Concierge class - worth it?

[Marelaine]

I wouldn't upgrade to Concierge unless it was a cabin directly above the cabin I already have. For us, location and included perks are very important, which is why I book early. I wouldn't mind having a foot stool on the veranda, but I wouldn't pay too much more for that - maybe @$60 per cabin. None of the other concierge perks matter to us- special boarding line, 1st day MDR lunch, debarkation lounge, sparkling wine. It seems like Celebrity has cobbled together a bunch of low cost items to make some cabins seem more appealing. 

 

Edited March 25, 2019 by Marelaine

[funnel]

Isn’t there another room service breakfast menu in the concierge class compared to a standard veranda cabin?

Our friends in a veranda cabin on Reflection last month told us they couldn’t order omelets but we could in our concierge class cabin.

 

/Erik

[Tourist1292]

7 minutes ago, funnel said:

Isn’t there another room service breakfast menu in the concierge class compared to a standard veranda cabin?

Our friends in a veranda cabin on Reflection last month told us they couldn’t order omelets but we could in our concierge class cabin.

 

/Erik

Yes. The breakfast menu is different. I think the Concierge one is the same as the one for AQ.

[Luvcrusn]

Concierge and Aqua class cabins come with the same expanded menu that includes hot items for breakfast like eggs, omelets, pancakes, French toast, bacon, etc.

[the_dylaness]

The expanded breakfast menu is nice, especially if traveling with small kids.  We used it frequently for them on our November Reflection cruise.  Also nice to have the embarkation day lunch- we could all sit down at a quiet table rather than herd short people through a zoo of a buffet.

[Luvcrusn]

We've sailed in concierge class many times on M-class ships mainly for the extra square footage on longer itineraries. I wouldn't pay much more over a normal verandah however. Although the square footage is nice as are the couple extra cc points per night, most of the other benefits aren't worth a lot. I'd rather pay a bit more for Aqua and dining in Blu (also larger cabins on M-class). Aqua class cabins however are only for 2 passengers, so if you're more than 2 in a cabin, the option for Aqua isn't there.

[funnel]

On 3/25/2019 at 9:17 PM, Tourist1292 said:

Yes. The breakfast menu is different. I think the Concierge one is the same as the one for AQ.

 

Thanks, I thought so. 👍

Good thing I booked a Concierge class next cruise as I quite often eat breakfast at the balcony. Love to sit there with my breakfast while approaching a new port.

 

/Erik

[Tourist1292]

27 minutes ago, funnel said:

 

Thanks, I thought so. 👍

Good thing I booked a Concierge class next cruise as I quite often eat breakfast at the balcony. Love to sit there with my breakfast while approaching a new port.

 

/Erik

I like the breakfast room service as my family always wake up much later than me. I don't need to wait for them for breakfast with the room service.

[GoodScout]

Here's my reflections (I'm boarding Reflection Monday, so pun intended) about Concierge Class, and while we usually either book it or upgrade:

 

Individually, the perks don't justify the additional price on S class. But taken together as a whole, we felt we got a fair value. Specifically:

• Embarkation lunch in MDC for CC guests only. I hate the mob scene in the buffet the first day. People not knowing where they're going, dragging their luggage around? No thanks. Worth it to have a decent sit-down meal with a few people sharing a table. I'm big on feeling civilized on a cruise, and this started things out right. It's also the only perk I can lord over the Aqua suite guests. (jk)
• Canapés every afternoon - No, didn't enjoy them all, but it was a nice touch we looked forward to each afternoon. And it became a fun game to see if we could identify them, and if we liked them.
• Expanded room service breakfast menu - We almost always have breakfast on the balcony, so I like having a few extra choices during the week.
• Fresh fruit in the room every day. Again, much appreciated at midday.
• Champagne on embarkation day. Unlike some others, our steward did have this waiting for us. So one day of our trip is mimosa day!
• Location - Liked being on our deck. Concierge suites are not directly under, around or above anything but other cabins. I might consider Aqua or suites, except for danger of ending up under the pool deck or exercise area.
• Restaurants - Would be nice to eat at Blu, but on the 2 days we wanted to step up we just went to Murano and Tuscan and didn't feel deprived. Blu's menu is nice, but most items didn't resonate with us. 
• Sail-Away - CC guests got invited to a sail-away on the ship's helipad when we left St. Lucia. Was very nice seeing the sunset from the bow of the ship and meeting some of the bridge crew.
• Free Tour - CC guests got a complimentary kitchen tour during the trip. Again, very nice.
• Bathrobes - I did appreciate the nicer bathrobes. We spend every morning having breakfast on our balcony, so these, plus the chair footrests were a nice plus. 
• Shower Head - Supposedly we had a better shower head than other rooms (except Aqua and Suites). Since I didn't have anything to compare it with, this is the one perk that meant zero to me. The water came out, my hair got wet, job done.  
• Concierge - This is the one benefit that really didn't seem like much to us. We didn't call her much, and were perfectly capable of getting dining reservations on our own. If I could have thought of some out-of-the-ordinary need I would have tried to see if she could help us, but no need materialized. During our cruise next week, I've resolved to introduce myself day one and try and let them help us. 

