Is Disney Cruise Line concierge stage value it?

While you sail on a Disney cruise, everybody will get entry to included meals, good service and nice leisure. However there’s a category of cabins that offers company a bit of additional pixie mud: Disney Cruise Line concierge stage.

Disney Cruise Line sits towards the pricier finish of the cruising spectrum, even in essentially the most primary of lodging. However let’s assume you’ve already determined that the associated fee to cruise with Disney — with the Disney characters, entry to an included rotating eating room schedule and night Broadway-caliber Disney exhibits — is value it for you.

As you take a look at the cabin and amenity choices obtainable on Disney cruise ships, you would possibly surprise if Disney Cruise Line’s concierge-level rooms and repair are definitely worth the extra premium.

To reply this query and see what precisely all that additional money will get you, we sailed in concierge-level rooms on Disney Surprise and Disney Want. Right here’s what we discovered about Disney Cruise Line’s concierge-level rooms, advantages, service and lounge — and whether or not the perks are definitely worth the extra value.

What’s Disney Cruise Line’s concierge stage?

Disney Cruise Line’s concierge stage is analogous in some methods to a club-level room at a Disney World or Disneyland resort lodge.

You pay extra for the sort of lodging in change for entry to a lounge, extra attentive service and extra advantages. However the extras for concierge service on a Disney cruise ship truly go a lot additional than the added advantages of a membership room on the Disney parks.

Those that determine to spend the additional money for a concierge-level room will likely be spoiled with earlier reserving dates for excursions and actions, particular onboard meals and choices, the power to e-book cabanas at Disney’s non-public island earlier than others, early entry to the theater within the night to nab the most effective seats, and use of a personal lounge on the ship.

To entry the concierge stage on a Disney cruise, you need to e-book a concierge room kind, and the advantages and upgraded service then convey with that cabin kind. It’s not an add-on you possibly can tack onto an in any other case nonconcierge cabin.

Cabin varieties inside that concierge class of rooms usually begin with verandah cabins (i.e., a room with a personal balcony) and go up in value and measurement to incorporate quite a lot of suites. For those who’re already considering you need to e-book a set, you don’t additionally should determine concerning the concierge stage; you’ll mechanically get Disney Cruise Line’s concierge service included along with your premium lodging.

Nevertheless, in case you plan to e-book a cabin with a balcony, you’ll need to determine whether or not you desire a room with the usual inclusions or to improve to a concierge room with a balcony and all the additional Disney Cruise Line concierge advantages. The distinction will be 1000’s of {dollars} and entry to a slew of extra perks whereas on the ship.

After I lately priced out Disney Cruise Line concierge rooms, cruise fares for ships departing from the U.S. began at slightly underneath $4,000 for a brief crusing for 2 individuals throughout the much less busy cruising occasions. On quick sailings from locations like Singapore on Disney Journey and when one of many Disney ships is working quick sailings out of Australia, the beginning value for the concierge stage can drop a bit decrease than that.

On the flip aspect, costs go as much as tens of 1000’s of {dollars} per crusing for concierge stage for the bigger suites or on longer sailings, equivalent to for a weeklong crusing on the brand new Disney Treasure or the favored Disney sailings to Alaska.

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Disney Cruise Line concierge advantages

Reserving a concierge-level room on a Disney cruise brings many perks past entry to the concierge lounge. Right here’s a fast abstract of among the Disney Cruise Line concierge advantages:

• Precedence reserving of actions and excursions 130 days earlier than crusing through the Shoreside Concierge Affiliate staff (123 days out if you want to e-book your self on-line)
• Precedence boarding — be among the many first on the ship
• Entry to the concierge lounge with included meals and drinks
• Complimentary wine, beer and spirits within the concierge lounge within the evenings
• Free popcorn within the film theaters
• Precedence seating for the night exhibits
• Precedence walk-off on debarkation day
• Room service ordering of sizzling breakfast or dinner from the primary eating places in suites
• Entry to educated and useful concierge hosts

To understand the worth of those perks, you need to perceive how exercise bookings work on a Disney cruise. Most cruise traces, together with Disney, have an elite standing pecking order when it comes to when you possibly can board, e-book premium onboard eating places, make spa appointments, safe shore excursions and schedule onboard actions.

On Disney Cruise Line, first-time cruisers could make these bookings beginning 75 days earlier than crusing. That appears like loads of time, however those that have sailed with Disney earlier than could make the bookings 90 to 123 days earlier than setting sail, relying on their Castaway Membership standing.

Nevertheless, in case you e-book on the concierge stage, the concierge staff asks to your exercise preferences through e-mail earlier than your sail date. They put in your requests exactly when the 130-day reserving window opens, so primarily, nobody can e-book something earlier than you. This jump-start will increase the chances that you’re going to get your most popular spa occasions, onboard tastings, adults-only restaurant reservations, excursions and even hard-to-get cabanas whereas at Disney’s islands within the Bahamas.

