RhondaInMA
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2007
Now to some of you this may not be a big deal but it was for me. I was on the May 3-10th Western cruise booked in the Walt Suite. The ship stayed late in Cozumel to allow the crew to have some 'off' time. I was sitting out on the verandah enjoying chocolate chip cookies and mickey bars with my cousin who was booked in a different stateroom. We were talking very quietly... I would even say close to whispering. Suddenly we heard someone yell.... 'Shut the **** up!!' We both stopped talking and looked at each other. Wondered if it was meant for us.... figured it wasn't... started talking again. As soon as we started talking again... 'Shut the **** up!'... and he started throwing his verandah furniture around and punching the side of the ship. My cousin and I were shocked. He continued to throw things around and then I heard water/liquid spilling or something. I thought that maybe he was vomiting. .. but within seconds knew it was something different. I looked over my verandah to see this man urinating off of his verandah. His body contorted into a weird position so he could fit 'himself' through the two pieces of glass. Instantly I was sick to my stomach. This is a Disney cruise. My four year old granddaughter was asleep less than 50 feet from this sick person. My 80 year old mother in law was also asleep in the bedroom at the opposite end of the suite.
I immediately ran inside to call security. I woke up my husband and explained what had happened. He walked out onto the verandah to make sure the man did not leave his stateroom before security arrived. As soon as my husband walked out there the man said, 'Did you come out here to watch me piss too?'
Now I know that Disney does not have control over the actions of the passengers... but Disney does have control over handling the situation appropriately. The only punishment this teen received was to spend the night in his parents stateroom (that's what I was told). He was in a stateroom with his cousins and his parents were down the hall. After swearing at me and exposing himself and urinating in front of me... he had to sleep in his parents room.
Needless to say... I was not comfortable using my verandah for the rest of the cruise. I was very uncomfortable walking around the ship wondering if I was going to run into this person. My cousin (who was sitting out on the verandah with me that night) ran into him two times. He was enjoying his vacation... while the remainder of mine was ruined by him. Even the night that we had to put our luggage in the hallway... we were concerned because we didn't want him to touch it.
Well, this was our 7th Disney Cruise. We did enjoy the suite and the concierge service. Connie and Richard are wonderful. But, I think Disney should have handled this differently. I guess they are saying that it's ok to expose yourself and urinate in public on their ships... you'll just have to have a babysitter for one night.
Here is Disney's reply to my email:
5/13/08
Dear Rhonda:
Thank you for your e-mail.
On behalf of the entire Disney Cruise Line team, I hope you will accept
my heartfelt regret for any disappointment with your cruise vacation.
We truly want all of our guests to have fond memories of their time
spent with us, and I was very sorry to learn that the actions of a
teenage guest diminished the enjoyment of your sailing. I can assure
you that the comfort and security of our guests and crew members has
always been of paramount importance to us, and the same standard of
appropriate conduct is expected from everyone. Your concerns about the
teenager during the cruise were most certainly taken seriously, as well
as thoroughly addressed with the family, and handled accordingly. If we
had continued to experience any difficulties with the teen or his
family, I'm sure that our shipboard officers would have seriously
considered disembarking the group.
Although we are unable to offer any compensation for this incident,
please know that your concerns have been taken very seriously and shared
with all the appropriate shipboard and shoreside management individuals
in order to determine where any future considerations may be necessary.
Again, thank you for your e-mail. We hope this one situation doesn't
overshadow the enjoyment of the rest of your cruise vacation with us.
There is magic in the Disney name, and we hope to have the chance to
sail with you again one day soon.
Sincerely,
Joel
Guest Communications
Disney Cruise Line
EDIT: I'd like to add that I've been on 7 Disney Cruises and I have only this one complaint. Sure.. it's a pretty good complaint IMO but obviously rare. We booked the Walt Suite for this cruise because we knew we were going to be taking a break from Disney and wanted to go 'out with a bang'.. and what a bang it was. I'm not sure if I will ever cruise Disney again now... but I will remember all of the more positive moments of Disney Cruising. There really is nothing like it.
I immediately ran inside to call security. I woke up my husband and explained what had happened. He walked out onto the verandah to make sure the man did not leave his stateroom before security arrived. As soon as my husband walked out there the man said, 'Did you come out here to watch me piss too?'
Now I know that Disney does not have control over the actions of the passengers... but Disney does have control over handling the situation appropriately. The only punishment this teen received was to spend the night in his parents stateroom (that's what I was told). He was in a stateroom with his cousins and his parents were down the hall. After swearing at me and exposing himself and urinating in front of me... he had to sleep in his parents room.
Needless to say... I was not comfortable using my verandah for the rest of the cruise. I was very uncomfortable walking around the ship wondering if I was going to run into this person. My cousin (who was sitting out on the verandah with me that night) ran into him two times. He was enjoying his vacation... while the remainder of mine was ruined by him. Even the night that we had to put our luggage in the hallway... we were concerned because we didn't want him to touch it.
Well, this was our 7th Disney Cruise. We did enjoy the suite and the concierge service. Connie and Richard are wonderful. But, I think Disney should have handled this differently. I guess they are saying that it's ok to expose yourself and urinate in public on their ships... you'll just have to have a babysitter for one night.
Here is Disney's reply to my email:
5/13/08
Dear Rhonda:
Thank you for your e-mail.
On behalf of the entire Disney Cruise Line team, I hope you will accept
my heartfelt regret for any disappointment with your cruise vacation.
We truly want all of our guests to have fond memories of their time
spent with us, and I was very sorry to learn that the actions of a
teenage guest diminished the enjoyment of your sailing. I can assure
you that the comfort and security of our guests and crew members has
always been of paramount importance to us, and the same standard of
appropriate conduct is expected from everyone. Your concerns about the
teenager during the cruise were most certainly taken seriously, as well
as thoroughly addressed with the family, and handled accordingly. If we
had continued to experience any difficulties with the teen or his
family, I'm sure that our shipboard officers would have seriously
considered disembarking the group.
Although we are unable to offer any compensation for this incident,
please know that your concerns have been taken very seriously and shared
with all the appropriate shipboard and shoreside management individuals
in order to determine where any future considerations may be necessary.
Again, thank you for your e-mail. We hope this one situation doesn't
overshadow the enjoyment of the rest of your cruise vacation with us.
There is magic in the Disney name, and we hope to have the chance to
sail with you again one day soon.
Sincerely,
Joel
Guest Communications
Disney Cruise Line
EDIT: I'd like to add that I've been on 7 Disney Cruises and I have only this one complaint. Sure.. it's a pretty good complaint IMO but obviously rare. We booked the Walt Suite for this cruise because we knew we were going to be taking a break from Disney and wanted to go 'out with a bang'.. and what a bang it was. I'm not sure if I will ever cruise Disney again now... but I will remember all of the more positive moments of Disney Cruising. There really is nothing like it.