Edited March 29, 2019 by GoodScout

[lorimay]

We are on a cruise next week in a concierge class cabin. I have not received any communication at all about the benefits, including the embarkation lunch. I only know about it from this board. Will they give us information at check in or will there be something in the cabin? Thanks!

[Luvcrusn]

37 minutes ago, lorimay said:

We are on a cruise next week in a concierge class cabin. I have not received any communication at all about the benefits, including the embarkation lunch. I only know about it from this board. Will they give us information at check in or will there be something in the cabin? Thanks!

There should be a slip in with your seapass card and they should tell you about the luncheon, but if they don't just go to the MDR between 11:30AM and 1:00PM and show your card and you'll be seated. They have an area where you can leave your carry on luggage while you eat. There will most likely not be a physical paper pillow menu in your room, just ask your steward for the options and he/she will bring what you want. We like the molded memory foam pillows and they are happy to bring them. If your bottle of bubbly is not waiting for you on ice in your room, ask for it when you want it. We have had it waiting, and also had the steward tell us they like to bring it chilled on the first evening chic night, or any night you desire it. We trade our bottle in in the dining room for a bottle of prosecco or a bottle of red or white wine that we prefer. If you don't care for the afternoon savories, you can ask that it be substituted for a fruit or cheese plate. You won't receive any pre-cruise notification of benefits, but it great that you've checked it all out on the X forum. Have a great cruise.

[fleckle]

48 minutes ago, lorimay said:

We are on a cruise next week in a concierge class cabin. I have not received any communication at all about the benefits, including the embarkation lunch. I only know about it from this board. Will they give us information at check in or will there be something in the cabin? Thanks!

 

When you board the ship,  head over to the main dining room to check out the hours and the menu for the concierge embarkation lunch.  You can show them your concierge seapass card, which is all that you need.

 

If traveling with a group, you may choose to split up for lunch because often the limited menu there will appeal to some people but not to others. 

 

Just don't be surprised if you find yourself seated beside others who are not in concierge class.  Despite calling it the "concierge class lunch" several other categories of people may be having lunch there as well, not only concierge class passengers.

 

[lorimay]

Coincidence? I posted my question last night and today got an email from Celebrity with a list of concierge class benefits. Anyway, thanks for all of the great information. I’m liking forward to not having to deal with the buffet the first day - probably the biggest perk for me!

[Tourist1292]

5 minutes ago, lorimay said:

I’m liking forward to not having to deal with the buffet the first day - probably the biggest perk for me!

Totally agree.

[Slakes]

Did the email pretty much confirm everything already listed here or did you learn anything new?  We would be interested in the kitchen tour, I didn’t know that was included as one of the perks, were instructions for how to sign up for that in the email?  Thanks. 

[Tourist1292]

The helipad sail away and kitchen tour are not official on list. I have heard they are by invitation only. I hope those would be available to us too.

[Luvcrusn]

1 minute ago, Tourist1292 said:

The helipad sail away and kitchen tour are not official on list. I have heard they are by invitation only. I hope those would be available to us too.

 

6 minutes ago, Slakes said:

Did the email pretty much confirm everything already listed here or did you learn anything new?  We would be interested in the kitchen tour, I didn’t know that was included as one of the perks, were instructions for how to sign up for that in the email?  Thanks. 

It's been a couple of years since we did Concierge, but as I recall, we received info about the kitchen tour in our stateroom. There was no sign up needed, you just went at the designated time. The helipad sailaway (they don't have them on all trips) invitation will be delivered to your stateroom. It does state that you must wear closed toe shoes. I've seen them be fairly strict about that (and sometimes not so strict) so you might want to keep that in mind while you're packing.