Yesterday I posted about the illuminations cruise we took on Sept 9th and how wonderful it was. Well today was our 25th anniversary and that's a really big milestone.
I'd been planning this trip - especially this day -since May.
The day was clear and the sky was bright blue. All day i was looking forward to our biggest splurge of the trip, dinner at Narcoossee's and a celebration Wishes cruise. I'd planned everything as a surprise for DH. I ordered the premium cruise (with banners and balloons) along with a big cake made by Grand Floridian bakery. Everything was set for a most memorable evening.
Dinner was great; afterward we went down to the dock right by Narcoossee to wait for our boat (the marina and the dock aren't the same thing, as I was to learn). That's when it started to pour. The sky was black and the lightning began.
We ran over to the marina and were told that the cruise might be cancelled.
All I could think of was what's going to happen to the cake... DH started singing "McArthur Park" for those of you who remember that song.
Initially we were told that no decision would be made until 8pm. We stood in the rain for a while but then the decision was delayed until 8:30. I was told not to worry about the cake because the boat and the cake were at another resort... huh ??? We went inside to try to dry off and said we'd be back by 8:20. When we returned, the marina's office lights were off... not a good sign. I knocked on the door and there was someone still there who said "oh yeah, your cruise has been cancelled. Don't worry, you won't be charged." Yes but what about my cruise, what about my cake, what about all my plans for a perfect evening that I'd begun working on 3 months ago, and why was I dripping wet with nothing to do.
In the midst of all this, I'd lost track of my big Disney bag (with credit cards, room key, Annual Passes, DDE card,
MNSSHP tickets, camera, cell phone etc etc) - i'd just left it and walked away when I first heard the cruise might be cancelled.
Eventually we discovered that a GF bellman found it outside and rescued it - thank god! This definitely wasn't the way I'd thought I'd been spending this evening.
The guys at the marina suggested I call WDW-PLAY (not again..) and book another celebration cruise. Easy for them to say, I really didn't want to jump on the phone and start the booking process all over again. But that's what I did. And they were wonderful; they arranged a cruise for tomorrow night, and the Grand Floridian bakery found my cake and said they'd bake another and deliver it tomorrow at the marina. Everyone laughed and commisserated with me about the weather and congratulated us many times about our anniversary.
My point is, this was a pretty big curve ball and yet with a few calls Disney put everything right again. What did we end up doing? As soon as the cruise was cancelled, it stopped raining. So we went and played mini golf at Fantasia Gardens and had dessert at Beaches & Cream. Not the way I'd imagined spending Sept 11th but not so bad either.
I doubt any of you will have such a combination of events happen with your cruises but if they do, you'll know that Disney will do its best to make things right.
cyn
