DCL carry-on alcohol policy changing Sept. 30 2015

[MUN]

I do think eventually Disney is just going to a no carry on alcohol of any kind and probably no water either. I hope if they get to that point they drop their prices but judging at the way people were salivating to book the 2017 cruises that is not going to happen.

If they ban all alcohol and water, how much do you think they should drop their prices by?

 

[MUN]

Well, this should not be shocking news to anyone still following this. I stop working crazy hours in 8 days, and I will be returning the phone call I received. I thought it mean/unproductive to call back at 9pm at night.

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/envelope-please-the-best-cruise-lines-of-2015-093014391.html

Anyone else feel like telling DCL that they cannot continue on this path to non-customer service?

I think you are painting DCL with a pretty broad brush based on the feedback of 1 or 2 people concerning the new liquor policy. I have always found DCL customer service to be excellent. I think the main award DCL looks at is their bottom line, not a cruise critic trophy.

MUN

 

[Twinprincesses]

If they ban all alcohol and water, how much do you think they should drop their prices by?

I think if you price Disney out compared to other lines the price difference is huge. Part of the "perk" was being able to bring certain items onboard. I do not have a $$$ figure that I can say they need to adjust their price by but they offer nothing in return. No daily drink package, they have their wine package and refillable beer mug that lets be honest is not much of a value.

The food is not really that great unless you go to Palo or Remy. And the customer service is not fantastic anymore either. It is luck of the draw.

We have loved cruising Disney but when you call and get the attitude that they do not care bc they know there is someone else to take your place it does sting a bit. I get that they are a HUGE corporation so it is all about the $$$. But my money can quickly go to another line just as fast as it does to Disney.

 

[jahber]

That's what I was wondering. But, an explanation or maybe even a mention that it's on the claim ticket would be nice at the time you are issued it.

It's a good question--I don't know what was on the claim ticket and I really really hope it WAS listed there. It probably was, because other people report being able to find their alcohol with no problem.

But I'm thinking that if I stuck the ticket in my carry on, not knowing there was anything on the back, I wouldn't fish it out again until I was at the actual pick up place. I certainly wouldn't pull it out on the chance that there might be information contradictory to what the CMs were telling me. You have so many things to juggle that last day.

 

[gumbypee]

Absolutely positively not relevant.

Next time you get food poisoning on DCL don't complain, you should have read the cruise contract.

of course it is relevant if she was told where to get it and ignored it!

as for the rest of your comment, I don't get the relevancy....food poisoning? huh?

 

[jahber]

of course it is relevant if she was told where to get it and ignored it!

as for the rest of your comment, I don't get the relevancy....food poisoning? huh?

Actually, I do think it's relevant. Because if it was printed on the back, then the cast members deliberately gave out the wrong information (or the people who told the CMs what to tell guests did) OR the three CMs she spoke to just decided to make up an answer instead of find the real answer.

Let's say she was actually told where to pick up the rum and then forgot...what would she reasonably be expected to do? Ask a CM. It's kind of hard to absolve DCL of all blame in this case. She did what she was supposed to do when she didn't know the answer to her question.

 

[gumbypee]

Actually, I do think it's relevant. Because if it was printed on the back, then the cast members deliberately gave out the wrong information (or the people who told the CMs what to tell guests did) OR the three CMs she spoke to just decided to make up an answer instead of find the real answer.

Let's say she was actually told where to pick up the rum and then forgot...what would she reasonably be expected to do? Ask a CM. It's kind of hard to absolve DCL of all blame in this case. She did what she was supposed to do when she didn't know the answer to her question.

I agree with you- the CMs should know as well as if it is printed.

 

[turtle27]

If they ban all alcohol and water, how much do you think they should drop their prices by?

They don't have to drop the prices of the cruise. If others are willing to pay, I say, let the market dictate. But when they spew lines like industry standard, then I think the price should drop to that of industry standard... If that is the argument DCL is going with.

I think you are painting DCL with a pretty broad brush based on the feedback of 1 or 2 people concerning the new liquor policy. I have always found DCL customer service to be excellent. I think the main award DCL looks at is their bottom line, not a cruise critic trophy.

MUN

That is not why I think this was a DCL fail. I am only mad because DCL made this change after my PIF dates, essentially raising the price of my cruise. I have also experienced great customer service at both WDW and DCL and horrible customer service, most times, it was just people doing the job they were paid to do. Like all the rest of us do all the time. For all other cruises, I can make a comparison in what I deem the value of DCL to be over other lines. In this case, DCL, in my opinion (doesn't have to be yours) failed miserably at customer service and the responses have been even more eye opening. DCL keeps taking away perks and keeps raising prices. I think this is a fail, good customer service should include good value, but it obviously does not to DCL. Also, it takes much more effort on the part of any company to establish good will/loyalty. Guess what DCL did by not even offering a small on-board credit to make up for the new policy? DCL lost my good will and loyalty, most especially because of the responses which basically to me felt like I got the middle finger from DCL. I bet I am not the only one. I know it makes a hill of beans difference to DCL. That is poor customer service when a company no longer cares about previously loyal customers. Again, this is all my opinion. DCL may walk on water in your eyes, glad that DCL can make you (and thousands of others) happy, DCL failed with this customer.

