Fantasy having mechanical issues

[cgolf]

Has anyone heard if anyone on the double dip asked for any compensations and received? I'll admit I had it better than some because we drove from North Carolina but it really put us driving through the night which was rough with the kids. Plus the motion the first night was horrible. Another complaint was we were in the kids club and you can't hear the announcements in there so we didn't know about lunch being served until it was over on disembarkment day. I wouldn't expect any money back or anything but if dcl was offering a small percentage off a future cruise or a little onboard credit I surely wouldn't refuse it. Also, they were filming in the kids club one day and that annoyed me, and our servers didn't do any tricks like folding menus into shapes for the kids. I've cruised with dcl a couple times before and this definitely wasn't my favorite trip, although I was so excited about the two days at cc, it just left a little to be desired for me

I want to comment on the servers doing tricks. It totally depends on the servers. In our 12 trips, I can only remember it happening 4 times. We have had great servers a few times, bad a couple, and the rest were just fine. Total luck of the draw and also depends on how busy they are, a high maintenance table can limit what a server can do.

 

[truck1]

Different question for those who were on the 3-night Fantasy double-dip...
Did the Fantasy leave port and "float" around the ocean or did it just stay moored at Castaway?

On all of the double dips the ship leaves port. There's any number of reasons. Take your pick. The cooks on the island are the same from the ship. If the ship overnighted one of the locations.would be short cooks. The same.people that work the stores onboard work the stores on the island. In the unlikely event a storm.comes up while the ship is tied to the port she could beat a hole in the side which would be bad. It would be worse of they damaged the pier. Then there's the whole they don't want you seeing what they do to the island while were away.

As far as bugs keep in mind there about 60 cms there 24/7. If the bugs were that bad, the cms couldn't work or Wed see them with bug bites. I'm pretty sure Disney took care of that.

I think its a combination of ship safety,safety in general, logistics, and overall experience then anything else.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I want to comment on the servers doing tricks. It totally depends on the servers. In our 12 trips, I can only remember it happening 4 times. We have had great servers a few times, bad a couple, and the rest were just fine. Total luck of the draw and also depends on how busy they are, a high maintenance table can limit what a server can do.

And, sometimes, you have to encourage them. Our last 2 cruises, our servers didn't start joking/doing tricks with us (an 8 top of all adults) until I prompted them a couple of times.

 

[BruinEd03]

Obviously I'm not. Are you?
My point was they could've skipped Tortola and just made it an extra sea day, but they've added a port. One course I'd be more than annoyed if I'd have gone on that cruise for Tortola, but I'd like to think I'd be a little bit thankful that they'd gone to the effort of adding in an extra port over an extra sea day.

Disney do drills all the time, staring with that one guests have to attend every cruise.
But for something like this, you can do all the training you want, but it's probably going to be totally different every time, different issues, different guests, different parts of the world, different accessibility to resources.

That drill they practice every cruise goes quite smooth right? A bit of an inconvenience but pretty calm and simple. If there was really an emergency and that was going on for real, do you really think everyone is going to react in that same way.

I'm not arguing at all. I get everyone's frustrations, but at the time with the info and resources they had, Disney probably did the best they could. It's not like this was planned months in advance so they could have it all worked out, and it's not like this is even a regular thing that they have to carry out.

What would you prefer, they update you every five minutes with conflicting information and confusing everyone (including CMs), or they wait a while and tell you everything you need to know once it's gone through all the right channels and is 'official' and what's actually going to happen?

I worked for DCL for three years, 2 different ships and pretty much every itinerary going at the time. And I never once got delayed getting back into port. We missed a few castaways and every time that was handled slightly differently to make it work. And I've been through a few real emergencies at sea, doesn't matter how many drills I'd done, when those announcements were made for real we all reacted differently to how wed been trained and practised.

At the end of the day it's done. There are people who think they did a great job and those who think it's the worst thing they've gone through while travelling. But it's happened and even Disney can't go back and change it...

My question was in response to your comment "Are people (who aren't even on the cruise) really trying to make an argument over Tortola being swapped out for San Juan?"

Yet, when I ask you the same question, you seem incredulous that I would ask if you were on the Fantasy as if that was a per-requisite to provide commentary and thoughts on this issue. You don't have to be on the Fantasy to weigh in on this issue.

There's two issues here: 1.) Treatment of people on the delayed return for the first cruise; 2.) Changing of the literariness for the second cruise.

