Concierge class and COVID

[lanejudy]

As a PP mentioned, DCL did offer an "out" to anyone with a cruise booked on the Dream before she re-started earlier this month. Unfortunately that opportunity has passed. The Fantasy is currently in that cancellation period, for cruises scheduled in Sept. or Oct. 2021 if canceled by 9/3/2021. I don't know if the suggestion to book one of those cruises and then subsequently cancel would work. I suggest you talk with your TA about that.

It's possible the Wonder will offer a similar "out" before cruising restarts on the west coast -- presumably this fall. Or possibly the Magic when she returns to the US.

Did you purchase travel insurance and if so does it have any covered reasons you may be able to claim?

 

[WheresWalt]

Our TA is with Disney. I’m giving up. Thanks for all your kind comments everyone.

 

[lanejudy]

Our TA is with Disney. I’m giving up. Thanks for all your kind comments everyone.

Did your TA inform you (or your wife) in late July/early August of the opportunity to cancel Dream cruises with no penalty? I believe that opportunity ended 8/3/2021 and was an option for about 2 weeks prior. If not, I suggest you fight that point. Go to the Agency owner (assuming your TA works with a larger agency and not solo).

 

[starry_solo]

July 23 was the date of my two emails. Maybe your wife did get the emails and didn’t read them?

 

[starry_solo]

Btw, I believe there may still be an out if someone has symptoms of COVID…

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/featured/book-with-confidence/
Important Details

• Within 14 days prior to embarkation, Guests who experience one or more of the qualifying scenarios may change their sail date, under the following terms:
  • Guests who wish to change their sail date must move the sail date to a future sailing that commences prior to September 30, 2022.
  • Onboard Offer Blockout Dates apply
  • Future cruise credits cannot be applied to the Disney Wish maiden voyage, setting sail on June 9, 2022.
  • Guests cannot change their reservation back to the original sail date after taking advantage of this policy.
• Qualifying scenarios include Guests who:
  • Have symptoms of COVID-19
  • Have a temperature of 100.4°F or greater
  • Have had known exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the previous 14 days
  • Have tested positive for COVID-19
• Guests who do not wish to select a new sail date will be provided a refund without Disney-imposed cancellation fees in their original form of payment.
• Guests who experience one or more of the qualifying scenarios on the day of Embarkation will be denied boarding. Guests who are denied boarding will receive a Denied Boarding Voucher for the full amount of their sailing or a refund without Disney-imposed cancellation fees.
• Please note that travel insurance and cancellation fees imposed by third-party suppliers, including airlines, are not refundable.
• Once on board, Guests who are subject to mandatory quarantine or who test positive for COVID-19 will receive a pro-rated voucher for a future cruise or a pro-rated refund.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

It's crazy to me that they're still making concierge deposits non-refundable. I have some non-refundable deposits for our 2022 safari in Kenya/Tanzania that I booked 3 years ago, but that was before the world changed (and we do have trip insurance for it that would get us back most of our money should something unforeseeable happen). I'll never book any trip again that I can't cancel for a full refund at least 30 days out, and I cruised concierge to Alaska on DCL in 2019. Especially with concierge bookings, it's a lot of money to gamble.

 

[Cheburashka]

Two years ago we decided to take our daughters and their young families on a Dream cruise. Friends told us the only way to go was Concierge. Then COVID hit. We have been pushing back the cruise dates but our family situation has changed. My wife and I are two years older and doing some things is more challenging. Her parents, in their 90s, require almost daily care and our daughters tell us there is no way they will take their very young ones on a cruise in the current environment. I truly believe we will someday be able to sail but not for the foreseeable future. I want a refund of my deposit of over 7 thousand dollars but DCL is dug in and refusing because we made concierge reservations. What is so special about this tier of travel that it’s the only non-refundable level? What steps can I take to escalate this request?

Your best chance at getting the money back in an honest way (without lying about having Covid symptoms) would be to change the reservation to a nonconcierge cruise that is unlikely to sail in its current form (like an October 2021 7 or 8-night cruise, for example). Or switch to an upcoming Wonder cruise, since their guests haven't been given the "here are our new procedures & you can cancel if you don't like them" message, yet. Yes, you can change a concierge cruise to a non-concierge cruise. Switching to nonconcierge won't make your concierge deposit refundable, but it will keep the price of the 7-8 night cruise on a par with what you paid for your short Dream concierge cruise. When the new cruise is either changed to a shorter cruise or cancelled, DCL will then offer everyone, including concierge, a full refund. Switching to an upcoming cruise & getting the "here are the new procedures love 'em or cancel" email was how I got my February '22 concierge deposit back, myself.

