Ep. 310 - Bonus - But Where's the Balcony?: Sailing in the Tower Suite on the Disney Wish

00:00.00 dclduo I know the guy who makes this is Chris introduced me to him all right here. We go welcome back here. That's a little hot. 00:00.00 CHRIS Yeah. 00:07.54 Sam Yeah. 00:14.82 dclduo Sitting down all right there we go welcome back everybody to this week's bonus episode of the Dc L Duo Podcast brought to you by my path unwinding travel and Sam we're going to the tower suite today once again, once again, actually we've only been in it once we've talked to people who've been it but ah. 00:28.50 Sam That's right? ah. 00:29.29 CHRIS Night we. 00:32.32 dclduo But the person who invited us in as our guest today. So let me start by welcoming Chris back to the show. Welcome Chris. 00:35.50 CHRIS Thanks for having me back again guys. 00:39.32 Sam Yeah, we love talking with you. Um, it was so nice obviously to get to hang out with you in person on the wish on this most recent sailing of ours in April and it's great to have you come back on the show. It's been a while. 00:51.89 CHRIS It has it was nice that I met Brian once in person briefly for 10 minutes post nights to spend some time with both of you guys on the sailing. 00:58.70 Sam Yeah, yeah. 01:00.59 dclduo Yeah, yeah, yeah I think we were I think we were quickly introduced at wilderness lodge. What's name with that cafe out back there that everyone loves guyser point Guyss are point. That's right, That's right? Ah so yes. 01:05.91 Sam Know the guys are point right? You know I still have never been there I know there's too many places to eat right? yeah. 01:07.54 CHRIS Yes. 01:14.44 CHRIS Are. 01:14.76 dclduo Well, there's so many places we haven't been at Walt Disney Worlds Dam but yeah yeah but let's talk about let's talk about the tower suite. So so Chris this was your first time in the tower suite is that right. 01:24.11 CHRIS Yes, that's our third time on the wish and first time in the tower suite. So we've done the royal suites in the front of the ship starboard amport and now we tried the tower suite. 01:34.92 Sam Yeah, and so the ones that you tried previously that one of those is princess aurora themed and 1 of them is Briar Rose themed is that right? yeah and tell us what's um, actually before we talk about that. Let's talk about how many times you've sailed. 01:42.59 CHRIS Correct correct. 01:43.74 dclduo Yeah. 01:52.60 Sam Disney Cruise line for those who have not heard you on our show before your handle is of course Chris in the concierge lounge which I think it describes you. You are a concier cruiser on Disney Cruise line but um 01:57.72 CHRIS Okay. 02:06.32 Sam You've also of course sailed on some other cruise lines but tell us how many cruises have you been on on Disney and what are some of your other cruising background. 02:12.78 CHRIS So this was number 24 on Disney so we went away from pearl and we've done a royal caribbean a celebrity and a couple carnival cruises a long time ago. 02:16.45 Sam Awesome. 02:24.62 Sam Yeah, yeah, and and we did um I know that you really enjoyed celebrity. It's actually one of the I think one of the reasons we started actually considering. Do we go back on celebrity was from an episode we did with you a while back? ah. 02:38.94 CHRIS so so yeah we love celebrity and ah a month from today I'll be on a celebrity ship in Alaska. 02:42.36 dclduo Nice, nice and we should also just step back and orient folks. So the wish has several different categories of stateroom once you hit concierge and so Chris you want to talk about the sort of beyond the the 1 and 2 bedroom rooms. They've got. 02:42.62 Sam Awesome! That should be really really nice. 03:02.24 dclduo Higher level suites you and talk about those for one second 03:02.78 CHRIS So yeah, so the front of the ship you have the 2 royal suites that are 2 story. You have the tower suite in the tower obviously in the funnel and then the back on the aft of the ship. There's also 2 royal suites that are single story but 2 bedroom suites. And and and and the royal suites only sleep 5 which is weird royal ah the tower sleep did sleep 8. 03:22.88 dclduo Yeah, yeah. 03:22.99 Sam Interesting. How many bedrooms are the the royal suites the 2 story royal suites on the front of the ship that you've sailed on. You're sailed in. 03:32.86 CHRIS They're just 2 their 2 bedroom. There's a bedroom upstairs which is that pop out on deck 12 when you're up above up there and and then a sofa bed that converts into just ah, a twin sofa bed. So it's for 1 person so sleeps five 03:37.90 Sam A. 03:45.85 Sam Oh wow. Yeah, so basically 2 different couples could sleep in the the 2 different bedrooms and then you could have 1 person sleeping in that living room. Okay yeah. 03:54.12 CHRIS Correct. Yeah, so my son always gets the short end always ends up with the worst sleep and accommodations. So so next month and all and Alaska it's its first graduation from high school I said you get first pick your sister gets second pick. 04:10.68 Sam Ah, nice. Ah and and to and to let our audience know your kids are young adults. Um one is in college and one is soon to be in college is that right. 04:12.26 CHRIS Is. 04:21.38 CHRIS Correct 1 ne's 21 and 1 ne's 18 fact he just registered for Arizona State University this morning he decided he's going there to be an engineer. Thank you. 04:31.28 dclduo Oh congratulations. Yeah, it's fantastic. Fantastic! Well what? Ah so Chris what prompted you to want to stay in the tower suite just a kind of bucket list item to say that you did it or did something different attract. You attract you to it. 04:31.48 Sam Ah, congratulations. That's awesome. Yeah. 04:44.85 CHRIS So when I first heard rumors of this suite backafor is announced I thought how cool is that you know in that you know in the funnel that is super cool then you know they announced it and it just seems super cool then my daughter saw it and she was like we have to stay in there. Ah. 05:01.20 CHRIS So that kind of sealed the deal for it and so is this kind of a this a very unique experience. 05:06.41 Sam Yeah. 05:07.86 dclduo Yeah, for sure for sure and nothing as we've heard nothing special upfront. Ah, for the concierge experience If you're in the tower so you don't get. Different priority for booking things or added assistances through Concierge. It's the same level of Shore side concieurs that everyone else would experience if they were sailing and concier is that right. 