I must admit, the first time I sailed concierge on Disney Cruise Line, it was out of sheer curiosity.  I wondered if a Disney Cruise Line concierge sailing was worth it. I had noticed the wood-veneered doors of the Disney Magic while sailing, read countless message boards about what was included in a Disney concierge sailing and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. 

Nearly half a dozen concierge cruises later, and it’s safe to say, I’m hooked.  I am an absolute sucker for the level of pampering, perks and benefits that come with a concierge booking.  Concierge benefits begin pre-departure and continue to disembarkation.  Settle in, get comfy and close your eyes to imagine. Below is a comprehensive list of the included Disney Cruise concierge benefits and perks.

PRE-DEPARTURE BENEFITS

Welcome Phone Call

The magic truly begins before you step on-board.  Approximately 130 days prior to sailing, you will receive an introductory phone call from Shoreside Concierge – the dedicated stateside team assigned to handle the questions, concerns and requests of upcoming cruisers.

During the phone call, a member of the Shoreside team will explain the process for booking reservations and ask if you have any questions.  I must admit, my heart skips a beat when I see the shoreside number pop up on my cell phone for the welcome call.  For me, it’s a sign that my vacation is around the corner and that, soon and very soon, I’ll set sail on a worry-free vacation.

What’s truly great is that if you need to contact the Shoreside team, you have a dedicated number to reach them. You do not have to call the standard Disney Cruise Line customer service number to reach someone. Even better? A real person answers the phone! You don’t have to deal with an automated swtichboard!

Shoreside can be reached Monday – Friday from 8:30AM-5:30PM, EST at 1-866-784-7654. Please be prepared to give the name the reservation is under as well as the sailing date before they can provide you with any assistance.

Welcome E-Mail

In addition to an introductory phone call, Shoreside Concierge will also send a welcome email.  The lengthy correspondence details exactly when, what and how you should pre-book your desired on-board experiences.  You are also provided with a email address (dcl.concierge.services@disneycruise.com) for any needs. For faster assistance, I always include my reservation number in the email subject line.

Priority Booking

One major perk of booking concierge is that you can send an email 125 days prior to your sailing listing your desired bookings, reservations and experiences. Disney’s booking process is loyalty-based and determined by the number of sailings previously taken by the cruiser.  Concierge precedes all of these categories and their requests are submitted prior to any other sailors (Platinum, Gold, or Silver). Bookable
experiences include:

• Port adventures
• Adult dining reservations at Palo and Remy
• Select Beverage Tastings
• Spa services/treatments
• Character Meet & Greet tickets
• Character Breakfasts
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Pirate’s League
• Royal Court Royal Tea
• Nursery Reservations
• Dining Time Requests
• Special Occasion Planning and Celebration Planning
• Transportation
• Assistance with Special Events
• Access to a cabana

Please note that your reservation must be paid in full in order for your requests to be submitted.  If you tend to wait to the last minute to pay your cruise off, make sure you give enough cushion for your payment to process without issue.

The great thing about booking concierge is that, not only do you have your choice of activities, you can select your preferred time as well. There is often availability later in the booking process and, in some cases, once you board the ship but you may not receive the times that work best for your schedule.

Of course, one of the most limited reservations available on cruises that sail to Castaway Cay is that of beach cabana. For the record, I have been able to book a cabana on the adult beach of Serenity Bay without sailing concierge. But if you want a much better change of receiving a cabana, I would book a concierge cruise. There is no guarantee but it certainly does improve your chances.

Special Requests

Shoreside Concierge is also able to help you with special requests. I truly cannot emphasize how helpful Shoreside Concierge can be.  In the past, I have had them assist me with ordering in-room gifts and amenities.  For one cruise, they helped plan a surprise celebration for my family including a personal character meet & greet with photographer!

Embarkation PERKS

There is a LOT going on the first day of your cruise. Look below to see some of the key benefits of concierge o embarkation day.

Port Arrival Time

In an effort to control congestion at the port, cruisers select Port Arrival Times during the online check-in process prior to sailing. Sailors are not allowed to check in or board prior to the dedicated time. Concierge cruisers, however, are free to arrive at their leisure.

Dedicated Check-In Area and Lounge

Once through security, concierge sailors have a dedicated area to check-in (shared with Platinum cruisers) and relax prior to sailing. If you arrived as soon as the port opened, you will be assigned a boarding group.  Concierge cruisers are some of the first to board.  Only back-to-back cruisers, and the “Family of the Day” board prior to concierge.

Priority Boarding

When it is your turn to board, a Cast Member is assigned to your family to walk you on the gangway and bypass the line.  You also have priority access to the first “Welcome Aboard” picture.  You are then led directly to the on-board cast member, who announces your family over the intercom, while other cast members clap.

From there a Cast Member directs you (and sometimes escorts you) to either the Concierge Lounge or the dedicated restaurant for the concierge embarkation lunch. Where you go is entirely up to you.

If you’d rather skip both and go elsewhere on the ship, feel free! It is your vacation after all.  If you do decide to go to either of the concierge areas, you will meet with a member of the Concierge team.

Embarkation Lunch

During lunch hours on embarkation day, a restaurant is reserved exclusively for concierge sailors.  The menu is the same as the other restaurants but it is a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle at other eateries.

There is also at least one member of the concierge team wandering around to introduce their self to your party. Let’s face it, there is certainly no shortage of food aboard a Disney cruise. So, while you won’t go hungry by not taking advantage of this perk, it is a nice escape from the madness that can be thousands of other people trying to grab a quick bite.

Meet With Concierge Team

The Concierge team is a team of three individiuals that serve as your on-board customer service.  As a matter of fact, the team will explicitly tell you that if you need ANYTHING to please let them know. There is no need to go to customer service at all.