There is no real risk in that approach, because Disney is currently letting people push their cruises further back even very close to cruise date. So even if the new cruise isn't changed or cancelled by DCL so no refund is offered, you can still push it further back to a later cruise date. The trick is to choose the earliest cruise you can (most likely to be disrupted by Covid) that is also a longer cruise. You also want to make the switch asap, because the cruise change or cancellation could happen at any time.

OP, you should also reevaluate your trust in the people who told you "concierge was the only way to go". I've sailed 6 non-concierge DCL cruises & can tell you that's baloney. They must have never sailed DCL non-concierge, to have said that. And did they mention the big risk of booking concierge, that you typically can never get the deposit back? Also, it would have been wise for you to sail DCL once yourself before booking an expensive extended family vacation on DCL. Live and learn. Hope our advice helps and you end up getting all of your money back.

 

[Cheburashka]

It's crazy to me that they're still making concierge deposits non-refundable. I have some non-refundable deposits for our 2022 safari in Kenya/Tanzania that I booked 3 years ago, but that was before the world changed (and we do have trip insurance for it that would get us back most of our money should something unforeseeable happen). I'll never book any trip again that I can't cancel for a full refund at least 30 days out, and I cruised concierge to Alaska on DCL in 2019. Especially with concierge bookings, it's a lot of money to gamble.

If they didn't, then concierge would routinely sell out instantly, only to be vacated by a large percentage of those who booked it, which could lead to empty concierge cabins at sail date, because those who might have booked it for real chose different vacation options. It would also make the process of booking a concierge cabin a royal pain for non-Platinum guests, kind of like trying to book a Castaway Cay cabana is now.

 

[sethschroeder]

If they didn't, then concierge would routinely sell out instantly, only to be vacated by a large percentage of those who booked it, which could lead to empty concierge cabins at sail date, because those who might have booked it for real chose different vacation options. It would also make the process of booking a concierge cabin a royal pain for non-Platinum guests, kind of like trying to book a Castaway Cay cabana is now.

Eh unless they had some other policy previously I think that's just the excuse for having a policy where they can keep your money and still sell the room again for a pretty penny.

 

[starry_solo]

Your best chance at getting the money back in an honest way (without lying about having Covid symptoms) would be to change the reservation to a nonconcierge cruise that is unlikely to sail in its current form (like an October 2021 7 or 8-night cruise, for example). Or switch to an upcoming Wonder cruise, since their guests haven't been given the "here are our new procedures & you can cancel if you don't like them" message, yet. Yes, you can change a concierge cruise to a non-concierge cruise. Switching to nonconcierge won't make your concierge deposit refundable, but it will keep the price of the 7-8 night cruise on a par with what you paid for your short Dream concierge cruise. When the new cruise is either changed to a shorter cruise or cancelled, DCL will then offer everyone, including concierge, a full refund. Switching to an upcoming cruise & getting the "here are the new procedures love 'em or cancel" email was how I got my February '22 concierge deposit back, myself.

There is no real risk in that approach, because Disney is currently letting people push their cruises further back even very close to cruise date. So even if the new cruise isn't changed or cancelled by DCL so no refund is offered, you can still push it further back to a later cruise date. The trick is to choose the earliest cruise you can (most likely to be disrupted by Covid) that is also a longer cruise. You also want to make the switch asap, because the cruise change or cancellation could happen at any time.

OP, you should also reevaluate your trust in the people who told you "concierge was the only way to go". I've sailed 6 non-concierge DCL cruises & can tell you that's baloney. They must have never sailed DCL non-concierge, to have said that. And did they mention the big risk of booking concierge, that you typically can never get the deposit back? Also, it would have been wise for you to sail DCL once yourself before booking an expensive extended family vacation on DCL. Live and learn. Hope our advice helps and you end up getting all of your money back.

@WheresWalt

 

[Cheburashka]

Our TA is with Disney. I’m giving up. Thanks for all your kind comments everyone.

OP, I hope you come back & read more posts so you can find out how to get your money back.

