Onboard Booking Policy Change Unfair!!!!

[bigtony777]

The only thing unfair is changing the policy after the fact. This really frustrates me when companies do this. If you take my money and there is an agreement in place, don't change the agreement. They should start the policy change with any future OBB at a specific date.

I don't know if the OBB benefit will keep me coming back as the 2015 prices are absolutely ridiculous. The same cruise from 2013 to 2015, 7 night on Fantasy first week of April with Easter, went up over $2100. It was a 35% increase in 2 years!

 

[Zeppelin]

No you keep missing the point. Speaking with our money ( and I even stated that in my first response) and our voices is the way to make Disney think about their rate hikes and policies. They will always fill the parks because there are always people with enough money to pay the price, but there are a lot of people with a lot less money that have been loyal to Disney for many years. So what Disney should just say the hell with them. It sad to see so many people being OK with a company spitting on those that help make it great. Look we will never agree, so I will agree to disagree.

LOL- i'm not missing the point at all....screaming about price hikes and speaking with your money are night and day.....

if you sit and and scream and moan but the parks and boats are full Disney won't care and they will continue to raise prices...

if people stop going because of price hikes then Disney loses- like netflix did....fact is people have been complaining about price hikes at WDW the past few years yet the parks are full and prices continue to rise....

whats sad is people think they are entitled to take a Disney cruise or Disney vacation or they are entitled to pay the same price because they've been on a Disney vacation in the past...

 

[Zeppelin]

Speaking with our voices is the jab speaking with our wallets is the KO. They go hand in hand. I get what your saying believe me.

and i agree with your second point about speaking with your wallet completely- but that's not the case yet

and despite price hikes you can still get good rates at certain times of the year, via IGT, etc....

 

[lbgraves]

Does anyone think Disney reads these threads?
Just curious.

They definitely do track the DIS threads. In fact, on the cruise where the gangway dropped at PC years ago the captain sought out the DISer who posted pictures of the view from the ship. I think there were some of the Captain & his crew on the bridge overseeing things as well. Due to the fact that he was off duty at the time it happened, he was out of uniform. The poster had more than what he posted on here, and the Captain requested to see them.

...- if the parks and boats are full Disney will justifiably continue to raise prices, no matter how much you "vocalize"....
....

The Fantasy has had incredible *GT rates offered for cruises from September through January after the PIF date has passed, other than holiday weeks. One week in October had incredible rates below opening day pricing. If they were filling the ships, these *GT rates wouldn't be offered. My guess is that they are trying to account for the fact that they know they will have to use *GTs to fill the ship, and increased the prices in an attempt to cover the losses they will see with the *GT bookings. In the end, whoever is able to pay the posted rate before the PIF date is going to be supplementing the cost those who book with the *GT after PIF.

 

[knight2096]

you continue miss the point- you can jump up and down and scream all you want- if the parks and boats are full Disney will justifiably continue to raise prices, no matter how much you "vocalize"....

still waiting to see where Disney considered discontinuing EMH for their budget properties....

Sorry I missed that last part of your comment. It has been talked about many times right here on Dis boards. A simple search on here about it should find you the answer. I do not think it went through because of the uproar. I'm not really sure what happened to be honest for all I know it may or may not happen at a later time. Maybe someone else could chime in.

 

[Zeppelin]

The Fantasy has had incredible *GT rates offered for cruises from September through January after the PIF date has passed, other than holiday weeks. One week in October had incredible rates below opening day pricing. If they were filling the ships, these *GT rates wouldn't be offered. My guess is that they are trying to account for the fact that they know they will have to use *GTs to fill the ship, and increased the prices in an attempt to cover the losses they will see with the *GT bookings. In the end, whoever is able to pay the posted rate before the PIF date is going to be supplementing the cost those who book with the *GT after PIF.

you're also talking about off season and the middle of hurricane season....lets see what the prices are in Sept of 2015 first....

