Thoughts on our first (and maybe only) concierge sailing

[Remysister28]

Thanks for sharing. I agree with some of the things you mentioned. We cruised Concierge Nov 2019 and loved our 1 BR. There were three of us and having the living room, dining area and 2 full bathrooms was great. We loved the first day lunch and the private character meeting and the lounge. We booked the same room for Oct 2022. That cruise was the complete opposite of our first concierge experience. Too many things were so bad. I did leave a review so won't repeat what I said. I will say it was so disappointing that we didn't book onboard and have no desire to cruise with Disney again.

Oct 2022 is so recent, it’s making me question if I should cancel my own Concierge booking this fall! Thanks for your feedback. Did the pandemic destroy all the previous experiences?

 

[Mickey'sTown]

Oct 2022 is so recent, it’s making me question if I should cancel my own Concierge booking this fall! Thanks for your feedback. Did the pandemic destroy all the previous experiences?

Maybe depending on which ship

 

[Remysister28]

Maybe depending on which ship

It’s the Dream.

 

[KashasMom]

Oct 2022 is so recent, it’s making me question if I should cancel my own Concierge booking this fall! Thanks for your feedback. Did the pandemic destroy all the previous experiences?

I think some of the experiences (like the private character meet) were canceled because of the pandemic. But at least close character interactions were back when we sailed. It is possible that some things were affected by the pandemic. I wouldn't cancel your cruise. Everyone has different experiences and I think by now, the crew will be back to normal - and certainly will be by the fall.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We were in concierge on the Dream in September. It was amazing. The bartender we had in the lounge, was amazing. He was due to move to the Wish. I think this review was fair. Everyone is different and has differing opinions and expectations. We are booked concierge on the Fantasy next month. I am looking forward to a great cruise with my family that we didn't get to take due to the pandemic. Anything else amzing that happens on top of just celebrating being together will be icing on the cake.

 

[RedHead0186]

Those of you that sailed concierge and said it was one and done for you-were you happy you did it once? Or did you regret doing/wish you hadn't?

Considering upgrading to concierge for a 7-night Eastern Itinerary this November to surprise my dad. It's a big increase but he would love it. And this would likely be a once in a lifetime thing. So trying to decide if it's worth it to try concierge once (and yes, I know 'worth' is different to each person).

 

[shananigans]

Those of you that sailed concierge and said it was one and done for you-were you happy you did it once? Or did you regret doing/wish you hadn't?

Considering upgrading to concierge for a 7-night Eastern Itinerary this November to surprise my dad. It's a big increase but he would love it. And this would likely be a once in a lifetime thing. So trying to decide if it's worth it to try concierge once (and yes, I know 'worth' is different to each person).

I thought I’d do concierge and it would be one and done … then I did it again … and have two more scheduled … I like the lunch outside of the buffet, I like boarding first, I like disembarking first, I love the relationships built with concierge staff, I love the private spaces, popcorn for shows/movies, drinks, snacks that are healthier in the lounge vs by the pool deck. A lot of reasons make it worth it for us.

 

[Pixie Dust Believer]

Those of you that sailed concierge and said it was one and done for you-were you happy you did it once? Or did you regret doing/wish you hadn't?

Considering upgrading to concierge for a 7-night Eastern Itinerary this November to surprise my dad. It's a big increase but he would love it. And this would likely be a once in a lifetime thing. So trying to decide if it's worth it to try concierge once (and yes, I know 'worth' is different to each person).

We initially thought it was going to be a one and done thing for us in August of 2021….but we have done 8 since then all in concierge. Ooppps.

We had the most fantastic time. For us it is totally worth it. We love the personalized attention of the staff. Whenever anything went wrong on our cruise (ex. 3 of our selected port adventures cancelled after boarding, port adventures not going to where we were supposed to go, internet package issues, etc) we knew we were in good hands.

We just love the sun decks on crowded sea days. Also, we have met some amazing people on concierge that we still keep in touch with and meet up whenever we can. Some of my best memories from the cruises are when my family and other families would meet up at 5, grab a drink and just hang. By seeing the same people over and over, it made the ship feel more intimate and allowed us to make great connections with other folks/the crew.