When you meet with a concierge team member in the lounge they will sit down with you and your family and go over the itinerary that you have created pre-sailing.  At that time, you will be able to make any additions, changes or deletions.  They will explain your dining rotation and provide you with any tickets or materials for meet & greets, etc.  Sometimes they take the liberty of signing you up for things that are likely to reach capacity you didn’t think of or were not available.  For instance, there is a gingerbread cookie decorating class about the Very Merrytime cruises that tends to book quickly.

Concierge Lounge Welcome Reception

The concierge lounge is open and ready to welcome you with hors d’oeuvres and a bartender. The welcome reception is a great place to get in a festive mood.

Earlier Luggage Delivery & Access to Staterooms

When sailing in a non-concierge stateroom, your room may not be immediately ready when you board. Concierge rooms are typically available immediately.

BENEFITS Throughout the Cruise

Enhanced Customer Service

Not even gonna lie, there is no bad customer service on a Disney Cruise.  However, customer service is kicked up several notches when sailing concierge. Upon first meeting with the Concierge team, it is stressed that they will handle all of your customer service needs. They playfully inform you that they better not see you standing in line at guest services.  And they mean it.  Anything that you could need, from reservations to checking  your stateroom balance, they can and will handle it for you.

Concierge Lounge & Other Dedicated Spaces

Admittedly, this is one of my favorite perks. Each ship is equipped with a concierge-only lounge which is open from 7AM-10PM daily.   It is a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the cruise. Each ship also has it’s own private sundeck, some with ocean views and some not.

Food Offered Throughout the Day

The lounge serves small plates and hors d’oeuvres that change five times throughout the day and include the following:

• Continental Breakfast
• Lunch Snacks
• Afternoon Offerings
• Dinner Snacks
• Dessert Offerings

Additionally, water, juice, soda, cereal and fresh fruits are available at no additional charge.

It is also the location of the infamous coffee machine that many say serves some of the best coffee on the ship. There is also tea and hot chocolate.

Daily Happy Hour

From 5-10PM daily, a bartender is on-hand to serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the lounge.  It’s a nice perk and stop before and after dinner and the daily show. The bartenders tend to remember your drink orders throughout the cruise and some create really fun drinks from the offerings. Please note, there is no blender in the lounge so blended drinks are not an option.

Enhanced Stateroom Finishes

Concierge staterooms have nicer appointments in the way of furnishings and artwork.  For instance, the stateroom doors have a faux wood veneer.

Bath Robe and Specialty Products

Each stateroom has plush bath robes for each guest. These robes are super comfy but they must stay behind when you leave or you will find them on your final bill.

Pillow Menu

As you settle in to your room, you can you have the option to select the perfect pillow for your sailing. Choose from the following:

• Memory Foam
• Snore-reducer
• Iso-cool
• Beyond Perfect
• Silk

Pillows are delivered, upon request, by the stateroom host.

Stocked Refrigerator

Your in-room refrigerator is stocked with Coca-Cola products and water of your choice at the beginning of the cruise.  Additional water and soda is available at no charge from the lounge throughout the cruise.

In-Room Dining

Guests booked in the 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, Roy or Walt suite, can order breakfast and dinner from the main dining room and have it delivered to their room every day excluding embarkation and disembarkation day.  Shoreside concierge assists you with ordering in the lounge. Unfortunately, due to the lack of an in-room dining room table, this service is unavailable in the family verandah room.

Schedule Changes

As mentioned earlier, the Concierge Team serves as your personal customer service.  This definitely comes in handy if you need to make changes to scheduled activities or reservations.  You can book reservations at your leisure.

Soiree and Character Meet & Greet

Each cruise has at least one gathering, fancily entitled “soiree”.  They feature the bartender, special treats and a character greeting.  Longer cruises have only one character greeting

Impromptu Character Sighting

This is by no means guaranteed but you have no clue WHO could walk into the lounge at any time.  Be sure to keep your eyes
peeled for potential character sightings

Private Dining Room Seating

Typically, due to limited space, your party is seated with at least one other party in the main dining rooms. Concierge guests are seated only with those in their party – unless otherwise requested.

Help Planning Special Requests

I try to plan a surprise for my family on each trip and it is so much easier with the help of the Concierge hosts.  Whether you want to book a private party or have dessert sent to your dining table, they are there to help.

Lithograph

The night prior to disembarkation, a limited-edition lithograph will be placed in your stateroom.

Disembarkation SERVICES

All good things must come to an end. Fortunately, entering back in to reality is slightly easier with the following benefits.

Photos & Alcohol Pick Up

If you have purchased any photos during the cruise, they are available to pick up on the night prior to embarkation.  The problem is, you and everyone else that purchased photos is trying to do the exact same thing in a very confined space and a very limited time-frame.  The concierge hosts procure your photos for you and they are available in the Lounge. Additionally,
any alcohol that you purchase on-board or at port must be given to a staff member to be held until the final morning of the cruise.  The concierge hosts go and pick up any liquor that has been purchased and have it available in the Lounge on debarkation morning.

Express Walk Off

The morning of the cruise, you are escorted by the concierge hosts to the atrium area on an express elevator that makes no stops.  While the hosts cannot walk you completely off the ship, they can put you in line to exit and head to customs.

There You Have It

As you can see, there are many benefits included on a Disney Cruise Line concierge sailing. I absolutely love the convenience and relaxation that cruising concierge affords. However, it is up to the individual whether or not the perks are worth it. Let me know in the comments if you’ve sailed concierge and whether you find the benefits to be worth the cost.