 

[mkdreams]

Sorry I missed that last part of your comment. It has been talked about many times right here on Dis boards. A simple search on here about it should find you the answer. I do not think it went through because of the uproar. I'm not really sure what happened to be honest for all I know it may or may not happen at a later time. Maybe someone else could chime in.

Yeah Disney was talking about doing this not too long ago but for some reason they decided not to.

 

[sara mom]

As a corporation, Disney is obligated to give me as a stockholder a return on my investment before they give me as a customer a deal.

This!

 

[bigvig1130]

The mistake comes in ever thinking the incentives were given as a way for people to afford cruising. I think the OBB incentives were to catch people who, if given a chance to go home and get away from the pixie dust, might opt to cruise elsewhere or not at all. They want to get you while you're in the moment. The fact that some savvy guests figured out a way to game the system wasn't something they counted on and they corrected it. They didn't ever give OBB incentives as a way to make a cruise more affordable. Honestly, I don't think they want to market to families who have to pinch pennies and watch every dime they spend. They have never marketed cruising as affordable to everyone. In fact, even their park advertising gears towards convincing people a WDW vacation is within their reach- not that it's a bargain or cheap...because it certainly isn't. At any rate- cruising is a luxury some people can afford and others can't. Is it "fair"? No more or less than with a million other things in life.

CMs used the endless dummy move to try and sell me on the OBB so it's not just cruisers trying to abuse the system. CMs are also abusing the system to make a sale. I think, based on how it was presented, current OBB should have been grandfathered in to the old rules. I was told a story that has now been taken away. That is what becomes unfair.

 

[Dug720]

you're also talking about off season and the middle of hurricane season....lets see what the prices are in Sept of 2015 first....

Bingo! Which means that the possibility exists a lot of people used them for dummy reservations and dumped them.

Yes, I know people on here book 3 nights and pay the difference when they change, but I know I would rather book the length of cruise intended to take so there is less of a mandatory difference if I was booking a dummy.

 

[torontodisneyfan]

IMHO, perhaps those opposed to the changes should stop taking this so personally.

If you want to talk price increase, look around! Has your hydro bill gone up or do groceries cost more or has gas for your car jumped in price? Operating costs are always raising and every business... Not just Disney... Have to cover those costs while still remaining profitable.

If you want to talk about the change in booking policy, maybe you're just upset because Disney closed a loop hole that was being so blatantly exploited? The OBB perks were designed to get you to cruise again, just like the Bounce Back offer you find in your resort hotel room were designed to get you to come back to The World again. If you can't commit to dates, don't book.... Or accept the 18 month buffer and be appreciative.

 

[cakebaker]

CMs used the endless dummy move to try and sell me on the OBB so it's not just cruisers trying to abuse the system. CMs are also abusing the system to make a sale. I think, based on how it was presented, current OBB should have been grandfathered in to the old rules. I was told a story that has now been taken away. That is what becomes unfair.

Disney made the rules, they just didn't foresee the problem they were going to have. It's more of taking advantage of a loophole than it is gaming or abusing the system.

And I actually agree with you- those who booked under the old rules shouldn't have the rules changed on them. It's the one thing I think Disney did wrong on this deal.

 

[Ofinn]

The stock market is soaring right now. Money is basically free with the 0% interest rates. People that have jobs and money are feeling confident about spending their money. There our still a lot of unemployed people in this country that are struggling. The next time the market crashes and it will because history always repeats itself. I think you will see prices come down. Disney is going to take advantage of the economy while they can.

 

[Ofinn]

CMs used the endless dummy move to try and sell me on the OBB so it's not just cruisers trying to abuse the system. CMs are also abusing the system to make a sale. I think, based on how it was presented, current OBB should have been grandfathered in to the old rules. I was told a story that has now been taken away. That is what becomes unfair.