First cruise: I don't know what happened - I wasn't there. People have expressed a lot of emotions from joy to disappointment. Yet, you discount the disappointed cruisers as if their opinion doesn't matter. Why is that? Clearly some people got the message and were treated awesome, great. However, it appears that some people didn't get the message and it became a mess and an additional burden on the people. There were also people who were impacted by flights. If some people are confused and feel disappointed in the experience, why do you automatically assume that Disney did their best?

Second cruise: You haven't discussed this at all, aside from dismissing the disappointment in switching as being invalid.

You say that it's over and done with. Well . . . there's still time for Disney to make it right for people (in whatever form it is for those people who were disappointed). People have had to pay change fees. They've also been frustrated. That's also not to say the CM did anything wrong, perhaps their superiors gave them incorrect information, or didn't properly trained them enough. Or, their superiors didn't authorize them with enough power to do enough for the customers. Sometimes, the CMs can't do anything until the damage is done. E.g., there has to be cancelled flights. However, that's still on Disney.

Keep in mind what caused this. Mechanical issues. That is something that is under Disney's control. No one is saying that Disney should just prevent machines from breaking - that's just ridiculous. But when something does break - who should shoulder that inconvenience? The passengers, or Disney?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Yet, you discount the disappointed cruisers as if their opinion doesn't matter. Why is that? Clearly some people got the message and were treated awesome, great. However, it appears that some people didn't get the message and it became a mess and an additional burden on the people. There were also people who were impacted by flights. If some people are confused and feel disappointed in the experience, why do you automatically assume that Disney did their best?

I didn't feel she was discounting the disappointed cruisers. I saw it as a comment from someone who's probably dealt with travel upheavals themselves. The more we travel, the more we're aware that you have to be flexible. Sure, have a plan for the way things are supposed to work out, but when they don't (and they won't always), go with the flow and don't fight it.

I wouldn't expect Disney (or anyone else) to cover my bad planning for exigencies, just because it happened on their ship. If they do, great, but I don't expect it. That's why I buy travel insurance. I just don't think Disney can be blamed for a mechanical issue. Anymore than Ford can be blamed for my car needing a new valve. Things wear out and suddenly stop, without warning.

Sure, the Fantasy is just out dry dock, but they didn't totally rebuild her. They did necessary maintenance. With some upgrades. So there are parts of her that have some use on them. And no way of knowing when/where they're going to give up.

 

[bbel]

I didn't feel she was discounting the disappointed cruisers. I saw it as a comment from someone who's probably dealt with travel upheavals themselves. The we travel, the more we're aware that you have to be flexible. Sure, have a plan for the way things are supposed to work out, but when they don't (and they won't always), go with the flow and don't fight it.

I wouldn't expect Disney (or anyone else) to cover my bad planning for exigencies, just because it happened on their ship. If they do, great, but I don't expect it. That's why I buy travel insurance. I just don't think Disney can be blamed for a mechanical issue. Anymore than Ford can be blamed for my car needing a new valve. Things wear out and suddenly stop, without warning.

Sure, the Fantasy is just out dry dock, but they didn't totally rebuild her. They did necessary maintenance. With some upgrades. So there are parts of her that have some use on them. And no way of knowing when/where they're going to give up.

Thank you!

 

[JWG]

She's docked at St. Thomas, so all must we well with the engines.

Arrived at 6:43am Eastern Time, right on time for an eastern itinerary to that area.

 

[bbel]

My question was in response to your comment "Are people (who aren't even on the cruise) really trying to make an argument over Tortola being swapped out for San Juan?"

Yet, when I ask you the same question, you seem incredulous that I would ask if you were on the Fantasy as if that was a per-requisite to provide commentary and thoughts on this issue. You don't have to be on the Fantasy to weigh in on this issue.

There's two issues here: 1.) Treatment of people on the delayed return for the first cruise; 2.) Changing of the literariness for the second cruise.

First cruise: I don't know what happened - I wasn't there. People have expressed a lot of emotions from joy to disappointment. Yet, you discount the disappointed cruisers as if their opinion doesn't matter. Why is that? Clearly some people got the message and were treated awesome, great. However, it appears that some people didn't get the message and it became a mess and an additional burden on the people. There were also people who were impacted by flights. If some people are confused and feel disappointed in the experience, why do you automatically assume that Disney did their best?

Second cruise: You haven't discussed this at all, aside from dismissing the disappointment in switching as being invalid.

