Concierge Perks?

[pascalspal]

I hate being doted on too much. It makes me feel uncomfortable. Even at a restaurant, good service to me means taking my order accurately, delivering the food, keeping my drink full, and maybe checking on me once. It does not mean constantly checking on me or asking me how everything is. I have never used concierge service at a hotel, because I like to just do things for myself. The thought of having to meet with people ahead of time via phone, on the first day, or constantly having them ask if they can do anything for me, is a negative, not a bonus. Because of that, I am not sure we will ever do concierge on DCL.

We are perfectly happy with the size of the verandah room too, and will do mostly private excursions going forward (when allowed). We don't do tastings or other hard-to-book ship activities. The only bonus that we would use, that I can think of, is the reserved concierge spaces and a shot at cabanas. We don't love crowded spaces. Getting on and off the ship easier is a small bonus, but not that important to us.

Do any of you (who repeatedly sailed concierge) have similar preferences about not being dotted on, but still find it worth it?

I would agree with most everything you wrote. We do not need much to be happy on a Disney cruise, but we do really enjoy sailing concierge when we can. Some of my favorite perks that do not require being highly interactive/overwhelmed by the hosts:

- the coffee machine in the lounge is amazing. Yes, you can get and pay for a coffee at cove cafe non concierge so for some this doesnt matter. This is not a money saving move, but the machine is incredible and makes the best coffees/lattes at any time.
- I enjoy the light bites they have stocked in the lounge all the time. I rarely step foot in Cabanas anymore and will just grab something from the small selection in the lounge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Pre-Dinner Apps, "Late Night" bites). It is a small buffet, but nice to pop out of the room quickly and grab something without having to deal with how hectic Cabanas can be. The scones and jam from afternoon tea are my favorite.
- grabbing a bag of popcorn and a can of soda to take to the movie theater from the lounge
- not a big drinker, but the open bar from 5-10 is always nice for me. Pop out of the room and grab a beverage to enjoy while getting ready for dinner or out on the balcony. Pop in and grab another on the way to dinner. Grabbing a nightcap on the way back to the room at the end of the night.
- deck space is nice when pools are crowded/private hot tub for the same reason
- expedited entry on the ships/expedited exit to be the first through customs if wanted/expedited entry to tender boats(if applicable to your specific itinerary)

From our experience, we dont utilize the hosts to do tasks for us. However we do really enjoy getting to know them and hanging out with them throughout the cruises. Often we get little surprises from them throughout the week. One cruise they noticed I kept asking for refills for a specific type of cabernet. After a dinner at Palo, there was a bottle of that wine in our room waiting with glasses and a corkscrew.

You can 100% get the service you want without feeling overwhelmed or like you are being waited on hand and foot. It may not be worth the price tag for you, but thats alright! Its worth trying in my opinion if you find a deal that you feel comfortable with!

 

[Trera]

I would agree with most everything you wrote. We do not need much to be happy on a Disney cruise, but we do really enjoy sailing concierge when we can. Some of my favorite perks that do not require being highly interactive/overwhelmed by the hosts:

- the coffee machine in the lounge is amazing. Yes, you can get and pay for a coffee at cove cafe non concierge so for some this doesnt matter. This is not a money saving move, but the machine is incredible and makes the best coffees/lattes at any time.
- I enjoy the light bites they have stocked in the lounge all the time. I rarely step foot in Cabanas anymore and will just grab something from the small selection in the lounge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Pre-Dinner Apps, "Late Night" bites). It is a small buffet, but nice to pop out of the room quickly and grab something without having to deal with how hectic Cabanas can be. The scones and jam from afternoon tea are my favorite.
- grabbing a bag of popcorn and a can of soda to take to the movie theater from the lounge
- not a big drinker, but the open bar from 5-10 is always nice for me. Pop out of the room and grab a beverage to enjoy while getting ready for dinner or out on the balcony. Pop in and grab another on the way to dinner. Grabbing a nightcap on the way back to the room at the end of the night.
- deck space is nice when pools are crowded/private hot tub for the same reason
- expedited entry on the ships/expedited exit to be the first through customs if wanted/expedited entry to tender boats(if applicable to your specific itinerary)

From our experience, we dont utilize the hosts to do tasks for us. However we do really enjoy getting to know them and hanging out with them throughout the cruises. Often we get little surprises from them throughout the week. One cruise they noticed I kept asking for refills for a specific type of cabernet. After a dinner at Palo, there was a bottle of that wine in our room waiting with glasses and a corkscrew.

