Problems with 1/15/05 Magic cruise

[ablmc]

Hello Everyone,

I just returned from the Disney Magic Jan 15, 2005 sailing. We had a great time, despite cool temps, lots of clouds, and lots of breeze.

Unfortunately, we missed Grand Cayman due to high seas and, we also missed Castaway Cay due to winds, current and seas. According to the Captain, Grand Cayman officials closed the port so no cruise ships went in on Tueday, Jan 18. As for Castaway Cay, twice the Captain tried to back us into the pier but couldn't due to strong westerly winds and seas blowing the ship out of the channel. We also had a few outdoor activites and excursions cancelled due to the weather (e.g embarkation celebration moved into the atrium due to cool temps and drizzel).

We had a good time none the less. I understand that these problems were beyond DCL's control, and, I hold no ill will towards DCL. I'll be back on DCL in the future, I'm sure. But, I heard a lot of people complaining very loudly, and, I heard plenty of stories of Disney compensating passengers when cruises have gone bad in the past (stories other than the hurricane cruises which I consider to be special cases). As far as I can tell, the only compensation offered to us was a refund of the Grand Cayman port charges ($12.22 per person), an unknown $15 per person credit (port charges for Bahamas/Castaway Cay???), free Bahama-mamas on deck for an hour Friday afternoon, and free wine and smoothies at dinner Friday night.

I'm certian that many of the loud, boisterous complainers will write/call/e-mail/etc Disney and manage to get some more substantial compensation. I can't help but think that if anyone else gets compensated, then, so should I, so, I plan to write/e-mail/call to complain as well. I did speak to guest services on board and they gave me a card with adress to to write to and also wrote down my name and cabin number, but who knows what that will result in.

Sooo... I'm wondering if anyone else has experience dealing with Disney in similar situations? Anyone else miss Castaway Cay? Miss two ports out of 4? Any tricks to getting some compensation? Magical words to use? Buttons to push? People to write or phone (will Eisner take my call? )? Suggestions?

Was anyone else on that sailing?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[erikthewise]

We had friends on that cruise, so we heard about the situation. They also said they had a good time in spite of the weather. I don't think anyone should expect compensation for this sort of problem, but if DCL want to do so it's their privilege. The worst possible outcome would be for only the complainers to get compensation.

 

[ablmc]

Sorry to have started a new thread - I just found where LUVTHEMAGIC started a thread "Disappointed". Also, Kellimomo3 started a thread as well that even inlcudes "1/15 Magic" in the title.

The worst possible outcome would be for only the complainers to get compensation.

I agree, and that is why I will probably write. I hate to leave money on the table.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

So, your problem isn't with the cruise experience, but with the "loud, boisterous complainers," and you feel you're entitled to compensation not because the cruise didn't live up to your expectations, but because other people might be getting it?

Say what you want about whether the complainers have a case, at least they're legitimately indignant. You're just gravy-training off of them. I agree with Erik, but would go a step further and hope nobody gets more than a nice letter saying how sorry DCL is about the situation.

(donning my asbestos suit....)

 

[zacsmom]

LOYD DOBLER, you handled that very nicely. I was trying to say what you did in a nice manner and could not stay calm enough to do so. I would have been disappointed to have missed two ports, yes, but I would have been thrilled to have 2 extra days on the ship, and with free drinks to boot :jumping4:

 

[ablmc]

Say what you want about whether the complainers have a case, at least they're legitimately indignant. You're just gravy-training off of them. I agree with Erik, but would go a step further and hope nobody gets more than a nice letter saying how sorry DCL is about the situation.

(donning my asbestos suit....)

No need for asbestos, certainly not from me, I agree 100%. The cost of the letter is negligible, the worst that I get in return is the "nice letter" from DCL. Or, potentially I get to save some money on my next cruise.

