cruise line reviews - the good, the bad and the ***?

[gotomu212]

It doesn't even seem fathomable that they could allow this to happen -- although many postings have blasted their computer capability and slow speed for booking online. I'm glad they corrected it -- but it would have been awful to arrive day of and find that out! That's why I print duplicates of every confirmation and email LOL..

We arrived at port once and the told us we didn't have a reservation. I thought I was going to faint and/or throw up. We had done online check in, had all our excursions booked, etc I KNEW we had a cruise. I have to say that the initial people we dealt with were not all that helpful or friendly. They kept insisting that we had canceled and that our credit card had even been credited. I had all our paperwork and we even got on the phone with our cc company to show there had been no credit. Eventually they said our reservation had accidentally been cancelled when someone else on our cruise had cancelled their trip and their cc was credited. Honestly this seemed like a really flimsy excuse since that meant they didn't credit the card on file for the cruise and we didn't receive a cancellation confirmation email but whatever. They did find a room for us (a slight upgrade) and once onboard we got a Lithiograph and my son got a stuffed animal for our trouble plus a call with the head of guest services three times during the cruise just to check on us. So it does really happen, and I think their customer service is a little shoddy when you first find out (they just kept insisting they were right despite all our documents and the credit card facts). I don't know what they would have done if it was a sold out cruise.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This! No way on earth did this happen.

But it did happen. Did you read this post?

There are people here that will complain about Disney as well. Some pay $25,000 for a Concierge Suite and will complain that there was an ocean breeze during their cruise.

As for the one with DCL losing a reservation, I would not be surprised it happens. Disney lost our honeymoon reservation. I had to be the one that provided all the proof that we had a reservation, it was fully paid for, and prove they screwed up. This was 5 days before our arrival. Once they agreed it was their fault, they took care of correcting it.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

I usually take online reviews, especially negative ones, with... I wouldn't say a grain of salt, but I certainly try to keep in mind that I've certainly witnessed people expecting the impossible from Disney or refusing to take responsibility for their own actions (biggest example I see at the parks is people not booking ADRs ahead, then slamming Disney for not having a seat for them when they want to waltz up to CRT). Same with the cruises. I usually am hesitant with online reviews because I can't see them in context. Was their server rude or is this a family that regularly treats waiters horribly? Was the staff rude to them, or did they continually try to bring their diaper age child into a 3 and up pool? It's tough to tell, especially because no one wants to be wrong so they blame everything on someone else.

 

[DisneySunPrincess]

But it did happen. Did you read this post?

Actually ....I hadn't until after my post. BUT, my point sort of remains the same, because as with the PPs comment, if they had come even slightly prepared with documentation to back up that they had a reservation, Disney would have made something work. She also said she figured that all out 5 days before her arrival. I guess I am just a very organized planner. Yes, things can go wrong, but people should definitely try to mitigate their losses by being prepared.
I understand that computer systems are not infallible and that even Disney can make mistakes, but that is why I have backup for everything. I guess that is all I meant. If they could prove they had a reservation, I think it would have been fixed.

 

[gotomu212]

Actually ....I hadn't until after my post. BUT, my point sort of remains the same, because as with the PPs comment, if they had come even slightly prepared with documentation to back up that they had a reservation, Disney would have made something work. She also said she figured that all out 5 days before her arrival. I guess I am just a very organized planner. Yes, things can go wrong, but people should definitely try to mitigate their losses by being prepared.
I understand that computer systems are not infallible and that even Disney can make mistakes, but that is why I have backup for everything. I guess that is all I meant. If they could prove they had a reservation, I think it would have been fixed.

I also posted of our experience and I was very well prepared and it did work out for us because it wasn't sold out BUT having all my documents didn't make a real impression on the customer service people at port and if the cruise hadn't been stellar I would be one of those writing a really bad review. It took over an hour standing in the crowded port terminal arguing with customer service and using my cell phone to call my credit card company while my son cried that we might not get on the ship. My blood pressure was off the charts and I had absolutely every piece of paper imaginable. I think there's a lot to be said that they fixed it, but the process to get it fixed was unbearable and we were not treated well (I think the wedding post echoes that in that the burden is on you and they approach it advesarily).

 

[DisneySunPrincess]

I also posted of our experience and I was very well prepared and it did work out for us because it wasn't sold out BUT having all my documents didn't make a real impression on the customer service people at port and if the cruise hadn't been stellar I would be one of those writing a really bad review. It took over an hour standing in the crowded port terminal arguing with customer service and using my cell phone to call my credit card company while my son cried that we might not get on the ship. My blood pressure was off the charts and I had absolutely every piece of paper imaginable. I think there's a lot to be said that they fixed it, but the process to get it fixed was unbearable and we were not treated well (I think the wedding post echoes that in that the burden is on you and they approach it advesarily).

