Problems with 1/15/05 Magic cruise

[ivanova]

People were yelling at CM's because you didn't dock? That's incredible.

On our cruise last November I heard a woman ream a Guest Relations CM because of the 20 foot swells, go figure.

 

[kpgclark]

The cruise I took with the rough seas was the first cruise my children had been on. I didn't know it but apparently my daughter (6 at the time) gets seasick. I only realized it when at dinner the first night of the cruise (BIG 25 foot swells) she threw up right there at the dinner table. I was MORTIFIED!! REALLY MORTIFIED!! Our servers couldn't have been nicer and cleaned up the mess sometime after we left. I felt so bad for them. It's bad enough cleaning up after your own kids but someone else's? Anyhow they must have to do this on every cruise. Also people were vomiting in the halls. It was a sorry situation. People should think about the poor CMs who have to clean up when there are big swells instead of yelling at them. Can you imagine some poor CM cleaning up a horrible mess and then get yelled at by a customer because of Mother Nature???

 

[ablmc]

People were yelling at CM's because you didn't dock? That's incredible.

It was embarassing. I don't know the people, but, I felt embarassed none the less (why is that?).

Listened to one person rudely complain because we were seeking sunshine and calm waters instead of just immediately returning to Port Canaveral. If I was the CM, I probably would have just laughed at this person, but, the CM behaved himself and explained that if we arrived in port 6 hours early, there would be no Immigration, customs, buses, etc, etc. I then heard the guy explaining it to his companions, and he was still upset that we were going to waste a day at sea.

There were a lot of people really mad about their experiences. I think I basically stopped talking to strangers from about mid-day Friday onward - I just didn't want to hear any more complaining.

 

[ablmc]

My point was that I think it's hypocritical to say you enjoyed the cruise but then feel you're entitled to compensation, just because others might be getting it.

I have to admit, I've been struggling a bit since I read some of the posts that object to my feeling that I should be able to get compensation if others are.

I think the quote above very nicely sums up the situation. Yes - I enjoyed my cruise and will go on another. But, I experienced the same poor weather, missed ports, and rough seas that other people experienced. Why should someone else get compensated just becuase they chose to make the worst of the situation, and, I not get compensated because I chose to make the best of it? We were all on the same ship, all experiencing the same things.

I really am struggling with that. Maybe I am a hypocrite.

 

[musicgirl]

Big Jack 2002, I have to say that I like your point of view!

There are always going to be people unhappy with something. We had an awesome time in June, yet there were people complaining. We did have one day where the seas were rough enough to make me stay in the "wave" pool all afternoon, but I didn't eat dinner or go to the show.

I know, very minor and nothing compared to missing ports, cruises etc. My point is that nothing is going to be perfect.

And Yes, we have had vacations ruined by weather. The year we did our land and sea, it rained 98% of the time at WDW. We trudged along in our raincoats and still managed to have a pretty good time. Yes, things were cancelled, we spent more than our fair share of time waiting for things to clear up.

Then the 1st night of our first cruise, a horrible storm kept me in the room. My dh was one of the only people out and about at 11pm.


Weather happens. Life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
It sounds like the original poster did and many others did so as well.

Personally, I don't think DCL should have to compensate extra. Yes, it is good PR, but in the long run, won't these kind of things make cruises more expensive?

If you "pay" someone, they have to find the money somewhere.

Lloyd, my suit is waiting on the hanger too!!!

 

[bratray]

i don't think you're a hypocrite, i think that sometimes its just human nature to want to have what others are getting...it really is a want not a need...
don't be so hard on yourself- if i was in that same situation i would want to be compensated IF everyone else was- why should the loudest complainer be the only one to get something- ya know they always say nice guys finish last (LOL)

just try to look at it this way; you made the best of your cruise, you can't change anything that happened so if you want to use your time to write a letter to express yourself to DCL then more power to you...who is it hurting???

 

[aprilgail2]

We booked in January because it was cheaper. We could have booked in June and been sure of beautiful weather if we wanted to pay that price. We booked 2 more cruises while we were on the ship.

