Boo-Hoo, can't confirm vacation time @ work

[keishashadow]

We wanted to book our 1st Land & Sea cruise sometime in February, 2006. Airline finally recovered a "non-existent" bag we checked in February and (to shut me up) are providing us with 2 airline vouchers we need to use before March.

DH's employer has policy where they won't confirm vacation dates until "sometime in December". This would put us past the cut-off period for refunds/final payment, etc. BOO-HOO!

Don't know whether to book now for February & hope for the best, cancelling if we have to, OR

Possibly scrape together enough cash for a trip for September 25th this year (his last week of 2005 vacation). I'm afraid of the possibility of bad weather ruining the trip. What does DCL do in the event of hurricanes? Do they ever cancel or reschedule?, OR

Skip the Cruise until 2007 and book a room-only reservation @ WDW & Universal.

After reading all your posts, I really don't want to wait until 2007 to cruise.

Any suggestions?

 

[jrabbit]

If you schedule for Sept 05, I would consider buying travel insurance that would reimburse you in case of huricannes. Yea it costs some $$$ but it would give you some peace in your decision to cruise later this year.

 

[keishashadow]

Thanks - did you buy thru DCL or use another vendor

 

[westjones]

If you schedule for Sept 05, I would consider buying travel insurance that would reimburse you in case of huricannes. Yea it costs some $$$ but it would give you some peace in your decision to cruise later this year.

September is the least expensive month to sail (although Feb. isn't bad either). We sailed in September the past 5 years and it was great until this past year. Hurricane Jeanne came in and we had to get off early. Disney took good care of us (sent us to the Dolphin on Friday night). So it was still a good trip, but we did have rough waters for two days and that was not fun.

The other 4 years were super! So I wouldn't go by just last year. If we could we would sail again in September, but our twins will go into Middle School next year and we decided we needed to stick to the school schedule (ouch!), so we are going in March next year for spring break (major ouch! when you check the price difference).

So if I were you, I would say go in September. If you can fit in some time at the parks too, it is also one of the lower attendance times at the parks. We are really going to miss Septembers! But as DH says, one day we won't have to go by the school schedule and then we can go back to our September trips.

DJ

 

[MommaluvsDis]

I, too, vote for this September. We got into basically the same thing. DH has worked for this same company for 25 years. In all those years, we've gotten our vacation requests fulfilled. So, thinking everything is cool, I booked us on the June 12th, '05 4 day Wonder using our points from our vacation club. This is also DS's last year to be included in the teen group as he turns 18 ( ) this Dec.

So, thinking we had it made in the shade, imagine our shock when we found out that the vacation he was assigned was nothing like we requested. Turns out that a new guy did the scheduling and EVERYBODY'S vacation was messed up! He wouldn't take the responsibility for this nor would anyone step up and fix the problem. So, it is as it is.

Now, we could have cancelled and rescheduled but DS would be in school in August which is when DH got his vacation. We had to use the points by Nov 30, "05 or lose 378 that we used to book the cruise and 3 days at BWV.

Instead Dh insisted that DS and I go and told me to invite my DC (Disney cousin) who is as close as a sister to me since she's never done anything like this. He and I will take a trip to Branson this fall.

So, the moral of this story is.....A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush! Book for this September and enjoy being with your husband!

 

[cjsmith]

I would go in September and simply take out travel insurance. Also go into the cruise knowing that it is hurricane season and things could change. Just don't be disappointed if your ports are changes, even your whole route and you'll be just fine.
For our Oct Princess cruise I took out insurance on my own with Travelguard. It had one of the best prices for what we needed and I think we only spent alittle over $100 for the 2 of us.
Good luck deciding and enjoy whatever is it you do.

 

[tvguy]

DH's employer has policy where they won't confirm vacation dates until "sometime in December". This would put us past the cut-off period for refunds/final payment, etc. BOO-HOO!

Any suggestions?

Do a little shopping around for travel insurance. My travel agent pointed out that when buy many of these policies, you agree to allow the insurance company to try and recover what it paid out from those responsible for you not being able to go. One of her clients could not go because their employer canceled their vacation time after the cut-off date for a cruise. They canceled the cruise, and got their money back from the insurance company. The insurance company turned around the sued the guys company for everthing they had paid out, plus attorneys fees and won. Needless to say, that company now has a policy that if you book a vacation with a cut off for refunds, and IF you tell them you need a firm confirmation before that date, they WILL now give you a a decision before that deadline.

My company's "Official" policy on vacations is they are not confirmed until your last scheduled day to work before the time off. But they will give you earlier confirmation if you let them know that your travel plans require it.

 

[aprilgail2]

My company's "Official" policy on vacations is they are not confirmed until your last scheduled day to work before the time off. But they will give you earlier confirmation if you let them know that your travel plans require it.

The day before?? That is harsh LOL....at my job we have to pick in Oct of 2004 for our vacations in 2005 and there is no changing them on our part or theirs. I need to know what 5 weeks off I want by Oct of the year prior which is no picnic either....things come up and I can't change the vacations but I do have 6 personal days I could take i na row to make my own week if I had to. We pick vacations in seniority order and since I am number 2 and 3 people can take off at one time I get whatever I want every year now.

 

[tvguy]

Won't be an issue for long, we just got sold. We are the only location our corporation has in California, and the laws here are vastly different.
There were actually policies in our handbook that are felonies here in California.
For example, if you quit and don't give 2 full weeks notice, the policy was you lost all vacation time you were owed. Illegal here.

 

[keishashadow]

We decided to "roll the dice" and book for February '06, hopefully, we have a vacation by our final payment date.

Guess I'll search through the insurance companies to try and find one that covers this situation.

Thanks.