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Disney cancelled my cruise without telling me


supersi
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I feel the need to write about my horrible and upsetting experience with Disney cruise line.

 

We have done a handful of cruises on various cruise lines (Princess, HAL, etc). In Dec 2013 we took the kids on the Disney Fantasy and were so impressed with the entire experience that while onboard we booked another cruise for this year (leaving in two days, Nov 2014). We have raved about Disney cruise line to many of our friends since that first experience.

 

In August I got a confirmation email from Disney with all the details of our upcoming cruise. In there it said the final payment amount and when it was due. I assumed that this would be automatically charged to our credit card, like how every other payment of this type happens when they have your details on file. I had a brief moment of excitement at the thought of the cruise in a few months, then forgot all about the email and got on with the busyness of summer.

 

Well I was wrong in my assumption of the auto-charge to my credit card. When the date passed, Disney cancelled my cruise. No phone calls to collect payment, no other email reminders or notification of the cancellation. They just cancelled it. Without telling me.

 

In the meantime we had booked flights, hotels, Lego Land tickets, time off with employers, rental cars, shuttle transportation and arranged for the kids to miss school for a week.

 

Today I tried to do the cruise online checkin and got a strange error message about no reservation existing. It still let me login with my reservation number, but everything was greyed out. I called Disney customer service to make sure everything was in order, thinking it was a website glitch.

 

They then informed me about the non-payment and the resulting cruise cancellation. I was in complete and utter disbelief. The lady offered an apology and said she could understand how upsetting this must be (REALLY??? You've had your holiday plans cancelled on you without you knowing about it???? No way!). Complete insincerity. She said she could book me a room at the prevailing rates and that the onboard booking discount we received in Nov 2013 would be lost.

 

I asked to speak to her supervisor who was equally unwilling to try and make things right. She wouldn't honour the original price and wouldn't offer an onboard credit to make up the difference. Both of them I felt were insincere in their apologies and lacked any sort of empathy as to how incredibly upsetting this experience was.

 

I am completely flabbergasted that Disney would treat a customer in this way. They had my phone number, my mailing address, my email address, and yet they cancelled my cruise without any contact whatsoever. Then when it was clear it was some sort of misunderstanding, they were completely unwilling to try and make things right.

 

All this because of a single line in a single email. The requirement to get in touch with Disney to make the payment was not clear. There should have been a reminder again a few days before if the payment is still not made. Then last but not least they should tell you if they've cancelled your cruise. But no, none of the above.

 

I told the supervisor, that this is the worst holiday and customer service experience I've ever had. I'm in complete disbelief that this would happen at the hands of Disney. I cannot believe the policy, the lack of communication, and the insincerity and unhelpfulness of the customer service supervisor and the other customer service agent.

 

With no other option I paid the prevailing rate to keep our holiday intact in two days time, but it will likely be our last experience with Disney Cruise Line.

Edited by supersi
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I've always paid for mine all at once. I know in other things I have set a calendar reminder to remind me of when something is due.

 

Did they tell you this when you booked your cruise? I found this on their website:... it doesn't say anything about arutomatic payments.

 

DEPOSIT/PAYMENT INFORMATION

 

A deposit is required to confirm a reservation. Deposit amount will be determined at time of booking. Vacation and cruise packages are subject to cancellation if full deposit is not received in our office within the option period specified at time of booking. For reservations confirmed in U.S. dollars, final payment in the form of a check or credit card (Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover® Card, Diners Club®, Japanese Credit Bureau or Disney's Visa® Credit Card) must be received on the date determined at the time of booking. For reservations not confirmed in U.S. Dollars, acceptable forms of payment are Visa® and MasterCard®. Payment policy for group travel may vary. Please contact your Travel Agent for complete details. Failure to strictly comply with the deposit and final payment schedules, or any other applicable policies and procedures, will result in the automatic cancellation of pending reservations.

