Why do you sail concierge?

[hanscarlet]

It was a pleasure meeting you as well. We ended up getting cabana 2 on the next leg of our B2B and had another great weather day at CC.

Glad you had a safe trip home.

Awesome! Maybe we'll see ya next year, those cabanas are just pure paradise!

PS to folks reading this - Trera and I, by chance had cabanas next to each other on our Dream cruise and we got to talking on the beach and he said he was on disboards and I said I was on too and that I would look for him.... Disboards = small world

 

[AquaDame]

Do you know (or have a way to get an estimate) for the Cat Vs on wonder? Looking over past cruises on Wonder they've only had Cat T+, which Doubles the price of our cruise.

I have an autistic little, as well as health issues for my so, and think the quiet would be a great help.

Not really since as you said it didn't exist before... you can go to http://cruisefish.net though and look at some other 7-night itineraries? That might give you a ballpark at least; it will probably be a little different. It looks like the Merrytime sailing on 12/1/17 for example started at $2632 per person in a Cat V which was ~$1000 up from the highest verandah category.

 

[Trera]

Awesome! Maybe we'll see ya next year, those cabanas are just pure paradise!

PS to folks reading this - Trera and I, by chance had cabanas next to each other on our Dream cruise and we got to talking on the beach and he said he was on disboards and I said I was on too and that I would look for him.... Disboards = small world

Always great to meet fellow Disboard members on DCL!!!

Our next cruise currently booked is July 4 double dip 2018 on the Dream

 

[MouseOfCards]

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, soooo nice! First of all, can you adopt me and my kids?

In any case, thank you so much for sharing this information with us common folk. It's actually been really helpful. I think I could get used to it.

 

[DisneyConvert]

Wow. This thread confirms that Catg 7a-5 is perfect for us, as I love the Verandah (Wife and DS couldnt care less) and we appreciate affording two cruises a year (one to someplace "new") vs one more luxurious cruise.

We don't drink alcohol, and we find the Disney Excursions pretty controlled and boring (listening to lectures on a bus). My wife will do a Spa now and then, and we like Palo, but we've never had a challenge making the desired resv's.

If I had my choice, I would fly Business/First to/from the Cruise because the differential in service there is noticeable for the $,$$$'s spent. We already like the "standard" DCL product quite a bit!

 

[hanscarlet]

Now that we have done our first concierge experience - here's my take:

So it was awesome and very quickly my husband was like "Um we're doing it this way again".... so I keep going back to the difference in price and it really breaks down to $4k more than our normal verandah room and is the concierge service/experience worth it? I am not sure if I'm being honest. It's hard to quantify the concierge experience so I don't think I will ever really know if it is worth it but I will say we are going on concierge next year because we enjoyed this so much this year. We probably could use that $4k towards another cruise but we don't have much vacation time and can't continue to take the kids out of school so we are just going to enjoy it the best we can.

We have a fall cruise in September and it's non concierge and I am curious if I will feel like I miss the concierge experience but generally agree with PP that the DCL product without concierge is so so so very nice I am not sure you need it.

I am still on the fence about it, my husband says it's a no brainer.... mathematically it seems like it doesn't make sense and makes me a bit uncomfortable but while you're doing it and experiencing it you don't really think about the math... funny how that works lol

 

[DisneyConvert]

Now that we have done our first concierge experience - here's my take:

So it was awesome and very quickly my husband was like "Um we're doing it this way again"....

So, what were the key high-points that convinced you the extra $4k was worth spending . . . again?

 

[hanscarlet]

So, what were the key high-points that convinced you the extra $4k was worth spending . . . again?

The "free" alcohol from 5-10pm was really really nice
The priority seating location (we really liked the tea cups and my daughter was able to talk to crush)
The free apps before dinner
Free water
Free popcorn
Awesome coffee
Convenience of it all, no lines for anything (besides Aquaduck)
Meet and Greet with the characters was nice
Sundeck was really nice
Just generally being able to go into the lounge at any time and grabbing a coffee, an alcoholic beverage, an app with no restraints or having to "pay" was nice... (definitely there is a psychological aspect to it where they make you forget how much you pay to be in there, that's why I keep trying to remind myself on the $4k every chance I get lol)

But all of that I can do without except for the Cabanas on Castway Cay are the main reason - we're doing another B2B so we get the cabanas twice so that's another way I justify it, like $4k more for 2x at CC with cabanas vs $4k on a Fantasy cruise and only one time at CC, not sure I would do concierge on the Fantasy for just one stop at CC... it's crazy justification but that was my thought process... at least with the B2B you get more cabana time thus justifying the concierge price tag a bit more


eta: It's $4k for us because we can't do less than 7 days but for folks doing a 4 day, it's only $2k more which seems more reasonable... if I was a FL resident and didn't have to worry about airfare, I can totally justify the concierge for a quick 4 day getaway and I wouldn't be surprised if that happens a lot

