ArtemisPhoenix
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2017
So after several years of considering, and a ridiculous amount of research, I finally talked my husband into trying out concierge. We stayed in a 1 bedroom suite on the Magic. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, since the opinions about whether it is “worth it” or not vary so widely, and the most common explanation of why people do feel it’s worth it usually was something along the lines of “the concierge staff”.
I have to admit, I really was more sold on the bigger room and the idea of being able to order hot breakfast, but really wasn’t sure it would be worth the extra money just for that. We’d never gotten a cabana before and, on paper, I wasn’t sure that expense was going to be worth it either. But I decided that we might as well go for it on one of the less expensive itineraries just to see if we turned out to be concierge people. Having always enjoyed the servers and room stewards, but not to the extent that I would go out of my way to request them again, I really was not sure we would be one of those families that just loved being in the lounge or would ask which concierge crew were onboard even if we decided we did like it enough to do it again, but we went with an open mind.
I have to say, from the very beginning, the experience was pretty fabulous. I’m the one who does ALL the planning in our family. My husband refuses to talk about any vacation plans beyond the general location that we are going to until maybe a week before we leave. This is NOT because he doesn’t care what we do or isn’t picky about all the little details. He absolutely is. More so than I am. But he is completely useless when it comes to planning anything, and gets stressed out by it. So it’s on me. Which can definitely be stressful, especially when it comes to a Disney vacation, which can require a LOT of advance planning and staying up till midnight at multiple points to try to book things.
This time I got a lovely message around 135 days out, telling me that I could send an email at 130 days with any requests and they would do their best to give me what I asked for. They had a number to call with any questions, which I did. The CM was incredibly sweet and helpful, giving me the full schedule of all the tastings, dining rotations, the schedule of the Pirate and Halloween nights, and have me lots of idea of things to request for our room. She was even nice enough to suggest that I write up the email ahead of time and send myself a “test” email, just to get an idea of how quickly my internet would send it, and told me to feel free to send the email multiple times, starting a few seconds before midnight, and going up till a few seconds afterward. She said they are used to getting more than one, because people are doing their best to get their email in right at midnight on the dot, because shoreside takes the requests in the order they come in, starting right AT midnight, and they are in order down to the second. (I only sent mine once
).
I was in a tiny bit of shock a few days later, at 123 days out, to receive a nice message back, stating that I had received everything I had requested, and that the beverages I’d requested for our fridge would be stocked. We even got a Cabana! I was overjoyed…and then a bit adrift, since I now had next to nothing to do but wait peacefully for our cruise. I honestly don’t think I realized how much I usually stress out, especially as the last couple months go by, as I fret about whether or not we will get what we’re hoping for. Our family are all on the spectrum and being able to let everyone know what to expect, well in advance, with relative certainty was a luxury I hadn’t even known I was missing!
We left out of Miami, so we didn’t get to experience the lounge in Port Canaveral. However, due to a little snafu on the way to the port, we arrived a little later than I had hoped. We walked up right around 11:15, and there was already a huge line. Thanks to someone’s information on here, I knew that there was supposed to be a concierge line somewhere, so I went to the entrance and just asked one of the people who were directing the line where I should go for concierge. He opened the barrier up for us and waved us right on up to the door to the security check. We were out of the heat and through the security area within minutes! Checkin was perfectly smooth, and we were only sitting in the concierge waiting area for about 1 minute before they announced that we could all board. It was amazing. I could feel myself relaxing more and more.
We were ushered into Lumiere’s for a nice, calm lunch. We happened to be seated by the window that looks out at the hallway and I must admit, it felt very nice to be happily eating while so many people were crowding the hallway as they slowly made their way past us. Kemisha came by and introduced herself to us and was so warm and welcoming. Between her and the complimentary champagne, I started to feel like my vacation was already beginning. (My vacation usually doesn’t begin till everything is unpacked, the kids are checked into the clubs, and I’ve spent at least an hour at guest services, ironing out whatever I wasn’t able to sort out beforehand).
By the time we finished lunch, our rooms were ready. The newly upgraded rooms are beautiful! Pictures really don’t do them justice…they are much prettier in person. We had one of the midship suites with the triple long veranda and it was incredible! I can’t believe how much storage space there is in the room! And those robes!! It made unpacking go so quickly and smoothly! Our room steward had our bags at our door minutes after we walked in and I had every single thing in its place and was headed up to the lounge by 2pm. I felt like I was getting away with something crazy being totally finished and on my way to relaxing before the rope was even moved aside for non concierge to come to their rooms.