05:28.16 CHRIS Everything's exactly the same the 8 differences on the day you board the ship I went to concerts host and said um I have no idea where our room is or how to get there and they said don't worry, someone's going to take you there so they take you there. 05:40.15 Sam Um. 05:41.12 CHRIS And they walk you through kind of showing you how everything works you know there's a private elevator to get there the stairway to get there then they go through all the lighting controls and stuff like that and they also do that in the real sweeps to show you the lighting controls and stuff but they actually walked us to the room. 05:54.68 dclduo Gotcha Gotcha nice. 05:54.68 Sam Nice now tell us. Um I think that is a great segway tell us how do you get to the Tower suite If you are one of those lucky cruisers who has booked it and is staying there. 06:06.98 CHRIS So there's 2 entrances the the interest you use the most is the you go through a door on the side of the funnel on Deck Eleven and when you go into that door. It's a little entryway and you have to go up 2 flights of stairs or you can get in the elevator. It's 2 flights of stairs and brings you to your door. 06:13.66 Sam He. 06:25.94 CHRIS There's also private elevator which goes down to deck eleven and goes down to deck 10 and deck ten you come out in the hallway on the starboard side of the ship and you'd walk to the forward elevators and act and actually I think it's deck 12 right? like i'm. 06:40.25 Sam Um, now what. 06:44.80 CHRIS Deck twelve is the upper pool deck. So I guess deck twelve on the side of the funnel deck ten on the start in the Starboard side. 06:45.52 Sam Okay, and then what's the other entrance. 06:45.66 dclduo Yeah. 06:52.22 dclduo Yeah I I should just yeah I should describe this for folks because we've we've now experienced it so you would walk down the hallway like you're going to any other room on Deck ten and I don't remember the room number across from your entrance. 06:52.92 Sam Oh that elevator there. 07:06.89 CHRIS It's something like 95 I want to say 95 62 or something around there. 07:09.96 dclduo Right? And so you you come up to that door and across from that door is just sort of a glass small enclosed lobby for the tower suite and you can enter that lobby. With your key card I remember your your you know world card and then there's a small elevator in there that will then take you up the stops that Chris is suggesting and at the highest stop you get off and there's kind of the door to the the tower suite that you have to use your key card to enter that am I describing it right? Yeah yeah. 07:23.86 CHRIS Yes. 07:38.62 CHRIS Correct yes and every one of those little lobby areas has funny because I have the little that the with that having any elevator tell you what? what's on what decks or whatever. So it's this just for us. We have our own little guide to everything and. 07:42.75 dclduo Yeah. 07:51.96 dclduo Um. 07:53.90 Sam Yeah, that's that's funny and then in order to get to. 07:56.44 dclduo Did you have a did you have a did you have a private I'm trying to remember did you have a I remember the deck plan but did you also have one of the private boards like did you have an electronic board with the happenings for the day or am I misremembering? Yeah okay, okay, yeah, yeah. 08:06.57 CHRIS No, no it just just the the board telling you what decks had what. 08:10.12 Sam Yeah, just the deck plan board now interestingly enough in order to get into that vestibule on Deck ten you had to have a key card but in order to get into that vestibule on Deck twelve if I'm remembering correctly, you didn't have to have a key card is that. 08:28.70 CHRIS Yeah, so anyone could walk into that on deck 12 Anyone can walk into that area and a couple times I'd open the door to go in. There's somebody in there like looking around and my wife actually so the elevator always went to deck 12 somehow when she called when she was on deck 14 08:28.43 Sam Right? Chris am I remembering. 08:47.40 CHRIS Press the button for the elevator someone somehow someone got on the elevator in deck 12 and came up the 14 and they're like confused and my wife's like this is a private elevator. Um I could take you back down to 12 and they were really confused. 08:51.19 Sam Is. 08:58.90 dclduo Yeah. 09:00.81 Sam I wonder what they were looking for. You know I wonder if they were just like just you know trying to poke around the ship in general in guest areas because it is still clearly a guest area rather than a crew area but I I wonder where they were trying to go I mean maybe they were looking for Apollo or or on Chte or something. 09:18.80 CHRIS I Don't know my my wife said they're an older couple and they were truly just lost. Not not not not nosing around. They were kind of confused where they were. 09:20.39 Sam Yeah, yes. 09:28.62 Sam Ah, they probably thought they were at the regular elevators but then confused that there is just this one elevator there. Ah. 09:29.63 CHRIS Yeah I think they opened the door saw an elevator and got on. 09:35.90 dclduo There you go there, you go there. We go. 09:39.52 Sam Ah I do think it's it's a little odd that that door is is accessible to anyone that you don't need a a key card for the 1 on 12 I mean. 09:48.70 CHRIS And I thought I kind of was like why didn't they have a key card for this then I soon realized that deck is used by a lot of crew so they they would go in the door and where I would either go up the stairs or kind of left to the elevator. They'd make a immediate hard left you turn to another door. 09:55.26 Sam He. 10:06.27 CHRIS And that's where a lot of photographers came out of like with props when they're holding taking pictures I saw some characters come out of there. So it's a use a lot crew area. Yes, but you think that you think that another door nows outside the funnel though for them to use and then have a separate door. 10:10.41 Sam Ah. 10:16.21 Sam Gotcha So there's another door that's a to a crew only area that makes sense then right? Yeah, that might have gotten value engineered. Ah. 10:24.37 dclduo Yeah. 10:26.19 CHRIS So. 10:30.41 dclduo Well Chris let's talk about first impressions of the room once you got led into the room and you got your tour like what? what did you think? what were the first impressions of the stateroom. 