Your Practically Perfect Benefits
Pre-Arrival Services
Concierge perks begin even before you embark on the ship. You can reserve your onboard activities (e.g., spa appointments, specialty restaurant reservations) and port adventures 120 days prior to your sail date. This booking window is the same as Platinum Castaway Club members; however, unlike Platinum members, you are able to leverage a dedicated shoreside Concierge team by informing them of your preferences 125 days prior to sailing. The shoreside Concierge team then makes the bookings on your behalf when the 120-day booking window opens. They are literally the first ones in the system allowed to book anything – at 12:00 am, when the booking window opens, all the Concierge requests are automatically fulfilled (they have priority over all other requests). The shoreside concierge team is very helpful in answering questions about port adventures and activities.
Embarkation
Concierge guests can embark the ship at any time, once the ship is ready. Depending upon which port you embark your ship, you literally will have no wait to get on the ship. Once on the ship, you will be immediately met by one of the Concierge hosts, who will take you directly to the Concierge Lounge to give drinks (champagne!), food, and a folder containing a personalized itinerary listing activity for the duration of the cruise.
Stateroom Dining and Extra Amenities
Once you arrive in your Concierge stateroom, you will notice a fresh fruit basket as well as a fully stocked refrigerator, which includes soft drinks and Evian bottled water. For non-concierge guests, bottled water is never free, and sodas are only complimentary in restaurants or at the self-serve drink station by the pool. Also, in addition to the standard room service menu, you can order any of the food being offered in the main dining rooms (whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner) directly to your stateroom. Just coordinate your order with your Concierge host the day before (they have menus on-hand in the Concierge Lounge so that you can preview what is being offered). On disembarkation day, only Concierge guests are allowed to order room service for breakfast. All other guests must dine in Cabanas or in one of the main dining rooms. Again, just provide your order to a Concierge host the night before.
Another fantastic amenity offered to Concierge guests is free 100MB to use on Disney Cruise Line’s Connect@Sea WiFi network. This 100MB is in addition to the free 50MB that any guest can get by logging in to Connect@Sea on the first day of the cruise.
All Concierge guests are provided with plush robes and slippers in their staterooms. Concierge guests are provided with priority tendering in ports of call.
Private Character Meet and Greet
All Concierge guests are invited to an exclusive meet and greet with one character. The meet and greet is set up as a reception for Concierge guests and is usually on a day at sea, typically during the morning. They have a nice spread of yummy food, as well as champagne and mimosas. The identity of the character is a surprise – you won’t know until you go. But, it’s a great opportunity to get up close and personal with a character without having to stand in line. The meet and greet is very casual and relaxed. You can sit and eat while you wait for the character to come to you.
Concierge Lounge and Private Sundeck
One of the best perks for Concierge guests is the exclusive and private sundeck and lounge, only accessible via your Key to the World card. The lounge has ample seating and really only gets crowded on embarkation and disembarkation days. I’ve never otherwise seen the lounge more than one-quarter occupied. It is open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm daily, with snacks and drinks available throughout the day. While in the quiet comfort of the lounge, be sure to take advantage of some exclusive amenities: a DVD collection, Nintendo DS and iPads, assorted board games, a variety of magazines, and popcorn! The popcorn comes in a big bag that you can bring with you to the movie theater – no need to buy it at the theater.
Check out the concierge lounge on the Disney Dream HERE.
On-Board Concierge Hosts
Disney Cruise Line is renowned for its “cast members” and their ability to create “magical” moments. That goes double (if not triple) for the onboard Concierge hosts. Superior service is their hallmark. The on-board Concierge hosts offer the same services as the shoreside Concierge staff. For example, they can make new or change existing reservations you may have – no need to ever stand in line at the Guest Services or Port Adventures desks. They take care of everything for you. They’re basically your own personal assistants for the duration of the cruise!
Should you book a cabana on Castaway Cay, the Concierge hosts will join you ashore and then serve you throughout the day. You literally just press a call button in your cabana, and (usually) within minutes, one of them arrives to assist you. The hosts also walk around just to see how you’re doing and make sure everything is OK.
Also, for the best magic of all, on that aforementioned disembarkation day, Concierge guests are allowed to disembark at any time they prefer. If you go to the Concierge lounge, a Concierge host will personally escort you off the ship. They will block off the elevator (using a special key), which will send you straight to the correct deck for disembarkation, and they will help you bypass the line to literally just walk off the ship.
Check out this video of a 1 bedroom concierge suite on the Disney Dream/ Fantasy!
We hope you enjoy all the extra magic in store for you while you sail with Disney!
