DCL carry-on alcohol policy changing Sept. 30 2015

[TestingH2O]

You also said in a PP that DCL gave you the same level of experience as the Four Seasons so it may have gone beyond the things you mentioned.
Please note, I'm not attempting to argue your feelings just engage in discussion from my perspective.

Yes, I definitely feel like this is just a discussion about our different experiences. I haven't felt otherwise, but I do think, in any charged situation, it is reasonable to feel like many points of view are shared. Many posters on this board seem willing to engage in that type of interaction.

You may have very different opinions based on your experiences, but I'm not just hating on Disney lol. I wouldn't even care if Disney flat out said "you're paying a premium for us to slap Disney on it", which I believe is accurate. It just bristles me as I continue to experience spotty service yet hear ad nauseam about Disney unmatched service.

Yes, if I had had the experiences you outlined, I would have a VERY different opinion and my plans for the coming year would be much different.

 

[turtle27]

Alaska on another line is a good choice, if you want to see Glacier Bay and extend the trip to the land portion as well, for less than half the cost of a Disney cruise (folks, I checked the pricing, and for DCL in Alaska without Glacier Bay, wow, just wow). Now, I would not recommend Princess either (2 different cruises, 2 chances and 2 times that they failed horribly, in my experience), but friends would recommend Celebrity, they had a ball. Their flight had been delayed, so they had to catch the ship a day or two late and while it was not Celebrity's fault, they made it up to them by having them a spot at the chef's table, plus champagne in room, all gratis!

I will also say, the rides at 6flags are 10 times better than at Disney World. We just went and I felt everything was so dated at WDW, as in, it really hasn't innovated for the price, as compared to Universal and 6 flags is not nearly as expensive and just as fun, just without the parades, which I don't watch anyhow. I am not a parade person, i just don't get them. This is my opinion. I feel like with a premium price, there should come premium service, and standard of excellence. In my field, I would compare it to going to an H&R Block vs. a local CPA shop. Using legal zoom vs. a local attorney. Sure, you may pay more at the local offices, but I bet the service will be better. And I am sure others have different experiences here as well, just an example.

I also think there are ebbs and flows in all relationships and right now, DCL and I just don't see eye to eye. I will take my business elsewhere and hope that one day, the magic will be back in the Disney name. For me, they kinda killed it with how they implemented and are treating PIF guests.

I will also say, that lately, any decent customer service in the US is being touted as wonderful, because it seems many companies have failed to actually implement what I would even term decent customer service. The art form has long been gone and now we are all amazed when staff smile at us and ask how our day is.

 

[Ofinn]

Another thought: could the magic just be wearing off frequent travelers? I think about the first time I saw The Usual Suspects. My mind was blown and I had to see it a second time. Then I went with a friend and saw it a third time. It was pretty good. These days, I have no interest in seeing it again.

If I've seen all the Disney tricks and special touches, are they really going to be special to me anymore? If I'm seeing my daughter get called princess for the third trip in a row and being made paper flowers, is that high service or just what I expect? Honestly, I'm trying to resolve the negativity I see from so many veteran Disney folks with my own experiences as a new user.

I've been to WDW 9 times and I've been on 9 DCL cruises. Yes the Magic wears off. It's not just that the Magic wears off, but the price increases make it hard to justify paying more and more for something you have done many times. It's the reason we don't go to WDW anymore. We have stayed in all the deluxe resorts, and done all the parks many times. If I could go for the same price I paid 5 years ago then maybe, but I can't justify paying 30-40% more for a trip that doesn't have the "wow" factor anymore. There are people that go to WDW every year or twice or year, and have done it for multiple years....not everyone feels like I do.

Cruising is a little different because there's always new places to see. I'm willing to spend a little more on a itinerary I haven't done, but if it's the same old Caribbean or Bahamas I'm only going if I get a good price. My kids used to love the magic tricks the servers do at dinner, but as they get older they could care less about that stuff so I guess you could say it wears off for some kids too.

 

[EvieBug]

I just got a call back from "Karl Holz's Office" regarding the letter I sent.

The rep started by buttering me up thanking me for being a loyal Disney fan and for taking the time out of my day to write my concerns to them regarding the new policy. A couple things stood out to me.

