My Cathartic Statement.

[magyar2]

I won't address specifics, but I did want to say something about this being "all about money for Disney" or not.

Personally, I have complete confidence in DCL putting more importance on their passengers being healthy and having a great time than other cruise lines might in the same circumstances. Prior to my DCL cruise last Sept., 2001, I would not have said the same thing, because the Carnival Cruise that we were on years ago made me believe that cruise companies were only looking out for the bottom line, not for their passengers. On our Disney cruise, my thoughts changed.

We were on the 4-day cruise that happened over 9/11. DCL spared no expense in keeping us safe, up-to-date, and comfortable until we were able to get home. They could have dropped us at the airport and left us to fend for ourselves, they could have told us to stay at the All-Stars if we needed a place to stay, the could have just not done anything. Instead, they went above and beyond anything I ever expected.

All of us on the sold-out ship were told at the disembarkation meeting that night that we would be put up in Disney hotels until we could get home. I was expecting an All-Star - instead we were in the Contemporary! Some were at Beach Club, others at Animal Kingdom. We also were provided transportation from the port to the hotels, no charge. We were given park passes for however long we were there. All phone calls were free. DCL reps were at each hotel, doing everything possible to help us get home, talking with the airlines, letting us know what flights would be coming available, and even just providing a shoulder to cry on when worry over came us. When we were able to get home, we were given complimentary transportation to the airport, and even there, Disney sent out their characters to entertain the children while everyone waited hours for various planes to arrive from other airports that were suddenly shut down (our flight was delayed 12 hours from Midway when some idiot ran through the gates there and they shut down everything). We were even told that if for some reason we were not able to leave when we were dropped off, just call Disney and we could go back to the hotel!

Yes, I know Disney is a big corporation that does want to make a profit. I know that they have made many decisions to cut costs that we all don't think are very smart decisions. However, when it comes right down to it, my dealings with Disney, especially DCL, do not convince me that Disney does not care about their passengers and only cares for the profit. Because of that, we are going on DCL again for the 12/7 cruise, and I have the utmost confidence that whatever DCL can do to eradicate this virus, they will, but if another passenger brings it onboard, DCL can't control that. As long as Disney is being responsible and doing everything within their power to keep us safe and healthy, I will sail with them.

 

[debbiebones]

I've spent a great deal of time over the last day or two reading the posts surrounding the virus...the complaints, the praises, the rebuttals, etc. The only thing I can say about it all is, it's all to be expected. Every last one of us is different, down to our expectations, opinions and our experiences regarding the same event!

There are no "wrong" or "right" people here. One person's good expectations and experiences are another person's bad ones.

My husband and I can do out to dinner...have the same exact meal and service, and come home with entirely different opinions.

I agree everyone should be able to air their grievances here without being flamed. We all have opinions and we're all going to disagree at one time or another.

It's an unfortunate situation...this virus striking at this time of the year among those hoping to have a nice vacation. Bottom line is, Disney is going to please some people in their efforts and disappoint others.

And as far as the media goes, I work for the media and you're right, they do sometimes tend to blow things out of proportion. While they do try to be accurate, they are sometimes guilty of "stretching stories" or report the facts incorrectly...especially on a slow news day.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, it does sound like in many ways, that you experienced some disappointments on the cruise! I can see to where it did not quite live up to expectations for you. I know that to the person experiencing the situation, that little things can indeed add up to a lot!

It does sound however that, very unfortunately, you experienced some bad luck on the cruise that others may not have. Timing and luck seem to have contributed more to your disappointment than direct actions by DCL.

Embarkation... I can imagine that the terminal at DCL was like swarmed to way beyond capacity, due to the late embarkation. Knowing this, I assume that DCL did the very best that they could by holding you guys at the hotel for a few hours. I would rather be there, than standing-room-only, possibly outside, with 2000 other worried, anxious, excited, DCL cruisers. (especially with possible germs around....) If you had been bussed there at noon, and experienced that, then I imagine there would be a HUGE complaint. As bad luck would have it, you happened to be one of the last to arrive onboard. But, under the circumstances I do not know if DCL really mis-handled anything. I am sure that they were biting the bullet, so to speak, trying to get embarkation complete, set sail, and make way for the early dinner seating followed by all other scheduled activities.

I DO agree that a few kind words and free drinks at the sailaway would have really improved matters!! Shame on you DCL!!

