DCL shows that they CAN cancel cruises for no reason - Wonder's 12/9/12 and on

[ame]

we're pretty crushed about the cancelling of these cruises. We booked the Christmas cruise when we were onboard the Wonder in April (actually we booked on the MAgic first, but when we saw the cost to get us to Galveston we changed a week later). We're flying from Australia with 4 kids so flying to the east coast is out of our budget. We can only travel as a family over the Christmas period due to my husband's job and daughter's medical treatment, so if there's no west coast, we have to cancel.

We'll still come over and do the non-Disney part of our planned trip (Disney and San Francisco). I paid in full for the 2 rooms when our dollar was much higher than it is today, so at least I'll make a little money to cover the currency conversion c/c fees.

 

[RedSox68]

Maybe Disney is FINALLY going to have an around the world cruise like HAL does?

Or maybe they are going to FINALLY got to Asia?

Or maybe they are going to leave a ship docked in NYC?

Or maybe they will do round trip cruises through the PC the summer of 2013?

It's fun to guess -- but in all the years we've been travelling Disney Cruise Line, this is the most convoluted mess I've seen as far as dates and speculation.

Oh well, they hold all the cards, we can only sit and wait

 

[amyg1]

The more I try to work this, the more frustrated I get. We booked far in advance, in part to get a better rate. The fares are so much higher anywhere else during break. Giving us $500 OBC is no consolation when the other fares are at least $1000 more. The $1000 would be taking the Magic out of Galveston - which is only 6 days, and we wouldn't even get the $500 as a result. WDW at one of the more expensive hotels with the meal plan will be cheaper than taking a cruise that week. In fact, it'd be cheaper to do Alaska this summer than anywhere in the Caribbean.

We also picked that itinerary because it is on the West Coast. There are going to be extra flight/hotel costs with going east.

I get that Mexico wasn't selling. I am not surprised that they are pulling out - I just expected them to wait until after the published schedule.

I think we'll wait to see what the Wonder is doing - but it is likely that we are going to have to cancel this reservation. I am just so frustrated.

 

[jdybnsn]

I was already very nervous about early booking the Med in 2013 SHOULD it be offered after all the changes in 2011 - now I am totally out of confidence with DCL.

What a mess (again) - they can only do this so many times before folks' loyalty becomes stretched beyond its reasonable limit.

 

[dsnydaddy]

The more I try to work this, the more frustrated I get. We booked far in advance, in part to get a better rate. The fares are so much higher anywhere else during break. Giving us $500 OBC is no consolation when the other fares are at least $1000 more. The $1000 would be taking the Magic out of Galveston - which is only 6 days, and we wouldn't even get the $500 as a result. WDW at one of the more expensive hotels with the meal plan will be cheaper than taking a cruise that week. In fact, it'd be cheaper to do Alaska this summer than anywhere in the Caribbean.

We also picked that itinerary because it is on the West Coast. There are going to be extra flight/hotel costs with going east.

I get that Mexico wasn't selling. I am not surprised that they are pulling out - I just expected them to wait until after the published schedule.

I think we'll wait to see what the Wonder is doing - but it is likely that we are going to have to cancel this reservation. I am just so frustrated.

Don't cancel. If you can, simply book a dummy date and then re-book some of the lower rates when released for 2013.

 

[Kidlette]

Don't cancel. If you can, simply book a dummy date and then re-book some of the lower rates when released for 2013.

Someone else said this too. I just want to warn that booking a dummy reservation and then changing it later might cause you to lose the shipboard credit. Years ago when I was a travel agent this was the case - shipboard credit could not be moved from sailing to sailing, even in these "special" situations. Maybe check with DCL on this before doing it, that way no one loses their credit? Just a thought

 

[mkmommy]

Someone else said this too. I just want to warn that booking a dummy reservation and then changing it later might cause you to lose the shipboard credit. Years ago when I was a travel agent this was the case - shipboard credit could not be moved from sailing to sailing, even in these "special" situations. Maybe check with DCL on this before doing it, that way no one loses their credit? Just a thought

The way I read the offer was it had to be a currently released cruise which made me think it may not be transferable to any new releases, so I would check that if thinking of just moving it to a dummy date.

 

[jrm11697]

So could the Wonder still sail from LA even though they cancelled Mexico?

Since i live on the east coast, it doesn't affect me as much but I find it interesting.

I WONDER (pun intended) what will happen. We will have to wait and see...

Wonder was also the first (and sadly,the only!) DCL ship I've been on so I would love if it came back to the east coast.

 

[clten]

So could the Wonder still sail from LA even though they cancelled Mexico?

Since i live on the east coast, it doesn't affect me as much but I find it interesting.

I WONDER (pun intended) what will happen. We will have to wait and see...

Wonder was also the first (and sadly,the only!) DCL ship I've been on so I would love if it came back to the east coast.

They could still be sailing from LA but I think that is very unlikely. If they were just changing the itinerary, I think they would have handled it differently. People are booked over the holidays. If the ship was still sailing from LA, I'd like to think DCL would be smart enough to keep the people the have booked on the ship for those dates and when they announce the changed itinerary, then give them the choice of changing sailing dates. They way they are handling this seems like it is a much bigger change. The Wonder will be sailing somewhere December 2012, and when they announce the itinerary and open them up, hopefully they won't have overinflated prices and some people will be able to rebook a nice holiday vacation.

