Disney Cruise Line: Sailing Concierge Level

Disney Cruise Line:  Sailing Concierge Level

When we sail Disney Cruise Line, we sail concierge. Every time?  Yep. Doesn't that mean you cruise less frequently?  Yep. So why? Questions about concierge come up over and over again on social media, and when we were planning our first, I struggled to find an accurate and thorough explanation of what cruising concierge level actually entails. What does it offer that is above and beyond the already magical experience of cruising with Disney? With several concierge level sailings with DCL under our belt, and several more booked, we have learned that for our family, sailing concierge takes any of the stress out of planning the most magical cruise possible, and elevates our family vacation to deluxe status. Many people immediately reply that it's not worth it to cruise concierge, arguing that you're really only in your stateroom to sleep and shower. Of course, worth it is different for every family. But concierge level has so many wonderful perks, and it's so much more than just your stateroom... in fact, a Category-V stateroom is basically the same size as a regular Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, but with the added perks of concierge. (Of course, if more room is what you're looking for, DCL has you covered, with 1-br suites, 2-br suites [Magic and Wonder only], or even the Royal suites for the most deluxe DCL experience of all.)  So is sailing concierge worth it for our family? YES! Would I cruise non-concierge? Absolutely. Would my husband? No way. 

Pre-Arrival

Your concierge perks begin long before you even set sail! At around 130 days, you will get an email from DCL Shoreside Concierge services introducing themselves, giving you a basic overview of how they can be helpful, and giving you the contact info (email, dedicated phone number, hours, etc.).

The official list of requests they can take care of for you is as follows:

•Port Adventures (including cabanas at Castaway Cay)
•Adult dining reservations at Palo and Remy
•Pre-bookings for Beverage Tastings
•Spa services/treatments
•Character Meet and Greet tickets
•Character Breakfasts (on select sailings)
•Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Pirate’s League
•Royal Court Royal Tea
•Nursery reservations
•Dining time requests
•Special occasions and celebration planning
•Transportation
•Assistance with special requests or dietary requirements
•Palo - Be Our Chef  (Disney Fantasy Only)

Shoreside Concierge services officially begin starting at 125 days prior to sailing. This means you can email in those requests on that date, and then just relax. If you're dead-set on one of the coveted cabanas at Disney's private island Castaway Cay, then yes, you may want to email that request in at midnight of 125 days (or schedule your email to be sent with a service like Gmail's Boomerang); the emails do have time stamps, so you will want yours to be among the first. Other than a cabana, there is nothing really time sensitive, so there is no need to wait up to midnight to do your bookings. Any time after that 125 day mark, you can call or email Shoreside with any questions at all. It is invaluable to have that kind of access, for any little question that may pop into your head! They will take care of any bookings for you (adult dining, spa services, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, port adventures, etc). And if you are partaking in any of these things with other families, they will book for everyone (regardless of whether they are concierge), as long as your reservations are linked and they are paid in full. They will tell you the schedule for special nights (like which night is formal night, or pirate night). They will tell you which movies will be playing during your sailing. If you have certain servers you would like to have again, or a particular dining rotation for the restaurants, they will make note of that. They will tell you which hosts will be assigned to your sailing. There are some additional requests you might make, as well. If you have any special beverage requests (particular brand of soda or water in your stateroom fridge, or particular beer or wine to be available in the concierge lounge on board), they will take care of it for you. Other people have requested a fan in their room, a certain size for the robes (or children's robes), or H2O products rather than (or in addition to) the Elemis ones in concierge, to name a few. Honestly, the Shoreside team wants to help make your cruise as magical as possible, so if there is anything you think will make you more comfortable, they will try to make it happen for you!

Embarkation Day

The ease of embarkation is another huge perk of sailing concierge. To start with, you have no assigned port arrival time (or PAT); this means you can arrive at the port and board the ship at your convenience. For Port Canaveral, we typically like to arrive at the port around 10:15, and when the doors open around 10:30, we are among the first to check in at the dedicated podiums for concierge and platinum families. After checking in, there is a short wait in the concierge area of the port until the first guests are invited to board. (First on are any B2B cruisers, then concierge, then platinum, then by boarding group, etc.) We have always been on the ship by about 11:15, or so. Once you board the ship and your family is announced, one of the concierge hosts will greet your party in the Atrium (they will find you!), and escort you up to the concierge lounge. The welcome  reception goes on for the entire first afternoon, with complimentary cocktails, and light finger foods, snacks, and desserts. This is, by far, the busiest you will ever see the lounge, so don't be intimidated by the crowd! (And in fact, on one of our cruises, when we arrived at the the lounge, it was full. We took our time on our way up there, exploring a bit on our own along the way. But they were happy to take our carry-on bags, and we headed to the Aquaduck for a few runs, and came back about a half hour later, and we were good to go.) Once you are settled in the lounge, one of the hosts will sit with you and go over your full itinerary for the length of your cruise, confirm or add any requests, book any services or ticketed events, or assist with any special needs. Oh, and did I mention you do this while drinking champagne? By this time, your room is probably ready; we have typically been able to go to our room by about noon. I take a zillion photos, and we unpack the things we have with us, and if we have not indulged too much in the lounge, we head to lunch. Cabanas buffet is the first choice for embarkation lunch for many, but we prefer a sit-down lunch at Enchanted Garden to keep with the relaxed vibe we've had all morning. 

