Concierge Questions

[capecodmercury]

Hi folks,

 

On my next cruise, I will be sailing in Concierge Class for the first time. And, I'm hoping some of the more experienced cruisers on the board can help me with a few questions.

 

1. The first and simplest question is simply what does the concierge offer? I understand that I can use him or her to make reservations but beyond that, are there any special services or perks that they can offer? To tell you the truth, with how easy it is to make reservations on the ship, I can't see why I would go out of the way to use the concierge. So, if anyone has any special tips or advice, I'd love to hear it.

 

2. A related question is whether the concierge would offer the same discounts that you can sometimes get when they are trying to push the specialty restaurants? I usually wait to see what type of discount I can get before booking. Would a concierge be able to offer a similar discount?

 

3. Finally, assuming that I do use the concierge, any advice on tipping? I will be pre-paying gratuities, but I do like to reward good service. Any advice on appropriate amounts is appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

Tim

[wendychloecruiser]

In my experience the concierge, I'm afraid really doesn't do a whole lot. Anyone has access to them as they have "office hours" and a desk that varies in location. On the Eclipse the desk was on deck 7. I've never enquired about special discounts.

 

The perceived benefits of a concierge cabin are arguably minimal.

[rockdoctor]

I have traveled Consierge 4 times. Frankly, I can't answer you question. No Consierge ever contacted me. I never needed them. If a consierge is what you want, go in a suite. The Suite Consierge is in Michaels and always available and very useful.

[wallie5446]

Tim the things you ask about are "NEW" things that have just been added to the cabin class.

 

NEW Dedicated Onboard Concierge desk

• Priority check-in

• NEW Concierge availability during pier check-in

• Priority disembarkation based on travel needs

• Exclusive pre-departure lounge

• NEW Exclusive Destination Seminar arranged by the Concierge

 

Now has Celebrity added another staff position?

 

Our last time in this cabin class was in 2013, and we never needed to use them for anything.

IMHO, it is some more 'fluff' to try and get the cabins sold.

EW

[capecodmercury]

Frankly, the only reason we booked CC on this cruise was we booked on board and there was minimal difference in price between this and the veranda, plus we got 3 perks instead of one.

 

Tim

[wallie5446]

Frankly, the only reason we booked CC on this cruise was we booked on board and there was minimal difference in price between this and the veranda, plus we got 3 perks instead of one.

 

Tim

 

That is the reason to do it!

[Grandmaanne7]

Frankly, the only reason we booked CC on this cruise was we booked on board and there was minimal difference in price between this and the veranda, plus we got 3 perks instead of one.

 

Tim

Us too. Although, I am looking forward to the new embarkation lunch. I'm not sure that we will have a reason to use the Concierge. We have never had difficulty using the shore excursion desk to book excursions and we have only ever used the specialty restaurants once.

 

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[Cobbie48]

Frankly, the only reason we booked CC on this cruise was we booked on board and there was minimal difference in price between this and the veranda, plus we got 3 perks instead of one.

 

Tim

 

Same for us. Cabins are slightly larger too. Plus you get more Captain's Club points.

[jelayne]

Same for us. Cabins are slightly larger too. Plus you get more Captain's Club points.

 

Conciegre Cabins on the S class are the same size as a standard veranda, on the M class ships the Conciegre cabins are a bit larger.

[MarKay525]

Hi - we traveled in a concierge stateroom on our Summit cruise in May and found the concierge to be most helpful.

 

We asked for specific types of food for the complimentary afternoon snacks and she took care of that.

 

We wanted to dine in the stateroom several evenings as my husband was ill and she arranged for the dinner menus to be delivered to our stateroom so we would have a full choice of room-service selections. She arranged for copies of all the medical information that we needed for our insurance claim to be delivered to our stateroom so I didn't have to keep going to the Medical Bay to run down paperwork. As we were departing, she gave me her email and told me to contact her if there was anything else we needed related to our medical issues. (Once she found out my husband was sick, every time she saw me she asked if there was anything else we needed.)

 

She made sure we were very comfortable in the pre-departure lounge and that we had everything we needed for an easy disembarkation.

 

She answered even the simplest of questions that I had, and if she didn't know the answer, she made a call and got back to me immediately upon receiving a response. Perhaps ours was a unique experience due to the specific concierge on the Summit and our medical situation, but I very much appreciated having a concierge.

 

We also liked the embarkation luncheon in the MDR and I know we would have enjoyed the the Sail-away on the helipad that was for concierge guests if we hadn't been too sick to go!

[cruisestitch]

While most of the answers here focused on the concierge making reservations for the specialty restaurants, which I agree isn't necessary at all given that it's so easy to do it yourself, the on-board concierge can also assist with making reservations for restaurants at the different ports. They will make phone calls to the restaurant to arrange for a reservation, and can also arrange for shoreside transportation if needed.

 

If you are ever unfortunate enough to have your luggage not make it to the sip, the concierge will probably be the one to liaison with the airline to get it to you at the next port.

 

If you are overnighting at a port and want to go to a show or something else that requires tickets, the concierge will probably be the one to help with those arrangements, too.

[Cobbie48]

Conciegre Cabins on the S class are the same size as a standard veranda, on the M class ships the Conciegre cabins are a bit larger.

 

Yes, we are on the Constellation.

[Von & John]

We enjoyed Concierge Class on the Connie in April/May of this year. This was our 2nd time in Concierge Class - both times it was minimal to upgrade to Concierge Class, the additional perks & the 5 points/night were well worth it. The Concierge greeted us at the pier, introduced himself & invited us to the embarkation lunch in the MDR. Lunch was most enjoyable, the afternoon canapés/snacks were a nice taste in the afternoon, along w/ cocktails on our balcony. We experienced a minimal concern which we mentioned to Customer Service. They assisted us, then let the Concierge know. He followed up on the concern with us & let us know he was there to assist with all our needs. Finally, he assisted us w/ our plans for our arrival & disembarkation in Venice.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

[eandj]

Last Jan. we were CC on Eclipse. Booked only because we got a group rate and I wanted the extra points. We never met nor needed a special concierge. Afternoon appetizers weren't a biggie, often not eaten. Boarding line for elites, concierge and suites wasnt much faster than other lines. DH DID like the "nicer" canvas tote when he wanted to pack a piece of art to carry home.;)

 

Unless we got an ideal location for a great cost, we don't worry about those little things. Might be different if we had an occasion to hunt down and utilize the concierge.

 

I note the posts above concerning CC on M class ships are more positive.

Edited September 13, 2016 by eandj