Why do you sail concierge?

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I love threads where people can share their viewpoints on value or why they do something when it comes to certain aspects of a vacation.

I often wonder this. I have never sailed concierge on Disney. I usually book my DCL cruises at the last minute and concierge is usually full up. Additionally I book only 3-night DCL cruises. So on the off chance that concierge is open, the jump from $800pp (family deluxe verandah) to $1500pp for a Cat v with no extra space is tough to rally behind.

I cruise suite level (on other lines) for the space. The perks tend to be a bonus. My favorite suite perks are free wash and fold laundry, dedicated suite restaurants, and enhanced room service. DCL only provides the basic concierge services (based on what I've read since I have no first hand). As somebody who would be more annoyed than enamored by a concierge showing up at my room with a drink I didn't request, the over the top service of the DCL staff holds no appeal to me. I find the DCL service obsequious and cloying as it is lol. It always ends up causing me more stress because I end up with stuff I don't want.

After our last 3-day we commented on certain aspects of the DCL ships and discussed maybe swapping our fall cruise for a Disney. I started looking up itineraries and yikes! Granted DCL only does the med in the summer so prices are likely different to start. But an 8-day concierge room for 2 was going to run over $31k. Nothing DCL offers is worth that IMO.

For that money, we would opt for a reagent (or equivalent) that includes business airfare, excursions, coffee and alcohol, all dining,a 24 butler, included internet, pre-cruise hotel, transfers, and porterage. I can see, however, where not needing the kids clubs or Disney theme would make my choice easier.

I have yet to price a DCL 7+ night where the concierge made sense for me. So, I usually end up on other lines that are cheaper or offer way more for the money. Maybe one of these times, I'll throw an extra $1,500 down on a 3-day to actually experience it for myself. Maybe that will change my mind on the value.

 

[phinz]

yes actually I've read mixed reviews on the tea cup booths at EG, so much so that we aren't doing one on leg 2 of our B2b incase we hate it but requested it for leg 1

We prefer the tea cups. We've only had one cruise where we didn't end up in the tea cups, and we didn't like our table as much.

 

[jrabbit]

Other people sail Concierge so that my Cat 9 room rates are only expensive, but usually not outrageously so.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

I have read about the perks you get while sailing concierge; and I can not come up with a good reason to spend that kind of money for the benefits received.

But my wife and I will never sail without a veranda, no matter how short the cruise. And I have read plenty of posts in the past; of people claiming they can not come up with a good reason to spend that kind of money to reserve a stateroom with a veranda and reserve a porthole stateroom only.

And there are people that can't imagine paying for anything more than an inside stateroom and will never pay for a porthole stateroom. It's all a matter of what your willing to put up with (or do without)!

Even if you have the means to upgrade to the next level.

 

[coloradocutie]

It depends on what you want out of your cruise experience in general.... we have found that the ability to be together and escape the crowds has made sailing concierge worth it to us. There are many different reasons that people go on cruises, let alone on Disney cruises, and the ability to go on a cruise in and of itself is a true luxury. Some go for entertainment, some go for lectures and activities, some go for the ports, some go to just escape the demands of the day to day. For us, our jobs are intense and we really have to fight for quality family time (as many families do...). As a result, for us, a priority on our vacations is to truly just be together as a family, and try to avoid the crowds (lol which is tricky on a cruise! but oh, we so love cruising ). We have found that the concierge rooms and lounge afford us what helps our cruise vacation have value to us... The increased ability to BE together. We love that we can escape the crowds in the lounge and the extra space in the suites allows us to hang out in the stateroom and the verandah and just relax. We love being able to dine from the dining room menus in the peace and quiet of our own stateroom together without being in a loud dining room or with other table mates (or entertainment of the dining rooms- AP- which is fun but children just watch the screens instead of talking). I understand that is not for everyone, and some just use the stateroom as a home base and spend the day enjoying the ship or port excursions. We really like escaping to the suite and how it allows us to enjoy time together as a family (with little ones who still nap it has been completely wonderful to have the extra space)...That being said, if that is a priority for us, to make it happen in a way we are comfortable spending concierge prices, we will choose cruises which are slow (i.e. during school-NOT spring break) and not as much in demand (repo) so that the concierge prices are more palatable. I do feel that the prices recently do not support the investment we want to make in concierge, as the differential is getting larger and larger.... but we have really loved the extra spaces concierge allows. DH likes the free drinks

 

[BAIC03]

So, this all sounds wonderful, and there are a few Cat Vs on the new Wonder. BUT- I will have two kids, 5.5 and 3.5 when we sail... are the perks as valuable for children as they seem to be for adults? If the perk doesn't make my life easier, I'm not inclined to buy it.
Thoughts?

 

[phinz]

I don't know. I haven't been 3 or 5 years old in a long, long time.

