Aug 24 2014 cruise canceled!

[thehowells]

i admit i'm new to the whole cruise thing does this happen very often?
i am booked for sept 27 2014 on the fantasy, and am now worried about my cruise
the 27th will be my 40th birthday, and oct 2nd is my 10 year anniversarry, we kinda booked this for a reason

 

[Silverfox97]

I didn't even know that could happen. Who rents out an entire cruise ship?

Chick-Fil-A rented the RCI Oasis or Allure (can't remember which one). That had to have been expensive!!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[piranhas87]

We just moved our cruise to the week before for over $200 more even with an extra $100 on board credit. I explained how unfair this was and they said they understood but couldn't do anything more. Very frustrating to be paying more money for the exact same cruise, same room, and even the same month!

 

[twopeasonepod]

Super bummed for all of you who have had to experience this.

I get that things happen, and that DCL can cancel your cruise, blah blah blah. But what I don't get is why can't the CMs be gracious and understanding and COMPASSIONATE??? I would just apologize over and over to you and try to do my best to help. Even when I couldn't offer more (like say the OBC), I would say things to try to smooth it over like "This is a horrible inconvenience" or "You should be able to book at the same rate, right???....sorry I can't do that for you" or whatever. Aren't these people in CUSTOMER SERVICE???

 

[debsters41]

This happened to me as well. What I am wondering is if I could conceivably switch the date to a dummy date and "keep" the OBC offered for the same cruise in 2015?

 

[jimsubry]

Oh my gosh, I saw the "Aug 24" and didn't see the "2014" and my heart dropped, as I'm on the Aug 24 2013 cruise, ha ha! They wouldn't cancel something THAT quickly coming up, I guess!

So sorry for it happening to you, though! Hope you get it worked out!

 

[CamColt]

I'm feeling little better about this now. We changed form B2Bs to the 7 night Eastern the same week. I'm not overly thrilled about this change as I was really looking forward to the 4/3, with 2 stops at CC, and doing everything on the 4 night, then relaxing on the 3 night, but I think it is the best we are going to get. It actually came to $157.00 less than the B2Bs and we get the extra $100.00 OBC. So, on paper it looks like I made out well, but it's not what I really want to do in my heart. Still wavering on if we will keep it or push it to 2015 (possibly do another cruise line (NCL Boston-Bermuda) next summer) but for now, that's what we have.

 

[CSHaydt]

I have to say all of you are taking this much better then i would; we are booked on an April 2014 Fantasy - and they made us change dates; only offered us $100 OBC and told me i would have to pay the difference for a different cruise. I would be so pissed we would no longer be cruising with DCL!!! I am all for loyalty. We love our cruises and we go every other year. but that would be unforgivable, especially if I got a CM who was rude about it!

 

[AquaDame]

I'm not quite sure what we would do either... paying more would upset me, but when they moved the W+D 1/2 marathon from its traditional week last year we rolled with it even though it cost us I think $800 more since we were booking so "late" by changing our cruise date. So who knows... it WOULD be nice if everyone just cancelled when they do this and made Disney knock it off! Bottom lines talk!

 

[erocrobro]

I'm feeling little better about this now. We changed form B2Bs to the 7 night Eastern the same week. I'm not overly thrilled about this change as I was really looking forward to the 4/3, with 2 stops at CC, and doing everything on the 4 night, then relaxing on the 3 night, but I think it is the best we are going to get. It actually came to $157.00 less than the B2Bs and we get the extra $100.00 OBC. So, on paper it looks like I made out well, but it's not what I really want to do in my heart. Still wavering on if we will keep it or push it to 2015 (possibly do another cruise line (NCL Boston-Bermuda) next summer) but for now, that's what we have.

I know it is absolutely no consolation for what Disney has done, but we just came off of a Fantasy Eastern and it was the most amazing vacation experience we have ever had.

 

[CamColt]

I know it is absolutely no consolation for what Disney has done, but we just came off of a Fantasy Eastern and it was the most amazing vacation experience we have ever had.

Thanks! That is nice to hear. Hopefully over the next year my heart will be in it...and hopefully I will love the Fantasy next month.

