No more rolling coolers!

[degrapevine]

We just got off of the Dream 3 Night cruise yesterday in Port Canaveral. After 15 DCL cruises, this was definitely the most frustrating (messed up dining assignments, technical difficulties at fireworks, overbooked tasting, etc.). First, we showed up at the port as usual, gave our luggage to the porter, then my mom and sisters waited at the entrance while I parked the car. Met them in the terminal with my rolling cooler, no ice, fits through the scanner as always, and security tells me that I can't bring it on. I can bring what's in it onboard, but not the actual cooler. No exceptions - They already had several off to the side that people had left behind. So, we empty everything out (12 pack of water bottles, wine, candy for movies, pirate stuff) and shove it all into our carry ons. Luckily, it all fit. Then, I had to run back to the parking garage to put the cooler back in the car. That was 30 minutes we could have spent onboard. I know this has been the written policy forever, but the coolers have always been allowed. They said it was a recent change, so those of you cruising in the near future, pack your beverages in a small rolling suitcase and bring that onboard. Save yourselves the aggravation!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

It sure sounds like someone did something on a criuse and made Disney enforce the rule they always had!

A shame for all of us that we now can't use the roller coolers!

AKK

 

[mdvlprof]

Sounds like they're just enforcing what people are supposed to do.

I thought coolers were a no-no, anyway, except for medical reasons..

 

[Wendy&Grumpy]

We just got off of the Dream 3 Night cruise yesterday in Port Canaveral. After 15 DCL cruises, this was definitely the most frustrating (messed up dining assignments, technical difficulties at fireworks, overbooked tasting, etc.). First, we showed up at the port as usual, gave our luggage to the porter, then my mom and sisters waited at the entrance while I parked the car. Met them in the terminal with my rolling cooler, no ice, fits through the scanner as always, and security tells me that I can't bring it on. I can bring what's in it onboard, but not the actual cooler. No exceptions - They already had several off to the side that people had left behind. So, we empty everything out (12 pack of water bottles, wine, candy for movies, pirate stuff) and shove it all into our carry ons. Luckily, it all fit. Then, I had to run back to the parking garage to put the cooler back in the car. That was 30 minutes we could have spent onboard. I know this has been the written policy forever, but the coolers have always been allowed. They said it was a recent change, so those of you cruising in the near future, pack your beverages in a small rolling suitcase and bring that onboard. Save yourselves the aggravation!

If you choose to violate what you know to be written rules, you take the chance of something like this happening. DCL is not to blame for your loss of that 30 minutes of onboard time.

 

[MrsScooby]

We just got off of the Dream 3 Night cruise yesterday in Port Canaveral. After 15 DCL cruises, this was definitely the most frustrating (messed up dining assignments, technical difficulties at fireworks, overbooked tasting, etc.). First, we showed up at the port as usual, gave our luggage to the porter, then my mom and sisters waited at the entrance while I parked the car. Met them in the terminal with my rolling cooler, no ice, fits through the scanner as always, and security tells me that I can't bring it on. I can bring what's in it onboard, but not the actual cooler. No exceptions - They already had several off to the side that people had left behind. So, we empty everything out (12 pack of water bottles, wine, candy for movies, pirate stuff) and shove it all into our carry ons. Luckily, it all fit. Then, I had to run back to the parking garage to put the cooler back in the car. That was 30 minutes we could have spent onboard. I know this has been the written policy forever, but the coolers have always been allowed. They said it was a recent change, so those of you cruising in the near future, pack your beverages in a small rolling suitcase and bring that onboard. Save yourselves the aggravation!

Thanks for the heads up
I can imagine how frustrating that must have been.
We also had a number of issues on the Dream last year that we never had before.
I had a CM insist that "exotic ice tea" was served hot
Our stateroom host took forever to make up our cabin
Our Fantasy cruise this past summer was so much better.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

Thanks for letting everyone know, OP! I would have been frustrated as well. It would be like Disney not allowing food into their themeparks ... everyone knows it's officially "not allowed", but everyone also knows the security guards will wave you and your bag of Goldfish crackers right on through the line!

 

[lsenquiz]

Thanks for letting everyone know, OP! I would have been frustrated as well. It would be like Disney not allowing food into their themeparks ... everyone knows it's officially "not allowed", but everyone also knows the security guards will wave you and your bag of Goldfish crackers right on through the line!

I am not sure this is a fair comparison. Food has always been allowed into the theme parks. Disney has no rule that forbids this. In fact the policy specifically states that you can bring food into the parks provided that it is not in a glass container. However, coolers unless needed for medical reasons have always been forbidden. Sounds like the rule was never enforced until reccently but the written policy has not changed. Anytime you are doing something that is against the written policy you run the risk of encountering someone who will enforce that policy.

 

[Weedy]

Would I be allowed to bing a small rolling suitecase? I read these boards allll the time and never knew that a rolling cooler was on the rules list of not allowed things.

 

[mdvlprof]

Small rolling suitcase is fine, as long as it fits in the scanner.
Some folks carry drinks aboard in an insulated bag [like you can buy at grocery store]. That's what we do. Strap it onto a roller....

 

[degrapevine]

The rolling cooler I brought onboard wasn't much bigger than a small suitcase, was soft-sided, had no ice in it, and fit in the scanner. This was my 15th DCL cruise and the first time it wasn't allowed onboard. So, I was going on past experience and didn't realize that the policy had started to be enforced. It was my mistake and I dealt with it. I agree that DCL doesn't "owe" me anything, I was just letting others know since it is widely shared on the DIS that you can take a rolling cooler onboard and wanted to spare someone else the frustration.