Same story on Thanksgiving Dinner. I too would have been expecting a little Holiday spirit. I do kind of wonder, with all of the major disinfection going on, ESPECIALLY in the kitchen and dining rooms, perhaps it became necessary to put this on the wayside. I can see them removing all table and chairs, cleaning the carpets, fully disinfecting the tables and chairs as they are being returned to their places. etc... etc... etc... Not much time for any Thanksgiving decoration.... And, while this may not be any comfort at all to you, I can see that they are looking at decorating for Christmas this week as well?

I do agree that they should have handled your request for an upgrade a little better. I think that perhaps there was some mis-communication involved... Would they not have simply processed your upgrade right then and there if there had been plenty of available cabins? Perhaps they did not communicate effectively enough that an upgrade did NOT look possible, and that the request would be granted if one was to be available at all. I would have immediately written off the upgrade, and not expected to be called at all. Hey, by that time, everyone was in their assigned cabins, etc... More bad luck and lack of friendly helpful info?

Shaking hands with the Captain would have been nice. But, aside from risking passing this terrible awful virus to a few passengers, the Captain had the responsibility to protect his health, as he is in charge of safe passage of a huge ship and 3000 or so passengers and crew. That is huge responsibility, and I feel that this measure was not taking anything away from the overall cruise experience.

I can see that you were disappointed in many things, due mostly to the awful virus situation and a little bad luck for you. Yes, DCL could have handled a few little glitches better... Late bus, upgrade confusion. I do hope that if you ever do try DCL again, that you have a lot better luck!!!

 

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by tgiving cruisers
I'm not trying to turn this into a dialogue between you and I, but since you dissected my post point for point, here are a few responses (without sarcasm).

I'm sorry if you took my posting style to be a personal insult. Whenever responding directly to what someone says I always quote exactly what I am responding to in the response. I do this on message boards and on email so that 1) I have the exact phrasing of what I am responding too right there so I can reread it for intent and meaning and 2) so that the person to whom I am responding has both parts of the dialog right there. I have been doing this for the past 12 years so I assure you it was not a tactic to annoy you.

No they did not get us a room at the Hyatt. They herded 1,000 of us in a ballroom for lunch (not nearly enough seats) and then we scattered throughout the public areas of the hotel until it was time to be taken to the pier.

Interesting that you say "herded" and mcnuss saw it a different way. It must've been tough to figure out how to find a facility to feed and entertain all of those people on such short notice. I had actually pictured people sitting around at the port waiting to be told when they could board for several hours so bravo to Disney for thinking of an alternative!

The free drink comment may not mean much to you since you weren't on the ship. It would have been a symbolic gesture to those passengers who decided to show thier faith in the company and its employees. We were not looking to get liquored up. And besides, how good a job did they do scouring the boat considering that by Monday people were already ill?

The liquored up comment was a joke. That's why I had the little winkie smilie. I'm sorry if you took it as an insult. It just seems that no matter WHAT disney gives away for "free" people will be offended. Don't give free drinks, people will be offended. Give free drinks, people will think it's a slap in the face to think that after all of the money they paid for the cruise that ALL disney can do is give them a stupid lousy DRINK to make up for whatever inconvenience they felt they were put through. A drink that disney has the nerve to charge $5 for but we know probably costs them all of $.25. Heck, on the fire cruise disney gave $100 to each stateroom and THAT was considered a slap in the face.

As far as your comment that they couldn't have done a good job scouring the boat if people were already ill by monday, my biggest fear is that as long as they keep allowing people on the boat who do not wash their hands after using the bathroom that they will not be able to get rid of this virus. They can scrub every surface but if people keep bringing it back on board, what more can they do?

Apparently my coments aboyut Cayman and Castaway were lost on you. I understand that getting into a port depends on being "allowed" in by the local cutoms people. I certainly wasn't bashing the Caymanians for delaying us. They had every right and responsibility to their citizens to safeguard against spreading the virus to the island. Same with Castaway. However, with the virun "hanging" over the ship, it became obvious that they weren't able to produce the product we paid for.

I guess I'm just too dumb to get it . My point is that Disney reserves the right to change the itinerary for any reason. It has happened before (due to weather) and will happen again. Did those people not get what they paid for? I guess if they could make that argument then anything Disney can't make it to a port they would have to issue a lot of refunds.