10:38.18 CHRIS We were just like wow because it's like this it just you know it kept going you know showed us, you know here's this bedroom here's this kitchen area. Go upstairs here's a bedroom here's a bedroom ah by by the way it's into this hallway. There's another bedroom with bunk beds in it. There was 5 total bathrooms that was this like wow. 10:57.99 dclduo When it's it's two stories so you come in on deck was it 12 or 13 I'm I'm getting confused now 14 deck fourteen you walk in what's on the first floor chris. 11:04.11 Sam 14 11:06.74 CHRIS 1414 so you walk in and you have a ah the spiral staircase I go upstairs kind of first thing you come to and then as you go in. There's this. Ah, living room area with looks you know all those windows in the front of the funnel that you're looking out towards um is a currents the bar it's out there saying? Yeah so you're looking out there and to the right is like a kitchen area which is odd because in the royal suite is kind of just more of an open area with the kitchen. 11:24.62 dclduo Yeah. 11:27.10 Sam Currents or signals I can't remember what it's called. 11:35.50 Sam Here. 11:37.68 CHRIS And to the to the left we called it the library room That's what they called that would had the Trundo bed that came out of the wall. Um its own bathroom and then when you go up the stairs you get to the top of the stairs to left was the what we called the master which is a moon more defined master bedroom but on the right, there's also a master bedroom. 11:54.86 Sam Yeah. 11:57.60 CHRIS And then going back towards a there's the room with the Bunk beds and another bathroom and both master bedrooms had their own bathroom and their own master closets. 12:04.19 Sam Yeah, and then there was that powder room on the first floor right? by the staircase right? Yeah yeah, so just a half bath there. So it's it's when you say 5 bathrooms four of those bathrooms have your full bathrooms or the shower toilet. Everything just it's only that powder room. That's just. 12:07.60 CHRIS As soon as you walk in the door. Yes. 12:16.14 CHRIS Or full bathrooms. 12:22.51 CHRIS Yes, he he we did at 1 time so that was pretty awesome. 12:23.83 Sam A half bath. Essentially yeah yeah, it's kind of amazing. You could have you know 4 people showering at once. Ah. 12:23.97 dclduo Yeah. 12:33.55 Sam Ah, it it was quite big. Um, tell us though you said about the windows that faced outward towards um I think its signals bar. It might be currents on the wish I can't remember the name because yeah, um, tell us like as far as. 12:44.57 CHRIS I think I think it is signals knowledge. You said that. 12:51.67 Sam Privacy Went how you know how that worked because those are some quite large windows. 12:56.30 CHRIS So during the day you really couldn't see our and into there at all I looked several times from different decks and you really couldn't see in in the evening so that the there was a keypad for lights and I had daytime or evening mode evening mode. The lights were very di. 13:02.20 Sam Um, again. 13:15.42 CHRIS You'd have a hard time seeing in there if you stood right in front of the window. You could you know could see like I had a bag shop at Disney shopping back sitting right by the window and I could kind of make it out but I like a lot you know I'm 52 years old now I need bright light when I'm trying to read or do anything so I I like the daytime setting for the lights all the time. So I put it on that. 13:15.47 Sam And. 13:28.63 Sam Listen. 13:34.91 CHRIS And you can see in a pretty good so we took a picture actually um, the host from Pao actually followed us back one night and she went above signals and she took a picture of us standing in our in the windows of the room. 13:45.51 Sam Um, no fun. 13:48.95 CHRIS And we're about six feet back and you can make us out pretty good. So you you can see in there. Yes there? Yes, yes, there's sunscreen that comes down and full privacy. But I love daylight I like light I never had the privacy ones closed ever. 13:54.66 Sam Um, now there are shades though right? So if you want privacy you can. 14:05.82 Sam E. 14:08.20 CHRIS We had the sheer the sheer ones close in the afternoon on the one sunny day to try to keep a little cooler. 14:11.16 Sam Yeah, yeah, yeah I mean unless you're you know, walking around that living room area naked. You probably don't need the privacy Shields down. 14:19.12 CHRIS Now. 14:22.55 Sam Um, because there are so many bedrooms you're probably not. You're probably not changing in that living room area that looks out to a big portion of the ship. Yeah yeah, now one of the things that we know about the Tower suite is there is no balcony. There is no veranda. Um. 14:26.91 CHRIS Now. 14:41.60 Sam I'm curious as to I know we talked to you on board about this but I'm curious to have you tell our listeners What you thought about the fact that there is no veranda. 14:50.60 CHRIS I think it's horrible. That's wouldn't I'll never stay in that room again just for that fact I am a veranda person I wake up six in the morning I won't go out in the veranda. It's enjoy the sea air sunshine not having it was this kind of painful for me. And it's kind of frustrating because I think they could have put Aranda on the second story and very easily so I'm curious if they change something on the treasure. 15:15.13 Sam Is. 15:18.22 dclduo I'm I'm curious though Chris let me ask you this so that I I've said this I think in different spots but um, after seeing it now like I thought the biggest letdown was the view because you've mentioned it a few times you're staring right at signals right? right? And yeah. 15:29.29 CHRIS Yeah, the the view is not that that that gray I envisioned as we were goingnna be in this suite that like I'd be looking straight out in front of the ocean you know like I I should have known better this I've been on the ship twice or right, but never we. 15:39.20 dclduo Yeah. 15:41.25 Sam Um, a. 15:44.83 CHRIS I kind of did pay attention to the funnel or the suite the previous 2 times because I wanted to kind of just wait till I got on. But yeah, as soon as you're sitting in that living room going. Yeah, there's not much of a view here. Looks like people watching and then our weather was so bad. The first two days there wasn't many people out there. 