Fellow Fire Cruisers

[txtara]

Just a quick question:


Has anyone who sent letters into DCL heard back from them yet?

[Joe & Joanne]

Hi Folks:wave:

Was wondering just what your letter would have asked/said?

hhhmmm

[Hopkins]

The response from the cruise line shouldn't be too difficult. They must know what started the fire. I'm still curious what kind of fire it was, where it was located (incinerator or engine room), why it started, precautions that are taken so it won't happen again... those kind of questions. I trust DCL, but I still would like to know.

Tina

[Joe & Joanne]

Hi Folks:wave:

Ok here goes

Dear DCL Fire Passenger,

We recently had a fire on board that was extinguished by our competent crew. The fire was hot and precautions have been put in place that may or may not ever prevent another fire on board. We hope you arrived home safely. :D

[Hopkins]

That's probably close. Eventually, there will be an offical government report somewhere as with the Carnival fire with safety recommendations to other cruise lines.
I guess DCL owes the passengers no explanation except that the ship is safe. Not the way I'd do things.

Just my 2 cents.
Tina

[Horace Horsecollar]

I talked to an officer on the Disney Magic on the 3/23 cruise after one of the Navigator Series sessions.

The material that burned at the top of the stack was fiberglass. It was considered safe and proper according to applicable codes when the Disney Magic was built, but he suggested that as part of the repair, it would probably be replaced with a material other than fiberglass.

He didn't give an official cause of the fire, but I got the impression that the some sort of burning material emerged from one of the pipes, ignited something at the top of the stack, and spread to more of the fiberglass material. He called it a "serious fire."

The damage was limited to the top of the stack. Even the lighting booth, the food service facilities, and the stairs to the Mickey Slide in the stack structure emerged unharmed except for some water (from the water that was used to extinguish the flames).

[plutospup]

Received reply this week. Re: fire "...we are truly grateful for your understanding and support during your voyage. The safety, comfort, and well being of our guests are of paramount importance to us, and Capt. Hans Mateboer, his officers, and crew endeavored to deliver a great guest experience despite the early morning disruption."

Hmmm. A fire aboard ship is now only an "early morning disruption".:rolleyes:

[slindamood]

My mother and daughter were evacuated from their room due to a fire in an equipment room on the Dec. 22 Magic cruise. Due to smoke and water damage in their room, they were not allowed back in their room that night and only on occasion the last 2 days of the cruise.

Disney sent a letter saying that they were sorry for the "inconvenience. " Not once was the word "fire" used.

Because of the fire, they were downgraded from their category 3 room to a category 6 for the rest of the cruise. They were given nothing for the downgrade (except a certificate for 25% off on a future cruise. Everyone on board got an opportunity to book at 50% off on a future cruise, so it was an offer without substance.)

[Gillian]

It's likely their lawyers are advising them not to say anything else!

I'm sorry you guys had an adventure like that! I hope that our cruise does not have any early morning disruptions :rolleyes:

[DisneyKids]

I understand everyones curiosity and need for explanation but I'm not sure what we can expect DCL to say. Does anyone expect them to say it was a very dangerous fire and refer to the early morning awakening as a life saving experience due to a very dangerous and life threatening situation? They are just using generic terms to soften the blow. Sort of like we do to our kids in those types of situations.

Maybe I'm in the minority but it seems they are reacting as anyone would.

[str6]

I also was on the fire cruise. It was a "very serious" fire. I fully expect Disney to act like a professional company. They are not parents, and we are not their children, therefore I do not expect the words to be generic to soften the blow. They should be honest and act with integrity.

[Joe & Joanne]

Hi Folks

Well, there may be recourse in the courts? What does the "Contract of Passage" say?

[KMovies]

Question -


While I am sure that those couple of hours were scary, and that 1/3 of the ship waiting had to wait on deck for up to two hours was hard(the rest stay in the WD theatre and Animator's Palate), the cruise continued, no ports were missed, no meals missed, no activities missed, just a couple of hours sleep were lost and a pool was closed (and they opened the crew pool to compensate for that as well).

