Why is DCL still showing Grand Cayman for cruises in Jan-Mar 2022?

[DisneYE]

Grand Cayman was closed to cruises the entire 2021
Doesn't look they will start accepting ships anytime soon
So why is DCL still showing GC as a destination when clearly they won't be able to stop there?
There's a Fantasy sailing in the next couple of weeks still showing a stop at GC - Why?

This is misleading and false advertising on the part of DCL - why do they continue to do this?

I ask bc we have a cruise in March that has a stop in GC but there's no way it'll happen.
I'd rather they announce alternate ports or change for sea days - Yeah, I don't like GC at all, so it would be nice of them to face reality & replace it with Costa Maya and I'd like DCL to announce the change in advance so that we can plan activities there. (I LOVE Costa Maya)

 

[lorimay]

We sail two weeks from tomorrow and its still showing as a stop for us.
I have been waiting and hoping they would switch us to 2 CC stops.

 

[MomOTwins]

This is a fluid situation. Disney is going from a situation in which they are used to planning a year ahead or more all of its ships' itineraries to having to adjust within a couple of months or weeks of new port requirements and cruise ship bans. They may be trying to negotiate an alternate port stop (e.g. Costa Maya) but can't start selling that until the ink is on the paper with the port to be able to dock there. They may be trying to schedule additional CC days but need to make sure they have arrangements for supplies and excursion staff on the island, and also need to make decisions between different Disney ships that may have reschedules (e.g., maybe they would rather hold CC open for the more expensive eastern itineraries on the Fantasy which may have their Virgin Islands port stops in jeopardy). Maybe they are waiting to see how full each cruise that was going to GC gets with people rescheduling and last-minute FL resident or VGT purchasers before deciding if it is worth it to do another port stop versus a sea day depending on how many guests are on board.

Or maybe you're right and they are soulless and don't care about customers and are just stringing everyone along. I'd prefer to give them a little more credit than that, though. Disney Cruise Line has always treated me as a respected customer--they've accommodated me more than once when they didn't have to, and are continuing to offer partial refunds and discounts to people with unexpected/last-minute missed ports, as well as a flexible cruise date policy, again, even though they don't have to. I feel like they've earned a little bit of the benefit of the doubt here.

 

[tvguy]

This is misleading and false advertising on the part of DCL - why do they continue to do this?

Nothing misleading or false about it in the pandemic era. They don't control it. Get mad at Grand Cayman or covid, not Disney. I suspect they still haven't gotten final word from Grand Cayman.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I wouldn't say soulless so much as incompetent. DCL's communications over the last 18+ months have been a dumpster fire case study of doing it wrong.

 

[mmouse37]

We sail two weeks from tomorrow and its still showing as a stop for us.
I have been waiting and hoping they would switch us to 2 CC stops.

Ditto

 

[kathi]

I wouldn't say soulless so much as incompetent. DCL's communications over the last 18+ months have been a dumpster fire case study of doing it wrong.

An apt description

 

[mmouse37]

Nothing misleading or false about it in the pandemic era. They don't control it. Get mad at Grand Cayman or covid, not Disney. I suspect they still haven't gotten final work from Grand Cayman.

I am sure DCL is scrambling to make plans at other ports before announcing it and I am sure it is not easy as many cruise lines are changing ports, but, it would be nice to know the new itinerary 2 weeks out.

MJ

 

[Gigi22]

On another cruise line, we were informed that a couple of ports were being swapped out of our itinerary as we stood in line for embarkation. That said, we had been watching the weather closely and were prepared for the news.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Grand Cayman was closed to cruises the entire 2021
Doesn't look they will start accepting ships anytime soon
So why is DCL still showing GC as a destination when clearly they won't be able to stop there?
There's a Fantasy sailing in the next couple of weeks still showing a stop at GC - Why?

This is misleading and false advertising on the part of DCL - why do they continue to do this?

As noted, itineraries for cruises are often set up at least a year in advance. There's no way of knowing today whether any given port will be accepting ships or not in a year. They're making their best guess.

Plus, if you look at the cruise contract that you agree to when you book a cruise there's a clause that basically says the cruise line can alter the itinerary to remove/add stops as necessary. You are not guaranteed to stop at any port, really.

 

[DisneYE]

As noted, itineraries for cruises are often set up at least a year in advance. There's no way of knowing today whether any given port will be accepting ships or not in a year. They're making their best guess.

Plus, if you look at the cruise contract that you agree to when you book a cruise there's a clause that basically says the cruise line can alter the itinerary to remove/add stops as necessary. You are not guaranteed to stop at any port, really.

Except , DCL HAS known in advance about Grand Cayman.
GC announced in what, June of 2021, that the entire 2021 would be shut down to cruises.. yet Disney continued to promote itineraries to GC up to November. Heck even today, they have a cruise showing a stop in GC.

I'm not complaining about contractual clauses. - and I'm aware of this particular clause you mention.
I'm just wondering why DCL can't seem to have basic common sense.

 

[DisneYE]

This is a fluid situation. Disney is going from a situation in which they are used to planning a year ahead or more all of its ships' itineraries to having to adjust within a couple of months or weeks of new port requirements and cruise ship bans. They may be trying to negotiate an alternate port stop (e.g. Costa Maya) but can't start selling that until the ink is on the paper with the port to be able to dock there. They may be trying to schedule additional CC days but need to make sure they have arrangements for supplies and excursion staff on the island, and also need to make decisions between different Disney ships that may have reschedules (e.g., maybe they would rather hold CC open for the more expensive eastern itineraries on the Fantasy which may have their Virgin Islands port stops in jeopardy). Maybe they are waiting to see how full each cruise that was going to GC gets with people rescheduling and last-minute FL resident or VGT purchasers before deciding if it is worth it to do another port stop versus a sea day depending on how many guests are on board.