Such a shame to only listen to the first few posters who are inevitably DCL apologists who jump on a thread like this to inaccurately tell the poster they have to like it or lump it. There are definitely other options in this situation.

 

[undertheradar]

The other option is to have your TA book a "dummy" reservation, moving your current reservation to a far off date. You could continue to do this until you are able to sail with all you wish to include.

 

[sethschroeder]

The other option is to have your TA book a "dummy" reservation, moving your current reservation to a far off date. You could continue to do this until you are able to sail with all you wish to include.

Can you "give" this to someone else? I wonder if thats an option as well where you find someone who is going to go and they pay the OP a portion of the value so they get a discount and the OP gets some money back.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Can you "give" this to someone else? I wonder if thats an option as well where you find someone who is going to go and they pay the OP a portion of the value so they get a discount and the OP gets some money back.

I don't believe you can sell a reservation. At least one name must remain on it that was on the original reservation.

 

[insureman]

OP, I hope you come back & read more posts so you can find out how to get your money back.

Such a shame to only listen to the first few posters who are inevitably DCL apologists who jump on a thread like this to inaccurately tell the poster they have to like it or lump it. There are definitely other options in this situation.

It seems like he was done with the disboards. It also seems to me he was getting frustrated with the process and unfortunately some comments come off as being lectured to. My opinon.

 

[starry_solo]

It seems like he was done with the disboards. It also seems to me he was getting frustrated with the process and unfortunately some comments come off as being lectured to. My opinon.

The OP's last "seen on" in his profile was the evening of Friday, same date he originally posted. I think he was hoping for someone to tell him who to successfully contact, but no one here can do that. What works for one person might not work for the other. I feel like the wife (or whomever he wants to blame for not checking the emails that DCL sent) seems to be the one to be handling all the details of everything.

 

[Cheburashka]

It also seems to me he was getting frustrated with the process and unfortunately some comments come off as being lectured to.

Well yeah, some of the posters on here can discourage anyone. Unfortunately, I've noticed that the most negative posters are often the fastest ones to answer threads- it's like they're always on self-appointed patrol to squelch any potential dissidence against the way Disney chooses to do things.

 

[starry_solo]

@WheresWalt = are you still there?!

Look at this:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...s-must-take-covid-test-at-port.3851059/page-2
I haven't found it on the DCL page to refer you to, but it looks like you might be able to cancel and get a refund if you cancel by tomorrow, 9/3/2021!!!

Here is the quote:
Looks to be Bahamian cruises Sept. 3rd to Nov. 1st:
Guests on a sailing to The Bahamas (including Disney Castaway Cay) departing from September 3, 2021 to prior to November 1, 2021 may modify their sail date or cancel their sailing without any Disney-imposed cancellation fees by contacting our reservations team at (866) 325-6685 or (407) 566-7797 by September 3, 2021.

 

[erik3dis]

So I have a concierge booking over Thanksgiving on the Wonder and I am still not able to get a refund at this point. Yet the cruise experience is certainly significantly diminished from when it was booked and paid for.

What is the rationale here? The restrictions currently in place may not still be in place come Thanksgiving so DCL is not opening up the potential for refunds yet? So refunds may be an option closer to sail date depending on status of restrictions?

There is no way I'm paying full price for the experience as currently laid out. It seems preposterous that my only option would be to continue extending out my reservation while Disney keeps my money?

 

[KashasMom]

So I have a concierge booking over Thanksgiving on the Wonder and I am still not able to get a refund at this point. Yet the cruise experience is certainly significantly diminished from when it was booked and paid for.

What is the rationale here? The restrictions currently in place may not still be in place come Thanksgiving so DCL is not opening up the potential for refunds yet? So refunds may be an option closer to sail date depending on status of restrictions?

There is no way I'm paying full price for the experience as currently laid out. It seems preposterous that my only option would be to continue extending out my reservation while Disney keeps my money?

Have you made your final payment yet? Our Wonder cruise is Feb. 8th and final payment was due next week. Fortunately, just today, Disney (and therefore, Dreams Unlimited) extended final payment to 60 days prior. My plan - as of yesterday - was to move the cruise to a phoney booking but yeah, I'm pretty over Disney. These aren't normal circumstances and they should have made exceptions for Concierge, who already pay a ridiculous premium. The experience - we enjoy - IS diminished. All we can do now is wait until December and see how things if the experience has improved.