I am certainly sorry to hear that. I am sure that sometimes cast members are a little strong in their backing of their company and that isn't right when you have documentation galore. (After all, look at me and my past post....and I am just a FORMER cast member. LOL) I can't imagine being at port with children terrified their vacation has been ruined or the stress that you were under. That is not cool. But, you are definitely still an example of someone who had the proper documentation and ended up with a good vacation in the end. Of which, I am very glad to hear.

 

[RedSox68]

I also posted of our experience and I was very well prepared and it did work out for us because it wasn't sold out BUT having all my documents didn't make a real impression on the customer service people at port and if the cruise hadn't been stellar I would be one of those writing a really bad review. It took over an hour standing in the crowded port terminal arguing with customer service and using my cell phone to call my credit card company while my son cried that we might not get on the ship. My blood pressure was off the charts and I had absolutely every piece of paper imaginable. I think there's a lot to be said that they fixed it, but the process to get it fixed was unbearable and we were not treated well (I think the wedding post echoes that in that the burden is on you and they approach it advesarily).

What nonsense to have to plead a case in a crowded terminal when you had all the paperwork and proof to put in front of them. There is another thread about someone who booked on opening day only to have someone in reservation completely change their reservation and room numbers -- separating their connecting rooms. No one would take responsibility and Disney finally somewhat fixed it, but it shouldn't have been allowed to happen in the first place. After all these years, you would think Disney would have a better computer system and ability not to lose or change so many reservations. I am very happy it worked out for you, but not a great way to start your trip.

 

[PlanoNana]

I just remembered my favorite silly story about complaints. A friend who was a CM told me that she had a guest get REALLY mad at her because he had rented one of the mini catamarans on Castaway Cay and she wouldn't let him launch it because the tide was out and he would get hung up on the sand bars. His comment was "Disney can do anything. Can't they put more water in and fix this?" He didn't like her answer that the tides were controlled by the moon and the rotation of the earth. Even telling him that if he waited about 30 minutes to an hour the tide would be in enough to launch the cat didn't satisfy him, and he commented negatively on it on the comment card at the end of the cruise even though he received a full refund. Her summation was that in 6 years of working for DCL, this was her favorite "you gotta be kidding" story. The guy was mad because Disney couldn't put more water in the ocean!

And concerning reservations issues. When you consider how many folks travel DCL and understand that people and computers aren't infallible it's really amazing that there aren't more problems.

 

[gwmort]

I believe in being prepared. Most of the posters (and just readers here) probably do to which is why they are researching their vacations.

it boggles my mind sometimes the people that choose to just wing it and then complain things didn't go smoother for them. I'm not saying everyone needs a detailed touring plan for a theme park, but then don't complain when you wander over to an E-ticket attraction and there is an hour wait. If you choose to be the free spirit spontaneous traveler that doesn't research and just explores, you shouldn't expect to see and know everything that a researcher does.

That's fine if you go into it with the right attitude and expectations, but the people who then turn around and write bad reviews about it kind of irk me.

We just got back from a 2 week European vacation that I spent about 2 years planning. It was amazing and everything went super well with smooth and flawless transitions. It went so smoothly I wonder if my wife and kids fully appreciate that the reason it did was all of the preparation, knowing where things were in relation to one another, knowing the opening and closing times, working out ahead of time where our bags would be when we wanted to do a particular activity, etc...

 

[Dug720]

Regarding the cancelling of cruises without the cruiser knowing, I have read of a case on RCCL where the woman was going on a cruise with a friend (separate rooms) and the friend was going through a pretty nasty divorce. Because the friend and her husband had shared stuff in their home and banks and stuff, he had access to all the information about the cruise and any information the agent could possibly request and he had called and cancelled it. He was not going on the cruise, but I guess he either pretended to be a TA or came up with a death or severe illness story so that he was able to do it. The woman said that RCCL worked with them and even went as far as to call the airlines and ensure that certain new secret code words would have to be given before that reservation was cancelled just in case.

That is a scenario I would never have thought of, but it does serve as a reminder that if something like a divorce happens, make sure that things are taken care of regarding any possibly separate plans or online accounts the ex might have ever had access to.

 

[redsonja76]

Our last disney cruise we showed up at the terminal and they had everyone in our party except my daughter. No record of her being on the reservation. They were VERY rude (the port workers not disney) and after showing them all of our paperwork they just sort of shuffled us aside "ok, go ahead" with no smile, no nothing. It certainly didn't ruin our vacation by any stretch of the imagination but it sure did leave a nasty taste in my mouth for the Miami port.