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In the email I referred to received in August, it also said, "If payments are not received by due date, reservation will automatically cancel the next day." It is easy to miss an email, let alone a single line in a single email. If they're going to cancel my holiday on me then please give me numerous, very clear warnings and then tell me again when it's been done!

 

It was an incorrect assumption on my part that my card would be automatically charged. My issue is the lack of communication and completely unsympathetic and unhelpful customer service agents.

 

This is Disney we're talking about here! Their brand is about magic, happiness and family -- someone believing in that brand should not have their holiday cancelled and not know about it!!

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The assumption that automatic payments would be made is not Disney's fault - no cruise line as far as I know automatically processes final payments or says they do.

 

That said, there should have been an email notifying you of the cancellation, which would have given you much more time to react and I am not sure why there was not. Also, since the reservation was cancelled technically before final date, at least some of the deposit should have been refunded. Was it?

 

While they could have and perhaps should have offered some additional assistance in light of that, they were acting completely in line with published rules and policies. From their point of view, you simply may have never intended to pay, trying to save 60 days of interest or whatever - trust me, people try it all the time. (I am NOT saying that was the case here in any way, just that Disney can't necessarily always take people at their word).

 

I should point out that had you booked through or transferred the booking to a TA, the TA (assuming a reputable one) would have also reminded you and processed the payment.

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Just like any other bill we receive, it is our responsibility to pay it "before" the dure date. these can be paid at anytime.

.

I have a cruise booked and I just sent a note to DH earlier this week saying" remember the final payment is due before the 19th".

.

In my case, I woek with a TA, and 10 min after I sent the note to him, she sent a note to me saying the same thing.

.

Maybe on other cruises, you had worked with a TA and that companies policy was just to xharge your card without asking.

.

But I agree that this is a very high penality to pay for the mistake you made.

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Sorry to hear of your surprise with DCL and your Fantasy cruise vacation. At least you were fortunate and able to still get a room on board

However, the situation - cancellation on date due if not paid - is standard with all other cruise lines we have sailed with. Keeping up with things related to a cruise is why we have a wonderful travel agent to help us make sure nothing important, or even the little unimportant things are properly taken care of in a timely manner.

We hope, in spite of all your troubles, your whole family will have a "magical cruise!"

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supersi: If Disney cancelled your reservation they would have refunded the deposit back to your credit card - a credit from DCL on the monthly statement would certainly have been a red flag....

Hope you can come up with a "Plan B" for your time off.

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Perhaps on other occasions I've used a TA. However two cruises ago we went with MSC and booked directly with them. When the final payment was due they called me and took my payment over the phone.

 

Completely cancelling someone's vacation without any notification whatsoever -- I still cannot believe it, especially not from Disney.

 

I thought that usually the deposit was non-refundable, but in this case at least they applied it to the new fare I had to pay.

 

I've decided to not be bitter about it and enjoy the family time in spite of being out hundreds of dollars because of this incident.

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Hope your cruise is so wonderful that it will help ease the hit to your wallet!

 

In the future it might be beneficial to deal with a TA. I know that there are at least a couple of reliable online ones that specialize in all things Disney. They also give OBC based on the total cost of your cruise.

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I'm glad you were able to rebook your vacation, albeit at an increased price.

 

However, DCL did nothing other than what they told you they would do. They sent you a reminder and when you didn't respond by the appropriate date, canceled your cruise. They would have sent a refund of the deposit to your credit card bill; do you review your credit card statements?

 

It is not DCL's responsibility to run you down with multiple e-mails or phone calls. It is up to you to follow thru with what you agreed to--payment in full by a particular date.

 

All that said, that's another advantage of using a good TA (yes, you can assign an on board rebooking to a TA). My TA wants money (authorization to bill my card) in their hands no later than 2 weeks before DCL's deadline so that they have confirmation of payment in full well before the deadline. They will e-mail me about 3 weeks in advance, and if I don't respond to the e-mail, will follow up with a phone call or two...or six.