You can 100% get the service you want without feeling overwhelmed or like you are being waited on hand and foot. It may not be worth the price tag for you, but thats alright! Its worth trying in my opinion if you find a deal that you feel comfortable with!

I agree with your sentiments.

 

[Clojel]

I would agree with most everything you wrote. We do not need much to be happy on a Disney cruise, but we do really enjoy sailing concierge when we can. Some of my favorite perks that do not require being highly interactive/overwhelmed by the hosts:

- the coffee machine in the lounge is amazing. Yes, you can get and pay for a coffee at cove cafe non concierge so for some this doesnt matter. This is not a money saving move, but the machine is incredible and makes the best coffees/lattes at any time.
- I enjoy the light bites they have stocked in the lounge all the time. I rarely step foot in Cabanas anymore and will just grab something from the small selection in the lounge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Pre-Dinner Apps, "Late Night" bites). It is a small buffet, but nice to pop out of the room quickly and grab something without having to deal with how hectic Cabanas can be. The scones and jam from afternoon tea are my favorite.
- grabbing a bag of popcorn and a can of soda to take to the movie theater from the lounge
- not a big drinker, but the open bar from 5-10 is always nice for me. Pop out of the room and grab a beverage to enjoy while getting ready for dinner or out on the balcony. Pop in and grab another on the way to dinner. Grabbing a nightcap on the way back to the room at the end of the night.
- deck space is nice when pools are crowded/private hot tub for the same reason
- expedited entry on the ships/expedited exit to be the first through customs if wanted/expedited entry to tender boats(if applicable to your specific itinerary)

From our experience, we dont utilize the hosts to do tasks for us. However we do really enjoy getting to know them and hanging out with them throughout the cruises. Often we get little surprises from them throughout the week. One cruise they noticed I kept asking for refills for a specific type of cabernet. After a dinner at Palo, there was a bottle of that wine in our room waiting with glasses and a corkscrew.

You can 100% get the service you want without feeling overwhelmed or like you are being waited on hand and foot. It may not be worth the price tag for you, but thats alright! Its worth trying in my opinion if you find a deal that you feel comfortable with!

This post sums it up well!! This is exactly what we love about it too!

 

[disneywonderfun]

I would agree with most everything you wrote. We do not need much to be happy on a Disney cruise, but we do really enjoy sailing concierge when we can. Some of my favorite perks that do not require being highly interactive/overwhelmed by the hosts:

- the coffee machine in the lounge is amazing. Yes, you can get and pay for a coffee at cove cafe non concierge so for some this doesnt matter. This is not a money saving move, but the machine is incredible and makes the best coffees/lattes at any time.
- I enjoy the light bites they have stocked in the lounge all the time. I rarely step foot in Cabanas anymore and will just grab something from the small selection in the lounge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Pre-Dinner Apps, "Late Night" bites). It is a small buffet, but nice to pop out of the room quickly and grab something without having to deal with how hectic Cabanas can be. The scones and jam from afternoon tea are my favorite.
- grabbing a bag of popcorn and a can of soda to take to the movie theater from the lounge
- not a big drinker, but the open bar from 5-10 is always nice for me. Pop out of the room and grab a beverage to enjoy while getting ready for dinner or out on the balcony. Pop in and grab another on the way to dinner. Grabbing a nightcap on the way back to the room at the end of the night.
- deck space is nice when pools are crowded/private hot tub for the same reason
- expedited entry on the ships/expedited exit to be the first through customs if wanted/expedited entry to tender boats(if applicable to your specific itinerary)

From our experience, we dont utilize the hosts to do tasks for us. However we do really enjoy getting to know them and hanging out with them throughout the cruises. Often we get little surprises from them throughout the week. One cruise they noticed I kept asking for refills for a specific type of cabernet. After a dinner at Palo, there was a bottle of that wine in our room waiting with glasses and a corkscrew.