 

[Trera]

The "free" alcohol from 5-10pm was really really nice
The priority seating location (we really liked the tea cups and my daughter was able to talk to crush)
The free apps before dinner
Free water
Free popcorn
Awesome coffee
Convenience of it all, no lines for anything (besides Aquaduck)
Meet and Greet with the characters was nice
Sundeck was really nice
Just generally being able to go into the lounge at any time and grabbing a coffee, an alcoholic beverage, an app with no restraints or having to "pay" was nice... (definitely there is a psychological aspect to it where they make you forget how much you pay to be in there, that's why I keep trying to remind myself on the $4k every chance I get lol)

But all of that I can do without except for the Cabanas on Castway Cay are the main reason - we're doing another B2B so we get the cabanas twice so that's another way I justify it, like $4k more for 2x at CC with cabanas vs $4k on a Fantasy cruise and only one time at CC, not sure I would do concierge on the Fantasy for just one stop at CC... it's crazy justification but that was my thought process... at least with the B2B you get more cabana time thus justifying the concierge price tag a bit more


eta: It's $4k for us because we can't do less than 7 days but for folks doing a 4 day, it's only $2k more which seems more reasonable... if I was a FL resident and didn't have to worry about airfare, I can totally justify the concierge for a quick 4 day getaway and I wouldn't be surprised if that happens a lot

We like everything you said above plus:

Private character meet and greet.
Concierge services to book or modify any reservation at any time.
You can review photos and have jump drive delivered to the concierge lounge without going to shutters.
Mountain Dew and Dr Pepper when we request it ahead of time.
Stocked in room fridge with water and drinks
Contenental breakfast in the lounge each morning
Early access to rooms.
Rice Krispie treats
BBB bookings when we were told they were booked.
They will add place holders on to your account.
List goes on and on.

 

[winterface]

Its the only way we will cruise. I saw what the other rooms are like and there's no way I could handle being crammed into those little closets.

1 bedroom suite gets us 600+ square feet, a whirlpool tub big enough for two (yeaaaah baby yeah), two bathrooms, big outside porch.

Then there's all the perks like not having to sit around like cattle in the port area, having my room available instantly, getting first dibs on the cabanas/excursions, the private character meet, the gifts, the food/drinks in the lounge, the privacy of the coincerage deck...

I could go on and on and on.

 

[TestingH2O]

It's hard to quantify the concierge experience so I don't think I will ever really know if it is worth it but I will say we are going on concierge next year because we enjoyed this so much this year.

This was us on our first cruise and resulted in the second being booked concierge.

We have a fall cruise in September and it's non concierge and I am curious if I will feel like I miss the concierge experience but generally agree with PP that the DCL product without concierge is so so so very nice I am not sure you need it.

This was us over spring break. We were very pleased with the non concierge experience and there were some things we liked more. A cabana would have been nice though.

I'd still love to do concierge again as it is a great experience, but I'd also rather vacation more often.

 

[DPRincess81]

Is a cabana an included perk? I noticed the $500 - $600 price tags on our shore excursion list recently and nearly spit out my La Croix. I would love to experience concierge - one day!!

 

[Dug720]

Is a cabana an included perk? I noticed the $500 - $600 price tags on our shore excursion list recently and nearly spit out my La Croix. I would love to experience concierge - one day!!

The ability to GET a cabana is much improved (almost guaranteed...though I think with Dream class there are more concierge cabins and suites than cabanas? not 100% on that) with concierge.

But you still have to PAY for the cabana once they secure it for you.

 

[phinz]

The ability to GET a cabana is much improved (almost guaranteed...though I think with Dream class there are more concierge cabins and suites than cabanas? not 100% on that) with concierge.

You are correct. There are 41 Concierge cabins on the Dream class and there are only 25 cabanas.

 

[mtil]

My family of five have been in a cat V twice on the Dream and then non-concierege twice on the Fantasy. What we missed from concierge was the waiting area in the terminal (it's great being able to board when you want without fighting through the throngs when your number is called), the coffee in the lounge, the evening cocktails, and the helpfulness of the hosts. The main reason that we did not do concierge on the last two Fantasy trips was that while the V's sleep five, it requires two to share the pullout couch. As my kids were older, we saw this being a major issue especially on the longer cruise. No matter how much extra benefits we would get, it could not make up for the expected fighting about who was going to share the bed with whom. It worked much better with two 5C's. If my wife and I were traveling without the kids, we would certainly book a V room again. The V's really should only state that they sleep 4.