 

[luv2sleep]

They could still be sailing from LA but I think that is very unlikely. If they were just changing the itinerary, I think they would have handled it differently. People are booked over the holidays. If the ship was still sailing from LA, I'd like to think DCL would be smart enough to keep the people the have booked on the ship for those dates and when they announce the changed itinerary, then give them the choice of changing sailing dates. They way they are handling this seems like it is a much bigger change. The Wonder will be sailing somewhere December 2012, and when they announce the itinerary and open them up, hopefully they won't have overinflated prices and some people will be able to rebook a nice holiday vacation.

Interesting point. Why didn't they offer us whatever itinerary they are changing the wonder to for the month of December and then give us the option to switch to another cruise?

 

[justhat]

Interesting point. Why didn't they offer us whatever itinerary they are changing the wonder to for the month of December and then give us the option to switch to another cruise?

I think it's because whatever plans they have are big. Like they think they can make a lot of money selling these cruises, so they don't want to "waste" on the people who have already booked at cheap rates. Otherwise it makes no sense to me.

 

[luv2sleep]

I think it's because whatever plans they have are big. Like they think they can make a lot of money selling these cruises, so they don't want to "waste" on the people who have already booked at cheap rates. Otherwise it makes no sense to me.

If that's the case that just seems wrong and I bet these are going to be expensive trips then. The Christmas trip wasn't not a cheap trip. They must be expecting to bring in a lot of money to be doing what they are doing. I know the Hawaii trips have been pretty pricey but do the PC crossings tend to be expensive also?

 

[sarahgirl]

If that's the case that just seems wrong and I bet these are going to be expensive trips then. The Christmas trip wasn't not a cheap trip. They must be expecting to bring in a lot of money to be doing what they are doing. I know the Hawaii trips have been pretty pricey but do the PC crossings tend to be expensive also?

In the past the PC crossings have been in line price wise with how much they are charging for Hawaii. You also have to take into consideration that with these you are having to pay open jaw airfare, so its going to be more expensive than the Hawaii trip.

I can kinda understand how some of you feel, a couple weeks ago I was notified that I had to move my 9/16 Dreams cruise because the boat was chartered to DVC for their member cruise. I have since rebooked on the Thanksgiving MR cruise on the Wonder. Have you guys checked into that to see if that might work for you? The prices are pretty reasonable.

 

[luv2sleep]

In the past the PC crossings have been in line price wise with how much they are charging for Hawaii. You also have to take into consideration that with these you are having to pay open jaw airfare, so its going to be more expensive than the Hawaii trip.

I can kinda understand how some of you feel, a couple weeks ago I was notified that I had to move my 9/16 Dreams cruise because the boat was chartered to DVC for their member cruise. I have since rebooked on the Thanksgiving MR cruise on the Wonder. Have you guys checked into that to see if that might work for you? The prices are pretty reasonable.

I'm actually ok. The $500 in OBC was a nice consolation. I had only booked that second cruise for this year to have something special to do at Christmas, to be on the ship (at a time when school is out) when the ship is decorated for Christmas and to experience all of the special things that happen on the ship at Christmas. I have no desire to do another MR just to take another trip. I'm going to wait and hope to be able to book Alaska for 2013 and just save up for that. I read that the ship isn't decorated on the Thanksgiving trip. If it was I might have considered it.

 

[ACDSNY]

I read that the ship isn't decorated on the Thanksgiving trip. If it was I might have considered it.

We've been on two early Nov cruises and Christmas decorations where going up when we got off on Nov 10, 2011 and the ship was fully decorated on our Nov 15, 2009 cruise. I would imagine all the ships would be fully decorated for Thanksgiving week.

 

[luv2sleep]

We've been on two early Nov cruises and Christmas decorations where going up when we got off on Nov 10, 2011 and the ship was fully decorated on our Nov 15, 2009 cruise. I would imagine all the ships would be fully decorated for Thanksgiving week.

Oh that's great! I will need to read up on this again. I could have sworn that I read they weren't up. I know they are at Disneyland by then so I was surprised to read that they weren't. I will reconsider it then. Thank you!

 

[ACDSNY]

Oh that's great! I will need to read up on this again. I could have sworn that I read they weren't up. I know they are at Disneyland by then so I was surprised to read that they weren't. I will reconsider it then. Thank you!

The gingerbread house smelled wonderful, I was surprised how fast the shell was put together, in just a couple of evenings it was almost completed.

 

[CruznLexi]

Also saw the Wonder listed in St Maarten for Dec too. The port charges for the canal are expensive. Mine were nearly $500 a person. I later ended up with FL rate so that helped. It also looks like Magic will be in St Maarten on Oct 22. Which makes it very doable from Europe. If she leaves on or around Oct 12/13. Airfare to Europe is around $1000 or more.the Euro is horrible like 64€ for $100.,

 

[mimmi]

Also saw the Wonder listed in St Maarten for Dec too. The port charges for the canal are expensive. Mine were nearly $500 a person. I later ended up with FL rate so that helped. It also looks like Magic will be in St Maarten on Oct 22. Which makes it very doable from Europe. If she leaves on or around Oct 12/13. Airfare to Europe is around $1000 or more.the Euro is horrible like 64€ for $100.,

Right now the Euro is 76€ for $100.

 

[luv2sleep]

Thanksgiving won't work. Checked the school calendar and the kids go up until that Wed before. This is why Christmas was perfect. Oh well. Will wait something else. Thanks for the idea though!