15:46.57 dclduo Yeah. 15:57.80 Sam A. 15:57.75 dclduo Well I'm just curious with that view now that you've seen it would you still want a deck would you still want to be sitting out there with that with that view or would you want them to rethink how they've configured the suite so you get more of like an ocean view off of the deck. 16:09.80 CHRIS I would love a deck on the side of the funnel somehow to me and that wouldn't be that intrusive for the sightline to the ship you know something? Yeah I but I would take 1 that face forward to just anything would be better than nothing. 16:12.64 Sam E. 16:15.36 dclduo Yeah. 16:23.50 dclduo Yeah, yeah for sure for sure. 16:25.58 Sam Yeah, yeah, so I think we should talk a little bit about what if any benefits you get from the lip from living from staying in the the tower suite. Um I'm sure there are people who would love to live in the tower suite. But. Um, you know what are the kinds of things that you can get that are either different or similar to if you're staying in one of the other suites on board one of a Disney ship. 16:52.79 CHRIS So it's all everything the same as being one of the royal suites. So the way real big perk is you can get Paulo um room service for brunch or dinner that's about the biggest thing. 17:03.60 Sam Um, can you also get anchantte um dinner. 17:06.40 CHRIS I Believe you can I've never asked for it. But I believe you can yes. 17:10.60 Sam Yeah, well we know you're a state guy. 17:10.17 dclduo Yeah I think that's a I think that's a yeah I think that's a published perk I think that's a published perk is onantte dinner. But yeah Chris is going to go to Palo every time but you you actually went to Palo for your meals. This time you didn't have it delivered into this the state room and I thought you had an interesting. Ah, comment on on that from your from your son I think it was right. 17:30.56 CHRIS Yeah, so my son finally he just turned eighteen a month ago so he's able to go to pao in person because we always used to always get in the room one night so he can enjoy it and before my daughter was eighteen so she could enjoy it and we went to pao dinner. He loved it. And we were talking about getting in the room the last night and was like no I want the you know I want it fresh the bread so much better when it's hot. 17:55.80 Sam I I love that you know I would have never really thought about that though because so Brian and I have never stayed in a royal suite so ordering Paulo to the room has never been an option. Um, you know although I I honestly think that our son would would also like. The the food for apollo so it's something that I would think about doing if if we were saying in a royal suite. Um, but I would never have thought about the the difference in the temperature but it is a much longer walk to walk to somebody's stateroom than to your table inside Apollo so I think that's an interesting observation. 18:25.95 CHRIS And they do a really good job with it. They they will bring you your courses your each course at a time and I'm usually like just bring everything at once. Don't worry about it I'm trying to make it easier for him. But so the bread thing that's usually lacking because it cools off so quick but usually the. 18:27.99 Sam That your son made. 18:34.67 Sam You. 18:40.80 Sam Yeah. 18:43.80 CHRIS The meat. The hot meals are usually hot and they're good and they they do a good job with it. But obviously it's a little better when you're twenty feet from the kitchen. 18:45.39 Sam Yeah. 18:46.13 dclduo Yeah, nice. 18:51.10 Sam Yeah, now is there any you know difference as far as your ability to let's say book a cabana on castaway if you're staying in. You know, ah either a tower suite royal suite anything like that. You know we we don't have any insight or inside information on this. Um, my. Our guess is that there isn't but I'm curious as to what your success rate has been as far as getting cabbanas on Castaway for when you're staying in a tower or or the one of the royals. 19:23.70 CHRIS So I always send my email. Um, you know at midnight eastern times. So California lucky it's nine o'clock so I always send my email right at nine o'clock and I've always gotten the cabbana. So I don't know I would think they would hold 1 back for the royal suites but who knows it's dsney. 19:29.77 Sam Um. 19:37.43 Sam Yes. 19:40.67 CHRIS I Know if a celebrity or Royal Caribbean or something I'd say yeah they they would probably tell you they do right? But no, so yeah I've had good luck. 19:44.57 dclduo Yeah I I've got to believe that in the booking priority while they say that it is based on time that there's got to be a nudge for people at least in the Tower suite to move to the head of the line for that kind of thing I just I. 19:45.60 Sam Um, yep. 20:01.99 dclduo I could not imagine spending the kind of money that it would take to say on the tower suite and then requesting a ka commanda and being told you didn't get 1 So um I yeah I would not want to be on the other end of shoreside concieers for that phone call. So yeah, um. 20:11.69 CHRIS Yeah, and I have no insight to it and this I feel like if you're spendinging that kind of money because in our in your well on any you know all the Disney Ships you're paying more than twice as much I think you should get some priorities but that's me because I booked the royal suite a lot. So. 20:14.43 Sam Yeah. 20:22.24 Sam Yeah. 20:22.33 dclduo Oh yeah. 20:26.81 Sam Yeah, yeah. 20:29.17 CHRIS Someone someone listening the episode with ah with the you know 1 bedroom or something else going. No, that's not fair, but. 20:33.60 dclduo Yeah. 20:33.61 Sam Yeah, no I listen we we we book one bedrooms or even family rooms when we do book concierge and I will say I think it's totally fair that someone who has a higher level room than me should be ahead of me in line for caban I Actually don't. I Don't have any problem with that I think it's you know the cabanas and conciiers have become a pay to play model and they are on other cruise lines and you know I'm I'm not sure I see anything wrong with that I think that's you know. That's just the virtue of living in a capitalist society. Ah, ah. 21:09.87 CHRIS And. 21:10.66 dclduo Oh geez oh geez all right? Ah hate mail can go to Samantha canner at um, yeah, but. 21:16.45 CHRIS The like the cabanoss are always you know a hot debate top especially like on the on the facebook cruise group Friday the platinum people are mad. They didn't get a you know there're none left and it's like people forget the cabans were built as a perk for concierres. 