My family is traveling concierge except for my 7 year old DD who is in an inside stateroom w/grandma, will DD be able to board concierge with us?

[scgustafson]

Hello all. My family is going on our first cruise ever. There are 5 people in my immediate family(me, my wife and 3 DD's 1, 5, 7) and I am also paying for my mother-in-law. My two sister-in-laws and their husbands and my two nephews are coming as well for a total of 12 people. My sister-in-laws are staying on deck 9 midship in veranda state rooms. My wife and I wanted to go concierge. When I booked, the person helping me book, suggested I put my oldest daughter in my mother in laws room since I was paying for it. My mother in law is in a stateroom on the 9th floor. I am concerned that not having my daughter booked in concierge with us is a mistake. The person helping me book assured me it would not be a problem for my daughter and mother in law to be included on our excursions as we book them, they even said we could book for the entire party of 12 as long as they are paid up by 125 days out. My biggest concern is boarding the ship, the biggest draw for doing concierge in my opinion was getting to board as early as possible. The person booking me said "we could all board together after all the concierge people board but before platinum". What does this mean, is this still early, and should I worry about this?

Main question- If we try to board the ship through concierge with just our concierge ticketed members and my 7 year old daughter who is not concierge, would you expect they would let us board or make us wait? Thanks. Does anyone out there have first hand experience with this scenario?

I appreciate all the tips and help. Thanks!!!

No, she will have to board in the boarding group number assigned to her cabin with Grandma. If you would like to all board as a family, you will have to do it when Grandma's boarding group number is called.

 

[Dug720]

I'm with everyone else who says move her officially to your cabin. Besides the likely different muster stations and you needing a form completed to take your own child off the ship, as everyone has said, it puts the Concierge Hosts in a very awkward position if you ask for her to be allowed. If they make an exception for one group on a sailing, they would have to make that exception for all groups (and believe me, if someone in a group with some in Concierge has asked and been told no, they are going to be watching the other groups like a hawk and the second they see someone not Concierge in there, they will raise a fuss - rightfully so IMHO). Make it easier for everyone and just move her ahead of the cruise so she will be able to have all the Concierge benefits.

 

[diznymom]

Something no one has mentioned yet. I don't know about your kids, but with most kids....the 5 yr old will taunt the 7 yr old about what all they miss out on. I sure wouldn't want to be that kid that got left out on all the perks of concierge. JS.

 

[olafLover]

.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Ok...why? Why is this such a draw? As lanejudy said, there’s not that much difference.

There can be a lot of difference depending on their PAT. Between concierge & the first boarding group, there is very little difference, but cruisers new to DCL who are not sailing concierge are unlikely to get a low boarding number, because the early PATs tend to get taken by returning cruisers. So yes, concierge could easily mean the difference between getting onboard first and getting on board in the middle or even late in the boarding process, when several hundred other cruisers are already onboard.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

but cruisers new to DCL who are not sailing concierge are unlikely to get a very low boarding number, because the early PATs tend to get taken by returning cruisers.

Not always. Not everyone wants to be "first on". There are many returning cruisers that prefer boarding later, to avoid the crowds.

 

[lanejudy]

cruisers new to DCL who are not sailing concierge are unlikely to get a very low boarding number, because the early PATs tend to get taken by returning cruisers.

I think that can vary greatly by cruise. Our first cruise we were able to get the earliest PAT, and I wasn't even online doing it immediately (I forgot and it was that afternoon before I remembered). Even with a later PAT, "open boarding" typically begins around 12:30 or so -- so one could board at most 60-90 minutes later than concierge. I just don't see that being a huge draw to spend considerable extra for concierge. But OP has his priorities and I just wanted to point out the "early" isn't all that much earlier.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Not always. Not everyone wants to be "first on". There are many returning cruisers that prefer boarding later, to avoid the crowds.

I didn't say all returning cruisers want early PATs. I said the earliest PATs tend to be booked by returning cruisers (the ones who do want them), before new cruisers get to book a PAT.

 

[pixiedustedme]

I think that can vary greatly by cruise. Our first cruise we were able to get the earliest PAT, and I wasn't even online doing it immediately (I forgot and it was that afternoon before I remembered). Even with a later PAT, "open boarding" typically begins around 12:30 or so -- so one could board at most 60-90 minutes later than concierge. I just don't see that being a huge draw to spend considerable extra for concierge. But OP has his priorities and I just wanted to point out the "early" isn't all that much earlier.

When was your first cruise? If it was a long time ago, one consideration to make is that there are a lot more silver & golds today than there were 10+ years ago.