 

[dwkwootton]

Its remarkable that folks who were not on the 1-15 sailing are telling those of us who were how to feel, what we are "entitled" to, or are just enjoying some good ol' fashioned name calling. Let me suggest to you that if a few people politely posting a few remarks about an unneccessarily poor but expensive cruise experience causes you to be this impolite, you may well need to take stock of yourself in lieu of telling others how to behave.

 

[ablmc]

I would have been thrilled to have 2 extra days on the ship, and with free drinks to boot :jumping4:

It is good that you would be "thrilled to have 2 extra days on the ship", but, I will point out that you have that choice to make each day you are on a cruise ship (except the last day of course).

And, let's not get carried away with the "free drinks". There was 1 hour of free bahama-mamas on deck 9/10 on Friday and free wine (of DCL's choosing, not mine, and they chose junk, IMO) with Friday's dinner.

 

[kpgclark]

I was on my first Disney cruise almost two years ago. The seas were unusually high and a lot of people were seasick. We didn't go to any ports on their scheduled days. We missed Grand Cayman entirely as well. I commend Disney on being flexible enough to have activities planned for passengers and to really try to assist in any way they can. Look WEATHER IS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL! I would never complain if the ship had to be rerouted for situations beyond their control. I guess I don't understand what you expect them to do except compensate you for something they didn't have a hand in causing. Everyone knows that weather can alter a cruise vacation. You wouldn't ask them to compensate you if you went to the Magic Kingdom and it rained would you? In my opinion they were right in giving you back your port fees but beyone that they don't OWE passengers anything. I don't think it is ethical to ask for compensation in this situation.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Its remarkable that folks who were not on the 1-15 sailing are telling those of us who were how to feel, what we are "entitled" to, or are just enjoying some good ol' fashioned name calling. Let me suggest to you that if a few people politely posting a few remarks about an unneccessarily poor but expensive cruise experience causes you to be this impolite, you may well need to take stock of yourself in lieu of telling others how to behave.

I'll assume this is directed at me.

I'm not telling anyone how to feel or behave. The original poster stated how they felt. I never said that you shouldn't feel entitled to compensation or upset that you've missed ports. You can feel and act the way you want, and you certainly don't have to justify yourself to me or anyone else on this board. However, the topic was thrown out there, and this is a discussion forum, so I'm discussing. I don't believe I called anyone a name, and I certainly didn't refer to anything you have posted, so I'm not sure why you're so defensive. I brought up what I thought was a legitimate point of view concerning a topic on the board. Like anything else posted here, you can take it for what you feel it's worth. If the OP feels I was impolite, I apologize, but I don't feel that I was.

I agree we should take stock in ourselves, however. That's always good advice. Perhaps you're so defensive because deep down you might think what I said has some merit. I'll leave you to decide that. Sorry, that last bit was a tad impolite....

 

[pixie Mom]

ABLMC

I am sorry to hear of your bad weather.. I would have been upset by the turn of events... And I say go for it, If you can get compensated for the situation than thats great...I think you have a great attitude... You do not expect that they compensate you... I would do exactly what you are doing...

 

[dwkwootton]

Zacsmom, don't be so sure that you would have been thrilled to have 1 hour of free bahama mamas (and only bahama mamas whether you care for that particular drink or not) and a free glass of wine in exchange to be sitting in your hooded sweatshirt for the 5th day with little more to do than watch someone else throw up in the pool, the hallway, or the restaurant. Not everyone fared as well with the rough seas as we did.

If someone else's opinion causes you difficulty in staying calm, there's many routes you could look into such as deep breathing exercises or anger management classes.

After 7 or 8 Disney Cruises, I think I'm in a position to be able to compare all those good cruises with this cruise. I've run into bad weather before and have stated on another thread that the weather was not the main problem. It doesn't help me at all to have anyone else's cruise be this bad ~ I do sincerely hope you don't have a situation like this on your cruise.