 

Again, I'm sorry you didn't see or heed the notices you received from DCL. But you missed at least the notice on your reservation, the e-mail notice of the date (which would have been shortly after the e-mail,) and finally the red flag of a refund to your credit card. Ultimately it was your responsibility to follow thru with the contract (reservation) wherein you agreed to make payment by the date or have the reservation canceled. DCL only followed thru as they stated from the beginning.

Edited by moki'smommy
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Sorry about your trouble. I'm glad it worked out, it is unfortunate you lost your obc and had to pay the higher rates! It is a good reminder to us all on the importance of reading all confirmations fully.

 

I have most things on auto pay, unless the subject said something like authorization needed or cancellation notice, I would assume all is well. Lastly, I don't reconcile my credit card, so I wouldn't notice a credit necessarily either. I kinda glance over it and if it is in the ballpark, I just pay it off.

 

Have a fun cruise!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Edited by CFC
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Sorry about your trouble. I'm glad it worked out, it is unfortunate you lost your obc and had to pay the higher rates! It is a good reminder to us all on the importance of reading all confirmations fully.

 

I have most things on auto pay, unless the subject said something like authorization needed or cancellation notice, I would assume all is well. Lastly, I don't reconcile my credit card, so I wouldn't notice a credit necessarily either. I kinda glance over it and if it is in the ballpark, I just pay it off.

 

Have a fun cruise!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Im glad supersi and family have gone on their cruise.

 

But regarding not reconciling your credit card, do you not look at your statement at all? How else do you pay the balance or at least the minimum payment?

I'm not saying look at every debit and reconcile it to a specific purchase receipt, but if you are credited it is in a different column?

And wouldn't you be expecting to transfer funds to that credit card in order pay for the large debit of the final payment for the cruise?

 

I would have thought that DCL would have sent other emails to remind the OP that the due date was approaching.

And it would be standard to expect an email to say you didn't pay on the due date therefore your cruise is cancelled.

(I think a letter should be sent in the mail)

 

Maybe the OP could look in their email spam folder to see if they have any emails from DCL they have missed?

 

But at the end of the day, you commit to paying for services and those services and payment dates are clearly written out for you.

If YOU do not adhere to them, then you have broken the contract.

 

A hard lesson learnt, but DCL are not to blame, the OP will certainly make sure they check their credit card statement in the future, along with setting a date to make payment, and be more thorough without assuming anything.

 

ex techie

Edited by Ex techie
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I'm afraid it was YOUR responsibility to determine whether you had to pay or it would be automatically deducted. Also, didn't you notice when no final payment was made to your card and your deposit was deducted????? No one fault's but your own. Hard lesson learned - be more conscientious about your trip details.

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What a ghastly surprise.

 

But the info about paying ontime is in every email I've gotten about the Disney cruises we've booked. So in case you missed it in the initial email, it's there. I was going to mention that if you booked any port adventures, palo dining, etc, it would have been in each email from that, too (b/c they send a new "congrats, you booked a Disney cruise!" email just to confuse us with everything we book like that), but since final payment wasn't made, none of those arrangements would have been able to be made.

 

 

It is a good reminder to us all on the importance of reading all confirmations fully.

 

Yes. All legal documents really should be read thoroughly, or things like this can easily happen. Such a bummer.

 

 

 

And I would definitely check over the Spam folder. Given how often they send "congrats, you booked a cruise!" emails when you have simply made a small change, I would be very surprised if there wasn't a cancellation email lurking in Spam. Then again, if you have a robust spam filter that also deletes, that email would likely be too old to still be sitting there.

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So sorry for the "Surprise" and glad you were able to rebook and Save your cruise.... But, really ? I have been on the Disney sites multiple times (a week ) since booking many months ago. You apparently never logged into your DCL cruise acct, didn't book excursions or reservations????? I log in to just dream... How did this slip by!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I too am sorry to hear this. I'm with the OP here on this one though.

 

DCL sends out sooo many trash(non relevant emails) that the important ones can easily get lost or ignored. The important ones I've seen have the PIF date in fine print, not as the subject. This important info is never in the email subject line, IME.

