Disappointed?

[DancingBear]

No one on these boards has said that the Captain made an unwise decision. All of us agree he decides and made a wise choice.

Not so sure that joycepa agrees with you, as they said:

We were within 100 yards of docking at Castaway Cay with the sun shining and as the TV described " a gentle breeze" It just seemed like there was no desire. It should be in Disney standards Completely Unacceptable to not dock at their own port.

 

[disneysooz]

No one on these boards has said that the Captain made an unwise decision. All of us agree he decides and made a wise choice. Is there anything wrong with being disappointed at missing two ports and have saved and planned this trip for two years?

Absolutely not! It is fine to be disappointed, in fact, I am right there with you, luvthemagic. Please see my previous post. We also saved for and looked forward to our September cruise for a long time, but hurricane Jeanne had other ideas. We lost 3 scheduled ports in our cruise; although Costa Maya was substituted for GC. We were very disappointed to miss Key West, as it is where DH and I were married in 1997. We were really looking forward to going back for a visit and also to show our DD5 where we were married. We were also very sad to miss CC, always a highlight to your cruise! So yes, I understand your disappointment. It is unfortunate of course, but I guess the attitude we finally took is, that sometimes things do happen and we can't control it. How we react to it is the choice we make. We had a fabulous time on the cruise! Although there were some negatives (passengers acting rude in Port Everglades, mean to CMs once we got onboard-we didn't get on until 7 PM Monday, the loss of 2 1/2 days, etc...) But ultimately we decided that any day, doing anything (even going in circles in the middle of the ocean) was better than being at home and working. I really don't think any of the posters are trying to minimize your disappointment. I really hope things go better the next time you cruise...we are hoping so too, as we booked again for September 2006 (yup...we're cruzin' for the 3rd time during hurricane season!)....call us crazy!
Take care!
Susie

 

[Sydneli]

We were on the cruise too, and were very disappointed that we didn't make it to the ports. My kids didn't mind- they got in more time in the Mickey pool. I think I was so bummed because I've been on these boards for so long and heard such good things about the stingrays and CC. Oh well, if we cruise again we won't go in January!

I heard one of the officers tell some other passengers that they have to miss Castaway Cay about 3 times a year...

LUVTHEMAGIC-we had Oka and William too-I really miss them! (Were you at the 6pm seating?) We live right down the road from you in Hamilton (near Purcellville)

Sydne

 

[lookingforward]

There is nothing wrong with people voicing their opinions, dissapointments, thrills, excitement, complaints, enthusiastic reviews, or any other comments they feel they would like to share. That is what a disboard is all about in my humble opinion. If one finds another's comments or actions"crass or gauche" that is so very unfortunate. Unfortunate that some judge others so quickly and harshly. (and you know who you are)

Some people save for an entire lifetime to cruise on DCL and others can swing it every year or more. We each hold different values and we each react differently to dissapointments. When DCL compensates some and not others or doesn't plan well in some people's minds it is important to that person. Lets be more kind when those viewpoints are shared. Dissagree? Sure! But each person deserves to be honored and respected. Even unhappy DCL cruisers.

Even this semi un-happy DCL cruiser is going to give it another try as soon as those amazing Florida resident rates come out again! And I will gladly spend my $150 onboard credit that was given to me when I dared to complain, however crass or gauche it seems to some.

 

[LUVTHEMAGIC]

We were at the late seating. My DD5 can be a difficult child sometimes and William just wrapped up around his finger. She LOVES him. The last morning for breakfast at AP she ran ahead of us and jumped in his arms. I miss them both too. It's hard to get to know someone and just leave them behind. We did get their address on the cruise ship. I don't know if they will keep in touch though. They are so busy. William's wife is expecting a baby. I'm thinking of sending a gift for the baby to the cruise line. Is this too outrageous?

