DCL carry-on alcohol policy changing Sept. 30 2015

[littleblackegg]

Right, so, I work really, really hard, and spent 9 months saving for this vacation, but I should suck it up because I have running water? Both my husband and I work full time jobs, and do side work to save for the stuff we do that is "extra." We had expectations, and budgets, based on the policies and prices Disney had when we booked this cruise 9 months ago. But, that is ok...its just money right? And I have indoor plumbing, so, I should be fine with that. Honestly, if I could cancel, I would. And, I would take my family, with our 5 PIF cabins, to a different cruise line that also has good food, swimming pools and a pretty boat...but it would cost us alot less, and be well below the original budget I designed.
I'm not really sure why you would assume that I do not feel fortunate for the things I have in life (as well as assuming I am upper-middle class, because our salaries probably do not fall in that category), and why you would think what you describe as a sense of entitlement and being disgruntled over a major hike in our cruise price are remotely connected...? With all things, I work at them until I either A. reach my goal or B. have exhausted all energy and options. There is no giving up and there will be no regrets. That is how I move forward....knowing I did everything in my own power to affect a change.

Well, and you did. And it seems to continually make you feel unhappy and victimized by the process. You seem to feel unheard, forgotten and deeply saddened by the process of fighting. You constantly write that you are being ignored. It doesn't seem to be empowering you and making you feel like you are doing everything you can. Unless you are feeling good about it and just not sharing it. I am not ignoring you. I am really delighted to see you write about using your power to affect a change. If you were just disgruntled it would be one thing, but you were really sounding sad. I was feeling sad for you. And don't underestimate the pick-me-up power of indoor plumbing. I lived in Cameroon when I was in the Peace Corp. There is bliss in a flushing toilet! I'm not judging you, I am hoping for you. I want you to get the best out of your cruise.

 

[apocalyps3]

Damn! its getting personal up in here!

 

[JimmyV]

You have been given answers. They are not the answers you want, but you have them. Companies change services, policies, terms-sometimes on a whim. It happens. We move forward. This is not about some sort of punishment. You are an upper middle class person going on a fancy cruise on a pretty boat filled with swimming pools and dancers and incredible food. There will be music and soft sheets to sleep on. It will be time for joy and fun. Maybe you just need a change in perspective to see how truly, wonderfully fortunate you are. I suspect you have running water and contained sewage at your home. Only about 1/5 of the world's residents have these things. And just the nutrition basics. One in five children in the US lives in a food unstable home. When you think about all the things we have, and then add on the extras of vacations and Christmas presents and nice things for our homes and pets, our lives look pretty charmed indeed. Maybe you will enjoy this more if you are glad for your cruise with your family and accept some elements have changed. I know that is how I try to move forward when things change.

This post completely ignores the reality that there are choices in the cruise industry, and that the real problem at hand is the fact that DCL made a major change that will impact finances AFTER the final payment date leaving its customers with no option to explore other cruise lines. DCL in not nearly as unique as it likes to think it is. Its itineraries are mirrored by, (or bettered by) most other mass market, family oriented cruise lines. And its prices are nearly double those of the other cruise lines. One of the justifications, (rationalisations?) for the price difference is the extremely lenient personal alcohol allowance. You pay up front, but you don't get gouged on the back end. And when that cost structure feature is taken away, it is natural for one to ask why they are paying higher initial fares if they will also have to pay more on the back end as well. And it is equally rational to want to look elsewhere and compare other cruise lines. But when a change is implemented on short notice after final payment date, that is a major slap in the fact to the customers.

Any one of the people impacted could have chosen to sail on a different cruise line had they been given fair warning. And the differences are material. For example, Disney has a 7 day cruise departing on October 17 that goes to Mexico, Grand Cayman and Jamaica and the starting price is $1,600. Princess has a 7 day cruise departing on the exact same day going to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk and the starting price is $700. And on Princess, passengers can board with as much wine as they would like, subject to a $15 corkage fee for bottles in excess of one free per passenger. And guess what? That ship will be pretty. It will have swimming pools, dancers and incredible food. As well as music and soft sheets. The fact that there are starving children in the world does not alter the fact that paying customers deserve to have a choice in how they spend their money.