 

[RedHead0186]

We initially thought it was going to be a one and done thing for us in August of 2021….but we have done 8 since then all in concierge. Ooppps.

We had the most fantastic time. For us it is totally worth it. We love the personalized attention of the staff. Whenever anything went wrong on our cruise (ex. 3 of our selected port adventures cancelled after boarding, port adventures not going to where we were supposed to go, internet package issues, etc) we knew we were in good hands.

We just love the sun decks on crowded sea days. Also, we have met some amazing people on concierge that we still keep in touch with and meet up whenever we can. Some of my best memories from the cruises are when my family and other families would meet up at 5, grab a drink and just hang. By seeing the same people over and over, it made the ship feel more intimate and allowed us to make great connections with other folks/the crew.

thank you (and @shananigans too) for sharing your experiences. We took the plunge and upgraded to concierge and are super excited. And although we said it would be a one-and-done, now that we're looking into it more we are already talking about sailing concierge on future cruises (and this one is still 200+ days out!) .

 

[DIS_Ag]

Late reply here, but here’s my perspective. We did concierge as a port upgrade a few years back and loved it. We were a family of 5 then and the 1BR was perfect for us. We’ve gone back in non concierge and still had a great time. Next January, we are booked as concierge from the jump. There are now 6 of us, so we have a 1BR connecting to a OV.

The main thing we enjoy about Concierge is having less crowded spaces. With little kids, it can be hard to get everyone situated at cabanas for breakfast and lunch. Doing those meals in the lounge or bringing quick service back to our balcony is great for us.

We won’t always do it this way, but having done it, I’m willing to pay full price to do it again. I am looking forward to the pre cruise benefits this time that I missed last.

 

[Lucien Franciosa]

My daughter and I sailed concierge 1br on the Wish in November. Just an amazing experience. We did a B2B, the first cruise was a regular concierge room and the 2nd cruise was a regular room, and I upgraded at the port to a 1br. I gotta say when we walked into the suite it was just really breathtaking. really large verandah, 2 doors to that, 2 bathrooms. My daughter said the sleeper sofa was much more comfortable than in a regular concierge room. it was so nice having a dining area...we had dinner in and the server was excellent. it was nice having a bit of breakfast in the morning, and the menu is awesome. The concierge lounge on the Wish is incredible. they will try to make any drink you like, and if they don't have the ingredients, they will get it. I had a wonderful limoncello drink at Palo and asked if they could replicate it...they went and found the ingredients for me and it was delicious. My room steward was the nicest gentleman...he went overboard trying to help us(pun intended)....the lounge concierge staff were amazing...they got to know us well and if my daughter went to the lounge without me, they always inquired 'where's your mom? we miss her!'. We were on deck 13 and the elevators were ALWAYS empty...we had no problem with them. We got excellent seating for the show at Arendalle, I was told that was because we were concierge. I never noticed anyone being any other than nice with the other concierge guests. And being concierge you get a good chance of getting a cabana, and they really try to get you everything you ask for at that 130 day mark. The lounge at the port is very nice...nice place to wait, and getting on the ship before everyone else is a very nice perk. We were escorted off the ship...no lines until out in the port...but they weren't bad. Also, on the DCL bus, you get on the bus first and you get to pick your seat on an empty bus!! There are probably more perks to concierge than I am listing, but I will never go on a cruise again without going concierge. Of course, there are only 2 of us, so the cost is cheaper. But in my opinion, it is well worth it. The staff really try to make your day as bright and good as possible...I never, ever saw a staff member with anything but a smile on their face and a pleasant greeting. If anyone is considering concierge, I would say go for it....it'll be a memorable trip, to say the least!

