Is Disney Cruise Line concierge degree price 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 provides friends a bit of additional pixie mud: Disney Cruise Line concierge degree.

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

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

To reply this query and see what precisely all that additional money will get you, we sailed in concierge-level rooms on Disney Marvel 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 further value.

What’s Disney Cruise Line’s concierge degree?

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

You pay extra for one of these lodging in trade for entry to a lounge, extra attentive service and extra advantages. However the extras for concierge service on a Disney cruise ship really 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 can be spoiled with earlier reserving dates for excursions and actions, particular onboard meals and choices, the flexibility to e-book cabanas at Disney’s non-public island earlier than others, early entry to the theater within the night to nab the perfect seats, and use of a personal lounge on the ship.

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

Cabin sorts inside that concierge class of rooms usually begin with verandah cabins (i.e., a room with a personal balcony) and go up in worth and measurement to incorporate a wide range of suites. When you’re already considering you wish to e-book a set, you don’t additionally should determine in regards to the concierge degree; you’ll routinely get Disney Cruise Line’s concierge service included along with your premium lodging.

Nevertheless, when you plan to e-book a cabin with a balcony, you will have 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 could be hundreds of {dollars} and entry to a slew of further 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 somewhat underneath $4,000 for a brief crusing for 2 individuals in the course of 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 worth for the concierge degree can drop a bit decrease than that.

On the flip aspect, costs go as much as tens of hundreds of {dollars} per crusing for concierge degree 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 a few of the Disney Cruise Line concierge advantages:

• Precedence reserving of actions and excursions 130 days earlier than crusing by way of the Shoreside Concierge Affiliate workforce (123 days out if you need 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 must perceive how exercise bookings work on a Disney cruise. Most cruise strains, 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 seems 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, when you e-book on the concierge degree, the concierge workforce asks on your exercise preferences by way of electronic 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 percentages 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 degree is vying for the chance to e-book a cabana, you continue to could miss out, so consider the concierge degree as growing the percentages 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 foremost eating rooms delivered to their cabins. To do that, you possibly can place an order with the concierge hosts, and the meals can be dropped at you. In actual fact, being in a concierge suite is the one option to get a sizzling breakfast delivered to your cabin.

Disney Cruise Line concierge friends additionally get precedence tendering to ports, when required. Due to precedence boarding occasions on embarkation day after we had been crusing within the concierge degree throughout a Disney Marvel crusing, we had been the third household to return aboard. This meant we acquired a number of extra hours on the ship than we did on our first cruise, after 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 fantastic deal with.

Port Canaveral, a departure port in Florida used for a number of Disney cruise ships, presents a whole lounge with a stocked fridge the place concierge friends can wait earlier than boarding begins for that group. Which means your particular therapy 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 friends so you possibly can keep away from the lunchtime crowds and get to know your concierge host workforce. Whereas it’s not necessary to attend, the lunch is an effective option to kick off your cruise (earlier than or after you’ve gotten in any early swimming you wish 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 perfect a part of the concierge magic, exterior of the lounge itself, is the way in which the concierge workers 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 degree, you possibly can get pleasure from a light-weight breakfast within the lounge, after which the workers 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 performed it the opposite method, battling hundreds of cruisers additionally able to disembark. I’m right here to inform you that experiencing no strains, no stress and no regrets because the concierge workers escorted us off the ship made for a better transition again into the true world.

Contained in the Disney concierge lounge

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

On Disney Marvel and Disney Magic, the lounge is midship on Deck 10, which is nearly 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 workers members are usually ready to help you. They are going to shortly get to know you over the course of the cruise and mainly act as your cruise fairy godparents. (On the flip aspect, they’d completely know when you tried to herald a non-concierge-level visitor, so don’t do this.)

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

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

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

On Disney Want, we beloved to pop into the lounge for a snack or dessert for the youngsters. Because the lounge was so near the concierge rooms on that ship, it was logistically easier to seize a fast breakfast or snack there quite than heading over to the primary onboard eating places. However what I really beloved about Disney’s concierge lounge was the help-yourself drinks fridge. We stocked the minifridge in our cabin from this foremost 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 when you don’t drink or in order for you one thing on your children; mocktails and alcohol-free daiquiris had been accessible upon request.

Disney Cruise Line concierge rooms

Disney Cruise Line concierge rooms historically begin on the Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah degree, 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 inside the concierge class, too.

When you’re searching 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 companies.

When you’re curious, this 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 just some doorways down from the concierge lounge.

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

Just a few years earlier, we had a barely bigger 614-square-foot one-bedroom suite on Disney Marvel 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 range 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 somewhat extra time on the ship, the flexibility to e-book actions early with no stress, complimentary night drinks within the lounge, snacks on the prepared and free popcorn on the motion pictures. Spend much more on a set, and you may get pleasure from additional perks, equivalent to sizzling room service breakfasts.

For vacationers who actually get pleasure from lounges, streamlining all of the processes, gaining access to free-flowing drinks and having the best degree of service, I’d argue {that a} concierge-level cabin could be price it for a special day or once-in-a-lifetime splurge.

Then again, 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 presently begins at a staggering $20,000-plus. In that case, you’ll most likely by no means discover me in a concierge room merely because of the value.

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Is Disney Cruise Line concierge degree price it?

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

It’s already a premium cruise expertise. However in case you are debating whether or not the concierge degree is price it, I’ll try to enable you determine.

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

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

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

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

Nevertheless, except cash actually is not any object, I would not normally advocate the concierge degree on 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 try 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 price reserving a concierge cabin or suite when you aren’t more likely 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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