Jan 15 2005 Magic

[ablmc]

Hello Everyone,

 

I just returned from the Disney Magic Jan 15, 2005 Western Carribean 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 Disney's control, and, I hold no ill will towards Disney. 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 (besides just the hurrican cruises which I consider to be specail 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 with 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.

[TravelingDi]

Yes, my family was on that sailing. There were 19 of us and I can tell you that no one was really happy with the trip. I do realize that Disney was not to blame for the weather and I do have to commend them for very quickly rearranging the day to accommodate the additional time at sea.

 

However, the trip was planned for 15 months and collectively as a group we spent nearly $50,000. After all the time that we anticipated the trip and all the money that was spent the result was a general disappointment. While there were good times and I am satisfied with many aspects of the trip, I think that this will keep the majority of our group from ever doing that trip again.

 

I agree that some type of compensation would be nice, but I also know that the agreement that we sign before we board already covers the issue - in the cruise lines favor. However, I do believe that there is a way to get some type of reparation and in most cases it is the squeaky wheel that gets the oil. I guess it just depends on how much DCL wants to keep it's customers happy.

 

I was not one of the "screamers", and actually couldn't believe the way that some of the "adults" acted. I actually stood in the atrium for a while just to listen to some of these people make a scene. I mean we were all in the same boat (quite literally) and the CM's who were taking the abuse could certainly not have been at fault.

 

I have been on many cruises (10) and have cruised at this exact time of the year before. I have never missed a port and have never seen the cold weather that we saw on this trip. So, I know that this was unusual. Those in our party who have never cruised before and who were uneasy from the start and had the "I don't want feel like I am confined to a boat all week" idea will probably never cruise again....unless a big credit toward a future cruise miraculously appears!

 

I too would like to hear from others who have had this or a similar experience.

[kpgclark]

I don't think Disney should compensate anyone because of weather which is BEYOND THEIR CONTROL! I've sailed many times and missed ports due to weather (including Grand Cayman!). While I would be incredibly disappointed to miss Castaway Cay I wouldn't expect Disney to compensate me because of the weather.

[CJMUSTANG]

My family was on the same cruise (01/15/05-01/22/05). We had a blast. The crew treated us like we were part of their family. We too, were very disappointed when we missed the two ports. Disney cannot control the weather. I was in the Atrium listening to hostile adults complaining about the trip. I thought to myself, if only their children were here to listen to their parents act the way they did. My thinking, is that I would love to see Disney offer a park hopper pass for everyone to the parks. This would not cost Disney that much in revenue, in fact I think Disney would make out better. If given a park hooper pass, Disney knows that people are bound to spend money in their parks, plus it adds to their credibility as caring for its people.

[TravelingDi]

My thinking, is that I would love to see Disney offer a park hopper pass for everyone to the parks. This would not cost Disney that much in revenue, in fact I think Disney would make out better. If given a park hooper pass, Disney knows that people are bound to spend money in their parks, plus it adds to their credibility as caring for its people.

 

Not a bad idea CJMustang! There is no doubt that DCL can not control the weather and owes us nothing, but a little bit of goodwill would certainly go a long way.

[CJMUSTANG]

Well, we received our response from Disney. In a nutshell, they said that there is nothing they can do to compensate us. The terms and conditions were outlined when we booked the cruise.

 

Disappointing!!!!!!!!!:(

[SunFunCruiser]

It truely was weather related and beyond Disney's control. Why would you want compensation? I have been on other vacations where weather related issues have occured. Can't imagine asking for compensation. I would be truely disappointed though.

I booked the same week next year and have the ability to change it to other winter weeks. For those of you that have sailed in January before, is this typical?

We sailed January 9th this year and had perfect weather. Should we change the week next January?

[TheWog]

SunFun -

 

I cruised beginning Jan 10 last year and Jan 22 this year. We had perfect weather both weeks. I think it is hit or miss. We made all our ports, including GC this year. It was windy and the Capt. was out in a tender assessing whether we would be able to go or not, but ended up letting people go. I think you can't predict weather so just go with a great attitude and you will have a great time.

[belleelc77]

I have not been on a Disney cruise yet, but we are currently planning one for Dec. 2006. We did, however, get a refund from Disney 2 years ago for our MVMCP admission because of rain. On our way out the park, they handed us a card with a phone number to call and told us to keep our wristbands. I was very surprised by this, as I believe they are not responsible for the weather, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

[chrisnsteph]

What a huge and terrible disappointment for you guys. Unfortunately, when you book for a month like January, you have a good chance of experiencing bad weather. That's why it's usually less expensive to cruise during that period. Disney can't control the weather, obviously, and after having the ship and it's crew provide food and services for seven days, it would seem a little wrong to expect generous compensation. I understand that not experiencing everything you expected is a huge let down, but if Disney compensated one person, they would have to compensate everyone. It's ridiculous that so many people pitched a fit and carried on the way they did. We just returned from the Western Caribbean (1/29-2/5/05) and though we made our ports of call, the weather at Cozumel was less than pleasant and Captain Tom was barely able to dock the ship at Castaway Cay. The weather was awful and we ended up getting back on the ship an hour after we got off. The sea was very rough on our way home and made for a really rough ride back. But we had a great time otherwise. Next time we are going to be sure to book in February or March instead.