The upgrade issue was simple. If none were available, that's fine. But tell me that. It was my understanding based on these boards that the Tgivng cruise was not 100% full. If none were available, why did they make me fill out the form. How bout a ten second call informing me about this? I know I am not entitled to an upgrade. Based on all I read, the Disney cabins were supposed to be bigger than other cruise lines. Not based on what we saw.

Yeah, I agreed that they should've let you know. My point is that if it were that important to me, I would have booked the cabin that I wanted to begin with. My point was also that if once aboard if it were that important to me, I would've dropped by guest services to see what the status of my request was. I wouldn't let it get stuck in my craw for the remainder of the vacation. But you are entitled to be upset about anything you wish to be upset about and you are entitled to spend your money (or not) anywhere you wish. Just pointing out an alternate point of view.

Your dissectiion of my post certainly loses credibility with the amount of sarcasm in addition to the fact thay you are critical of my views and you weren't on the ship.

So if anyone who wasn't on the ship has no right to comment then why bother coming to a public message board to talk about it? Again, my "dissection" of your post is my personal posting style and not something I invented to get under your skin, or to help me to either gain or lose credibility. I'm sorry if you think criticism is a negative thing. I'm doing my master's in architecture and we talk a lot about how one can criticize the project without criticizing the designer. Rest assured that if I was critical it was not of you as a person but of your reaction to your cruise based on your expectations.

If you do cruise in the future hopefully you won't get sick or even have to worry about it. It certainly takes away from the experience.

Because I am doing my M.Arch, I tend to work very long weeks (100+ hours). Every January we take a trip to WDW to unwind and blow off steam. By then my resistance is through the floor and like clockwork I catch a cold that then turns to a sinus infection. I know what it's like to be sick on vacation. Would my vacation have been better had I not gotten ill? I'm sure. I still had an AWESOME time on those vacations though. A little chicken soup room service and watching fireworks from my balcony and it was STILL better than being at home. I guess it's all about your way of dealing with these things that come up... you can let them define your vacation or you can enjoy yourself no matter what happens. I choose the latter.

Lisa

 

[AnnMorin]

Quite eloquently I might add

 

[wovenwonder]

I guess what confuses me is the fact that 11/23 cruisers were told of the potential virus problem before their cruise date and given the option to cancel and receive a refund if they so chose. No one was going in to this trip blind-sided. Everyone was made aware of the situation and surely had to realize that this trip may not go quite as smoothly as common Disney Fashion. If you were on that cruise you were there because you CHOSE to be there in spite of the advanced notice of the virus.

 

[tgiving cruisers]

Your posting style was unique but not insulting.

Where I come from, when someone buys you a drink, it's an act of goodwill or good cheer or whatever. I personally wouldn't have been insulted, but like has been said elsewhere, different strokes. I never noticed a winkie smile in your original post, but I see it now. (I wasn't insulted)

Anyone on here is entitled to their opinion. I got the distinct impression from you and others that it is taboo to criticize the almighty Mouse.

What I failed to get across is the intangible, emotional side of taking a vacation that we looked forward to a great deal, spent a fortune on, and in the end felt came up short.
Several people demanded details as proof that we had a not so great time. It's more than just flat soda, late boarding, etc.

Can you understand what I mean when I say that it's a letdown feeling?

I am most interested in people's views who were actually on the 11/23 cruise because comparing any other trip to this one is apples/oranges. That is why I posted. But it is interesting to converse with others as well to get a flavor for other experiences.

We will look back at our pics and scrapbook and smile for the memories we have. But we'll also look back and wonder how much better it could have been........

 

[CrayzeeDiz]

This is the best darn Thread I have ever Read.


I sure hope thats the end of that Virus as I will be cruising next month.

By the way Lisaf That reply was nothing but Sarcastic. I am a DVC member and love WDW but he sure has some valid points.

 

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by tgiving cruisers
Your posting style was unique but not insulting.

It's not even that unique! I think just more "old school"? I know lots who use it.

