DCL and their dragged out cancellations...

[Birdie dog]

I'm currently booked on the (it's not happening folks) 2020 EBTA cruise to Barcelona. DCL is offering me 100% of my money to move to another cruise. As I said in another post, I'm holding out. I firmly believe DCL is currently playing chicken with their guests. If we cancel/move, our money has to be put on another cruise. If we wait, we'll (probably) get a credit of 125% or cash back. DCL would obviously prefer that we do the cancellation and not them.

There are currently so many cruises on the table that simply aren't going to sail...

This reminds me of a cruise I had booked a few years back. We were actually a group sailing to a wedding on CC. We were all staying CL and we were SO looking forward to the cruise. Then, a few days before we were to sail, a hurricane popped up. Soon, the large hurricane was heading directly to Port Canaveral. And within a day, every port in Florida from Miami to Jacksonville was closed It took DCL *forever* to cancel that cruise. It obviously wasn't going, the ports were closed, the ship was sitting outside of the danger zone at sea. My friends son (who was the groom in the wedding) was getting ZERO communication from DCL.

Finally, the day before the cruise it was cancelled. And due to the late nature of the cancellation, we were unable to get to the wedding (that took place at the very last minute at BCV instead).

WHY would DCL drag that out so long? It's a pattern and it's unappreciated. Luckily, as a healthcare worker, I'm not only working, I'm working OT and don't need the cash that's tied up in my cruise currently. I'm sure there are people out there who aren't so lucky. I understand that Disney as a company is facing a financial mess that they have never had to face in the past. But, I think that playing fair with their guests would go a long way in brand loyalty that the aggravation and wait that is currently the situation is not.

I'm sorry to everyone who is dealing with this right now. I know we all were SO excited about our cruises. (Especially you Hawaii peeps).

 

[spacecanada]

If it is any consolation, no other cruise line has made announcements for this time period either. It’s all in a wait-and-see scenario. Many of them have even removed anything until June from their websites.

We were supposed to be on the Hawaii sailing and a week at Aulani for a big wedding anniversary, and respite from an extremely stressful year (before all of this craziness, making it even more stressful) so we are totally bummed. But, health comes first.

We should hear something soon, since many Disney properties are closed to the end of the month and sailings until early April. Give it a week. It may not be an update through June, but possibly until 30 April. This won’t move in big steps.

 

[lorimay]

I'm on this cruise as well, we have cancelled everything but the cruise and airline, I am just waiting it out for them to pull the plug.
I understand how they are probably overwhelmed with calls and I feel they are working on the April cancellations before moving on to May.
The ship isn't heading to Europe, not way, no how at this point.

I can't believe you have been through this already, what crappy luck!

Take care of yourself, you are essential to all of us who may need you and all healthcare workers desperately !

 

[PirateFrank]

I mentioned this in another thread. The issue is that the longer that cruise companies wait to act, the worse it gets for us.

Im on the 12 day mediterranean cruise sailing on 7/1. People on my cruise are having trouble getting deposits back from tour operators and hotels. Airlines (including the one Im flying) are days/weeks away from bankruptcy. A great deal of travel insurance companies won't process claims without a canceled cruise ... so the longer DCL waits to cancel this cruise, the more difficult it will be for us to recover what we as cruisers laid out for the cruise, because we will have to go through travel insurance instead of hoping to recover from the airline, hotel or tour operator.

It's severely frustrating...

 

[daisydog2]

We are on the 7 day Barcelona to Rome.. Like you, we are waiting.. I know we will use the Disney credit if they will not give us cash back. I'm worried about the airfare. Good thing I bought travel insurance, but who knows what that will cover. Last I check Norwegian Air was offering people credits to use, but before November. This was a once in a lifetime trip,I can't afford to lose $6K, but I also don't see us flying overseas any time soon. trying to remain positive and compassionate during this time-but it helps to know I'm not alone

 

[MomOTwins]

I guess that makes me the voice of dissent, because I'm glad DCL is waiting to see what happens before announcing cancellations. My state has a stay-at-home order through April 22. I totally get the logic of that--two weeks for incubation for people who have been exposed, and another two weeks after that to remain in isolation--four weeks makes complete sense. But to try to project out 3-4 months at this point? How can we do that when, due to extremely limited testing, we don't even know where the US is on the curve? The models are meaningless if we don't have the data know how many people have actually contracted the virus already, and how many are contracting it daily.

 

[lorimay]

We are on the 7 day Barcelona to Rome.. Like you, we are waiting.. I know we will use the Disney credit if they will not give us cash back. I'm worried about the airfare. Good thing I bought travel insurance, but who knows what that will cover. Last I check Norwegian Air was offering people credits to use, but before November. This was a once in a lifetime trip,I can't afford to lose $6K, but I also don't see us flying overseas any time soon. trying to remain positive and compassionate during this time-but it helps to know I'm not alone

I hope your insurance covers your airfare, ours is not!

