DVC Shares the love with slackers -- 2007 Member Cruise Booking Article

[cgcw]

I would suspect that DVC is, as DVC membership continues to grow but room on the member cruises stays the same, to give members (like Carol) who wanted to get on the cruise but weren't able to a better chance.

NO IT WAS NOT!

I am sorry, but with the old system 90% of it depended on your luck with the phone system. So everyone has NEVER had an equal chance. Since we probably don't want to PAY for a new phone system for a once a year issue that problem isn't going to be fixed. (At least I don't want to PAY for a phone system for a once a year issue and I was one who got stuck in the broken queue last year. I spent well over two hours listening to canned Disney music when dailing in just after the phone lines opened. When I came home and read the DIS I realized others dialing in AFTER me had already been helped. hung up, called back and waited another 15 minutes and got a room which I later cancelled)

Am I right in recalling that Carol DID get a cabin on the cruise and then, for whatever reason, cancelled out later? So, it's not that she didn't get in on calling day, it's that she got in later due to the overwhelming overload on the phone system.

Hope someone has a great time on the cruise - we're spending the same amount of money on a 7 day in 2008 instead.

I'm right there with you, Julie. Same money, more time & great friends!!!

 

[bonzie1]

As with anything, vacations are what you make them. We had a great 06 Member Cruise (once I vented about the hard sell and total waste of our time the first Castaway Cay morning). Although this is stretching the point, I almost felt like a hostage on board the ship, when all I wanted to do was go to Castaway Cay. I don't expect anyone else to understand, these are my feelings. I'm already a member. I didn't want to spend my vacation being told about how to buy DVC points, I was hoping to learn about the future... and celebrate the 15 years!

Was I disappointed in DVC, yes, big time. Was I disappointed in DCL or their CM's, or the special entertainment... or my DIS friends onboard... no, not one bit!

DVC Member Cruise could have just as easily been called DVC cruise. The fact they repeatedly called us family (in name), and treated us differently was a hard pill to swallow. Do I expect a red carpet rolled out... no. But, I do expect and respect truth. DVC is a business and has every right to make $. But, when they do so by twisting the truth, or avoiding it, it saddens me. Be proud of your decisions, stand behind them. Don't hide them from a group who you already hold in the palm of your hand.

I do wish those who "win" the lottery well. The Member Cruises have been GREAT. Should you go, you'll have a wonderful time. I just really don't understand the need to single out first-time cruisers. But, DVC does call the shots. It's a nice bonus, probably properly placed with expectations to complete the share holdings of SSR so DVC can start marketing the announced AKL villas. Jim Lewis pushed SSR as well, saying it was the "new favorite" DVC resort property.

Those who take afront at the term "slacker" okay... yes, it is a harsh word. Believe me, there are no sour grapes, just a hard cold breeze of reality. And those who sailed on the past member cruise are the ones who felt the chill the most.

 

[realgrmpy]

I really think Dr. Mike needs to relax a little bit. While I agree with him 100% pertaining to DVC, I do not think he should be aiming his anger at the newbies. I think if we are all honest with ourselves, we would not turn down a great opportunity to just to be fair to others. If a golden opportunity presented it's self, we would all take it. This is what happened to the new members and first time cruisers. I say congratulations to them and too bad for us. Again, shame on DVC but there is no reason to blame the newbies. Does Dr. Mike hold it against the first DVC Key West Members members for receiving free season passes their first few years? Come on Dr. Mike, get over it, it's not that big of a deal.

 

[Juliet25]

I'm a newbie and I read the article and I didn't take any offense to it at all. I guess I don't get what the big deal is about the member crusie. If this cruise were 1/2 price or something, I could see people clamoring for a cabin. But it's not any cheaper, and it seems to be a selling event for DVC that I would have to pay for.

I hope to take a DCL cruise sometime soon; whether it's the member cruise or not, I could care less.

 

[DVC Mary]

Webmaster Doc--I agree w/ what you wrote. As one of the Webmaster I'd like to ask you to examine the purpose of Mouse Matters.

I usually enjoy MouseMatters, but this does not seem to be the quality of other mousematters. This sounds more like a disrespectful bitter editorial, than one that belongs on what I thought was going to be an informative section of the DIS.

What exactly is mouse matters? The majority seem to be medical/educational with a Disney perspective. Does the DIS read these before allowing them to be posted. If this is going to be random editorials, why not let others submit their editorials to be published?

I suggest the DIS change the logo for this section of the DIS, if these are not going to be a solid medical perspective.

Just my humble opinion.....please no flames

Why ignore the Slacker issue- it's the title of the biased hack job and the author even deemed it important enough to define the concept later in the piece itself. No reason to ignore the title at all - it was used as the "centerpiece" for the entire thing. The description of any DVC members as "Slackers" is offensive, IMO. Inexperienced, unlucky, unknowledgeable - possibly ... SLACKERS - not at all.

I agree that the lottery could have been open to all members, just like the Special Seasons Lottery of years past, but this author chose to belittle the vast majority of DVC members instead of directing his venom at DVC itself. Blaming the members who have not been able to cruise for the action is just wrong and self-centered. Those members did not make the policy change- the change was made by DVC in response to a perception - real or imagined - that the membership overall will benefit. DVC has made many changes over the years - pool slides, transfers, banking, reallocated point charts, etc. - presumably for the same reason. The membership has not participated in any of these changes either, but in each case has learned to utilize the changes for their benefit. Perhaps this policy is being used as a precursor to a full lottery for future similar cruises based on it's success this year.

