8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC Part 15

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Just a quick hello from Barcelona, been here since Saturday was rainnig then, now has improved and sunny 30c/31c.

I embark the Magic this Saturday, seen many cruise ships in the port, but none anywhere near the Magic.

Did everyone else get the e.mail that Panama taxes have increased and DCL will collect another $100 from each of us, I'll pay it on ship next week!!!!!!

See you soon.

 

[tom31b]

I agree with Tom that we should all call Disney and protest - I doubt they will just eat the cost, but maybe they will give in on some sort of onboard credit to offset it a little - even $50 per person would make it more palatable and feel like DCL was at least trying to share the cost.

With the ship sailing completely full, they can't be cutting it close on profit on this sailing.

Pamela (pdarrah)

Hey, its the squeaky wheel that gets oiled. Apparently I was not the first to complain today, the DCL rep said they expect many many calls on this....

I like the OBC or photos idea....

I just said I would be spending $200 less on pictures, gifts, and excursions!!!

I wonder if they figure with the fee being assessed now, we will have all forgotten about it in 13 months and spend normally?

Shoot!

The Panamanians just tagged my party for another $3000!

This just gives us another reason to thank our lucky stars that we are not Crash! (sorry Tom, couldn't resist)....

 

[micmse2003]

Tina,

The email I received was obviously a mass mailing to all Dreams customers. Could your email have been like that and was just sent to all customers (assuming that no one has paid off yet!).

When you have some spare time, it would probably be worth calling DCL or emailing your TA and arguing that you had paid in full before this announcment.

Pamela (pdarrah)

I would sure give a good arguement!!!

 

[castoff]

What can it hurt for you (and your TA) to call and ask? It may come down to the date they imposed charge (as opposed to when we found out about it).

I may be taking advantage of the Disney Visa free 6 months without interest for cruise charges just to avoid any future increases. It will make me paid with DCL, but nothing due till January when I was looking to pay it off anyway....

Tina,

The email I received was obviously a mass mailing to all Dreams customers. Could your email have been like that and was just sent to all customers (assuming that no one has paid off yet!).

When you have some spare time, it would probably be worth calling DCL or emailing your TA and arguing that you had paid in full before this announcment.

Pamela (pdarrah)

I was just coming back here to post that I sent dreams an email. I will let you know what they say. The check has not cleared my bank yet but it was written and mailed on July 12th. Maybe I will get lucky.

 

[castoff]

Just a quick hello from Barcelona, been here since Saturday was rainnig then, now has improved and sunny 30c/31c.

I embark the Magic this Saturday, seen many cruise ships in the port, but none anywhere near the Magic.

Did everyone else get the e.mail that Panama taxes have increased and DCL will collect another $100 from each of us, I'll pay it on ship next week!!!!!!

See you soon.

Have a great time ! Didn't you already pay this cruise in full? You might not have to pay the additional fee?

Hey, its the squeaky wheel that gets oiled. Apparently I was not the first to complain today, the DCL rep said they expect many many calls on this....

I like the OBC or photos idea....



I wonder if they figure with the fee being assessed now, we will have all forgotten about it in 13 months and spend normally?



This just gives us another reason to thank our lucky stars that we are not Crash! (sorry Tom, couldn't resist)....

Oh Tom I just keep thinking I could take another Disney cruise on your fees alone.

 

[castoff]

o.k had a duh moment..............I just checked my reservation on dreams and it is showing I paid in full no bal. due. Ah maybe I shouldn't have sent the email now.

 

[micmse2003]

Hey, its the squeaky wheel that gets oiled. Apparently I was not the first to complain today, the DCL rep said they expect many many calls on this....

I like the OBC or photos idea....

That might make the increase more tolerable!!!



I wonder if they figure with the fee being assessed now, we will have all forgotten about it in 13 months and spend normally?

I hold grudges so I don't think I will forget!!!!!



This just gives us another reason to thank our lucky stars that we are not Crash! (sorry Tom, couldn't resist)....

With the $3000 extra, the money could pay for another 3 or 4 day cruise.

Read my post between the lines!!!

 

[goofyforlife]

Okay, so I've somehow managed to delete the quote in my post above so it probably doesn't make much sense now!

Andy - hope your shingles clears. I understand it's supposed to be horrendous. I thought it was routine in the US to vaccinate against chicken pox so you didn't get shingles!

The CPox vaccine hasn't been around that long so a lot of us adults never had it. I remember having a terrible case of pox when I was a little girl in the 60's, I thought I had bugs crawling on me all the time.

I had Chicken Pox when I was a wee little lad, from what I understand the CP virus stays inactive in your body, but things such as stress can make the virus active again. I think the stress that I have been under at work most likely triggered the Shingles. I truly don't remember there being a vaccination for Chicken Pox (I could be wrong), but I think we might have gotten a vaccination for Small Pox when I was younger.

The Chicken Pox vaccine was liscensed in 1995. Newer is the Shingles vaccine. The CDC recommended in Oct of last year that people over 60 should receive the vaccine.

Yup, the CP vaccine came along in 1995 around April. DD got it at day care in March that year. I had told the dr she had it but i kid you not..thier office called me like 2 weeks later to ask me if i wanted the shot for dd...DUH..didn't they put it in their records that she just had a full blown case.