Where I come from, when someone buys you a drink, it's an act of goodwill or good cheer or whatever. I personally wouldn't have been insulted, but like has been said elsewhere, different strokes. I never noticed a winkie smile in your original post, but I see it now. (I wasn't insulted)

It sure would have been nice, but I guess my point was that there are so many things that anyone, anywhere could do to make things "nicer"... if I stay at a hotel and the hotel decides to surprise me with breakfast in bed, that would make things nicer. If I show up at WDW for my honeymoon and there are chocolate strawberries in my room, it would make things "nicer." Should I be disappointed if these things don't happen? I don't personally think so. There are always ways to make things better... it's just my opinion that "not getting something for free that would've been nice to get for free" is not a reason that I personally would be disappointed. As I said before, you have the right to be disappointed by anything you wish, just offering an alternate viewpoint.

Anyone on here is entitled to their opinion. I got the distinct impression from you and others that it is taboo to criticize the almighty Mouse.

I can't speak for anyone else but I don't think it's taboo to criticize the almighty Mouse. I think people from DCL actually do read these boards and sometimes make adjustments accordingly. Like I said before, I think Disney's greatest fans are also their greatest critics and there is always room for improvement. I'm sure if we started a thread about how to improve any aspect of disney there would be a million ideas... but, because those ideas are not implemented, I don't necessarily have a bad time. I think that many people just think your list of things that went wrong to be things that would not cause many of us to blink an eye on our cruises.

What I failed to get across is the intangible, emotional side of taking a vacation that we looked forward to a great deal, spent a fortune on, and in the end felt came up short.
Several people demanded details as proof that we had a not so great time. It's more than just flat soda, late boarding, etc.

I'm sorry that you felt your vacation came up short. I guess I just feel like it's as much my responsibiilty to have a good time as it is Disney's to give it to me. Again, you're entitled to disagree and not feel that way. I think the "demand" for details was just confusion on the part of many people because other more detailed trip reports about the same cruise indicated that people had a great time. Without further details it was impossible to understand what went on. Once you posted your details it seemed pretty clear that it was that disney fell short compared to your expectations when they would not have fallen short compared to the expectations of the people who posted on this thread.

Can you understand what I mean when I say that it's a letdown feeling?

I sure can. I really do wish you'd had a better time.

I am most interested in people's views who were actually on the 11/23 cruise because comparing any other trip to this one is apples/oranges. That is why I posted. But it is interesting to converse with others as well to get a flavor for other experiences.

Well I'm interested in everyone's views seeing as we are cruising in just about a month. Who knows how long this virus thing will continue to have an effect on the cruises. I hope it's cleared up by then and I hope no one else gets sick but I'm still following what's going on.

We will look back at our pics and scrapbook and smile for the memories we have. But we'll also look back and wonder how much better it could have been

Maybe some day you will get to find out (edited to add, what I mean by this is maybe some day you will give DCL a try again and they will exceed your expectations. I didn't want this to be seen as a personal attack. I'm not sure what I said that is a personal attack but I didn't mean any of it that way).


Lisa

 

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by CrayzeeDiz
By the way Lisaf That reply was nothing but Sarcastic. I am a DVC member and love WDW but he sure has some valid points.

Well I guess as a DVC member, you would know best.

LIsa

 

[Michelle]

Okay ENOUGH. You are all WELCOME to post your thoughts but WE DO NOT ALLOW PERSONAL ATTACKS on these boards.

I want to allow this to remain open for discussion for those who feel the need to talk, but please keep your discussion civil and without attacking others for THEIR opinion.

Thank you!

 

[CrayzeeDiz]

Lisaf,

NICE; REAL NICE;

Have a magical day........

 

[lookingforward]

tgiving cruisers- I am so sorry that you had such a difficult time on your recent cruise. I would have been equally upset if it were me. I think the biggest complaint I would have had was the lack of information while aboard the Magic. As a journalist I really feel that information is your best defense and I would expect (after paying 1000's of $) to be kept informed. I understand the public relations end but once onboard and in the middle of it all it is your right to know what is going on. Lack of information breeds mistrust and hard feelings.

And I don't think a free drink or a special event (while on board) would have been such a bad idea considering the patronage of all the passengers who CHOSE to continue their trip and trust Disney.

I love Disney but I must say that sometimes I feel hesitant to complain on these boards for fear of getting flamed. I am sorry but that is how I feel. Sarcasm just makes one more hesitant to post and we should feel that we can be honest and forthcoming without risk of causing an uproar.

