Anyone get the DCL email about Alaska cruises before July?

[rmonty02]

OP-Did you complete online check-in? We have the Alaska 6/22 and today is my online check-in date. I am not doing any excursions through Disney and would just need to pick a PAT, but who am I kidding? They probably won't be sailing and my PAT time doesn't matter. I stopped my online check-in before the Cruise Contract Agreement...I'm not sure if I should further any planning if I have to cancel.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

But what would you have them do? If the ports are not allowing ships, they have to go somewhere (if the cruise were to continue). They're just attempting to complete the contract you signed with them to provide you a cruise. If that's not possible, then cancellation/changes must be made.

I have to agree it's not realistic to change embarking port with 30 days notice and say "yay." Especially when the ports are across a national border from each other - it's not even as though you're looking at PC and Miami, which would be a nuisance, but they could charter some buses if need be.

I suppose they could try to charter a bus between Vancouver and Seattle and do the border crossing, but it would still be a big issue for some given that visas might come into play. Not sure how an entry visa covering an Alaskan cruise from Canada might need to alter for a closed loop from the US to Alaska.

 

[Disney_Fan_01]

Nothing, so far, beyond the general opportunity to rebook a future cruise with 100% credit and 15 months to rebook. That email arrived on March 15th. No official cancellation of the cruise (yet) and no extra incentive to change the booking. I feel like we’re playing a game of chicken. For the April 29th Vancouver to Honolulu cruise (which we have booked), we’re now in the 50% refund period if we cancel versus taking a 100% refund if DCL cancels. After 30 days out (29 to 14 days) the refund drops to 25% for about two weeks, then to 0. We have no intention to cruise anytime this year, so we’re waiting on DCL to cancel so we can request our full refund.

We’ll lose our airfare and the prepaid, non-refundable DVC points rental for the planned Aulani stay post-cruise as well, since our travel insurance has an epidemic/pandemic exclusion. These total about 2/3rds of the cost of the cruise booking, so there’s still a substantial financial impact even if we get 100% back from DCL. Our flights on United were booked as early as possible and we’d have to use any credits from those within 12 months of the original booking date. That barely gets us into June, so no real likelihood. Waiting to see if United cancels those as well, but so far only being offered no change fees for rebookings. Right now the flights from O’Hare to Vancouver and from Honolulu to O’Hare are still flying. I don’t know if there are many passengers aboard, but United appears to be maintaining a small number of these flights despite significant reductions in other routes.

Try calling/emailing United customer service. They may be flexible at times like this. Same goes with DVC. We had trip planned for late May/early June to Aulani and Maui, which I cancelled this past week. American returned our miles with flights booked with miles and gave us credit for flights booked by credit card points. Just like you, we had booked our flights last July, so the 12 month window from booking date did not work for us (we don’t feel safe taking a trip this summer). I called and made my case and they allowed to extend the credit until dec 31st. We booked our trip to Hawaii over the Christmas and new year break using the credit. DVC returned my points and offered refund for one time use points. VRBO refunded my condo in full for the Maui stay. All I am saying is don’t lose hope. Once you have made up your mind, get to the phones and make your case.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

OP-Did you complete online check-in? We have the Alaska 6/22 and today is my online check-in date. I am not doing any excursions through Disney and would just need to pick a PAT, but who am I kidding? They probably won't be sailing and my PAT time doesn't matter. I stopped my online check-in before the Cruise Contract Agreement...I'm not sure if I should further any planning if I have to cancel.

We are paid in full (paid early to book shore excursions early with our Castaway Club level) and have booked our excursions back on March 10th...

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

I have to agree it's not realistic to change embarking port with 30 days notice and say "yay." Especially when the ports are across a national border from each other - it's not even as though you're looking at PC and Miami, which would be a nuisance, but they could charter some buses if need be.

I suppose they could try to charter a bus between Vancouver and Seattle and do the border crossing, but it would still be a big issue for some given that visas might come into play. Not sure how an entry visa covering an Alaskan cruise from Canada might need to alter for a closed loop from the US to Alaska.

The whole situation is a mess and I can’t help but feel like other posters who think Disney is stringing us along in hopes we will rebook verses cancel.

This is a once in a lifetime trip, not some 3-night Bahamas cruise I can drive 3 hours to catch.

 

[ramwitz]

But what would you have them do? If the ports are not allowing ships, they have to go somewhere (if the cruise were to continue). They're just attempting to complete the contract you signed with them to provide you a cruise. If that's not possible, then cancellation/changes must be made.

