May 12, 2007 -- Taking the Magic to the Mediterranean -- 14 day Repo Cruise!

[kpros]

So I call DCL this morning at 6:00am my time. The CM doesn't know whats wrong. She agreed that everything in the system about my reservation was OK. She talked to a supervisor and the supervisor said that they had already received 3 calls about the problem (fast calls, since I called right at 6:00am). The supervisor said no one can book excursions. I told her that was not true since I know a number of people who have booked them. She then said that no one can get in right now. My guess is that is probably not true as well.

I then asked if we could book over the phone. She said they don't book excursions over the phone over the phone anymore - just online. And the only thing to do is check back to see if the problem has been fixed.

No Disney "Magic" around here this morning.

Ken

 

[kpros]

For those that did get in, would you please let me know when you got into the system. Please post the time you made your excursions and time zone you are in.

Thanks
Ken

 

[wrabitdad]

Ken,

I was probably one of those first 3 calls. Just got off the phone with DCL after speakiing to CM and suprvisor.

They don't know what is going on, blaming it all on IT!!! Not like Disney doesn't use this system on a regular basis.

No idea when the system will be back up, said to just keep trying or calling them, isn't that a great solution.

If Disney is going to use the web exclusively they have got to find people tha know how to do it or have a back-up for phone reservations.

Bob

 

[misseulalie]

I wanted to mention something we did on our last cruise and it worked well...

Someone ordered light green rubber bracelets (like the Lance Armstrong kind) that had the sailing date on it. All the DIS members wore them, so it was always easy to spot a DIS member on board or even at an excursion. I think they were like $3 a piece.

I thought this could make a nice addition to the t-shirts. This way, it could be formal night and we could still spot a DIS member!

Jennifer

PS, Ken, I'm sorry you're having so many troubles booking ... here's some

 

[nanaguide]

That was not easy. I am so thankful Ken and Steve had given us some ideas on what to look for (reserve button) 2 weeks ago. My hardest part was staying up till 3 a.m. Disney should change the time. I was worried because I had to do each one separately. I am so naive I thought I would push one button and my wish list would be reserved. Se la vi!! I started at 3:01 and finished at 3:42.

Palo Dinner - Wed., May 16
High Tea - Friday, May 18
Palo Brunch - Mon., May 21

I'm like all of you. I wanted to spread out the "fantastic" food days.

Excursions:
Castaway - Walking & Kayak
Tenerife - Tenerife, Teide, & the Garden of the Valley
Cadiz - Seville on your own (DS spent a semester at school there)
Gibraltar - City under Seige
Barcelona - on our own (2 day bus passes)

Hope all of you get your ressies today!!

 

[EpcotKilterFan]

For those that did get in, would you please let me know when you got into the system. Please post the time you made your excursions and time zone you are in.

Thanks
Ken

Wow Ken, that just stinks

I got in right at 3 am and I am Eastern. No booking problems at all. Just one excursion not listed as available.

Hope that it gets fixed!

Debbie

 

[wrabitdad]

This is current msg coming up on DCL. If only the agent "will gladly assist you"


We're having a problem with our reservation system that will prevent you from booking your vacation package or retrieving your reservation right now. We're sorry for any inconvenience. Please call your travel agent or call (800) 951-3532 weekdays 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. ET or weekends 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET and our agents will gladly assist you.

Status Code: 500

 

[littleowensmommy]

Hi all,

Sorry to those who couldn't book. I'm sure there is plenty left for you all today...

This is what we choose. We are having a hard time for the Canary Islands. We wanted to do the Catamaran but we have a 4 year old and she can't participate...

Tenerife North Coast and Pueblo Chico Tenerife

Explore the Rock On Your Own Gibraltar (though we may cancel to do it on our own..)

Flamenco in Puerto de Santa Maria Cadiz

Jerez de la Frontera and Royal Equestrian School with Show

We got Palo for: Brunch May 14th, Tea on May 17th and Dinner on May 21st.
We wanted to spread them out throughout the cruise.
Nothing yet for Castaway Cay..probably just snorkling and the renting the tubes...

Is anyone doing this Tenerife excursion?

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

We booked the same excursions in Cadiz. We're leaving the kids on the ship that evening and doing the Flamenco dancing without them. Are you planning to take your girls or leave them on the ship?

We booked the catamaran in Tenerife. Amy is 5. I don't know why Disney has the 5 year old age requirement.

So I call DCL this morning at 6:00am my time. The CM doesn't know whats wrong. She agreed that everything in the system about my reservation was OK. She talked to a supervisor and the supervisor said that they had already received 3 calls about the problem (fast calls, since I called right at 6:00am). The supervisor said no one can book excursions. I told her that was not true since I know a number of people who have booked them. She then said that no one can get in right now. My guess is that is probably not true as well.

I then asked if we could book over the phone. She said they don't book excursions over the phone over the phone anymore - just online. And the only thing to do is check back to see if the problem has been fixed.

No Disney "Magic" around here this morning.

Ken

Ken, I had a similiar experience with DCL on Thursday. I called to inquire about military rates and I was told they were sold out which made no sense to me as they told me that they were just announced on 31 January and since there is still so much availability on the ship, I sincerely doubted a rush of military members found out about the "announced" pricing and snapped up all of the inventory. I asked to speak to a supervisor and she told me the same story. After I hung up the phone I wondered in the military rate was only sold out in the cat 6 so I called back to see if it was available in cat 4. Well to make long story short, I was given wrong information during my first call. The military rate is indeed available but it isn't loaded into the system correctly. The CM I spoke with during my second call put a request into the revenue department to manually correct the pricing. I was able to hold a reservation at the military rate for a cat 6 and get quotes for military pricing in all other categories. Bottom line...call back!