Did you book the other two for Jan. too? I would love to get out of the snow in Jan but I only like to cruise in April/May when the weather is warmer and the chances of docking at CC and in ports are better. I would rather pay more money and not have to worry about cold and higher chances of not docking. Someone once did a survey here about what months the ships couldn't dock the most and I forget what month won out but it wouldn't surprise me if it was Jan.

 

[allears]

"Any tricks to getting some compensation?"

Are you serious! Our whole society seems to always be looking for ways to get "compensation". For what. We got what we contracturally paid for and if we chose to be miserable about it well then we made that choice.

As for my DW and I we had an awesome time! We love being on that ship, it was way warmer than New Jersey and no snow. We loved being togehter and enjoying all that the Magic has to offer. So for the record, we thought the 1/15 cruise was excellent!

Kellimomo3, it was great meeting you and your husband and sorry about one of the little guys getting sick. But I'm glad you had a great time. We can't wait to go back!

 

[xoxoangel]

I just wanted to say we were on the 1/15/05 cruise and we all had a great time. Yes we were dissapointed to miss 2 ports but I knew when I booked a cruise this time of the year that was a chance that I was taking. If I'm not mistaken the cruise contact I signed said that this was a possibility and I still agreed to go. Today as we spent the day digging out of the blizzard that started when we got home and left us with 34 inches of snow. The weather on the cruise was heavenly compared to this. I think the worst part of the cruise was all the unhappy people and the free drinks making the unhappies drunk and unhappy. This was my parents first cruise and they loved it so much we rebooked onboard. I don't expect any compensation because I had a great time. JMHO

 

[ablmc]

"Any tricks to getting some compensation?"

Are you serious! Our whole society seems to always be looking for ways to get "compensation". For what. We got what we contracturally paid for and if we chose to be miserable about it well then we made that choice.

Seeing as you quoted me, I will treat your post as directed at me.

I suggest you slow down a bit, and re-read my post. I was not miserable, I had a good time. Try not to be so quick to attack and insult everyone (as you did in a related post) and you might realize that I am not looking for compenastion becuase I think it is owed to me. You are correct, I got what I paid for. But, DCL has also already acknowledged that some amount of compensation was due. Did you not get your glass of wine Friday night? Did you not get your hours worth of Bahama-mamas Friday afternoon?

 

[talicskai]

Everyone take a deeeeepppp breath and relax. The whole thing is a non-issue because if you read your "terms and conditions" DCL has the right to substitute ports for the safety of crew & passengers. I would be very shocked if any compensation was offered by Disney or any other cruise line. That being said we have twice cruised on the Magic in January '03 and '04 and had amazing holidays. We never missed any ports however, CC was an almost miss (2004) with the captain working super hard at keeping the ship in the channel. I knew both years when we booked that the price was excellent because of the higher chance of bad weather. We just got lucky - plain and simple.


Teresa

 

[WDWLVR]

After many years of reading these boards it doesn't surprise me any more when these threads pop up. Just a few random thoughts:

* People always complain that Disney is the highest priced cruise line. Well guess what - when more and more people complain and demand compensation that money has to come from somewhere - guess where?

* It is a shame that this cruise didn't get to Grand Cayman. It is a bigger shame for the people of Grand Cayman who need the tourist dollars to rebuild their homes and businesses.

* It is a shame that this cruise didn't get to Castaway Cay. Our first cruise didn't either and our last cruise (the 10 day) got there but there was no swimming as the lagoon was closed and it was cold and dreary. Don't get me wrong Castaway Cay is a beautiful island - but if you get that upset about missing it then you miss what a cruise is all about.

I think many people go on cruises, especially Disney cruises, because they feel it is now the thing to do. They miss the beauty of the experience of cruising. They don't like sea days because they feel there is nothing to do and the pools are crowded. If this is you then I say a cruise vacation isn't for you. To me the beauty of a cruise is the cruise itself. Sitting and watching the water - be it from a private veranda, a lounger on deck 4, or a chair up at Topsiders. It is getting to explore new islands and see how other people live. It is about exploring nature through snorkeling.