The lounge is beautiful. I still can’t quite find the words to be able to describe why I loved being there so much. It’s just…inviting. It’s peaceful and just has so many little nooks that are comfortable to sit and enjoy one (or several) of the delicious little snacks they have available all day. And they are SO good! We never went to Cabanas the whole trip. We’d order breakfast to the room in the morning (after I’d run up to grab a latte for my husband and I, of course…the coffee machine is so nice!), and then just snack whenever we got hungry during the day, and then go to dinner. It was really nice because I never had that horribly full feeling I’ve had on previous cruises from eating way too much at the buffet twice a day and then stuffing dinner on top of that. And being able to skip the chaos and noise of Cabanas was heavenly.
But the part that is the hardest to quantify is that amazing concierge team. They truly made this the best vacation I’ve ever had in my life! As a mom, I take care of my family. In my work, I take care of actors. As head of my department, I make sure that they feel good and look good and that every concern they bring to us is handled. I’m not the only department handling them, by any means, but we do our best to make sure that they feel like they are taken care of by us and anything g we can’t handle directly, we make sure someone else handles.
I have never experienced what it feels like to be on the receiving end of that. As a kid, you really have no concept of everything your parents are doing to take care of you. And I’m definitely no celebrity, so I don’t have people waiting on me. This was like a dream. And not only did they make me feel taken care of, they made me feel like family. I didn’t feel like a burden, which is what I was afraid I would feel like. I get uncomfortable usually when people have to do too much for me. I tend to try to clean up the room as much as possible before the room steward comes in. I’m always trying to tidy up my table at restaurants. But somehow they made me feel like it was okay to relax and enjoy my time in there. My husband was so comfortable that he spent most of his time, tucked into a chair in one corner or another. He’d just be there, reading and sipping his coffee. By halfway through the second day, he told me that we would just have to put aside more money so we could go concierge from now on. He said it was the most relaxed he’d ever seen me, and the most relaxed he’d ever felt on a trip.
The cabana was the same. It turned a fun beach day into the most relaxing beach day I’ve ever had. My husband is not a big beach person. He usually is good after about two hours. I grew up in the Pacific Islands and want to spend every minute I can near the water. Having the cabana gave him a place to nap out of the sun, and zero stress of trying to keep whatever beach chair we’d gotten. And I got to relax in my own private hammock! Usually I’m up at the crack of dawn on Castaway day, grabbing breakfast for everyone and then trying to get down to the beach immediately so we can make sure to get chairs and umbrellas in a spot that he will agree to sit for at least half the day. Then I’m running back and forth with the kids to all the things they want to do.
This time we ordered breakfast and waited till around 9:15 when there were no crowds getting off the ship, and calmly made our way to the tram. Once the golf cart took us to the cabana area, we were in our own peaceful little world. Instead of having to run around with the kids, I just called the golf cart and they took them down to the area where the Edge was meeting. That private area of the beach is so quiet…I have pictures that look like we’re the only ones on the island! But since we had Cabana 3, I was able to see my kids playing at Pelican Plunge right from my porch!
I don’t think I really registered just what a big deal all of this was until my husband said it was almost 4 and we needed to get ready to leave. I literally just started to cry. Leaving the cabana meant our vacation was almost over and I just wasn’t ready yet. 4 days is never really enough, but this time it REALLY wasn’t enough! I told Glennys and Mary that night while they were making cocktails for us that I’ve never been this well taken care of, this relaxed…I teared up telling them and they both came and gave me the biggest hugs. I could really fell how much they love what they do and I understand that because I truly love what I do too. But it’s really nice to feel the other side of it for a change.
I’m in awe of that team. Raymond is so funny and makes the most amazing drinks. Risa is so sweet and made my kids the best mocktails every night before dinner. G and Alina and Kemisha made us feel welcome every time we set foot in the lounge and took care of even the smallest concern with such grace. Glennys and Mary felt like friends by the end of the trip. I finally understand why people say they want to see certain team members so much and why they get excited when they hear one of their favorites is going to be on board. I get why you advocate so strongly for them to be tipped well. I’m well and truly converted.
It’s not that the non concierge experience isn’t wonderful. It is. I’d still happily cruise anytime I get the chance even if I couldn’t go concierge. And I’m sure there are plenty of people who wouldn’t feel the way I felt about my experience.
But for me, to be able to have a vacation that actually FEELS like a vacation from start to finish, prep to disembarkation, it’s worth it. To have my husband not have a single complaint the whole time? Worth it. To know that my kids feel comfortable running up to grab a quick snack or drink anytime and felt welcome? Worth it. Watching my daughter’s face light up as she gets to watch the shows from the front row? Being able to really enjoy a beach day all together as a family without feeling like my husband is just putting up with it? So worth it!
