May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 5

[taysmom]

I think I did put my name on many lists. I need to check back through my pm's to see what I signed up for.

John...thanks for the ok. I am going to copy and send off now...let you know if anything happens.

Steph

 

[Jhalkias]

Bedtime!

'Night everybody!

 

[HollyTyler]

Hi all Sure you can post anything that we post over there on the EB thread. Tom's is much more elegant (he's the lawyer) but the more letters they get with different views and arguments the harder they will have to dig for an acceptable answer. You all are doing a great job here.

Thank you! Keep up the good work over there, and we'll keep plugging away here too!

 

[HollyTyler]

I don't think I want to know about what the whole NUTMEG MEN OF THE CARIBBEAN is all about, eek!

I sort of wondered about that myself!

 

[taysmom]

Ok all, here is the email I just sent to each of those addresses listed above. I will let you know if I get any response. Thanks again john for letting me pirate your letter.

Dear All heads of Disney Cruise Line, Disney Services and DCL Customer Service,

I would like you to know that there are many of us, I would venture to say "hundreds" of families who are discouraged by the recent increase in fees to the Panama Canal Cruises. One of my shipmates recently sent the following letter and I would like you to know that I agree completely with his thoughts on the email sent. I have included it here:

*****I inserted johns letter here******


I have sent 2 emails to the email address listed on DCLs website and both times my questions regarding this matter were not addressed. I was told that since Disney was "allowed" to pass along the charge, they were doing so. While I did read on the website that one of the terms and conditions were to "allow" disney to pass along that charge. I did not make my reservation on the website and do not have any documentation to show that your were allowed to raise my fare. Additionally, how do we know that this disclaimer was not added after until the increase was decided to be passed along. While this is only my second disney cruise, I have now had the bad taste of disney twice. First on my Med cruise this summer with the Excursions department and now regarding the increase in fees for the canal trip. I am more than happy to pay this fee, with a clear explanation that the increase was $100 overall charge for each passenger. As I read on the panama canals website, they were changing the fee structure, not increasing the fee $100.00 overall. I hope that one of you can address the passengers questions and show us how disney came to such an extreme amount of an increase. After all, my personal goverment taxes and fees before this increase was $95.48 and now my total is $295.48. I am sorry, but that seems just plain wrong. This is not the "magic" that I expect from disney.

I will be sailing on this cruise, as it is my daughters 10th birthday present and I just can't see taking that away from her for this increase, but I would like to get my "magic" back by having Disney Cruise Lines explain, in detail, there reasoning for this extreme increase per person and not just recieve an email back stating...we did it because we were "allowed" too.

I would also like you to know that many of your DCL customer service representatives are stating to several of us, that there aren't any other passengers complaining. I know of many, as stated before, that have sent emails and called. Their lack of caring or understanding on this issue and putting off those calling by stating the "they are the only ones" is unacceptable.

 

[HollyTyler]

OK....I modified John1's e-mail and sent to ALL of the e-mail addresses that GoofyontheHighSeas posted on the EB thread.

 

[taysmom]

ok, i'm lame..just reread it in big print...so many typos...I am literate...I promise!

 

[taysmom]

excellent...how many others will do it! Let's go people....get them to give us, at least, an explanation.

 

[fourmcds]

Deb & John: Very sorry to hear about your loss. Our thoughts are with you during this time.

 

[HollyTyler]

OK all.....I can't stay up any longer. Need lots of rest to cope with the heat tomorrow. It's supposed to be at least 95 degrees and it just happens to be the day I promised to take Tyler to the county fair. At least we're not going at noon when it's hottest! By the time I pick him up and we stop for a quick dinner on the way, it will probably be 4pm when we get there. At least the sun won't be beating down on us full force, so I suppose we'll survive. Neither of us do well in heat. Once the temp gets above 80 degrees we're both miserable and are scrambling to get inside somewhere with air conditioning and guzzling water like crazy! We wouldn't last much longer than a few days in AZ!

 

[LiserAnn]

does anyone have an address for John? Kudos to DU!