Those of us who can afford a cruise, especially a Disney cruise should count our blessings and enjoy it.

Yes Disney does at times have to offer compensation (the fire cruise, the hurricances, etc.) and from what I've read does it far better than other lines.

To spend precious vacation time yelling at a cast member because of the weather or to spend precious family time writing a letter in hopes that you don't get cheated out of compensation seems like a waste.

Just my opinion.

 

[Cass]

On the cruise we went on we tendered at St maarten because of high winds ~ can't they tender into Castaway Cay?

 

[DancingBear]

albmc, I appreciate your thinking through the issues here. My two cents:

Some of your fellow cruisers think they "deserve" compensation because they received less than they bargained for; their specific complaints include: (1)missed two ports; (2) think the Captain lied about GC port being closed; (3) think the Captain didn't try hard enough to dock at CC; (4) DCL didn't add enough additional adult activities for the other days at sea; (5) pools were closed because of the high seas; (6) there should be some other alternative to a day at sea when the ship can't get into a port; and (7) the weather was bad.

I don't think any of you "deserve" anything, because (1) weather is a risk for any vacation; (2) weather involves particular risks for a cruise vacation, including missing ports; (3) there really was no incentive for the Captain to lie about the GC port, or not to try hard enough to dock at CC; (4) activities, and the free drinks, were added, and complaining about the mix of those activities is quibbling to me; and (5) the January cruises are cheaper in part due to the weather risks, so "compensation" is built into that. Y'all certainly don't deserve any cash compensation for the disappointing experience, any more than you would if you went to WDW and it was cold and rainy all week.

BTW, I don't buy your argument that just because DCL gave the free drinks, they acknowledged that "compensation" was due, and you are just arguing over the amount of that compensation. That approach would just discourage DCL from ever doing anything to help improve the situation.

On the other hand, DCL may elect to give some sort of compensation to the 1/15 cruisers, such as a discount on future cruises---not because they failed to deliver, and the cruisers "deserve" that compensation, but because they want to have happy customers who come back to them in the future. If that is the case, I think you can justify getting in on that discount.

 

[Bethipooh4]

Just to add my comparison (and there is no cruise ship who has measured up to Disney IMHO)
My DH and I were on a 12/27 sailing on RCL Sovereign of the Seas, celebrating our 26th anniversary, NO KIDS.
We missed our stop at their private island Coco Cay because of high seas, and high winds, and went immediately on to Nassau, where the high was 50 and cloudy for the 2 days we spent there. Our snorkeling excursion in Nassau was cancelled and we were refunded the cost. That is all the compensation we received. We never received a refund of port fees for their private island, no free drinks, no free wine, and there wasn't any extra activities added to keep us busy. It was very cold, windy and rainy in Nassau.
Reading this post, and being in the same situation on a different cruise line, I think Disney went beyond what they needed to do, even if the free drinks were only for a hour. But we had fun anyway, and compensation never entered our minds. You take your chances anytime you cruise.

 

[my3princesses]

I have been observing this thread for awhile and find it interesting. We are cruising at the end of February so I am assuming that all will be well with the seas however I know that nothing can be for certain and will be plesantly pleased if everything goes as planned however if it doesn't we cannot blame Disney for the weather or for ensuring the safety of it's passengers. Getting sued for an accident would cost them more!

