My family's stayed in a $2,570 room on a Disney cruise and a $6,000 one. We'd actually book both of them again.
Jill Robbins
- My family of four sailed on the Disney Magic twice within 12 months.
- We booked an inside stateroom on one cruise and a concierge ocean-view room on the other.
My family of four has gone on a few Disney cruises and each time, our experience is a little different.
In May 2022, my family booked a deluxe inside stateroom on a three-night cruise from Miami to Nassau and Castaway Cay. In March 2023, we returned to the Disney Magic for a four-night spring-break cruise in a concierge family ocean-view stateroom from New Orleans to Cozumel.
Though the ocean-view concierge stateroom had more space, lounge access, a dedicated team to see to our every need, and more, we still have fond memories of our cozy little windowless inside stateroom.
Here's how each room compared, from price point to food to amenities.
We stuck to a budget when we booked our cruise for May.
Our three-night cruise in May staying in an inside stateroom was $2,570 for two adults and two kids.
We spent almost no extra money on board and enjoyed a free day of fun at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas.
We splurged on a concierge family stateroom with an ocean view in March.
Our four-night cruise in March was about $6,000 for the same four people. This time, we had a concierge stateroom with an ocean view.
We spent minimal money on board but got passes for a beach club in Cozumel, an island in Mexico, that ran us about $300 including transportation and tips.
The inside stateroom was a decent-sized space.
Our 214-square-foot deluxe inside stateroom on deck two had a split-bath feature, which we liked.
The room included a 22-inch flat-screen TV, Disney artwork, nautical-themed decor, and plenty of storage.
The concierge room was a little bigger than the inside stateroom.
Our concierge family ocean-view stateroom on deck eight was 304 square feet, including a veranda.
Though the concierge stateroom had what seemed like some elevated decor, including a fluffier carpet and premium linens, our in-room experience didn't drastically differ from what we had nine months earlier in our cheaper stateroom.
It looked like we had the same amount of storage and the same 22-inch flat-screen TV in the living-room area, like in the stateroom.
We also had a larger flat-screen TV in front of the queen bed. However, watching both of the televisions at once was impossible because the sound traveled even with the privacy curtain pulled.
The deluxe inside stateroom came with bunk beds.
My husband and I slept on the queen bed and our kids slept on bunk beds. The couch actually transformed into the bottom bunk so it could be folded up during the day.
We closed the curtain to separate ourselves from the kids' sleeping area but even so, there was very little privacy.
The concierge stateroom had a somewhat similar sleeping arrangement.
The concierge room had bunks and a Murphy bed.
One kid slept on the top bunk and the other slept on the Murphy bed so we never lost our sofa in the evenings.
Our inside stateroom came with a split bath.
When I entered the bathroom in the inside stateroom, I noticed we had Disney H20 products and that the toilet and sink were separated from the tub, with a vanity and sink.
Our stateroom host also tidied our room twice daily and left us towels folded into the shape of animals and some chocolates each night.
The bathroom in the concierge room also had a split bath.
There might have been slightly more space in the concierge bathroom but the difference was negligible to me since both amenities got the job done.
However, this bathroom had Elemis products that Disney's onboard spa uses and a few extra toiletry items, such as a toothbrush holder, Q-tips, and cotton balls. Once again, our host tidied our room twice each day and left us towels and chocolates every night.
The concierge room also included more perks than the inside staterooms did.
With the concierge room, we enjoyed a few pre-arrival services. For example, we indicated our preferences and activity bookings via email before we even got on board.
We also had a concierge team of three dedicated employees who checked on us throughout the cruise and handled things like chasing down our lost luggage or changing a brunch reservation. They quickly learned our names and food and beverage preferences.
The concierge room came with special lounge access and lots of snacks.
Our concierge-class cabin came with access to a special lounge throughout the cruise.
It had a private sundeck with luxury beach towels and sunscreen, special food and beverages, and evening cocktails, beer, and wine.
We could also grab bottled water, sodas, juices, and premium coffee and teas throughout the day.
I also thought getting on and off the ship when we had a concierge room was easier.
Non-concierge guests were assigned a boarding group but concierge guests could get on the ship at any time during the boarding process.
During debarkation (getting off the ship), concierge guests were escorted off the ship and didn't have to wait in the staggered lines that the rest of the passengers were in.
A concierge room is worth it for my family but we'd have a good time on any Disney cruise regardless.
Because I've sailed in a concierge room twice now, I'm often asked if the extra money was worth it.
If you're looking to assign a dollar value to every included concierge amenity and expect that to equate to the extra money you've spent, then no, I don't think concierge is worth it. No matter how many cocktails and tubs of popcorn you have, in my opinion, you won't make up the cost difference.
But for us, it's worth it. My family has never been disappointed in our experience or regretted spending the extra money on the vacation.
Still, I'm also happy in an inside stateroom and I wouldn't splurge on concierge class every time — we've since booked two more Disney cruises, and neither is a concierge stateroom.
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