DCL carry-on alcohol policy changing Sept. 30 2015

[AquaDame]

Not sure about your January plans, but I recommend 3/20/16 on Freedom. I love what you have said here and want to buy you a drink.

...A really really expensive drink, because that's what Royal did 9-12 months after creating their new drinks packages and policies, they raised the drink prices by about 40% (makes the packages "worth it!")...

Ok now I *really* wish I could change! I'll make sure to have some rum on that day in your name from home! Sadly we have nonrefundable airfare to Puerto Rico in January so it HAS to be those dates. Funny how one goes so quickly from happy they got a good deal (airfare has tripled for the flight back) to sad that they can't just cancel and be free to do whatever they want later!

They were rude when I called too. They said "just get the daily special" when I said it really messes with a persons budget when you make a change like this last minute.

I so want this to be a joke... the Disney Institute must be having a heart attack.

 

[tinkerone]

I received a call from Disney but was not at home to take it. Not sure I will have a chance to call back today, really wish they would respond via e-mail.

i'm curious. did they reply to your email as well? who did you send your email to?
i'm wondering if the calls are coming from emails sent to customer service or if they are coming from karl holtz or if they are coming from another source.

 

[godde8ss]

i'm curious. did they reply to your email as well? who did you send your email to?
i'm wondering if the calls are coming from emails sent to customer service or if they are coming from karl holtz or if they are coming from another source.

The call I received came from a representative of Karl Holz's office. I never received an email reply....they don't want it in writing would be my guess...

 

[steves100]

Be careful because that may cause more children.


Disney management replay, hold it that is correct, the policy is now canceled.

Oh God I hope not!!!

 

[steves100]

This is definitely the first glimmer of hope we have had, and I will be calling as soon as the lines open tomorrow.

No Way Disney gave in????

I'll believe it when you guys go

 

[steves100]

October 23 out of Miami

Just to let you know.

When we sailed out of Miami, the standard port guy told me I could NOT bring my case on board. I asked were you Disney and he said no, I kept walking. He stopped me, I asked for a REAL Disney employee. Then they let me bring my case on.

 

[Twinprincesses]

She tried to be nice about it by giving me the "drink of the day option" but it certainly did not come out that way.

It is the not caring atmosphere. I could call all day long and the attitude still doesn't change. They are giving those of us that we're already paid in full the big Disney middle finger.

 

[Bingbong5912]

When i called again this morning a cast member said that since we booked in april and were past the paid in full date that we would be allowed to fall under the old policy and that the port staff would have a "list" of people allowed. I found this very confusing considering guests around us that may have booked a couple weeks prior to sailing would be pretty upset and confused on why we were allowed and they were not. I then requested she speak with her supervisor or send me something in writing so i would not have issues at the port. After about a 5 min. wait she came back with her supervisor on the phone stating that this was incorrect information. I politely asked why the policy was changed so abruptly as in the past with the infant age etc. it was always for a date more in the future that didnt effect guests already booked/ paid in full. She said that one of the situations that led to this was guests putting airplane size liquor bottles on their "fish extenders" and could/may have got in the hands of younger guests. Due to this issue and a couple other is why the policy has been changed and liquor taken off the list. It was requested by on the ship operations to change it as soon as possible due to events on the ship. I asked if there were any plans for drink pacakges similar to other cruise lines- she just mentioned the beer mug and wine package- when i asked about liqour specific she said not at this time. i just wanted to give everyone an update of what i learned this morning. thanks!

 

[tinkerone]

When i called again this morning a cast member said that since we booked in april and were past the paid in full date that we would be allowed to fall under the old policy and that the port staff would have a "list" of people allowed. I found this very confusing considering guests around us that may have booked a couple weeks prior to sailing would be pretty upset and confused on why we were allowed and they were not. I then requested she speak with her supervisor or send me something in writing so i would not have issues at the port. After about a 5 min. wait she came back with her supervisor on the phone stating that this was incorrect information. I politely asked why the policy was changed so abruptly as in the past with the infant age etc. it was always for a date more in the future that didnt effect guests already booked/ paid in full. She said that one of the situations that led to this was guests putting airplane size liquor bottles on their "fish extenders" and could/may have got in the hands of younger guests. Due to this issue and a couple other is why the policy has been changed and liquor taken off the list. It was requested by on the ship operations to change it as soon as possible due to events on the ship. I asked if there were any plans for drink pacakges similar to other cruise lines- she just mentioned the beer mug and wine package- when i asked about liqour specific she said not at this time. i just wanted to give everyone an update of what i learned this morning. thanks!

i think that was a thought up excuse. you could still bring small bottles of wine (mind you only two) to place in fish extenders. same with beer. if you wanted to you could put beer in fish extenders. to me, they are looking for things to say to pacify the customer. same reason she said yes, you would be on the 'list'. it was to pacify and until you questioned it, that was the perfect answer.
they can't very well say its so we can raise profits. next best answer……its your fault.

 

[Bingbong5912]

just to clarify- a member of our travel party called yesterday and got the "grandfathered" information and then told me about it and thats when i posted on here, i then called this morning and got the rude - no this is the policy no such thing as grandfathered, we then called back together and got the cast member above that gave us the wrong information again ('grandfathered') and that is when a supervisor got involved.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

When i called again this morning a cast member said that since we booked in april and were past the paid in full date that we would be allowed to fall under the old policy and that the port staff would have a "list" of people allowed. I found this very confusing considering guests around us that may have booked a couple weeks prior to sailing would be pretty upset and confused on why we were allowed and they were not. I then requested she speak with her supervisor or send me something in writing so i would not have issues at the port. After about a 5 min. wait she came back with her supervisor on the phone stating that this was incorrect information. I politely asked why the policy was changed so abruptly as in the past with the infant age etc. it was always for a date more in the future that didnt effect guests already booked/ paid in full. She said that one of the situations that led to this was guests putting airplane size liquor bottles on their "fish extenders" and could/may have got in the hands of younger guests. Due to this issue and a couple other is why the policy has been changed and liquor taken off the list. It was requested by on the ship operations to change it as soon as possible due to events on the ship. I asked if there were any plans for drink pacakges similar to other cruise lines- she just mentioned the beer mug and wine package- when i asked about liqour specific she said not at this time. i just wanted to give everyone an update of what i learned this morning. thanks!

