Going on a Disney cruise with my family is always full of magical moments. My husband, Steve, and I enjoy traveling the world with our college-age daughters, Skye and Hope. Our girls have truly grown up in the Disney bubble, with cruises beginning when they were five years old. My family has a longstanding background of being close to all things Mickey Mouse related since my artistic paternal grandfather worked for Walt back in the 1930s. While vacations at theme parks are definitely fun-filled and action-packed, when push comes to shove my family always votes to go on a Disney Cruise Line vacation over all other choices.
When we plan our Disney cruising vacations, we typically choose verandah staterooms, especially on decks 7 and 8 on the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, and aft decks 8 and 9 on the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream. For the newest ship, the Disney Wish, our favorite is aft on deck 6 with an extended verandah. Occasionally, we splurge and book in the concierge class, enjoying family verandahs and one-bedroom suites. The first concierge sailing I ever went on was with my husband (sans kiddos) for my 50th birthday on the Disney Dream in one of the bump-out staterooms (Stateroom 12008) and we had an amazing time. While we definitely pay a premium for sailing with the Mouse in concierge class, we have always enjoyed ourselves immensely, be it with kids (now young adults) or without. What is crystal clear for us: it is always difficult adjusting back to normality when we walk into our house after a sea vacation because we were so spoiled on the ship.
I am often asked about the perks of sailing concierge and whether or not it is worth it. Concierge staterooms are somewhat akin to the club-level experience at Disneyland and at Walt Disney World. There are concierge hosts at on-property resorts at Walt Disney World and at Disneyland who assist with various needs, and there is always a club-level lounge where guests enjoy a selection of light bites and complimentary bottled water, soft drinks, milk and juices, specialty coffees, teas, and hot chocolate. Complimentary alcoholic beverages are served in the concierge lounge later in the day. However, on Disney Cruise Line ships, there are additional perks that go far beyond the benefits of club level at other Disney destinations.
Before concierge guests on Disney Cruise Line even board the ships, they reap benefits, especially earlier priority dates to book activities and excursions. The Shoreside Concierge team contacts concierge guests about 135 days prior to their departure. Concierge guests can then email Shoreside back with their "wish lists" starting 130 days out when their window opens up at midnight (use the world clock to gauge it to the precise second). These Concierge guest requests are time and date stamped so we highly recommend getting your requests in right when the clock strikes 12 a.m. Eastern Standard Time at 130 days out. For cruise guests hoping to book a private cabana either at Disney's Castaway Cay private island or at Lighthouse Point when it opens in June 2024, early access to putting a request in for a cabana is an important booking benefit. While not guaranteed to get a private cabana, especially on the Disney Wish which contains double the number of concierge rooms (53 concierge family verandah staterooms and 23 concierge suites) compared to the other ships, concierge guests definitely have a leg up over others.
Some perks of being in concierge on a Disney ship:
Booking ahead of everyone else at 130 days out -- if the email is sent to Shoreside concierge right when the window opens at midnight. Things you can request in your email to Shoreside: private cabana at Castaway Cay or at Lookout Cay - Lighthouse Point when that starts happening, specific port adventures, onboard beverage seminars, spa appointments, beauty salon appointments, adult dining reservations, a specific main dining rotation (we always ask to be placed in the most formal of the dining rooms for dress up night), if you have a favorite dining serving team from a previous sailing and you have heard they will be on the ship, you can ask for them, nursery reservations, Bippity Boppity Boutique reservations, a Royal Gathering reservation, a Royal Tea Party reservation (all ships except the Wish) and an Olaf's Royal Picnic reservation (only on the Wish).
Priority boarding at the terminal - concierge guests are among the first to board the ship behind the back-to-backers and the Family Of The Day. While it is never an exact time when the ship will start the boarding process (it is all dependent on when the "all clear to board" approval comes down from the captain), definitely get to the Port early so you can take advantage of being among the first to board. Unlike non-concierge guests who vie for a port arrival time, concierge guests can arrive when the port opens. Their boarding card will have a "one" on it as well, so no need to wait with others out in the main part of the terminal. At certain ports, like Port Canaveral, there is a nice concierge waiting area to hang out in before boarding begins.
Concierge luncheon in one of the main dining rooms when you first board the ship. Some folks are eager to skip this and head up to see if their stateroom/suite is ready, while others prefer going to the concierge luncheon to meet some of their hosts and make more appointments. For example, on our previous concierge sailing, when we went to the concierge luncheon a member of the spa team came by our table to sign us up for Rainforest Room passes. So we essentially skipped any lines that would be forming up in the spa to get signed up before all the Rainforest Passes sold out.
Early access seating for watching the evening entertainment in the Walt Disney Theatre. Global Wishes tip: we love sitting in the second area first row on the right or the left side of the sound booth. No one is in front of you and you are far enough away to see the whole stage. And yes, some of the confetti, snow, and bubbles that drop down from the ceiling still reach your seats!
Present your gold Key to the World Cards at the refreshment stands before any movie or show and enjoy fresh popcorn! When we attended evening entertainment in the theatre, we brought down some beverages from the concierge lounge and boxes of popcorn were waiting for us before we found our seats.
Wifi fees are reduced, and in certain concierge categories (certainly the Royal Suites), it is complimentary. Your concierge hosts can tell you more about this and what you qualify for - just ask if the information is not on your concierge welcome letter that will be waiting for you in your stateroom/suite. If you have any issues with logging in while onboard or figuring out how to use the Navigator app, your concierge hosts can assist you! Do realize that you are at sea so wifi internet connectivity can be very unpredictable - it has gotten better than a few years ago, but still can be a bit wonky.
