DCL carry-on alcohol policy changing Sept. 30 2015

[hardis5]

Nothing like a polarizing policy change to bring out both extremes in position.

I am of the opinion I looked at the Disney's alcohol policy as an offset in part to the higher cost of their cruises. They allowing alcohol to be brought on board I saw as offering a free excursion of $150 to each adult (likely what we saved per adult) in bringing on-board our own alcohol. We still have bought wine packages and drinks on-board but what we saved in having a drink late evening in our own room / veranda (specialty spirits / liqueurs) I saw as Disney offering to differentiate themselves. Their policy change has essentially taken away that $150 "excursion" with they now wanting us to pay for such.

To me the policy change is simply a $ grab and if anyone had any doubt to try and spin around the safety of all, then why increase their corkage fee at the same time.

To those talking about people drunk on-board which I have never seen to be an issue at large; those with true drinking problems will just look for their alcohol from Disney or try and smuggle on-board if wanting more or different than what is offered on-board or allowed under the new policy (can already see an increase in large bottles of shampoo being packed).

Personally the only time I have ever remotely been tipsy on-board is after a DCL "drink" session / class, but because Disney made a $ off such from me, this must be deemed being acceptably drunk to Disney.

 

[Hamitchell]

Quick question - Has anyone actually heard from DCL about this? I have a cruise booked for November (less than 90 days). I haven't received anything from them about this policy change. I can only imagine what the check-in/security line at PC is going to look like with everyone having to empty out their carry-on alcohol stashes! Not everyone is aware of the DIS!

I got an email today about it that appeared to be an "announcement" or notice email instead of a reply to an email I sent. But I've sent several, so who knows. It would be wise (I know, don't hold your breath), if DCL did email everyone, because, as you say, the port will be a mess with everyone dealing with liquor.

 

[godde8ss]

I've still had no replies to my emails. Time to start calling

 

[jetskigrl]

I disagree. I think that Disney offers a lot more than other cruise ships. Not only are the DCL ships so much more beautiful, they have a bit of elegance and charm that I don't see in other cruise lines. When we were in Nassau with ships on either side of us, I looked over and was so happy I wasn't on those ships. They weren't as beautiful as the Dream. They were far louder (both with very loud music blaring). They looked more like large shapeless barges and the entire vibe felt that way as well. I've talked to quite a few DCL crew members. Some of them have transferred from other cruise lines and say they will never go back. They say that the caliber of people on DCL is so much nicer and that they feel respected by both company and guests. That speaks volumes to me.

The way some people are carrying on, it is like their entire vacation is going to be ruined because they can't bring all the booze they want on the ship. People are canceling or threatening to because of this decision. It has very much the appearance of little children stomping their feet and threatening to take their ball home. The cries of "It's not fair" is quite childish.

As many have stated, it has little to do with booze and much more to do with the short notice and reductions in benefits that we agreed to when we paid-in-full (and got within our cancellation penalty phase).
People have a right to be upset when Disney decides to change the rules at the last minute.
Others say that Disney has so much to offer. What if you are paid-in-full, can't cancel without losing money and then find out that Disney has decided to make those special ticketed meet-and-greets a $25 per ticket charge? Or now those awesome kids clubs are only free until 5 PM and after that they are going to charge $10 a hour/per kid. Sure, you can still participate in those things, but it is going to cost you more.

DCL has the right to makes those changes at any time so keep any eye out for more. But guests also have the right to be upset by those changes (especially when we have already paid in full).

 

[darkwing818]

OK, I guess i might as well throw my hat into the fray. First off, full disclosure, we almost always bring one bottle of Bailey's Irish (15 cruises to date) with us when we cruise. Like many others, we enjoy sitting on our verandah having a night cap & just kicking back. But all in all, for us this change will have no impact. That being said, in my opinion (as well as many others), the effective date of the new policy is not very "Guest" friendly, to say the least.

Personally, I think DCL should have given the those folks who have paid in full the option to Cancel & get a Full Refund or give them an OBC of say $100 to $200 per adult to be used for "drinks only" (similar to the $50 OBC for paying with Disney Visa).

