Disney Wonder Dry Dock Watch - 11/10 Wonder departs on first cruise out of Galveston

[PrincessShmoo]

We're sailing on the Thanksgiving cruise post dry dock - I believe it's the 2nd sailing. What kind of problems should I prepare for? Is it possible that the cruise could get cancelled if the dry dock has delays?

It could be. The first 4 cruises scheduled for the Magic after her re-imagining were cancelled. I would hope DCL has planned this one a little better.

 

[Dug720]

We're sailing on the Thanksgiving cruise post dry dock - I believe it's the 2nd sailing. What kind of problems should I prepare for? Is it possible that the cruise could get cancelled if the dry dock has delays?

RCCL cancelled about a full month of cruises on Empress this spring when they were bringing her back into the fleet and her dry dock to do so ran way over. And reports from people on the first few cruises that sailed indicated that she could have used more time. That's an extreme example, but the possibility does exist that if there are major issues they could cancel the cruises.

It's been a while, but I think I remember the Magic had some pretty bad kinks coming back off her dry dock. I don't know if anything was cancelled, but it might have been.

eta: Thank you Shmoo for the info on the Magic. I couldn't remember if there were cancelled cruises or just "issues".

 

[PrincessShmoo]

RCCL cancelled about a full month of cruises on Empress this spring when they were bringing her back into the fleet and her dry dock to do so ran way over. And reports from people on the first few cruises that sailed indicated that she could have used more time. That's an extreme example, but the possibility does exist that if there are major issues they could cancel the cruises.

It's been a while, but I think I remember the Magic had some pretty bad kinks coming back off her dry dock. I don't know if anything was cancelled, but it might have been.

eta: Thank you Shmoo for the info on the Magic. I couldn't remember if there were cancelled cruises or just "issues".

We were in Port Canaveral (on another line) when the Magic was there (during the time of the cancelled cruises) while she was getting "fixed" from her re-imagining issues.

 

[Dug720]

We were in Port Canaveral (on another line) when the Magic was there (during the time of the cancelled cruises) while she was getting "fixed" from her re-imagining issues.

Part of me can't help but wonder (no pun intended) if the stuff reported being prepped on the Wonder during the WBPC might be Disney swinging the pendulum in the other direction -albeit too FAR in the other direction it seems - to try and avoid those or similar re-imagining issues. Not justifying it at all...just pondering that it might be one of those "Ok, we needed more time last time, so let's just start some things a little early this time..." conversations.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Part of me can't help but wonder (no pun intended) if the stuff reported being prepped on the Wonder during the WBPC might be Disney swinging the pendulum in the other direction -albeit too FAR in the other direction it seems - to try and avoid those or similar re-imagining issues. Not justifying it at all...just pondering that it might be one of those "Ok, we needed more time last time, so let's just start some things a little early this time..." conversations.

Part of the "issues" on the Magic were - DCL planned on "finishing up" some things during her trip back across the Atlantic before beginning her regular cruising. What they didn't count on (or plan for) was bad weather and rough seas meaning that a lot of things couldn't be accomplished as they wanted. And I believe there was also some damages during the cruise due to the rough seas, meaning more/other repairs had to be made.

 

[HoneyHoneyPot]

We were in Port Canaveral (on another line) when the Magic was there (during the time of the cancelled cruises) while she was getting "fixed" from her re-imagining issues.

Off to research plan B trips!! I wonder when we would know if it's getting cancelled. I'm assuming we would receive a full refund?

 

[Dug720]

Part of the "issues" on the Magic were - DCL planned on "finishing up" some things during her trip back across the Atlantic before beginning her regular cruising. What they didn't count on (or plan for) was bad weather and rough seas meaning that a lot of things couldn't be accomplished as they wanted. And I believe there was also some damages during the cruise due to the rough seas, meaning more/other repairs had to be made.

True. Though that doesn't exclude the pendulum swing possibility (we can't count on that cruise back over to get things done...)... Just a theory though.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Off to research plan B trips!! I wonder when we would know if it's getting cancelled. I'm assuming we would receive a full refund?

I believe the people on the cancelled cruises were given a cruise credit for a future cruise in the amount of whatever they'd paid for the cancelled one. Maybe someone who was involved in the situation will weigh in here.

 

[cmph]

I believe the people on the cancelled cruises were given a cruise credit for a future cruise in the amount of whatever they'd paid for the cancelled one. Maybe someone who was involved in the situation will weigh in here.

That sort of sucks if the prices keep going up each year! We're sailing on the Wonder in December, and if that gets canceled - I will be pretty perturbed if I only get that amount credited toward a future, more expensive cruise.

 

[pintail chuck]

Well we are booked on the first trip back on 11/10.....Great.

 

[truck1]

I believe the people on the cancelled cruises were given a cruise credit for a future cruise in the amount of whatever they'd paid for the cancelled one. Maybe someone who was involved in the situation will weigh in here.

They were given a few options.
Option 1 was move the cruise to a different date,
Option 2 was to move to the Fantasy which left the same day from PC when the Magic should have left Miami. (We were on the Fantasy and had to wait for guests coming from Miami from the Magic)
Those I know for sure. There was probably other options as well.