What would I have them do? Well, for starters, have better and more honest communication with us. Don’t just tell us “itineraries have not changed, don’t contact us” and expect us to swallow it and proceed with our planning. Tell us what they are trying to do. Allow us a refund if they decide to change the embarkation port. To me that is a completely changed cruise and not the cruise I purchased so they should allow full refunds. It’s not like they are just changing the Ketchikan port to a different Alaskan port during the cruise. That is acceptable. But to change the embarkation port completely and expect us to scramble for arrangements last minute in the midst of a global pandemic is just outright wrong. Even non-refundable airline tickets refund your money if they significantly change the time of your arrival/departure by 6 hours or more. Changing the embarkation port to a whole different city in a different country is a hell of a lot more of a significant change than a 6 hour time difference! Not communicating with us while holding on to thousands and thousands of of our money is wrong. So what would I have them do? Have some common decency and communicate with us, even if through a mass email, and lay out more than one option for us.

 

[travelmomof3]

We are on the 6/22 Alaska and have not received an email. I certainly won't cruise if it doesn't leave out of YVR, which I realize it won't be. Our flights and lodging are all YVR.

ETA: realize the date is actually 6/22!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

We are on the 6/19 Alaska and have not received an email. I certainly won't cruise if it doesn't leave out of YVR, which I realize it won't be. Our flights and lodging are all YVR.

Our flights and several nights before we depart on 6/8 are booked as well...

 

[Lola Granola]

I see that Celebrity and Royal just cancelled their Alaska season until early July.

 

[rmonty02]

I see that Celebrity and Royal just cancelled their Alaska season until early July.

Thanks for the update!

 

[travelmomof3]

Our flights and several nights before we depart on 6/8 are booked as well...

I had actually contemplated flying in/out of SEA as it would have been a heck of a lot cheaper than YVR. No way do I want to back track to SEA if that is the option they give us.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I doubt that is what will happen. I doubt they are going to switch starting port and get a PVSA waiver.

Under AK's quarantine no one could disembark. While the quarantine is only through Mid-April now, every extension starts eliminating sailings.

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/202...rantine-number-of-confirmed-cases-reaches-36/
While it's technically "by air" right now, that's because cruise season hasn't started. It's March.

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

I suppose they could try to charter a bus between Vancouver and Seattle and do the border crossing, but it would still be a big issue for some given that visas might come into play. Not sure how an entry visa covering an Alaskan cruise from Canada might need to alter for a closed loop from the US to Alaska.

Right now the Canada/US border is closed to all tourism and recreation, in both directions. Only essential travel is allowed for crossings. If the border continues to be closed when the Alaska cruise season was scheduled to begin, I doubt that DCL would not be allowed to charter a bus to cross the border from Vancouver to Seattle since that would not be considered essential travel.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Considering they have not even announced WDW will be closed past the 31st when Orange County is essential business only until April 9 (and universal announced they are closed until April 19) I believe they are in a tailspin, but risk losing lots of future business by holding out fruitless hope for being able to fully operate while stringing us along in the dark.

 

[Freya424]

I wish they would go ahead and cancel so we could get refunded for our 6/8 Alaska cruise. I’m hoping to at least get my DCL money back even if the airlines are a lost cause. We were planning to spend a day in Seattle before hand and take the Amtrak train to Vancouver and spend a few nights there as well. So I have a lot of cancelling to do .

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

I wish they would go ahead and cancel so we could get refunded for our 6/8 Alaska cruise. I’m hoping to at least get my DCL money back even if the airlines are a lost cause. We were planning to spend a day in Seattle before hand and take the Amtrak train to Vancouver and spend a few nights there as well. So I have a lot of cancelling to do ☹.

We had 3 days in Vancouver in the works before the cruise... but I am with you 100%

 

[gotomu212]

They can...

It is in the contract. They can change the ports and offer to let you switch your reservation to another cruise within 12 months. But since it is not canceled, there is no refund.

This caveat happened to us in Sept 2019 when a hurricane was hitting. We could get on the ship but the Bahamas cruise would be modified to have a stop in Cozumel and no guarantee of a return date.

We switched to a November cruise. Friends stayed in and the 3-night became a 6-night with a delivery of supplies to Castaway Cay, but no passengers could get off. You could just see it in the distance.

Is this true of changing embarkation or debarkation though? My understanding is that if they change either of those specific stops they must make arrangements to transport you from original embarkation to new embarkation (as happens with hurricanes) or debarkation. However, other than those 2 ports they can essential sit at the dock and still meet your cruise contract or swap/skip any ports.

Given that it is impossible to transport people from Vancouver to Seattle right now I would think they’d be unable to make that move to Seattle (unless they were going to reimburse flight changes to Seattle I guess which would be wildly expensive).

 

[To the honeypots]

The cast member I spoke with tonight placed me in hold to check with guest services after I indicated it was getting very close to our move in the 50% portion of the cancellation policy. When he came back in, he indicated the June sailings should have an announcement very soon and it should include some special incentives. Fingers crossed he got accurate information.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Seattle is closed.

https://www.kinyradio.com/news/news...pends-2020-alaska-cruise-season-indefinitely/

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Seattle is closed.

https://www.kinyradio.com/news/news...pends-2020-alaska-cruise-season-indefinitely/

Whoa!
Thanks for the update!