Is Concierge really worth the extra cost?

[mickeysimba]

We are finally booking our first cruises. We are hesitant that cruising will be our new favorite way to travel, but we look forward to seeing how easy the cruise provides childcare for much needed time alone away from our children while on vacation.

I read this article and am not sure what to think.

https://luxerecess.com/disney-cruise-concierge-disney-dream-suite/

I am thinking just booking Palo and Remy makes more sense. Maybe I just don't understand how small a verandah stateroom actually is?

 

[mhconley]

If you can afford it, sure. IMMHO it’s not worth it if the price difference is doable but a burden, as it would be for us. We have only cruised on the Fantasy in a 4A stateroom and thought it plenty roomy. The 4A is the exact same size as a category V. It’s not as big as a typical hotel room but our family of 3 fit just fine. We’re trying a 5A on the Wonder next. Whatever you decide, enjoy your cruise!

Martin

 

[mickeysimba]

If we went concierge, we would have to go on a shorter cruise, and I think we would want to go on a longer one.

 

[Sytrace]

The only way I would ever book concierge is if it were a short cruise and I spent my entire cruise in the cabin or concierge lounge.

We are a family of 4 who like to sail frequently (for example, this year alone we will be sailing 4 times. Last year we sailed 5 times etc..) Always in a veranda category 5A (so standard veranda, not family) This is plenty of space for us, although we have been considering going to a 4A sooner or later.
****DISCLAIMER****This is based on MY family and our travel preferences...just like anything else, every family has different needs. Many of the things I list, will not apply to you as a first time cruiser and you may find value in them.

The cost efficiency for us is just not there for the following reasons:
1. I book our excursions, dining, meet and greets, beverage tastings etc. So I do not need concierge to do it for me.
2. We don't want a cabana even though now as platinum we have a better shot at getting them. We actually sometimes do not even get off the ship and if we do, we have lunch, stretch our legs on the island and then get back on to ride Aquaduck as many times as possible consecutively. lol
3. As platinum we are boarding group 1 as with concierge guests. After Family of the Day, but slightly after concierge. Even before we hit platinum last year, we still ended up with BG 2 or 3. It is all about the port arrival time you select when doing online check in that determines your boarding group number.
4. We are not heavy drinkers so "complimentary drinks" (and I am putting that in quotes because in fact one does pay for that in their cruise fare) does not matter. Soda is also available at drink stations and dining room complimentary and I don't mind walking upstairs to deck 11 for snacks or drinks. (we stay on Deck 10 forward) And you can always bring soda onto the ship in a carry on if you like a brand that is not available on the ship. They have Coke products on board though and that is my preference so I lucked out.
5. I have never had trouble with the main dining rooms regarding service or food quality and we dine at Palo once every cruise for dinner (tried brunch and was not overly impressed)

I hope you enjoy your first cruise no matter which type of cabin you choose. They are addictive though...clearly in our case anyway.

 

[Trera]

We like it. Just makes our overall trip easier, smoother, and more enjoyable all around.

 

[jrabbit]

Yes it is!! It keeps my costs way down (comparatively) in my lowly oceanview stateroom

 

[Marc D]

As a family of 3 that also cruises frequently (3 times this year, two next year) on DCL, we switch from normal verandah to family deluxe verandah to 1BR Concierge depending on cost, itinerary and time of booking. We like the perks of Concierge when we have them but do not miss them when we don’t. We don’t really need the extra pampering it gets you. From this month on, there are Concierge deluxe family staterooms on Magic and Wonder. We will not spend 5 000 $ more on them (the extra cost for our next 7-day cruise) compared to our normal deluxe family.

We sail Concierge when in the Caribbean to get the 1BR since we rarely get off the ship anymore and spend a lot of time in the cabin. In Europe, we hardly spend any time onboard so we have enough space in a family deluxe. Also, the cost of the 1BR in Europe is crazy (22k$ for 3 for a 7day cruise) We usually sail in normal verandah on our last-minute bookings, when all the deluxe are gone.

Know that a lot of people sail in “normal” staterooms, without even a verandah, and are quite happy to do so. Whatever you choose, you should be happy to be onboard. If you find you are missing some space, get out of your stateroom and enjoy the ship.