One, I too got the speech about essentially fearing for the youngin's in rooms where there is booze. I had made a comment in my letter and on the phone about now not being able to enjoy a cocktail on the verandah that I paid for, because I will have to leave the room now to go get it (I fear I'll wake my kids coming and going, or I'll go early and end up with a gross watered down drink by the time I get to it. LOL) I said I also worried some folks will now perhaps leave sleeping kids in a room alone to go get their drinks. And I mean young kids, as that's what I have. He countered with expressing fears of little ones being in the room and having access to spirits. I countered back with "well but wine and beer". And he expressed that the alcohol content is much lower. Questionable. Makes me wonder if there is ANY instance of a child being alcohol poisoned or sick or if this is just a convenient scapegoat.

Two, he mentioned that he didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, and that he is not suggesting the policy will change again, but they are taking everyone's feedback very seriously and guest opinions matter, and blah blah blah. I don't think for a second that they are going to change this policy, but I found it very strange that he chose the words he did as it almost implies it's possible, which seems a dangerous game to play.

Three, he specifically said DCL did not want anyone viewing alcohol carry on as a perk, or a reason to choose their line. He said the new policy is still quite lenient, and 'no cruise line allows spirits' - which from reading here I think is untrue, it's just a rather hefty price point change for that.

It was nice that they called, and he actually had called several times trying to reach me, which is a bit impressive. (I didn't know they had my cell number, and I kept seeing a florida number pop up so I was ignoring it, lol) Overall though I agree with the previous poster who said the calls - while time consuming - are to avoid putting anything in writing that can be called up later. But I am glad that I got a call - I was concerned that new cruisers would not be taken seriously. I'm booked, but my sail date is Jan 2016, so I haven't been onboard yet. Nice to know they still at least think my opinion is worth discussing.

Verdict: It's not going to change, I will be stunned if it does. They are trying to make people feel valued by listening though, which is taking man hours to do. He addressed my email by point, so clearly he read it.

 

[Ofinn]

I just got a call back from "Karl Holz's Office" regarding the letter I sent.

The rep started by buttering me up thanking me for being a loyal Disney fan and for taking the time out of my day to write my concerns to them regarding the new policy. A couple things stood out to me.

One, I too got the speech about essentially fearing for the youngin's in rooms where there is booze. I had made a comment in my letter and on the phone about now not being able to enjoy a cocktail on the verandah that I paid for, because I will have to leave the room now to go get it (I fear I'll wake my kids coming and going, or I'll go early and end up with a gross watered down drink by the time I get to it. LOL) I said I also worried some folks will now perhaps leave sleeping kids in a room alone to go get their drinks. And I mean young kids, as that's what I have. He countered with expressing fears of little ones being in the room and having access to spirits. I countered back with "well but wine and beer". And he expressed that the alcohol content is much lower. Questionable. Makes me wonder if there is ANY instance of a child being alcohol poisoned or sick or if this is just a convenient scapegoat.

Two, he mentioned that he didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, and that he is not suggesting the policy will change again, but they are taking everyone's feedback very seriously and guest opinions matter, and blah blah blah. I don't think for a second that they are going to change this policy, but I found it very strange that he chose the words he did as it almost implies it's possible, which seems a dangerous game to play.

Three, he specifically said DCL did not want anyone viewing alcohol carry on as a perk, or a reason to choose their line. He said the new policy is still quite lenient, and 'no cruise line allows spirits' - which from reading here I think is untrue, it's just a rather hefty price point change for that.

It was nice that they called, and he actually had called several times trying to reach me, which is a bit impressive. (I didn't know they had my cell number, and I kept seeing a florida number pop up so I was ignoring it, lol) Overall though I agree with the previous poster who said the calls - while time consuming - are to avoid putting anything in writing that can be called up later. But I am glad that I got a call - I was concerned that new cruisers would not be taken seriously. I'm booked, but my sail date is Jan 2016, so I haven't been onboard yet. Nice to know they still at least think my opinion is worth discussing.

Verdict: It's not going to change, I will be stunned if it does. They are trying to make people feel valued by listening though, which is taking man hours to do. He addressed my email by point, so clearly he read it.

What a ridiculous argument. They have had this BYOB policy for years and then suddenly there worried about the kids drinking it in the rooms. What about the alcohol people keep in their homes? Are they worried about that too?? I would have started laughing at him if he would have said that to me. I may have to send a letter to karl Holz's now. I could use a good laugh.

