Troubles with Engines on 3/1/8 Disney Eastern Cruise

[hhi5]

I am wondering if anyone has heard from Disney regarding the 3/1/9 Eastern cruise that didn't make the ports and had engine trouble. I've been reading some posts over at Tripadvisor "Engine Troubles with Disney Cruises" and I am thinking of writing a letter. I see that this topic was covered on another thread here at disboards but the topics are closed to new posts ???

This cruise was a big disappointment for many people because there were HUGE lines of people filing out complaint forms at guest services last Friday before they left the ship. Most people understand weather issues - but engine problems that prevent shore time are another story. (Especially when Joel from Corp Guest Communications in Orlando told me that they knew beforehand the "engines were only operating at 60%"

Had the engines been at 100% would we have made CC despite the wind? I know we wouldn't of missed St Maartin.

Has anyone heard anything from Disney on this???

 

[ROIE01581]

on the other thread the mederator said Disney told her the engines are now fixed. They closed the thread due to people not being nice to each other about the positings.

 

[hhi5]

Sorry. I have just received a warning that I am not allowed to talk about this. So, I will not talk about it here. Shh!!! Don't tell anyone that Disney had engine problems!!! What a joke.

 

[DDeb4evr]

I honestly don't see a down side to this. I would have loved staying on the ship and being able to have time for more activities or even a nap. I know that I can do that if I chose but it's a hard choice. My DH and I were on the Eastern cruise last February and it was great to have 3 sea days but it still wasn't enough.

 

[hhi5]

I think this is all subjective.

We LIKE going in to the ports - its part of what we pay for. My kids love going to Castaway Cay and look forward to it as the final rah-rah of the cruise. I couldn't imagine wanting to stay on the ship. We've been three times. We've done all the activities on the ship already. I've seen the shows, I've played bingo, I've been to the deck parties, my kids have spent hours in the kids clubs.

The ship is great and all - but to me its not the only reason we cruise. Last year we did the 12 Metre regatta in St Maartin and it was AWESOME. The year before we took our kids to Tulum via the Western. These are experiences that we consider the highlight of the trip. So - to us, and many other people - not going to the ports was a "down side" and it was a pretty big "down side" at that. And then when you consider how much we paid for it: (With a family of five, a deck 8 family suite is the only option - so you can do the math....!) It's no secret that Disney is 30 - 40% more expensive than Royal Carib.

Look - we love disney. We are even scheduled to go on another cruise with them next year (because we have faith). That's all fine. But it doesn't mean that we are not upset and disappointed by our last cruise. And we do have doubts about the future too. And we'd like to talk to others who were on the cruise to see what they think, and what they know and who they have talked to. (I've heard from many people and its been 'interesting and informative' and I'll leave it at that....)

I am not sure why other people who were not on the cruise are so defensive about this? Not talking about you - I mean just others in general. It's like its some sort of crime to be upset with Disney so we'd all just better shut up.

Again, like I said in my original post - I am just looking for feedback from anyone else who was on the cruise and what they were told, and what they have done or maybe who they have contacted since. That's it. We are not trying to insult Disney, insult others, start heated discussions or put down DCL. We are just trying to get feedback and answers and maybe a little support from Disney because this will all determine whether or not we should cancel our '09 cruise and go with someone else instead.

 

[jarivan]

has anyone heard from disney? i have contacted the guest services both by phone and email. the woman on the phone was rude and said the weather was bad, and basically deal with it. the letter we got back from our email was almost a form letter that said basically the same thing. it said that they extended the $100 credit already, and sorry!!!! I am just furious that they put us on a ship with pre exisiting engine problems, and never informed anyone of what was going on, and they are still trying to cover it up. they should have let everyone know before the cruise what was going on, and given us the option of a refund. my kids and i all went stir crazy on the ship for that long. it was a horrible experience. the pools got too crowded and too dirty, and we could never find a place to sit. let me know what you have heard about anything!!

thanks

 

[pop5]

We are on the eastern this saturday. I really want to know what is going on and I dont think the thread should have been closed. After all, isnt this what these boards are about(all things Disney)??? It is almost like "cultish" if you cant say something that is negative about Disney. We all love DCL , just want to know what is going on.