Thank you, my wife and I have sailed concierge 4 times now and you summed up perfectly our experiences. This review strikes me as a glass half empty viewpoint, I’ve never heard anyone complain the drinks were too strong but I suppose its what one is used to. But I enjoyed talking to our bartenders and like you, if I asked them to duplicate a drink I had elsewhere they would get the ingredients if they didnt have them. All I had to do was ask. And we loved all the other perks that eventually eliminated all lines, but I hate lines. Going concierge means we dont go as often as we might, but the cost is well worth the feeling of being pampered that we got. I work hard during the year so I love to just relax on vacation.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

We recently returned from the Dream and had a fantastic time with the concierge couple. The only hiccup was that they were with us the entire time – same pool, same lines, same dining room, same show. I just believe Disney should enhance the VIP experience to truly make it stand out.

 

[scoobysgirl]

Thank you, my wife and I have sailed concierge 4 times now and you summed up perfectly our experiences. This review strikes me as a glass half empty viewpoint, I’ve never heard anyone complain the drinks were too strong but I suppose its what one is used to. But I enjoyed talking to our bartenders and like you, if I asked them to duplicate a drink I had elsewhere they would get the ingredients if they didnt have them. All I had to do was ask. And we loved all the other perks that eventually eliminated all lines, but I hate lines. Going concierge means we dont go as often as we might, but the cost is well worth the feeling of being pampered that we got. I work hard during the year so I love to just relax on vacation.

Yes…absolutely. Next cruise is the Treasure. Can’t wait for that one. Haunted Mansion lounge? I’m in!

 

[Lucien Franciosa]

We recently returned from the Dream and had a fantastic time with the concierge couple. The only hiccup was that they were with us the entire time – same pool, same lines, same dining room, same show. I just believe Disney should enhance the VIP experience to truly make it stand out.

I am sorry, I am not following.. the concierge couple? Are you saying you were traveling with someone who was concierge while you were not and you were surprised they were with you the entire time? One of the things I wish was different in concierge is you are not supposed to bring in non concierge people. I ran into this on a cruise where I brought my adult children but did not upgrade them to concierge (they had their own rooms). Consequently if we wanted to spend time with them we were outside of the concierge bubble. Or, thats what it was by the books. In reality we found if we didnt push it, we sometimes blurred the lines. And our concierge status did enable us to book all activities (and cabana) as a group prior, so that's a plus. My apologies if I misunderstood your post. But there really are a lot of perks that may not be obvious to non concierge members. I think Disney does this to minimize friction. Of course, people in concierge have the choice to use these perks or not. Sounds like your couple chose not to.

 

[sabrecmc]

We sailed concierge once on the Dream. It was nice. Not like...amazing, but nice. Would not do it again, personally, unless we got a really great deal. Just didn't feel like how we travel made the perks offered worth it, since we are not in the room much, particularly on the shorter cruises. None of us wanted to hang out in the lounge, too many other things to do. I can sit and drink at home lol. I feel like I spent maybe 30 minutest total there. But, that's just us and how we are when we travel. I could see it maybe for a Transatlantic? That seems like a good time to really get to enjoy those benefits.

 

[ngl]

Late reply here, but here’s my perspective. We did concierge as a port upgrade a few years back and loved it. We were a family of 5 then and the 1BR was perfect for us. We’ve gone back in non concierge and still had a great time. Next January, we are booked as concierge from the jump. There are now 6 of us, so we have a 1BR connecting to a OV.

The main thing we enjoy about Concierge is having less crowded spaces. With little kids, it can be hard to get everyone situated at cabanas for breakfast and lunch. Doing those meals in the lounge or bringing quick service back to our balcony is great for us.

We won’t always do it this way, but having done it, I’m willing to pay full price to do it again. I am looking forward to the pre cruise benefits this time that I missed last.

I think this thread illustrates that what constitutes a "great vacation" depends on a variety of factors, ones we all weigh differently. For us, it is exactly the point made in this second paragraph of this post. Our kids are not little anymore but have only done concierge on the 5 Disney cruises we have taken and the less crowded (and seemingly quieter) area really is what draws us in. We were talking to some families who have only done non-concierge and they were complaining about how everything was a line, etc. and that they would not do Disney again bc of that whereas our experience has been the opposite.

I will say we prefer Dream class over Wish class simply bc the number of concierge rooms is much less and therefore, it is quieter in general but did like the larger lounge on Wish. As the saying goes, to each their own!