 

[bumbershoot]

Wow...so DCL didn't even win the award for best for families this year. That is pretty telling. The only thing DCL won was best inside rooms?

Yep. From the CC editors, at least.

Isn't there a ship now that has virtual verandahs (floor to ceiling)? I thought I read that somewhere. If that is the case, I can't imagine them even being able to hold on to that inside rooms award.

Royal did that. While I wouldn't want to be inside a giant TV (that's how the virtual wall would feel like for me), I found the virtual porthole to be pretty silly. There was almost never anyone there at the times we were watching (I think Peach showed up, maybe?)

I believe this comment related to bringing the items onboard during a port stop.

But isn't that what all of those were about? One comment was about retrieving the alcohol purchased at a port stop, the other two were about bringing items on at port stops. At least that's what I thought.

 

[honeybeesmom]

Hello, after many wonderful Disney cruises. I am very disappointed by this. I have an intolerance to wine and my husband does not like beer, So where does this leave us ? I love to have a few cocktails in our room as we get ready for dinner. It is a bummer. We aren't big drinkers but like to enjoy a few on vacation. To me and my family Disneys prices are climbing far to high for our budget as we are only now able to sail at peak time with our daughter for school.

 

[Twinprincesses]

Ok we just got off the Fantasy today and had no issue at all bringing on the stated amount of beer or wine. They did pull my bottles out and look at them and my husband walked right through.

Buying in port was no issue either. We bout 2 6 packs they verified there were 2 adults present and then we had to check our 2 rum bottles

In disembarent day it was extremely easy to pick up the alcohol in fact we didn't even need our claim tickets. The claim table was right by where you walk off the ship so I personally think it is hard to miss.

There were still a ton of ppl drinking onboard so I do not think the alcohol policy hurt Disney at all.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok we just got off the Fantasy today and had no issue at all bringing on the stated amount of beer or wine. They did pull my bottles out and look at them and my husband walked right through.

Buying in port was no issue either. We bout 2 6 packs they verified there were 2 adults present and then we had to check our 2 rum bottles

In disembarent day it was extremely easy to pick up the alcohol in fact we didn't even need our claim tickets. The claim table was right by where you walk off the ship so I personally think it is hard to miss.

There were still a ton of ppl drinking onboard so I do not think the alcohol policy hurt Disney at all.

What's your take on whether you could have gone back off the ship, once you boarded with your 2 six packs, and come back with 2 more? Is there some sort of room list that they check off that your room has already reached it's maximum for that stop?

 

[NerosFamily]

PrincessShmoo, That is an excellent question!

 

[lillygator]

GREAT question!

 

[Lake_Mary]

What's your take on whether you could have gone back off the ship, once you boarded with your 2 six packs, and come back with 2 more? Is there some sort of room list that they check off that your room has already reached it's maximum for that stop?

We got off the Fantast today as well and bought beer in the port- 2 12 packs for 4 adults, within the guideline. No one was keeping track or marking anything off staterooms when we went through.

As an afterthought, friends of ours on this sailing packed beer in their carryon in port canaveral--it was confiscated but easily retrieved right next to where you debark.

We initially carried on two wine bottles--they weren't even glanced at.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

friends of ours on this sailing packed beer in their carryon in port canaveral

Was what they were carrying over the limit?

 

[lillygator]

GREAT question!

 

[Lake_Mary]

Was what they were carrying over the limit?

Yes, I forgot to include that the confiscated beer was over the new policy limit-- just to be clear, on our 10/10 Fantasy sailing we can report no tracking of purchased alcohol at the Ports of Call (that we could detect at all) and also easy retrieval of alcohol by our friends that was over the limit at initial boarding.

 

[Twinprincesses]

What's your take on whether you could have gone back off the ship, once you boarded with your 2 six packs, and come back with 2 more? Is there some sort of room list that they check off that your room has already reached it's maximum for that stop?

I think you could do it no problem. They just made sure that we had enough adults to the beer we were bringing back on. They didn't mark it or anything that I saw.

 

[Twinprincesses]

I think as long as you are casual about it you are good. I would probably use the other gangway. We brought the 2 6 packs and they did make sure both me and my husband were present.