You can 100% get the service you want without feeling overwhelmed or like you are being waited on hand and foot. It may not be worth the price tag for you, but thats alright! Its worth trying in my opinion if you find a deal that you feel comfortable with!

Yes, those are certainly things that make the experience more relaxing and/or pleasant. Strangely, we have been on the Dream/Fantasy twice when the fancy lounge coffee maker was inoperable for all or the majority of the cruise. Not a big surprise, but the concierge staff is not moonlighting as a coffee machine repair team. Ha ha! If I remember correctly, the concierge staff provided us with some kind of "coupon" to show at the Cove for a "free" coffee whenever we needed one. In the Royal Suite on those ships, there is a Jura superautomatic coffee maker. Certainly not as elaborate as that in the lounge, but we liked the coffee in that suite so much that we bought one for our house. Best money we ever spent. Swiss made, around 10 years old, not a single problem.

Not a deep criticism of DCL, but your list really does mostly cover the perks that we would also get on DCL concierge. They are nice. They are good to have. They make the DCL experience better. But, as a first world problem, I just wish there were a few more things. It is like when we fly overseas. I have flown maybe 15 different international carriers over the past 10 years and each one has their nice features. However, the more you fly, the more you discover certain things that are missing from some airlines. I think that is the same with cruises. Before we tried a few other cruises in addition to DCL, I thought the DCL cabin in conjunction with the concierge amenities were well worth it. My wife still does. However, for me, it is hard for me to not look at DCL's product and lament that they could do so much more to make things magical. Maybe that is the wrinkle, however. Disney is real good about making EVERYBODY have a magical experience. That little photo for my avatar is a chance occurrence we had with Sorcerer Mickey on an open air part of a deck. Nobody else was there. He stayed with us for maybe 2-3 minutes, taking photos, giving hugs to our two children, and making that moment the most wonderful of our cruise. So, maybe I am just saying that if somebody finds value with the DCL concierge service, great! But, do not think you are missing out on really much at all if you are not in the concierge area. Like I mentioned, I doubt many of our memories of DCL would ever revolve around a happy hour drink that I ultimately feel a little guilty bringing to dinner.

DWF

 

[Cheburashka]

So, maybe I am just saying that if somebody finds value with the DCL concierge service, great! But, do not think you are missing out on really much at all if you are not in the concierge area.

Absolutely. We've sailed 6 non-concierge cruises and enjoyed each one. We're sailing concierge next time because for once we'll be able to cruise during the school year which brings the price down a lot (a Cat 3 in February is about the same price as a verandah during common school holidays). Looking forward to the enhanced experience, particularly a good chance at little things I've always wanted to try but never been able to, like a Castaway Cay cabana and a teacup table at Enchanted Garden, plus a nearby lounge with snacks and a hot tub that my son can also use. However, we'd still happily sail the Dream even if concierge weren't available.

 

[JWelch62]

I hate being doted on too much. It makes me feel uncomfortable. Even at a restaurant, good service to me means taking my order accurately, delivering the food, keeping my drink full, and maybe checking on me once. It does not mean constantly checking on me or asking me how everything is. I have never used concierge service at a hotel, because I like to just do things for myself. The thought of having to meet with people ahead of time via phone, on the first day, or constantly having them ask if they can do anything for me, is a negative, not a bonus. Because of that, I am not sure we will ever do concierge on DCL.

We are perfectly happy with the size of the verandah room too, and will do mostly private excursions going forward (when allowed). We don't do tastings or other hard-to-book ship activities. The only bonus that we would use, that I can think of, is the reserved concierge spaces and a shot at cabanas. We don't love crowded spaces. Getting on and off the ship easier is a small bonus, but not that important to us.

Do any of you (who repeatedly sailed concierge) have similar preferences about not being dotted on, but still find it worth it?

I am much like you. I don't like to ask people to do things for me that I can do for myself. So, while I don't use the Concierge staff as much as others might, I still enjoy the flexibility of having them around to take care of something I _can't_. I find that the staff is not in your face. If you need them, they're there. If you don't need them, they'll leave you in peace.

