Concierge Question

[cleobella]

We are traveling in a Concierge Cabin on the Edge in just a few days! Having never been in a Concierge Cabin before I am not sure what to expect.  I gather there is a butler or concierge person available to assist with requests.  I can't imaging what we would need?  What sort of things would we ask this person for. Is it appropriate to ask him/her to have coffee or tea delivered to the cabin in the mornings, or cream if there is a coffee maker in the cabin?  What extra amenities are included in this kind of cabin?  Also, should this person be tipped extra, if so, how much is reasonable? Thanks for any info!  We just took this class cabin because we got a great deal and wanted to try out a room a bit nicer then the standard veranda level.  It will be interesting to see if it's worth it.

 

[mdcelebrity]

6 minutes ago, cleobella said:

We are traveling in a Concierge Cabin on the Edge in just a few days! Having never been in a Concierge Cabin before I am not sure what to expect.  I gather there is a butler or concierge person available to assist with requests.  I can't imaging what we would need?  What sort of things would we ask this person for. Is it appropriate to ask him/her to have coffee or tea delivered to the cabin in the mornings, or cream if there is a coffee maker in the cabin?  What extra amenities are included in this kind of cabin?  Also, should this person be tipped extra, if so, how much is reasonable? Thanks for any info!  We just took this class cabin because we got a great deal and wanted to try out a room a bit nicer then the standard veranda level.  It will be interesting to see if it's worth it.

 

I just returned from a B2B on Silhouette, both legs in Concierge class.

There are certain documented amenities associated with this class (Embarkation lunch, some freebies in the cabin, ...).

I had thought that this class was just really an excuse to charge more for a desirable cabin location.

 

However, I now know different.  We had some on-shore issues (of our own making) that needed resolution.  When we made these issues known to the Concierge (Taryn) dedicated to Concierge Class guests the issues were resolved within minutes, with no hassle on our part whatsoever.  Also, the dedicated Concierge was able to arrange for a stateroom party for us.  The Concierge is an officer, I believe, so there was no tipping involved.  However, a lengthy mention of her was included in the post-cruise evaluation.

 

There are other, non-documented, benefits to this class that might occur such as Helipad sail-in/sail-away parties, acknowledgement of special occasions, etc.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Dee&John ("dijon")

[cruisestitch]

There was recently a long thread about the roll of the Concierge -- I will quote from Varoo who summed it all up nicely:

 

The thread is here: 

 

 

"The concierge can be helpful with getting you additional port information and maps, if you don't want to search them out yourself, or help you make travel arrangements and reservations to get to and from wherever you may wish to go.

 

Even if you have all your arrangements already booked, the concierge can be a good resource if you unexpectedly find yourself needing something you hadn't anticipated, like finding a pharmacy or dentist at an unfamiliar location, for example, or encountering an emergency situation and needing to return home sooner than originally planned.

 

If you change your excursion plans, or one of your excursions gets canceled at the last minute, or your post-cruise plans change, the concierge can help you find alternatives.

 

Or, you may find that you don't need the services of the concierge at all. 

But I would suggest at least stopping by to say hello and chat. They are usually very nice, friendly people.

 

We have seen the concierge help people check in for their flights and print out boarding passes on the last day of the cruise, (even though that is something that most of us do for ourselves).

 

You are also likely to receive an invitation from the concierge to attend  a "special" presentation or event, such as a helipad sailaway for concierge class passengers, just to give the impression that with concierge class you are getting something extra, (even though other groups also get invited to such "special" presentations or events --- Shhh!  don't tell anyone ).

 

A lot of it is just fluff.  On Celebrity cruises, they like to make you feel special, whichever category you are in.

 

But in reality, on Celebrity ships the "special" concierge for concierge class passengers does pretty much what a regular concierge will do for any passenger on just about any cruise ship.

 

The concept of providing a special concierge in close proximity to the Concierge Class cabins is relatively recent. 

This position appears to have been added mainly because some passengers were complaining that they were paying extra for Concierge Class, but not receiving any special concierge services. 

 

Our experience has been that the concierge for Concierge Class is usually delighted to have anyone drop by to chat or ask for advice, whether or not you are in a concierge class stateroom."

 

 

Edited February 14, 2019 by cruisestitch