Being turned away at the port

[squirk]

And from the updates available on another site, it sounds like those who were turned away due to not having the correct pre-embarkation day tests were both fully refunded for this cruise and given a complimentary cruise to use in the future.

I can see the refund as good PR, even if the parents were at fault for not reading the rules closely. But a complimentary cruise on top of it? That....doesn't sound right.

So I can book a cruise right now, not do PCR tests for my kids, show up, get turned away, get my money back and get a free cruise for my trouble? Sign me up.*

* - before anyone gets up in arms, that's tongue-in-cheek. I know Disney wouldn't let people get away with that.

 

[orum]

This is what still has me worried. I don't even see my son in Safe Passage even though I added him. Our pre-sail screen still says "Pending", when I click it and scroll down I see myself, my wife, and vaccinated daughter at the bottom where it says "Clear". My son (too young for vaccine) isn't in that table. I assume that is why the step still says Pending.

Where do you see everyone is Green even if you don't have everyone's pre-cruise vax card or test uploaded on the site yet?

That is what was reported in that thread on Reddit (and apparently what multiple families saw). Or I misread it. I will go look again.

 

[jrapps]

I can see the refund as good PR, even if the parents were at fault for not reading the rules closely. But a complimentary cruise on top of it? That....doesn't sound right.

So I can book a cruise right now, not do PCR tests for my kids, show up, get turned away, get my money back and get a free cruise for my trouble? Sign me up.*

* - before anyone gets up in arms, that's tongue-in-cheek. I know Disney wouldn't let people get away with that.

Pretty sure this was a one time only get out of jail free card. The sheer number of people turned away (reports of between 120- 200 now), being the very first cruise back they didn't want any press of that setting the tone. By offering them all a free cruise, they can control the story.

My guess is if you pull that same stunt on the Aug 13 or beyond sailing, you won't get as lucky.

 

[jrapps]

That is what was reported in that thread on Reddit (and apparently what multiple families saw). Or I misread it. I will go look again.

Yeah, I just don't buy it. There is literally no way for the screen to say anything other than "Pending" if you don't upload your child's PCR test.

Safe Passage SHOULD be configured to prevent the QR code from generating and being printed until everyone is "Clear"

 

[orum]

Yeah, I just don't buy it. There is literally no way for the screen to say anything other than "Pending" if you don't upload your child's PCR test.

Safe Passage SHOULD be configured to prevent the QR code from generating and being printed until everyone is "Clear"

Let us know if you get cleared before the PCR test is uploaded. I agree with you on how it should work, but the fact that this wasn't just 1 or 3 or even 5 families and the fact that Disney seems to have bent over backwards leads me to believe there was a glitch there. Reading that initial report was a tear jerker. He knew he made a mistake, but he stated there was conflicting info that contributed to the cause. I don't think there will be proof either way, but it at least seems plausible to me.

 

[squirk]

Pretty sure this was a one time only get out of jail free card. The sheer number of people turned away (reports of between 120- 200 now), being the very first cruise back they didn't want any press of that setting the tone. By offering them all a free cruise, they can control the story.

My guess is if you pull that same stunt on the Aug 13 or beyond sailing, you won't get as lucky.

Seems like such a slippery slope, especially if word gets out of this being accurate. I wonder what those Aug. 13th people who mess up the PCR requirements will have to say if they don't get a refund and a free cruise, too. You can hear it now - "I heard you gave people last week a free cruise as compensation for turning them away at the port. Why don't I get the same treatment?"

I know DCL's response will be along the lines of something like, "We stepped up our notification requirements and added safeguards since Aug. 6th. We're not offering you a free cruise because you really dropped the ball far worse than the people from last week." But you can still almost hear the outrage already, y'know?

 

[jrapps]

Seems like such a slippery slope, especially if word gets out of this being accurate. I wonder what those Aug. 13th people who mess up the PCR requirements will have to say if they don't get a refund and a free cruise, too. You can hear it now - "I heard you gave people last week a free cruise as compensation for turning them away at the port. Why don't I get the same treatment?"

I know DCL's response will be along the lines of something like, "We stepped up our notification requirements and added safeguards since Aug. 6th. We're not offering you a free cruise because you really dropped the ball far worse than the people from last week." But you can still almost hear the outrage already, y'know?

This is why I wonder if, in addition to updating the website and send emails, did they also call each and every family on tomorrow's sailing. They don't want a repeat of this EVER again.

 

[JuneBugFL]

I've been following this carefully and reading various reports outside of the DIS. We are booked for April of 2022, so I realize things could change by then.

All of the adults that are going - parents, both sets of grandparents - are fully vaccinated and have been for some time now. However, my son will be a few weeks shy of 1 year old at time of embarkation. Is there any indication so far of an age cut off for having to have a PCR test for the kids prior to boarding? Will I have to possible figure out how to get my infant tested?

 

[orum]

Seems like such a slippery slope, especially if word gets out of this being accurate. I wonder what those Aug. 13th people who mess up the PCR requirements will have to say if they don't get a refund and a free cruise, too. You can hear it now - "I heard you gave people last week a free cruise as compensation for turning them away at the port. Why don't I get the same treatment?"

I know DCL's response will be along the lines of something like, "We stepped up our notification requirements and added safeguards since Aug. 6th. We're not offering you a free cruise because you really dropped the ball far worse than the people from last week." But you can still almost hear the outrage already, y'know?

