Disappointed Platinum Member

[NCConch]

Who knows? There could be a HUGE sale at Ron Jons that day backing up traffic and no one gets on early.

 

[over50visits]

It's nice that Disney may extend Platinum benefits to people who aren't Platinum, but I see absolutely no need for them to do it.

If you are platinum, you can board early. If not you can't. At least that seems like the way it should be. People will start asking for more (I'm family so I should get to board early too!), and give justifications that seem reasonable and of course include their particular circumstance. The hard earned privilege gets diluted, we end up with guests who honestly believe they were wronged, and perhaps someday Disney will just have to stop it.

If you personally are not Platinum, and Disney lets you have a perk anyway (for example free Palo just because you share a cabin with a Platinum member), appreciate it. But don't wish they would give you even more benefits you haven't earned.

 

[clten]

I agree with the OP that the Platinum benefits are so small, they should honor the ones that they have.

They are honoring their Platinum perk. The perk is that Platinum Castaways get to board the ship early -- right after Concierge. The OP is saying that this perk should extend to everyone traveling with a Platinum Castaway.

OP, you indicated you are a newly minted Platinum member. If this perk is getting you so frustrated that you would modify your cruise plans, plan to very frustrated in the future. There are very few perks and they keep getting less and less as the pool of platinum castaways grows bigger and bigger. (Which is why I laugh every time I see a post about someone wanting to add a quick cruise just to bump up their status to gold or platinum -- doesn't get you much!)

I know you are looking at your situation and saying it's only a couple of people and most of them are immediate family members so it doesn't make sense. But Disney has to look at the big picture. They drew the line in the sand at Platinum Castaways and allow it to extend to the people sharing the cabin. Could it have been the people in the cabin and any linked reservations? Yes, it could have been but DCL didn't choose to offer their perk like that.

There are some cruises where the % of platinum cruisers is so high that if the people they were linked with got the same boarding group, everyone would be in the first boarding groups. I believe it was the first Hawaii cruise that we checked in and got boarding group 3. I know up to boarding group 6 was all platinums (was probably even more). I look for this to start happening on more cruises not just the "firsts".

 

[Julylady]

I had to read the OPs first post twice because I couldn't believe what I was reading. There is no way, no how I would trade two cabins in order to be able to board with the platinum group. At most, we are talking about boarding 15 minutes earlier compared to an entire cruise of being on top of each other? Am I missing something? I have boarded as a Concierge guest, as a platinum guest, and a Castaway Club guest and a regular old guest. Once boarding begins, it all goes very quickly. When I arrive upstairs, I scan the lines. Often the first time guest lines are shorter than the Castaway Club lines.

When you arrive early, you spend time just standing around waiting for boarding to start. If you are concierge, you get to wait in a special spot. As platinum you are at the front of the line. But its chaotic and noisy no matter who you are!! The kids are excited and exploding with energy with no where to go! I find it difficult to keep them controlled. If you arrive about 11:30 or just as guests are beginning to board, you basically complete your paperwork and walk right on the ship. TIP - most people eat first so instead of eating get your meet and greet tickets, make Palo reservations, check on dining options FIRST and then eat afterwards. We find it works better to split up to accomplish these tasks. One adult and one kid. You get everything done in half the time and since cell phones are still working its easy to meet back up.

 

[over50visits]

I guess that's one way to look at it. Rules are rules, even if a nuclear family must be split up to follow them.

The family does not have to be split up. Period. Just board together when everyone is allowed, instead of feeling wronged that some didn't get early boarding that they were not due.

Sheesh.

 

[jane01jp]

I had to read the OPs first post twice because I couldn't believe what I was reading. There is no way, no how I would trade two cabins in order to be able to board with the platinum group. At most, we are talking about boarding 15 minutes earlier compared to an entire cruise of being on top of each other? Am I missing something? I have boarded as a Concierge guest, as a platinum guest, and a Castaway Club guest and a regular old guest. Once boarding begins, it all goes very quickly. When I arrive upstairs, I scan the lines. Often the first time guest lines are shorter than the Castaway Club lines.