Or maybe you're right and they are soulless and don't care about customers and are just stringing everyone along. I'd prefer to give them a little more credit than that, though. Disney Cruise Line has always treated me as a respected customer--they've accommodated me more than once when they didn't have to, and are continuing to offer partial refunds and discounts to people with unexpected/last-minute missed ports, as well as a flexible cruise date policy, again, even though they don't have to. I feel like they've earned a little bit of the benefit of the doubt here.

Thanks for the response.
I agree with you about things being fluid in most situations involving Covid,
However, in the case of Grand Cayman, the situation is the opposite of fluid. It's very solid.
Grand Cayman announced in June of 2021 (maybe even earlier) that they wouldn't accept a single cruise in 2021.
Why didn't DCL react to that very solid scenario, where a port is letting them know they are closed to cruises?
Why continue to promote cruises well into the end of 2021?

 

[DisneYE]

Nothing misleading or false about it in the pandemic era. They don't control it. Get mad at Grand Cayman or covid, not Disney. I suspect they still haven't gotten final word from Grand Cayman.

But DCL has known about GC being closed for the entire 2021 since June, maybe earlier.
Why continue with those itineraries if they knew they couldn't stop there at least 6 months in advance?

 

[EDH Family]

I'm expecting a sea day for our cruise in February. It is what it is!!!!

 

[MomOTwins]

Thanks for the response.
I agree with you about things being fluid in most situations involving Covid,
However, in the case of Grand Cayman, the situation is the opposite of fluid. It's very solid.
Grand Cayman announced in June of 2021 (maybe even earlier) that they wouldn't accept a single cruise in 2021.
Why didn't DCL react to that very solid scenario, where a port is letting them know they are closed to cruises?
Why continue to promote cruises well into the end of 2021?

Yes, of course the problem is known, but the solution is what is fluid—that’s what I am trying to explain. DCL could just say everything will be sea days and update to new ports later as it irons out the port arrangements, but that would just prompt customers who don’t want a sea day to cancel, and then be frustrated when DCL later adds a second CC day or another port and they have to rebuy back in at potentially higher current rates, and after losing main dining, activities booked etc.

Disney instead is choosing to work through its new plans for replacing grand cayman on each cruise on a case by case basis, and announce their plans when that information is known and fixed. I personally would prefer that to getting a temporary itinerary and not knowing if it was real or not.

 

[tvguy]

But DCL has known about GC being closed for the entire 2021 since June, maybe earlier.
Why continue with those itineraries if they knew they couldn't stop there at least 6 months in advance?

Because ports have been opening and closing on days notice. And to be honest, not a lot of options as more ports close. They don't have a crystal ball. Same reason people are still going on cruises even though they know the ports they booked may not be available, that they may be denied boarding due to a failed covid test, kids clubs closed, tastings canceled, shows canceled. It is the reality today, and for an unknown time into the future.

 

[mmouse37]

Actually, Grand Cayman was opening to a cruise ship in late December as a test. It was supposed to dock on, I think, December 28th. At some point before it was to dock that week GC cancelled it. I think DCL was hoping that would have been a successful test visit and the port would be open in 2022.

Grand Cayman To Welcome First Cruise Ship December 28 | TravelPulse Canada

December 28 cruise cancelled - Cayman Compass

MJ

 

[DisneYE]

Because ports have been opening and closing on days notice. And to be honest, not a lot of options as more ports close. They don't have a crystal ball. Same reason people are still going on cruises even though they know the ports they booked may not be available, that they may be denied boarding due to a failed covid test, kids clubs closed, tastings canceled, shows canceled. It is the reality today, and for an unknown time into the future.

But Grand Cayman was pretty definitive in their decision to close their port to cruises in 2021
They never said, 'well, we're closed but we might open later in the year'... they said "no cruises in 2021' . Period.
DCL had from June-December to change GC to other alternatives. It's not a days notice, it's 6 months, or more.
Costa Maya, Progreso, sea days. Not a lot, but 3 solid alternatives that are better than a port that decided to close for good in 2021.
Look, I'm a huge DCL fan and I'm not trying to be argumentative here. Just saying they shouldn't have been so adamant & instead they should be more versatile.

 

[tvguy]

But Grand Cayman was pretty definitive in their decision to close their port to cruises in 2021
They never said, 'well, we're closed but we might open later in the year'... they said "no cruises in 2021' . Period.
DCL had from June-December to change GC to other alternatives. It's not a days notice, it's 6 months, or more.
Costa Maya, Progreso, sea days. Not a lot, but 3 solid alternatives that are better than a port that decided to close for good in 2021.
Look, I'm a huge DCL fan and I'm not trying to be argumentative here. Just saying they shouldn't have been so adamant & instead they should be more versatile.

See @mmouse37's post (post 17). Grand Cayman was still possible until a few weeks ago.

 

[tinytilly]

I'm wondering if it's because it's easier to keep the spot and move to another port that allows multiple cruise ships to dock than it would be to try and get their spot back on the GC dock schedule. We have a cruise with it as a port in February but I'm just counting on it not happening and looking at other port options so I'm prepared just in case. I really wish they would let us know soon too though so I can figure out what I'm doing with my onboard credit before the 7 day sail mark.