Now for the others who have cruises booked outside the PIF date, if you all feel that Strongly, then you should Cancel your cruise & get your deposit back. Then make sure you send e-mails to Karl Holz noting your reason (the change in the carry-on alcohol policy) for cancellation. I think letters & e-mails are ok, but if DCL gets enough actual hard ancellations it just might get the message across. Cheers....

 

[jjgarv]

To me the policy change is simply a $ grab and if anyone had any doubt to try and spin around the safety of all, then why increase their corkage fee at the same time.

So true! Limiting the wine you can bring and then charging more to 'cork' it in the dining room or lounge is very poor customer service. Total 'less for pax and more for DCL.' This is the final straw...with rising prices and eroding 'perks', we will not be re-booking anything while onboard in October.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

This doesn't effect me what so ever because we don't really drink. We might have one drink at some point but that is pretty much it. On our last cruise we didn't even do that. I just wonder if this will require Disney to offer more discounts on more sailings. I am sure hoping so.

But I do believe this is a complete money grab. With this change plus the higher corkage fee. They may not be getting their numbers in with alcohol sales.

 

[nearlyfallinstar]

Its not DEPENDENT!!! Its Disney being difficult for no REAL reason. Their pricing has made many very mad and limiting their services!

With your avatar, everything you type I hear in an angry voice! lol.

 

[AquaDame]

Just fired off an email to DCL registering my objection.
CAN'T WAIT for the canned response.

Don't hold your breath - my very polite response and actual questions I need replied to have garnered zero response, even the canned one.

actually...they deleted all my posts where-in I urged others to reach out to Disney....

That is inexcusable! The nerve! How dare you try to funnel the conversation to the appropriate channel! They are really handling this poorly and IMO that is worse than the policy change itself.

They say that the caliber of people on DCL is so much nicer and that they feel respected by both company and guests. That speaks volumes to me.

The way some people are carrying on, it is like their entire vacation is going to be ruined because they can't bring all the booze they want on the ship. People are canceling or threatening to because of this decision. It has very much the appearance of little children stomping their feet and threatening to take their ball home. The cries of "It's not fair" is quite childish.

Who says that? In port we all look and act the same. I'm a 100% DCL cruiser at present but you will certainly find me on another line in the near future (my in laws don't want to sail DCL to Alaska next year). Am I magically going to lose my caliber? Your attitude is very much "don't care/got mine" and is not helping the caliber reputation of DCL cruisers at present. Stop a moment and think about something Disney currently does on the cruise that is important to you. Now imagine they take it away with little notice and you already have a cruise booked. Wouldn't you have doubts, write an email, do SOMETHING to make yourself feel better? At least lament with similar minded people? I understand that this change does not affect you, but I am not going to pat you on the back for looking down at others that it does affect. I "get" that in this situation it seems like the only way we could all really care this much is if we are addicts. I really do. But that is not the case. No one is addicted to signatures or characters but you would certainly see an outcry if they were removed from the ships. If they stopped allowing people to bring on water or their own brands of soda there would be an outcry too (OK, some people ARE addicted to soda but I would argue the vast majority just really LIKE having unlimited soda for a week out of the year). Well, I'm the same. I liked bringing rum on, and I wish I still could. I'm gonna complain about it. Thats it. What should the "adult" response be? Do nothing? Continue giving them thousands of dollars when they just did something that cheesed us off & take it in silence? Smuggle it? I feel like complaining IS the adult thing to do, and yeah, if we are mad enough about the lack of notice given then we are absolutely allowed to cancel the cruise. Its not about taking our toys and going home - its about being HEARD by the mouse and hitting them where it hurts. (Cue a bunch of non-drinkers laughing at the idea that anyone's money actually matters - if enough people stop going yes we will be heard. They cancelled these changes once already and I believe that the mere fact there there has NOT been a huge notice out to everyone at once like last time just points even more to the fact that they are trying to stick cotton in their ears and hope it goes away).

I have to roll my eyes a little at these types of post. This seems to be a very common sentiment on the Dis that people who go to Disney and cruise DCL are just a cut above the unwashed masses of everybody else.

