Tammy Whiting, our Disney Cruise Line expert, has 10 reasons why you should try Concierge service on your next Disney Cruise.
Concierge on a Disney Cruise is one of my favorite things. It’s expensive, and there’s no way I can do it every time I sail, but I’ve been lucky enough to find several opportunities to try it, and I have never regretted it! Here are some reasons why.
Early Booking – The benefits of early booking are amazing. While you still have to send an email to Concierge at midnight on your booking day if you want anything hard to get, like a cabana, you do not have to spend 10 minutes to an hour (depending on how well DCL’s website is working) booking things yourself. You (or your travel agent) send Concierge the list of what you want, and they handle it all!
No Port Arrival Time – Choosing a Port Arrival Time can be quite the hassle these days! It’s great not to have to worry about it but to just arrive at whatever time you like. It’s also great if you are like me and want to maximize your time onboard. Concierge boards first after the Family of the Day and back-to-back cruisers.
Concierge Hosts – The Concierge hosts should probably be my first reason. I love them. I would take every single one of them home with me if I could. The level of service they provide is like none other. These hosts want to ensure that you have the vacation of your dreams and will do everything in their power to make that happen.
The Lounge and Sundeck – Disney has upped the ante with every Concierge lounge. The Wish’s lounge is absolutely gorgeous. And I could spend hours on the sundeck. The Dream and Fantasy have great lounges and sundecks, and I hear there are plans to expand them as well!
The Magic and Wonder’s lounges were added after the lounges on the Dream and Fantasy proved to be a big draw, and they kept getting a little better with each addition. The Wonder’s sundeck is beautiful, and the Magic’s lounge is probably my favorite after the Wish.
Amazing Staterooms – Concierge staterooms are a step up from the other staterooms. Some are like 50 steps up! Even the least-expensive Concierge stateroom has upgraded amenities.
The fridges are filled with sodas and juices, the linens are nicer, there are thick robes, nicer furniture, etc. When you get to the top-of-the-line staterooms, we’re talking private hot tubs, huge decks, living rooms, freezers full of Mickey bars, and more!
Special Meal Opportunities – On embarkation day, Concierge guests are invited to a special lunch in one of the main dining rooms onboard. There’s generally an upgraded menu; often, the Concierge hosts visit each table to make sure your plans for the cruise are all set. If you are in a Concierge stateroom with a table, Category 2 and higher, you can also order main dining room meals to your stateroom. If you are in a Royal Suite, you can even order Palo to your stateroom! Plus, the Royal Suites and Tower Suite on the Wish have their own special room-service menu. That’s right: Palo in your pajamas—the height of luxury!
Early Show Entrance and Popcorn – With the Wish, someone at Disney finally realized they could add a Concierge perk that doesn’t cost them any money—early entrance to the nightly shows! Concierge guests can enter the shows through a backstage entrance before the doors open to everyone else, which is great if you want premium seats! You can also get free popcorn to take with you. That’s another perk of that gold Key to the World card. You can actually get popcorn anytime they are popping it, which is several times a day with all the movies playing. I’m pretty sure I earn a decent chunk of my money back with all the popcorn I eat.
Evening Cocktail Hours – Every evening, there’s cocktail time in the lounge, where they serve beer, wine, and cocktails for several hours. You can grab a free drink and enjoy it in the lounge or take it to dinner with you. If you are a teetotaler like myself, it’s your chance to get Cloudem to enjoy. There are also snacks! Who doesn’t like snacks?
Special Character Meets – There is also usually a private character meet, just for Concierge guests. You’ll see an invitation in your stateroom or a reference on the Concierge schedule, so if you’re interested, don’t miss it!
Exclusive Merchandise and Swag – On the Wish especially, they have merchandise that only Concierge guests can purchase. I love my Concierge baseball hat! It’s subtle; most people would not know what it represents. On the last night of the cruise (spoiler alert), an exclusive print to commemorate the cruise will usually appear in your stateroom as well.
About the author of the blog: Tammy Whiting is the coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. Blogger, Space Force wife, and mother of two, Tammy has been involved in the travel industry for more than 15 years. Though she certainly enjoys vacations of all kinds, her favorite adventures around the globe have been on cruise ships. Tammy spent five years of her childhood in Europe as a military brat and has been a military spouse for over 30 years, living in almost every corner of the US. When she isn’t traveling, you can find her enjoying her family, buying camera equipment, and planning her next trip!
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