 

[Expatriat]

>> I don't think that within the U.S. Disney is even in the upper tiers of service (resorts and cruises included). I think a lot of people don't think that Disney is maintaining its reputation for service (or feel the reality no longer lives up to the reputation). >>The same goes for DCL, as much as I enjoy certain aspects of Disney the premium on the brand isn't worth it to me. I just don't find the service to stand out from the rest of the pack. Maybe I've just had too many mediocre to bad service experiences with Disney to only see magic, pixie dust, and safety. For me it's a gamble just like any other mass market cruise line/hotel.

Agreed. We have stayed at their high-end resorts and taken many, many Disney cruises. We have noticed that as prices continue to climb, quality of service and amenities and formerly "free" perks continue to decline. We find it absurd that the company deludes itself into justifying their multitude of bad decisions with "There is magic in the Disney name," believing they as a business can do whatever they like without damaging their reputation. Not true.

While I don't think those affected should suffer silently, I doubt a petition and boycott will put any dent in DCL's new agenda. If the petition had 50,000 valid signatures with full verifiable names of previous DCL verified cruisers, then maybe - or not. If nearly every otherwise bar-patron adult on every Disney cruise boycotted and consumed no alcohol at all, DCL might take notice - or not. They have other ways of getting our money. The real victims would be the bartenders. My husband and I drink moderately, will carry on what is allowed and purchase anything else aboard. We are not going to deprive ourselves on vacation. We'll try to make the best of it to have a happy holiday and not stew over things beyond our control. If we didn't feel that way, we would cancel. The difference this time will be that the cruise will need to be a lot more magical in other ways to make us consider booking yet another.

 

[EvieBug]

What a ridiculous argument. They have had this BYOB policy for years and then suddenly there worried about the kids drinking it in the rooms. What about the alcohol people keep in their homes? Are they worried about that too?? I would have started laughing at him if he would have said that to me. I may have to send a letter to karl Holz's now. I could use a good laugh.

I did push back - first about the allowing 2 bottles of wine/6 pack of beer, and then also about bad parenting is bad parenting and they can't control that. And he did agree that they are not in the business of parenting for people (paraphrasing).

I think they are just looking for what they can trot out based on what the guest's letter said. I mentioned in mine that I have somewhat young kids (will be 9 and 4.5 on cruise date) and that I had hoped to enjoy a cocktail with my husband on the verandah once the kids were in bed, but if I have to go fetch it from a bar i might wake them, etc... so I probably sounded like a likely candidate for "won't someone think of the children".

ETA: but certainly write in - maybe the numbers will help, although I do agree with those here that our numbers are not as epic as we think

 

[JimmyV]

He countered with expressing fears of little ones being in the room and having access to spirits. I countered back with "well but wine and beer". And he expressed that the alcohol content is much lower.

Question: If access to alcohol by minors is such a serious and significant threat, why didn't they enact their new policy "Effective Immediately"? Are kids on a September 15 cruise less likely to steal their parents' alcohol? If a serious safety concern is noted on a ship, corrective action is taken immediately, and not 45 days down the road.

 

[EvieBug]

Question: If access to alcohol by minors is such a serious and significant threat, why didn't they enact their new policy "Effective Immediately"? Are kids on a September 15 cruise less likely to steal their parents' alcohol? If a serious safety concern is noted on a ship, corrective action is taken immediately, and not 45 days down the road.

Good point and one that did not occur to me in that moment. But the reality is that a toddler chugging a bunch of wine won't have a good result either, so it's a bluff of what the concern really is. Which I suspect is $$$ - they want that money back in the bars and are just trying to put a friendlier, more concerned Disney face on it.

 

[JimmyV]

If nearly every otherwise bar-patron adult on every Disney cruise boycotted and consumed no alcohol at all, DCL might take notice - or not. They have other ways of getting our money.

Well, the cruise industry (and hospitality industry in general) is complex. There is the "macro" and the "micro". While the cruise line in the larger sense has "other ways of getting our money", that does nothing for the beverage manager who is seeing her sales slip. From the cruise lines' perspective, they don't want a 5% decrease in one area to be offset by a 6% increase somewhere else for a net gain of 1%. They want both a 5% increase in one area and a 6% increase in the other. Beverage managers on cruise ships have set goals for sales on every cruise. They pour over (pardon the pun) the previous night's sales every morning and make projections to determine if they are going to make their goal for the cruise. If they are behind schedule, the beverage manager will meet with the Cruise Director and suggest some ways that sales can be pumped up. If every bar patron adult on a cruise boycotted purchased drinks for a single cruise, the beverage manager would be way off her goal, and yes, DCL would take notice. And if it happened on repeated cruises, and every single person put a comment on their post-cruise comment card that they purposefully refrained from buying drinks due to the change in the alcohol policy, then the policy would change back to the way it used to be. 100%. Someone at DCL would say: "You know what? We were doing just fine up until September 30. Now we are getting killed. Better to live under the old regime than this new one." If the old policy was driving DCL into bankruptcy, then of course the policy could never go back to the way it was. But if the policy was changed to boost additional profit, and instead, the cruise line was seeing a dip in profit, the change would be reversed in less than the 45 days' notice it took to change it the first time. But all if this is idle musing, because an organized boycott (especially of a beloved company such as Disney) will never happen.