21:28.47 Sam Yep. 21:33.16 CHRIS Like in 2008 or 2009 I don't remember and at 1 time I think I was talked about they're gonna be given to concier, not any not even charged for them. That's some sos what I was told like in 2009 I think when the first time we we hadn't sailed in several years 21:36.65 Sam Um, yeah. 21:41.80 Sam Um, oh interesting. Oh I hadn't heard that. Yeah. 21:47.98 Sam Here. 21:49.95 CHRIS Ah, were we're waiting for my son to get older at the time and um I was talking the shoreside and they said you know can we book this I'm like do you want to kabba I'm like there's cabbanas and I got kind of a little story about the cabanas at that time. 22:01.60 Sam Um, oh interesting. 22:01.77 dclduo And then and then a young up and coming executive named Bob Chepek got involved and said we don't we don't give away anything for free. Um. 22:04.83 CHRIS And I see this raised the prices of it was almost $200 I think 22:09.90 Sam Ah. 22:11.73 Sam Yes. 22:13.88 dclduo Yeah, well you know you know I was going to ask you about that Chris since we have you I wanted to get kind of some of your feedback generally on the experience with the the tower sweep but also sort of concierge but let's stick with the tower sweep for 1 more second. Um beyond the. Balcony issue that you identified Chris like what's your overall impression tower suite versus the other suites on board. Let's just start with the wish. Um, if you were going to book another ah sailing on the wish would you look at the tower suite or are you going back to the royal suites or something else. 22:46.70 CHRIS Don't we way I look back if I look at the tower suite again if we were like taking multiple extra people with us like my kids were taking friends because you have extra bedrooms. Otherwise I'm just going back to 1 of the 2 story royal suites and maybe and and and take a little farther I'd probably. 22:54.40 Sam E. 22:54.21 dclduo No okay, okay. 23:03.71 CHRIS The 2 story role suite and book the family state room next door they get they get more bedroom space because I haven't priced it on the wish but the dream in the fantasy you can get you know twelve five ah two is the Roy you can get twelve five 4 and if I book my kids in the royal suite. 23:05.66 dclduo Okay. 23:07.61 Sam Um, oh yeah. 23:21.17 CHRIS The cost of put them in the family suite is just a little bit more between adding guest, 3 and 4 or they're giving them their own room with an extra bathroom. 23:22.27 dclduo Yeah, yeah, now, what about what? so we've so it sounds like on the wish Royal Suites win over the Tower suite for for you I Just want to ask. 23:24.77 Sam Um, oh that's nice. Yeah. 23:37.82 dclduo You've sailed on the royal suites I think on most of if not all of the other ships in the fleet who's got the best royal suite out there is it the 2 story one on the the wish or do you prefer 1 of the other versions of it on one of the other ships. 23:49.46 CHRIS So I've been in all the royal suites all the ships and it's just my wife and I the rail suites on the wish hands down then green fantasy then the classic ships because the deck is horrible on those but as a family of 4 the classic sheep royals. 23:56.61 Sam Are. 24:07.91 CHRIS Royal suits been so nice because the second bedroom has two full beds so they each have their own bed. They have a bathroom they so they share and they have a closet so I I wait on the wish I wish they would have made 3 bedrooms in the royal suite or at least the second bedroom put. 24:13.12 Sam Um. 24:24.48 dclduo M. 24:25.60 CHRIS Not a queen bed in it so make it. So for families, you know, Brothers and sisters don't want to sleep in the same bed when they're old right. 24:28.33 Sam Um, yeah, right? Yeah that I will say we got to look at the the Roy we've we've seen the Roy on the wonder and I think we actually got to see the Walt as well. Um, and. They are, um, it's really nice that second bedroom and the bathroom is actually a huge It's a it's as big as the master bathroom or close to it if not quite as big. Um, so it's a huge bathroom and that room is actually quite the second bedroom. The kids room is quite big. It's got. 24:51.10 CHRIS Yes. 25:02.70 Sam Like as you said 2 full size beds plus it then has two bunk beds above those beds as well. Um, so you could easily if you are a family with 4 children. You know a cup. Maybe a little bit younger than your than your kids. Um, you could easily sail in that room with. 6 or I think they fit actually 7 people in those because they're I think right? Oh wow. 25:20.82 CHRIS So there's there's actually a Murphy bed in what I call the library room on that ship. That's a queen a queen and on the magic. The couch is still a bed too. Yes, yes. 25:31.13 Sam Oh so you could put like 8 people in the wonder and maybe 9 in the magic is what you're saying wow wow. 25:39.12 CHRIS Yeah, it would yeah but the magic's in dry dock right now. So we're curious if the real suite changes. 25:39.86 dclduo No. 25:43.93 Sam Oh interesting. Yeah well because they're probably going to be replacing the bed the master bed as I understand and you know better than than us on this Chris but as I understand it the wonder in the royal suites has king size bed in the master. But the magic. 25:57.82 CHRIS Yes I do. 26:00.89 Sam Still has the queen um from the original the original queens in their master. Ok so probably well I'm saying probably but hopefully for those who stay in the in the walter the Roy suite on the magic. Hopefully there will be king size beds in that master bedroom after dry dock. We'll see. 26:04.86 CHRIS Yes, correct Ho foy. 26:06.43 dclduo Yeah. 26:17.56 CHRIS That. 26:20.71 Sam Hopefully we'll hear about it. We we know some you know, but you and and some other folks that we know are are like to stay in in the Roy or the walt and so hopefully we'll find out soon enough right? Dry dock is happening as we speak. 