 

[Doofenshmirtz513]

We enjoy the perks of concierge and the extra space the 1BR suite provides on the Fantasy/Dream. With 3 kids, the extra bathroom is especially helpful, as is having 2 large TVs plus a table so everyone has room to do what they want while in the room. Having a cabana on Castaway Cay is important to us, too. There can also be lots of little things that are helpful, such as the hosts taking care of changes to spa or excursion reservations, or resolving any other issues you encounter.

I suggest thinking about how much money you want to spend on your vacation, then comparing that to the cost of the different room levels on the cruise, taking into account costs for excursions, tips, etc. If your budget matches up to a concierge room, then go for it. If not, don't blow your budget just to get up to concierge.

 

[Trera]

We enjoy the perks of concierge and the extra space the 1BR suite provides on the Fantasy/Dream. With 3 kids, the extra bathroom is especially helpful, as is having 2 large TVs plus a table so everyone has room to do what they want while in the room. Having a cabana on Castaway Cay is important to us, too. There can also be lots of little things that are helpful, such as the hosts taking care of changes to spa or excursion reservations, or resolving any other issues you encounter.

I suggest thinking about how much money you want to spend on your vacation, then comparing that to the cost of the different room levels on the cruise, taking into account costs for excursions, tips, etc. If your budget matches up to a concierge room, then go for it. If not, don't blow your budget just to get up to concierge.

well said.

 

[kid-at-heart]

I think it depends on the person and what they want out of a vacation. Unless you are reserving a one/two bedroom suite, the main thing you are paying for is the specialized service of the concierge hosts and a private lounge to hang in away from all the other guests. As far as the happy hour bar, etc. it would cost a lot less than the cost of concierge to buy your drinks from one of the bars.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

It probably depends on you. Do you like pampering and extra attention? Do you like having your own lounge away from the other guests? Do you spend a lot of time in your stateroom? Our answer to those questions are no so we would never sail concierge. It's just not our style and we can afford it.

 

[mhconley]

If we went concierge, we would have to go on a shorter cruise, and I think we would want to go on a longer one.

I would not do it if we had to take shorter cruises. We’ve been on two 7 night cruises. Our next is an 11 night B2B.

Martin

 

[meg8182000]

I have been on 9 DCL cruises and just booked my 10th for next year. I generally go on 1 or 2 a year with my mom who now only likes to go concierge. I could go either way but have to say that concierge is nice if you can swing it. Our last cruise was the Sept. 23rd (Eastern turned Western Caribbean cruise) on the Fantasy. It was the first time having a 1 bedroom on this type of ship.

Just a couple of perks:

Before you even leave home, shore side concierge contacts you and as long as you are paid in full by the 120 day mark, just give them what you would like to reserve on the cruise and that's it. I've never not gotten a reservation that I wanted and I didn't feel like I had to be up at midnight logging in to do it myself. Also, being on a cruise that changed itinerary at the last minute, shore side concierge call us to let us we had a couple of days to book new excursions a couple of days prior to the rest of the guests.

Having the 3 concierge staff on board was just a nice comfort and made all things much easier. Example, day 1 when you first get on the ship, go to the lounge and go over your schedule with a host. If you decide you want to book something else, even if sold out, they generally can get you in such things as beverage tastings or character meet & greets and even sometimes cabanas on CC (they normally hold back at least 1 for concierge). Also reps from the Spa, Remy's and Palo's are standing by in the lounge to assist with any reservations or switches you want to make as well.

Another example was I had purchased a pair of sneakers in the shops but they didn't fit well but couldn't really figure that out until i snipped the string holding them together. I was told that once I cut it, I wouldn't be able to return them. I didn't end up using them and figured oh well, I'll donate them or something. Well, in casual conversation with one of the host about them, she offered to return them for me. I said no, that's OK but she insisted it wouldn't be an issue so I gave her the sneakers with receipt and she returned to me my return receipt.

Perk of being in a 1 bedroom, nice having 2 full bathrooms - LOVED the master bathroom with the TV in mirror and deep Jacuzzi tub! There were extra amenities to use with the bath which made the whole thing so relaxing!
Had dinner served in our room from the MDR menu 1 night - served as hot as in the MDR and relaxing after a full day in port.

Can you cruise without being concierge and have a great time? ABSOLUTELY! Everyone's wishes and wants for their vacations are different and concierge won't make a difference for everyone so the extra money can be better spent elsewhere. But if you really want a worry-free vacation and like to be pampered a bit - it's a nice way to go!