When you arrive early, you spend time just standing around waiting for boarding to start. If you are concierge, you get to wait in a special spot. As platinum you are at the front of the line. But its chaotic and noisy no matter who you are!! The kids are excited and exploding with energy with no where to go! I find it difficult to keep them controlled. If you arrive about 11:30 or just as guests are beginning to board, you basically complete your paperwork and walk right on the ship. TIP - most people eat first so instead of eating get your meet and greet tickets, make Palo reservations, check on dining options FIRST and then eat afterwards. We find it works better to split up to accomplish these tasks. One adult and one kid. You get everything done in half the time and since cell phones are still working its easy to meet back up.

I know it's not that big a deal, and I am highly unlikely to change my cabin configuration over it. However, the point was that the only way to fix it would be to deprive DCL of the money I spent on the extra cabin (though they would likely be able to sell it to someone else), and my family of the extra space.

As for the routine of boarding the ship, and what it is like, and so on, please remember that I have already been on ten cruises, so I know what it is like.

 

[Justacruiser]

I know it's not that big a deal, and I am highly unlikely to change my cabin configuration over it. However, the point was that the only way to fix it would be to deprive DCL of the money I spent on the extra cabin (though they would likely be able to sell it to someone else), and my family of the extra space.

As for the routine of boarding the ship, and what it is like, and so on, please remember that I have already been on ten cruises, so I know what it is like.

So, a question for you jane01jp. You being Platinum, do you want DCL to change the policy so that everyone traveling with a Platinum guest gets in with the Platinum guest with boarding number 1? Suppose there are 4 or 5 groups (very common) of 16 or more guests sailing with a Platinum couple. Do you want ALL of them going with you (boarding #1) or even ahead of you depending on where you are in line? That's where the issue lies, like others have said, for 3 others besides you, not a big deal. But for 100 Platinum with 3 guests each wanting to do the same thing......

DCL truly doesn't care when we all get on board. They just had to create a system that would help them boarding process and stop everyone from getting to the terminal at 0800 to be first in line. It really was crazy prior to the process as you know.

Have a great cruise.

 

[jane01jp]

No, I don't want them to allow everyone traveling with one platinum member on at the same time.

But, they could accommodate immediate family members in adjoining cabins.

I realize they have to have a policy. One of the interesting things I have noted, is that many of the responders seem to think that Disney's policies are sacrosanct.

If that were the case, there would be no need for surveys, customer relations, etc.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I don't know guys. I'm platinum and have been for a long time. Half the time I check in the regular line. No biggie to me. It goes fast. I, also, don't get worked up over "perks". Entitlement just isn't worth the worries and stress. Maybe that's just me.

 

[darkwing818]

I don't know guys. I'm platinum and have been for a long time. Half the time I check in the regular line. No biggie to me. It goes fast. I, also, don't get worked up over "perks". Entitlement just isn't worth the worries and stress. Maybe that's just me.

Totally agree.

"Entitlement" seems to be Key word here...

 

[kiford]

No, I don't want them to allow everyone traveling with one platinum member on at the same time.

But, they could accommodate immediate family members in adjoining cabins.

I realize they have to have a policy. One of the interesting things I have noted, is that many of the responders seem to think that Disney's policies are sacrosanct.

If that were the case, there would be no need for surveys, customer relations, etc.

So now, instead of a simple policy to implement (inhabitants of one cabin only) for each party they'd have to make a decision about who could or couldn't board based on a decision of what is or isn't an immediate family member and how many people or cabins to extend it to. What if one of the people is a long-term common law partner, etc. It's like the 18 and over policy. It's a simple fact that is easy to determine. You are over 18 or not. You are in the room of a Platinum member or not. There's no long drawn out decision process, arguments over gray areas, lots of data to plow through all during a chaotic boarding process. It's a policy that's easy to implement, make decisions on, fact based, unbiased and quick.