26:32.12 dclduo Yeah, so Chris I want to take us off Disney Cruise line for a second or at least when I introduce the kind of the at least want to introduce another cruise line into the discussion here. Celebrity. So let me ask if you had your choice between the same itinerary and doing a royal suite on Disney Cruise line or a suite of your choosing on celebrity cruise line or like the one I think you sailed as the iconic suite maybe on on celebrity. Yeah, which which one would you choose? wow. 26:57.53 CHRIS Yes, iconic guess probably celebrity and just for and just for the and we're Disney Diehard fans we love Disney but just the fact on the celebrity on a seven night celebrity sailing wait dinner at a different restaurant every night 27:04.36 Sam What? what. 27:14.89 Sam A. 27:16.68 CHRIS And did not eat at all the restaurants that was just a game changer. It's like you know so disappointed to wish and have a third specialty restaurant. 27:23.21 dclduo Yeah. 27:24.24 Sam Um, yeah, that's something we've talked about I I I don't think we're going to see a different specialty restaurant on the treasure. Um I think now if we you know until the the global dream is running out of Singapore. We're not going to see any kind of different offering as far as you know fine dining restaurants we we were talking to. Ah chef chef fabricrice on the ah on the wish in onantte and we were told by him that the concept for Apollo and enshantte is. Identical on the disney treasure. So um I get for those of us who like the concept that's great, but it's just means there is nothing new coming. You know what does chef have that's new. We like to talk about from remy. But um, or from rat ta toi. 28:15.80 CHRIS Um, yeah I think Disney on the wish I was really hoping there'd be a concierres restaurant. Not just a little hot foods. They make those little plates or whatever. 28:17.37 Sam Ah, nothing apparently at least not yet, but. 28:27.40 dclduo O. 28:27.14 Sam A. 28:29.16 CHRIS I wish it would have had a complete restaurant because that was a rumor at 1 time I remember and celebrity has that for their retreat status which is same as kind of concierge and it was kind of a nice option for dinner. Also. 28:38.85 Sam If he. 28:41.67 dclduo Well, let me let me ask this question Chris because you see all concierge pretty much exclusively. Um and on suites on the other ships. Do you think that disease concierge is losing its competitive edge because you know look I thought that the lounge on the wish was lovely. But the experience that we had on lounges on board. The other disney ships at least was much more personal personal personable I guess maybe is the way the word I'm looking for lots of more interaction with the host felt intimate. This felt to me more like you know, really really, really nice airport lounge. Ah you know. With all the necessary amenities and even some you didn't need um but I wonder if the direction Disney's heading you know increasing the amount of concierge not necessarily increasing correspondingly the benefits of concierge and then looking at some of the other lines out there that cost. and' want say a fraction of but well below what Disney charges for concieurs who seem to offer more benefits to to sort of those sweet class sailors and I'm just curious. Do you think Disney's at a point where they need to step up their game that they're losing their competitive edge a bit. 29:47.44 CHRIS I think they do I think they should cap at 50 conciers rooms I think 80 s is too many on the wish you know 44 and 46 on some of the other ships. it's it's it's a lot more intimate experience you the lounges are smaller which kind of forces you to you talk to more people. It seems like and this. 29:53.58 Sam E. 30:04.73 Sam Here. 30:07.15 CHRIS I Don't know this always had a better experience than all the other lounges. You know I love the host on our last sailing um G and Mariana have ones I've had multiple times we love them. They're great. But yeah, it's very you know, not personable I think and says it's it's lacking something. 30:20.76 Sam Yeah I agree and I I think one of the the things I noticed on the other ships to not just the interaction with the concierge hosts but actually the interactions with other cruisers too I feel like the way the the lounge is sort of set up. 30:21.40 dclduo Yeah, yeah. 30:37.62 Sam On the at least on the magic and the wonder we haven't been in the dream and the fantasy um I felt like I did actually end up getting to know other cruisers now. Of course we were sailing with um, some other friends. And we know you and so whenever we'd see you in the lounge of course we were chit chatting and and and chatting with the hosts as well. We only of the ones that were on with us of the 5 hosts. We had only known g before we didn't know the others um but they were they were lovely. Um, but yeah, we just didn't have nearly as much interaction with other people and I wonder if that has something to do with the physical layout of the lounge but also the um, the fact that there are so many more concierge sailors on the wish. We also. 31:20.80 CHRIS I think it is because you you know when there's only 45 rooms you you start recognizing the face as old you know, hey how you guys have good day to day, especially kind of european sailing or something this one's like every time went there. It's like people I've never seen before. 31:23.59 Sam Yeah. 31:29.50 Sam Um, yeah, yeah. 31:30.60 dclduo And. 31:36.20 Sam Ah, absolutely well and I We also felt like and I don't know if you had this experience that the sun deck was we we liked the sundeck because it was a ah refuge from the crowds and the pool deck. However, there were several times that we were on the sundeck where there were other. Cruisers who were just kind of letting their kids run Amok Um, and this to be fair, this was not. You know every cruiser it was just a couple times but they were no, no no I know but they but. 32:03.40 dclduo So to also be fair for 1 to also be fair for one second it's Disney Cruise and it's not an adult only space. So. 32:09.70 CHRIS I. 32:11.33 Sam They were. There wasn't any. There weren't any like staff up there right? There weren't any of the the the Disney Cruise line staff really sort of monitoring that area during the day. Um, and then the kids were using like the shower sprayer to spray people who were in the hot tub right? And so things that are you know. 32:30.80 Sam Shouldn't really be going on. It wasn't anything dangerous. It was kids you know being kids but things that would have gotten shut down on the regular pool deck by 1 of those lifeguards immediately right? Um, so it was just sort of I wonder. 