While I'll give you that the outside of the Disney ships have a style all their own, IMO they are just like every other ship once inside. Depending on the ship and the line, Disney seems lacking in elegance in comparison.

Have you been on many other ships?

I've been on many cruises on many lines and traveled land based as well. I get that the Disney brand offers a bit of magic, but I've never really thought of them as being a cut above. Just like in the parks, you get people from all walks of life. And while DCL is expensive it is not a luxury brand.

As for your comment about people who don't like the policy sounding like children, well there are a lot of people like yourself who buy into the idea that Disney is just better and Disney people are just better so stop complaining. The nice thing about being an adult is that you can decide where to spend your money. Many people just don't see Disney as holding the same value or "special" anymore. There's nothing childish about objectively looking at the value of something in line with your priorities. Your cruising priorities do not make you better than anybody else despite what your cruise waiter may have told you.

We live in a credit card society - I would argue even a luxury brand will take your unwashed masses if they can scrape together the money. There have been the same issues on DCL as any of the other lines, people just don't like to admit it. I'll never get why some people need to puff up and pretend they are better than others due to x. Unless it is because you are a kind person able to treat /everyone/ with respect and a friendly smile I will maintain no awe for you. I obviously haven't reached that zen like state yet, but I am trying...

Don't want to derail this thread, but this argument reminds me of the iPhone fanatics. You're paying for the polish of a Disney cruise, but if you really examine what you're getting for your money, its actually not much better than any other cruise and in some cases less fully featured. But we'll agree to disagree since its all opinion. There's no denying that Disney more than just a bit more expensive in most cases.

Oh, at least some of us know very well that its the polish we're buying. I use an iPhone since I use a mac at work and home - they all play nicely and iOS is familiar to me. I don't think its inherently better, just better for ME. Same with Disney - to be crass because its the best analogy I can think of at present: I'm buying this pig over the other pigs for its makeup, and I know it.

 

[gismo1554]

I still don't see why they couldn't just limit the alcohol that could be brought onboard as there "bring as much as you can carry" was a bit mad. I agree that I see the option of bringing my own rum (which to be fair isn't one that's available onboard) as part of the appeal. It helps me save money elsewhere and allows me to drink something I would actually like to drink rather than the limited choice on offer. As a solo bringing bottles of wine doesn't appeal as would feel I need to drink all the bottle in one go or have some form of storage option which means more luggage. I just think this is quite a rash decision and not really founded on anything as I have never noticed big hoards of drunk people which I have noticed on other cruise ships that don't allow alcohol to be brought onboard.

 

[FLVacationGirl]

Ditto - I wasn't planning on bringing more than one small bottle of an after-dinner liqueur to add to a cup of coffee and sit on my balcony - and my next cruise is before the cut-off. I come from a family of BIG drinkers - I'm often made fun of for drinking so little - so I'm not stamping my foot because I can't get my drunk on. It's simply another sign of taking little things away to increase the bottom line. I wasn't going to bring something for a character to sign ... that's gone now and it's sad. I wasn't going to order gifts to the cabin - but I can see people being disappointed that you can't use outside vendors. I haven't yet gone in a pool or hot-tub after 10:00pm - but there are people that do. ALL of this together is the nickle and dime-ing the little pleasures away. The same thing seems to have happened over the years at WDW.

People need to stop judging the disappointment of others. Most of us don't think this is the end of the world... it's just the end of a little bright light that made us happy.

Very well said!

 

[FLpixie]

I spent my lunch hour looking for cruises on other non-smoking lines for next summer, due to this rule change.

I'd love to know - what other cruise lines are non-smoking? I saw Celebrity mentioned but any others?

Ok why would I not be allowed to bring coolers on like Smirnoff Ice? It @ the same alcohol content as beer? That is normally what I drink if I do drink.

Smirnoff Ice is a cooler with Average 4.5% alcohol content. So it is in the same category as a beer if you are looking for alcohol content per bottle. They should allow coolers. Since many gals like Smirnoff ice instead of beer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smirnoff

We tend to drink hard cider or hard root beer - both of which won't be allowed under this new policy. Very frustrating!