I have to admit, I really was more sold on the bigger room and the idea of being able to order hot breakfast, but really wasn’t sure it would be worth the extra money just for that. We’d never gotten a cabana before and, on paper, I wasn’t sure that expense was going to be worth it either. But I decided that we might as well go for it on one of the less expensive itineraries just to see if we turned out to be concierge people. Having always enjoyed the servers and room stewards, but not to the extent that I would go out of my way to request them again, I really was not sure we would be one of those families that just loved being in the lounge or would ask which concierge crew were onboard even if we decided we did like it enough to do it again, but we went with an open mind.
I have to say, from the very beginning, the experience was pretty fabulous. I’m the one who does ALL the planning in our family. My husband refuses to talk about any vacation plans beyond the general location that we are going to until maybe a week before we leave. This is NOT because he doesn’t care what we do or isn’t picky about all the little details. He absolutely is. More so than I am. But he is completely useless when it comes to planning anything, and gets stressed out by it. So it’s on me. Which can definitely be stressful, especially when it comes to a Disney vacation, which can require a LOT of advance planning and staying up till midnight at multiple points to try to book things.
This time I got a lovely message around 135 days out, telling me that I could send an email at 130 days with any requests and they would do their best to give me what I asked for. They had a number to call with any questions, which I did. The CM was incredibly sweet and helpful, giving me the full schedule of all the tastings, dining rotations, the schedule of the Pirate and Halloween nights, and have me lots of idea of things to request for our room. She was even nice enough to suggest that I write up the email ahead of time and send myself a “test” email, just to get an idea of how quickly my internet would send it, and told me to feel free to send the email multiple times, starting a few seconds before midnight, and going up till a few seconds afterward. She said they are used to getting more than one, because people are doing their best to get their email in right at midnight on the dot, because shoreside takes the requests in the order they come in, starting right AT midnight, and they are in order down to the second. (I only sent mine once
).I was in a tiny bit of shock a few days later, at 123 days out, to receive a nice message back, stating that I had received everything I had requested, and that the beverages I’d requested for our fridge would be stocked. We even got a Cabana! I was overjoyed…and then a bit adrift, since I now had next to nothing to do but wait peacefully for our cruise. I honestly don’t think I realized how much I usually stress out, especially as the last couple months go by, as I fret about whether or not we will get what we’re hoping for. Our family are all on the spectrum and being able to let everyone know what to expect, well in advance, with relative certainty was a luxury I hadn’t even known I was missing!
We left out of Miami, so we didn’t get to experience the lounge in Port Canaveral. However, due to a little snafu on the way to the port, we arrived a little later than I had hoped. We walked up right around 11:15, and there was already a huge line. Thanks to someone’s information on here, I knew that there was supposed to be a concierge line somewhere, so I went to the entrance and just asked one of the people who were directing the line where I should go for concierge. He opened the barrier up for us and waved us right on up to the door to the security check. We were out of the heat and through the security area within minutes! Checkin was perfectly smooth, and we were only sitting in the concierge waiting area for about 1 minute before they announced that we could all board. It was amazing. I could feel myself relaxing more and more.
We were ushered into Lumiere’s for a nice, calm lunch. We happened to be seated by the window that looks out at the hallway and I must admit, it felt very nice to be happily eating while so many people were crowding the hallway as they slowly made their way past us. Kemisha came by and introduced herself to us and was so warm and welcoming. Between her and the complimentary champagne, I started to feel like my vacation was already beginning. (My vacation usually doesn’t begin till everything is unpacked, the kids are checked into the clubs, and I’ve spent at least an hour at guest services, ironing out whatever I wasn’t able to sort out beforehand).
By the time we finished lunch, our rooms were ready. The newly upgraded rooms are beautiful! Pictures really don’t do them justice…they are much prettier in person. We had one of the midship suites with the triple long veranda and it was incredible! I can’t believe how much storage space there is in the room! And those robes!! It made unpacking go so quickly and smoothly! Our room steward had our bags at our door minutes after we walked in and I had every single thing in its place and was headed up to the lounge by 2pm. I felt like I was getting away with something crazy being totally finished and on my way to relaxing before the rope was even moved aside for non concierge to come to their rooms.
The lounge is beautiful. I still can’t quite find the words to be able to describe why I loved being there so much. It’s just…inviting. It’s peaceful and just has so many little nooks that are comfortable to sit and enjoy one (or several) of the delicious little snacks they have available all day. And they are SO good! We never went to Cabanas the whole trip. We’d order breakfast to the room in the morning (after I’d run up to grab a latte for my husband and I, of course…the coffee machine is so nice!), and then just snack whenever we got hungry during the day, and then go to dinner. It was really nice because I never had that horribly full feeling I’ve had on previous cruises from eating way too much at the buffet twice a day and then stuffing dinner on top of that. And being able to skip the chaos and noise of Cabanas was heavenly.