 

[lookingforward]

We have kept in touch with three staff members from various cruises. I find that when we cruise for seven nights we become attached to the people we meet. When we sailed Celebrity in March we loved our waiter from Romania. His contract ended soon after our cruise was over and we just received a Christmas card from him. Our waiter Gede on the Wonder was so kind and great with our kids. I think it would be wonderful to send a gift, not sure how they would get it to him but it would be such a lovely gesture!

 

[Sydneli]

My boys loved William too-he was just so sweet. I think it's a great idea to send a little gift-I thought about that too. It's so sad that he won't be able to see the baby till it's 5 months old!

 

[LUVTHEMAGIC]

I wonder if they would actually keep in touch. They have so little time. William said he had no email. They said they would be in dry dock in Oct. in Norfolk Va. and get a day off. Do you know how his contract runs so I know when to send it and when is the baby due? I wonder what kind of things we have in the USA that they might really want in India?

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Joycepa--That 10 Christmas cruise made it to the island I read here on the boards but the close swimming atthe beach due to the predator net being broken. I think I heard that 2 sharks got in. We we told by Joclyn at the rebooking desk that it had been 10 months since they missed CC and years since they missed Grand Cayman.

I don't want to get into this discussion because my head still hurts from the August-Sept.-October discussions about this. However, whomever said they haven't missed GC or CC in that period of time is incorrect -- no one was allowed to dock at Grand cayman for about 2 months after the hurricane hit, and several sailings missed CC during the hurricanes in 2004.

 

[Sydneli]

LUVTHEMAGIC- William said he would be on the boat for 6 months, then home for 2, then back for 6 months more. So he would be home in July and August. And the baby is due in September, I think...

 

[ablmc]

... If you are trully " injured" while on your cruise and it was not your fault then you have a legal leg to stand on.

...

Everyone has the right to be disappointed, however, not everything that happens in life or on a Disney cruise is worthy of compensation.

First of all, I don't think anyone is talking about a lawsuit, so, I fail to see what "legal leg" has to do with anything in this thread.

I agree with you that "not everything in life ... is worthy of compensation". I am a firm believe in taking responsibility for ones actions. I have stated elsewhere, I don't necessarily expect anything more from DCL. But, in this case, DCL itself obviously disagrees with your postion that not everything needs compensation. DCL already made the decision to compensate the passengers by providing the free drinks and wine. The only thing in dispute is exactly what that compensation should be. I suppose your opinion is that the compensation should be exactly what DCL has offered and no one should question it? Sorry, that's not how I choose to live.

 

[becobscot]

We just got back from the Wonder cruise yesterday! A CM on Castaway Cay was telling my husband about the Magic not being able to dock at the island. He was told that it is not the arriving but the leaving that is the dangerous part. With the winds, the ship is not powerful enough to leave the dock sideways and could possibly be slammed sideways into the dock! It is very disappointing not to make such an enticing port I agree. I am sure that the Captain was concerned with the safety of all and that is commendable! Also, missing ports is part of cruising. I am sorry for all of you who missed those ports! I wish you the best of luck for your next cruise!

 

[allears]

Oh my gosh what a pathetic, whinie, childish and entilement focused society have we become! As soon as things don't go just as we want them to, we pictch a fit and demand compensation. Yes, we're all entitled to our opinions and can be dissappointed when something we've planned for, saved for and dreamed about doesn't work out perfectly. But that doesn't entitle us to impune the character of the captian, his crew or the company. It also doesn't entitle us to compensation.

We too were on the 1/15 cruise, just my DW and I, as a result of the refund and discount we received (that Disney did not have to give) from the hurricane Jeanne cruise. We have a fabulous time. Sure the weather wasn't super, but I managed to get a tan, because there were times of sun most days. Sure we missed two ports, that's the risk of a cruise and the risk of a cruise in the winter. Let me ask all of you who think you're due something because the trip didn't come off the way you wanted, what would happen say if you took your vacation at a resort, on an island or even Disney World, and it rained and the wind blew all week and all you could do was sit in your room or at the bar. Does that resort owe you money back. I don't think so.