 

[wrabitdad]

Just spoke with a CM at the Castaway Club (much nicer on the phone than the CM at the reservations number), she indicated they were told the system wouldn't be up until tomorrow!!!

She recommended to keep trying as things change. Guess this will be today .

Bob

 

[gydell]

Sorry about every one having trouble.

I got in at 3am and finished at about 3:40. Got everthing we wanted. I hope every one that couldn't get in gets what they want. I checked this morning and it seems several things are gone.

 

[gydell]

I just got in the system again!

 

[EpcotKilterFan]

Wow did I get lucky! Or was it because I was only booking 2 Palo and 4 excursions, but I started booking at 3 am and was done in less than 5 minutes.

Tried to post again on the DIS and couldn't get in.

I sure hope that it all works out soon! The first Panama Canal cruise was when they introduced the online booking. I remember that I just happened to be online late one night and someone posted that you could do it. I woke up my mom to make sure what she wanted and booked them!

One day closer!

Debbie

 

[kpros]

I wanted to mention something we did on our last cruise and it worked well...

Someone ordered light green rubber bracelets (like the Lance Armstrong kind) that had the sailing date on it. All the DIS members wore them, so it was always easy to spot a DIS member on board or even at an excursion. I think they were like $3 a piece.

I thought this could make a nice addition to the t-shirts. This way, it could be formal night and we could still spot a DIS member!

Jennifer

PS, Ken, I'm sorry you're having so many troubles booking ... here's some

FYI - everyone on the cruise list will get a custom lanyard and name badge made just for this cruise. The name badge holder also works well as a place to carry your key to the world card. The name badges and lanyards are free thanks to the support of a generous group of cruisers.

Ken

 

[littleowensmommy]

Sorry about every one having trouble.

I got in at 3am and finished at about 3:40. Got everthing we wanted. I hope every one that couldn't get in gets what they want. I checked this morning and it seems several things are gone.

They may not really be gone. If you already booked an excursion it won't show up as available to you to book again as you're already reserved. Also if any other excursion conflicts with the timing of that previously booked excursion, it too will not show up as available since you can't be in two places at once. For example, I didn't realize the Flamenco dancing was offered at two different times in Cadiz since I had already booked the horse show which eliminated my ability to book the afternoon Flamenco dancing due to the time conflict. I was only offered the evening option.

 

[gydell]

Makes sense!

 

[hopemax]

I was going to post what we got last night, but after I got everything booked then I couldn't get here!

Firefox was giving me problems (I was trying to have my reservation in Firefox, and my parents in IE) so I had to do all the Palo stuff in IE. The shore excursion was the first thing I booked like at 1:02 MST.

Three of us, in Tenerife, are doing the Mount Teide excursion 12:30 start.

Brunch for 4 5/15 10:30
High Tea for Mom and me 5/17
Dinner for 4 5/19 6:00
Brunch for 4 5/21 11:00
and my parents will be doing dinner on the Barcelona day 5/25 7:00

We're also spreading out our Palo dining, and since we have two rooms we can do it a bunch

We might be adding the Stingray adventure or a snorkeling package at Castaway Cay, but I figured there would be good availability on those and maybe I could get an answer from my parents about what they want to do.

 

[OH 6]

Us again!! Still tyring to figure out what could be wrong .... ???

Were those of you that did your excursion/palo/spa ressies today also able to complete the "guest information" and "payment authorization" forms online already also? Ours says we can't do them until 2/25...

Calling Disney shortly - just wondered if you all were seeing the same thing as us on that.

 

[littleowensmommy]

Us again!! Still tyring to figure out what could be wrong .... ???

Were those of you that did your excursion/palo/spa ressies today also able to complete the "guest information" and "payment authorization" forms online already also? Ours says we can't do them until 2/25...

Calling Disney shortly - just wondered if you all were seeing the same thing as us on that.

It sounds like they don't have your Cataway Club membership number logged into the reservation. If you call and add it to your reservation you should be able to book now at the 90-day mark instead of the 75-day mark that they are currently quoting you.

 

[OH 6]

Thanks for the reply - that's what we thought too.

On the phone with them now - via Cast Away Club line....they say the #s are in there and it has to be a system problem. They're checking with IT now as we're on hold. Same story as before - no one can book right now - blah blah blah ...

I'm in the support field and the fact that they will just blame it on IT and not bother to make a list of people having trouble to call us back when it's fixed just shows really poor Customer Orientation - which is sad for Disney. As a former Disney Cast Member, I'm embarassed for them and upset with them at the same time.

I'll try again later as they suggest - if no one really can book then it's not like they're filling up the excursions I want...

 

[milestogo]

Hi Guys, I was on at 12:04 and off by 12:20, but I only booked two excursions, registered and booked 3 Palo's. So, I had little to do and was lucky - west coast time.

Had many similar experiences with DCL. I've called several times to get times for excursions and one person told me there are no tender ports (but since Kathy had just told me which ones, I thought she was a more reliable source!) I've been given the wrong times by one person and correct by others. I get the feeling that this MED adventure has turned into a nightmare for DCL. If this boat is only half full, imagine what the first 11 night booking will be like!