Outside of anyone getting sick from any smoke (I did see reports of that), what recourse would there be? They gave every state room $100 credit. On a previous cruise people got a voucher for a half price cruise when they missed Castaway Cay due to a mechanical problem - people complained that they had to spend money to get compensation. This time they got the immediate credit. I am sure people want more - even a 100% refund. But really, what should they be entiled to - what would be fair?

Didn't most people enjoy the cruise despite the fire. If people were taken off the ship, shipped home on another cruise ship early, If people were injuried, lost posessions due to the fireand all - that would have been a completely different story.

Let's be fair to Disney and not take advantage of the situation. I believe maybe $100 was too little, but really, not sure what a fair amount would have been. A half price cruise may have been fair - but people would have complained about that. Bet if they offered $100 or a half price cruise - people would have snapped up the half price cruises.

I know I would have.

Not sure if they have any recourse through the courts unless they were injuried.

[DopeyRN]

I agree with Kmovie....I'll be willing to bet the kids will remember their adventure for a long time.

The person who deserves serious compensation is the one who was downgraded because the room they paid for was inhabitable. No way should they have to walk away without a refund of at least half of their current cruise...for the inconvenience and the diappointment of losing the nicer room...

[Joe & Joanne]

Hi Folks

DopeyRN, I second that one wholeheartedly:)

[KMovies]

Very good point DopeyRN - can't believe that they didn't do more for that person. If it were an upgrade, that would be different.

[plutospup]

...Just a couple of hours of sleep were lost, and a pool was closed...
Are you kidding?
1. Fire on land is serious.
2. Fire on a ship is extremely serious! (Self sustainable structure)
3. The Mickey Pool area is a focal area of the ship. A large percentage of passengers use this area daily. This pool is designed for children. With 800 children on board this was an important part of their cruise.
4. Explain to my daughter she can't use the Mickey Slide or pool for the remainder of the cruise.
5. Psycological factor. There definitely was a different atmosphere on the Magic Thursday & Friday, CM's and passengers alike. Several people I talked to were very anxious to get to Castaway Cay simply because they were getting off the ship for awhile.
6. A few hours of lost sleep...during vacation are valuable.

The fire significantly affected 2 days of the cruise for our family of three. That was worth considerably more than $100.

[str6]

I agree with you Plutospup.
It seems the people who are willing to comment on what they would do and what Disney should do were not on the ship during the fire. I don't think they realize how scary it is just to "sit on the front porch as your house is buring with no place to go." I don't think that until you actually experience the situation that you could understand.

[KMovies]

Yes, Fire on Land is serious.

Yes, Fire on a ship is more serious.

Yet, they contained it, and that is what they were trained for.

Yes, you would have enjoyed the cruise more if there had been no fire - no doubt about that. The fire should have never happened, but no one can prevent such a situation.

Yes, the kids had to use another pool - and it is hard to explain to a child what happened. But there are a lot of things in life that are hard to explain to a child. It is part of growing up.

Yes, you did deserve more than $100. The cruise continued - and that wouldn't have happened if the fire had gotton out of control and if the crew was ill-prepared to handle it.

[plutospup]

Yes, the crew deserves to be applauded for a fine job. That morning the staff on deck 4 said the muster went better than a normal Saturday drill!

Yes, the cruise did go on. The staff did a wonderful job, but EVERYONE's mind, even the CM's was on the fire. They were as concerned as the passengers.

re: fire "..but no one could prevent such a situation."
Does anyone know the actual cause of the fire. What did the report say? Although some fires are an "Act of God", many fires are preventable.

[mom2buzzandwoody]

With all due respect the title of this thread is "Fellow Fire Cruisers". If you were not on this cruise please do not lend your two cents worth about how you feel we were already compensated enough, Disney doesn't owe us anything, etc. We were on this cruise - we saw first hand how serious it was - and yes, it did change the remainder of the cruise for everyone. Did we make the best of it - yes, we tried - had our character breakfast the morning after and tried to go as normal. We had a category 3 and paid a fortune for this week of vacation - the remainder of the cruise was severely affected for us. Our stateroom smelled horribly of smoke for the remainder of the cruise.

I can tell you for sure that if we had been offered a free cruise in compensation we would have declined. This experience has made me never want to cruise again. Disney did not handle this one well and they won't be getting our vacation dollar in the future.