 

[diznymom]

We usually sail during the summer b/c we still have one child in school. DH and I booked a cruise for last December (no kids, just the two of us). This cruise in concierge was cheaper than what the three of us paid for a summer cruise. DH loved the concierge.

The concierge hosts are awesome. They can do anything that customer service desk can do. The service is awesome.

 

[lorenni]

We did concierge on one of the classics for the space. We brought my parents and booked a two bedroom suite. Having the living room meant more family time together with DS and his grandparents.

The other perks and service from the onboard team were great as well, but the huge stateroom was our main driver. Also it was a fall southern itinerary some price was actually not much more than booking two single staterooms for our party. This was in 2014 and there was no concierge lounge or sundeck on the Magic.

 

[Doofenshmirtz513]

So, this all sounds wonderful, and there are a few Cat Vs on the new Wonder. BUT- I will have two kids, 5.5 and 3.5 when we sail... are the perks as valuable for children as they seem to be for adults? If the perk doesn't make my life easier, I'm not inclined to buy it.
Thoughts?

My kids (who were 9, 7, and 3 at the time of our first cruise and 12, 10, and 6 for the second) enjoy getting snacks and drinks from the lounge. They also like talking to and playing games with the lounge staff during slow afternoons. They like getting popcorn for movies, and they have enjoyed the special character meet and greets. Having our own table in the MDR is important because one's autism makes for a struggle with forced social situations like sitting with strangers at dinner. Being able to get a cabana is a big deal to them because it gives us a home base, access to lots of floats, and a relatively quiet beach area to play in.

Having a bump-out veranda, two nicely sized TVs, and two bathrooms were also huge plusses for us in the 1-br suite. The extra space kept us from feeling like we were right on top of one another.

 

[tcufrog]

We've only cruised once and it was on the Dream. We initially chose a concierge room because we liked the one bedroom suite floor plan. We didn't want to share our bedroom with our kids but we didn't want our toddler to have direct access to the ship hallway without us around which he would have with adjoining rooms. We ended us loving the lounge though as a way to get away from the crowds. My older son has sensory issues WRT sounds and I'm mildly claustrophobic. Even though the ship wasn't full we sometimes found the noise and crowds overwhelming. It was nice to have a place to hang out around others that wasn't too noisy or too crowded.

 

[1Winston]

So, this all sounds wonderful, and there are a few Cat Vs on the new Wonder. BUT- I will have two kids, 5.5 and 3.5 when we sail... are the perks as valuable for children as they seem to be for adults? If the perk doesn't make my life easier, I'm not inclined to buy it.
Thoughts?

Our children are a big reason we cruise concierge. When we started cruising we had 16month old and now the kids are 4 and 6. Young kids and line ups are tough so we loved avoiding the lines lots of lines like boarding, getting kids club bands etc.
Our children historically haven't really spent more than an hour or two the whole weeks in the kids clubs so that means they are with us. We make good use of the sun deck and the lounges.
The children love the concierge hosts and know many of them by name because they have sailed with the same team multiple times. They go out of their way to make the kids feel special. My three year old fell off her chair in the lounge on our last cruise and they made her feel better with a dumbo stuffy that she has slept with ever since.
We only travel once a year and not on school breaks peak times so it is manageable. My husband is very frugal but he loves so much about concierge that he feels it makes our trip so it is a must. However this year due to a move and job schedules and the Canadian dollar being terrible we skipped a cruise. We've booked for next year though because we really missed it.
Hope this helps.

 

[Laundress]

We have sailed in the Roy on the Wonder. It was a bit more reasonable when we sailed off peak or from Miam. The cabin sleeps 7 so we could have me, my mom and 5 of her grandchildren sail together. Knowing my mom was comfortable and well cared for was worth it.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Concierge for our 30th anniversary was a wonderful perk and a great trip. Service, lounge, cabana... Not sure moving forward if we will have the opportunity to do it again due to the prices. But it was lovely. Let's see what happens when the kids move out... LOL

 

[undertheradar]

We sail concierge for the space. I consider Cat V to be "concierge light," since they are not suites and are given lesser concierge perks. We only consider Cat T and above, due to the extra bathrooms and larger spaces. As we compare prices, we use the cost comparison of Cat 4 and how many Cat 4 staterooms will equal the space of the concierge suite we book. On the classics, there is no point in booking a Cat S if an R is available, since the R has unlimited internet access throughout the cruise.

Everybody spends vacation money differently, so that is why Disney has the Cat V for those who want the concierge experience without the full concierge price.