 

[hrhdhd]

I was unable to book my 20 year old daughter into a stateroom on her own previously, I had to book my husband in that room with her. It may have been because there was also a 9 year old booked into that room though.

But if there were a 9-year-old booked in that stateroom, she wasn't on her own.

 

[texas disney mom]

I was unable to book my 20 year old daughter into a stateroom on her own previously, I had to book my husband in that room with her. It may have been because there was also a 9 year old booked into that room though.

Oh.... That is why. It was the same for us. Thanks.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Well, it's fair for all the others who are platinum behind you, isn't it?



Things get odd in cruise-land. I'm not sure of DCL's policy, but with Royal, pretty much unless you're married, 18 is NOT an adult who can book on your own.

DCL does allow a guest to book at age 18. As long as everyone traveling in the stateroom is at least 18, yes they can book and travel on DCL. CMs are eligible to do this and they have quite a few in that 18 to 20 age bracket.

 

[lds0191]

Totally agree.

"Entitlement" seems to be Key word here...

Entitlement? Seriously?

Some days when I read this forum I just have to shake my head. This is supposed to be a place to post questions, share information without feeling like you are going to be attacked, Shame on you people!

 

[Expatriat]

It's like the 18 and over policy. It's a simple fact that is easy to determine. You are over 18 or not. You are in the room of a Platinum member or not. There's no long drawn out decision process, arguments over gray areas, lots of data to plow through all during a chaotic boarding process. It's a policy that's easy to implement, make decisions on, fact based, unbiased and quick.

True. It is also very clearly defined in advance on the list of Platinum perks that those Platinum perks are for Platinum members and those booked IN a cabin with a Platinum member. To "share" a cabin and its perks means to be booked in that cabin, not an adjoining one. Guests should be aware of that prior to booking if they bother to read the details of their CC level. And before anyone jumps on me for not wanting to budge the rules - I too have sailed as both Platinum and Concierge many times with family and friends who were not and resided in different cabins, including adjoining. I never considered asking for benefits to which we were not entitled, and our cruises were still amazing!

 

[cdoc29]

But, they could accommodate immediate family members in adjoining cabins.

So the first cruise you listed the is no issue since you and your immediate family member (son) are in the same cabin and can book in under your platinum privileges and his girlfriend (who is not immediate family member) checks in under her status.

As for the second cruise is there that major a difference between platinum check in and gold? Our first cruise we received boarding number 8 and the difference between the announcement of the first family to board to when we boarded was maybe 40 minutes and remember we were first time Disney Cruisers. We were still able to get on board and get our character breakfast, princess meet and greet and elsa and anna tickets. Also my brother was able to reserve a formal wear for his Remy dinner once board no problem.

As for booking tours and dinners at the 120 day mark as long as a platinum person is in the party you can book for all the people linked to your reservation (Palo, Shore Excursions, etc....) what you will not be able to do is book you son and his girlfriend palo by themselves at 120 days they will have to wait till the 105 day mark.

In all honesty it seems a bit of a fuss for maybe 30 minutes time

 

[lolainkent]

OP, bear in mind that if your Norway cruise leaves from Copenhagen, boarding should be pretty fast. Lots of people on my cruise that left from Copenhagen in June (regardless of DCL status) choose to make use of the morning in the city and didn't board ASAP. We're Silver, had group 7 (I think?) and first on board to us was maybe 20 minutes. I didn't even have time to figure out how to connect to the cruise terminal's wifi.

 

[DisneyJenn23]

I am platinum and cruised in 2 rooms with first time cruisers. When we checked in they gave me a #1 and my family a #8. I just nicely asked if there was any way they could board with me and the cast member smiled, took their card, and gave them a new one with the #1. We would have been fine either way, but sometimes just asking politely does the trick!! Hope it all works out for you!

 

[jane01jp]

Entitlement? Seriously?

Some days when I read this forum I just have to shake my head. This is supposed to be a place to post questions, share information without feeling like you are going to be attacked, Shame on you people!

I know. When I read the other threads, such as the one about dress codes at dinner, there is a very condemning attitude by some of the folks.