I truly do not believe in the vaccine. I've personally seen several vaccincated children over the years who have had cases. And with one of the kids...it was not a light case either... His mom said that alot of the kids in his school and the area in PA were getting them (vaccine or no vaccine).

As for shingles, i would think that since the original CP shot gives you a mild form of varicella virus, that too would qualify you to get shingles later in life.

My mom tried to get em to catch the "pox" when i was 3 (becauase my slightly older aunt had them). Turns out i never got them until 2nd grade and boy was i miserable.

My dd also had a miserable case. Luckily i was between jobs at the time.

Well I'm off to the vet this morning. Harley has either eaten or gotten into something, his tummy,feet and mouth are red. Shoot hope he's not allergic to his dog food, I just bought a 40lb bag last week!

Did you get him a new bone? i only ask because once i bought a Hartz knucle bone for Abby and the next day she had swelled up like a pit bull head. Luckily a few days on Benedryl was all that was needed (you can give dogs 1mg for every lb in doggie weight every four hours.)

I keep Benedryl on hand now...But i won't buy any bones with colorings or preservatives again.

Casey, our Lab, has had allergic reactions to her yearly shots for the past 5 years so we have to be very careful. Luckily the have 3 yr ones now so i think if we do them this may be the last set she'll need. (She's 10.5)

 

[tom31b]

I hold grudges so I don't think I will forget!!!!!

Your poor husband....

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Have a great time ! Didn't you already pay this cruise in full? You might not have to pay the additional fee?

Oh Tom I just keep thinking I could take another Disney cruise on your fees alone.

My Panama DCL cruise 'was' paid in full but Dreams say I have to pay!!

 

[tom31b]

My Panama DCL cruise 'was' paid in full but Dreams say I have to pay!!

That may have been a mass mail that was not applicable to you. If they still say that, have them check with DCL. Paid in full should not have to pay.

 

[castoff]

My Panama DCL cruise 'was' paid in full but Dreams say I have to pay!!

Did you check your dreams reservation? Mine says no bal. due. I think you have a better chance on not paying the fees because you paid so far out. Good luck.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Did you check your dreams reservation? Mine says no bal. due. I think you have a better chance on not paying the fees because you paid so far out. Good luck.

They said they will update over the coming weeks, considering they will get interest on my booking for 18 months, wouldnt be much to ask!!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

That may have been a mass mail that was not applicable to you. If they still say that, have them check with DCL. Paid in full should not have to pay.

Interesting.

 

[got2travel]

Berth = bed

ok, so we'll all just share the same bed, therefore $100, not $400 but somehow I don't think DCL will agree with my logic

 

[tom31b]

ok, so we'll all just share the same bed, therefore $100, not $400 but somehow I don't think DCL will agree with my logic

Please remember this is a family friendly board, all those people in the GTY room in one bed.....

 

[m&m's mom]

This stupid fee totally stinks. I have been killing myself to get the rewards on my Disney Visa for a good OBC and now my last year's worth will have been knocked out immediately.
$400 for us was money I was going to spend possibly upgrading my cabin and I guess not anymore.

 

[pdarrah]

This stupid fee totally stinks. I have been killing myself to get the rewards on my Disney Visa for a good OBC and now my last year's worth will have been knocked out immediately.
$400 for us was money I was going to spend possibly upgrading my cabin and I guess not anymore.

Although I know I can't blame DCL for the actual fee, I do blame them for how they are handling this. First, they must have known that this was in the works. Just browsing around on the web it is obvious that this has been discussed for quite a while and through various boards/committees or whatever other beurocracy the Panama Canal Authority has. DCL should have either built this fee into the original prices or made a very clear upfront statement that we should be expecting this increase. Surprising us with it after 6 months of planning our budgets and how we are paying for this TOAL just isn't a good way to present it.

I think we would all be handling it better if DCL were saying something more like - although it isn't our price increase, we are very sorry about it. To make it a little easier on you (our loyal customers!) we would like to offer you XXXXX to help make this extra charge a little easier. XXXXX could be nearly anything from a $50/person on board credit to a photo package at shutters to an offer to pay a portion of the fee themselves and we pay the ballance.

As I said before, this ship is sailing completely full and DCL is certainly not running a boarderline profit for this voyage. A token attempt to "ease the burden" would go far in customer satisfaction.

I suspect that very few will cancel their cruises over this increase, but it will leave a sour taste with many of us - and I suspect that many will have their onboard spending effected since they have a total budget for the trip and it will just have to be rearranged to handle this extra cost.

Pamela (pdarrah)

 

[Downrivermama]

Hey all! Hope everyone is having a good day. Got the letter about the extra $100 fee. That stinks. Well that's an extra $200 for us.

 

[captaincrash]

Here are 2 of my favorite photos from our last cruise.
Our Lifestyle photo:

And our Palo Night:

Kevin had shaved of his mustache and goatee just before the cruise(easier for snorkeling)...first time in 27 yrs. that I'd seen him without a mustache

These are great pictures! You can just feel the romantic warmth radiating from them!

I can just imagine what you two must sound like (when we meet) as you address one another!!! ...