 

[PizzieDuster]

I would want to be informed also. The weather excuse is one thing, but to pay a lot of money, I would expect the engines to be in working order. I can see if they ran out of pineapple, but come on.... engine problems? That's not fair to the cruisers who had to endure that. Especially if they were on notice that there was a problem the week before. That's a biggy...knowing that there was a problem and didn't fix it. Why should these cruisers pay the price for sailing on the one week the ship was not running properly. It's like living a bad dream.... "I had a dream that the engines broke down and we couldn't get to the island, I could see it, yell at people, but couldn't get there no matter what I did". I would have that dream over and over. Not to mention spending the whole morning/day wondering if I should camp out on a deck chair or grab the stuff and wait on Deck 1, spending the day in limbo! That would be my HUSBAND'S worse nightmare!

I would be concerned if I were sailing this week.

As far as the "cultish" comment.... hey, build your own DIS board and you can make your own rules, how cool is that! Almost. I'm guessing it's a head ache

 

[Joan1]

I will start out saying that I was not on the March 1st cruise but read many of the posts that were going on.

Just my thoughts - I am sure that Disney tried their best in fixing the engine problem. If there was a part that they didn't have or had to wait for I would assume it would take some time to get. In the meantime they went on as planned with the cruise. The only other alternative would have been to cancel the cruise and I am sure many people would have been up in arms if the whole cruise was cancelled

As to missing Castaway Cay - yes it was unfortunate but that was related to weather not the engines. From the reports the captain tried 4 times to go there but the currents weren't cooperating

This isn't the first tme the ship has missed docking at CC due to weather and I am sure it won't be the last

This is my opinion, not a fact so no flames please - I think that a lot of people (not all) that cruise on Disney only cruise Disney or are first time cruisers. Maybe on previous cruises they never missed an island but for those that cruise often the fact is that no island is guaranteed and is written in the contract that everyone has to sign.

On one of our Disney cruises we were 4 hours late getting into Nassau because of hurricane Katrina - all morning excursions were cancelled - should we have been angry that the captain couldn't get into the Nassau in time. What if that would have been the day we were going to Castaway Cay instead. Does everyone think that we should have complained that we couldn't get there because by an act of God there was a huge hurricane that destroyed cities and diverted any ship traffic so they wouldn't be caught in the storm?

Off my soapbox now

 

[Chamo]

As a dissatisfied guest on the Easten march 1 to 8 Magic cruise, let me state that no one on board is arguing that the Captain should have risked the ship or the passengers' safety by going into to Castaway Cay if it was dangerous.

Our complain is that Disney is not a third rate company but a premium top of the line organization which charges guests a premium for its products and services. Basic customer 101 should apply - make your customer happy. Oh yes Disney calls customers guests right? Is this a way to treat a guest?

We spent almost 10K on this trip. Cabin airfares hotel in Orlando, transport etc.

I asked the guest service rep who call me a few days later at home that we wanted one disney park ticket for each of us (two adults and three children). Keep in mind that we live in Michigan and that means we would have to pay for hotel, airfare, meals etc to get to a Disney park (so it would be unlikely that we would go just for one day). The request was a simple request that would show us Disney's good faith effort to say that they are sad that they could not give us the magical experience which they sold us.

In addition to Castaway Cay, we also missed most of the day in St. Marteen where we have pre-booked a rental car. This because the Magic had engine trouble. Again is this the guest fault NO! Is it the Captain fault NO!. But it is Disney responsibility to stand behind the premium product that they sell? YES!

Some people state that the Disney Cruise line is a separate company from Disney. Last time I saw the Disney trademark was all over the ship. Doesn't the Disney Cruise Line's earning end show up in the earnings report that Disney reports to its stockholders at the end of each quarter? So is no excuse that we are separate organization.

Disney has forgotten the 101 of Customer service. Oh forgive me again the 101 of Guest service. Disney Cruise Lines charge a premium for their offering, and need to respond in kind by doing what it takes to have satisfied customers.

And no I am not complaining about the ship servers (they were not responsible and we tip them above and beyond the recommended because they were excellent-specially our servers Rexson, Putu and our cabin host Ike) , activities on board etc. Our complain is very specific to how they are dealing with the problem listed.

