What is the craziest DCL policy you've encountered?

[Ralph&Pam]

I can’t believe people actually stay up to midnight to do this. Maybe DCL is just thinking the same thing.

Well, if you want to do tastings or Palo brunch, you may need to be right on the dot at midnight of the Platinum day when sailing on Platinum-heavy cruises. For the recent Vancouver to Honolulu cruise, all tastings were sold out by the time I completed selecting our excursions. I had booked Palo brunch first thing, then a wine tasting, finally a series of excursions. When I went back to try for a beer tasting, nothing was available because at that point all the tasting slots had been grabbed.

 

[AquaDame]

This may be an even larger problem on the new class of ships... on our sailing even platinums were snatching at scraps; concierge took it all.

 

[o&smom]

This may be an even larger problem on the new class of ships... on our sailing even platinums were snatching at scraps; concierge took it all.

I read even some people in concierge did not get what they hoped for.

 

[holula]

This may be an even larger problem on the new class of ships... on our sailing even platinums were snatching at scraps; concierge took it all.

That’s a double whammy of more concierge plus short itineraries.

 

[Jhondy]

This may be an even larger problem on the new class of ships... on our sailing even platinums were snatching at scraps; concierge took it all.

I agree. We sail in October on the wish and are only silver. As much as I want to do Olaf’s picnic with my daughter, I’ve set my expectations on it is very unlikely that I am able to book it and to expect not to be able to do it.

 

[mousefan73]

Yup. And people complained about having to pay for soda, so they made an included item. And if enough people complain about the lack of paper Navigators on the comment cards, they'll be back. Disney Cruise Line tends to be pretty responsive to customer complaints.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/legal-drinking-age-onboard-policy

For Royal it's 21 only on all NA departures. Rest of world (except their island) is 18.

 

[bbel]

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/legal-drinking-age-onboard-policy

For Royal it's 21 only on all NA departures. Rest of world (except their island) is 18.

I’m pretty sure all the major cruise lines have a drinking age of 18 when sailings don’t touch US or UAE waters.
The exception being carnival - I think they have an age of 21 wherever they sail (at least it used to be unless it’s changed)

 

[CaseyCruiser]

The crazy DCL policy for me us Cabanas closing lunch at 2:15. I'm either eating my lunch there when they are pulling the curtains on the food stations or I just miss it and eat at Daisy's Delights. Not really much of a problem lol.

 

[n2mm]

Not sure if it’s policy, but can’t understand why your information is not saved in your dcl profile. Passport, photos, credit card. All other Disney and non-Disney sites have no problem keeping that info. Rental car companies manage to hold on to your DL info. But every single cruise you’re now being required to enter all that same info over again. It would be so much more efficient if you could just update your profile when necessary. The 30 day checkin drives me crazy. Or just bring our platinum perk back.

 

[plutolovr]

The crazy DCL policy for me us Cabanas closing lunch at 2:15. I'm either eating my lunch there when they are pulling the curtains on the food stations or I just miss it and eat at Daisy's Delights. Not really much of a problem lol.

You do realize that all of those crewmembers have to clean up and pack up and get everything back to the ship. They need sufficient time to do all of this so the ship departs on time.

 

[CaseyCruiser]

You do realize that all of those crewmembers have to clean up and pack up and get everything back to the ship. They need sufficient time to do all of this so the ship departs on time.

Thank you plutolovr. I'm used to a later lunch but I would never want to disrespect the awesome crewmembers.

 

[LiZaArd]

You do realize that all of those crewmembers have to clean up and pack up and get everything back to the ship. They need sufficient time to do all of this so the ship departs on time.

Isn't Cabanas on the ship so what are crewmembers packing up and getting back to the ship?

 

[CM Dad]

However, if you're on a 14 night cruise remembering the sequence can be difficult. More so, if you do B2B(2B) cruises. After about day 4, you can't really recall what day it is.

That's one of the things I liked about our one Royal Caribbean cruise we did. Each day they changed a tile in all of the elevators to have the day of the week.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That's one of the things I liked about our one Royal Caribbean cruise we did. Each day they changed a tile in all of the elevators to have the day of the week.

Holland America does that, also. They change the floor mat in the elevators every day.

 

[CamColt]

Not sure if it’s policy, but can’t understand why your information is not saved in your dcl profile. Passport, photos, credit card. All other Disney and non-Disney sites have no problem keeping that info. Rental car companies manage to hold on to your DL info. But every single cruise you’re now being required to enter all that same info over again. It would be so much more efficient if you could just update your profile when necessary. The 30 day checkin drives me crazy. Or just bring our platinum perk back.

Agreed! Losing a perk we have had since 2012 is painful. I wouldn't even say necessarily to give Platinum automatic boarding group 1, but at least let them check in sooner than gold/silver/newbies, like they do for booking activities. Its something!

 

[cwis]

Non-consensual: Disney keeping up their Castaway Club program, when we all know it's broken (as time goes there's a skew towards P), especially given they have taken perks away (early PAT) and with the new ships every stars shine towards paid status (read: concierge) anyway.

 

[meremac]

You do realize that all of those crewmembers have to clean up and pack up and get everything back to the ship. They need sufficient time to do all of this so the ship departs on time.

But Cabanas is...ON the ship.

 

[brentm77]

Non-consensual: Disney keeping up their Castaway Club program, when we all know it's broken (as time goes there's a skew towards P), especially given they have taken perks away (early PAT) and with the new ships every stars shine towards paid status (read: concierge) anyway.

Honestly, as a lowly silver, I have zero desire to push for status with DCL. I will hit the next level naturally in the next year or so, but it isn't a motivating factor in the slightest for booking with DCL. Which means we aren't held back from trying other lines, which we plan to do over the next few years too. Who knows, with the kids headed off to college, we may find ourselves using other lines much more. A well-designed loyalty program make you feel a little pain when using other carriers, because you miss the perks. None of that exists with DCL. They must know they don't need it to fill ships, but why bother with the program then? When the benefits get too invaluable, it almost becomes a negative for customers instead of a positive. Also, markets change and creating loyalty will become much more important as the things that distinguish DCL continue to decline.

 

[cwis]

Honestly, as a lowly silver, I have zero desire to push for status with DCL. I will hit the next level naturally in the next year or so, but it isn't a motivating factor in the slightest for booking with DCL. Which means we aren't held back from trying other lines, which we plan to do over the next few years too. Who knows, with the kids headed off to college, we may find ourselves using other lines much more. A well-designed loyalty program make you feel a little pain when using other carriers, because you miss the perks. None of that exists with DCL. They must know they don't need it to fill ships, but why bother with the program then? When the benefits get too invaluable, it almost becomes a negative for customers instead of a positive. Also, markets change and creating loyalty will become much more important as the things that distinguish DCL continue to decline.

This. I am Silver too.

A few weeks earlier I sent an email to MSC asking for a status match (they match hotel loyalty programs) and boom, granted to the Diamond tier (the highest one). Now I want to sail MSC just to keep the priviledge, because their list of perks is large and doesn't even fit in one screen with small print.

As you say from a customer perspective not “being held back with DCL” is almost an advantage.

 

[Kwami]

This. I am Silver too.

A few weeks earlier I sent an email to MSC asking for a status match (they match hotel loyalty programs) and boom, granted to the Diamond tier (the highest one). Now I want to sail MSC just to keep the priviledge, because their list of perks is large and doesn't even fit in one screen with small print.

As you say from a customer perspective not “being held back with DCL” is almost an advantage.

MSC matched you to Diamond from DCL silver?? Or did you match from a hotel?

And what's the point of loyalty programs if you can just match from one to another?