 

[DisneyConvert]

Its the only way we will cruise. I saw what the other rooms are like and there's no way I could handle being crammed into those little closets.

1 bedroom suite gets us 600+ square feet, a whirlpool tub big enough for two (yeaaaah baby yeah), two bathrooms, big outside porch.

Then there's all the perks like not having to sit around like cattle in the port area, having my room available instantly, getting first dibs on the cabanas/excursions, the private character meet, the gifts, the food/drinks in the lounge, the privacy of the coincerage deck...

I could go on and on and on.

Very helpful thread. I appreciate the various perspectives. My wife is Platinum so we get a lot of the perks automatically (incl early dibs on resv's for character meets, Palo, etc.), and even when we travel with DS (16), we are only three so room size is less of an issue.

The Cabana sounds interesting, maybe when we were newlyweds . Otherwise, my wife enjoys the Cove Cafe, and I can spend $10-$15 on popcorn during the trip.

My experience at Tiana's makes it intriguing re. the ability to pick one's table.

I am glad that people enjoy their choices.

 

[twoprincesses12]

I really enjoyed reading this thread and can add only a little from our cruising experience. We have so far cruised the Fantasy in in January for 3 consecutive years. In the interim we took our older daughter (College grad now)! On a last minute cruise in the Haven on Norwwegian - loved the room and the Haven itself. Don't love the overall ship experience on Norwegian, but there were many activity options for our 6&8 year olds as well, and we are fans of the Freestyle dining and restaurant options. Downsides- they didn't enjoy the kids club and it seemed to be chaos every time we did a pick up/drop off.

We were unable to do a Concierge port upgrade on cruise 2, no availability, but know we enjoy extended veranda 4E.....so we booked connecting for our 3rd. In 2017 different story, there were at least 6 of the Cat T suites up for grabs. The price point was over what we said we would spend but we thought it would be our last cruise for awhile - We still saved $6k over the prevailing rate right before sailing.

We enjoyed almost every aspect of Concierge - and would be redundant to list them all, and my DH was hooked! I can only justify a certain price point and Concierge on the Fantasy is over my threshold, but we were able to find a Southern itinerary in January 2018 that changed our future cruise plans - now I am scouring the DIS for information on the reimagined Wonder and excited to cruise Concierge again.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

This really is so interesting to read, and I appreciate everyone adding their different perspectives! I'm Platinum and we generally have a tight budget, so I can't envision Concierge ever being an option for us, no matter how many we're traveling with (usually 2 adults and four teens in two rooms, or just 2 adults). If money were no object, I'd happily try it sometime! That said, after reading this I feel pretty confident that although it would be a nice luxury, I don't see anything about it that is very important to me for the hefty price tag. Glad to know that for us, we're not missing anything we can't live without just fine. I can certainly understand why it's attractive - and even essential - for some though. And I'm glad there is something for everyone on DCL - just one more reason to love them!

 

[drnp]

We typically cant do more than 1 cruise a year due to PTO constraints at work. We've done cat T twice on Wonder and V once on Dream and while the price tag never really justifies the sum of the extra benefits (really, I never drink $1000 worth of booze or popcorn), I still pay for it because everything is taken care of ahead of time for us. A big plus for me is also knowing that whatever comes up during the cruise will also be taken care of. We've had a couple of unforeseen events happen to us and the Concierge team always handled it very quickly and went above and beyond. If I could get two non-concierge vacations in a year, I would probably do it. But if I can only do one, we spend the extra for the experience of it and feeling of being taken care of.

 

[cruiser21]

Wow. This thread confirms that Catg 7a-5 is perfect for us, as I love the Verandah (Wife and DS couldnt care less) and we appreciate affording two cruises a year (one to someplace "new") vs one more luxurious cruise.

We don't drink alcohol, and we find the Disney Excursions pretty controlled and boring (listening to lectures on a bus). My wife will do a Spa now and then, and we like Palo, but we've never had a challenge making the desired resv's.

If I had my choice, I would fly Business/First to/from the Cruise because the differential in service there is noticeable for the $,$$$'s spent. We already like the "standard" DCL product quite a bit!

I agree with you there. If I'm going to Europe I would rather have an inside room on the ship and fly business class over there. The ship amenities are the same between rooms, but you can't beat business class on a 10 hour flight.