Flight Delay and Will Miss Transatlantic Cruise

[amanda12404]

I really have no words to express how sad I am for you and your family. I just cant imagine the heart break of it. I know things are going to start getting better and the cruise will still happen for you all. Yes please keep up as updated as much as you can.

 

[TrySomethingNew]

I am sorry to hear of all these frustrations for you and family. We had booked Disney Air last year, and used them without issue. However, I did keep thinking to myself "they say they'll help if there is an issue, but I really don't want to test that theory out". Apparently the one mechanical issue (which is not rare) threw quite a wrench into your plans and left Disney Air without alternatives for your family. I do hope the solution/resolution -whatever that is- turns out well and you and your family do end up enjoying your trip. Good luck!

 

[FigmentSpark]

I find it surprising that they didn't try to get you on an alternate flight. Very poor service.

 

[truck1]

We booked directly with Disney including air. They booked a very tight connection which I objected to but they said we would be fine

Go around the person that answers the phone and talk directly to a supervisor.

 

[BruinEd03]

Yes they will get us to Boston but I now have $400.00 in hotel expenses there that are on me. Hopefully things will look up when and if we finally get to the ship and we can try to put this nightmare behind us.

What credit card did you use to pay for the cruise? Some of them have built in travel insurance if you paid for any portion of the trip with the card (e.g., Chase Sapphire) that may cover trip interruption.

 

[disneymath]

Last summer my family found ourselves in a similar situation trying to get to Copenhagen for our DCL Iceland cruise. We had booked flights on our own, planned to arrive a day early and then, due to a mdchanical issue on the first leg, we got delayed a full day and barely made it to the ship on time ... BUT after a lot of stress and persistence on my part, we DID make it and had an amazing cruise! I'm sending positive thoughts that things will work out for your family too.

I can only imagine how stressful this must be for you with lost luggage piled on top of disappointed kids and uncertain plans. But, don't give up hope just yet. Be prepared to assert yourself and call Disney Air back as often as necessary. Ask for supervisors and mangers as needed. Do your own research online and suggest options that you think would work for your family if what's being offered to you just doesn't cut it.

 

[rosaciri]

Agree with BruinEd03 - some credit cards have travel insurance available when booking flights etc. If you used a cc check if this is applicable.

Hopefully things will start to look better for you. Sending you postivie vibes all the way from Australia.

 

[MUN]

Two things, you should fly into Boston and meet up with the ship, and this is an example of why people recommend flying in at least one day before the ship embarks, we always have.

I am sorry for the delay.

MUN

 

[RedSox68]

This is unbelievable bad customer service on Disney's end. How unprofessional to book a flight arrival so close to departure! And to not offer a deviation in flight when you called twice to express concern is ridiculous. I honestly don't know what's happening to DCL -- there have been a lot of people being inconvenienced and displaced with no empathy from DCL or offer of compensation or good faith amenities. It is especially disappointing in your case because you are trying to do this to make your sons happy and instead Disney has caused grief in their lives.

My thoughts are with you. I hope when it is all said and done, you send a formal letter to headquarters. This is unacceptable all around.

 

[Jwhittin]

Wishing you luck and throwing pixie dust your way! I live in MA and wish I could put you guys up with us just so you don't have to pay for a hotel. I'll be thinking about you guys on Wednesday. Wish I could get into Boston that day to wave to the Magic!

 

[cruisehopeful]

There is really no advantage to using Disney Air as I was led to believe. I always fly in a day early but was told this was not necessary if we used Disney Air. We learned a bitter lesson.

I may be the odd one out and while I agree you should have purchased insurance, I don't think think you should need insurance to fix this. You booked your air through DCL and they are the ones who booked you on such a risky, last minute flight and told you TWICE not to worry about it when you expressed concern. I understand things happen and flights can be delayed for various reasons and DCL can't be held liable for a delay, but they should take responsibility for their mistake of booking you so late. Their inability to control delays is why they tell everyone else to fly in the day before! They went against their own sound advice and booked you on a last minute flight, they should be helping to fix this. Personally, I would expect them to get me to Boston and comp me for food and lodging OR comp me the days I'm missing on the ship due to their error. Get to Boston, save your receipts and deal with it after you're on the ship or when you get home, but for now GET TO BOSTON!

Insurance or not, using Disney Air is expensive and needs to come with some responsibility on their end. This is horrible customer service. They are the ones who booked your flight and assured you it would be okay. They need to be held responsible. Save your receipts. Enjoy your cruise and try to not to think about it. When you get home, raise a major stink as far up as you need to go to get your out of pocket costs back in the least.