 

[truck1]

Part of the "issues" on the Magic were - DCL planned on "finishing up" some things during her trip back across the Atlantic before beginning her regular cruising. What they didn't count on (or plan for) was bad weather and rough seas meaning that a lot of things couldn't be accomplished as they wanted. And I believe there was also some damages during the cruise due to the rough seas, meaning more/other repairs had to be made.

There is also issues with the contractors DCL insists on using. They find the lowest bid to do the work, and from talking to different heads of departments after drydocks, a lot of the contractors do more damage then what they fix.
For example some of the things mentioned to me were, freshly laid tile in the atrium being broken by careless workers, cigarette burns in carpeting in areas that are not supposed to be touched, pool surfaces that have to be redone 3 or 4 times because other contractors walk thru it after the paint or epoxy is laid down.

 

[BCV23]

We are just off the Fantasy and saw the Wonder in port yesterday. Also saw a huge line of CMs get off the ship about 6:15-6:30 yesterday. I think they were off to work on the Wonder. We talked to one CM who was going to be part of the work crew. He said they would sail for nine days and then work, work, work.

As for the cancelled cruises after the Magic was reimagined, I don't think it was four. Maybe just one or two? We sailed on a back to back starting on 11/1. IIRC it ended up being the second cruise. I think mmouse sailed right before us. Scott was to have been on a cancelled cruise and I think they drove to Miami to make it to the next cruise? I think there was a short cruise to nowhere from PC that was cancelled and then a repositioning to Miami. Does that ring a bell with anyone? I am certain about the 11/1 cruise as I was on it!

 

[wombat_5606]

I was on the Magic that was cancelled right after the dry dock. As far as memory serves, we were offered another cruise within 12 months for the same category cabin, same itinerary and exact same passengers. The difficulty is that the post-dry dock cruise was a double dip. There were only a few of those cruises available and none worked into our schedule. So the offer I received and took advantage of was a complete refund and 35% off another cruise within the next year.

 

[wombat_5606]

I have found the actual letter over on disneycruiselineblog.com.

 

[wide awake]

We are on the Thanksgiving cruise, and looking forward to it, but....full refund and complimentary replacement cruise...I could live with that.

 

[wombat_5606]

We are on the Thanksgiving cruise, and looking forward to it, but....full refund and complimentary replacement cruise...I could live with that.

Yes, it's would have been nice if you could take advantage of it, but for me it actually increased my vacation costs.

First, we were emotionally, financially and committed by time off work to just drop our vacation that included pre and post cruise plans. Our pre plans were non-refundable. Therefore we had to scramble to find another "vacation" to go on while we were on our pre cruise vacation which negated the vacation-ness of those few days. Then we had the expense of the days spent at our last minute vacation, doing something we really didn't want to do because we wanted and had been waiting for our Disney cruise for many months.

My husband couldn't take another vacation within the time frame allowed. There was some "mouse-print" that didn't appear in the letter, in that the free cruise could only be used by those people that were on the original cruise, thus I could not add someone else to the vacation, instead of my husband.

Also, it was only for a 5 night cruise from Port Canaveral or Miami ON the Magic. There weren't many of those in that time frame. The cruise after dry dock was a double dip and I'm sure you know they are rare, as well.

Then Disney offered to refund the airline costs, but did not take care of people like me who were driving and had non-refundable stays prior to embarkation.

Believe me when I say it wasn't the great deal it appears to be. You won't appreciate that fact until it happens to you and you have to juggle the pieces for yourself.

 

[ptcruisers]

We're on the Thanksgiving cruise as well that we booked and have been planning for over a year!! Didn't realize at time of booking that ship was going into drydock and our cruise would be shortly after. REALLY hope we don't have any problem, way too many factors involved to have to shuffle vacation time, hotels, cars etc. Thinking positive that ship will come out as scheduled and reimagination will be awesome!!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are just off the Fantasy and saw the Wonder in port yesterday. Also saw a huge line of CMs get off the ship about 6:15-6:30 yesterday. I think they were off to work on the Wonder. We talked to one CM who was going to be part of the work crew. He said they would sail for nine days and then work, work, work.

As for the cancelled cruises after the Magic was reimagined, I don't think it was four. Maybe just one or two? We sailed on a back to back starting on 11/1. IIRC it ended up being the second cruise. I think mmouse sailed right before us. Scott was to have been on a cancelled cruise and I think they drove to Miami to make it to the next cruise? I think there was a short cruise to nowhere from PC that was cancelled and then a repositioning to Miami. Does that ring a bell with anyone? I am certain about the 11/1 cruise as I was on it!

OK, I checked, you're correct - it was only the first cruise that was cancelled. I think I had it confused with the Dream post drydock situation where they cancelled 3 cruises and rearranged the following cruise(s).

 

[upinparis]

We are on the Thanksgiving cruise, and looking forward to it, but....full refund and complimentary replacement cruise...I could live with that.

I will be on the Thanksgiving cruise also, full refund, plus complimentary cruise. that would be acceptable, since i was going to book another cruise for 2017 while on board.