32:37.35 CHRIS Is is yeah parents you know money doesn't buy class. Obviously they's spending all this money for concier and can't control their kids. 32:49.36 dclduo And let me let me ask. Ah, let me ask a follow question here Chris about um so we mentioned earlier in the show. The price increase for the Kavanas I think this is a place where Disney is really falling well behind the competition in terms of. 32:54.20 CHRIS I. 33:04.75 CHRIS All hundred percent 33:05.78 dclduo Offering now at the same time I recognized at same time I recognize those Cabaana sell out every saling or impossible to get but I will say that this more recent price increase felt like just a blatant money with nothing additional added on but I don't know what your reaction was. 33:21.65 CHRIS So I so I mean yeah, they waited too long I think they show you know $50 two years ago. $50 last year this would do this huge jump but on royal caribbean on perfect day. The cabata is their start at least a thousand bucks and the over the water caan and when we got 1 was 1700 and we had a cruise books for June we doing the lastka instead of the cruise this cruise but the over the water cabanna was $3700 for that cruise and we're actually going to scotch sale and stay out of westton this weekend and this place has I think. 33:38.63 Sam Um, is a. 33:48.65 Sam Wow. 33:48.99 dclduo Wow. 33:56.76 CHRIS 24 Kabanas and the cheapest cabana is $700 seven hundred eight dollars so with with the tax on everything so it makes Disney's not so bad. 34:01.99 dclduo Yeah. 34:02.51 Sam Um, Wow Yeah, but does it but does it include waiter service of with food um instead of just wait waiter service for drinks. 34:13.76 CHRIS So it does include waiter service with food but it's ah half the size of a Disney Cabanna and you you know, no debt you have 2 lounge shares in front of a little tent thing basically right? So it's like and the price just went up on that too because we've booked them quite often. They're usually about four fifty to 34:20.37 Sam Um, ah Wow. Wow. 34:30.79 CHRIS Five fifty depend on the time of the year and until 87 with tax and gratuity. 34:34.28 Sam Yeah, so it sounds like the market for cabanas is just increased in general and that so Disney you know while it is probably a bit of a cash grab it sounds like the impression is it's it's on par with other cabanas. You know in similar markets. 34:48.86 CHRIS I Think it is I think they just should have just done small increments instead this huge chunk. It would have gone over better. 34:57.50 dclduo Yeah, but this at the same time I guess where I fault them both with the conciers offering and the Kabanna price increase and the sort of stuff is you're not, you're not like so they added the preshow seating benefit. Ok great. Um, but. The other cruise lines are offering that plus a whole lot more at a price point that's lower and maybe they make up for it on the backend with the price of their cabanas but those things also offer more benefits than what Disney offers and so where I where I struggle is the price point on Disney is already high just to sale. 35:29.68 Sam Um. 35:30.00 dclduo Regardless of your enconcieurs then if you want the extra experience. Well the extra experience of concieurs was the service well on the wish the service doesn't you know it's it's great service I do not fault any of those concieurs hosts but they need like twice as many of them in order to replicate the kind of experience you could get on the other ships. Um. So I'm I'm really struggling now with kind of the price point of concierge on Disney Cruise line because it sounds like I sail and get all those benefits for a lot less and more. So yeah. 35:57.10 CHRIS Yeah, on celebrity the upper suites all have you know a butler they you know so I didn't hardly to ever go the contiers lounge on the celebrity ship because I had this person at my my door anytime I needed them to get me whatever I wanted. 36:02.50 Sam A. 36:14.76 CHRIS And in fact, celebrity just called me last week for Alaska saline to go over know what alcohol we want in the room. What bottle of wine what bottle of hard alcohol. What else we want in the refrigerator this is all included. You know so it's like they you know they offer a lot more and aren't. 36:25.91 Sam It's really nice. Yeah yeah, and they're calling you. You're not having to to send an email at you well not midnight on the East Coast or on the west coast but at Nine P M at the. 36:29.84 dclduo No. 36:40.99 Sam At the one hundred and thirty day booking window telling them exactly what you want right. 36:42.84 CHRIS Exactly they one thing I wished I wish they would call you sooner so celebrities kind of 30 to forty days out they call you. That's your first contact with what I want called their shoreside concierre. They call it through a treat hose you can call them ahead of time if you have a question or something I did four or five months ago for something. 36:50.73 Sam You may. 37:02.69 CHRIS But they wait about a month before they're sailing. They reach out to you and kind of go over your itinerary any kind of dining plans. You want go over all that stuff and so on the celebrity ship we have I think it's called a royal suite and then a connecting room next door which is another kind of suite I I don't remember what it is I apologize. Compared to last year on the wonder in Alaska it's about half price for look can we have the real suite last year in Alaska on the wonder. So I think we have about twice a square footage for about it might be a little more than half price. But it's basically half. 37:25.11 Sam Wow. 37:37.40 Sam A. 37:39.97 dclduo Wow Yeah I don't know I I think Disney needs to up their game especially if they're going to keep introducing more and more inventory into the product I don't know how they they don't hit a price wall at some point. But so far they haven't so anyway. 