shoreside concierge booking requests before the 120 window

[EvaSue]

I also "pre-booked" with concierge for our october cruise and checked at the exact stroke of midnight and everything was plugged in. No one has fingers that fast, definitely automated.

 

[lbgraves]

I understand that concierge guests pay a lot of money for their rooms, but I'm scratching my head as to the overwhelming benfit of being platinum if all of the most desired stuff is already gone at the 120 window.

Over the past couple years DCL has lessened the draw to become platinum. The only exclusive benefit you do get now is priority boarding, after concierge. The discount is shared with Gold, along with the reception. The special tours/experiences are gone, along with the increased OBC for OBBs. We would never get a cabana at CC, so this latest change really won't affect us. Everything we valued was gone already.

 

[MAYNARDS99]

We are all booked! However, on our Palo and Remy reservations only one name is listed. A code is listed after the time, for instance, DD PALO 2.

Just spoke with shoreside, our reservations are for two. The reservation is in my name. Regardless of the number dining, the reservation will only list one name.

 

[chemnerd09]

If we are booked through a travel agent, we can still access Shoreside Concierge after our trip is paid in full, correct?

If I'm understanding this right, we must be paid in full to use Shoreside Concierge and it doesn't matter if we used a travel agent? This is the first time we are doing a cruise and the first time we are doing concierge. We booked with a travel agent so I'm trying to figure out if I need my TA to make requests. At what time frame do people normally contact concierge or do they contact you? Sorry for all the questions, but we really want to get a cabana for our cruise and I was trying to figure out a way around having to stay up to midnight to do it.

 

[TheRatPack]

If I'm understanding this right, we must be paid in full to use Shoreside Concierge and it doesn't matter if we used a travel agent? This is the first time we are doing a cruise and the first time we are doing concierge. We booked with a travel agent so I'm trying to figure out if I need my TA to make requests. At what time frame do people normally contact concierge or do they contact you? Sorry for all the questions, but we really want to get a cabana for our cruise and I was trying to figure out a way around having to stay up to midnight to do it.

I've been reading and from what I can tell you have to be paid in full and then you can contact shoreside concierge and make your request (or your TA but I'm guessing contacting shoreside concierge would get better results). You have to be paid in full before you can access any of those services though.

As far as them contacting you, not sure.....this is our first cruise as well . I put a note on my calendar close to 120 days, so I'll be sure to be paid in full, and have all my research and request written down to turn over to the concierge (or stay up myself and do it).

 

[MAYNARDS99]

You must be paid in full. Does not matter where you booked your cruise. You can send your requests to Shoreside Concierge well before the 120 day mark.

Shoreside will also contact you a few days before the 120 day mark.

From my email, "As a Concierge Guest, your services begin even before you board the ship. Beginning at 120 days" ... "prior to your sail date,
as long as your reservation has been paid in full, your Shoreside
Concierge Services Team can offer you personalized service in planning
the details of your cruise including:"

There are VERY helpful, and easy to work with!

 

[jjgarv]

Over the past couple years DCL has lessened the draw to become platinum. The only exclusive benefit you do get now is priority boarding, after concierge. The discount is shared with Gold, along with the reception. The special tours/experiences are gone, along with the increased OBC for OBBs. We would never get a cabana at CC, so this latest change really won't affect us. Everything we valued was gone already.

So true. With concierge 'pre-booking' cabanas, platinum level is meaningless at this point. Even at silver and gold levels, we never had trouble getting excursions or Palo reservations. Even so, we still have a fabulous cruise!

 

[chemnerd09]

You must be paid in full. Does not matter where you booked your cruise. You can send your requests to Shoreside Concierge well before the 120 day mark.

Shoreside will also contact you a few days before the 120 day mark.

From my email, "As a Concierge Guest, your services begin even before you board the ship. Beginning at 120 days" ... "prior to your sail date,
as long as your reservation has been paid in full, your Shoreside
Concierge Services Team can offer you personalized service in planning
the details of your cruise including:"

There are VERY helpful, and easy to work with!

Thanks for the info. I've been keeping a sheet that has all my notes for this upcoming cruise and it has now grown to over 5 pages. Since this is a once in a lifetime trip for us I want to make sure I have everything lined up.

