Celebrity Cruises: Is concierge class worth it?

One of the most frequently asked questions is: Is it worth it to book a concierge class cabin on a Celebrity Cruises ship?

The short answer from people who've booked a concierge cabin is usually: No, it's not worth it. But if you can afford to pay a little more, it's definitely worth it to sail in the next class up, which is Aqua.

On my last cruise, I sailed concierge, and I wanted to share exactly what you'll get in this class.

PLEASE NOTE: The information here is from a 2019 cruise.

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We embarked fairly quickly thanks to receiving priority embarkation for concierge guests. But the general lineup wasn't long and I think we might have boarded quickly anyway in the regular lineup.

This photo above was our cabin on the Celebrity Eclipse, travelling round-trip from Vancouver to Alaska in July 2019. In concierge, you will get a cabin that's in a more desirable part of the ship.

And here's what you'll get in a concierge cabin.

My husband and I had Select Dining (anytime dining), and it was lovely having a separate concierge lineup at supper time. In the room, the binoculars aren't good so if that's important to you, bring your own.

Once on the ship on embarkation day, we made our way to the main dining room where we had a lunch that was served just to concierge guests. This was a nice benefit, as the buffet is often kind of a zoo on the first day.

This was the menu:

I had the delicious Moroccan Braised Short Ribs as my main ...

... and the Warm Apple Pie for dessert.

I'd heard that the Daily Delectable Delights that are served to the cabin every day between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. aren't very good and sadly, I also found that to be the case. Next time, I'll just ask for cheese and crackers as a replacement.

Here are photos of the canapes we got. I think we missed a day because we were in a port.

In concierge, you'll also get special invitations such as these ones. We were also able to see the sailaway from Vancouver from the helipad.

Here's a tip, though. You don't need to wait for an invitation to the helipad to get a great view. There is a deck, complete with always empty chaise loungers, that is only accessible through the gym that actually overlooks the helipad. (See? There is a benefit to hitting that gym daily as hubby and I did while on the cruise!) This was our view as we sailed into Ketchikan.

In concierge, you'll get a bottle of wine that you can request when it's convenient for you. We just took ours home.

Finally, I believe you get an upgraded breakfast room service menu in concierge. I think this menu is upgraded but please let me know if I'm wrong.

Moving forward, I probably wouldn't sail concierge class again unless I got a great price. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that if you are trying to get to the next level in Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club loyalty program, sailing concierge is a great way to do it. You'll accrue points at the rate of 5/night compared with the 2 points/night in an inside or oceanview cabin, and 3 points/night in a regular veranda.

Otherwise, I just don't think it's worth it the extra money for the few perks you get in concierge class.

>> Have a question? Post it in the comments and I'll do my best to find the answer.

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