And if you knew people on the first cruise got a refund (editing I meant to say free cruise), you have no excuse for not knowing the testing requirements.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I've been following this carefully and reading various reports outside of the DIS. We are booked for April of 2022, so I realize things could change by then.

All of the adults that are going - parents, both sets of grandparents - are fully vaccinated and have been for some time now. However, my son will be a few weeks shy of 1 year old at time of embarkation. Is there any indication so far of an age cut off for having to have a PCR test for the kids prior to boarding? Will I have to possible figure out how to get my infant tested?

All documentation says all guests. No age limiters. They do include ages when dscussing masks. I don't know that I'd want to screw around and find out, or trust a phone rep and at-port to be consistent.

 

[squirk]

And if you knew people on the first cruise got a refund, you have no excuse for not knowing the testing requirements.

I'm not sure the August 6th people really had an excuse, either, y'know?

 

[Sykes]

I wonder what test will be required in January. The CDC said the PCR test's Emergency Use Authorization will expire December 31 and will not be renewed.

PCR tests will still be available after December 31st and are still considered to be one of the reliable types of tests out there. What is changing on December 31st is that a single type of PCR test (one of the earliest developed) will no longer be available in favor of newer tests that can identify both the flu and COVID. The vast majority of labs are already using one of the new types of PCR tests so there will be very little practical impact.

 

[orum]

I'm not sure the August 6th people really had an excuse, either, y'know?

I think it is healthy to have some skepticism, but knowing someone else made this mistake previously should prevent you from making the same mistake. That is even without sticking up for people that got turned away from this cruise. There could still be people that make the same mistake on the next cruise, but hopefully those people didn't read the reports of the people turned away on this cruise.

 

[squirk]

I think it is healthy to have some skepticism, but knowing someone else made this mistake previously should prevent you from making the same mistake. That is even without sticking up for people that got turned away from this cruise. There could still be people that make the same mistake on the next cruise, but hopefully those people didn't read the reports of the people turned away on this cruise.

Right. That's kind of where I was going. People who mess up PCRs for Aug. 13th might claim that the process is just as opaque and confusing as it was for the Aug. 6th people, so why shouldn't they get a free cruise as well?

But I think @jrapps is probably right - DCL is likely reaching out to everyone on this Friday's cruise to make extra-double-sure no one can plead ignorance in good faith.

 

[orum]

Right. That's kind of where I was going. People who mess up PCRs for Aug. 13th might claim that the process is just as opaque and confusing as it was for the Aug. 6th people, so why shouldn't they get a free cruise as well?

But I think @jrapps is probably right - DCL is likely reaching out to everyone on this Friday's cruise to make sure no one can plead ignorance in good faith.

But if they knew people from Aug 6 got a cruise, the process shouldn't be opaque to them. Knowing that story means you know more than someone that doesn't read DisBoards/Reddit at all. Now, you might find that out after you get home and go looking for how you messed up, but at the port, you wouldn't know about the free cruises.

I also agree there will be some fixes for this. At a minimum, an email from Safe Passage 2-3 days out and a call the day before the cruise for any stragglers makes sense to prevent the port turnaways for anything other than a positive Covid test.

 

[squirk]

But if they knew people from Aug 6 got a cruise, the process shouldn't be opaque to them. Knowing that story means you know more than someone that doesn't read DisBoards/Reddit at all. Now, you might find that out after you get home and go looking for how you messed up, but at the port, you wouldn't know about the free cruises.

People can know about the free cruises yet claim (good faith, bad faith or otherwise) that the process was still confusing.

I'm not saying it is logical or makes perfect sense. And I don't think anyone is really walking into the terminal with a plan to "play the system" like that. I'm just saying I can totally see Aug. 13th people going down that road if they get turned away.

 

[lanejudy]

People can know about the free cruises yet claim (good faith, bad faith or otherwise) that the process was still confusing.

I'm not saying it is logical or makes perfect sense. And I don't think anyone is really walking into the terminal with a plan to "play the system" like that. I'm just saying I can totally see Aug. 13th people going down that road if they get turned away.

And that is something customer service deals with every day, whether it's DCL or WDW or your local Walmart or grocery store or gym, etc. What the business offers to any individual as "guest recovery" can and does vary from one to another, even if the same issue. I'm certain DCL knows how to deal with it.

 

[RedHead0186]

PCR tests will still be available after December 31st and are still considered to be one of the reliable types of tests out there. What is changing on December 31st is that a single type of PCR test (one of the earliest developed) will no longer be available in favor of newer tests that can identify both the flu and COVID. The vast majority of labs are already using one of the new types of PCR tests so there will be very little practical impact.

Thanks for clarifying that, I was wondering what the actual 'impact' of that was. Good to know it's just one type of PCR test (that's likely not widely used anymore anyway).

 

[sethschroeder]

DCL was not at fault

Disagree there is some fault on their side.

 

[Marrila]

But if they knew people from Aug 6 got a cruise, the process shouldn't be opaque to them. Knowing that story means you know more than someone that doesn't read DisBoards/Reddit at all. Now, you might find that out after you get home and go looking for how you messed up, but at the port, you wouldn't know about the free cruises.

I also agree there will be some fixes for this. At a minimum, an email from Safe Passage 2-3 days out and a call the day before the cruise for any stragglers makes sense to prevent the port turnaways for anything other than a positive Covid test.

A checklist that includes all mandatory steps, yes.
A brief "complete your checklist" email is also good idea. A call? Not necessary.