DCL to get rid of Placeholder Booking Perks?

[Delodcl]

I like many others are disappointed that Disney decided to do away with the OBC. It’s surely a trend that does not make people happy. As a matter of fact, they seem to devalue their loyal base more and more. I have watched over the years, extra perks disappear that set apart the Disney Brand. What I would suggest is for people to write to Disney and voice your displeasure in yet one more of those disappearing perks. I have written and while I am sure I will get the standard form letter back, It probably won’t change their decision, but at least I have voiced my opinion. Maybe if enough people say something....

 

[insureman]

I'm not even angry about this, just disappointed and a little sad that Disney is chipping away at the things that make it special. It's getting to the point where we can't justify the cost for just another average cruise line.

 

[Corwin]

Honestly, the thing I am most irked about is service. I would be fine with all these "little" things going away if the CMs were still being well taken care of, happy, and in return, provided superior service to guests. Good service, provided by humans should cost a premium, and I'm happy to pay for it, but the sad reality is, that's just not the case any more. It's been on the decline for years in the parks, and part of the reason why we cruised was because for a while there, the good, magical service that Disney is known for remained on DCL. Our cruise, on the Wonder last year made it very clear that the demoralization of CMs that'd hit the parks finally made it to DCL. Our poor servers seemed so disenchanted, and unhappy (through their smiling facades.) One of them kept to himself about it, just working through it with a grin, knowing he had to do the job with a smile, but it was a stark difference from the first time we cruised with DCL, on the Dream. The other server was more candid about it, and the stories she told me made me so sad, and realized that Disney isn't a premium product any more. It's become...common. Common in huge corporations where workers are just low men on the totem pole, rather than respected. It's something that the DisUnplugged crew discussed in this week's episode, so in a way, I'm glad I'm not the only one noticing it, but I'm sad it's happening to a company I've grown to love and respected. And it wasn't just the serving team either. The entire vibe of the crew just seemed off the whole time. They lacked energy, enthusiasm, and at the risk of sounding cliche...magical. There were other issues that arose, big enough for me to write DCL about it afterward, and their response to it was surprisingly bad.

You know, I'm wondering (no pun intended) if these problems are (currently, at least) specific to the Wonder. We've had one disappointing experience on a DCL ship in recent years, and it was on the Wonder. I posted about it here.

If this is true, I hope things improve. We are planning an Alaska cruise in 2020.

 

[squirk]

DCL does not care about repeat cruisers. It’s as simple as that.

As long as the demand is there, it’s far easier and cheaper to cut perks and just recruit “fresh” families who never know the lost perks ever existed in the first place.

After a few years, I’m guessing the bulk of DCL cruisers will never even know you used to get OBC when rebooking on-board.

 

[TestingH2O]

Are you allowed to say what perks DU gives? My AAA agent said DCL cut way back for TAs a few years back so all she can offer me for my booking (2 family verandah cabins on a 4-night cruise) is a "courtesy" $50 OBC per cabin. Just wondered if this is in line with what other TAs offer.

We use small world vacations and their perks are the same as DU.

The first DCL cruise we took was for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. My parents treated us all as part of the celebration. It was 3 concierge level cabins. When it came time to book, I urged him to use either DU or small world but he insisted on using AAA. Let's just say he's followed my advice ever since. Our agent had no idea what concierge benefits were, had the luggage tags delivered to her and almost forgot to give them to us, didn't know dining rotations etc. And when I finally got him to understand the OBC benefits of another agency, he asked her about it and she gave a total of $100 for the 3 rooms. Again, those were 3 concierge level rooms!

