I may ask, what did you do on St. Maarten ? We are trying to figure out what to do on land days... thanks !! Also, girls and I are trying to figure out best cabana on CC. they want to be close to the water hub and I'd like a little more privacy... we are excited about our room 12506 thanks!!

In St. Maarten, we did the Twelve Metre Regatta, which is where you get to be part of the crew of a sailboat that raced in the America's Cup. You learn about your role on the sailboat and then you race against another boat. It's SUPER fun, and it's only a few hours long so you also have time to hang out on the beach or go into Philipsburg if you want to.

We have only done Serenity Bay cabanas, so I don't know what to advise you, but if you call Shoreside Concierge I am sure they will be able to tell you what the various cabanas are closest to.

You will love 12506. We were a little bummed that it wasn't available on this last cruise, so we stayed in its port-side mirror image, 12006.

Have a great trip!

 

[artnerds]

What is the actual benefit of concierge?

What characters did you see?

How was your dining?

Did you go to Palo?

How were the shows?

There are lots of benefits of Concierge Level. Among the most important to us are:
1. Shoreside Concierge team that will help you plan your trip and will take care of special requests.
2. Concierge guests get first opportunity to book everything, which is especially important if you want something like a cabana on Castaway Cay.
3. Three Concierge hosts on the ship who are there to help you get the most out of your trip.
4. The Concierge Lounge, which is a wonderful place to unwind, get a snack, and meet other guests. They also have a free happy hour twice each evening (before each dinner seating).
5. Priority debarkation - No waiting in line the final morning...they escort you off the ship.

Characters...Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Anna, Elsa, all of the Princesses, Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Hook.

We did both brunch and dinner at Palo and brunch and dinner at Remy. We love both restaurants, but Palo is our favorite. It's more relaxed and comforting, while Remy is more formal.

The shows are great, especially Aladdin, which seems to be the most popular of the stage productions.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

What an awesome answer thank you!

 

[Take-the-cards]

Hello again, newbie here, do you sign up for activities like the on board simulator once you are on the ship or ahead of time like at the 120 day mark ? thanks! just found out about that activity that'll be an "all play"

 

[artnerds]

Hello again, newbie here, do you sign up for activities like the on board simulator once you are on the ship or ahead of time like at the 120 day mark ? thanks! just found out about that activity that'll be an "all play"

You can sign up for them on the website once your booking window opens (they're listed under "On-Board Activities") or you can sign up for them on board. If you are traveling Concierge, you can also contact Shoreside Concierge by phone or email and they can book them for you.

 

[HookedonMagic]

Thanks so much for such a quick and comprehensive reply! We thought Julia and Kemisha were wonderful, as well, and no other bartender on the ship can compete with kianna for a stiff drink! ;-) Happy hour in the lounge is a terrific perk.

 

[artnerds]

Thanks so much for such a quick and comprehensive reply! We thought Julia and Kemisha were wonderful, as well, and no other bartender on the ship can compete with kianna for a stiff drink! ;-) Happy hour in the lounge is a terrific perk.

Kianna was THE BEST. We definitely gave her a big fat tip on the last night of the cruise.

 

[Take-the-cards]

Thanks... now all i can think about is what kind of drink to order I'm open to some island suggestions....does castaway cay how their own drink ? we've been to Green Turtle Cay also in the Abacos and they have a great specialty !!

 

[artnerds]

The specialty cocktail of Castaway Cay is the Konk Kooler. If you Google it, you will find some great home recipes that reproduce it.

My personal favorite drink, both onboard and at Castaway Cay, is the Bon Voyage, which is half frozen strawberry daiquiri and half frozen pina colada, poured side by side in the same cup. Delish.

 

[Take-the-cards]

Great! It'll be my first one to try Bon Voyage !! Love it...

 

[aschaefer]

Just back from a fantastic 7-night voyage on the Fantasy...Eastern Caribbean itinerary C (St Maarten, San Juan, Castaway Cay).

Captain was Cpt. Thord Haugen (Commodore Tom had just left for the Magic ).

Cruise Director was Darren.

Concierge Hosts were Julia, Kemisha, and PJ. Julia left for her vacation at the end of our cruise, with Amanda replacing her. Kemisha is leaving on vacation next Saturday; not sure who will be replacing her.

Weather was perfect (mid to upper 70s for the most part) and seas were good.

Happy to answer any questions.[/QUOTE

How are the concierge verandahs divided? Is it a soft canvas that can be opened to connect verandahs?

Do you recommend port or starboard side of the ship?

Which deck do you recommend? 11 or 12? I'm concerned about noise from the sun deck on 12.

Thanks for your help!

 

[artnerds]

How are the concierge verandahs divided? Is it a soft canvas that can be opened to connect verandahs?