37:52.23 Sam Yeah, and and they are training. We know more people as concierge hosts right now particularly trying to train more people on the wish because as we have heard from the concierge host. They expect the concier's lounge on the treasure to. Be essentially a ah replication of what's on the wish and so the the operations for the hosts on that ship is different than on the 4 previous ships and so they're trying to train as many people they've got 5 hosts on the wish. So presumably. They'll have five hosts on the treasure but they need to get more people trained in the operations on the wish so that they can send them over to the treasure. So that's I mean that's almost that's not double. It won't be doubling their staff but it will certainly be a huge increase in the number of. Staff because we're talking about not just the hosts but like the bartending staff and the other sort of food service staff that that staff that lounge as well as the kitchen. Um, so it's a lot more people to train we saw somebody on board who is earning her ears as a host who had you know come from guest services. And then as I heard from the hosts on the wish they were going to be rotating more people who are already hosts on the other ships just through the wish so that they could see those operations. 39:14.90 CHRIS And and going back to the wish and the contier's experience. 1 thing it's lacking like we first say on September there was only four hostst first of all which was really bad but on the other four ships when you get on the ship either go to the lunch sit down lunch or you can go the lounge. 39:22.51 Sam Right. 39:32.38 CHRIS Ah, host will come meet your family. They'll have a folder with all your itinerary and kind of go over all the stuff you have pre-booked because some of the stuff you booked four months ago and you don't remember and in case of my family I do 95% of the planning. So i. 39:37.17 Sam Easy. 39:47.13 CHRIS Pick all this stuff and then we go over it and my wife will go oh I wanted to give massage on this day. Can we change this or something kind of deal where in the wish you don't have that custom tailored experience anymore. We kind of have the you know figure out. Okay, this is what we're doing this day and she's like well let me talk to the person for the the spa here and we get this kind of deal. 39:50.92 Sam Is. 40:04.80 CHRIS That's something that's really lacking and I think that's you're paying the premium and you should be able get that detailed service and you're not. 40:09.20 Sam Absolutely yeah on the on the wish they don't come to the lunch at all I guess they were coming to the lunch when she when the wish first sailed and but then realizing particularly with only four hosts. That they just couldn't make it around to everybody or give everybody that personal attention even with 5 hosts that now they're not coming to the lunch at all and so if you have something that you need to change or request you need to go to the lounge to see them. Um, which you know. Makes sense given the number of people in conciers that they can't see everybody at the lunch but I'm not sure the solution is make you know put the onus on the cruiser who has just paid this quite big price differential to sale concierge. 40:54.58 CHRIS Yeah, it's our September sailing they were 2 hosts who were going around the lunch we were there like an hour and and never even got to us and I was fine I'm I'm experienced this. We go at that time that was my twenty second concier cruise I was good right? But for a first time cruiser. It was kind of nice and then November when we came back. 41:01.64 Sam Yeah. 41:07.14 Sam Yeah. 41:14.17 CHRIS They already were not going to lunch anymore and I'm not sure if they did on your guys is sailing this this art know we're on um, two weeks ago um because when we got there, they just took us straight on board. But in November it was you know, maybe 5 minutes for the board was gonna start and there's about 5 families in that waiting area. There. Um. Concier's host came in and kind of did a short 5 minute spiel on you know this is where your benefits are you know you know, go here for this make you need anything come to us. You know, kind of blah blah blah and so I'm not when we got there two weeks ago fact it was g was in the lounge. He's like oh you guys know what's going on. He just took us on board. 41:46.12 Sam Yep. 41:53.33 Sam Yeah, yeah, we had the same experience they did do the spiel ah in that in the contiers waiting room or whatever they did come in and give ah you know a group of us the the spiel on what the what. 41:53.40 CHRIS And had another family wait to come back and give them the spiel I believe. 42:10.54 Sam You know the things were and where the lounge was and you know that they should come talk to the hosts if they had anything they needed to change. But I also noticed that um not everybody was paying attention or understanding what sort of the that they should be listening and should be paying attention if they were you know, not experienced. Not not just experienced cruisers but experience concierge cruisers because there is a a a difference in this the benefits that you get and if you've paid for something and then you don't know you actually have those benefits. It's It's kind of a waste. So yeah. 42:41.53 CHRIS Or a hundred percent and you're right, you know kids are Amc they're just want you know little kids want to get on the ship. They see this ship out the window. They don't want to hear what this guy has where woman has to say they just want to get on the ship. 42:51.26 dclduo Yeah, yeah, well Chris we super appreciate you coming on and sharing your thoughts on the the tower suite and conseurs more generally across the fleet and. 42:53.57 Sam Um, absolutely. 43:03.80 dclduo Love following you across all your different fund sailings out there. You want to let folks know how they can follow you as well. 43:08.24 CHRIS So I'm just basically on Twitter and it's Chris and concierre's lounge. 43:14.56 Sam Um, yeah. 43:15.68 dclduo Short and simple but we love following Chris so ah, head over and follow him on on Twitter it's a great account to follow and Chris thanks so much for coming on and sharing all your thoughts all right? Let me. 43:24.34 CHRIS Ah, thanks for having me again guys I Really appreciate it.