[Doctor P]

I am so sorry that you had to endure this inconvenience, and I apologize for being one of those people who it has been rudely suggested has no business participating in this thread, but I am trying to understand what Disney should have done different and what compensation people think is reasonable under the circumstances? From what I have read, it seems like Disney handled the situation pretty darn well--so, understanding that this must have been a very scary experience and one that I would prefer to have not participated in, I am trying to understand if there are grave inaccuracies in what is being reported, or whether people are miffed about other things. I will continue to read this thread with interest, not passing judgment on the victims, but trying to understand their situation and the nature of the compensation that might be appropriate in such circumstances.

[DopeyRN]

Well said DoctorP...I am sorry if my opinion offended. I am in no way saying I know how you feel...I am very sorry for all who had to go through this....I can only try to imagine how frightening this must have been. The closest I have been to a fire is when the house across the street blew up when I was a kid, and I remember how scary that was. To be on a ship, where you cannot run....well like I said I am sorry you had to go through that.

But there are risks in life...shoot walking to the curb to get the mail could be dangerous. I believe Disney does all they can to make passengers safe. I would not think any cruise line would take chances...or hope they wouldn't. Only so much is in their control. Could they have offered more in compensation?? Absolutely!!! Would I have wanted more than $100? You bet. But isn't it possible that it was not even their fault? Maybe it was a design flaw? I am sure we will never know.

[txtara]

I am still waiting for Disney to send me something....anything.....
I realize we got a letter on board but was truly expecting some
kind of reply once we got home....I think every single one of us felt our lives were at stake....yes....I dont believe anyone panicked but the threat was there....we were in the middle of the
ocean on a burning ship.....nothing easy about that....I applaud the crew for the wonderful job they did but Disney needs to
recognize the fact that the last 2 days of our vacation were just
not with the same enthusiasm as the rest had been....Everyone
looks forward to that last day at sea to play and relax....instead
we got to see charred ship, exhausted crew and guests, and
thanking our lucky stars we were all ok....and it definitley was
not just a few hours of interruption....this will be something we
will never forget.....

[Momtoemma]

I absolutely agree TaraTX. We were also on board fire cruise (which tells you soemthing that that is how we now remeber it). I love Disney and I really love WDW. I have cruised many times (about 12, some with dd and others before her), first time on Disney was the fire cruise.

What I do not think those who were not there can appreciate or comment on is the effect it has after the fact of being in that situation particulalrly with young children and older adults (I had grandma and dd with us, as well as brother, sister in law, niece and nephew).

We also need to respect that people do react and feel directly in such situations. My dd (8) came out on deck in life jacket, stood for about 5 mins, sat down and went back to sleep for next 1 1/2 hrs!!!!!!!!!!!! My niece (also 8) was literally and truly hysterical when in her room, claiming we were going to die. This was not a refelection of her parents, just her reaction. I was able to calm her, but it very much upset her.

I have a great deal of difficulty in reading some of the posts here from people who were not there. Of course you have a right to post your opinions, and I have a right to say you do not have a clue what you are talking about.

I was very calm throughout yet continued to have dreams about fire etc almost very night for two weeks, and still have a dream about it every week or so.

More imporantly what disturbed me was not how it was handled at the time (although I would have felt a bit better if Jackie's voice had not cracked, and if the Captian could have foudn the word "extinguished" in relationship to the fire, but the following:

1. we should be told what caused the fire.

2. at least as important as no. 1 is how the fire was discovered. I am sure we (ppl on the fire cruise, and those who read these boards regualrly) know that there were "rumours" that it was teenaged boys who discovered fire around 4am and were not at first believed. If this is true, this would truly freak me out, and I suppose it has. If there is not some other fire detection signal in the smoke stacks THEN THERE SURE SHOULD BE.
I would be happy to know if that was the case, and that they now see this is problem, and have fixed it. But no info, means to me I am left with the rumours etc.

3. $100/cabin was an insult. In brother's cabin, 4 ppl. In ours 3.
I and my mother had a terrible time sleeping the last two nights (thasnkfully not my daughter), and was truly happy to GET OFF the ship at CC. I have never been happy to get off any cruise ship before.