Maybe you can answer the question I have about the Easter. Did you have to get up early 1 morning for something with immigration. I remember hearing something about that years ago, but not sure if it still happens. Thanks for the info!

 

[MedicGoofy]

I have to say that I am pretty frustrated right now. I received an email this morning that said that our cruise that we had already booked was now not available and that we needed to contact them to reschedule.

I contacted them this morning and was told that I needed to pick a new date as the ship was rented out privately for that sailing date. Ok, I'll pick the 4 day cruise immediately before that. I want the same category and I think that they should honor the price I had already booked. Nope. Sorry Charlie, you must pay the difference.

The thing that makes this so much more aggravating is that this was supposed to be my daughters sweet sixteen cruise and we have over 30 people and 11 staterooms booked.

I need to talk to my husband and all our relatives before calling back and rescheduling but I think this is crappy of them to do. I wouldn't mind switching dates if I didn't have to pay almost $1000 more to do so.

Has anyone else had this happen to them? Did Disney end up honoring the price? If I would have known when I booked (the day the 2014 dates were released) I would have gotten a better price on the other cruise too, I'm sure.

Thanks for any insight.

Yup. DCL did this to my cruise back in Feb. They had some issues with sailings out of Texas and changed all the dates and types of cruises they were. Not only did they cancel my date, but everything around my date was changed to a 4 day. It happens.

BUT having said that. I must of lucked out with my CM...because not only did they honor my price that I had originally paid, but because I had to change my flights, they paid for the difference in airfare as well as the change fee that JetBlue charged me. AND, when my cruise offered GT rates because it wasn't selling, I was able to cancel and rebook, keep my onboard booking credit. And to top it off, our cruise was offered a $250 onboard credit for our hassles.

While it can disrupt plans, it happens. In the end, I was glad it happened. Was much happier with my cruise, AND I had a nice padded OBC.

 

[woody73]

. . . Aren't these people in CUSTOMER SERVICE???

In recent years, it seems that DCL cancels at least one cruise a year.

Sadly, when this happens, there have been reports of poor customer service by DCL shoreside reps who adopt a "take it or leave it" attitude.

Woody

 

[mgpan]

I have to say all of you are taking this much better then i would; we are booked on an April 2014 Fantasy - and they made us change dates; only offered us $100 OBC and told me i would have to pay the difference for a different cruise. I would be so pissed we would no longer be cruising with DCL!!! I am all for loyalty. We love our cruises and we go every other year. but that would be unforgivable, especially if I got a CM who was rude about it!

DCL wants you to be a loyal repeat customer and this is the best they can do? Why don't they require anyone chartering a cruise to do so before the schedule and bookings are open to anyone for individual bookings? They want you to not change your plans and put in place cancellation fees to make sure you don't. But they can change their minds without penalty? Not fair, not customer oriented, but they know many of us are Disney lemmings and would accept a shorter cruise on a tug boat with no a/c if they said so. Unless enough people say no this is unacceptable this same scenario will happen again and again. $100 OBC give me a break! When you take into account the profit margin for anything you would buy with that OBC is at least a 50% markup, they are really only giving you a measly 50 bucks. There are 1000's of experiences out there besides Disney, and we all need to remember that we are the customer and they are not doing us a favor!

 

[MedicGoofy]

I am one unhappy camper!!!!

The august 24th cruise was the middle cruise of my back ii back ii back for 2014!!!! We were going to make platnum status!!!

Now we had to switch to the august 17th cruise which was more expensive and cancel the august 28th cruise!!!

Yes I am one unhappy camper....

I feel bad for all those parties that contained multiple families and friends .... it's hard to agree with a dtae to begin with and book and to start all over again!!

Does anyone know what the last day a cruise can be cancelled for a chartered group? 365 days out?? year and a half??

It just seems a little unfair to the average joe ...

okay my rant is over .... but im still an unhappy camper.

My cruise was cancelled only a few months out. It wasn't a chartered cruise but a whole change in the planning. I'm thinking that DCL has the ability to do what they choose, kinda like any other cruise line. And it is more than a full year away. I know that planning has happened. BUT they have given more than enough notice.