A private concierge sun deck with some sort of water feature(s), comfy lounge chairs, and free sunscreen offerings. The Wish has all sorts of additional features, like a smoothie machine - not to mention that the sundeck on it is huge with all sorts of relaxing seating areas and water features including two hot tubs, two outdoor showers, and a shallow wade/sitting pool!
Extra luxurious bath products. On our latest sailing, it was Elemis and Bulgari brands.
Special pillows you can request - the concierge team has a pillow menu to choose from! Also, if you have young children and there aren't kid-sized robes in your stateroom/suite closet, ask for them!
You can ask your stateroom host for ice to be delivered daily, distilled water can be provided if you need it for any medical equipment, and an air purifier if someone in your family has a need (we always order this as one of our daughters has asthma). While these are not concierge-specific perks, we always ask for such things on our sailings.
The beverage cooler in your room can be stocked with your favorite soft drinks (DCL is a Coke product cruise line) and water (both still and sparkling). Just let Concierge Shoreside know ahead of time, or if you forget, tell the concierge team when you board. If you run out of your favorite beverages, they can be restocked!
Take a libation with you to dinner. We always ordered a glass of wine from the concierge bartenders and took it with us to dinner in the main dining rooms.
Character meet and greet in the concierge lounge (sometimes arranged out on the concierge deck). The concierge team onboard can tell you more about this and when it might happen on your sailing.
For those in one-bedroom suites, two-bedroom suites, and royal suites (basically concierge rooms possessing a dining table), guests can order meals from the main dining rooms. Ordering hot breakfast room service is a fun option too. Guests in the Royal Suites have the extra benefit of also being able to order from the adult-only venues if they get a hankering to enjoy a dinner in their suite from a venue like Palo.
If you lose anything while onboard, the concierge team will try to track it down for you. On our last voyage, we left a sweater behind in the theatre and it was retrieved by one of our concierge hosts (a shout-out to Jose here)!
If you need something in a shop onboard, ask your concierge hosts for advice on how to obtain it without waiting in lengthy lines. Concierge hosts have been known to "pull a few strings" to make the magic happen. Also, there usually is a concierge trading pin that you can purchase - ask the team about how to get one.
You will receive a gift of a special lithograph just for concierge guests. Some folks like to have their concierge team sign it for them. On our latest sailing, the concierge lithograph was placed on our bed a few nights before our cruise ended.
Priority to walk off the ship on debarkation day -- a concierge host will take you down in a private elevator.
The biggest benefit of all: your concierge hosts. There is never a need to go stand in line at Guest Services on the ship as your concierge hosts will help you. They want you to have a magical cruise full of special memories! For my family, that has certainly happened as we have had amazing experiences sailing concierge.
On our recent transatlantic crossing on the Disney Dream, my family sailed in Suite 12000. This one-bedroom suite has a unique extended verandah and is located smack dab between the two Royal Suites (the Walter E. Disney Suite and the Roy O. Disney Suite). As you enter, there is an interior hallway that can connect the Roy Suite (to our left) and the Walt Suite (to our right), which makes for a huge footprint for anyone wanting a lot of space, both inside and outside as our balcony could also be opened up to either (or both) of the royal suites.
Our one-bedroom suite was decorated in the art deco style, our balcony was huge (four padded lounges, two padded chairs, and a small table), and we enjoyed all of the concierge amenities for the thirteen nights we were on the ship. We have treasured memories of sailing through calm seas across the Atlantic between Miami and our first stop in the Azores. Another memory we will forever cherish is of our time staying up through the wee hours of the morning as we sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar with the coastlines of Europe and Africa twinkling in the distance. We watched this all transpire out on our balcony at the very front of the ship. We were protected from the wind and wrapped up in blankets as we toasted the Pillars of Hercules with a glass (or two or three!) of champagne. People above us on deck 13 were able to look down and talk to us, which was fun. When we wanted privacy or just some shade, there is a covered area of our deck near the balcony door and we could just simply scoot our chairs and lounges around.
During that epic transatlantic sailing, we got to know so many of our fellow concierge guests as we had plenty of opportunities - 6 days at sea before we even got to the Azores - to share stories with each other in the lounge. We had fun times with our concierge team as well, including the three concierge hosts (Sarah, Selina, and Jose) along with our food and beverage servers (Gideon, Leuri, Freja, and Peter) and our stateroom host and assistant stateroom host (Shiva and Armel). The entire team made it a point of spoiling us whenever they could! Our food and beverage servers got to know us - after day one, they knew what we would be ordering before we even verbalized it. Our stateroom host and assistant host were incredible: Shiva and Armel were always so pleasant and our suite was consistently spotless. As a fun aside, I asked if we could keep all of our towel animals through the sailing's end. Shiva laughed and said, "of course." Those towel creations - all 13 of them - resided on the shelves of our large master bathroom. Every time we walked in to brush our teeth or take a bath/shower we were greeted by a towel menagerie. It was hard saying goodbye to everyone on the morning of debarkation. For my family, the Eastbound Transatlantic 2023 on the Disney Dream will be hard to top as our favorite sailing of all time.
We highly recommend sailing concierge when the time is right and when the wallet allows. One word of warning: it is always hard to go back to being a regular guest once you've imbibed the concierge kool-aid.
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