I’m a huge fan of Concierge on the Disney Cruise Line—huge! But often the price is just out of
reach. While you can’t re-create the Concierge hosts (who are one of the biggest benefits for
me), there are a few things you can spend money on (and some free suggestions) that will
make the experience feel a little closer, without the full price tag! Here are 10 of them.
- The Rainforest Room – The Concierge sundecks onboard are nice quiet places to get
away, and most of them have hot tubs. For a quiet hot tub and lounge chair on the
Dream– and Wish-class ships, purchase a Rainforest Room day pass or length-of-cruise
pass. The Rainforest Rooms also have heated loungers (bonus!). (Cost: up to around
$350 for a length-of-sailing pass on a 7-night cruise) - Cove Café Coffee – The Concierge lounges all have super-high-end coffee machines.
Don’t settle for coffee from the buffet or drink stations! Splurge on the fancy coffee from
Cove Café or one of the other coffee shops onboard. (Cost: around $6 a day) - Room Service Snacks – The Concierge lounge has snacks throughout the day. You can
get your own snacks from room service! Get the All Hands on Deck to snack on before dinner.
(Cost: gratuity for the crew member who delivers it) - Bring Soda Cans/Juice/Water Onboard – I love having a stocked fridge in Concierge
rooms. More specifically, I love having a stocked fridge of Coke Zero. When I’m not
sailing Concierge, I make sure to bring my own so I can stock the fridge myself. (Cost:
whatever you would spend on the same drinks at home) - Bring Wine Onboard or Visit a Lounge – The cocktail hours in the Concierge lounge are
great for those who imbibe, but you can bring your own wine onboard—up to two bottles
at embarkation and at each port per adult! Or visit a lounge to purchase your favorite mixed
drinks. (Cost: the cost of the wine you bring, or specialty cocktails, usually around $10-$20) - Buy Internet – Concierge guests get free Internet of some type and amount. It varies
based on your stateroom type. You can put some of your non-Concierge savings
towards buying your own. (Cost: around $25 a day without streaming) - Get Breakfast in Your Stateroom – Concierge guests with dining tables in their
staterooms can order hot breakfasts to their staterooms, but, otherwise, they order
from the same menu you do. Order a continental breakfast the night before, or send
someone up to get some hot items from the buffet and bring them back to your stateroom.
(Cost: gratuity for the crew member who brings it) - Buy Popcorn – Concierge guests can get hot popcorn free anytime it’s available, so
splurge a little and get some for yourself! (Cost: around $8 a bucket for one that includes
cheap refills) - Take the Sit-Down Lunch Option on Embarkation Day – Concierge guests have a sit-
down lunch on embarkation day, but you can choose the sit-down option in a different
restaurant and have almost the same menu to choose from. It’s a much more relaxed
start to the cruise than the rush of the buffet lunches. (Cost: free!) - Visit Guest Services During the Off Hours – For Concierge guests, the Concierge
hosts are their guest services. They never need to wait in long guest services lines
onboard. No one wants to do that, so make sure you visit during the off hours for any
needs you may have. Avoid it like the plague on the last evening! (Cost: free!)
For all of the above on a 7-night cruise, you will probably spend less than $1,000 extra. Looking at
some of the least-expensive Concierge staterooms on the Disney Treasure for 7 nights in 2027,
and a jump from a Verandah stateroom to a Concierge stateroom on a 7-night cruise, will be a
minimum of $3,500 more! That’s a great savings.
Do you have any tips for making your non-Concierge sailing feel like a Concierge experience?
Tammy Whiting is our expert author for the Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. A 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, and she has been on over 50 Disney Cruises. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