 

I feel this is an area where DCL could improve. Send a warning email with "Final Payment Due Soon" as the email subject. Several times at that, at specific days/months out. They don't do this FWIW. Gee, I wonder why? ;)

 

No line does that I know of. It makes you wonder. :confused: But it does reinforce other posters suggestions to use a TA. As they often do send notices/emails a bit more direct reminding you PIF is due soon/next week/day.

 

Hope you find bliss aboard soon. :D

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Trying to understand why you feel that MSC did the right thing by calling you, but DCL emailing you (just like they do EVERYONE who manages to not have this happen) qualifies as, in YOUR words, "No Notification Whatsoever"?

 

Most people don't answer their phones unless they recognize the caller-I don't. I use my voicemail as a screener. If you booked directly thru DCL and did it thru their website, you never spoke to anyone up to that point-now they are supposed to call you? What if you weren't home? What if your kid deleted the voicemail? Would it still be DCL's fault if they never sent you an email but they just couldn't reach you by phone?

 

I use a TA. I only use a TA for the OBC. Not suggesting that a TA can't be incredibly helpful in many cases, and certainly would have been in this one, but I don't need help with planning/cabin selection/excursions or anything else. If it were not for the OBC I would book directly thru the DCL website and never pick up the phone.

 

You were not singled out. You dropped the ball.

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I have been lurking here for some time but I feel that I have to post on this.

Although I am sorry that you went through what you did, I feel that you dropped the ball on this one. I may be biased since I am a travel agent but even if I wasn't the following items come to mind:

1. You are entering into a contract with DCL. ANY and ALL communication from them should be read over and over. Anything not understood should be addressed with DCL and/or travel agent.

2. In my opinion, I would NEVER let anybody, any company, etc "automatically" charge my credit card. As the consumer I want to be in control of when things are charged.

3. If you are truly unhappy about the way DCL handled things, then why did you still book with them? As a consumer, your money is power. You could of booked with another cruise line.

4. Again, I am biased but next time use a TA. You don't pay any more for them and a responsible one would have reminded you to make your payment.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Most every TA requests Final Payment a week to 10 days before actual CL Final Payment date , to eliminate

situations such as happened here . Would have saved this OP's problem.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Reading and understanding the contract, and either setting a reminder on your phone or noting it on a calendar as to when to make the final payment, checking your credit card statement would have eliminated this situation.

 

The OP unfortunately did neither of these and is fortunate enough that the cruise wasn't sold out, so was able to pay the additional price.

 

TA's are great, but not 100% necessary, and there is nothing to say the OP wouldn't have not read the TA's email properly either.

 

Personal responsibility is key. But I would expect DCL to send an email saying due to non payment, your cruise is cancelled and the deposit will be refunded to your credit card/account.

 

ex techie

Edited by Ex techie
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I do agree that a notice essentially saying "We did what we said we were going to do" would have been nice.

 

However, DCL routinely does credits with no explanation. Normally these are rather small and occur when the taxes or port fees charged are more than the actual charges. Our last credit was $13. I've quit asking when I see these--I know what they are.

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like everyone else, I am sorry this happened to you. In my opinion, emails can be very unreliable. Many times, roadrunner service has been down and I did not receive emails I know were sent.

 

This same thing almost happened to me a couple years ago when I booked with a Florida Resident rate. In years past, I only had to show proof of residency when I checked in at the port. Then the policy changed and I had to fax proof to them within a specific time frame or be canceled. When I booked, I never received an email for proof. Then just days before cancellation, I received a warning email with instructions. What a shock. I immediately faxed copies of our driver licenses and followed up with a phone call to DCL customer service.

 

Now, when I book online using an FLR, I fax the proof AND pay in full right then and there then follow up with a call to DCL to make sure they have everything.

 

I know people like to use TA but I like to be in control of my vacation & money myself. Once you have cruised DCL, all the info stays in there systems, include your Castaway numbers, previous cruises, passport info etc. Its so quick and easy to book it yourself.

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