Do you recommend port or starboard side of the ship?

Which deck do you recommend? 11 or 12? I'm concerned about noise from the sun deck on 12.

Thanks for your help!

The verandahs are divided by solid partitions, but they can be opened (by the crew) if you have adjoining staterooms. So, for example, staterooms 12006 (1 bedroom suite) and 12008 (verandah family stateroom) have a connecting door, and their verandah divider can be opened to create a single large verandah as well. (See next post for photo.)

For Caribbean/Bahamian cruises, I prefer starboard for 2 very specific reasons: (1) you get a really nice view of Castaway Cay from your verandah and (2) you can watch the fireworks from your verandah on pirate night. Beyond that, port vs starboard really is just personal choice. For no particular reason, we had starboard staterooms for our first 4 cruises. This last cruise, we stayed on port side and it felt a little disorienting at first, but I didn't notice any difference beyond that. (As you may know, deck 11 only has rooms on the port side.)

We prefer deck 12 because of the proximity to the Concierge Lounge, because we spend a lot of time in there. I didn't notice any noise from the sundeck on deck 13, which is adults-only.

 

[artnerds]

This picture is taken on the verandah of 12006. The part of the divider between the pole and the railing can be opened to connect to 12008's verandah. The lock mechanism requires a special tool to open it, so people can't just access their neighbors' verandahs at will. The crew will open it if you have the adjoining rooms booked. You can also request to have it opened if you make friends with your neighbors and want to share verandah space.

 

[budamacdvcr]

Which cabin were you in? I wondered about doing concierge in a family veranda and how that would be vs a 1 bedroom. We did a 1 bedroom on the Magic but I feel I would be priced out of the 1 br on the fantasy with as much as I travel...

Also, Did you try for and were you for and were you able to get a canaba at CC?

Not to steel the thread but we have stayed in both 1 bedroom and family veranda and did both with 5 people (3 teenagers). So depending on how many and if you can manage the shower / get ready for dinner bathroom schedules we found the veranda to be fine. Biggest advantage of 1 bedroom is 2 showers.

 

[artnerds]

Not to steel the thread but we have stayed in both 1 bedroom and family veranda and did both with 5 people (3 teenagers). So depending on how many and if you can manage the shower / get ready for dinner bathroom schedules we found the veranda to be fine. Biggest advantage of 1 bedroom is 2 showers.

That second bathroom has saved my pants...I mean life...before.

 

[MrDisneyFan]

Good to read your positive reviews! We were in a 1BR (12520) on the Fantasy in December and just booked 12506 for May 2016! Having a little anxiety about the dramatic (like almost 50%) increase over what we paid last time. Gulp! We may change our minds and downgrade but my wife (and I) are so hooked on concierge now the experience would be so much different for us to not have it. Damn you Disney!!!

Was the verandah bump out a good size difference in 12506 vs a standard 1BR verandah?

 

[artnerds]

Good to read your positive reviews! We were in a 1BR (12520) on the Fantasy in December and just booked 12506 for May 2016! Having a little anxiety about the dramatic (like almost 50%) increase over what we paid last time. Gulp! We may change our minds and downgrade but my wife (and I) are so hooked on concierge now the experience would be so much different for us to not have it. Damn you Disney!!!

Was the verandah bump out a good size difference in 12506 vs a standard 1BR verandah?

I looooooooooove 12506.

Yes, the bump out makes a significant difference in the verandah size. I would estimate it's about 20% more square footage.

Also, one nice thing about the Fantasy/Dream is that you can do concierge without having to get a suite, since they have the Concierge Family Staterooms. We're doing one (12516) for a 4-night on the Dream on New Year's Eve.

 

[JLMDisneyCruise]

my first question was regarding the internet, only because I am in Graduate school and will have an on-line class
during my cruise. I know there is 100MB of free, but I will have to be on line for about an hour daily, do I need more?
also, this is my first cruise, will concierge recommend any excursions that I might be interested in? I was
interested in the Chocolate factory tour in Cozumel. I also want a cabana on the adult beach. I plan on contacting 120 days out from my 125 days.
also i will be in room 12004, how is veranda size?
sorry for all the questions!

 

[MrDisneyFan]

I looooooooooove 12506.

Yes, the bump out makes a significant difference in the verandah size. I would estimate it's about 20% more square footage.

Also, one nice thing about the Fantasy/Dream is that you can do concierge without having to get a suite, since they have the Concierge Family Staterooms. We're doing one (12516) for a 4-night on the Dream on New Year's Eve.

I know, we have considered that we could always change to a Cat V and still be in concierge. The 1BR is so unbelievable though, you truly get spoiled with the space.