"knowledge is power"

 

[tgiving cruisers]

Two of the things you mentioned left the biggest negative impressions. Lack of information and the lack of anything special. You got the feeling from the staff that this was just another cruise and they ho-hummed their way through it.

 

[mcnuss]

I think the biggest complaint I would have had was the lack of information while aboard the Magic. As a journalist I really feel that information is your best defense and I would expect (after paying 1000's of $) to be kept informed. I understand the public relations end but once onboard and in the middle of it all it is your right to know what is going on. Lack of information breeds mistrust and hard feelings.

We had a note in our stateroom every night telling us exactly what was happening and what was being done. They set up a separate phone extension on the ship with an up-to-date recorded message. Guest Services was available 24/7 to answer questions. How much more information should they have provided?

The biggest problem I see is misinformation and/or sensationalism. My TA saw a news item that the Magic was turning back. One conspiracy theorist speculated that it was terrorists. Other people said there were men in hazmat suits in full breathing apparatus. Others have called it an epidemic.
It's a virus. 3100 of us traveled and stayed healthy, including, I believe, tgiving cruisers and his/her party. We were somewhat inconvenienced, and some things were different than what we expected. It was easier to deal with than a hurricane, and not nearly as dramatic as the fire, that's for sure!

 

[lookingforward]

I understand the tendency for rumors to circulate, etc. but I have read posts on this website that spoke of an initial downplaying, and then the room steward who was told not to discuss the issue with passengers, etc. Also, I was commenting on the arrivals in ports and the confusion that took place with cancelled tours and delays. Everyone has there own comfort level with regard to information, some would rather not know, some want to know a little and others want to know everything. And yes, I agree that the press and public CAN sensationalize what is quite simply a common virus......BUT when incidents are downplayed or not fully shared then that just fuels the speculation and discontent. You may feel the information that was given met with your "need to know" but another passenger may have wanted more or may have felt slighted when they learned information from a staff member "unofficially".

 

[chrissyk]

I haven't read all of the posts on this thread, but I have to say this. My husband and I took a 7 day cruise aboard the Norweigan Majesty in Sept., and it was just HORRIBLE!! The ship was nasty, the "service" was surly at best, and the food went from disgusting early on to inedible towards the end of the week. It was a TOTAL waste of $$! We had never been on a cruise before, and we'll never go on one again. This cruise ruined it for us. We returned home shocked at how bad the vacation was, and we came to find out that it is well-known in the cruising community that Norwegian was sold a few years ago and has gone downhills substantially since!

We were so upset by this terrible vacation...thankfully, we were able to book a wonderful 6-night stay at WDW in early Nov. that more than made up for the bad cruise memories. Don't give up on Disney...it's still a great place to vacation!

 

[YankeeFan51]

tgiving -- I just want to thank you for taking the time to post your experience. First hand accounts are what make these forums so useful and we appreciate you sharing yours.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I am joining you Yankee Well said.

Another THANK-YOU, TGiving, for your posts!

 

[dmadman43]

Anyone on here is entitled to their opinion. I got the distinct impression from you and others that it is taboo to criticize the almighty Mouse.

Let me also add my thanks for positng your experience, and echo the comments that first hand accounts are always best. I'm sure everyone boarding had high expectations of this being another cruise like the 100's of DCL cruises that have gone on before. Thus, given the circumstances Disney had a much higher bar to be met if you look at it from their POV. This was certainly a new situation for them to deal with and in your eyes they failed in a number of areas. Understandable. How to they balance carrying off a flawless experience that they've done so often in the past yet at the same time assess how they will deal with an almost certain eventuality of another Norwalk outbreak? Certainly new ground for them to tread, Id say. The were obviously learning as they went and some passengers suffered the effects of that.

I'll all too happy to criticize Disney when I think they are falling short. On my first cruise I found a number of things that didn't meet my expectations. I found the food at the evening meals was not up to my expectations (Palo's excluded). I found the conceriege service I paid for to be an almost complete waste of money after the first day (they booked Palos' and Spa reservations for me, after that they didn't really care about us, IMHO). The family pool seemed always out of control, the sounds of chairs being moved on Deck 9 ways always a welcome sound to wake up to....all this despite being upgraded to a Cat 2 cabin for free!!! There's just no pleasing some people !

All that said, would I go again? Yes, (and I am, on 12/27). It was one of my best vacations ever. And I'll go after that when the opportunity arises.