What would Disney do?

[TChrist05]

Hello guys....a question for you....and first of all...let me say I am not trying to get something for nothing....but...what would happen if you got to the port on 11/30 and they decided not to sail? What would they do....like I said a little while ago...living in NY and flying in on Saturday I just cannot turn around and go home.....would you get set up in a room in Disney World....would you get the option to reschedule? Would you get the room comped to you? (No flames please) What do you guys think...and let me add that I do not think they will cancel....but give me your opinions please.....
Thanks!
Tom( and we better sail since I will be celebrating my 50th birthday on the Magic next Monday...12/2)

 

[imgoingtodisney]

Tom - Ive been wondering this for over a week now, hoping it wouldnt come to this. We have the added problem of being DVC members and the office being closed Thurs & Sat. Yes, I was told yesterday by DVC that noone will be in the office Sat.

Im seeing we would just need to either sleep on the couches at Wilderness Lodge or under a Main St, MK light pole.

The thought of flying to FL Fri morn and landing w/out a roof over our heads for 8nights scares the crap out of me!!

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Isn't this a scenario where trip cancellation/interruption insurance would come in handy rather than expecting DCL to assume all of the responsibility for conditions they can neither predict nor control?

 

[my3kids]

Oh My Goodness...This is Disney. They wouldn't get you to the port then leave you stranded. I'm sure a cancellation happened they would bend over backwards to get you home comfortably. But don't worry. I can't imagine them waiting until the ship was already back in port to make the determination. Go and enjoy.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by imgoingtodisney
Tom - Ive been wondering this for over a week now, hoping it wouldnt come to this. We have the added problem of being DVC members and the office being closed Thurs & Sat. Yes, I was told yesterday by DVC that noone will be in the office Sat.

Im seeing we would just need to either sleep on the couches at Wilderness Lodge or under a Main St, MK light pole.

The thought of flying to FL Fri morn and landing w/out a roof over our heads for 8nights scares the crap out of me!!

Your issue will be with DCL. This is not a DVC vacation. You paid $75 per person as you would if you were using Concierge Collection. Your points are like money. DVC could not help you even if they wanted to. DCL would have to make arrangements.

 

[vickyBaby]

Originally posted by Eeyore2U
Your issue will be with DCL. This is not a DVC vacation. You paid $75 per person as you would if you were using Concierge Collection. Your points are like money. DVC could not help you even if they wanted to. DCL would have to make arrangements.

So Mitch, you seem to know alot about this. I'm just curious. Since you give over your points to DCL, DVC no longer is involved? Would DCL be the entity to help secure a room on-site at WDW if the Magic cancelled?

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by vickylan
So Mitch, you seem to know alot about this. I'm just curious. Since you give over your points to DCL, DVC no longer is involved? Would DCL be the entity to help secure a room on-site at WDW if the Magic cancelled?

It would seem that way to me. DVC purchased the vacation from DCL.

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

Buckaroo's Dad - I agree with you. This is why we purchase trip insurance. I guess you would be covered, and Disney wouldn't have to owe anyone anything. Maybe alot more people will purchase this insurance from now on.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

DCL told me yesterday that I need to deal with DVC

 

[mom2tiggers]

Buck, I disagree with you. Disney doesn't purchase trip insurance if WE have to cancel - they still make us pay because WE are cancelling. They should have to do the same. IF they are leaving thousands of people without a vacation, then they should be the one accountable. Trip insurance is to protect us, not Disney (or another vacation company). If Disney cancels - even though it isn't their fault that this illness is aboard the ship - then they should have to pay. It's the risk of being a million/billion $ business.

Trip insurance companies would quickly go under if vacation companies abused the system (although unlikely) & realized the profitability over cancelling trips without any accountability.

 

[KMovies]

Look at this ... at least Disney has the parks to fall back on. The other cruise lines would just find you a hotel. Disney could find you a hotel at their properties and you would have the parks to entertain you!

 

[Wishing on a star]

ImGoing,

Seems to me that your cruise on DCL is now bought and paid for!!! The DVC transaction is history, and DCL is now fully reponsible for whatever happens on the 11/30 sailing!

For them to offer you the option of cancelling, or to outright cancel the cruise on you now, and then to have somebody tell you "Sorry this is a DVC problem'. That would be completely irresponsible and JUST PLAIN WRONG.

Now I see why I have heard a couple DVC'ers say that, when it comes to DCL, they feel like they get no respect.

I would call DCL's hotline again, and ask to speak with somebody who will be able to give you some satisfaction.

 

[Señor Ferrari]

I just got an email from my friend who works in DCL reservations, and he tells me that there are currently no plans to cancel. Further, if they were going to cancel the 11/30 cruise, they would probably give you more notice than telling you when you arrived at the port. When HAL cancelled it's ms Amsterdam sailing, they gave almost a week's worth of notice. I think everyone got a full refund, plus 50% off on a future cruise. Something like that. I do not know how they dealt with people who purchased their own air. I guess this is one argument for purchasing air through the cruise line.

Anyway, CNN's current "body count" is 85 people sick. Significantly down from last week. I would imagine they'll delay the turnaround again and scrub the ship on Saturday, that should further improve your chances on the 11/30 trip.

On a semi-related note, I would be willing to bet that at least several hundred people got sick on my cruise last December (myself included). Only it was just a really nasty flu bug and didn't have an exotic name like "The Norwalk Virus", so it got no press coverage. The flu I got sounded worse than this, as I was sick from Tuesday in St. Maarten until the following Tuesday. I even had to take two sick days to recover when I got back (and I never take sick days, at least not for being sick). Of course, swimming in the ocean and closing down the clubs every night aren't the best way to get over the flu!

 

[FOJMO]

As far as I can see, unless DCL cancels the cruise, it's entirely the passenger's decision to go or not to go. YOU are either taking the chance of getting sick or not. They are responsible for making it as safe as possible for you not to, but it's YOUR choice. They are not forbidding you to board the ship.

This is where trip insurance comes in. If you have it, you can cancel and get reimbursed. If you don't have it, that's not DCL's problem. They do NOT have to put you up at a hotel, because they did not cancel the cruise. Whether you came to the port by plane, train, or automobile, is not their concern. That's why it's a separate cost. Your cost of transportation to the port as well as any before or after hotel costs is NOT part of the cruise.

As for the DVC/DCL dispute -- when you "exchanged" your points for DCL reservations, it became a DCL transaction. So, it was explained to you when you did this that if you cancelled, there would be certain rules for those unused (but exchanged) points. That's where you would need to talk to DVC about your options. They are still considered "exchanged" points, even if you elect not to go. Even if DCL were to cancel the cruise, the points are STILL "exchanged" points and dealt with accordingly.

I feel very badly for anyone scheduled for the cruise right now. We were on the Magic Eastern this week last year. Good luck to all and happy sailing!

 

[mausmu]

"Im seeing we would just need to either sleep on the couches at Wilderness Lodge or under a Main St, MK light pole."

Sounds better than spending a day at home in this cold weather.