Disney Cruise line response so far is that of a third rate company not one you expect from a premium organization (that charges premium prices). This is what you would expect out Carnival instead. If they don't open their eyes and take care of their unhappy guests on the March 1 itinerary, these potential repeat customers will instead cruise next time on Norwegian, Holland America or Royal Caribbean.

A Great Guest Service company shows itself by how they take care of problems when they do arise. So far Disney Cruise Lines is failing. It'snot whether they are legally obligated to response just that a premium brand would.

 

[happy4family]

Thanks for posting all these comments. It was our first Disney Cruise and it will most likely be our last. We loved the ship and the staff were amazing but we were dissatisfied with the actual cruise. My kids were going stir crazy on that ship and we were exhausted trying to keep them occupied! Not what we were planning on - a nice relaxing holiday with our family. Free drinks on the 9th floor does nothing for my 5 year old... character dance party in the atrium....we had already seen/ photos taken with all the characters... at least TWICE!

It was a dream of ours to see St. Maarten.... we were only able to see the port and the little bit of beach near the boat. The kids enjoyed it but it was not what I paid for.

Not being able to dock at Castaway Cay was a disappointment as well... we were so close to the white sandy beaches.... but still so far.

The Captain and crew of the ship gave us the best cruise they could have with the trouble - currents, winds and waves and the mechanical problems but I felt that the response from the DCL inadequate. I will be writing a letter to express my disappointment - unfortunately I won't be back - I saved for many years to bring my family on this cruise. Next winter we will be beaching it at a resort!

If any of you hear back from DCL let me know and I will report back what my response is. I am glad to know that I was not the only person who did not feel like much of a "guest" on the Disney Magic.

 

[goofygal1975]

I was NOT on this ship. I have only sailed DCL once so far.

I just wanted to point out, in reading this thread and the other thread, that the people who are upset about missing ports ARE UPSET BECAUSE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE....NOT ABOUT THE WEATHER. This is what I have picked up on most of the posts.

Sure everyone would be upset about missing a port due to weather (wind, hurricanes, tides, etc). But they would understand that Disney can not control the weather. (i have missed a private island on my first cruise on Royal Carribbean...not to mention it was the first sailing after 9/11 happened, and a tropical storm was going on out there...we had to just go with the flow and accept that bad weather happens).

However, Disney can certainly control Mechanical issues. If it is their fault that ports were missed, then they should make it up to the Guests on the cruise. If it was due to weather ONLY then they shouldn't have to.

Most people who were NOT on the cruise seem to only be picking up on the point of the possible bad weather, not the mechanical problems that seem to have been going on.

 

[stulaurie]

Isn't this what Trip Insurance is for??? I thought if you missed a port or part of the port Trip Insurance would reimburse you for that. Also if you rented a car and were not able to use it due to not being in port, Trip Insurance should also cover that, Right??

 

[MarkRG]

Folks, other moderators and I have no problem with you stating your disatisfaction in the cruise. None whatsoever, feel free to do so.

But keep in mind the DIS Board Basics in doing so.

Things we don't want to see include,

-Attacking each other. You don't agree? Fine. Agree to disagree but directly insulting arguing won't happen.

-You want to complain to DCL? Sure, here's who to complain to.

Disney Cruise Line
Guest Communications
P.O. Box 10210
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0210

Please don't post any other methods, as they will have to be removed.


-Conjecture about the status of the ship. I went to serious efforts to find what was the real story. The following is confirmed information, and is not open to discussion.

The ship had a failure of one engine en route to St. Maarten. When they left Port Canaveral all were up. This is as much a random act as the weather, there isn't a way to predict it. And under normal circumstances wouldn't have affected the cruise, but combined with the severe winds you were sailing into forced the Captain to reduce speed and made you late for St. Maarten. Engine repairs were complete by the time you sailed for CC, and had no bearing at all on your missing the island there. I know that's a minor point, but still needs to be made, as the Wonder also aborted docking at CC in that timeframe due to the same conditions you were trying to dock in. Ship staus had nothing to do with missing CC, it was simply double bad luck.

What you're entitled to is none of my buisness, I wasn't on that sailing. That is up to DCL to address your feelings and make good on it if they need to. Good luck in getting it settled.