Nevertheless, even this is not a assure, particularly on ships equivalent to Disney Want and Disney Treasure, due to a bigger variety of concierge rooms on these ships. If everybody else in that stage is vying for the chance to e-book a cabana, you continue to might miss out, so consider the concierge stage as growing the chances of hard-to-get bookings, not a slam dunk.

These in a concierge-level suite can order from an expanded room service menu and have menu objects from the ship’s important eating rooms delivered to their cabins. To do that, you possibly can place an order with the concierge hosts, and the meals will likely be dropped at you. Actually, being in a concierge suite is the one technique to get a sizzling breakfast delivered to your cabin.

Disney Cruise Line concierge company additionally get precedence tendering to ports, when required. Because of precedence boarding occasions on embarkation day once we had been crusing within the concierge stage throughout a Disney Surprise crusing, we had been the third household to return aboard. This meant we obtained a number of extra hours on the ship than we did on our first cruise, once we didn’t have concierge-level entry. Boarding first additionally meant we had the swimming pools and slides to ourselves for a very long time, which was a terrific deal with.

Port Canaveral, a departure port in Florida used for a number of Disney cruise ships, presents a complete lounge with a stocked fridge the place concierge company can wait earlier than boarding begins for that group. Meaning your particular remedy begins earlier than you even stroll on board.

As soon as on board, plan on stopping by the unique embarkation day lunch for concierge-level company so you possibly can keep away from the lunchtime crowds and get to know your concierge host staff. Whereas it’s not necessary to attend, the lunch is an effective technique to kick off your cruise (earlier than or after you’ve gotten in any early swimming you need to do).

Professional tip: Get the Welcome Aboard Sundae and luxuriate in a drink; alcohol and premium nonalcoholic drinks, equivalent to smoothies, are included throughout this unique lunch.

For me, the most effective a part of the concierge magic, outdoors of the lounge itself, is the best way the concierge employees handles disembarkation.

On our first cruise, getting off the ship took hours. We burned off our “trip excessive” in a rush. However if you cruise within the concierge stage, you possibly can take pleasure in a light-weight breakfast within the lounge, after which the employees can take you and your baggage down a personal elevator and straight to the walkway off the ship. Debarkation takes mere minutes.

This may not sound spectacular till you’ve executed it the opposite method, battling 1000’s of cruisers additionally able to disembark. I’m right here to inform you that experiencing no traces, no stress and no regrets because the concierge employees escorted us off the ship made for a neater transition again into the actual world.

Contained in the Disney concierge lounge

The concierge lounge is the tangible hallmark of Disney Cruise Line’s concierge-level service.

On Disney Surprise and Disney Magic, the lounge is midship on Deck 10, which is sort of as excessive as you possibly can go on the ship. On Disney Want and Disney Treasure, the concierge lounge is on decks 12 and 13, that are additionally two of the topmost decks on these ships. On Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, the lounge is discovered on Deck 12.

You need to use your keycard to get into the lounge. Close to the doorway, concierge employees members are usually ready to help you. They are going to shortly get to know you over the course of the cruise and principally act as your cruise fairy godparents. (On the flip aspect, they’d completely know in case you tried to usher in a non-concierge-level visitor, so don’t try this.)

The lounges themselves every have a food-and-beverage space (with a terrific espresso machine!), together with numerous seating areas. On Disney Want and Disney Treasure, the lounge had a stable bar, plus sizzling tubs and a small pool deck only for concierge company.

Besides on debarkation day and through any non-public Disney character meet-and-greets, the lounge was not often crowded once we visited. Nevertheless, it does get busier throughout the included joyful hour occasions within the early night.

Within the concierge lounge, you’ll discover mild snacks and small plates that rotate all through the day. You may additionally discover some treats which are solely obtainable on this lounge, such because the lunchtime sushi rolls we loved on Disney Want.

On Disney Want, we cherished to pop into the lounge for a snack or dessert for the children. Because the lounge was so near the concierge rooms on that ship, it was logistically less complicated to seize a fast breakfast or snack there relatively than heading over to the primary onboard eating places. However what I actually cherished about Disney’s concierge lounge was the help-yourself drinks fridge. We stocked the minifridge in our cabin from this important fridge and loaded up our backpacks earlier than shore excursions.

Every night, complimentary beer, wine and spirits had been served within the lounge by bartenders who appeared to know everybody’s names by the second night. Don’t fear in case you don’t drink or if you’d like one thing to your children; mocktails and alcohol-free daiquiris had been obtainable upon request.

Disney Cruise Line concierge rooms

Disney Cruise Line concierge rooms historically begin on the Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah stage, and they are going to be clearly labeled as concierge rooms when reserving. Nevertheless, some rooms with out verandahs, such because the Oceanview Staterooms on Disney Want and Disney Treasure, can fall throughout the concierge class, too.

