Disney Fantasy problem?

[P'colaBeachBum]

I went in Feb once and found it to be too chilly. Is this variable?

Last 2 years it was hot in port and at Castaway ...cold when we got back. We live not far from the port so weather was not an issue.

 

[Belle1997]

It is so sad to hear how people were stepping over that poor lady. Me I would be taking pictures of these inconsiderate people. That is what is wrong with society today. It is all about ME. I would have just hung out up stairs till the crowds started to move. Yes never ever book and early flight. If you do make sure you have travel insurance for the what ifs.

 

[mhconley]

We were on the Fantasy that docked very late this morning, around 9:30 AM. I understand the ship lost an engine trying to power around hurricane Joaquin. Our porter told us he was hanging out with the crew waiting to board to effect repairs. They expected the ship would leave port between 8:00 and 9:00 PM tonight. Highest apparent steady wind speeds were right around 65 mph with seas of 3-5 meters. That was straight onto the bow while we were making 20 knots. The worst was Thursday evening. I was amazed at how well she handled the wind and high seas.




Debarkation this morning was handled very poorly. We had the early breakfast and returned to our stateroom
afterwards. We went down to debark at 10:00 AM and were told the line started at Animators Palate. By 10:30 we had worked our way back to the atrium when they announced only those with all their luggage could leave. We waited and were off the ship around 11:00, in our car by 11:30. I've heard reports they were showing movies in various venues and that the kids clubs were open. Communication was almost non-existent and the CMs we encountered seemed to be operating on word of mouth. It was a fantastic cruise capped by a poorly organized and chaotic debarkation.

Martin

 

[moomy-san]

I have spoken to 2 crew members on board today. Trust me, the gong show the guests experienced in the atrium is NOTHING compared to the gong show the crew was experiencing. On embarkation day the serving staff is up at 4:30, the hotel staff works from 5:00. Every person on that ship had other crucial tasks today that had absolutely nothing to do with the guests in the atrium... having guests there for an extended time today meant that a lot of those jobs weren't getting done.

 

[littleblackegg]

Last 2 years it was hot in port and at Castaway ...cold when we got back. We live not far from the port so weather was not an issue.

In 2012 it was grey and chilly the whole way (we live about 2 1/2 hours away from the port). We stayed inside the whole time. It was just too cold to use the pool or anything else. It was lovely in May, though. It's just that crazy unpredictable weather!!! We had a wonderful time anyway!

 

[dclpluto]

It is so sad to hear how people were stepping over that poor lady. Me I would be taking pictures of these inconsiderate people. That is what is wrong with society today. It is all about ME. I would have just hung out up stairs till the crowds started to move. Yes never ever book and early flight. If you do make sure you have travel insurance for the what ifs.

Why wouldn't you try to help that lady instead of taking pictures?

 

[truck1]

Agreed, pilot boat is present while maneuvering through the channel...but the last tug assist I remember was Fantasy's arrival after Hurricane Sandy. For our cruises on Dream / Wonder / Fantasy we have never required tug assist during PC docking. Not arguing there isn't a tug there on standby, we've just never encountered it. Glad to see they arrived home safely.

i don't know if it always has a tug boat assist. this is what port canaveral posted on their Facebook page today…..'Tugboat assist for the arrival of DISNEY FANTASY this morning due to high winds from Hurricane Joaquin'. doesn't make it sound like it always has a tub boat assist. i would think the port would know why it had to have a tug boat assist.

There is always one there, watch any DCL arrival there . It's 5 am USA time like clockwork, there is a light pilot boat there as well, with flashing blue lights.

The blue lights are from the port security boat or CG boat that escorts all ships in and out of port now enforcing the exclusive safety zone. I want to say it's 100' in any direction from a cruise ship. The pilot boat most likey follows or is along side the ship the entire trip and is probably what is being seen on each trip.
As far as the tug the port also has a requirement under certain circumstances that a ship will require a tug escort. Could be anything from weather to available power on the ship to manuever to engine control issues.

 

[GioCruise]

The Disney Fantasy is just now docking at its terminal (9:30AM) about 3 hours plus late with tug boat assist.

Ahoy Matey!
I was on this cruise just got back it was the first time in DCL history Fantasy ever got back late... It was due to technical difficulties and the storm.
all in all we were treated right and safe and the crew was fabulous!
I'm already booked for 10/8/16

All is well!

 

[GioCruise]

The delay was a technical difficulty totally not related to the storm .... The storm caused us to divert course and skip Castaway Cay. As for pushing and shoving - there was some very upset folks who were express walk offs and had flights they were racing to catch...but all in all it wasn't a stampede. Keep in mind some people were waiting in the lobby since 0730 to get off so after 2 hours people become impatient. They had no where to go but the lobby atriums on Deck 3 and 4 after they ate breakfast .... I was there and got irritated at one point but only because standing in line for 2 hours is not fun! In any case I didn't see pushing or stepping on people. But I could have been off the boat before that all happened. We did have to wait for the bags as well.... Hey it was an experience and one thing I will say is we made it back safe! And everyone at DCL was nothing but wonderful to me and my family!!

