My package being sent out the day I leave!

[slg]

My package being sent out the day I leave!
Just informed that my package is being sent out the day I leave for my pre-cruise 3 day barcelona escape. Grrrr. Not sure what to do...I don't want the package arriving here while I am gone as well, I'm gone and won't be back for 5 weeks. I don't want them to send it to Paris because I am flying via easyjet to Barcelona and I don't want to have to pay for a giant box of backpacks and storage boxes and whatever is in the package. But i do want my itinerary and important numbers and luggage tags and whatever else is important.

Not sure what to do. I leave June 28 for a July 10 ABD and they are only mailing out the package on June 28. If I call DCL they say call ABD, if I call ABD they say call DCL. My TA has taken 2 weeks to get this information from them...so now I'm at my wits end.

I'll feel very vulnerable without any documentation or confirmation or proof. I have not received a single piece of information from them...other than on my dcl paperwork it said I have an abd booked and a separate package was coming.

Any advice from you smart disers?
__

 

[sayhello]

I would call ABD directly yourself and ask to talk to a supervisor. When I didn't get my book for my Alaska trip, they emailed me the pdf they used to print it, and I printed it out myself. (Granted, this was in 2009, but I bet they use something similar now if not the same). You won't have your luggage tags, but at least you'll have the rest.

The backpacks for this year aren't very good, and I left mine at home. I certainly wouldn't pay any extra money to get them. See if you can get ABD to send the box to someone else to hold for you until you get back. All that is in the boxes this year are the backpacks and the books/luggage tags.

Sayhello

PS, FIVE WEEKS????? You lucky dog, you!

 

[Bobo912]

My package being sent out the day I leave!
Just informed that my package is being sent out the day I leave for my pre-cruise 3 day barcelona escape. Grrrr. Not sure what to do...I don't want the package arriving here while I am gone as well, I'm gone and won't be back for 5 weeks. I don't want them to send it to Paris because I am flying via easyjet to Barcelona and I don't want to have to pay for a giant box of backpacks and storage boxes and whatever is in the package. But i do want my itinerary and important numbers and luggage tags and whatever else is important.

Not sure what to do. I leave June 28 for a July 10 ABD and they are only mailing out the package on June 28. If I call DCL they say call ABD, if I call ABD they say call DCL. My TA has taken 2 weeks to get this information from them...so now I'm at my wits end.

I'll feel very vulnerable without any documentation or confirmation or proof. I have not received a single piece of information from them...other than on my dcl paperwork it said I have an abd booked and a separate package was coming.

Any advice from you smart disers?
__

Do you know what is causing the delay? They could at least send you a sheet with the emergency numbers and your luggage tags. There really isn't anything in the box this year except the handbook, gratuity envelopes, luggage tags and backpacks.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I'd go back to you TA.

 

[Happy99]

They are running behind on all the cruise ABD packages not sure the reason but I think it was communications between DCL and ABD

 

[TexasTravelGirl]

They are running behind on all the cruise ABD packages not sure the reason but I think it was communications between DCL and ABD

I am sorry but for Disney that is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I would call and let them know that. You paid a lot for this trip and given the amount paid the fact that they think it is "ok" to mail it on the date you arrived, is horrible.

You need to call and speak to someone in charge. That is pertinent information that is needed. What if something happened?

My vote is you call and speak to someone in charge and work your way up until you get an acceptable answer.

Sorry to hear about that, but sadly I have been reading more and more complaints like that. Disney NEEDS to get it together.

 

[slg]

I have to say that this pre-cruise ABD has been very frustrating, right from the first moment I booked it.

At first, apparently, families of 5 couldn't go on this trip because the original hotel only had rooms for 2's and 1 and since minors couldn't be in a room by themselves, families of 5 couldn't book.

I flipped out and said that was ridiculous. So they switched hotels.

Then, I asked when I was going to get confirmation about this trip and the answer was that since it was an ABD/DCL the 70 day rule didn't apply and they could cancel until the last minute! Yikes. So I booked an alternate hotel just in case.

Just before my PIF date I asked if it was still a go and they had cancelled one of my reservations (they said I had requested it...what?)and now the ABD was full and so we were out of luck.

So, my TA had to go to bat, I had to wait several days worried to death, but somehow they added 3 more people (now there are 44).