 

[amityisland]

Maybe you can answer the question I have about the Easter. Did you have to get up early 1 morning for something with immigration. I remember hearing something about that years ago, but not sure if it still happens. Thanks for the info!

We just were on the Fantasy Eastern from June 15th to the 22nd and we didn't have to do anything like that.

I know it may be poor cancellation, but the Fantasy was really a beautiful ship. I posted a trip report if you'd like to see pics and what the 7 day Eastern's like:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3131198

 

[CamColt]

We just were on the Fantasy Eastern from June 15th to the 22nd and we didn't have to do anything like that.

I know it may be poor cancellation, but the Fantasy was really a beautiful ship. I posted a trip report if you'd like to see pics and what the 7 day Eastern's like:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3131198

Thanks, I will check that out. And thanks for the info too. After hearing that years ago it is 1 reason I have never really looked into an Eastern.
I am sailing on the Fantasy next month and I am a bit worried that I wont like it as much as the other ships (from certain things I have seen about it). 4 weeks from now I will know.

 

[JustineMarie]

I did end up booking New Jersey week. We ended up all pretty much getting the rooms that we wanted. Two of the families we were going with had to back out because they couldn't afford the price increase on the earlier cruise and can't have their kids miss school for the cruise in November, which I totally understand. I just feel bad because the 2 families that are backing out are my daughter's friends so now she has no one that is her age going on her "Sweet Sixteen" cruise. I'm probably going to end up letting her ask if one of her other friends could go so she at least has someone.

Anyway, the new date is booked. We ended up saving $100 on the room and got 100$ OBC. I'm a little confused though and need to call back to confirm bc the cruise was booked on a prior cruise so we technically should get that OBC plus the new OBC. The man I booked with said he wasn't sure if that was the case. He said he thought so?? Other than that he was very very apologetic and thankful that I wasn't more angry than I was. He said he had been dealing with a lot of unhappy people and that he agreed more should be done to compensate the customers.

Im still aggravated. I know it will pass but it still ticks me off. I think that if they were going to cancel a cruise or charter it out, it should have to be done immediately when the schedule is released.

 

[mcd2745]

I had a moment of panic there as we are on the August 23, 2014 sailing (Fantasy) but I thought it was the 24th (my confusion coming from the fact we're sailing on August 24 this year).


That said, while I understand they can rent out the entire ship to one organization, I believe what they are offering the customers/guests who get bumped is terrible. I can't believe all they are offering people is an extra $100 OBC. They should a) honor the price they reserved at for an identical itinerary on any available date if that date has a higher price than what was booked originally and b) offer at least an additional $250 OBC for the inconvenience. For a company that prides itself on its customer service, I'm really surprised by this.

 

[CamColt]

I did end up booking New Jersey week. We ended up all pretty much getting the rooms that we wanted. Two of the families we were going with had to back out because they couldn't afford the price increase on the earlier cruise and can't have their kids miss school for the cruise in November, which I totally understand. I just feel bad because the 2 families that are backing out are my daughter's friends so now she has no one that is her age going on her "Sweet Sixteen" cruise. I'm probably going to end up letting her ask if one of her other friends could go so she at least has someone.

Anyway, the new date is booked. We ended up saving $100 on the room and got 100$ OBC. I'm a little confused though and need to call back to confirm bc the cruise was booked on a prior cruise so we technically should get that OBC plus the new OBC. The man I booked with said he wasn't sure if that was the case. He said he thought so?? Other than that he was very very apologetic and thankful that I wasn't more angry than I was. He said he had been dealing with a lot of unhappy people and that he agreed more should be done to compensate the customers.

Im still aggravated. I know it will pass but it still ticks me off. I think that if they were going to cancel a cruise or charter it out, it should have to be done immediately when the schedule is released.

I agree! Even though we have it settled and it looks like we got a good deal on paper, it's not what I really want to do so is it really a good deal? I am still aggravated too.

And yes, mine was an on board booking too so I got the 10% off and on board booking carried over to the new dates, so you should too. Good luck!