 

[littleblackegg]

Damn! its getting personal up in here!

Sometimes my frontal lobe gets hijacked by the other parts of my brain. I respond beautifully to "shut up." I'll shut up. Sorry.

 

[jodifla]

I am just now hearing this; I'm surprised DCL decided to head down this road.

I know from my regular trips on Carnival and RCCL that these rules are routinely ignored. I travel with a big group, and at least half easily smuggle their alcohol onboard. The other half just pick up their alcohol and the end of the cruise and try again - typically successfully -- the next year. I wonder if DCL is really going to like getting into these arguments with passengers on every cruise. This rule DOES NOT deter people from bringing liquor onboard.

My DH will very much dislike this rule, and as we were already talking about trying other lines, it might be a tipping point for us.

 

[Dave2425]

DCL is very quickly taking a huge PR hit.

I don't think so. There really aren't that many people complaining. If you look at this thread and the official DCL Facebook page, it's a small number of people making most of the noise.

 

[tinkerone]

I don't think so. There really aren't that many people complaining. If you look at this thread and the official DCL Facebook page, it's a small number of people making most of the noise.

the fb posts are being deleted as quickly as they are being posted. I don't think you can judge by that. while I respect your opinion, I kind of think they are taking a pr hit. it will die down i'm sure but its there right now.

 

[cgolf]

I don't think so. There really aren't that many people complaining. If you look at this thread and the official DCL Facebook page, it's a small number of people making most of the noise.

While it isn't front page news, the fact that they have quit responding to email complaints, and it sounds like they are less then friendly when you call and complain about it, I would think means they are receiving a high level of complaints. Also on the boards you have some long time pro DCL people looking very hard at other lines and no longer defending them.

As we said in our second email to DCL, the extras that used to keep us coming back and paying the higher costs are no longer there opening us up to cruise other lines.

 

[MousseauMob]

"as there is magic in the Disney name. "

hmmm, I'm just not seeing it. Can someone help! I keep staring at D I S N E Y and I don't even see a an M let alone M A G I C.

 

[FergusBC]

hmmm, I'm just not seeing it. Can someone help! I keep staring at D I S N E Y and I don't even see a an M let alone M A G I C.

You just need to have a few drinks first!

Oh wait...

 

[C6PT7]

hmmm, I'm just not seeing it. Can someone help! I keep staring at D I S N E Y and I don't even see a an M let alone M A G I C.

The longest word I can spell using D I S N E Y is SNIDE? Quite appropriate at the moment!

 

[C6PT7]

You just need to have a few drinks first!

Oh wait...

Well played! lol!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

And someone just played the "First World Problems" card.

 

[Duhey2]

OK, is it me or was DCL trolling people with this pic on their Facebook page?

https://www.facebook.com/DisneyCrui...00173409654/10153524613119655/?type=1&theater

 

[Ofinn]

Right, so, I work really, really hard, and spent 9 months saving for this vacation, but I should suck it up because I have running water? Both my husband and I work full time jobs, and do side work to save for the stuff we do that is "extra." We had expectations, and budgets, based on the policies and prices Disney had when we booked this cruise 9 months ago. But, that is ok...its just money right? And I have indoor plumbing, so, I should be fine with that. Honestly, if I could cancel, I would. And, I would take my family, with our 5 PIF cabins, to a different cruise line that also has good food, swimming pools and a pretty boat...but it would cost us alot less, and be well below the original budget I designed.
I'm not really sure why you would assume that I do not feel fortunate for the things I have in life (as well as assuming I am upper-middle class, because our salaries probably do not fall in that category), and why you would think what you describe as a sense of entitlement and being disgruntled over a major hike in our cruise price are remotely connected...? With all things, I work at them until I either A. reach my goal or B. have exhausted all energy and options. There is no giving up and there will be no regrets. That is how I move forward....knowing I did everything in my own power to affect a change.