 

[LUVTHEMAGIC]

I did have friends go to the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and it rained. They had to cancel the first parade, then the second, then they had to shut down the rides. Disney did not deliver what they paid for. The same as this situation. The weather is beyond their control. This is not a $30 ticket we are talking about. Would you think my friends should get their money back for paying for a party that did not happen? Well, Disney told them to write a letter as many of us have done about this cruise. Disney issued a full refund. Now, I don't expect a refund of any kind--what would it hurt to offer more incentive than 10% to us so they can have a chance to show us the Magic one more time. And I didn't get any port fees back either--I don't expect to. This is really my first time posting on these boards. I didn't expect to get so jumped on by people who are very unsympathetic to the many tears of my children. Let's truly hope a cruise that you paid thousands of dollars for doesn't end up 7 days at sea.

 

[kellimomo3]

I was on this cruise although by reading this thread I feel like I was not. Yes, we were dissappointed to miss Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay but like I told my children, the captain of the ship is not Mother Nature. I found the weather to be a bit windy but overall very pleasant. We had a wonderful time and have booked another cruise. BTW in addition to the missed ports we also had a child in isolation for 24 hours but we still made the best of it. After waiting over a year and paying a lot of money, I felt tha nothing would stop us from having a fun family vacation. Nothing on this cruise took away from the looks on my kid's faces wen they passeed Mickey Mouse in the hall, thier excitment over the AMAZING kid's clubs or my husband and my wonderful Palo dinner. Our memories of this cruise are fond. I found the Disney crew to be very pleasant and sincerely felt for them when I overheard passengers yelling at them for something that as I explained to my children, is not in their control. Just my two cents on a great cruise, can't wait to return!!

Kelli

 

[delo4]

I agree with kpgclark. We must have been on the same cruise, March, 2002? We did not go to any of the ports on the day we were supposed to. We finally made a port, Costa Maya, and it rained! Grand Cayman was cancelled. We had 20 foot waves and 50 mph winds. We were all sick for about 8 hours. We certainly did not expect any compensation from Disney. We were of course disappointed, but the weather cannot be predicted nor changed. That's the risk you take with almost any vacation. Disney, in my opinion, made the best of a bad situation. They were constantly putting out new navigators, sometimes more than once a day. We still enjoyed our time. It wasn't what we expected, but we made the best of it.

 

[dwkwootton]

Lloyd, I'm sure you are familiar with the saying of what happens when you assume.

I did not appreciate reading what my compensation should or shouldn't be for "this sort of problem" from someone who was not there, especially when the poster is unable to grasp what the problem actually was. This was not your comment.

Did not appreciate lumping those of us who are dissatisfied as "the complainers". Also not your comment.

Some people who complain are not loud or boisterous such as my husband and me. More assuming, not a good thing. And also not your comment.

Thank you for your apology even though it was unneccesary toward me. I didn't find your question about my being defensive as impolite but, again, it was nice of you to apologize for it. I am getting defensive in addition to my disgust for ignorant (look it up in the dictionary before you flame) people telling me how to deal with this situation.

 

[kpgclark]

delo4 we sailed April 2002 maybe that was when you sailed too? I think it was the first time Disney ever went to that port. They were amazing and set up a lot of excursions and whatnot. The weather was not great that day either. We also had bad weather in the other Mexican port (can't remember what port right now!) Nobody could go to the beach because it was way too windy.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

DWK, my assumption was based on the fact that at the time you posted, my post was the only one on the thread which I considered giving an opposing point of view to the original poster. Perhaps your frustration refers to a different thread?

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. It's apparent to me that this does not describe you.

For the record:

ignorant

- Lacking education or knowledge.
- Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge: an ignorant mistake.
- Unaware or uninformed.

 

[big jack 2002]

We were also on this cruise. I heard several people screaming and swearing in the halls at the crew because we didn't dock. I went down to get something from Guest Relations and just left and went back upstairs because of the foul language that I heard from the passengers towards the CM's working there. I didn't wear a sweatshirt all day long. My grandchildren had a wonderful time. Our family vacation was not ruined because of the weather. 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.

 

[kpgclark]

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