I’ve been on about 15 Disney cruises. Of those sailings, I’ve booked concierge four times.
It’s the most luxurious tier available and is substantially more expensive than other staterooms. Prices vary, but in general, I’ve found concierge staterooms are about double the price of a deluxe verandah (balcony) stateroom.
For example, on a recent five-night sailing aboard the Disney Dream, we spent $10,000 on a one-bedroom concierge stateroom for our family of four. A deluxe verandah room would’ve been about $5,000.
With that in mind, I’m often asked if concierge is worth the splurge. Personally, there’s just one benefit that makes it feel worth it for my family.
Concierge comes with many perks, but they don’t necessarily make up for the high price tag
In addition to priority boarding and larger, upgraded rooms, concierge passengers have access to exclusive lounge areas and a private sun deck on their ship.
They can order complimentary alcohol and specialty drinks at the embarkation-day lunch and during the nightly happy hour in said lounge.
Plus, they receive free popcorn and bottled sodas for the on-board theater shows, complimentary mini-bar items in their room, and a more robust, high-end selection of bathroom amenities.
The rooms are really nice, but we typically don’t spend much time in them since there’s so much to do on and off the ship. And, if you add up every drink and bucket of popcorn, the difference between a verandah and a concierge stateroom still doesn’t come close to evening out.
However, what really makes concierge special is the white-glove attentive service and front-of-the-line access for everything.
That’s where my favorite perk comes in: priority access to the elusive beach cabanas on Disney’s private islands.
For me, priority cabana access is the only reason to book concierge
Many Disney cruises stop at at least one of its private island destinations in the Bahamas: Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Each location has around two dozen cabanas available for rent, and they’re really exclusive since Disney ships have thousands of passengers.
This scarcity is why concierge status can make all the difference. They get first crack at booking all activities and experiences, including cabanas.
In my experience, the cabanas go fast and can fill up before the booking window even opens to all guests, including those at the highest Disney Cruise Line loyalty tier who are in line after concierge.
I’ve found it’s rare for a non-concierge guest to get a cabana unless they’re on the waitlist and get lucky with a last-minute cancellation.
On top of that, concierge guests don’t have to compete in the “log in at midnight when your booking window opens” game to get the amenities they want.
Instead, they have a dedicated email they can use to communicate their wishes, and a concierge handles it for them.
On our first concierge sailing, we requested a cabana and it was reserved for us well before our departure. On the second, we got wait-listed, then were notified that we’d gotten a cabana while aboard the ship.
To be clear, these cabanas are not free or discounted for concierge passengers. We’ve paid between $700 to $900 a day for ones that fit up to six guests.
They’re more than just a place for privacy and shade, though: The elevated spaces have dedicated hosts, lots of seating, and complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.
On Castaway Cay, the cabanas include access to snorkel gear, beach floats, and one-hour bike rentals, which would normally all cost extra.
No matter what you spend, good weather is never gaurunteed. On one trip, I was disappointed when one of our cabana beach days was cut short by a storm — mostly because I didn’t feel we got our money’s worth.
However, our host was quick to bring rain ponchos, and our kids thought our private golf-cart ride back to the ship was the best part of the day.
Concierge may not be a great value for everyone, but for travelers like me, it’s a worthy splurge
Paying double for a cruise to be able to spend an extra almost-thousand dollars on a beach day is certainly not worth it for everyone.
I could see concierge being a great splurge for fellow Disney cruisers chasing privacy and front-of-the-line access. After all, if you’re not in concierge, it’s almost impossible to secure a cabana.
Ultimately, the value of this upgrade depends on which perks you plan to use and how important they are to your group. (And whether or not your ship is stopping at one of Disney’s private islands.)
Sailing concierge really does feel luxurious and occasionally upgrading so we can score a precious cabana has been worth it.
However, my family’s also been perfectly happy in the interior staterooms on a Disney cruise.
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