 

[barbja99]

I'm platinum and cruising for the first time in years not in concierge. I assumed because we were now platinum I had a fighting chance of logging on at midnight and getting a cabana.

I logged on exactly at midnight a few days ago and ALL CABANAS were gone on the Family Beach and only 2 were left on the adult beach (we need family beach).

I understand that concierge guests pay a lot of money for their rooms, but I'm scratching my head as to the overwhelming benfit of being platinum if all of the most desired stuff is already gone at the 120 window.

Perhaps this is less of an issue with the classic ships since there are only 22 concierge cabins vs 41?

 

[TLLCanada]

I wish I had known something about this "pre-booking" thing. I am going concierge for the 2nd time in two years and stayed up until midnight to book my cabana. Travelling with an autistic child, this is a must for us otherwise we likely won't be able to get off the boat in Castaway Cay. I logged in before midnight, hit refresh every 2 seconds and at 00:00:01 there were NO family cabanas left. They were all sold out.
I am actually really upset to hear this is happening. They certainly don't advertise it. My TA put in a request for a cabana at the time of our booking in January but clearly it got unnoticed. I am actually mad enough that I might even consider cancelling the cruise if this is how they treat guests.

 

[lah3hh]

I knew nothing of this service either. I am platinum and will be sailing Concierge for the first time next October 2014 on the Disney Wonder DD cruise. I hopefully will get the CC cabanas each time but at least one time would be OK.

I am also sailing this October on the Disney Fantasy for the 7 day Western and at my 120 day mark at exactly midnight I was able to snag the last cabana. I could not believe all of them were gone but now knowing this fact...it all makes sense.

 

[ktb2002]

I wish I had known something about this "pre-booking" thing. I am going concierge for the 2nd time in two years and stayed up until midnight to book my cabana. Travelling with an autistic child, this is a must for us otherwise we likely won't be able to get off the boat in Castaway Cay. I logged in before midnight, hit refresh every 2 seconds and at 00:00:01 there were NO family cabanas left. They were all sold out.
I am actually really upset to hear this is happening. They certainly don't advertise it. My TA put in a request for a cabana at the time of our booking in January but clearly it got unnoticed. I am actually mad enough that I might even consider cancelling the cruise if this is how they treat guests.

I would email shoreside concierge myself and see about being out on a list. They do (well I can't confirm it since they went to the new system) hold a couple back.

 

[Bonniec]

Yes, email them. They most definitely hold some back. I had wanted cabana #17 if I had the choice. They put me in #15 and I was told that was the furthest out I could go because 17 was held back for weddings and if one wasn't booked they would switch me over. Then about a month later I got an email letting me know they had switched me.

So send them an email and they will likely put you on a list and the add you if they are able to release a cabana. Or you could get married

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[HeddyRuth]

I wish I had known something about this "pre-booking" thing. I am going concierge for the 2nd time in two years and stayed up until midnight to book my cabana. Travelling with an autistic child, this is a must for us otherwise we likely won't be able to get off the boat in Castaway Cay. I logged in before midnight, hit refresh every 2 seconds and at 00:00:01 there were NO family cabanas left. They were all sold out.
I am actually really upset to hear this is happening. They certainly don't advertise it. My TA put in a request for a cabana at the time of our booking in January but clearly it got unnoticed. I am actually mad enough that I might even consider cancelling the cruise if this is how they treat guests.

This is something very new and as long as you are paid in full then they should have called you to pre book what you needed around a week before. If you waited until the 120 day mark to pay then they would not have called you to arrange this as you would not have been PIF when they were calling everyone to get their preferences. If you did PIF earlier than 120 days then I would try talking to them to see what they can do to help because they were clearly in error as you should have at least gotten a message. Either way talk to them so that you will have first preference if someone cancels or when they finally book the ones they set aside. Good luck!

 

[TLLCanada]

I paid up my balance three weeks in advance of the 120 day mark. And I did not get a phone call

I emailed them regarding the cabana the next morning and the only reply I got was that the cabanas went super fast at midnight- --- well, no kidding if they are all pre booked!
They said for me to keep checking on the site to see if one opens up and they would take note that I wanted one but they don't keep any sort of wait list.