Speaking of indoor plumbing. I hope your not sailing on the Magic

 

[TheLanes]

And someone just played the "First World Problems" card.

No way that was the first time since this thread started. I'm guilty of using that phrase recently though myself. People were complaining about how stressed they were about getting ready for their vacation. Lol

 

[JimmyV]

I don't think so. There really aren't that many people complaining. If you look at this thread and the official DCL Facebook page, it's a small number of people making most of the noise.

Ahhh. The old "only a few Dis Board people are complaining so only a few people are upset" argument. What happened to the "Dis Board members are an infinitesimally small percentage of customers" argument? Can't have it both ways. And don't forget that the crowd here is made up of sycophants who truly believe that Mickey Bars taste better than Nestlé bars sold in stores and that the bacon and scrambled eggs on DCL are better than those on any other cruise line. If these people are upset, consider what the general population thinks. This is the last place to look for anger and dissent.

While it isn't front page news.....

Actually, it is in all major cruise websites and blogs.

 

[Trera]

In the end, this will either upset you enough to take your business elsewhere or it won't. Cabins that become empty by those who cancel will be filled by others. Disney knew this would upset people and they did it anyway so they also know the fall out could be contained.

If saving monly on booze by bringing your own on board is a major factor in choosing Disney then I can see how you would be upset but what's done is done. Now you just have to decide which other cruise line will get your dollars.

Good luck to those who will pass on future DCL cruises.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Ahhh. The old "only a few Dis Board people are complaining so only a few people are upset" argument. What happened to the "Dis Board members are an infinitesimally small percentage of customers" argument? Can't have it both ways. And don't forget that the crowd here is made up of sycophants who truly believe that Mickey Bars taste better than Nestlé bars sold in stores and that the bacon and scrambled eggs on DCL are better than those on any other cruise line. If these people are upset, consider what the general population thinks. This is the last place to look for anger and dissent.


Actually, it is in all major cruise websites and blogs.

Maybe 5% of cruisers on DCL visit these boards, of them, this thread is active but has mixed views and other threads like happy with DCL Alcohol policy have been formed and some people are taking the sensible view to avoid the thread or lurk and not post. The Disboards doesn't have the power you infer, it can cause some poor DCL CMs at the call center, ( who didn't bring the policy in) a lot of grief and complaints making their day on the phones harder than normal.

I think the few think that ganging up to encourage letter writing, ( one thread) or calling in will not have any affect. Smoking policy was changed and stuck that actually had more reaction.

 

[cgolf]

Maybe 5% of cruisers on DCL visit these boards, of them, this thread is active but has mixed views and other threads like happy with DCL Alcohol policy have been formed and some people are taking the sensible view to avoid the thread or lurk and not post. The Disboards doesn't have the power you infer, it can cause some poor DCL CMs at the call center, ( who didn't bring the policy in) a lot of grief and complaints making their day on the phones harder than normal.

I think the few think that ganging up to encourage letter writing, ( one thread) or calling in will not have any affect. Smoking policy was changed and stuck that actually had more reaction.

A. If what you say is true great for DCL.
B. They have now moving forward lost our money and by extension my moms money, and I don't think they really care.
C. Yes we wrote an email, and a follow up email, again this is their policy and that is what they said in the first and only response.
D. We have every right to complain and choose to take our money elsewhere.
E. We definitely have a right to do a feature compare between lines and now point out that DCL is now trending very similar to other lines in many categories except price.
F. We are all entitled to our opinions on the situation, and all of us on here have just that, opinions!
I for one know I have a 50/50 chance of being right on some stuff, others may believe they know, but they really don't. We will truly only know if DCL comes out and states why they did it, and even then who knows, they may just have tested the wind by that point and said what would be safe and not anger any more people.