A small rolling suitcase is fine to carry on (please carry it on because if anything breaks/leaks, you can ruin someone else's luggage) and you can put your beverages in there. We put the water bottles and wine in our totes/backpacks to carry on, so it doesn't seem like the actual contents were the issue. DCL also removed a small steamer from my mom's suitcase (which she shouldn't have brought, but didn't know it wasn't allowed) which she was able to pick up at lost and found in the terminal after debarkation. I glanced at the list when she had to sign it and it seemed like the items they had confiscated were steamers, irons, coffee pots, and fishing poles. So those are definitely no-no's (and on the list of things not to bring). A six pack size soft size cooler is fine, just the rolling ones aren't allowed.

I definitely don't mind them enforcing policies (could have used that when the tequila tasting I went to had 30 people there instead of the 12 that the bartender was expecting), but when something is treated as not an issue for over 7 years and then it suddenly isn't allowed, it can come as quite a surprise. We were able to make it work, but I saw many abandoned coolers left behind at security. Just giving you guys a "heads-up"!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

So is it no coolers or no rolling coolers? If it is just the rollers, what is the logic?

 

[iloverags2]

I definitely don't mind them enforcing policies (could have used that when the tequila tasting I went to had 30 people there instead of the 12 that the bartender was expecting)

I ran into the same issue on our May 2012 Magic sailing. Was not happy about that, and considering we were in Animator's Palete for a 4:00 p.m. tasting and needed to be cleared out by 5:00 so they could begin setting up for early seating dinner, it became an issue. The large group was bad enough - wasting the first 25 minutes on trying to set-up for the additional tasters and not getting a full tasting slot was what irked me.

 

[mmouse37]

So is it no coolers or no rolling coolers? If it is just the rollers, what is the logic?

Official policy is no coolers at all. Until very recently they allowed all soft sided coolers with wheels (as long as it fit in the scanner). Seems like now they are enforcing the rule. They never allowed hard sided coolers.

A small six pack insulated bag is not considered a cooler.

My guess is one too many people rolled their coolers to the pool deck and had themselves a party. Official rules are also that all alcohol brought onboard is to be consumed in your cabin.

MJ

 

[degrapevine]

I ran into the same issue on our May 2012 Magic sailing. Was not happy about that, and considering we were in Animator's Palete for a 4:00 p.m. tasting and needed to be cleared out by 5:00 so they could begin setting up for early seating dinner, it became an issue. The large group was bad enough - wasting the first 25 minutes on trying to set-up for the additional tasters and not getting a full tasting slot was what irked me.

This tasting was in Skyline, which is small to begin with. People kept coming in and they ran out of the tequila shot boards and had to just set them on the tables. Some of the people came straight from a martini tasting and were already a little tipsy and talked through the presentation. It was frustrating, plus it started at 5 so the bartender was in a rush to finish by the 5:45 early dinner seating time. We did get our full 3 shots and 2 small margaritas plus several refills and the bartender tried her best, but she was talking over people and trying to walk through the bar while she was talking, so it was hard to hear her. Not the best set up. The previous one I had been to in Evolution where you sat at the bar and actually watched the bartender make the drinks in a group of 12 was much better.

 

[chateau]

I had a CM insist that "exotic ice tea" was served hot

Don't you know that's what makes it "exotic"?!?!


OP- sorry for your frustration, thanks for sharing so that the rest of us know (even though we "knew" it wasn't necessarily enforced).

 

[RedSox68]

So is it no coolers or no rolling coolers? If it is just the rollers, what is the logic?

I have to admit I don't understand it either. If rolling suitcases that fit through the scanner are allowed, why aren't soft-sided rolling coolers that fit through the scanner allowed?

 

[mdvlprof]

My guess is one too many people rolled their coolers to the pool deck and had themselves a party.

MJ

Would be my guess, too. And all the ice...

It's not roller part that is the problem, it's the cooler part.

 

[lsenquiz]

I have to admit I don't understand it either. If rolling suitcases that fit through the scanner are allowed, why aren't soft-sided rolling coolers that fit through the scanner allowed?

I think it has to do with the response a PP posted. Disney does allow you to bring your own alchohol on board(I think they may be the only cruise line that does this). However they want you to consume it in your room. Allowing coolers may lead to pool parties where people do not follow the policy about keeping the alchohol you bring on in your room. Just my guess.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Official policy is no coolers at all. Until very recently they allowed all soft sided coolers with wheels (as long as it fit in the scanner). Seems like now they are enforcing the rule. They never allowed hard sided coolers.

A small six pack insulated bag is not considered a cooler.

My guess is one too many people rolled their coolers to the pool deck and had themselves a party. Official rules are also that all alcohol brought onboard is to be consumed in your cabin.

MJ

I see. That makes sense then.

 

[adnil530]

Official policy is no coolers at all. Until very recently they allowed all soft sided coolers with wheels (as long as it fit in the scanner). Seems like now they are enforcing the rule. They never allowed hard sided coolers.

A small six pack insulated bag is not considered a cooler.

My guess is one too many people rolled their coolers to the pool deck and had themselves a party. Official rules are also that all alcohol brought onboard is to be consumed in your cabin.

MJ

And I've seen them on Castaway Cay. I doubt anyone would roll their suitcase to the pool or Castaway Cay with ice melting all over the place