 

[jetskigrl]

We did B2B cruises in Concierge (Wonder - 1 bedroom) as an Anniversary Celebration. The first cruise was Dh and I with 3 other couples and we enjoyed the extra place to hang out. The second cruise of the B2B my Mom and kids joined us and the 1 bedroom was a surprise. It was before the new lounge and we sailed from San Diego in October so the total for all 7 nights (2 people first cruise and 5 people second cruise) was less than we spent for our Eastern on the Fantasy in a regular verandah room.

My DD and I are sailing Concierge again (on the Wonder) next year and it is a special mother/daughter trip for us. This time we will be in one of the new Cat Vs. For that trip we plan to spend a lot of time in the lounge and sundeck since my DD is an introvert and doesn't enjoy the crowds. Plus we have already done all the shows, character greetings, etc. So it will be all about relaxation that trip (and Palo, LOL). Right now it looks like we will only get off the ship at one port so the ship really will be the vacation for us. Again, the price for that trip is about the same as we paid for our Cat 5 to Alaska.

For those trips, I have no problem paying for Concierge and we did/will make good use of it. But they are special occasions and not during peak pricing times so that makes them more reasonable.

All our other trips have been in regular rooms and we have enjoyed those just as much. But those were all during school breaks/summer and for those cruises, we could not justify the price for Concierge (and we did not miss it at all).

 

[Tasmen]

As many have said, it's up to your individual travel preferences. For us, yes, concierge is worth it.

Some perks before you go: Booking concierge guarantees we'll get the cabana we want and takes away a ton of planning stress in that I don't have to deal with getting everything booked on my own.

Some perks while on the trip:

* The Concierge staff went over and beyond to help us out on our last cruise. We needed to move a popular meet & greet and I am not sure we would have been able to get the time/date we wanted without their assistance.
* Seems like a little thing, but this is a nice one for me: I don't have to pack sunscreen. There is spray and cream sunscreen available in the concierge lounge for guests to use. (one less big thing in my suitcases = A+ to me)
* Anything we needed guest services for, we could take care of in the lounge. I hate lines. I will always pay more money to help me save precious vacation hours.
* Rooms ready when we boarded. Maybe not a big deal, but I like the idea of not having to cart around stuff once we are on the ship while we wait on our room to get ready.
* Soda/water - another convenience item

There are more things, but that's a good list of perks for us.

Does the money of items received necessarily = the cost? Maybe yes. Maybe no. It's hard to put a price tag on what a person deems 'convenience'.

 

[mickeysimba]

If you have sailed both, is the guest service line that bad? What types of reasons does one have to go to guest services? I think we will book premium dining and spa, but can't that be booked before the cruise?

I agree waiting in long lines several times sounds terrible, but is guest services needed that frequently?

 

[KashasMom]

It probably depends on you. Do you like pampering and extra attention? Do you like having your own lounge away from the other guests? Do you spend a lot of time in your stateroom? Our answer to those questions are no so we would never sail concierge. It's just not our style and we can afford it.

Totally agree. There are 3 of us and we don't spend much time in our room. We don't need help with dining or excursions or meet and greet bookings and we really don't like people on top of us - pampering/extra attention. I even hate too much attention in the dining room. I haven't seen anything in the comments above that made me think concierge is worth it.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

If you have sailed both, is the guest service line that bad? What types of reasons does one have to go to guest services? I think we will book premium dining and spa, but can't that be booked before the cruise?

I agree waiting in long lines several times sounds terrible, but is guest services needed that frequently?

Personally, the ONLY time we waited in a long line was on the Dream Maiden Voyage which had a few problems. Other than that, NEVER. IMHO, there really aren't too many reasons to need Guest Services. We've never even needed them on several cruises.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Totally agree. There are 3 of us and we don't spend much time in our room. We don't need help with dining or excursions or meet and greet bookings and we really don't like people on top of us - pampering/extra attention. I even hate too much attention in the dining room. I haven't seen anything in the comments above that made me think concierge is worth it.

That is so us!

 

[Laundress]

Where as it may not be a financial value to stay concierge we find it to be of value mentaly and emotionally. Being spoiled in a beautiful atmosphere for a few days every other year is wonderful and completely worth it. I will say on our last trip in March we did not go concierge and throughly enjoyed ourselves too. Waiting for spring 2019 to be released to head back to Concierge.