A dumb question before our first cruise! (March 31 - Dream, Western Caribbean)

[juxtapose]

We did our first cruise as a family when my son was a similar age. We found DCL to be pretty amazing in a standard room. The food and service were honestly better than I expected. My son LOVED the cruise, and 2 years later he still asks to go on another one frequently. We also didn't do any on board experiences or excursions and we still had a really good time.

 

[ShaneDJ]

We have done both concierge and non-concierge Disney cruises. We have had equal fun on both types of trips.

Disney cruises are really fantastic and super fun. We love the theming, the shows, the food, the on-ship activities, and those are all the same whether you go concierge or not.

The big drawback of concierge on DCL: the price!!

Concierge rooms on Disney cruises are basically DOUBLE the price of the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. Crazy!

The main reason we've done concierge cruises is to get a cabana on Castaway Cay. A cabana is not even guaranteed for concierge guests...but you usually can get a cabana (as long as you're not on the Wish which has many more concierge staterooms).

With that said, I will praise the concierge staff in the concierge lounges: they are truly awesome!

Good luck on your cruise, and you will have a great time going non-concierge!

 

[brentm77]

I agree with many others here. Even though we tend to splurge a lot when traveling, I have never felt the desire to sail concierge with DCL. I just don't see the value in it and don't feel like I am missing anything when in a regular stateroom. I honestly don't even think I would choose to upgrade for a modest fee, let alone the thousands extra charged by Disney. I feel like you get more bang for your buck spending that money on first class airfare, nicer hotels, private excursions, etc., if you are inclined to spend more. But DCL is great without it.

 

[tidefan]

Yep. 19 DCL cruises and have never sailed concierge...

I'd rather just take more cruises...

 

[Geomom]

Has your friend ever sailed Disney? I've heard that on some other cruise lines you need concierge to get the type of experience that Disney provides to everyone. You definitely do not need concierge. The cast members around the ship treat you the same whether you're in the cheapest or most expensive cabins. The room stewards come in 2x per day, you get chocolates and towel animals at night. We love all the main dining rooms/food and our service team that we see every night. I feel so pampered in a non concierge room!

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

To each their own, personally, I choose more cruises over a single concierge experience…every time. Have a great trip!

 

[Rex1993]

You'll be fine. Looking back and being honest, I "Wish" we had saved the money on our first DCL cruise back in June and not done concierge. The price delta for our cruise was huge and we got very little value out of it. Did we enjoy the lounge? Yes and it was very nice but totally unecessary for us. We barely drink so the open bar element that typically would add value just didn't factor for us. Ironically, out of the three cocktails I had on our cruise, only one was in the lounge.

 

[CamColt]

Don't worry! We've been on 26 Disney Cruises, inside rooms, ocean view rooms, and verandahs. We have never booked a suite or concierge and I never felt like I was missing anything. Obviously I enjoy the non concierge experience or I wouldn't keep going back.

 

[SnowWhite2]

I've been on 25 DCL cruises and several from other cruise lines. We've done one concierge cruise on the Dream and it was underwhelming. I felt like I needed to partake of the lounge and spent little time outside of the lounge exploring. When the food would come out, it is like apps not a meal. People were grabbing the food and it would be gone in minutes and take about 1/2 hour to refill. You would have thought this was the only food available on the ship! Pushing and shoving to get to the food was ridiculous.

The staff said they were going to set up a meeting for me with future cruise desk and they forgot to do it. I had to wait a 1/2 hour until they got the CM to come to the lounge to setup my future cruise booking. It was our 30th wedding anniversary and I thought they would do something - even send over some chocolate covered strawberries. Nothing but a Magical Memories certificate.

Wasn't worth double the price for me.

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

Hey everyone! My family (wife and daughter, 6) and I are getting really close to our first cruise. It snuck up on us and we can't believe that it is only a couple months away. We've never been on a cruise before, and really have no idea what to expect. I successfully some port excursions and on ship activities (our little one can't wait for BBB for one of the days at sea). I've been pretty happy with the planning we've done so far and feel like it's going to be an awesome experience.

However, I have a colleague who kinda gave me an odd look when I said I didn't book a concierge level room. The price was crazy high when compared to the room we got, and it just didn't appear to make a ton of sense at the time. That said, I had (and continue to have) no idea what I declined when I opted against it, and if it's really worth the added cost. Is this going to make a huge difference for our trip? I assume there aren't that many people booking concierge level rooms, but I guess I could be wrong?

Anyway, sorry for the dumb question. We're really looking forward to the trip, and we're having a lot of fun preparing!

We are on the same cruise! I have two daughters, 10 and 8. We did not book concierge, I just don't think it seemed worth the difference in pricing.

Hoping for fantastic weather for us!

 

[rja151]

We are on the same cruise! I have two daughters, 10 and 8. We did not book concierge, I just don't think it seemed worth the difference in pricing.

Hoping for fantastic weather for us!

I’m so glad to hear from so many that our instincts were right about this. If it weren’t nearly double the cost of the room I booked, then sure I’d give it a go. But honestly, I could book a hotel at AKL and buy a few days worth of park tickets for us for the same amount!

Agreed on the weather! Some anxiety about getting seasick here, but I keep hearing that it’s not as bad as you’d expect.

 

[Geomom]

I’m so glad to hear from so many that our instincts were right about this. If it weren’t nearly double the cost of the room I booked, then sure I’d give it a go. But honestly, I could book a hotel at AKL and buy a few days worth of park tickets for us for the same amount!

Agreed on the weather! Some anxiety about getting seasick here, but I keep hearing that it’s not as bad as you’d expect.

As far as seasickness, Bonine/meclizine works well for the adults in our family and is non drowsy. I buy on Amazon

 

[starvenger]

I'd rather just take more cruises...

This is how I feel. Concierge service would be nice, I'm sure, but I've cruised enough (note: not Disney, but still) to know that I will not make use of a lot of the perks, so that is value lost.

 

[soniam]

We tend to book suites on other cruise lines, depending upon the itinerary and price. However, we have done 5 DCL cruises and never felt concierge price was justified for us. You will have an amazing cruise.

 

[brentm77]

As far as seasickness, Bonine/meclizine works well for the adults in our family and is non drowsy. I buy on Amazon

This works best for us too. It also works better if you take it a few hours before getting on the ship. We find we don't need it after about two days, once we adjust. But if we take it before boarding (my wife only takes half a pill), we don't get sick at all.

Castmembers have said that they are told to tell themselves, "it's all in me head," when they are new, and that it works well.