 

[BigredNole]

I don't even have a cruise booked and I am upset. We are dreaming of taking one and if this happened I would be livid. Disney left you no chance for error. 1:45 arrival, 20 minutes for luggage, then to transportation, 1 hour drive. You are looking at a #PM arrival at port at the earliest. 90 minutes is no valid margin of error. When Disney does not control the airlines nor their schedules.

I now know that we will drive most of the way in the night before, manage our own luggage, and purchase trip insurance through other agencies.

 

[Ofinn]

If everything would have gone perfectly you would have barely made it to the ship in time. Your arrival time left absolutely no margin for error at all. DCL insurance is expensive. I agree with pp that said you shouldn't have to use insurance to fix this. DCL should do it. That being said, in the future if you don't want to spend that DCL prices on insurance I would buy it on your own. I insured our upcoming trip for 125.00 dollars for the four of us. It includes trip cancellation, delay, medical, dental, and lost luggage. It doesn't include cancel for any reason like DCL does, but you would have had your hotel and lost luggage expenses reimbursed. You definitely need to escalate this to right people. You can't expect much help from the phone CM's. They are in a call center, probably not paid well, and don't really care. I find that to be the case with most company's customer service agents.

 

[jrabbit]

and WHEN you get on the Ship in Boston, once you are settled, go visit Guest Services and have a long chat with them. This is NOT "their" (GS) problem, but they should be able to put you in contact with someone shore side (and they pick up the ship to shore phone tab).

When talking to the first person at Guest Services, very briefly explain to them the situation and ask to speak to the officer in charge. Again, this person should have a contact shore side that you can work with to get a satisfactory outcome.

Good luck and I hope that this all works out well for you!!!

"All you need is Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust" -- Peter Pan --- and Disney NOT to be stubborn -- JRabbit

 

[minorthr]

Sorry for the trouble. I've been there with flight delays and a child with autism it can really throw them for a loop. Hopefully things will work out from here.

 

[Jess_S]

Insurance or not, using Disney Air is expensive and needs to come with some responsibility on their end. This is horrible customer service. They are the ones who booked your flight and assured you it would be okay. They need to be held responsible. Save your receipts. Enjoy your cruise and try to not to think about it. When you get home, raise a major stink as far up as you need to go to get your out of pocket costs back in the least.

My thoughts exactly. Come on up and see us in Boston (the weather is passable), enjoy the remainder of the trip and don't take no for an answer as far as compensation goes. My view is that they owe you a reimbursement for however many days of the trip you are missing because of their poor service. Thank you for sharing your experience. It certainly underscores for me that I'm better off booking my own airfare as I usually do.

 

[MUN]

Insurance or not, using Disney Air is expensive and needs to come with some responsibility on their end. This is horrible customer service. They are the ones who booked your flight and assured you it would be okay. They need to be held responsible. Save your receipts. Enjoy your cruise and try to not to think about it. When you get home, raise a major stink as far up as you need to go to get your out of pocket costs back in the least.

I would be interested to see the fine print concerning the assurance that everything would be ok. I can't believe DCL booked a flight that would get her into MCO at 1:40 pm. That's crazy. However, it's just as crazy that the OP accepted this. I hate to blame the victim, and I hope everything works out for her and her family, but there is no way I would book or allow someone to book for me a flight that gets me to the airport with such little time to spare. NUTS!

 

[Quellman]

Yikes. Lots of nice advice in here. I ponder to myself how your luggage is randomly floating around somewhere, I didn't know they would put luggage on a plane without the owner flying with it anymore. I know you have a lot of anxiety and unhappiness associated with this trip. it is up to you to salvage or not and receive compensation. At a minimum I would require they provide you a % off a future cruise.

If you do try to salvage your trip, make sure you double check your flights back home to Louisville once onboard. If it was a multi-city ticket, since you missed the first leg, then they might have cancelled your flights home as well.

Best of wishes for the outcome you want and deserve.

 

[eeyorefanuk]

I hope you manage to make your holiday still a memorable one

 

[Jennifer777]

If you do try to salvage your trip, make sure you double check your flights back home to Louisville once onboard. If it was a multi-city ticket, since you missed the first leg, then they might have cancelled your flights home as well.

Very good advice! If you were booked round trip and miss the first leg, the airline cancels your second leg. Found this out the hard way once when I had to miss a flight and it was cheaper to book a one way than pay the change fee. Didn't realize missing the first leg canceled out my second. I book almost strictly one way tickets now because of this. It's the same price and then I can cancel one without affecting the other. Have DCL confirm your flight home once you get your flight to Boston figured out!