 

[PirateFrank]

I guess that makes me the voice of dissent, because I'm glad DCL is waiting to see what happens before announcing cancellations. My state has a stay-at-home order through April 22. I totally get the logic of that--two weeks for incubation for people who have been exposed, and another two weeks after that to remain in isolation--four weeks makes complete sense. But to try to project out 3-4 months at this point? How can we do that when, due to extremely limited testing, we don't even know where the US is on the curve? The models are meaningless if we don't have the data know how many people have actually contracted the virus already, and how many are contracting it daily.

Totally reasonable comment. But Its not the virus itself...its the financial ruin that these mediterranean cities will be in come the summer. Italian tour companies are folding (including, I bet, the ones DCL uses), Airlines are on the brink and hotels are struggling.

The last thing DCL wants to do is give back millions and millions of cruise fares, but they're going to have to at some point...because, like others have said. These med cruises aren't going to happen. Too much financial/macro-economy damage.

 

[harriet2]

Totally reasonable comment. But Its not the virus itself...its the financial ruin that these mediterranean cities will be in come the summer. Italian tour companies are folding (including, I bet, the ones DCL uses), Airlines are on the brink and hotels are struggling.

The last thing DCL wants to do is give back millions and millions of cruise fares, but they're going to have to at some point...because, like others have said. These med cruises aren't going to happen. Too much financial/macro-economy damage.

Remember it's in Europe, not the US, we have social security. The EU has eased the rules for governments to help companies (in my country even small, one person companies) and I believe (but I'm not 100% sure) there is even European aid going to Italy. The lock down doesn't have the same devastating effect here as it does for you. I'm sure the Italian tour companies are very, very happy to give tours as soon as it's allowed.

 

[FigmentSpark]

My question is the limit of the 15 months. Will that change as time goes on? We've rebooked for next year, but what about people who rebooked for the summer? Will they get their credits moved again and will they lose the ones they had in favor of any new offers?

Also, there's no guarantee that DCL will give more than 100% to anyone on a future sailing, given that they've already allowed PIF to move and you knew that this might be an issue. They might just say that since your PIF was after it was clear ships weren't sailing that you shouldn't have paid and will only give you 100% credit or full refund.... or no refund, just credit. Just because earlier sailings were given 'bonuses' for the short notice, does not mean that will continue. As one CM said to me, DCL isn't a casino.

 

[PirateFrank]

Remember it's in Europe, not the US, we have social security. The EU has eased the rules for governments to help companies (in my country even small, one person companies) and I believe (but I'm not 100% sure) there is even European aid going to Italy. The lock down doesn't have the same devastating effect here as it does for you. I'm sure the Italian tour companies are very, very happy to give tours as soon as it's allowed.

I think thats an overly optimistic viewpoint. You might be dismissing the impact that this issue is going to have on central banks both here in the US and in Europe. Aid may come, but the money doesn't appear out of thin air. It's going to have a serious impact on the value of the Euro. Also, nothing is going to snap back that fast. Italian tours might be happy to give tours as soon as it's allowed - that is, assuming they're still in business. They're not going to be able to stay in business if half the airlines that would have brought US tourists to Europe go bankrupt.

When all of this returns to normal is likely somewhere in the middle. Maybe those who are thinking nothing goes back to normal until the fall are being way too overly pessimistic. But to think every tourist is going to flood back into the med as soon as some government official says "OK, we're open again" is not thinking this all the way through.

 

[PirateFrank]

one more thing to add, which I feel is the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about, is the stigma associated with cruise ships and hot spot ports. There are countries with cruise ports all over the world that are refusing to accept any more ships, for the fear that just one person will walk off the ship with this virus. When do these draconian measures get lifted? When do ports start returning to business as usual? What happens to passengers who happen to live in countries that will refuse them re-entry, because they just happened to cruise to a port that is considered a 'hot spot'?

I submit that the cruising business cant return to normal until all of these issues subside. A cruise company cant port at all in Italy, if half of its cruisers risk a 3 week quarantine just to get back into their home country. It just doesn't work that way. So financial issues, logistical issues, regulation issues...these all have to get sorted before cruising returns to normal...which will not happen until the virus is no longer an issue. These issues, unfortunately, are linear with respect to each other .

 

[ramwitz]

I’m on a May Alaska cruise. Canada has closed the ports through June at the earliest. Canada/US borders are shut down indefinitely. DCL is acting as though nothing has happened and keeps claiming they have made no changes to the itinerary. What?! They know, I know, everyone knows this cruise is not happening! I do not appreciate them holding my money hostage at a time like this. It’s not even that I am expecting them to refund me by tomorrow...I know they are overwhelmed. But I do expect them to keep us truthfully informed and to stop keeping us in limbo and playing chicken with us. All they need to do is send out an email saying the Alaska/Hawaii cruises out of Vancouver will be canceled and these are the options. Call us after a certain date (like May 1st) and we will be able to attend to you and either reschedule your cruise or process your refund. They are handling this terribly and I will remember it forever when I make future travel plans. They have definitely lost future business from me.