You say that it's over and done with. Well . . . there's still time for Disney to make it right for people (in whatever form it is for those people who were disappointed). People have had to pay change fees. They've also been frustrated. That's also not to say the CM did anything wrong, perhaps their superiors gave them incorrect information, or didn't properly trained them enough. Or, their superiors didn't authorize them with enough power to do enough for the customers. Sometimes, the CMs can't do anything until the damage is done. E.g., there has to be cancelled flights. However, that's still on Disney.

Keep in mind what caused this. Mechanical issues. That is something that is under Disney's control. No one is saying that Disney should just prevent machines from breaking - that's just ridiculous. But when something does break - who should shoulder that inconvenience? The passengers, or Disney?

I could reply with more detail, but I cant be bothered as you're obviously going to pick at points and twist them, just because you don't totally agree with my views (welcome to the internet!).

Tell me where I discounted peoples disappointments? I said I agree with frustrations, and I'd be annoyed of an itinerary change - but my point was me, personally, would be thankful that they went to the effort to add in the option of another port over a sea day. Thats just me, maybe Im a glass half-full kind of person, and there's people here who obviously aren't (again, welcome to the internet).

As for blaming the mechanical issues on Disney, me personally (welcome to the internet), don't think thats entirely fair. At the moment we don't know what actually happened, or what caused it. Yes, the are responsible but its not "something that is under Disney's control", its just life, things fail, sometimes they give up, with no warning, and there's not much you can do apart from roll with it.

When I say what is done is done, I was referring to what happened ON the ship AT the time, which is what my whole post was about.

If Im honest, my whole outlook on a lot of things have completely changed literally overnight. I would 'endure' all the 'hardships' that people feel they went through with this whole Fantasy issues, I'd do it x1000 if it meant my cousin (and hundreds of others) had made it out that concert in Manchester unhurt last night. Unfortunately she didn't, so this post to me, personally (welcome to the internet) , is a whole load of 'First World Problems'.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I didn't feel she was discounting the disappointed cruisers. I saw it as a comment from someone who's probably dealt with travel upheavals themselves. The we travel, the more we're aware that you have to be flexible. Sure, have a plan for the way things are supposed to work out, but when they don't (and they won't always), go with the flow and don't fight it.

I wouldn't expect Disney (or anyone else) to cover my bad planning for exigencies, just because it happened on their ship. If they do, great, but I don't expect it. That's why I buy travel insurance. I just don't think Disney can be blamed for a mechanical issue. Anymore than Ford can be blamed for my car needing a new valve. Things wear out and suddenly stop, without warning.

Sure, the Fantasy is just out dry dock, but they didn't totally rebuild her. They did necessary maintenance. With some upgrades. So there are parts of her that have some use on them. And no way of knowing when/where they're going to give up.

The difference between your car analogy and the ship is that you own the car. If my car breaks it is my problem, not Ford's (warranty aside). Disney owns the ship and gets the benefits and profits of the ship, they also get the liabilities. If Disney's ship breaks, it is their problem, not mine. They did not share the profit they made on that 3 night cruise, but they did push some of the liabilities onto me by assuming I was just fine hanging out on their ship for an extra 5 hours. This would be different if it was a weather related incident or another "act of God," but this is mechanical. So it is in Disney's court.

 

[Geomom]

If Im honest, my whole outlook on a lot of things have completely changed literally overnight. I would 'endure' all the 'hardships' that people feel they went through with this whole Fantasy issues, I'd do it x1000 if it meant my cousin (and hundreds of others) had made it out that concert in Manchester unhurt last night. Unfortunately she didn't, so this post to me, personally (welcome to the internet) , is a whole load of 'First World Problems'.

So sorry about your cousin and everyone who went through that experience last night in Manchester. Terrorism is a horrible senseless thing. I will never understand why anyone harms 'innocents'.

 

[nancipants]

We were there with you and you were AMAZING!!!! I wish you would have seen it head on, I don't remember when I laughed so hard.

Oh no!!! Hahaha, thanks! I'm glad I had a few drinks in me that night!

 

[lanejudy]

@bbel

 

[GOOFY D]

If you read the disboards and trip reports you would be naive to believe this one after dry dock cruise would be without any issues. There was a possibility that the cruise could be cancelled if there were issues finishing dry dock. Obviously DCL didn't discount the cruise, they didn't need to, but we freely booked knowing the ship was returning from dry dock. If you are on the boards IMO should know how to research prior cruise experiences and know the possibilities of issues.

