Need help with DCL cancellation!

[tracylmartins]

A very good friend of mine is supposed to leave on Sunday, May8th on the Dream with her 5 yr old granddaughter. Tragically, her father passed away last night and will be unable to leave on Sunday as she wants to attend his funeral services. Unfortunately, she did not take out the travel insurance. Do you think DCL will do anything to help her out? She is a single, grandmother who has custody of her granddaughter and saved for several years for this cruise. Any advice would be helpful and appreciated.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I know this will sound cold . . . but I hope DCL does nothing. If they make an exception for her, then everyone will want an exception. And that is the point of insurance - protection against the unexpected.

If someone is too short-sighted to plan for emergencies - then they have to suffer the consequences.

 

[TAKitty]

In short, no.

My mom was diagnosised with terminal cancer right before our trip. They wouldn't budge on a change. I was able to take my mom's name off the reservation and add someone else for a small fee. She might have better results talking to Disney directly. I used Dreams Unlimited travel and had to go through their agents.

I hope your friend has better luck. I'm sorry for her loss.

 

[flexsmom]

First, so sorry for your friend and her granddaughter.

Second, she needs to call DCL as soon as possible and hope they will allow her to rebook for the future with some kind of change fee. However, because it is just two days away, she might encounter difficulty with that because DCL cannot put the stateroom back into inventory and resell it at this late date. The best they can do is upsell it to someone at the port, since there isn't any time for them to run the passenger names through their pre-cruise security checks, etc.

She should also call the airline as soon as she talks to DCL. With change fees, she ought to be able to push that out to match any rebooking if they agree to do that. They may even do it with no fee if she sends the death certificate. I have found the airlines to be much more accommodating to changes for a variety of reasons lately.

Hope she gets some pixie-dust here......please let us know what they say. (Oh - and recommend to her that she buys the insurance for the rebooked cruise. You know what they say about hindsight.)

 

[Mickeyhugger]

There was an unfortunate flight cancellation incident with a family (on this board) a few weeks ago who didn't purchase insurance. DCL won't make any exceptions.

Is there ANY way possible the funeral services can be postponed?

 

[mmouse37]

Unfortunately, no. That is what insurance is for....to protect you against unforseen circumstances.

There was a huge thread here a few weeks ago where a family missed their cruise due to weather delays and airplane staff problems. DCL would not budge.

Of course she will want to attend the services but it will proabably be a loss for the cruise.

My DD was supposed to go with us on our October cruise in a separate cabin but got a job overseas a few weeks before the cruise...I had to cancel her and was out that money...I even had insurance but it did not cover for work related cancellations.

It is a part of life that horrible things happen that get in the way of plans made.....and I am not trying to sound cold or heartless but they took the gamble to not buy insurance and this is the result.

I was upset at DCL at first because I have been a loyal platinum cruiser with them (22 DCL cruises), tons of times at WDW, etc. and all the rest but I understood that if they made an exception for me they would have to make exceptions for everyone and people would be cancelling all the time with no penalty.

Good luck to them.

MJ

 

[Presley]

I am so sorry to hear that. Sadly, I think it will be easier to change the funeral than to change the cruise. If it was me, I'd do the funeral on Saturday and get on the cruise (which would be much needed) on Sunday.

I believe there is an option to join the cruise later when it is docked somewhere. She would have to arrange and pay for the transportation to meet the ship.

 

[LollieFollie]

I am so sorry to hear that. Sadly, I think it will be easier to change the funeral than to change the cruise. If it was me, I'd do the funeral on Saturday and get on the cruise (which would be much needed) on Sunday.

I believe there is an option to join the cruise later when it is docked somewhere. She would have to arrange and pay for the transportation to meet the ship.

This is what I was going to suggest. She needs to ask herself, what would her dad want her to do? Cancel the cruise she worked so hard to save for? Or attend a ceremony that is meant for the grieving family. Maybe if she has a family pastor he could do a private funeral for her before the public funeral?

 

[SteelersLover]

And when you finally get a postive response -- and you more than likely will if you get to speak to the right people (I have learned over many years of dealing with major corporations and in many cases being that right person to be spoken to)-- do NOT tell anyone on these boards..

 

[Mickeyhugger]

And when you finally get a postive response -- and you more than likely will if you get to speak to the right people (I have learned over many years of dealing with major corporations and in many cases being that right person to be spoken to)

I'm willing to bet it won't happen.