 

[Jsoenning]

Will sound like an old timer but back in the day, 2015-2016 we did our first couple of one bedroom concierge suites and the pricing was reasonable over the largest balcony room, no more than $3000-4000 more for 4 of us.

Shortly after there was a huge increase to today’s price point of at times double the largest balcony room. The price went up as folks were willing to pay for it but the amenities have vastly trailed other lines for the same price point (actually typically much less on other lines comparing similar room sizes and itineraries). We’ve splurged twice since in 2022 and 2023 as got more of the kids in school pricing. But our RCL Star experience (less than Disney even the balcony concierge) Alaskan cruise showed us a whole new world of being spoiled. Not even close comparison.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I am sorry, I am not following.. the concierge couple? Are you saying you were traveling with someone who was concierge while you were not and you were surprised they were with you the entire time? One of the things I wish was different in concierge is you are not supposed to bring in non concierge people. I ran into this on a cruise where I brought my adult children but did not upgrade them to concierge (they had their own rooms). Consequently if we wanted to spend time with them we were outside of the concierge bubble. Or, thats what it was by the books. In reality we found if we didnt push it, we sometimes blurred the lines. And our concierge status did enable us to book all activities (and cabana) as a group prior, so that's a plus. My apologies if I misunderstood your post. But there really are a lot of perks that may not be obvious to non concierge members. I think Disney does this to minimize friction. Of course, people in concierge have the choice to use these perks or not. Sounds like your couple chose not to.

I meant an instead of the. Yes they were pretty much with us the entire time they had some free drinks and fancy bottled water but otherwise they felt like any other guest I was just wondering what the significant upcharge was. I was commenting that Disney should do more to make the concierge status stand out.

 

[John VN]

Will sound like an old timer but back in the day, 2015-2016 we did our first couple of one bedroom concierge suites and the pricing was reasonable over the largest balcony room, no more than $3000-4000 more for 4 of us.

Shortly after there was a huge increase to today’s price point of at times double the largest balcony room. The price went up as folks were willing to pay for it but the amenities have vastly trailed other lines for the same price point (actually typically much less on other lines comparing similar room sizes and itineraries). We’ve splurged twice since in 2022 and 2023 as got more of the kids in school pricing. But our RCL Star experience (less than Disney even the balcony concierge) Alaskan cruise showed us a whole new world of being spoiled. Not even close comparison.

r.e. bold -- would you mind sharing ship and cruise date/length -- TIA

We agree with your assessment of Price Point + Perks Received and is why we sail elsewhere since the experience is elevated to a point that can not be matched by DCL.

Best cruising deal we've had was a 7 day Western on Oasis in Crown Loft for $3,700.

 

[Jsoenning]

r.e. bold -- would you mind sharing ship and cruise date/length -- TIA

We agree with your assessment of Price Point + Perks Received and is why we sail elsewhere since the experience is elevated to a point that can not be matched by DCL.

Best cruising deal we've had was a 7 day Western on Oasis in Crown Loft for $3,700.

It was Quantum of the Seas 06/19/23, 7-nights and Hailey was our amazing Genie.

We had a Grand Loft Suite I believe. Two floors on the back of the ship.

Just one minor example on the day we sailed to see the glacier they dropped off hot chocolate and hot just out of the oven chocolate chip cookies. This was in the early early morning. Breakfast with Starbucks came a few hours later.

There were tons of special touches throughout. Naming just a few, barely touching surface. Meeting us in the room, walking to elevator, taking us directly to security past the line and right to our shore excursion. She watched the show with our kids while we did Chefs Table and since she knew the cast, they gifted them drumsticks used in the show. Best seats at all shows. Private surf time. Private sky diving time. Behind the scenes tours of bridge and galley. Recruiting kids to decorate our room and adding a special cake for our anniversary. Making macaroons for our youngest when asking her dream cookie. Specialty restaurants to room any time they were open. Gift of an ornament from Juneau Alaska. Any canned or bottled drink item on the ship stocked in our room. Dual headed shower in master. All movies free to view on tv. Binoculars and blankets in room.

By far the best cruise of our 23 cruises.