I also hate crowds (yet I love to cruise and go to Disney. Go figure). I absolutely love the lounge space on the Wonder. It's large, quiet, and a great place to get away from crowds. Plus it has a bar.

I am also a little bit of a control freak, and being able to reserve the things that I want to do (Tastings, Spa, etc) is a great stress reducer. The added benefit of being able to even have a shot at a cabana is a great plus, IMO.

If we are sailing on a 7N or less cruise the smallest concierge room is just fine. Over that we like to try to get a suite.

 

[JWG]

So, for fun, I priced out a cruise in March, 2022 (same dates, both Eastern Caribbean 7-day) on Disney in our standard room selection (Cat 4, deluxe family with verandah) and on Celebrity in The Retreat. Celebrity was $400 more, that's it. The stateroom credit more than offset that not even thinking about tips and drinks included. We're really looking to travel March, 2023 but Disney hasn't released those dates yet obviously. Made me think about it. Celebrity's cruises don't do their own island which is a loss. Also looked at RCCL concierge, it was notably more but still cheaper than DCL concierge.

 

[HappyontheLake]

My experience with the liquor is that it is better than mid shelf. I have had Patron tequila and Woodford Bourbon. Have also had Moet Ice which is a nice champagne served over ice.

And ask for something at the bar if you want it and they will have it there. Including my favorite ports and “the good stuff”. Literally you just need to ask. On an Alaskan cruise they got my daughter canned Dr Pepper. She was walking around with one and was swarmed by a few boys who wanted to know where she got it. One of them offered her $20 for a can of Dr Pepper

 

[foolish-mortal]

Sailing concierge on DCL has never appealed to me. We love the different areas of the ship and feel like we almost never have enough time to see and do everything we wanted. So, I don't think I'd want to be in the concierge lounge very much. The food almost everywhere is included so the food in the lounge doesn't do anything for me. We like going to Cabanas, the dining rooms, and Flo's. I can't imagine needing more food choices than that.

At WDW I think staying club level is extremely worth it to us. Not having to go and purchase food and drinks anytime we want something is amazing. Breakfast alone is so worth it to us. I don't want to have to wait in line or have an ADR for all meals. We can grab a bite and jump on a bus. But, the food is already included on the ship and we don't need to be in the parks at rope drop. I actually think we would feel like we were missing out if we were eating in the lounge.

I couldn't possibly drink enough alcohol to come close to justifying the cost of concierge. And we love Europa and the different bars where we can go for a drink. We've never been interested in trying to get a cabana. But, if we did I don't think I'd be willing to stay concierge just to increase my chances of getting one.

I know a lot of people love it and that's what's great about having so many different options. But, DCL is already expensive and I don't ever feel like I'm in need or want of anything else on the cruise.

 

[mzspaz]

Trying to justify the cost of concierge can be difficult. For us it has more to do with the location of the room than the "perks" that come with it. We prefer to be on a higher deck (we love deck 12) and towards the front. For our upcoming cruise (fingers crossed we get to enjoy it), our room location is ideal because my DH just has to go up one flight of stairs to the smoking section and I just have to go down one set of stairs to the adult pool and spa. It simplifies things for us. In addition, we enjoy the lounge for some peace and quiet, as well as the evening snacks that we enjoy on the verandah.

We are fairly low maintenance, so we did not really utilize the concierge hosts on our last cruise. I don't see that changing on this cruise. So we tip according to that. We DID utilize the bar tender and often felt spoiled when he saw us walk in and had our drinks ready to hand us.

But if you try to sit down and count the dollars, it doesn't add up. But each time I stand on my verandah and enjoy the view, it's worth it to me.

 

[JWelch62]

@mzspaz Looks like your signature needs to be updated.

"Hoping for and planning a 2012 Disney Trip!"

 

[mzspaz]

@mzspaz Looks like your signature needs to be updated.

"Hoping for and planning a 2012 Disney Trip!"

LOL.....that goes back to the days of the "tag fairy". Now I feel really old!