For those who’re on the lookout for extra space, the ships have one- and two-bedroom layouts and specialty suites just like the humongous 1,966-square-foot Tower Suites on Disney Want and Disney Treasure. As beforehand talked about, all Disney Cruise Line suites include included concierge entry and providers.

For those who’re curious, here is a glance contained in the two-story suite on Disney Want.

On Disney Want, we weren’t in that suite however did qualify for concierge entry by crusing in a 608-square-foot, one-bedroom suite only a few doorways down from the concierge lounge.

It had a master suite with a king-size mattress, a stunning toilet with a “Tangled”-inspired mosaic over the tub, a lounge with a sofa that transformed to a mattress, and a eating space with a desk for 4. The divider between the residing and eating areas contained a Murphy mattress that pulled down into an extra single mattress. The suite greater than comfortably slept my two children, my mother and myself.

A couple of years earlier, we had a barely bigger 614-square-foot one-bedroom suite on Disney Surprise that additionally conveyed concierge advantages. This suite felt extra spacious than the one on Disney Want, although it clearly had a extra conventional look. In each instances, we had been royally spoiled with extra space and repair in comparison with staying in an ordinary cruise cabin.

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How a lot do Disney Cruise Line concierge rooms value?

Cruise costs differ dramatically, and that’s very true if you add concierge advantages with Disney Cruise Line.

Presently, costs for a three-night Disney cruise from Florida to the Bahamas (together with a cease at Disney’s latest island vacation spot, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Level) can begin round $1,690 for double occupancy or $2,937 for a household of 4 in a windowless inside cabin. On the identical cruise, a nonconcierge balcony cabin begins at $1,960 for 2 or $3,237 for 4.

The bottom-level concierge room (with a verandah) begins at $3,934 for 2 or $5,757 for a household of 4.

For that additional $2,000-ish, you get slightly extra time on the ship, the power to e-book actions early with no stress, complimentary night drinks within the lounge, snacks on the prepared and free popcorn on the films. Spend much more on a set, and you may take pleasure in additional perks, equivalent to sizzling room service breakfasts.

For vacationers who actually take pleasure in lounges, streamlining all of the processes, gaining access to free-flowing drinks and having the very best stage of service, I’d argue {that a} concierge-level cabin will be value it for an important day or once-in-a-lifetime splurge.

However, for a seven-night Alaska cruise for a household of 4, costs begin round $7,000 for an inside cabin; a verandah room is greater than $11,000, and a concierge room at present begins at a staggering $20,000-plus. In that case, you’ll in all probability by no means discover me in a concierge room merely as a result of value.

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Is Disney Cruise Line concierge stage value it?

You don’t have to spend the additional cash on a concierge room to have a terrific cruise with Disney … and belief me on that; I’ve sailed on all of the ships and in cabin varieties starting from an inside windowless cabin to a concierge suite.

It’s already a premium cruise expertise. However if you’re debating whether or not the concierge stage is value it, I’ll try to aid you determine.

For us, the most important perks had been the advance reserving for meals and actions that wouldn’t have been simple for a daily Disney cruiser to safe. The night lounge drinks, free popcorn on the films, additional touches like sunscreen available and assist from the concierge employees once we had last-minute plan modifications (which occurred just a few occasions) had been additionally fairly nice.

The non-public outside deck for concierge company on Disney Want and Disney Treasure can also be a welcome addition.

I’d 100% e-book Disney concierge stage once more if my price range permitted and would say it can be value it — totally on the shorter cruises the place each minute issues greater than it might on a seven- to 10-night cruise. Moreover, on these shorter cruises, you usually tend to prioritize the night lounge joyful hours and drop in just a few occasions to make the most of the snacks.

These shorter cruises additionally supply fewer alternatives to slot in the adults-only eating places, spa therapies, drink tastings and onshore actions, making the booking-window benefit extra vital. If the price range permits, I’d severely take into account shopping for as much as Disney’s concierge stage on a three- or four-night crusing the place I care about accessing particular eating places and actions.

Nevertheless, until cash actually isn’t any object, I would not normally advocate the concierge stage to your first crusing on one of many bigger Disney ships, equivalent to Disney Want, Disney Treasure or the upcoming Disney Future. That’s since you would possibly really feel compelled to spend your leisure and premeal occasions within the concierge lounge when you need to be out exploring all of the superb issues the ship has to supply, together with the meals and leisure at Disney’s no-fee eating places and bars.

It is not value reserving a concierge cabin or suite in case you aren’t prone to spend time within the lounge, do not need assistance or a head begin with bookings for the adults-only eating places or non-public island cabanas, and are not within the particular snacks or included drinks within the lounge within the evenings.

Nevertheless, if these advantages will improve your trip and you may price range for a Disney cruise with all of the concierge perks, you’re in for a deal with. Begin packing your cruise bag and planning these excursions, and don’t look again.

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