Horribly disappointed to say the least

 

[lbgraves]

My TA put in a request for a cabana at the time of our booking in January but clearly it got unnoticed.

Unfortunately this is very recent so if the TA had the regular CM put the note on the regular system when you booked the cruise, there wasn't a system in place to do anything with that at the time. It's more of a shame that your TA didn't know about this since it is their job to keep up with DCL's announcements.

 

[TLLCanada]

Unfortunately this is very recent so if the TA had the regular CM put the note on the regular system when you booked the cruise, there wasn't a system in place to do anything with that at the time. It's more of a shame that your TA didn't know about this since it is their job to keep up with DCL's announcements.

So heard back from Shoreside Concierge today- the response was essentially they left a message on our phone to let us know they would be available for concierge services. However my husband who took the message and the family travelling with us both said that the message was generic and said nothing about booking in advance of the 120 day window. All of the info they sent us prior to and following PIF said we couldn't book anything until the 120 day mark.
My TA who does a lot of Disney Cruise bookings said he was not notified that this "pre-booking" for concierge guests was possible. He also said that he made the notes in our file when we paid the deposit in January and again when we PIF early July that we would want a cabana. Apparently nobody ever reads them.
All this to say that I am very disappointed that this behind the scenes stuff is going on without really making it known policy one way or the other to concierge guests. This certainly wasn't happening last year when we sailed concierge.
Further, I think if they are going to state on their website that Concierge and Platinum guests get first dibs at the 120 day mark then they should honour it. I'd be less upset to have missed out on the cabana if it was because others bet the clock at midnight before me rather than some people were home and answered the phone and got a cabana pre-booked before the 120 day mark...

 

[lighthouse10]

You must be paid in full. Does not matter where you booked your cruise. You can send your requests to Shoreside Concierge well before the 120 day mark.

Shoreside will also contact you a few days before the 120 day mark.

From my email, "As a Concierge Guest, your services begin even before you board the ship. Beginning at 120 days" ... "prior to your sail date,
as long as your reservation has been paid in full, your Shoreside
Concierge Services Team can offer you personalized service in planning
the details of your cruise including:"

There are VERY helpful, and easy to work with!

Agreed - they are very helpful! This is my first Disney cruise and I booked concierge. Shoreside called me the day after I paid in full to take my requests. I honestly hadn't even given it much thought yet and the person on the phone walked me through everything, even down to transportation to and from the port and directions if I needed them. They're lovely! It made me excited for what will hopefully be equally great service once I actually get on board!

 

[TLLCanada]

Agreed - they are very helpful! This is my first Disney cruise and I booked concierge. Shoreside called me the day after I paid in full to take my requests. I honestly hadn't even given it much thought yet and the person on the phone walked me through everything, even down to transportation to and from the port and directions if I needed them. They're lovely! It made me excited for what will hopefully be equally great service once I actually get on board!

Our travelling companions and us PIF at least three weeks in advance of the 120 day mark. We received confirmation of our PIF the day after the transaction HOWEVER we didn't get a message until the day before the 120 mark and our travelling companions 2 days before 120 day mark.
I just think that if they are going to do this pre-booking thing it should be made known to the concierge people, either in writing or leave a specific message if calling and no one home. Our messages stated that concierge would be happy to help us with any bookings we wanted to make---NOTHING about pre-booking a cabana, etc. We all assumed they meant dinner reservations, excursions, etc. and that as usual, nothing until the 120 day mark. I think this unknown policy is unfair to those not lucky enough to be home to answer the phone (or returned home from a day of vacation to stay up to midnight in hopes of having at least a chance of getting a cabana as we had crappy internet service at our cottage) and to the Platinum guests who don't get that call or advantage.
After we got off the boat from our first DCL cruise we felt like no other family vacation could beat it. This time around we feel a bit deflated and we haven't even gotten on board yet.

 

[MAYNARDS99]

I sent my requests 22 days before the 120 day mark. In addition, I offered to resubmit my requests at a later date if necessary.

The only way I KNEW to submit my requests early to the Shoreside Concierge was because of this thread, which was started on June 8th. I did not receive a phone call, but I did get an automated email TWO days before the 120 day mark.

TLLC - keep trying to snag a family cabin, from what I've read here, they do pop up from time to time.