 

[MomOTwins]

Trying to justify the cost of concierge can be difficult. For us it has more to do with the location of the room than the "perks" that come with it. We prefer to be on a higher deck (we love deck 12) and towards the front. For our upcoming cruise (fingers crossed we get to enjoy it), our room location is ideal because my DH just has to go up one flight of stairs to the smoking section and I just have to go down one set of stairs to the adult pool and spa. It simplifies things for us. In addition, we enjoy the lounge for some peace and quiet, as well as the evening snacks that we enjoy on the verandah.

We are fairly low maintenance, so we did not really utilize the concierge hosts on our last cruise. I don't see that changing on this cruise. So we tip according to that. We DID utilize the bar tender and often felt spoiled when he saw us walk in and had our drinks ready to hand us.

But if you try to sit down and count the dollars, it doesn't add up. But each time I stand on my verandah and enjoy the view, it's worth it to me.

You might like the Wish then--they've got non-concierge rooms deck 11 forward on the pool deck!

We were going to do a 3-night in Concierge for our 10th anniversary as a special occasion treat, but that fell through with Covid and we ended up moving it to a longer cruise with non-concierge. As a family of 5, the cost of concierge is a bit nuts on the longer cruises (for example, on the Fantasy it is typically over $20K just for a regular size non-suite room, versus roughly $10K for a family verandah room that is pretty much identical except non-concierge).

I can see us doing it as a discounted port upgrade or a short 3-night in concierge as a family for another special occasion (e.g., another milestone anniversary; kids' graduation), and I can see us doing it more often when the kids are grown and it is just DH and I in the room, but a $10,000 difference is more than I could ever really justify for being pampered for a week and having some extra snacks, drink, and a quiet lounge space, especially when the baseline DCL experience is so nice already.

 

[mzspaz]

You might like the Wish then--they've got non-concierge rooms deck 11 forward on the pool deck!

We were going to do a 3-night in Concierge for our 10th anniversary as a special occasion treat, but that fell through with Covid and we ended up moving it to a longer cruise with non-concierge. As a family of 5, the cost of concierge is a bit nuts on the longer cruises (for example, on the Fantasy it is typically over $20K just for a regular size non-suite room, versus roughly $10K for a family verandah room that is pretty much identical except non-concierge).

I can see us doing it as a discounted port upgrade or a short 3-night in concierge as a family for another special occasion (e.g., another milestone anniversary; kids' graduation), and I can see us doing it more often when the kids are grown and it is just DH and I in the room, but a $10,000 difference is more than I could ever really justify for being pampered for a week and having some extra snacks, drink, and a quiet lounge space, especially when the baseline DCL experience is so nice already.

That's one of the things I am looking forward to about the Wish, but I'm not sure we will be doing DCL cruises after this. As my son gets older and our preferences change, our style seems to be changing. We booked this cruise for the Star Wars day as my husband and son are big fans.

I can understand how the costs add up for a family of 5. I agree that a $10,000 dollar difference is a bit much to justify and I would rather spend that money on either a longer trip or another vacation!

 

[diznee princess]

Does anyone know? if we have two separate rooms, (our adult children sharing their own) and we upgraded ours to concierge , can we share our perks with them?

 

[diznee princess]

That's one of the things I am looking forward to about the Wish, but I'm not sure we will be doing DCL cruises after this. As my son gets older and our preferences change, our style seems to be changing. We booked this cruise for the Star Wars day as my husband and son are big fans.

I can understand how the costs add up for a family of 5. I agree that a $10,000 dollar difference is a bit much to justify and I would rather spend that money on either a longer trip or another vacation!

wow! seriously 10,000 dollars can pay for another cruise, another vacation, or a whole lot of excursions and souvenirs, heck buy yourself something tangible like a diamond or gold jewelry as a momento of your trip!

 

[MomOTwins]

Does anyone know? if we have two separate rooms, (our adult children sharing their own) and we upgraded ours to concierge , can we share our perks with them?

Yes and no.

You can use concierge to book shared activities that someone from the concierge room will be on together with the nonconcierge guests (eg, castaway cay cabana, palo brunch for the whole family). But they can’t book something just for the nonconcierge guests if you aren’t going too (eg one of your kids wants a spa appointment for themselves).

The nonconcierge guests would not be allowed to join you in the concierge lounge or sundeck either.

 

[TigerLaw]

What a great set of viewpoints! Keep them coming!