We did not pay more than $16,000.00 US (we are Cdn, so that means to us about $24,000.00) for a 7 day holiday, with 2 days not ruined but signficiantly dimished.

yes things happen in life. That is why most cautious people have isnurance (as does Disney) It does not mean that things happen and they are not addressed. Disney contracts with its passengeres to provide certain services ie. a safe cruise. Just like if a furnace in your home caught fire through fault of furnace design, you would not say oh weel, things happen.

What would make this much better:

1. written explanation to evryone on board as to what cause was, how was it detected, and what has changed.

2. soem strong incentive to take another Disney cruise to replace better memory than fire cruise memory.

Sorry so long, but have wanted to vent for a while. I am sorry if this sounds too harsh

Debbie

PS wrote letter about three weeks after cruise (wanted to see if I still felt strongly or not so waited) have not had reply

[mom2buzzandwoody]

Debbie,

You hit the nail on the head - Couldn't have said it better myself!

The crew on the ship did their best - the Public Relations Department of Disney Cruise Lines did not. They are more interested in covering this up than in making things right with the passengers on this cruise. Better the loss of repeat business with the passengers on the" fire cruise" than the loss of business in general.

[aalan]

look, i don't want to be overly dramatic or appear to be hostile, but i DO believe some folks need to be reminded of something...

my wife and i were on the 2nd cruise after the fire, and we saw the significant damage firsthand. in fact, the mickey pool was closed until we got out to sea so some repairs could be made. there was a little complaining, but kids/people found other things to do.

my brother's wife, who is only 35, is fighting a nasty battle with breast cancer. i think she is entitled to do some complaining...

a good customer i know from work had an office in the pentagon. on 9/11, she was lucky enough to be traveling. six co-workers in her office weren't so lucky. my friend had to go to six funerals. i think she is entitled to do some complaining...

but you know what? the folks who were on the fire cruise, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT.

just think about it.

[ducklite]

Originally posted by slindamood
My mother and daughter were evacuated from their room due to a fire in an equipment room on the Dec. 22 Magic cruise. Due to smoke and water damage in their room, they were not allowed back in their room that night and only on occasion the last 2 days of the cruise.

Disney sent a letter saying that they were sorry for the "inconvenience. " Not once was the word "fire" used.

Because of the fire, they were downgraded from their category 3 room to a category 6 for the rest of the cruise. They were given nothing for the downgrade (except a certificate for 25% off on a future cruise. Everyone on board got an opportunity to book at 50% off on a future cruise, so it was an offer without substance.)

That would be completely unacceptable to me. I'm paying almost $7000 for a cruise in a Cat 3 stateroom, and if I'm downgraded for as much as a day, I would expect at least a refund of the cost difference between the stateroom I booked and the one I received, pro rated. A coupon for a discount on the next cruise would not be par. That requires one to spend money to receive benefit. A stateroom credit would also not be par. The only thing that would be par would be a cash refund. And personally I'd expect a cash refund for the difference, and something else as a "sorry for the inconvenience" on the side. That's where the discounted future cruise or stateroom credit would come into play.

Anne

[txtara]

Aalan.....you know what.....



I was on the fire cruise....it was my 3rd DCL cruise.....I pay the money for the wonderful family experience....and
guess what....I have had my fair share of tragedies in my life....
I had a premature baby....a husband who could not hold his child
because of back surgery and a mother die from cancer all at the
same time....so dont tell me I dont have a right to complain...
oh and by the way....my husband, BIL, FIL and many many
friends work for airlines......you dont think 9/11 has not affected
us?.....think again....I supported our economy by getting back out there are traveling again....I bought my airline tickets just like
everyone else....I bought my cruise passage just like everyone
else....we pay for a service...so I think we have a right to complain when we feel our lives were at risk...ok...off my soap
box....

[TnRobin]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The original question for this thread was

Has anyone who sent letters into DCL heard back from them yet?

This thread has now deteriorated into a debate about whether the people on this cruise do or do not deserve any retribution for the unfortunate incident.

If you wish to debate, please continue on the debate board.