And they're allowing you to restock in port, meaning that on all but the longest cruises, this still amounts to about a bottle of wine a day for adults.
It saddens me that people might be so dependent on alcohol to enjoy their cruise that they might completely cancel it due to being restricted.

Many people have said this to you but I have to add my two cents as well. It's the culmination of many perks going the way of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride that is causing the thought of cancellation and no longer using DCL.

Really? You think that's what this is about? Okay, let's try this another way:
Yesterday, DCL announced that it will now cease providing free buffet on its ships. It seems that people were abusing their generous all you can eat policy. Also, people were carrying their food all over the ship, making a mess and disturbing other guests. Plus, obviously, Disney was losing money on these folks. It's not like you can't get buffet, you just have to go to Palo and pay their cover charge. You can't complain, DCL can change any of its policies on a moment's notice. And it's just too bad that you may have planned your vacation budget not to include paying for lunches or any food on Castaway Cay.
It saddens me that some people (I won't say it out loud in my post, but I'm particularly accusing the overweight ones) are so dependent on their food fix that they might consider cancelling their cruise because of something like this.

THIS. So much this! Excellent way to put it across in a way that some others might actually understand and not think that everyone who is upset about the change in policy is an alcoholic.

Looking at all the different cruise line's alcohol policy, DCL is right in line with most of the other cruise lines with many not allowing any alcohol brought on board at all. Is Disney a bit more expensive than some other cruise lines, yes. However, Disney also offers a whole lot more than other cruise lines, especially where I am concerned. I don't gamble (I just have other ways I like to spend my money) and don't even play BINGO on board. Disney has so many other things that are far more exciting than other ships. And I'm an adult with adult children. I still love meeting characters, going to Disney-themed shows, doing tours of the ship, playing silly games, watching movies in the pool, and enjoying sitting on my verandah having a cup of tea while I knit.
I'm not opposed to drinking. I have a few drinks each day while at sea. (Usually the daily drink and one with dinner or after dinner in one of the lounges). It's *part* of the experience of being on vacation, but not *the* reason to go on vacation.

There is nothing you mentioned in these perks that you can't find on other cruise lines (except Disney-themed shows - which, in my opinion, are not all that good compared to the shows on other lines). We don't gamble or play BINGO either - but I'm not against other people having that opportunity so it keeps them busy and makes the areas I want to be in (like libraries for example - which Disney Magic doesn't have), much less crowded.

And Disney is MUCH more than a "bit" more expensive. My DH is a cast member and even with those discounted rates, it is still much cheaper for us to sail on other cruise lines. Norwegian is up next for us and their amenities (as far as activities) are so much better than Disney's same old same old.

Does Disney do some things better? Certainly. We were discussing that on our Carnival cruise this summer. On a Disney ship you would never see the paint slopped on the windows when the outside of the ship had been repainted. It may have been there - but the guest wouldn't see it as it would be covered with some sort of appropriate decor.

Quick question - Has anyone actually heard from DCL about this? I have a cruise booked for November (less than 90 days). I haven't received anything from them about this policy change. I can only imagine what the check-in/security line at PC is going to look like with everyone having to empty out their carry-on alcohol stashes! Not everyone is aware of the DIS!

It's on their website. It will most likely be in your cruise docs as well.

 

[AquaDame]

It's on their website. It will most likely be in your cruise docs as well.

Which is oh so conveniently sent out AFTER the PIF date.

 

[ptcbass]

Ditto - I wasn't planning on bringing more than one small bottle of an after-dinner liqueur to add to a cup of coffee and sit on my balcony - and my next cruise is before the cut-off. I come from a family of BIG drinkers - I'm often made fun of for drinking so little - so I'm not stamping my foot because I can't get my drunk on. It's simply another sign of taking little things away to increase the bottom line. I wasn't going to bring something for a character to sign ... that's gone now and it's sad. I wasn't going to order gifts to the cabin - but I can see people being disappointed that you can't use outside vendors. I haven't yet gone in a pool or hot-tub after 10:00pm - but there are people that do. ALL of this together is the nickle and dime-ing the little pleasures away. The same thing seems to have happened over the years at WDW.

People need to stop judging the disappointment of others. Most of us don't think this is the end of the world... it's just the end of a little bright light that made us happy.

