Coronavirus and DCL Megathread - Suspension of Departures for the fleet until early November. Booking only available from early December.

[Madame]

The way we've seen the price increase every year it's still going to be more even at opening day pricing.

Yeah. I didn’t say that. I don’t really feel the need to prove I’m right though.

 

[flstatenolefan]

Have you written to Disney yet and expressed this or only venting on an unofficial message board? There seem to be a lot of people that would like the booking window extended, I hope they are all writing and letting Disney know the various reasons why a 12 month extension to take a cruise isnt enough for them. And I hope Disney listens.

I do get that a 24 month extension would help the costs be lower than booking 12 months out but its my understanding that the Military rate is far below even opening day pricing so I fear even with that extension that you might be relying on special rates. Hopefully that would give you many more weeks/ chances though. I really hope it works out for you. Try not to be too stressed out that a special rate wont be offered, I really do believe the odds are in your favor. Or, since you are so close to the cruise date, maybe it will get canceled before you request FCC then you will just have your money so you can do what works best for your family.

Yes. I submitted it via their website and also wrote emails.

Edited to add: I don't consider this venting. I'm merely expressing a situation that I fear many military rate cruisers may face. Some may take the credit without considering if the rates will be available in the future.

 

[wombat_5606]

I doubt they'll be getting any bailouts.

You have a crystal ball?

 

[smmco]

You have a crystal ball?

No, I don't that's why I'm not cancelling my cruise and trying to stay positive. The negativity on this thread is overwhelming.

 

[xuxa777]

I doubt they'll be getting any bailouts.

The President just announced they will be providing the cruise industry some help, they will get some type of bailout.

 

[ramwitz]

DCL could give two years, but the cruises in two years are still going to be more expensive than this year.

But it gives some of us more time to budget and save to cover the difference. It also gives more choices for those of us that that have kids in school or work commitments and not a lot of flexibility.

In my case, I saved for years for specifically an Alaska cruise. Had this one planned a year out. I don’t want to take that hard saved money and throw it towards a different destination that I have no interest in or that I have already been to just because I was unlucky to have booked an Alaska cruise at the beginning of their season and they won’t be lenient with their 12-month rebooking period. The least they could let me do is apply the money I saved towards another Alaska cruise next year, even if I have to pay the higher cost. At least I’ll have another year to pay towards the increase in cost.

 

[wombat_5606]

No, I don't that's why I'm not cancelling my cruise and trying to stay positive. The negativity on this thread is overwhelming.

Perhaps it's time for you to find something else to do than read this thread. I think EVERYONE is entitled to state their case, positive and negative.

 

[smmco]

Perhaps it's time for you to find something else to do than read this thread. I think EVERYONE is entitled to state their case, positive and negative.

I agree with you there. I hope it works out for you. Whatever you decide to do.

 

[BlueHippo]

I'm sure there are dates that are less then what you paid. It's your choice to move the cruise and it was your choice not to buy insurance.

I did buy insurance, it's not covered unless one of us tests positive for the virus (even if we were sick at this point there are no tests available so an impossible hurdle to meet). Not a lot of dates for us. Our spring break next year is outside of the 12 month window. The cruise over Christmas break would cost us an additional $8000. We could opt to go on a shorter 3 or 4 day cruise, but would leave $ on the table. Honestly, not many good options at this point if you have kids in school.

 

[wombat_5606]

I agree with you there. I hope it works out for you. Whatever you decide to do.

I don't even have a cruise booked on Disney. I have one that is PIF on another cruise line.

I just would hope that you could be a little more compassionate with your replies to posts on this thread. Everyone is not in your situation, financially, age, health or calendar-wise.

 

[Coffee66]

The government shouldn't be telling corporations how to run their business. We're not a communist country. We're a capitalist society. If a business doesn't do right by its customers they will pay the price in the long run. That's how things work.

The cruise industry has never acted in the best interest of its customers and especially now.

 

[caskar]

On Sunday, I changed our cruise from this Friday that has no stop in Nassau to next year same time. It actually sails one day early and includes a stop at Nassau(which I don't want). Cost - $86 more.

This morning, I counted the number of staterooms available for my canceled cruise. 256 open cabins.
(26 inside, 42 ocean view, 105 verandas, 83 family verandas). All rebooking must be done by the end of tomorrow. I'm curious if that number will go up or down.

 

[MomOTwins]

I guess I just don't understand why everyone thinks Disney is being unfair? We all signed the same contracts, and I knew full when I booked my cruise that we were rolling the dice that we would lose our vacation and our money if we had to cancel for a non-insurable reason. I've had vacations disrupted by a last minute work emergency--should Disney give my money back even though it is out of their control, just like this virus is?

Don't forget that cancel for any reason insurance that you pay for through Disney only gives you 75% of your cruise fare as rebooking credit, with one year to rebook, so the new policy is actually much more generous than insurance that people on these boards glady pay hundreds of dollars for.