 

[GioCruise]

We were on the Fantasy that docked very late this morning, around 9:30 AM. I understand the ship lost an engine trying to power around hurricane Joaquin. Our porter told us he was hanging out with the crew waiting to board to effect repairs. They expected the ship would leave port between 8:00 and 9:00 PM tonight. Highest apparent steady wind speeds were right around 65 mph with seas of 3-5 meters. That was straight onto the bow while we were making 20 knots. The worst was Thursday evening. I was amazed at how well she handled the wind and high seas.
View attachment 127031

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Debarkation this morning was handled very poorly. We had the early breakfast and returned to our stateroom
afterwards. We went down to debark at 10:00 AM and were told the line started at Animators Palate. By 10:30 we had worked our way back to the atrium when they announced only those with all their luggage could leave. We waited and were off the ship around 11:00, in our car by 11:30. I've heard reports they were showing movies in various venues and that the kids clubs were open. Communication was almost non-existent and the CMs we encountered seemed to be operating on word of mouth. It was a fantastic cruise capped by a poorly organized and chaotic debarkation.

Martin

Hi Martin, sorry we never caught up glad your back safe...
Thank you for the Avengers pad for Gio. He loved it.
Keep in touch!
Laura

 

[timrousbeastie]

It is so sad to hear how people were stepping over that poor lady. Me I would be taking pictures of these inconsiderate people. That is what is wrong with society today. It is all about ME. I would have just hung out up stairs till the crowds started to move. Yes never ever book and early flight. If you do make sure you have travel insurance for the what ifs.

I know how you feel: it made me sick to my stomach to read that. My Dad is 85 and uses a walker. This is always the nightmare scenario when we bring him along on vacations. What a horrible way for that lady, and the children who saw it, to end a Disney cruise. Sadly, I've grown to expect such thoughtless, brute, and selfish behavior from a minority of passengers whenever I travel. But to experience it to this extent on a family cruise, with so many children and elderly present, is far beyond disappointing.

 

[lbgraves]

The crowds and wait time sounds a lot like when the ship completes a non-closed loop cruise. It was crazy after the 2008 EBPC. It takes the ship longer to clear customs then, so that delays boarding also. We sat on the deck 4 lounge chairs until almost 10 am waiting for the atrium & surrounding areas to clear. It sounds like in these cases DCL could use the tag system to release passengers, even though all the luggage would be in the terminal. At least it would help to spread the crowd out while waiting.

 

[Bdunn]

Controlling a crowd of a couple of thousand people, a good number of whom are angry, frustrated, and anxious, is next to impossible without a show of force (think law enforcement and a riot). Sure, we were frustrated too, and had fears of missing our flight. We also realized that contributing to the problem by shoving, venting anger, and being anything less than pleasant to those around us would do no good.

It was an interesting little study in crowd psychology. People showed their true colors.

 

[DisneyNurse19]

This has nothing to do with hours or amount of days you work, we all work. This has to do with common sense.

Totally disagree with you. I bet you don't work the hours they do plus i expect you get days off each week? It is also the law that they have to have rest time no matter what is happening.

 

[Bear3412]

Glad you made it back safe and sound and all is well.

.... it was the first time in DCL history Fantasy ever got back late...

After hurricane Sandy the Fantasy didn't dock till about 11am on 10/27/12 fwiw.

 

[Cheerio]

They had no where to go but the lobby atriums on Deck 3 and 4 after they ate breakfast

I saw lots of pics of people up on deck 11, sitting in chairs watching movies. I'd be heading outside vs sitting like a sardine!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

They had no where to go but the lobby atriums on Deck 3 and 4 after they ate breakfast

I saw lots of pics of people up on deck 11, sitting in chairs watching movies. I'd be heading outside vs sitting like a sardine!

I wonder if it wasn't communicated well that the kids clubs were open and theaters were running movies so that people felt they were stuck on decks 3 and 4. Or were people not wanting to "lose their place in line" by going to an alternate location?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Or were people not wanting to "lose their place in line" by going to an alternate location?

Most likely this. But the other is also a good probability. My thoughts.

 

[GioCruise]

Glad you made it back safe and sound and all is well.



After hurricane Sandy the Fantasy didn't dock till about 11am on 10/27/12 fwiw.

ahhh yes! see I didn't know I stand corrected

 

[GioCruise]

Most likely this. But the other is also a good probability. My thoughts.

We didn't know - we were told to proceed after the late dining to the atrium lounge areas on deck 3 and 4.... We received a letter in our staterooms that morning that said to take all of our belongings with us as we wouldn't be allowed back in our rooms .... People went back anyway and also went to other areas to make the best of it but my family was never advised differently and we had breakfast in Royal Court and went straight to the line to disembark.... But again we wanted off the ship and to get back home so we wouldn't have gone to deck 11 we would have waited in line anyway. I will tell you that everyone at DCL was super nice and professional- the storm and the engine issue was out of their control.....and people are human and sometimes behave badly BUT honestly I had an awesome trip and will be back next year!