Exactly. I usually only bring a mini bottle (or two) to add to some coffee or coke in my room in the afternoons. I am upset because a nice "perk" is being taken away again. The more they get rid of the more they are just setting themselves up to be more like the other cruise lines instead of standing apart from them. Sad really.

 

[starvenger]

OK, I guess i might as well throw my hat into the fray. First off, full disclosure, we almost always bring one bottle of Bailey's Irish (15 cruises to date) with us when we cruise. Like many others, we enjoy sitting on our verandah having a night cap & just kicking back. But all in all, for us this change will have no impact. That being said, in my opinion (as well as many others), the effective date of the new policy is not very "Guest" friendly, to say the least.

Personally, I think DCL should have given the those folks who have paid in full the option to Cancel & get a Full Refund or give them an OBC of say $100 to $200 per adult to be used for "drinks only" (similar to the $50 OBC for paying with Disney Visa).

Now for the others who have cruises booked outside the PIF date, if you all feel that Strongly, then you should Cancel your cruise & get your deposit back. Then make sure you send e-mails to Karl Holz noting your reason (the change in the carry-on alcohol policy) for cancellation. I think letters & e-mails are ok, but if DCL gets enough actual hard ancellations it just might get the message across. Cheers....

Since realistically I'm not going to cancel my cruise I would be happy with OBC. I did send off an email and mentioned "compensation" which might carry a bit more weight (doubt it) but we shall see.

In the meantime, my cynical side laments being able to bring a nice Scotch aboard (I live in Canada so I would've made use of the Duty Free), and my optimistic side realizes that I can still bring a case of beer on board - just not all at the same time.

 

[Hamitchell]

Who wants to schlepp 2 bottles of wine and 6 beers at each port? I have enough junk my wife and kids carry around on port days.

 

[darkwing818]

I doubt it has anything to do with abuse. They want to make more money on liquor sales. Plain and simple.

How do you think they are going to pay for all of the Future Changes to DHS, announced at D23 this weekend?

 

[NancyIL]

As a non-drinker, neither DCL's previously-liberal alcohol policy nor it's restrictive policy effective Sept. 30 has an effect on whether or not I choose to sail with DCL. However, having experienced Disney's entertainment cuts at Epcot, in particular the letting go of Off Kilter (and 3 other groups) last September, I can empathize with many about this loss of a perk - especially with such limited notice. No one wants to hear, "I didn't like that any way, so I don't care."

Some who are really upset about Off Kilter's departure have limited or cancelled future WDW trips. There may be some Disney cruisers who decide the policy change is the last straw, and cut back on future DCL cruises. Sometimes emails, letters, and phone calls make a difference - as it did when DCL tried to limit alcohol brought onboard a few years ago. Other times the complaints fall on deaf ears (i.e., the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island). By all means DO let the powers that be at Disney know what you think about this policy change. However, if DCL is firm about its decision, then it's up to each of you to decide if the new policy is a deal breaker.

 

[starvenger]

Who wants to schlepp 2 bottles of wine and 6 beers at each port? I have enough junk my wife and kids carry around on port days.

I'm not saying that I will, but I know that the option is there. But I would much rather be able to bring a bottle of liquor.

 

[NEM]

I got an email from travel agent today outlining the policy for our upcoming cruise in early Oct. Not happy about it at all...after my PIF date. Not that I would have cancelled, but agree with those that it was indeed a perk important to some (and to me)... We have a saying in my business that you did not "change things" 50% as to make something significantly different, but you "changed things" 1% - 50 times...if you keep getting "them" used to 1% changes...over time you look up and things are very very different...and not in a good way. Not sure how this affects our future cruising, but we are definitely looking in to Oasis of the Seas for next year...may be time to see how far the dollar/experience really does go outside the DCL...very disappointing...feeling blah about our October cruise at the moment...

And the canned response of "in line with industry standard" is so out of line with the Walt Disney philosophy to 100% not be like everything else out there. Horrible stance to take...

I have written my opposition, not hopeful. If it had to be done, it should have had a start date outside the PIF cancellation window... people still would have not been happy, but they would have had a choice with full information. Definitely not a good customer service move.