 

[gabs04]

We were planning to book a 4-night bahamian cruise this coming May and hope situation will improve in the next few months and if not,with the temporary cancellation/rebooking policy of DCL we plan to just rebook it on November if things get worst, but good thing i dig and researched more and read about this thread, and by the looks of it, its so hard to get thru DCL. So we will just wait it out and see and book last minute. still so positive we can take this cruise in May. Fingers crossed.

 

[AmishGuy91]

I guess I just don't understand why everyone thinks Disney is being unfair? We all signed the same contracts, and I knew full when I booked my cruise that we were rolling the dice that we would lose our vacation and our money if we had to cancel for a non-insurable reason. I've had vacations disrupted by a last minute work emergency--should Disney give my money back even though it is out of their control, just like this virus is?

Don't forget that cancel for any reason insurance that you pay for through Disney only gives you 75% of your cruise fare as rebooking credit, with one year to rebook, so the new policy is actually much more generous than insurance that people on these boards glady pay hundreds of dollars for.

And if Disney gave 15 months to rebook, people would complain it's not 18, and so on. Can't make all the people happy all the time.

 

[wl1117]

Have you written to Disney yet and expressed this or only venting on an unofficial message board? There seem to be a lot of people that would like the booking window extended, I hope they are all writing and letting Disney know the various reasons why a 12 month extension to take a cruise isnt enough for them. And I hope Disney listens.

I know this wasn't directed at me, but yes I have written. I hope everyone does.

 

[oceanbec]

I don't know why this doctor couldn't write a note unless it is because it isn't your daughter's regular doctor (?). There's also the issue of "shouldn't" go on vacation vs. "dangerous" to go on vacation.

We had to use our insurance once before (Allianz). It wanted very detailed paperwork from my husband's doctor. It asked about prior medical conditions, how long he had been my husband's doctor, if he was the primary doctor, etc. My husband had an urgent care visit and lots of tests. I seem to recall that none of that would have helped with the paperwork. It was specific paperwork that needed to be filled out by the primary doctor.

Read your policy. My husband is in the high risk group, but our insurance wouldn't cover his underlying heart issue because I bought the insurance later than 14 days after booking the cruise. Preexisting is only covered on my policy if I bought the policy in the first 14 days of when I purchased the insurance. It wasn't a concern way back then, because he just needs to take medication and it isn't a life threatening illness. It's only an issue now because he's over 60 and the CDC is recommending that anyone over 60 or with heart issues to not cruise.

I've read the policy and I purchased it within 2 days of booking the cruise, so pre-existing is included. What I can't find is the specifics about what they need from a Dr's note. I find it wild that some of the things covered for cancellation are if you file for divorce, or need to attend the birth of a family member's baby, among other things that I never would have expected to be covered. I would think that when a Dr straight up tells my daughter and I not to go because we would be more easily infected that would be worth something. Instead, it just puts me in a tougher spot until I can obtain the magical not that they require.

 

[ramwitz]

I guess I just don't understand why everyone thinks Disney is being unfair? We all signed the same contracts, and I knew full when I booked my cruise that we were rolling the dice that we would lose our vacation and our money if we had to cancel for a non-insurable reason. I've had vacations disrupted by a last minute work emergency--should Disney give my money back even though it is out of their control, just like this virus is?

Don't forget that cancel for any reason insurance that you pay for through Disney only gives you 75% of your cruise fare as rebooking credit, with one year to rebook, so the new policy is actually much more generous than insurance that people on these boards glady pay hundreds of dollars for.

I guess it never crossed my mind as I was signing those contracts after paying an exorbitant amount of money for a dream vacation that I could potentially be held prisoner in a tiny state room with no control over anything including when or what I eat and then follow that up with a quarantine at an army base with no way to get back to my life all because one person on a ship packed with thousands gets sick. My bad! This has definitely turned me off cruising for good!

 

[tidefan]

DCL could give two years, but the cruises in two years are still going to be more expensive than this year.

My personal thought, and this is just my thought (no factual basis), is that DCL doesn't want to push out to 2022 due to the Wish sailings that will start early that year. Those will be high $$ sailings for DCL and my guess is that they want to protect that.

Of course, if that was the case, then they could just exclude that ship...

 

[ramwitz]

I've read the policy and I purchased it within 2 days of booking the cruise, so pre-existing is included. What I can't find is the specifics about what they need from a Dr's note. I find it wild that some of the things covered for cancellation are if you file for divorce, or need to attend the birth of a family member's baby, among other things that I never would have expected to be covered. I would think that when a Dr straight up tells my daughter and I not to go because we would be more easily infected that would be worth something. Instead, it just puts me in a tougher spot until I can obtain the magical not that they require.

Did you check the exclusions on your policy to see if epidemic is listed? If it is not one of the exclusions, maybe go see your daughter’s primary care physician that has her history of medical records and see if they can help you. They might have some experience in what is needed if they had to do it in the past for someone else.