I just replied to the email that was sent to me from DU and gave my many thanks and how pleasantly surprised I was. That was a wonderful action. Humpf...maybe DCL can learn from DU!!! Talk about trying to keep the customer happy!

I emailed DCL regarding my discontent surrounding the suspicious increase and we'll see what they say............

 

[been2marceline]

Just a quick note on the job front . . .

After meeting with a good friend who is also an attorney, I have decided to pursue a slightly different tack . . .

I have decided to start a small side solo practice - doing simple things like wills, etc. My goal is to get this off the ground sometime shortly after the first of the year. I want to spend time researching what I will need, and also possibly converting Alex's bedroom once he is moved in for Med school into a small home office. I am not going to aggressively look for any other job, as I decided the prospect of finding something that I will be REALLY happy with and working for someone else is not what I really want to do (of course, I will leave myself open to any incredible offer that may come along). I plan on doing this around my current job on nights and weekends. We'll see how it goes.

I think I will be happier having something I can call my own, and who knows where that could go in the future? I am excited thinking about it, and thought I should have done this a long time ago.

John,

Still catching up!

Great plan! Best of luck to you!

Karen

 

[been2marceline]

Hi all....mom passed over at 11:25am today....me and John are back at home and it feels good....she went easy and peacfully and with love. We're all ok here....we have a large group of support from friends and family and all of you. We've had time to get used to the idea, so it wasn't a shock....she'll be with others she loves and missed and we'll be with her again.

Karen, so great to see you back here. I really have missed you! Still reading even when not posting....How great for Alex to be "in the woods".....I LOVE live theatre. Don't overdue it....join us when you can without pushing yourself....you'll have more time again soon.

Deb,

Aren't you the sweetest to think of me at such a time!

My heart is with you, but I know that you know that your mom is in a better place and is not suffering any longer.

I went through the same with both folks. I was fortunate to be with them both through it all and was blessed to not see them suffer too much or too long; it was still difficult, but with my DH's dad, he lingered in the hospital for 5 months and was truly "not with us" for the entire time.

You are such an amazing person, both you and John, giving your mom the comfort to know that she could move on, that everything would be taken care of, that you would all be well and fine and remembering and loving her.

I truly can't wait to meet such amazing, loving and deeply caring people. You two are wonderful!

My best to you both... let us know if there is anything you need. (Wine for medicinal purposes perhaps?)

XO,

Karen

PS - still catching up!!

 

[been2marceline]

Whew!!

All caught up! Thanks to everyone for not posting TOO much the last couple of days!

I won't fall this far behind again! (I hope!)

Karen

 

[woody73]

Whew!!

All caught up!

Congratulations!

Woody

 

[granmaz]

Well I got up this morning and when the emails came through there was this wonderful one from John at DU. How amazing are they. I thank them so much, and will write an email back.

 

[been2marceline]

Good morning Marilyn!

Seems like ages since we were both up and on the DIS at the same time!

Hope you have a lovely day, wish we had just a bit of your rain. It's very dry and warm in Northern California!

Karen

 

[scottishwee35]

Well I got up this morning and when the emails came through there was this wonderful one from John at DU. How amazing are they. I thank them so much, and will write an email back.

Yes, I got email from John too. That is nice news.

Scottishwee35

 

[Jhalkias]

Good Morning Everyone!

I downloaded the DIS Unplugged podcast this morning, and guess what? Our firestorm over the DCL $100 fee is their #1 story . . .

Everyone should download and listen to it today!

Even if you don't have iTunes or an iPod, you can listen to a live stream online - oh, and follow the link to vote for them as the best travel podcast!

Thanks guys for making an issue of our problem with DCL!

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=158

 

[granmaz]

Good Morning Everyone!

I downloaded the DIS Unplugged podcast this morning, and guess what? Our firestorm over the DCL $100 fee is their #1 story . . .

Everyone should download and listen to it today!

Even if you don't have iTunes or an iPod, you can listen to a live stream online - oh, and follow the link to vote for them as the best travel podcast!

Thanks guys for making an issue of our problem with DCL!

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=158

Thanks for the link John. I hadn't listened to the podcast before, but they did a good job didn't they?