April 2018 edit: Guests sailing concierge now have the opportunity to partake in an exclusive embarkation day lunch in one of the main dining restaurants, instead of going directly to the lounge. It is a special menu, and alcohol is complimentary. One of the concierge hosts is available throughout the lunch, visiting each table to check in. This is a wonderful way to ease the embarkation day congestion that happens in the lounge. We loved it!

The Concierge Lounge

So let's talk about the amazing concierge lounge, which serves as a central hub, and is open daily from 7am to 10pm. On Fantasy and Dream, the concierge staterooms are grouped together on decks 11 and 12. The lounge is on deck 12, and the private concierge sundeck is up on deck 13, accessed either through the lounge (up a set of stairs), or through a locked door accessed with your stateroom key near Satellite Falls. On Magic and Wonder, the concierge staterooms are spread out on deck 8. The lounge is up on deck 10, and the private sundeck is accessed through the lounge on the same level. The lounge is staffed by at least one or two of the hosts, as well as one or two lounge attendants who keep things stocked and clean. The delectable foods on the buffet change throughout the day, and range from continental breakfast items like danish, fresh fruit, and muesli, to light lunch offerings like finger sandwiches and salads, to sweet treats like rice crispy bars and chocolate mousse. 

There is an amazing coffee machine, which makes everything from simple coffees to fancy espresso drinks. And there are syrups and the like to add to your caffeinated concoction. I have been told by the staff that it is the best coffee on the ship. In fact, it wasn't until our third cruise that I even stepped inside Cove Cafe! (On our most recent cruise, I grabbed a latte from the lounge, and brought it down to Cove Cafe to meet a friend. It was lovely, and a perfect way to enjoy the advantages of both!) Every evening from 5-10pm, the bartender is ready in the lounge, serving complimentary wine, beer, and mixed drinks. You can drink them in the lounge, or take them back to your room, or to dinner, etc. 

One of the best perks of concierge is the wonderful, magical, fun and friendly hosts! They can do anything... ANYTHING... that you would have to wait in line for in other areas of the ship. In fact, one of the hosts told me once that if I ever wait in line on the the ship for anything, she is not doing her job! Guest Services, Future Bookings, room key replacement... they even do pin trading! They will play with your kids, stock your fridge with Gatorade, grab that kate spade purse you wanted to buy in the shop downstairs, track down gluten free pizza... pretty much anything you ask for, if it is within their power and reach, they will make it happen for you. On disembarkation morning, they will even have your photo package waiting for you in the lounge; no need to go down to Shutters and deal with that chaos. We were blown away by the wonderful hosts we met on our first cruise, but we really didn't have any understanding of the long term friendships and relationships that were being cultivated. On our return sailings, we have always been greeted with a warm welcome back, and it truly is like returning to see friends. 

A few other fabulous perks to mention... The pillow menu! The special cocktail parties and private character meet & greets; the popcorn and drinks to take to the movies or shows. An additional 100MB of Internet (or unlimited if you're in the royals). Your stateroom fridge stocked daily with canned soda and bottled water. The private concierge sundeck, always with plenty of sun loungers, towels, chairs, complimentary Coppertone sunscreen products, and a gorgeous hot tub (on Dream and Fantasy). If you're in a suite (not Category-V), you can order meals from the MDRs to your room.  The ease of disembarkation... an escort from the lounge right off the ship; no waiting in line. In addition to all of these, there are endless other magical extras that come with concierge, some of which are surprises, and many of which will be different for every family. So I won't spoil the fun!

The Bottom Line

The cost for concierge varies tremendously depending on many factors, including ship, itinerary, number of nights, time of year, category of stateroom, etc. Sometimes it is astronomical, and other times it's really not much more than a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. When we were researching our first cruise with DCL, it was the private sundeck that drew our attention to the concierge category. Once we learned all that the category had to offer, there was no looking back. And since our first cruise was concierge, I think it would be really difficult to give up the perks we have become accustomed to. We work incredibly hard all year to be able to sail concierge, and have enjoyed it equally on both shorter and longer cruises. My husband argues that it is actually most valuable on the shorter sailings, as it really allows you to maximize your time vacationing. But on the longer sailings, you are able to truly enjoy all that it has to offer. It's true, sailing concierge may mean we can't cruise as often as we would be able to otherwise. Yes, maybe it means scrimping and saving between sailings to make it work. But for our family, cruising concierge with Disney is the only way to go!




I always book our trips with the assistance of my wonderful travel agent and friend, Karen Shelton at My Path Unwinding Travel. If you're interested in learning more about sailing concierge level with DCL, join in the fun and conversation in this group! It's a great place to ask questions, read trip reports, see photos, and more.