Anyway, the point of the story is that I would not recommend using AAA for DCL. If you're going to use a TA, use one that makes it worth it.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

A little off topic, but this announcement also showed up today:

WALT DISNEY WORLD NEWS TODAY:

“For those of you who enjoy the convenience of using Instacart or Amazon Prime to deliver groceries and other last-minute necessities (lookin’ at you, phone chargers) to your Disney resort hotel room, as well as essentials like strollers and ECVs or other mobility devices, you will now have to budget in additional vacation time to retrieve your goods, as Resort Bell Services is no longer holding goods for guest pick-up or in-room delivery. Drop-off or pick-up of items prior or after guest arrival will also no longer be permitted.”

https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...r-accept-deliveries-at-disney-hotels.3771744/
Guess mailing packages to ourselves isn't going to happen any longer. Unless you mail it the day you fly down, and are there to receive it when it gets there.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

It is disappointing that they keep dropping perks. It is also disappointing, if it is true, that concierge still gets it. I have moved on to Viking where everyone is treated equal. I thought the day of the Titanic was over.

 

[Mommb]

It is also disappointing, if it is true, that concierge still gets it. I have moved on to Viking where everyone is treated equal. I thought the day of the Titanic was over.

Passengers sailing Concierge may still get an onboard credit for a booking made onboard, but they will not (and haven’t, at least for many years) get the 10% discount on their fare. So, the “reward” for onboard booking is actually less for Concierge than for non-Concierge rooms.

 

[DisUniversal]

The OBC typically went towards additional gratuities. Guess what the first thing shaved from the budget is going to be?

 

[Delodcl]

We just recently sailed the Wonder in Alaska and I agree with you. We have sailed on all 4 ships and this was the least friendly crew we have ever encountered. We have always increased the gratuities for all of our tipped crew in our prior cruises. This time, while most of them were adequate, none of them were special. Our assistant server was absent most of the time and we could never figure out where he was. Our server ended up doing double work which resulted in a few mistakes and our food was usually cold because she had to clear all the plates, give us our new silverwear, refill our drinks, etc because the assistant server was MIA. Our room steward was fine, but he cut some corners that we know other stewards always do. I appreciate their hard work, but yet again, nothing special. The biggest thing we noticed was the lack of friendliness of the crew in general. We were the last sailing before drydock, so maybe they were tired, or for some of them, ready to be on vacation. It was just not something we typically experience on Disney. It was noticeably different. We usually sail the Dream and Fantasy and there was a difference to us. I surely don’t want to sound like it was bad, because there were some crew that were outstanding, but overall, we found the other ships to be friendlier. Just my 2 cents, others may have experienced something different.

 

[Ravenne]

You know, I'm wondering (no pun intended) if these problems are (currently, at least) specific to the Wonder. We've had one disappointing experience on a DCL ship in recent years, and it was on the Wonder. I posted about it here.

If this is true, I hope things improve. We are planning an Alaska cruise in 2020.

We just recently sailed the Wonder in Alaska and I agree with you. We have sailed on all 4 ships and this was the least friendly crew we have ever encountered. We have always increased the gratuities for all of our tipped crew in our prior cruises. This time, while most of them were adequate, none of them were special. Our assistant server was absent most of the time and we could never figure out where he was. Our server ended up doing double work which resulted in a few mistakes and our food was usually cold because she had to clear all the plates, give us our new silverwear, refill our drinks, etc because the assistant server was MIA. Our room steward was fine, but he cut some corners that we know other stewards always do. I appreciate their hard work, but yet again, nothing special. The biggest thing we noticed was the lack of friendliness of the crew in general. We were the last sailing before drydock, so maybe they were tired, or for some of them, ready to be on vacation. It was just not something we typically experience on Disney. It was noticeably different. We usually sail the Dream and Fantasy and there was a difference to us. I surely don’t want to sound like it was bad, because there were some crew that were outstanding, but overall, we found the other ships to be friendlier. Just my 2 cents, others may have experienced something different.

I'd like to think it was, but I'm lead to believe it's not specific to the Wonder, but more of a company-wide norm. When I contacted DCL about the issue I had onboard, I got a very brief email simply letting me know it was being escalated. None of the frontline CMs attempted to touch my email. They must've felt it was serious enough for them to take it straight to management. A CM with the management team called to discuss the issue with me, and long story short, she was rude, unwilling to listen, help, or assume any sort of responsibility, even when I pointed out that the crew are visibly unhappy. Really, all I wanted and hoped to accomplish with my email was to inform them that things were not up to standards on the Wonder, I hope they work on it to improve, and I said as much, several times. (I also wrote about it on my feedback card before disembarking.) It's notorious the resolution to complaints in the parks is to offer FPs to assuage guests, this CM wouldn't have offered them even if she could. It ended up being escalated above her to get anyone to even listen.