In regards to compensation, if Disney decides to compensate just to make their customers happy it would be unfortunate. From a retail perspective and customer service (owning my own stores) you would not believe how much extra money is spent by owners to go out of their way to make a customer happy! I had a customer the other day who had to drive out of her way to return an item that she was not happy with. She expected me to compensate her because she had to go out of her way. I offered a full refund which was just not enough for this person. She expected that since she spent an X amount on gas that we should make up for it. After 15 minutes of trying to plesantly explain our return policy to this person who was becoming obnoxious and creating a scene in my store I finally caved and offered her an item of the same price free of charge (this cost my business $15.00) as this was taking up my valuable time and although I was correct it wasn't worth it. However adding up how may times I had to do this, even though customers know the policy and are just trying to bully something out of me, cost my company in the long run. But I have the assurance that those customers in the store at the time realize we are a fair company who does their best to keep customers happy. She left the store happy that she "played" me and I continued my day with other customers dizzy from the commotion. Meanwhile my margins are cut and I might have to increase prices in order to keep up.
Now to put this into this past trips perspective, if Disney would compensate passangers for every unfortunate thing that happend on a trip it would only cost passengers in the long run. Fine print explains their policies and you take risks by travelling at certain times of the year. You would not book a trip to Canada in April expecting to spend time at the beach, knowing there is a pretty good chance it will probably be cold and rainy and you would not be able to do everything.

I suggest all passengers relax, stop expecting more than you deserve and avoid any holiday in the future that relys on the weather (hmm ... that leaves you with the option of hiding in a hotel somewhere - but where is the adventure in that!)

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

On the cruise we went on we tendered at St maarten because of high winds ~ can't they tender into Castaway Cay?

I suppose technically they could, using lifeboats to tender, but it seems to me that this would take a very long time to get everyone on the island. Also, I don't know if there is a dock set up which would allow people to easily get out of the lifeboats and on to dry land. I don't know how many people the lifeboats hold, but maybe 75-100 comfortably. Given the time it might take to load and unload the ship, you might wait several hours just to get on the island, and then have that same wait at the end of the day.

Actually, now that I think of it, the ship would probably need to be docked, since all of the food would need to be unloaded. If you've ever watched the ship dock at Castaway Cay, you've seen trucks waiting for it and forklifts unloading it as soon as it's tied up. The logistics of unloading food and drinks for 2500 people using the lifeboats would probably prohibit a tendering operation.

I know first-hand that it's disappointing to miss any port call. However, I don't think it's a decision that the captain makes lightly. He has the safety of the 3000 or so people on board, as well as the half-billion dollar ship to take into account. I also know that it's small, if any, consolation to know that the ship very rarely misses Castaway Cay, maybe 5% of the time (1 time in 20).

 

[smchan]

January cruises are cheaper in part due to the weather risks, so "compensation" is built into that.

Do you work for DCL's pricing department or are you speculating? I suspect the later. January weather with respect to wind and waves is, on average, the same as the weather in March and July which are more expensive cruising periods. Here's my source.

Ironically, the very best weather, on average, is in September and October when prices are typically the cheapest.

I suspect prices are based on seasonal demand (which is driven by the school year), and that's Economics 101. But I can't state that as fact since I don't have any real insight into DCL's internal operational policies.

Sam

 

[DancingBear]

Do you work for DCL's pricing department or are you speculating? I suspect the later. January weather with respect to wind and waves is, on average, the same as the weather in March and July which are more expensive cruising periods. Here's my source.

Ironically, the very best weather, on average, is in September and October when prices are typically the cheapest.

I suspect prices are based on seasonal demand (which is driven by the school year), and that's Economics 101. But I can't state that as fact since I don't have any real insight into DCL's internal operational policies.

Sam

I feel pretty comfortable in my speculation that the prices are cheaper, as I said, "in part" because of the weather risks on the seas. Surely you agree that, wind and waves aside, the cooler temperatures that some of the 1/15 cruisers complained about is a risk of January cruising vs. March or July, and thus makes the January cruises less popular. Obviously the school vacation periods are another factor that affects demand, and therefor, prices.

 

[BuzzMan]

To ABLMC,

I get the impression from reading your posts that you are a reasonable, thoughtful, and considerate person. I would be willing to bet that even if you did get some form of compensation, you would not enjoy it because you would not feel like you deserved it.

I can't think of anything wrong with being upset when things don't go as planned, especially on an expensive cruise. But, I will never understand why some people (not you ABLMC) feel that they have to make a spectacle of themselves to express their feelings. Not a good example for the children.