The drydock dates were fully disclosed to those booking the cruise nearly 2 years ago? So you're saying Disney knowingly put a vessel into service and charged full rate while expecting to have mechanical issues. They also fully expected that all the passengers who were booking said cruise would visit DIS boards in order to learn about this expectation rather than disclosing the expectation to the passengers? It is naive to assume that every passenger should have "expected" to have mechanical issues and that because they were "naive" enough to book that particular cruise, that they should be fine with what happened.

 

[RedSox68]

I know this whole incident was unforeseen and Disney had to "go with the flo" and adjust the intinerary to catch up, but if I were on the second cruise I would have been disappointed for missing out on Tortola. We have been to St. Thomas 4 times and am so done with that port, but have never been to Tortola. So I can see many being disappointed for the change back to one of their standard ports.

 

[Dug720]

If Im honest, my whole outlook on a lot of things have completely changed literally overnight. I would 'endure' all the 'hardships' that people feel they went through with this whole Fantasy issues, I'd do it x1000 if it meant my cousin (and hundreds of others) had made it out that concert in Manchester unhurt last night. Unfortunately she didn't, so this post to me, personally (welcome to the internet) , is a whole load of 'First World Problems'.

You, your cousin, and all those affected are in my prayers!!

 

[GeneralTso]

It just cracks me up when people (waaaay too invested) start fighting over stuff like this. Really? Arguing and fighting with people on the internet about a Disney Cruise?

 

[mareed]

And, sometimes, you have to encourage them. Our last 2 cruises, our servers didn't start joking/doing tricks with us (an 8 top of all adults) until I prompted them a couple of times.

And then again, sometimes you have to discourage them. We had a recent cruise where service was painfully slow at first seating, to the point that we were the very last table to leave and we got to see the tables set for 2nd seating. Then, our asst server started slowing down even more by doing the little tricks and games which is not was was needed at that time! We politely told her "no thanks" on the games and that we'd really just appreciate quicker service. It still didn't turn around after a few days so we talked to head waiter and ended up switching dining teams completely. I think they were new and just overwhelmed with a full guest load, and I think they got quicker with their fewer number of tables after we were reassigned.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The difference between your car analogy and the ship is that you own the car. If my car breaks it is my problem, not Ford's (warranty aside). Disney owns the ship and gets the benefits and profits of the ship, they also get the liabilities. If Disney's ship breaks, it is their problem, not mine. They did not share the profit they made on that 3 night cruise, but they did push some of the liabilities onto me by assuming I was just fine hanging out on their ship for an extra 5 hours. This would be different if it was a weather related incident or another "act of God," but this is mechanical. So it is in Disney's court.

OK, so I'm taking the bus in town to get to an appointment. The bus blows a tire, so now I'm walking to my appointment and I miss it. Because I miss the appointment, I lose a valuable client. So, I'm to expect the bus company to pay me all my losses due to a blown tire?

I don't think so.

Again, I point out that the cruise contract (that everyone who books a cruise agrees to) states that the cruise line/captain can change or cancel any cruise, or portion of it, at their discretion for whatever reason. There's no agreement to reimbursement if such a change happens.

 

[phinz]

It just cracks me up when people (waaaay too invested) start fighting over stuff like this. Really? Arguing and fighting with people on the internet about a Disney Cruise?

And yet *you* took the time to come in, read - at least a portion of - the thread and post this, which offers nothing germane to the conversation. In the words of your friendly local constabulary, "Nothing to see here. Move along."

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

OK, so I'm taking the bus in town to get to an appointment. The bus blows a tire, so now I'm walking to my appointment and I miss it. Because I miss the appointment, I lose a valuable client. So, I'm to expect the bus company to pay me all my losses due to a blown tire?

I don't think so.

Again, I point out that the cruise contract (that everyone who books a cruise agrees to) states that the cruise line/captain can change or cancel any cruise, or portion of it, at their discretion for whatever reason. There's no agreement to reimbursement if such a change happens.

First, I know that Disney has the best lawyers and that they have written a contract which gives them the right to do almost anything and that I signed that contract. But, contracts do not always hold up in court when they are deemed to be unfair. Not that I am in any way interested in going to court ever-- just pointing that out.

To answer your point, no, I personally would not expect to be fully reimbursed, although you have a case to be so in both instances. Specifically in the case of the bus, you did not pay much for the service... you get what you pay for. If I have something important going on, I do not take a bus. But with DCL, I paid a premium to get premium service. Even so, I personally would not expect dcl to reimburse me for all the inconvenience that they caused me, which was not minor. However, as a company that charges a premium for their product and claims to excell at customer service, yes, I do expect them to acknowledge in some way their error, their mechanical problems, and their imposition on my time and schedule.