 

[waggles02673]

We sail Concierge because we love the additional space and the service we receive. Also the CL hosts have become good friends and they are one of the big reasons that we sail in a suite. We find that everything is made just that much easier by the staff, from boarding to no waiting in lines at guest services etc, no worrying about getting a Cabana or reservations etc just get onboard and enjoy your vacation. We normally sail in a 1BR and love to order in breakfast and dinner from the MDR into the room. We have also sailed in Cat V's and the Walt Suite but if we have our choice a 1br works well for us. We are very fortunate to be able to afford it and where I am working every cruise (nature of my business and owning the company) I want the added space. We don't ask the staff for anything crazy just help making our day a little bit easier. We usually sail a couple times a year so we get to know everyone well.

 

[Trera]

We sail Concierge because we love the additional space and the service we receive. Also the CL hosts have become good friends and they are one of the big reasons that we sail in a suite. We find that everything is made just that much easier by the staff, from boarding to no waiting in lines at guest services etc, no worrying about getting a Cabana or reservations etc just get onboard and enjoy your vacation. We normally sail in a 1BR and love to order in breakfast and dinner from the MDR into the room. We have also sailed in Cat V's and the Walt Suite but if we have our choice a 1br works well for us. We are very fortunate to be able to afford it and where I am working every cruise (nature of my business and owning the company) I want the added space. We don't ask the staff for anything crazy just help making our day a little bit easier. We usually sail a couple times a year so we get to know everyone well.

Your experience is very similar to ours and we feel very much the same way about the hosts and how easy they make our trip.

 

[waggles02673]

Your experience is very similar to ours and we feel very much the same way about the hosts and how easy they make our trip.

We have thought about jumping ship a couple of times to another cruise line but we always come back to DCL level of service and Concierge Staff as the tipping point. We have sailed 13 times on DCL and all but our first 2 were in a Suite. We have cruise number 14 coming up in just over a month, then one in Sept and one in Sept 2018, all in a Concierge Suite. Can't wait to see the changes to the Fantasy when we are on board in Sept. That cruise will complete our DCL Grand slam. I can't wait to see the improvements to the Concierge Sundeck, we love what they did on the Dream.

 

[jrabbit]

Concierge for our 30th anniversary was a wonderful perk and a great trip. Service, lounge, cabana... Not sure moving forward if we will have the opportunity to do it again due to the prices. But it was lovely. Let's see what happens when the kids move out... LOL

What is this "Kids Move Out" of which you speak?

 

[bcwife76]

First off I'd like to say that I'm very blessed with the way that we get to travel and we don't take it for granted, but always sail concierge with DCL. Concierge isn't for everyone, even people who could easily afford it, it's more just about personal opinion. The biggest perk is the concierge service. Not only do you get onboard concierge crew members to cater to your every wish, you have shoreside concierge pre-cruise. They do everything from planning your port adventures to making sure you get the exact table you want inside the MDRs. Both platinum and concierge members are available to book port adventures, specialty dining, and onboard activities 120 days prior to sailing, but concierge guests are contacted 125 days prior asking what they want by shoreside concierge, and they put it in an online system that will automatically book all concierge guests into their activities at midnight 120 days prior. Then you wake up to an email saying everything that was booked for you. We have never not had a shore excursion/activity/dining time not successfully booked. Sailing concierge is a sure fire way to obtaining a cabana on Castaway Cay. All ships now have a concierge lounge which is a major perk. The private lounge is especially nice for my family, because when we travel we normally have 3-4 staterooms and the lounge serves as a great location we can all meet that is close to the room. There's also snacks, hors d'oeuvres, and drinks available throughout the day for free. You can even take as much back to your room as you want including bottled water and canned sodas. Concierge crew members will tell you not to order a water package since you do get as much as you want for free. There's also two nightly concierge receptions with free beer, wine, and spirits. There's one for each dinner time, but you can always go to both. My step sister and I's favorite drink is a malibu and coke, and they never have it on the first night, but we always ask for one and he goes and gets a bottle and then makes sure to have it every night after. The sundeck is my mother's favorite perk, mainly because she doesn't like having to wake up early and fighting for deck chairs. Priority boarding and departure is also a nice perk. Also if you have a port where tendering is required, concierge guests will be escorted down by their concierge team with no need to wait for a tender time/ticket. Other quick perks are: Free bagged air popped popcorn if you're going to see a show/movie or just want popcorn, exclusive character meet and greet (usually pluto, goofy, or minnie), complimentary gifts, Down Duvets in Concierge master bedrooms, pillow menu program, plush robes and slippers in staterooms, Media Library located in the Concierge Lounge, this library features an extensive selection of music CDs, DVDs, video games and board games for your family to enjoy in the comfort of your suite, and Complimentary WiFi Internet Service (up to 100mb). If you have any specific questions about any of these perks please ask. Also in my opinion, the concierge team has a low turnover in the means of the crew members. We've sailed with a majority of the concierge team before, and they do such a great job of remembering us.

Wow, this is the most indepth answer I have read on concierge cruising - thank you!

Most of the cruises we choose, the price difference is a substantial jump from verandah to concierge so I'm not sure we will ever sail concierge but you never know