Dining question, AGAIN...

[blk1964]

Sorry, Im really starting to get whingey about this. I booked our 2/7/10 cruise on the Wonder on December 8th. I did not get a chance to choose which dinner seating, I just got second seating. My husband is diabetic, eating that late isnt going to work. Thanks to the good advice here and on the Disney site, I faxed down his med information, signed by his doc. And I called. Ive called twice now and twice they tell me 1) Im waitlisted, they cant guarantee it, and to ask once I board the ship and 2) Even if I cant get the first seating there are other dining options such as the buffet or room service. Well, my problem is that the rotational dining is part of the experience, we shouldnt have to miss that because of a medical problem Disney could easily accomodate. Also, I KNOW for a fact that everyone stampedes on board to change to the early dinner seating, and I dont want to be way back in line, get there, and they say "oh if we had known before now, we could help you, but we are booked" I really want this taken care of if it all possible before we go. But my dilemma is how *itchy should I get if at all on the phone. Im told if I really press the CSR on the phone, I can get it, but Ive BEEN a CSR for an airline, I hated *itchy callers. What is my best strategy to get this done? Keep calling? Ask for a supervisor? They have the medical information they asked for, its a legit request, how can I just get it done? If my husband does have to eat that late his whole med regimen will be off, he will have to test more often, its going to impact the trip and I would think Disney CL could just do it for me, save everyone the hassle of dealing with it on departure day.:confused:

[blk1964]

Sorry, Im really starting to get whingey about this. I booked our 2/7/10 cruise on the Wonder on December 8th. I did not get a chance to choose which dinner seating, I just got second seating. My husband is diabetic, eating that late isnt going to work. Thanks to the good advice here and on the Disney site, I faxed down his med information, signed by his doc. And I called. Ive called twice now and twice they tell me 1) Im waitlisted, they cant guarantee it, and to ask once I board the ship and 2) Even if I cant get the first seating there are other dining options such as the buffet or room service. Well, my problem is that the rotational dining is part of the experience, we shouldnt have to miss that because of a medical problem Disney could easily accomodate. Also, I KNOW for a fact that everyone stampedes on board to change to the early dinner seating, and I dont want to be way back in line, get there, and they say "oh if we had known before now, we could help you, but we are booked" I really want this taken care of if it all possible before we go. But my dilemma is how *itchy should I get if at all on the phone. Im told if I really press the CSR on the phone, I can get it, but Ive BEEN a CSR for an airline, I hated *itchy callers. What is my best strategy to get this done? Keep calling? Ask for a supervisor? They have the medical information they asked for, its a legit request, how can I just get it done? If my husband does have to eat that late his whole med regimen will be off, he will have to test more often, its going to impact the trip and I would think Disney CL could just do it for me, save everyone the hassle of dealing with it on departure day.:confused:

[truck1]

The way I see it you have 2 options.

Keep in mind that the shore csr are limited in what they can do.The only problem I can see with haunting a csr rep now, is that they may not be working on your cruise yet.They will be in the next few weeks.

Option 1.

Leave your dining reservation as is.Theres a few places onboard that you can get a snack before your show, such as hamburgers, chicken tenders fries etc.That should hold him over till the main meal.

 

Option 2.

 

Get to the terminal as early as possible. The term opens at 10 am and check in starts at 1030. Youll get a fairly low boarding number that way.Ask where they do the dining switches.Go straight there,once onboard. Youll probably one of the first in line.They can do a lot more on the ship as far as switching and moving things around then they can onshore.This is assuming that you dont get moved to begin with.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

My husband is a diabetic and we have to eat early too. I have been though this a few times.

Everytime we just waited until we got our Key cards to make sure if we were still late. If so we went to the club at the assigned time and said he was diabetic and needs to eat early and we always got switched.

 

Take a copy of the medical form if you have it as proof or if he has a medical ID tag he wears, have it handy so they know your telling the truth. They can look it up but it takes more time.

 

We were changed on the spot accept once when we got a call later that night saying we had early. We did miss the first night that cruise but used we just ate pizza around the pool and got a snack later from room service.

I couldnt feel badly , after all look at my signature at all the times we have cruised Disney and only one time our switch was delayed.

 

I honestly dont think you will have a problem getting changed on board. You wont get anywhere with the CSR. They dont make the decisions, they just put you on the wait list and thats all they can do.

 

Kathy

[Highpockets]

Wow. I mean, really!

 

That's a serious concern. I just got home from my very first cruise. It never occurred to me that issues like that could come up.

 

Soooo....that's apparently one of the consequences of choosing a cruise line with traditional seating at meals. Hmmmmm. Then....that's one more reason why I LOVED my NCL experience! NCL has free-style dining. Eat whatever, whenever.

 

Okay. I'm a newywed and taking care of my new hubby is pretty important to me. And I'm with you - I'm also a person who likes to take the necessary steps NOW so that things run as smoothly as possible LATER.

 

My suggestion is that you escalate your issue. Sure you hate "itchy" (hahaha, that's a new term for me) callers, but from your experience you know the itchy wheel gets the oil (I know its "squeaky" but I'm cracking a joke here).

 

Try using your BEST CSR voice (from experience) and your buttery manipulation tactics. Try to connect with a supervisor who will go that extra Disney mile for you. Use your position as a "first time Disney cruiser" or a repeat cruiser, whichever, and work it, girl. For your deserving hubby. Diabetes is no walk in the park. He deserves your best effort utilizing every tactic those itchy customers of your succeeded in using with you over the years ;). Good luck and God bless.

[blk1964]

Thank you all, for the ideas. I do agree, the one cruise Ive been on with NCL, the whole eat whenever you like thing, is nice. But, since they dont have that, whatta ya gonna do. I think I might wait a week or so, give them another call and see whats what. Just for me, personally, I want to be ON vacation once I hit that terminal. Not still chasing stuff down, yk? And I will use the key words Ive come to know as a CSR and the things I KNOW Disney cares about such as accomodating special needs. I have to say, friends of mine have a child with severe food allergies and they just came back from DisneyWorld. They had excellent service and their issues were dealt with very well. Another family I know has a child with autism and some other issues, and has always had great interaction with Disney in their hotels, the parks, etc. So I know the company itself is on it with regard to these things, its just that my dh right now is managed with a minimum of drugs, trying to avoid having to go to insulin. Hes right on the border of that, and trying VERY hard not to have to go that route. Hes good with the exercise, the diet, hes in shape etc, but hes really trying NOT to have to be on any more meds than necessary, while still not having to feel like "the sick guy" If being a witch about his diet etc is what I takes, I can do that. Nicely of course!

[ducklite]

If you can't get switched, you can go to the buffet and he can eat a snack there to get him through until dinner. That's what an insulin dependent diabetic friend of mine has done on all of the Disney cruises she's taken (I think she's up to 10 or so at this point) as her travel partners have a strong preference for late seating.

[disneylover89]

My son also has diabetes (type 1) and we have never had a problem getting switched to first seating.

 

Don't let this worry you.;)

[blk1964]

Ah yes, just like all you nice folks said it would be, I called, started in on my little speech and the CSR said "well I dont mean to interrupt, but you have been switched to main dining, so you're good" YIPPEEE. One less thing to think about.