Can the Concierge Get You An Upgrade...

[icecreammama]

Or cheap upsell a week before the cruise?

[Nvtitan89]

No.

[cruisnseas]

No, and for those in the concierge tipping thread that complained all their concierge did was sit behind a computer all day - you can thank the people that send email requests before their cruise for that. The concierge is there to help you during your cruise. Not before. Not after. During. If they reach out to you, fine, but really you should be letting them focus on their current guests.

[gerif]

No, and for those in the concierge tipping thread that complained all their concierge did was sit behind a computer all day - you can thank the people that send email requests before their cruise for that. The concierge is there to help you during your cruise. Not before. Not after. During. If they reach out to you, fine, but really you should be letting them focus on their current guests.

 

Agreed. It blows my mind how special some people think they are. To answer the OP's question, no.

[cruisnseas]

Agreed. It blows my mind how special some people think they are. To answer the OP's question, no.

 

It is directly related to the decline in manners, I am afraid.

[icecreammama]

Thanks. So since this is my first time in CL, what do people usually ask him/her for? I also would tip anyway, if we used him/her or not, but do you tip up front or at the end? We always tip the cabin steward up front and the matre'd up front. So what do you guys do?

[Clarea]

Thanks. So since this is my first time in CL, what do people usually ask him/her for? I also would tip anyway, if we used him/her or not, but do you tip up front or at the end? We always tip the cabin steward up front and the matre'd up front. So what do you guys do?

Specialty restaurant reservations and excursion bookings are common requests.

[teajak]

Thanks. So since this is my first time in CL, what do people usually ask him/her for? I also would tip anyway, if we used him/her or not, but do you tip up front or at the end? We always tip the cabin steward up front and the matre'd up front. So what do you guys do?

We never tip up front,I believe it is insulting to the crew that they need the tip to do excellant service and this is not the case.We do tip the servers in the D+ lounge each night and any time we use room service as they sometimes change JMHO.

[IMNiles]

In the past, our concierge has helped us with :

 

* specialty dining

* special assistance resolving service issues (in one case, a botched tux rental)

* priority tender tickets

* excursions

* local restaurant recommendations (if they know the port)

* cabanas at private island ports

* luggage valet

* special assistance resolving internet billing issues

* upkeep of the lounge, breakfast&cocktail hours

* no-wait ice show tickets

* luggage tags

* general socializing

 

In general, the concierge is "at your service" for reasonable requests. While they can't fix issues outside their purview, they often know the right people to talk to. They're real people who genuinely want to help, if they can. I've observed that the lengths to which they go are generally proportional to the rapport they have with a given customer, and inversely proportional to the number of "high maintenance" clients they have on hand.

 

We tip at the end of the trip, both for the wait staff and the concierge. Only once have we failed to tip a concierge, and that's because he was rude and made no effort to engage.

[orville99]

Specialty restaurant reservations and excursion bookings are common requests.

 

They can also help with airlines. One thing that makes them lifesavers in my mind is how quickly they get to know and recognize their guests. Last year when we were on Grand Cayman, the lines getting back on the tenders wrapped all the way around the port (and it was 90+F and 90+ humidity that afternoon). There were two ships tendering, FOS and a Carnival ship. Our concierge was walking the rope line looking for her "people" as she called us. As soon as she spotted any of us, she got us out of the line and escorted us to a separate entrance to the tender dock, and got us back onboard quickly. On our last cruise, the concierge came off the ship at PC and personally greeted us in the terminal and asked us if there was anything we'd like set up before we even boarded.:cool:

[icecreammama]

They can also help with airlines. One thing that makes them lifesavers in my mind is how quickly they get to know and recognize their guests. Last year when we were on Grand Cayman, the lines getting back on the tenders wrapped all the way around the port (and it was 90+F and 90+ humidity that afternoon). There were two ships tendering, FOS and a Carnival ship. Our concierge was walking the rope line looking for her "people" as she called us. As soon as she spotted any of us, she got us out of the line and escorted us to a separate entrance to the tender dock, and got us back onboard quickly. On our last cruise, the concierge came off the ship at PC and personally greeted us in the terminal and asked us if there was anything we'd like set up before we even boarded.:cool:

 

Wow!!!! Now that's some concierge!!! That's nice to know that they can help with show tickets since I haven't reserved any. We have late seating MDR and still not sure which shows to attend. Don't want to reserve and then not show up. Unfair to people who want to go to the show.

[lady_cruiser]

Wow!!!! Now that's some concierge!!! That's nice to know that they can help with show tickets since I haven't reserved any. We have late seating MDR and still not sure which shows to attend. Don't want to reserve and then not show up. Unfair to people who want to go to the show.

I guess you know this but just in case I will say it. The show reservation are on the ships, Oasis Class, that require advance reservations to attend the shows.

[cruisegirl1]

They can also help with airlines. One thing that makes them lifesavers in my mind is how quickly they get to know and recognize their guests. Last year when we were on Grand Cayman, the lines getting back on the tenders wrapped all the way around the port (and it was 90+F and 90+ humidity that afternoon). There were two ships tendering, FOS and a Carnival ship. Our concierge was walking the rope line looking for her "people" as she called us. As soon as she spotted any of us, she got us out of the line and escorted us to a separate entrance to the tender dock, and got us back onboard quickly. On our last cruise, the concierge came off the ship at PC and personally greeted us in the terminal and asked us if there was anything we'd like set up before we even boarded.:cool:

 

We had this similar, (and unexpected) experience also on the Freedom. I was amazed he was able to pick us out of the crowd.

 

m

[Don Pedro]

No, and for those in the concierge tipping thread that complained all their concierge did was sit behind a computer all day - you can thank the people that send email requests before their cruise for that. The concierge is there to help you during your cruise. Not before. Not after. During. If they reach out to you, fine, but really you should be letting them focus on their current guests.

 

I certainly respect your knowledge and all the excellent advice you have given, but as a suite guest I have always gotten a pre cruise email from the CL asking about any reservations I would like to have made. I don't believe this pre cruise service is extented to D+ members.

 

I have also observed the CL's time being monopolized by one or two guests making and remaking shore tours and other reservations. So, both present and future guests are responsible for taking up the CL's time In the beginning, there were few CL guests and the CL served the drinks and smoozed with the guests. Now the lounges have a wait staff to serve the guests but many of us, me included, miss the more personal attention of the CL. Perhaps the solution would be to give the CL an administrative assistant to handle reservations and reduce wait staff.

[critterchick]

No, and for those in the concierge tipping thread that complained all their concierge did was sit behind a computer all day - you can thank the people that send email requests before their cruise for that. The concierge is there to help you during your cruise. Not before. Not after. During. If they reach out to you, fine, but really you should be letting them focus on their current guests.

 

I disagree. The Concierge is supposed to (and in our experience, usually does) reach out to his or her suite (not Pinnacle or D+, from our experience) a week or so before each cruise to see if they wish to pre-book specialty restaurants, the spa, excursions, etc. or if they have any special requests. And if one is "merely" D+ or PC, I don't think one should be precluded from asking for the services to which they are entitled. In advance of sailing, just as one would if booking into a hotel and wanting to firm up reservations at a hot new restaurant.

 

But, to answer the OP's question, cabins aren't released to the ship until embarkation day. RCI sell them pretty much up to the day before the cruise.