It would also be a slap in the face to those who bought insurance. This is why people buy travel insurance.

 

[Kelsie]

Please call Disney Cruise Line and ask to speak with a Supervisor. They are not totally heartless and have been known to make exceptions when the cancellation involves a death.

 

[msmayor]

Please call Disney Cruise Line and ask to speak with a Supervisor. They are not totally heartless and have been known to make exceptions when the cancellation involves a death.

Maybe so, but as unfair as it seems to stand firm and not allow changes to the OP, it is just as unfair to the hundreds and hundreds who choose to spend the extra and insure for this situation.

It has nothing to do with being heartless. It has everything to do with treating all their customers fairly.

 

[Makayna]

Simply don't take no for an answer. Yes, it's a slap in the face to everyone who bought insurance, and it's definitely not the ideal way to do things, but hey. If she's the "softy" type who will ask once, and then let it go and hang up, and is not willing to do anything and everything within her power to get the reschedule for the cruise, then she will not get it. If she's rude or uses foul language, then she will also most likely not get it. But if she is persistent but courteous, has the right tone of voice, asks to speak to supervisor upon supervisor upon supervisor until she gets her cruise changed, then she's likely to get it. Let's face it. While we don't LIKE that that's the way it is, that IS the way it is.

 

[flexsmom]

And, to have a remote chance of getting a positive response, she should ask to MOVE the cruise, not for a refund. I understand where people are coming from about the insurance, but I have thought of that as covering a refund-based scenario. Yes, DCL would set a bad precedent by allowing a refund/cancellation. However, I agree that they do sometimes bend on postponements - evidently not so much recently, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't at least TRY for that and ask the question.

 

[Kelsie]

Maybe so, but as unfair as it seems to stand firm and not allow changes to the OP, it is just as unfair to the hundreds and hundreds who choose to spend the extra and insure for this situation.

It has nothing to do with being heartless. It has everything to do with treating all their customers fairly.

I'm not going to debate the fairness of DCL's decisions (there's not enough time )

She asked and frankly, DCL has been known to make exceptions especially when there is a sudden death.

Fair or not, it's just the way it is.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Simply don't take no for an answer. But if she is persistent but courteous, has the right tone of voice, asks to speak to supervisor upon supervisor upon supervisor until she gets her cruise changed, then she's likely to get it.

I had no idea it was that easy. Maybe now I'll cancel my insurance.

 

[jdb in AZ]

So sorry for your loss. I think my dad would have wanted us to sail anyway; he would have been appalled by the thought of us losing that much money. He was considerate enough to wait til the day we got home from a Disney cruise to become gravely ill.

Even if DCL were willing to grant a postponement cruise for bereavement we would still carry insurance for medical and other reasons. Last year, we saved over $6000 when we couldn't sail because DH blew out a knee. A friend of ours (retired insurance salesman) is cruising with us next fall and was complaining that the TA added insurance to his reservation. What is wrong with this picture?

 

[oddman]

I think its a little harsh and somewhat redundant to say "thats what insurance is for".

Most people who can access the internet and type a message into a forum are completely aware what insurance means and how it works.

The OP is asking about flexibility.

 

[lmhall2000]

Yes! I encourage you to call! I have had luck with airlines in emergency situations when 99 out of 100 would say no way. You get the right person and things can be done. That said, I honestly believe that going on the cruise with her granddaughter will help bring some joy and she'll have all year to try and overcome the loss. I know I would want my children to go if I had passed...life is too short...make it memorable.

I would never ever feel 'cheated' if Disney offered people in these settings options..I am certain they have done it in the past and will continue to do so...life happens but I am even more proud of a company willing to make exceptions...procedures just like rules can be bent or broken to promote compassion..no problem here with that!

 

[lar32]

That is so sad. I'd first look into changing the funeral. But if that can't be done, the squeaky wheel does get the grease and death is a big deal. If it was some long lost cousin no but under these circumstances, I'd keep working my way up the ladder. They're not asking for their money back but rather to switch the date. She needs to be willing to travel any time of year... and even in a lower category room. be flexible. Have proof of death. I get it that people who buy the insurance don't like to see this but death of an immediate family member is different. For those who could lose their job and aren't smart enough to have a cushion, they should buy insurance. For those who miss flights, catch a cold, whatever, that's what insurance is for. This circumstance is very different. Also, don't report back on what decision was made. Each case is individual and everyone knows that is how companies operate. Good luck. What a terrible tragedy to experience right before such an exciting trip.