Last night when I booked a vgt rate on the Fantasy in January. I asked if they could move the money from my March cruise to the new VGT cruise. They did that no problem. Before I hung up the phone the cm said that guest services had offered to let me rebook my OBB to a dummy date. I said no like an idiot. I told her I would do it onboard. I totally forgot that I will have to put 20% down on a 4 night cruise. My point being that guest services offered to book a dummy date for me.

 

[mkdreams]

CMs used the endless dummy move to try and sell me on the OBB so it's not just cruisers trying to abuse the system. CMs are also abusing the system to make a sale. I think, based on how it was presented, current OBB should have been grandfathered in to the old rules. I was told a story that has now been taken away. That is what becomes unfair.

Bravo well said. No matter how much sense you make the cheerleaders will never see it.

 

[neg58]

The OBB with a OBC, 10% discount and 10% deposit is one discount DLC offers. Some people can't take advantage of it, so there are other offers and discounts: Florida resident rates, Canadian rates, military rates, kids sail free, VGT. You can't stack them, so find a discount rate that you can use, and it may even be a better deal than OBB. If not, then you have to pay full price. I 've sailed three times and never done and OBB, and I've never paid full price either. I find the discount that works for my budget and schedule and use that.

The purpose of the OBB discount is to get you to return, and the sooner you return, the sooner Disney gets your money. They've now decided they want your money within 18 months. They don't want to be your banker either, as they can't take the amount of your deposit or payments into income until it is nonrefundable or earned, so they are just carrying it on the books. Sure the people at the rebooking desk were encou raging you to book a dummy cruise - their job is to book cruises. The accountants and the marketing people are doing their jobs when they say 'whoa, moving bookings for years and years is hurting business and this must stop.'

As someone above said, businesses offer coupons to get you to come to the business NOW, not in 3 or 4 years.

Nancy

 

[pyramid2000]

I don't get where people are saying some gamed or abused the system. And what loophole? It was simple. DCL wants you to cruise again so they had a FUTURE cruise offer. Not a cruise tomorrow deal, not cruise next week, next month, next year. It was simply a booking on a future cruise that gave you 10% off and an OBC. If you found a cruise you liked while speaking to the agent, you booked that cruise. If you didn't know when you could cruise or if dates weren't announced yet, you were still able to get the deal. DCL chose to do this by having you book any available future cruise (instead of a voucher as other lines do. RCCL's has no expiration).

They have now decided that the offer must be used within 18 months. Plenty of people will still have a "dummy" date, even if they pick a specific cruise. The agents probably book more cruises that are later changed than not.

The difference I see happening is that DCL will lose many of these bookings altogether (either by people cancelling or not booking at all). Why hold a reservation and your deposit if you decide you can't use it within that window? You get home and see you can't cruise for 26 months, so you cancel. Now with no future reservation for DCL booked, a potential customer may look at all their options when they find a date they can cruise. I think DCL is taking a step backwards.

 

[pyramid2000]

As someone above said, businesses offer coupons to get you to come to the business NOW, not in 3 or 4 years.

Nancy

Not picking you out of the crowd, but this is really not the same thing. Most businesses offer the same discounts over and over again, so even when the current one expires, you are mostly guaranteed to find another one when you can use it. KWIM?

 

[Piper23]

I'm not sure that I've ever heard Disney announce that the future cruise desk was open to book dummy cruises. We were informed that we could move our cruise and keep benefits, but I really believe over zealous guests took the idea too far.

I was upfront with the guy at the future cruise desk. Told him I wanted to sail again in October 2015. He set me up with a December 2014 date and told me to wait for the 2015 itinerary to come out and then change it. I don't see any abuse there. If that was abusive, then he should have told me I would have to intend on sailing during the booking period he could offer.

 

[ScottJayhawk]

If you can't afford the terms of the new policy then perhaps you should explore other cruise lines more suitable to your budget.
It is what it is, its not unfair at all.

I think it's unfair that Ferrari charges so much for their cars because I'd really like one. But instead I buy a less expensive car.