 

[tidefan]

Remember it's in Europe, not the US, we have social security. The EU has eased the rules for governments to help companies (in my country even small, one person companies) and I believe (but I'm not 100% sure) there is even European aid going to Italy. The lock down doesn't have the same devastating effect here as it does for you. I'm sure the Italian tour companies are very, very happy to give tours as soon as it's allowed.

Here is a misunderstanding, I believe. You say you have social security, but where does that come from? The government doesn't just make up money on its own (though it's been tried a few times...). They have to collect that in taxes that everyone pays. If the government isn't collecting taxes, then there will be no money to re-distribute. This is what Greece ran into with austerity a few years back...

Also, I can't see regardless of economies, how infrastructure could be set back up in time from an operational standpoint to be ready to go for when the Med cruises are scheduled.

 

[Ladybugx87]

I mentioned this in another thread. The issue is that the longer that cruise companies wait to act, the worse it gets for us.

Im on the 12 day mediterranean cruise sailing on 7/1. People on my cruise are having trouble getting deposits back from tour operators and hotels. Airlines (including the one Im flying) are days/weeks away from bankruptcy. A great deal of travel insurance companies won't process claims without a canceled cruise ... so the longer DCL waits to cancel this cruise, the more difficult it will be for us to recover what we as cruisers laid out for the cruise, because we will have to go through travel insurance instead of hoping to recover from the airline, hotel or tour operator.

It's severely frustrating...

I am a few posts behind but I pulled the plug on everything I have booked that isn't via DCL (hotels, private excursions, etc) except flights- so far, everyone has agreed to refund my deposits - the first one is coming through already. Others told me they would be processed in mid-April.

They all did offer me a 110% value on my deposit for future use but I am taking refunds at this point - not sure when our chance to use them will be.

 

[PirateFrank]

Here is a misunderstanding, I believe. You say you have social security, but where does that come from? The government doesn't just make up money on its own (though it's been tried a few times...). They have to collect that in taxes that everyone pays. If the government isn't collecting taxes, then there will be no money to re-distribute. This is what Greece ran into with austerity a few years back...

Well, the other side of that coin is a central bank crush. Governments will be trying to print money during this fiasco - it's what they do. But it's going to have a disastrous impact without a functioning economy to balance off of. I fear this crisis is going to spell the end of the US Fed. It will need to get restructured after this, because it will be effectively insolvent...and if that happens, and a corresponding central bank crush doesn't happen in Europe (where the central banks are even more at risk), you can call me Larry.

 

[tvguy]

I got flamed in another thread for saying this, but the world is trying to get through the next few weeks, not sure how any reasonable person can expect DCL to make decisions today when they have no idea what the situation will be happening 4 months from now.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

I can expect that when Hawaii has said that they want everyone to do a 14 day quarantine through May 30th that the cruises that land there in the beginning of May should probably be canceled already. Canada's borders are closed so we can't even get to port to leave. And there's no way we can get to the destination now so it's a little insane they haven't sent out an email.

 

[Lola Granola]

I’m on a May Alaska cruise. Canada has closed the ports through June at the earliest. Canada/US borders are shut down indefinitely. DCL is acting as though nothing has happened and keeps claiming they have made no changes to the itinerary. What?! They know, I know, everyone knows this cruise is not happening! I do not appreciate them holding my money hostage at a time like this. It’s not even that I am expecting them to refund me by tomorrow...I know they are overwhelmed. But I do expect them to keep us truthfully informed and to stop keeping us in limbo and playing chicken with us. All they need to do is send out an email saying the Alaska/Hawaii cruises out of Vancouver will be canceled and these are the options. Call us after a certain date (like May 1st) and we will be able to attend to you and either reschedule your cruise or process your refund. They are handling this terribly and I will remember it forever when I make future travel plans. They have definitely lost future business from me.

I agree 100%. They are allowing guests to cancel cruises through July on the Magic with just a “we don’t know what’s going to happen this summer” but they aren’t letting anyone on the Wonder even move their cruises if they’re booked in June. It’s compete garbage.

 

[jlbf06]

I agree 100%. They are allowing guests to cancel cruises through July on the Magic with just a “we don’t know what’s going to happen this summer” but they aren’t letting anyone on the Wonder even move their cruises if they’re booked in June. It’s compete garbage.

Did I miss something? I’m booked on the May EBTA but cannot cancel as far as I know? I’d love to though!