At least on the ship you can move away from the weather and they will plan other activities. Which we enjoyed and thought they did a great job with.

I would sincerely doubt if another cruise ship was able to tender into GC the same day we couldn't. It is possible they anchored much later in the day and tendered the next. This was not a decision the captain even got to make. The tendering companies weren't operating and the port authority wasn't allow ships to anchor. Why would DCL or the captain need to lie about that. What is really gained by not calling on one of the ports? That idea is just ridiculous.

We were among the throng at the stern of the ship while making the second attempt to dock. And to say "It just seemed like there was no desire. It should be in Disney standards Completely Unacceptable to not dock at their own port" is arrogant to the max. We could see the waves crashing over the jetty, and the current was running perpedicular to the dock. The captain of a ship, especially one who has been on board since her inception, knows what his ship can and can not due. Should he have attempted to fight the currents and maybe have the ship run aground or hit the pier? I guess he should so no one would be dissappointed. Then when someone got hurt the lawyers would also enjoy themselves.

We saw some really "great" role models for kids and how they should handle lives curves, and I've read some equally impressive examples here.

We loved this trip, dispite the challenges. We found different things to do and guess what, sometimes we didn't do anything but enjoy time with each other. We found every crew and cast memeber we came into contact with and or engaged in coversation with, awesome. I feel bad for them and the crap they had to hear from some of the passengers.

 

[lookingforward]

posted by allears:
"Oh my gosh what a pathetic, whinie, childish and entilement focused society have we become! As soon as things don't go just as we want them to, we pictch a fit and demand compensation. Yes, we're all entitled to our opinions and can be dissappointed when something we've planned for, saved for and dreamed about doesn't work out perfectly. But that doesn't entitle us to impune the character of the captian, his crew or the company.It also doesn't entitle us to compensation."


I agree that the character of the captain and crew should never be impuned upon. Good point. Now, lets just give the same consideration to the rest of society that you so harshly label "pathetic, whinie, childish and entitled". A mouthful of judgements you just lectured everyone else not to do. Interesting.

As I said before, we are all entitled to our opinions. We should all voice them with thought and consideration for others. That kindness should include everyone, even those who disagree or might tend to complain.

One more point, it is stated that Disney compensated you for your hurricane cruise, which you point out that "it did not have to do". Yet, you accepted that compensation without hesitation. I would have as well, but I would not lecture others about wanting compensation for what they perceive as problems on their cruise. DCL can always say no. But I don't think that the posters are pathetic, whinie or childish. Name callers and rude people are, however.

 

[LUVTHEMAGIC]

You know this is my first post on these boards. I used them for tons of info before my cruise. Now I 've been called whiny,pathetic, and childish and you don't even know me from Adam. You don't know anything about me other than I'm disappointed. You assume things you shouldn't!!! Allears I hope the rest of your life is perfect and you never have anything that disappoints you. I'm tired of the name calling I've encountered here. This is not a friendly place. Good Night.

 

[joycepa]

Is there really a need for calling people you don't even know names like that??????
Maybe my thinking was arrogant..... The Captain told us that the reason we couldn't dock was Westerly Winds. If this is often a problem maybe they should have another dock on the other side of the island????? I guess I just expected a better backup plan, than another day at sea.

 

[smchan]

posted by allears:
"Oh my gosh what a pathetic, whinie, childish and entilement focused society have we become! As soon as things don't go just as we want them to, we pictch a fit and demand compensation. Yes, we're all entitled to our opinions and can be dissappointed when something we've planned for, saved for and dreamed about doesn't work out perfectly. But that doesn't entitle us to impune the character of the captian, his crew or the company.It also doesn't entitle us to compensation."


I agree that the character of the captain and crew should never be impuned upon. Good point. Now, lets just give the same consideration to the rest of society that you so harshly label "pathetic, whinie, childish and entitled". A mouthful of judgements you just lectured everyone else not to do. Interesting.