Perhaps a little actual research was in order to try to discover the reasons for the change- how many complaints were received by DVC about those left out of the cruise? How many cabins are actually being held for those in the lottery ... and how many members will actually be in the lottery?

What is the true reason for the author's biased indignation? Is he speaking for DVC members as a whole or for some more selfish reason?

 

[ohiominnie]

New Mouse Matters is up.

(use the link in my siggy....the main link isn't working right yet)

 

[hematite153]

For some reason I am feeling compelled to express an apparently unpopular view:

Although I am not planning to apply for the lottery and I have cruised with DCL (just not the member cruise) before, I approve of the new lottery system.

Yes, I think it could have been done better. Perhaps 3 booking dates with lotteries for the first 2, one for first-time member cruisers that would sell up to 20% of the cabins, then a second lottery for the next 40% of the cabins that all DVC members are eligible for, then open booking. (Note: this is just meant to be an example of a different way of organizing a similar booking system.)

However, unless they are really going to allow the whole cruise to be booked at the early booking date, I approve of spreading out the booking demand. Similar lotteries are used by most colleges to spread out the demand on course registration. Plus, a lottery that requires one to register to participate and then to call in after winning seems to continue to reward members who are willing to spend time learning the system.

On the issue of giving first-timers an advantage, it seems like a good idea to find a way to mollify those who may have tried unsuccessfully to get cabins multiple years in a row.

Oh well, just my opinion.

 

[Jynohn]

I have to admit that if Disney's intent was to generate interest in this cruise for people who have never gone on one before, it worked on me. I honestly never even considered going on a member cruise, but once I got the postcard with the "first time booking lottery" and then saw all the buzz on the websites about it, I thought to myself, wow, this must be some super special cruise for everyone to get so worked up about it that they have to run a lottery. Once I noticed that the dates fell during my tenth anniversary, I just HAD to go and register for that lottery.

Guess I'm one of those suckers who falls for Disney marketing hook, line and sinker!

 

[Copper3]

As with anything, vacations are what you make them. We had a great 06 Member Cruise (once I vented about the hard sell and total waste of our time the first Castaway Cay morning). Although this is stretching the point, I almost felt like a hostage on board the ship, when all I wanted to do was go to Castaway Cay. I don't expect anyone else to understand, these are my feelings. I'm already a member. I didn't want to spend my vacation being told about how to buy DVC points, I was hoping to learn about the future... and celebrate the 15 years!

Was I disappointed in DVC, yes, big time. Was I disappointed in DCL or their CM's, or the special entertainment... or my DIS friends onboard... no, not one bit!

DVC Member Cruise could have just as easily been called DVC cruise. The fact they repeatedly called us family (in name), and treated us differently was a hard pill to swallow. Do I expect a red carpet rolled out... no. But, I do expect and respect truth. DVC is a business and has every right to make $. But, when they do so by twisting the truth, or avoiding it, it saddens me. Be proud of your decisions, stand behind them. Don't hide them from a group who you already hold in the palm of your hand.

I do wish those who "win" the lottery well. The Member Cruises have been GREAT. Should you go, you'll have a wonderful time. I just really don't understand the need to single out first-time cruisers. But, DVC does call the shots. It's a nice bonus, probably properly placed with expectations to complete the share holdings of SSR so DVC can start marketing the announced AKL villas. Jim Lewis pushed SSR as well, saying it was the "new favorite" DVC resort property.

Those who take afront at the term "slacker" okay... yes, it is a harsh word. Believe me, there are no sour grapes, just a hard cold breeze of reality. And those who sailed on the past member cruise are the ones who felt the chill the most.

Georgie, you couldn't have expressed this any better.

I sailed on SSMC 2005 and SSMC 2006 and enjoyed both cruises for different reasons, 2005 for the friends I made and the warm feel from DVC and its provided entertainment and 2006 for the friends who I saw again or made anew and will hopefully sail/vacation again with and the outside entertainment provided. The DVC portion of 2006 MC was very much a hard sell and that was a true shame. I look forward to a 7 day cruise with my friends I met on both cruises and I think I would even save a few bucks by not sailing on SSMC 2007. The DIS crew had a nice sized section of the family beach almost all to ourselves and made friends with others who were sitting near us. From what I remember, our waiters made out handsomely too.

DVC dropped the ball big time with this announcement and Mike's article tries to convey that but I think he might have been a little too emotional still when he wrote it and reading it one needs to have a hard skin to appreciate exactly what he is trying to get across. All of the other articles show that he is not usually as biting as this one and he addresses this in the latest article. The only point I didn't like about the article was grouping in the slacker category since not everyone knew or would even consider staying on hold when receiving dead air for long periods of time, meaning 5 minutes or more and others may not have been able to sail yet or it didn't fit their time schedule.

I also want to wish those who win the lottery the best for a great cruise. I'm sure DVC will have learned from their perceived mis-steps from SSMC 2006 and will create a magical voyage for all of you. Also, those who make it thru on Day 2 of booking, have a great time with those same sentiments and best of luck getting thru DVC's less-than perfect phone system.