With that said, I'm sad to read that things haven't improved on the Wonder, but hopeful that maybe it IS just on that ship and things will be better on the Dream.

DCL does not care about repeat cruisers. It’s as simple as that.

As long as the demand is there, it’s far easier and cheaper to cut perks and just recruit “fresh” families who never know the lost perks ever existed in the first place.

After a few years, I’m guessing the bulk of DCL cruisers will never even know you used to get OBC when rebooking on-board.

It doesn't seem Disney cares about repeat guests, period. Look at parks APs. That last price increase was hell, and they don't even get 60 day FPs. What kind of treatment is that for some of your most loyal customers?

 

[FebruaryFilly]

This sounds like it has 100% to do with the new ships - the first of which should be available to book within a year. They figure there will be so much demand for the new ships, they can cut the OBC perk.

Another short-sighted cash grab that will come back to bite them.

The new ships and don't forget about the new private island's opening should also be mixed in there with the new ships rolling out. 2022-2023 will be ramping up demand compared to these same ol' same ol' destinations so I agree with you: they'll cut a perk here, diminish a bounce back there. ✂

 

[CM Dad]

Booking a second room for friends / family. You are on the ship you book a room for yourself and a second for a friend or family member. Both used to get the 10% discount as long as you traveled together on the future cruise.

Not quite true. You could book a second for friend or family and still get the full benefits of OBB for both, as long as they were used for the same future cruise. On one cruise, we booked 3 staterooms. Two got the full benefits, and the 3rd got the friends and family benefit, which was just the OBC

 

[CM Dad]

In the future, if you book a cruise (or get a new placeholder and later convert to a cruise) that is on a blackout date, do you not get any benefit? Or since you don't get the 10% discount on them, do you get OBC?

 

[Garyjames220]

In the future, if you book a cruise (or get a new placeholder and later convert to a cruise) that is on a blackout date, do you not get any benefit? Or since you don't get the 10% discount on them, do you get OBC?

No u get nothing

 

[CM Dad]

No u get nothing

In the past, I believe you would get the OBC. Since they apparently still give OBC for friends and family, I was wondering if a blackout date would be treated the same.

 

[Garyjames220]

In the past, I believe you would get the OBC. Since they apparently still give OBC for friends and family, I was wondering if a blackout date would be treated the same.

I see what u mean

Mybe someone else would be able to confirm this

 

[heggy]

DW and I are on the October 28th sailing on the Dream.
With the revised onboard booking promotion occurring October 30, guessing there will be lots of activity October 28th and 29th.
Family is planning to book 2 rooms for a cruise during DD winter break. DW and I plan to give DD and her best friend the OBC. DD(age 17) is working hard to earn\save money and pay for the cruise herself. Talking about a proud parent moment when DD told me she wanted the cheapest cabin available since she was paying.
Hope there are plenty of servers hanging around the desk October 28th and 29th. Business should be good. Not so much on October 30 and after.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We were on the Wonder last month and I debated waiting until we are on the Magic to get a placeholder - glad I got one last month! And both of our cruises in 2020 were booked with placeholders so at least that's 3 more cruises that have OBC.But boy oh boy.....what is next to go, eh?

We too are glad that we booked next year’s EBTA just last week while on the WBTA! We had $200 OBC, from DCL on that one for booking it while on board, and $300 OBC from Atlas travel the TA we used for that one.

We have found that TA’s OBC offerings vary wildly!

Meanwhile, I am still happy that DCL does not charge for room service. We have enjoyed that little perk on DCL and I get annoyed paying for it on other lines.

 

[heggy]

Meanwhile, I am still happy that DCL does not charge for room service. We have enjoyed that little perk on DCL and I get annoyed paying for it on other lines.

Hush. The mouse has ears everywhere and does not need any new suggestions.