LOL! I found humor in this irony as well.

What was that line from Aristocats? "If you can't say something nice, don't say nuffin' at all."

Seriously, I've been thinking about the legalities of the cruise contract. I've not read it in a while, but I'm sure it says stuff about not sueing if the boat sinks, can change itinerary and so on and so forth. Thing is, the cruise contract is not given/communicated to me until AFTER I've paid in full, and I have no recourse for a full refund since it's within the 60 day mark, right? Furthermore, from all the marketing materials, Disney certainly gives one the impression that one will be visiting Castaway Cay (and that, in fact, it's one of the reasons we pay a premium price for DCL) along with other "exciting ports-of-call."

So, a question for your lawyers and other legal-minded folks. How "sticky" is the cruise contract and how does it weigh against the "deliverables" implied by DCL advertisements?

BTW - I'm in no way advocating one take a legal position against DCL. I'm just really curious considering the fact that it appears one would lose one's money if they chose NOT to accept the cruise contract. And that seems almost mafia-like to me.

Sam

 

[Dancind]

I'm just wondering what people think they missed by not being able to dock at Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay in bad weather?

We cruised the last two Decembers and have been to both on bad weather days. In Dec. 2003, we were on a Celebrity cruise that tendered into Grand Cayman, the only ship to do so that day. All of the water excursions were cancelled due to the high seas, no stingray city or snorkeling tours to be had. I think the only people that got to go on their planned excursion were my DH and DD, who had a private scuba boat booked. I worried about them all day, and they said it wasn't as good as they hoped because of poor visibility. Above water, there just isn't much to see in Grand Cayman, and even that is now gone due to the hurricanes I'm sure. I took an "island tour" which was a total waste of time and money. The shopping was nothing special, it's much better in Cozumel and St. Martin, St. Thomas, even Key West.

This past December, we docked at Castaway Cay at the end of the 10 day cruise, in spite of cold, windy weather. The snorkeling and swimming bays were closed, nobody would have gone in anyway. It was too cold! We bundled up and took a walk over to Serenity Bay to see what it looked like, it was even windier there. We had a cold lunch and Conch Coolers with friends from the ship, watched our DD dance with the teens in the rotunda (at least they were having a good time!), and headed back to the ship to warm up and take a nap. Good day for the hot tub, actually.

That's winter cruising for you. We had nice days at other ports, luck of the draw. DCL has no control over the weather.

 

[mommasita]

I am sorry if I am hijacking this thread. I just want to add my two cents (for all its worth).

Things seem to be out of control here. EVeryone has there own opinion about everything, and that is what makes us people of free speech. I feel anyone you berates you to the degree some people did on this forum, is not trying to put themselves in your place. They are only judging you.

For all of us who sailed in hurricane season this year, or any other, we knew what we had a chance of getting, and we may or may not have gotten it, and I remember upon returning all the people up in arms over the compensation some people received vs those who did not. This was a gesture from DCL, not a neccesity, and is very hard for those not on the boat at the time to say what people had to deal with, and if this compensation was satisfactory or not.

I guess in essence I feel that no matter what we write here, or disagree with, we are entitled to, but how some people look themselves in the mirror after is beyond me.

I am siding with NOBODY here, simply stating my point of view. THis is the first time I get into something debatable like this. I just look at all the disaster all around the world, and think that is what matters, not this at all.

So Flame me if you want.

 

[allears]

luvthemagic, I do apologize that you think my comments were directed at you. They were in fact directed at our culture in general and the fact that as soon as things don't go just right, people think they are entitled to "compensation". No my life isn't perfect nor are my vacations. But we do try to find the best in situations.

Again, I do understand dissappointment, we would have like to have gotten onto Castaway Cay. What I don't understand is the overwhelming desire to place blame and demand financial retribution. The cruise line doesn't set out to screw up people's vacations and the captain doesn't get his jollies by deciding not to go to ports. Or the idea that any of us knows better how to sail that ship.