 

[Grumpy_74]

Good point and one that did not occur to me in that moment. But the reality is that a toddler chugging a bunch of wine won't have a good result either, so it's a bluff of what the concern really is. Which I suspect is $$$ - they want that money back in the bars and are just trying to put a friendlier, more concerned Disney face on it.

This is such a crock. If I'm irresponsible enough that my toddler is chugging wine out of the bottle in my room, what is going to prevent said toddler from drinking the mixed drink I just ran up to the bar to buy?!?

#DCLprohibitiongate2015

 

[EvieBug]

This is such a crock. If I'm irresponsible enough that my toddler is chugging wine out of the bottle in my room, what is going to prevent said toddler from drinking the mixed drink I just ran up to the bar to buy?!?

#DCLprohibitiongate2015

Agreed, and again I think this was his attempt to try to find a "reasoning" that I would relate being a parent. Or something. I don't know, I'm speculating. It's all nonsense and attempting to put a good face on a policy that annoys people.

 

[bumbershoot]

soooooo, as I'm reading this thread now, we are all agreed that DCL stinks by comparison in price and service. Their "magic" is mediocre as is their attentiveness. We are all going to cruise another line and these boards, in effect, can be DISbanded?

I think that we want Disney to come back to itself. To stop taking thing away. To stop resting on their laurels and go back to being amazing.

He countered with expressing fears of little ones being in the room and having access to spirits. I countered back with "well but wine and beer". And he expressed that the alcohol content is much lower.

LOL.

he specifically said DCL did not want anyone viewing alcohol carry on as a perk, or a reason to choose their line.

Hilarious. Next they'll tell us not to think of Mickey being on their ships as being a perk or a reason to choose their line. Take away everything that's unique and suddenly you're left with nothing but a HUGE cost.

They are trying to make people feel valued by listening though

Sad.

I would have started laughing at him if he would have said that to me. I may have to send a letter to karl Holz's now. I could use a good laugh.

Same and same.

 

[Orukal]

Well, we're one month away from the first post-policy change cruise with the Fantasy sailing away on October 3. Eager to here the reports as our cruise will start later that month on the 23rd.

 

[jetskigrl]

Well, we're one month away from the first post-policy change cruise with the Fantasy sailing away on October 3. Eager to here the reports as our cruise will start later that month on the 23rd.

We cruise on October 11th out of San Diego so I will definitely report back what happens then. But since each port will probably be handled differently, that probably won't help as many people.

 

[Orukal]

We cruise on October 11th out of San Diego so I will definitely report back what happens then. But since each port will probably be handled differently, that probably won't help as many people.

That would work for me as we leave from San Diego as well.

 

[JimmyV]

One, I too got the speech about essentially fearing for the youngin's in rooms where there is booze.

You know what I love? That DCL limits passengers to 12 ounce beers to take to their cabin...unless they buy this to be delivered TO THEIR CABIN:

Domestic Beer 16 oz Aluminum 6-Pack
Need a refreshing beverage during your cruise? Select and enjoy 6 16 oz chilled domestic beers for the price of 5! Prices do not include 15% gratuity for beer packages.

6 Pack of 16 oz Aluminum Bud Light $30.00
BEV 16 BDLT

6 Pack of 16 oz Aluminum Bud Light Lime $30.00
BEV 16 BL LIME

6 Pack of 16 oz Aluminum Budweiser $30.00
BEV 16 BUD

6 Pack of 16 oz Aluminum Michelob Ultra $30.00
BEV 16 MIC UL

6 Pack of 16 oz Aluminum Miller Light $30.00
BEV 16 MLT

6 Pack of 16oz Aluminum Coors Light $30.00
BEV 16 COORS LT

And the safety of the kids on board is their most sincere concern, so four bottles of wine is the perfect number. Unless, of course...