Oh great. Let's have no alcohol because of ill behaved children. How about dealing with thieves? What will they do when teenagers still manage to get their hands on alcohol? Have dry ships? When the teens have...uh....relations..segregatethe kids clubs? <--that one happens more than little thieves jacking FE fodder, I promise you

 

[sweetpee_1993]

On one of our cruises we observed a couple boys, about 11-12 yrs old, climbing & bounding the outside of rails on some stairs on deck parkour style. What's the plan to thwart that? Lock everyone in padded rooms?

 

[littleblackegg]

I have called today to request specific items in my stateroom for a sail date in October. I asked about the new policy and how it was changed after the paid in full date and the cast member stated that we would be grandfathered in and allowed do bring on items according to the old policy. Has anyone else heard this?

No. I would call back and speak to a port side cast member, specifically a supervisor. Maybe they are not advertising the grandfathering in, but are planning to honor it. I would think even that would cause fracas at the port with some being allowed to bring alcohol on and some not. Since even the Disney brass are stating they are making a clean break, I am intrigued.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Sorry but I don't believe what BingBong is saying. They are the only one reporting that they have been told about a "grandfather clause" (2 different times) when the messaging to everyone else, including the person who spoke with a representative of Karl Holtz's office has been clear that there are no exceptions. And Disney mentioning "fish extenders", I find equally hard to believe.

BingBong joined yesterday and all 12 of their posts have been saying basically the same thing.

I call Shenanigans.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I don't actually buy the fish extender excuse. A CM may have cited it but ultimately it comes down to $$.

 

[tinkerone]

Sorry but I don't believe what BingBong is saying. They are the only one reporting that they have been told about a "grandfather clause" (2 different times) when the messaging to everyone else, including the person who spoke with a representative of Karl Holtz's office has been clear that there are no exceptions. And Disney mentioning "fish extenders", I find equally hard to believe.

BingBong joined yesterday and all 12 of their posts have been saying basically the same thing.

I call Shenanigans.

oh, now i see what your saying. post 1053 said they called while post 1090, which was to 'clarify' says that a friend called. yeah, they are not getting their story straight. same response on the other alcohol thread as well. interesting…..

 

[Twinprincesses]

It does come down to money. My issue again is cruising just a few days after the cut off and I have yet to receive anything from Disney. And when I bring that up to them they feel making the change on their website is enough notice. Well that and sending it to me in my packect I have yet to receive. Let's not forget our cruise has also already done online check in before the change was made.

Sorry it is just not right. This was an absolute advertised perk of the cruise and a $ saver. The autograph thing was not so yes do away w that.

 

[Bingbong5912]

I completely get it looks strange I just joined yesterday - I've been following these boards for a long time and just wanted to add in this experience and couldn't remember my login from a year ago when I used to follow them. I come and go when I have a cruise booked I start following the boards more to get up to date.

The supervisor was Catherine - only Catherine in guest services that's a supervisor. But all that aside - has anyone who is cruising after sept 30 received an actual communication from dcl via email or post mail in regards to this policy?

 

[littleblackegg]

Oh great. Let's have no alcohol because of ill behaved children. How about dealing with thieves? What will they do when teenagers still manage to get their hands on alcohol? Have dry ships? When the teens have...uh....relations..segregatethe kids clubs? <--that one happens more than little thieves jacking FE fodder, I promise you

Hmmmm. This is very interesting. Disney's long-held policy for deferring guest frustration when they ask for specifics about why rules and policies are the way they are is to smile and pass it up the chain. Never attempt to explain, as any tiny detail you get wrong could become a huge point of agitation (as in-the girl at the concierge desk at Grand Floridian told us the show changed last week, NOW you're saying it changed 6 days ago). Angry people become further angered by the tiniest inconsistency in details. Smiles, empathy, reassurance, getting another manager, this is what they do. Never will they say stuff like, "We had a lady get really drunk and fall down the stairs and sue us, so that's why we close the bar at ten." If it's a critical change having to do with severe injuries, a very high up official may make a statement, but the individual behavior of guests will not be called into question. The idea that a cast manager, even a higher-level cast manager, would share with a guest information about minors getting drunk on the ship necessitating a fleet-wide policy change is huge. And totally litigious. You can get fired from Disney for chewing gum. Sharing this level of billion-dollar policy change with a guest is just insane. In most corporations, the first few levels of employees aren't even in the loop to protect such sensitive data.

 

[littleblackegg]

Sorry but I don't believe what BingBong is saying. They are the only one reporting that they have been told about a "grandfather clause" (2 different times) when the messaging to everyone else, including the person who spoke with a representative of Karl Holtz's office has been clear that there are no exceptions. And Disney mentioning "fish extenders", I find equally hard to believe.

BingBong joined yesterday and all 12 of their posts have been saying basically the same thing.

I call Shenanigans.

A Disney employee has specific knowledge of a highly dangerous and litigious situation involving kids AND is allowed to share that with guests? Nope.