 

[FIREFIGHTERMICKEY]

Thanks for posting all these comments. It was our first Disney Cruise and it will most likely be our last. We loved the ship and the staff were amazing but we were dissatisfied with the actual cruise. My kids were going stir crazy on that ship and we were exhausted trying to keep them occupied! Not what we were planning on - a nice relaxing holiday with our family. Free drinks on the 9th floor does nothing for my 5 year old... character dance party in the atrium....we had already seen/ photos taken with all the characters... at least TWICE!

It was a dream of ours to see St. Maarten.... we were only able to see the port and the little bit of beach near the boat. The kids enjoyed it but it was not what I paid for.

Not being able to dock at Castaway Cay was a disappointment as well... we were so close to the white sandy beaches.... but still so far.

The Captain and crew of the ship gave us the best cruise they could have with the trouble - currents, winds and waves and the mechanical problems but I felt that the response from the DCL inadequate. I will be writing a letter to express my disappointment - unfortunately I won't be back - I saved for many years to bring my family on this cruise. Next winter we will be beaching it at a resort!

If any of you hear back from DCL let me know and I will report back what my response is. I am glad to know that I was not the only person who did not feel like much of a "guest" on the Disney Magic.

I have to say this to you. Please dont think Disney wanted to keep you on the boat all week. You just had a bit of bad luck. But the one good thing is you spent qualiy time with Family and thats what should matter. Yes I would have been a bit upset not going to CC , but Im sure I could have done other things LIKE SLEEP! Anyways Try a Dis cruise one more time. Try for a Different time of year. We went in December and the weatehr was awesome! Take care

 

[dlf246]

-Conjecture about the status of the ship. I went to serious efforts to find what was the real story. The following is confirmed information, and is not open to discussion.

The ship had a failure of one engine en route to St. Maarten. When they left Port Canaveral all were up. This is as much a random act as the weather, there isn't a way to predict it. And under normal circumstances wouldn't have affected the cruise, but combined with the severe winds you were sailing into forced the Captain to reduce speed and made you late for St. Maarten. Engine repairs were complete by the time you sailed for CC, and had no bearing at all on your missing the island there. I know that's a minor point, but still needs to be made, as the Wonder also aborted docking at CC in that timeframe due to the same conditions you were trying to dock in. Ship staus had nothing to do with missing CC, it was simply double bad luck.

MarkRG, thank you thank you for your serious efforts in getting this clarified. We are going 3/22, and I will copy your info to the meet thread. Thank you again.

 

[Joan1]

For those of you that haven't seen this on the main boards I found this interesting

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=23804095&postcount=45

 

[FF/MEDIC MEL]

I have some info for you all. We were on the Magic from 2/23-3/1/08 on the Western itinerary. When taking the tender back to the ship from Grand Cayman, 3 gentlemen were on the tender with luggage. My assumption was they missed the boat and met the ship here. Unfortuantely they didnt fit the profile of vacationers. My curiosity got the best of me so I asked them jokingly if they missed the boat. They replied No, they were mechanics flown in to fix the engine problems. We never experienced any mechanical problems that I am aware of during our cruise but Disney was aware of the problem on 2/27/08. Also, while taking the Galley tour I was snooping and saw a fax stating they were departing Port Canaveral at 1600 on 3/1/08 instead of the usual 1700. What was that all about?

 

[SnowWhite2]

It seems that most folks who are complaining about not having a 'magical' time are those who are first time cruisers. We've cruised for decades on several different cruise lines. Stuff like this happens all of the time. There is no Jiffy Lube or Engines R Us in the middle of the ocean. Nor can the ship carry every part of every thing on the ship in case it breaks. That is the reason for the disclaimer in the cruise contract and EVERY cruise line has a disclaimer. If being stuck on a boat for 8 hours longer than expected made your trip miserable, then maybe you have learned that cruise vacations are not for you. The 'not being in control' can be difficult for some people especially when you are in the middle of the ocean and at the mercy of someone else to get you where you are going. It can be a scary thought. But random equiment failures and weather are just the luck of the draw - or bad luck of the draw.

 

[wdhinn89]

Anybody else notice a whole bunch of new posters on this thread with only 1 post in their history and one with 5 posts. Seems like some old posters with new screen names