But the part that is the hardest to quantify is that amazing concierge team. They truly made this the best vacation I’ve ever had in my life! As a mom, I take care of my family. In my work, I take care of actors. As head of my department, I make sure that they feel good and look good and that every concern they bring to us is handled. I’m not the only department handling them, by any means, but we do our best to make sure that they feel like they are taken care of by us and anything g we can’t handle directly, we make sure someone else handles.
I have never experienced what it feels like to be on the receiving end of that. As a kid, you really have no concept of everything your parents are doing to take care of you. And I’m definitely no celebrity, so I don’t have people waiting on me. This was like a dream. And not only did they make me feel taken care of, they made me feel like family. I didn’t feel like a burden, which is what I was afraid I would feel like. I get uncomfortable usually when people have to do too much for me. I tend to try to clean up the room as much as possible before the room steward comes in. I’m always trying to tidy up my table at restaurants. But somehow they made me feel like it was okay to relax and enjoy my time in there. My husband was so comfortable that he spent most of his time, tucked into a chair in one corner or another. He’d just be there, reading and sipping his coffee. By halfway through the second day, he told me that we would just have to put aside more money so we could go concierge from now on. He said it was the most relaxed he’d ever seen me, and the most relaxed he’d ever felt on a trip.
The cabana was the same. It turned a fun beach day into the most relaxing beach day I’ve ever had. My husband is not a big beach person. He usually is good after about two hours. I grew up in the Pacific Islands and want to spend every minute I can near the water. Having the cabana gave him a place to nap out of the sun, and zero stress of trying to keep whatever beach chair we’d gotten. And I got to relax in my own private hammock! Usually I’m up at the crack of dawn on Castaway day, grabbing breakfast for everyone and then trying to get down to the beach immediately so we can make sure to get chairs and umbrellas in a spot that he will agree to sit for at least half the day. Then I’m running back and forth with the kids to all the things they want to do.
This time we ordered breakfast and waited till around 9:15 when there were no crowds getting off the ship, and calmly made our way to the tram. Once the golf cart took us to the cabana area, we were in our own peaceful little world. Instead of having to run around with the kids, I just called the golf cart and they took them down to the area where the Edge was meeting. That private area of the beach is so quiet…I have pictures that look like we’re the only ones on the island! But since we had Cabana 3, I was able to see my kids playing at Pelican Plunge right from my porch!
I don’t think I really registered just what a big deal all of this was until my husband said it was almost 4 and we needed to get ready to leave. I literally just started to cry. Leaving the cabana meant our vacation was almost over and I just wasn’t ready yet. 4 days is never really enough, but this time it REALLY wasn’t enough! I told Glennys and Mary that night while they were making cocktails for us that I’ve never been this well taken care of, this relaxed…I teared up telling them and they both came and gave me the biggest hugs. I could really fell how much they love what they do and I understand that because I truly love what I do too. But it’s really nice to feel the other side of it for a change.
I’m in awe of that team. Raymond is so funny and makes the most amazing drinks. Risa is so sweet and made my kids the best mocktails every night before dinner. G and Alina and Kemisha made us feel welcome every time we set foot in the lounge and took care of even the smallest concern with such grace. Glennys and Mary felt like friends by the end of the trip. I finally understand why people say they want to see certain team members so much and why they get excited when they hear one of their favorites is going to be on board. I get why you advocate so strongly for them to be tipped well. I’m well and truly converted.
It’s not that the non concierge experience isn’t wonderful. It is. I’d still happily cruise anytime I get the chance even if I couldn’t go concierge. And I’m sure there are plenty of people who wouldn’t feel the way I felt about my experience.
But for me, to be able to have a vacation that actually FEELS like a vacation from start to finish, prep to disembarkation, it’s worth it. To have my husband not have a single complaint the whole time? Worth it. To know that my kids feel comfortable running up to grab a quick snack or drink anytime and felt welcome? Worth it. Watching my daughter’s face light up as she gets to watch the shows from the front row? Being able to really enjoy a beach day all together as a family without feeling like my husband is just putting up with it? So worth it!
my family. Glad you had Alina - she is a delight. We’re on the Magic for the first time in April, and I’m looking forward to the classic ship experience.
We are now inside the 90 day booking window for almost all of them, so it would be hard to justify spending 10k for a cruise where I’m grouchy we can’t do most of the onboard stuff I like. 
