DCL gave full voucher for PRE-FRANCES 9/2 Wonder!!!

[JanDave]

While reading the morning paper with my morning cup of coffee, the following story gave me more of a wake-up jolt than the coffee. This story will probably give rise to a lot of comments, but I have to let all know about this story. After reading the threads on this board about refunds, discounts, cruising during hurricane season, etc., this is an eye opener. I'm surprised DCL felt the pressure of a news reporter calling on behalf of this family. My DH and I are sailing on the 9/18 Magic. Maybe I can have this columnist contact DCL on my behalf for some perks! I am unable to link you to the article itself. I will quote pertinent parts of the article:

The West family hoped to find a few thrills at Disney World last week, but sailing toward Hurricane Frances wasn't what they had in mind. There was NO WAY we were going to get on that cruise ship Mike West said.

Disney's initial posiiton was: cruise or lose.

After I (columnist) presented the family's case to Disney spokeswoman Rena Langley, the Disney folks decided to buy the Wests another cruise.

Their cruise ship, scheduled to leave Port Canaveral on Sept. 2, was bound for Nassau, which was exactly where Frances was headed. The Wests were astonished to learn that the cruise was still on. The Wests were told that the Disney Wonder would sail, with or without them. And, no, a refund was not possible. A rain check? No. Some extra day sin the parks? No.

The Wests decided to stay on land, maintaining that the expectations of the Disney folks were unreasonable, the voyage was foolhardy, and their decision to remain on land was the only prudent choice.

They figure that the cruise portion of the package was worth about $2000 - and believed they deserved some kind of compensation.

After investigating, Langley (Disney spokeswoman) said late Wednesday that Disney would send the Wests a voucher for a future cruise.

 

[momof2minnies]

I'm sure glad we were not in the positoin to have to make the decision to cruise or lose.

 

[SeaSpray]

You're safer at sea on a large cruise ship than you are on land. I guess Mike West didn't know this Unless he and his family flew out of Florida BEFORE that cruise left port, he was endangering his family more than putting them on the ship. So much for his brilliant notion that going on a cruise was "foolhardy".

By the way... Tuesday afternoon at the airport we spoke with a family who had been at Disney World the previous week and were scheduled to fly home on Friday, Sept. 3rd. Because of the hurricane their flight was cancelled and they were STUCK in Florida for the next 4 days, all at their own expense (hotel, meals, etc). All of us cruisers were "stuck" on a beautiful cruise ship, were fed and entertained, and did not have to pay an additional penny.

Mike West is the fool And so is the columnist for not recognising this fact.

 

[Debbie H]

SeaSpray,

You are so right and again that word"compensation" came up. Unbelieveable. At this rate, DCL and WDW will go broke if everyone expects to be compensated.

 

[markmyboy]

This is just totally outrageous!!!

Did this family REALLY think that DCL was going to sail them & 2000 other people AND their BILLION dollar cruise ship (not sure if it really is a billion dollars...but it sounds good!! ) INTO a hurricane?????

I understand being afraid to cruise with the hurricane so near & I guess I could understand DCL allowing them to cancel without penalty, which I thought DCL was doing???

Anyway, how strange to keep your family IN the path of the hurricane, didn't they talk to anyone at DCL before they decided not to go, wouldn't the DCL reps explain to them that they would not sail INTO the hurricane??

Who knows....I guess it was just a VERY stressful week for ALL involved, but this seems to me to be something other than that!!??!

 

[Kalypso]

Funny you should mention that, Debbie - Disney stock dropped 2 this morning as a direct result of losses at the parks and DCL due to Frances...it was JUST on the local news here in L.A....

 

[ivanova]

apparently the columnist is unfamiliar with the cruise industry ... sad that the DCL spokes person did not take the opportunity to educate the columnist.

 

[sartini-co]

Kalypso,

As of 09/09/2004, 2:28pm EDT:

Open: 22.88
Last Trade: 22.93 +0.04
Day's Range: 22.81 - 23.04

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Wonder if the West family enjoyed being "locked down" at the WDW resorts?

Wednesday night (9/1) we were told the parks/restaurants would be closed and box meals given to guests.

Then I spoke to a woman at MCO on Tuesday (9/7) who said they were confined to their room for 35 hours.

Boy was I glad to be sailing on the Endless Wonder Mystery Cruise ... plenty of food and entertainment!!!

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Originally posted by markmyboy
not sure if it really is a billion dollars...but it sounds good!!

I was told by one of the ships officers once that the Magic cost a mere $500 million....

 

[Kalypso]

Price Change
22.87 -0.02

Volume: 5,351,400

Updated: 4 PM

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Detailed


Um...sartini? don't know where ya got that info...but I'm a CM and that's from our home page.....about two seconds ago

 

[bill kellum]

we were on the wonder-full mystery cruise.other than our alaskan cruise,this one was tops.you never knew what was going to happen next.compensation?we had a three day cruise turn into a five day cruise,cozumel instead of the bahamas.a three hundred dollar room credit.plus they went out of there way to please everyone on the ship.disney is a first class cruise line and they proved it.

 

[ColeenD]

I, too, was on the Wonder and cannot say enough good things about Disney and their efforts to make sure each passenger was comfortable and informed. I traveled with 6 other women, four of them first time cruisers, and we would go with Disney and that Wonder crew anytime!

 

[Target]

I read this with interest, and haven't posted here for a while (we cruised Magic Dec 2002). This time of year in the Caribbean is hurricane season! The prices are cheaper, typically, because of this fact. (all part of the risk-taking) My cruise cost $7000+ for a family of four. His cost $2000.....hmm.....When people book at this time of year for that destination, you are taking a risk. Why does that always seem to go unnoticed at this time? Mr. West is one of the reasons we are all going to be paying more to cruise in the future with Disney. They are a great company and are sometimes abused with the compensation issues. Granted, some of those issues are valid, and I am not disputing them. I am strictly referring to Mr. West. Unbelievable.

BTW, the reporter is quite full of themselves if they think they singlehandedly made Disney change their mind and give these folks a future cruise! EGO!

 

[rodriged]

 

[wide awake]

I agree with you Target. I also think we're missing a piece of the story. And I am REALLY tired of threads with DCL bashing...My son sometimes asks me to fix the rain if it interferes with our plans...I always tell him I can't...that certain things are beyond my power...he accepts it and he is autistic. I'm wondering if the complainers realize that it is a REAL ocean out there, with REAL weather...SURPRISE, it is not a theme park !!!

 

[over50visits]

Am I missing something? The family books in the hurricane season, perhaps for the significant savings in fare, and they act like spoiled brats because there is a hurricane?

Sounds like the kind of folks looking for a bag of perks if it rained and they couldn't go to CC. I think as long as DCL succumbed to the reporter's pressure, they should have given the family a refund, because I just bet they will find some fault with their rescheduled cruise.

Sheesh....