I agree that paying for concierge isn't worth it just for early boarding, but there are perks to early boarding, such as an empty pool deck & an easy time at embarkation lunch.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Our first was in 2017. We had an 11:15 PAT and were group 9 to get on board. The next year, we had a 10:30 PAT and were group 2. They get through everyone quite quickly and, yes, Cabanas fills up fast.

But if getting on the ship early is the ONLY reason to go concierge, I agree, it's not worth it. I do hope the OP plans to use the other amenities it has to offer to get her money's worth. And to that end, I hope she moves her daughter into her concierge room to also benefit. That's my opinion, anyway.

 

[Lisa F]

I think you were given bad advice
I agree with moving your daughter to your room (concierge) and moving one of the kids from your SILs rooms to be with Grandma - they will save a little and your DD won't be excluded.

 

[serenitynow]

We just got off a cruise in Concierge. The staff appears to be paying more attention to the Key to the World cards worn by guests in the lounge and on the sun deck. I saw them ask guests without a visible lanyard with key card visible, for their room number, to confirm they were Concierge passengers.

On the Concierge sundeck, a few passengers wearing blue key cards (non Concierge room cards) were very politely asked to leave, then escorted to the exit by crew members.

Concierge staff works very hard to learn their passengers names and relationships to other passengers. By the second day, they seem to know everyone who belongs Concierge. My son dropped by Concierge to pick up a bag of popcorn for a movie on the second day with a new friend from Vibe, and was politely told his friend had to leave, as he was not Concierge.

The Vibe is the 14-17 year old Kids club. Vibe members trade in their traditional room key card for a special Vibe key card that unlocks the Vibe door as well as your stateroom door. It’s neither blue (non Concierge) or Gold (Concierge), the Vibe key is black with an orange Vibe logo.

By the second morning, the Concierge staff recognized that my son had come into the lounge for popcorn with a non-Concierge passenger, even though both were wearing Vibe emblazoned key cards.

 

[serenitynow]

Another perk to Concierge early boarding is that as a Concierge passenger, you not only board the ship first, but your room is traditionally ready upon boarding. We were actually in our stateroom, dropping off our carryon bags, before 11:30 on this cruise.

 

[Tasmen]

Another perk to Concierge early boarding is that as a Concierge passenger, you not only board the ship first, but your room is traditionally ready upon boarding. We were actually in our stateroom, dropping off our carryon bags, before 11:30 on this cruise.

This is one of my favorite perks. I love being able to drop off my stuff and walk about the ship unhindered by carry ons.

 

[serenitynow]

 

[Dug720]

When was your first cruise? If it was a long time ago, one consideration to make is that there are a lot more silver & golds today than there were 10+ years ago.

I agree that paying for concierge isn't worth it just for early boarding, but there are perks to early boarding, such as an empty pool deck & an easy time at embarkation lunch.

But be honest... How long is that pool deck “empty”? I’m guessing not long since there is not a ton of lag time between Concierge, then Platinum, then Group 1.

 

[pixiedustedme]

But be honest... How long is that pool deck “empty”? I’m guessing not long since there is not a ton of lag time between Concierge, then Platinum, then Group 1.

It stays relatively empty & easy to use the pools & waterslides for quite a while. Most people eat upon boarding. We head straight for the pools every cruise after an early boarding & it's been awesome for us every time. The best pool deck experience of each cruise for us has always been immediately upon boarding.

 

[LovesTimone]

Put all the kids on your reservation with you.

No way I would want my kid's at a different Muster Station in case of an emergency and you don't want her feeling left out at...heading into the lounge and lunch time and such this would cause a real problem if she can't go in with mom and dad and the other kids got to... I'm sure it would hurt her feelings... and then you have a upset crying little girl... not away I would want to start my cruise.

Just because the lady who made the reservation told you sure no problem... it doesn't mean that it's the gospel...

 

[bumbershoot]

So yes, concierge could easily mean the difference between getting onboard first and getting on board in the middle or even late in the boarding process, when several hundred other cruisers are already onboard.

Several hundred cruisers is not that many.

I’ve been on early, I’ve beem on later (latest was our first concierge cruise because we took Disney transfers from the resort), and I’ve seen very little difference.

Another perk to Concierge early boarding is that as a Concierge passenger, you not only board the ship first, but your room is traditionally ready upon boarding. We were actually in our stateroom, dropping off our carryon bags, before 11:30 on this cruise.

Both of our concierge cruises that was not true.

 

[SamFaniam]

No way I would want my kid's at a different Mustard Station

Would it be OK if they were in a different ketchup station?