Premium Wine Package

5 Bottle Premium Wine Package $228.00
BEV5N PREM WINE

7 Bottle Premium Wine Package $309.00
BEV7N PREM WINE

Savor the smooth flavor of a premium vintage every night of your voyage. Save up to 25% when purchasing one of our wine packages from our premium offerings. Choose a bottle from the exclusive wine list selected by our onboard sommeliers to pair with your food each night. The wine of your choice will be served at your table. A gift message card will be in your stateroom when you arrive. Present the message card at the indicated location for gift redemption. Please note that the price does not include the 15% gratuity.

Yep. It's all about the children. Always about the children.

 

[godde8ss]

You know what I love? That DCL limits passengers to 12 ounce beers to take to their cabin...unless they buy this to be delivered TO THEIR CABIN:


And the safety of the kids on board is their most sincere concern, so four bottles of wine is the perfect number. Unless, of course...



Yep. It's all about the children. Always about the children.

EvieBug, If i were you, I would try to call back Karl Holz office, or email, and bring up Jimmy V's point. So,we cannot bring it on for the kiddies, but we can get it delievered from you? Seriously?...

 

[DCLDVC1]

I did push back - first about the allowing 2 bottles of wine/6 pack of beer, and then also about bad parenting is bad parenting and they can't control that. And he did agree that they are not in the business of parenting for people (paraphrasing).

I think they are just looking for what they can trot out based on what the guest's letter said. ... so I probably sounded like a likely candidate for "won't someone think of the children".I mentioned in mine that I have somewhat young kids (will be 9 and 4.5 on cruise date) and that I had hoped to enjoy a cocktail with my husband on the verandah once the kids were in bed, but if I have to go fetch it from a bar i might wake them, etc

ETA: but certainly write in - maybe the numbers will help, although I do agree with those here that our numbers are not as epic as we think

You could also wake your kids by flushing the toilet. Or sliding the verandah door.

 

[Shea&Van]

I just got a call back from "Karl Holz's Office" regarding the letter I sent.

The rep started by buttering me up thanking me for being a loyal Disney fan and for taking the time out of my day to write my concerns to them regarding the new policy. A couple things stood out to me.

One, I too got the speech about essentially fearing for the youngin's in rooms where there is booze. I had made a comment in my letter and on the phone about now not being able to enjoy a cocktail on the verandah that I paid for, because I will have to leave the room now to go get it (I fear I'll wake my kids coming and going, or I'll go early and end up with a gross watered down drink by the time I get to it. LOL) I said I also worried some folks will now perhaps leave sleeping kids in a room alone to go get their drinks. And I mean young kids, as that's what I have. He countered with expressing fears of little ones being in the room and having access to spirits. I countered back with "well but wine and beer". And he expressed that the alcohol content is much lower. Questionable. Makes me wonder if there is ANY instance of a child being alcohol poisoned or sick or if this is just a convenient scapegoat.

Two, he mentioned that he didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, and that he is not suggesting the policy will change again, but they are taking everyone's feedback very seriously and guest opinions matter, and blah blah blah. I don't think for a second that they are going to change this policy, but I found it very strange that he chose the words he did as it almost implies it's possible, which seems a dangerous game to play.

Three, he specifically said DCL did not want anyone viewing alcohol carry on as a perk, or a reason to choose their line. He said the new policy is still quite lenient, and 'no cruise line allows spirits' - which from reading here I think is untrue, it's just a rather hefty price point change for that.

It was nice that they called, and he actually had called several times trying to reach me, which is a bit impressive. (I didn't know they had my cell number, and I kept seeing a florida number pop up so I was ignoring it, lol) Overall though I agree with the previous poster who said the calls - while time consuming - are to avoid putting anything in writing that can be called up later. But I am glad that I got a call - I was concerned that new cruisers would not be taken seriously. I'm booked, but my sail date is Jan 2016, so I haven't been onboard yet. Nice to know they still at least think my opinion is worth discussing.

Verdict: It's not going to change, I will be stunned if it does. They are trying to make people feel valued by listening though, which is taking man hours to do. He addressed my email by point, so clearly he read it.

EvieBug...we may have had the same "magical" cast member. I really thought I was being punked when he went down the "children prefer to drink the spirits 'cause they taste better" route. Laughable...truly.

Happy day y'all!