October 25 Dream

[Cruise-Uh-holic]

Unfortunately Tropical Storm Sandy has decided to head toward the Bahamas just as we are heading there aboard the Disney Dream. Does anyone know what Disney will substitute Nassau and Castaway Cay with, as I can't imagine they will continue course with the current itinerary. :(

 

It's a 3 day cruise, and both the Dream and TS Sandy are scheduled to be in Nassau on Friday October 26.

[OSELMER]

This is my first cruise experience and wanted to try the 3-day experience. I prefer to fly. If Bahamas is going to be impacted, with such a big storm, I will hate to think we will spend 3 days on rough seas, experiencing rain, when I could be home.

[GrandCanyon2005]

Cruiselines offering 100% refund for rescheduling is characteristic, but not of Disney. We are Disney enthusiasts ... love Disney ... that said, Disney will always opt on the money side of things before good customer service. Why? Because they can ... just one of the things you have to put up with Disney. We would "never" cruise Carnival (don't like the atmosphere), but they are heads/heals above Disney on good customer service (so I hear) ... same for RCCL, Princess, and Celebrity (as I've experienced). Disney just doesn't opt to do that because they don't have to, and will always have customers coming back. "But" all that said, I would never sail during hurricane season. Hope things work out for you.

[Modern_Viking]

Cruiselines offering 100% refund for rescheduling is characteristic

 

Could you give some examples of this, and not just recent ones? I would have guessed the opposite, that all cruise lines try very hard not to cancel cruises and don't offer a full refund to passengers who chose not to sail due to rough seas.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I read that RCI Monarch of the seas was in Port Canaveral on Friday and decided to stay in port and not leave and so they gave cruisers the option on embarkation of going home, if they didn't have any food or entertainment on board and turned back straight away they were offered 100% refund.

 

RCL didn't have to do this, its good PR.

 

Now RCI was in port on Friday, Disney ships were not so didn't have that option.

[iTinKso]

I read that RCI Monarch of the seas was in Port Canaveral on Friday and decided to stay in port and not leave and so they gave cruisers the option on embarkation of going home, if they didn't have any food or entertainment on board and turned back straight away they were offered 100% refund.

 

RCL didn't have to do this, its good PR.

 

Now RCI was in port on Friday, Disney ships were not so didn't have that option.

 

RCI extended the 100% refund to Saturday @ 8:00 p.m. RCI cruisers were reporting they had a total of 4 to 5 meals onboard before they disembarked with a full refund. Now that is even better customer service and great PR.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

RCI extended the 100% refund to Saturday @ 8:00 p.m. RCI cruisers were reporting they had a total of 4 to 5 meals onboard before they disembarked with a full refund. Now that is even better customer service and great PR.

 

Thats far better than first reported. :)

[2CuteKiddies]

We were surprised to see that this one sailed. We were on the 10/21 sailing of the Dream. On Wenesday night it got a little choppy (nothing a little Dramamine didn't cure), but didn't realize until after we were off the ship that we were in the outer sections of Sandy that night. Since there was no way for this sailing to avoid the hurricane, we were surprised to read that it left port for three days of rough seas, no ports, and closed outside decks. RCI got it right on this one.

[Wicketsmom]

We were on the 10/25 sailing of the Dream and it was horrible. Instead of hanging out near the Keys where it was calmer, we sailed right into the storm.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

What occurred over the weekend was a terrible experience and also a terrible experiences up in New York and the surrounding areas right now, are thoughts must go out to everyone affected by this storm.

 

We have the 'legal' side.

• Its in the cruise contract.
  
• They sign up online to variation of ports of call.
  
• Its hurrciane season.
  

 

 

We have the Weather

• An unusual late storm which gathered pace quickly and took some people by surprise.
  
• Global warming- more to come?
  
• This after a rather inactive storm season.
  

We have the people onboards view point

• They spent a lot of money on a product and were disappointed.
  
• Safety has been questioned.
  

 

We have other cruise lines view point.

• RCL and Carnival took different decisions to DCL.
  
• We can sub guess Carnival being ultra safe at the moment, but shouldn't DCL be ultra safe?
  
• Offers of up to 100% off, and staying in port, or staying out an extra day
  

.

 

We had evidence

• Photos of damage and videos.
  
• One side very impressive but dare I say people do take videos to get compensation and one I have seen my question is why were they out on an open deck at Cove pool sitting at midnight in rough seas and taking a video, when staff are saving people??
  

 

DCL side:-

• Well they have been too quite bar a limited 25% offer.
   
  
• We now have facebook groups set, up, legally they are not in a strong position but it will affect Disney image and PR.
  

 

 

Disney, albeit hating public negative announcements should make some kind of announcement on what their decision process was on the Fantasy on Friday what they thought would happen what surprised them, rouge waves?

 

 

The public do not like a void, tackle a problem head on with answers and most people will stop in their tracks, leave it longer, it will get worse, people will not stop on this one and I can see people cancelling cruises, people are nervous on cruising this year, DCL kept their high safety record as a shield to defend themselves against Costa, what we have here is public perception, not any legal basis, but the public confidence.

 

My thoughts and empathy to all those affected it wasn't nice it was terrifying, legally though you did sign up for it.

 

I feel sorry for the little kids having a first Disney cruise affected and likely never to cruise or cruise Disney again associating it with a nasty experience.