Two months ago I asked when the packages were coming and they said 30 days out. I read on these boards that folks were only getting their packages 1 week before they trip, but we are going to Paris for 10 days before our trip, so I need them earlier.

So, about two weeks ago, I asked what kind of configuration our rooms were going to be in and reminded them about my travel plans.

They said that we would not have connecting rooms because they could only connect families of 4 and families of 5 had to have separate rooms, although they would try to have them close.

That is not good enough for me. I was the first person to book this ABD and there are family suites available at the hotel for families of 5 for the same price on their website for the dates were are going to be there.

So I asked my TA to request if we could have these suites and ask when the packages were going to be mailed out.

Found out a couple of days ago they said yes to the suite but that the packages were being mailed out the day I leave and where was I going to be so that they could send them there.

But I don't want the backpacks mailed to me in Paris. I don't want to pack an extra 5 backpacks with me, plus get another 2 more on our cruise. I have to pay for my luggage and I don't want the hassle.

I just want my package to come now!

Not happy with this whole experience. I'm excited for the ABD, I've done one before and loved it, but not happy with all the pre-trip hassle.

This ABD/DCL marriage is off to a rocky start. They need to organize themselves a little better. For a premium company, it should be premium all the way through, including the booking process. Doing a land tour is supposed to take away all your travel stress, not cause you more! I regret just not doing it on my own, or going with another company!

 

[abdgeek]

Do you know what is causing the delay? They could at least send you a sheet with the emergency numbers and your luggage tags. There really isn't anything in the box this year except the handbook, gratuity envelopes, luggage tags and backpacks.

I called ABD last week to see when I could expect my package for my trip in July and the CM said that most people were getting them about 20 days before their trip. When I asked why, they replied that they had redone the logo and that they were having a vendor problem. I know that doesn't lessen the anxiety, but now we have a reason for the delays.

They also said that now you will get the agenda booklet/storyboard/tip envelopes with your box, so you need to bring it with you on the trip. You won't get another one when you get to your destination.

 

[slg]

My ABD is July 10 and they are mailing it out June 28, so that isn't 20 days!

 

[sayhello]

slg, this communication thing has been an issue from the get-go (I took one of the very first ABD/DCL cruise add-ons for my Med cruise in 2010). The fault, from what I can tell, is all DCL's. DCL is running the show; ABD is sort of like a contractor to DCL as far as these add-ons go. They were just as frustrated as I was that they couldn't control what was going on. DCL made all the policy decisions, the reservation is a DCL reservation, and yet DCL didn't seem to know what was what. ABD did not have the wherewithall to do anything about those things.

As far as the whole box thing goes, at least now it makes a little sense that the problems are inherently due to the logo change (we did have the new logo on my Greece ABD - new ABD pin and new paddles, etc). But this has been going on for a couple of months now. You'd think ABD would have it together by now!

I asked for a new booklet, because I spilled wine all over mine, and they weren't able to get me a new one in time for my trip (it ended up drying pretty OK). I can't believe they don't have SOME way to get the booklets/luggage tags/tip envelopes at the least to you without the backpacks! This is not good!

(PS, the new logo looks a little bare. It's not bad, but it's not up to par with the old one.)

Sayhello

 

[slg]

I'm waiting to hear back from my wonderful TA at DU. She has been up to bat for me through this whole process. I leave in 11 days, so if they are going to send me something, it had better be soon as I live on an island on the west coast of Canada!

It's disappointing that they haven't organized themselves better.

 

[sayhello]

I'm waiting to hear back from my wonderful TA at DU. She has been up to bat for me through this whole process. I leave in 11 days, so if they are going to send me something, it had better be soon as I live on an island on the west coast of Canada!

It's disappointing that they haven't organized themselves better.

Is there any way they could send the box to your TA, then she could forward just the booklets to you in Paris?

Sayhello

 

[Joan1]

slg, this communication thing has been an issue from the get-go (I took one of the very first ABD/DCL cruise add-ons for my Med cruise in 2010). The fault, from what I can tell, is all DCL's. DCL is running the show; ABD is sort of like a contractor to DCL as far as these add-ons go.

I don't know if I believe their story on this considering the same president was in charge of both DCL and ABD when these add ons first became available.