Failed Docking at CC

[PrincessShmoo]

I think it most often happens during colder weather, right? Maybe like December through March?

Not necessarily. Looking at the chart in the thread I linked, it shows not much variation month to month:

Code: Month.....# of times scheduled to dock at port CC.....actual # of times docked at CC
Month Magic Wonder Total

Jan.....8-9.....8-8.....16-17
Feb.....5-5.....7-8.....12-13
Mar.....3-3.....5-5.......8-8
Apr......6-6.....7-7.....13-13
May.....7-7.....5-5.....12-12
Jun......5-5.....4-4.......9-9
Jul.......6-6.....3-3.......9-9
Aug......6-6.....4-4.....10-10
Sep......8-8.....7-8.....15-16
Oct......6-6....11-12...17-18
Nov.....4-4......6-6.....10-10
Dec.....5-5......4-4.......9-9

 

[CamColt]

We've missed it once in 22 attempts. We had a bit of a unique situation as we were somewhat prepared.

The afternoon before the Captain made an announcement that we were going full speed ahead to try to get there before a front that was moving in. Then a bit later, we came to a stop. It turned out a "boat" (if you call it that) of Cubans was spotted nearby and we had to stay with them until the Coast Guard arrived. This took hours and as every minute ticked by we lost a little more hope of beating the front. Approximately 3:00/4:00 am we arrived at CC, and a few attempts were made to dock but before we knew it we were heading toward Nassau, where we ended up spending that next day.

Disney did nothing to make it up to us, not that we expected anything. This was out of their control. Of course it was disappointing, especially knowing how much we love it there, and it was going to be our first time running the CC 5K with the then "new" medals (CC specific, not the generic Mickey Winner medals). We made the most of the day and even ran a 5K on the ship on our own. We also found out we could still get the medals so that wasn't a total loss.

I guess the way to look at it is, yes, it stinks and feels like quite a loss, but you are still on a Disney Cruise. It can't be too bad.

 

[Dug720]

I have not missed it yet, but I know that missing it or any port is always a possibility.

On the Fantasy in 2015, we almost didn't make it during Presidents' Week. It was when the Polar Vortex was in full swing in the states and that was resulting in much, much stronger currents in the Caribbean and Bahamas. The day we were in St Maarten I had done an excursion with Soualiga Destinations (Captain Bob Cass), and we had to miss a couple of snorkeling stops because it was too currenty and too close to rocks - and at lunch a couple of the boats almost got stranded on the shore because the waves were big enough to push them further in. So I knew that the possibility existed that we might not make it to Castaway, and I was trying to mentally prepare myself.

Sure enough, I was standing on the aft top deck watching Commodore Tom try his hardest to get us safely in the channel. We were CREEPING sooooooooo slowly it seemed like we were not moving. The longer we were in that virtual stand-still, the more I thought we weren't going to make it. Finally, about an hour after the scheduled all ashore time, the ship sped up as Commodore Tom had gotten us safely into the channel enough he could speed up a little. (I've heard that with pretty much any of the other captains, they would have given up that attempt long before the hour we pretty much sat. Others would likely have circled the island and given it another go or two, then called it.) The morning was pretty miserable on the island - chilly and windy (I have selfies of me in a hammock on Serenity Bay, bundled in a hoodie and a towel wrapped around my legs and feet!) in the morning. It did warm up and the wind die down a little in the afternoon, but by that point I was pretty cold and just packed it in.

So sometimes, as disappointing as it would be, NOT docking in a situation like that would be a blessing - a day at sea being better than a miserably cold day ashore.

 

[lilmc]

So sometimes, as disappointing as it would be, NOT docking in a situation like that would be a blessing - a day at sea being better than a miserably cold day ashore.

We had an “almost missed docking” as well and the morning was *ok*, but the afternoon was cold, windy, and storming. It was our first time, so I was at least glad we were able to go ashore and check things out a bit, but definitely not a good beach day.

 

[lklgoodman]

A double dip, ughhhh, that would be hard because of the price inflation for that extra dip. But ya, it can happen and there is nothing that can be done when it does. I think it most often happens during colder weather, right? Maybe like December through March? I would be heart broken, but would also know that safety does come first. If you do a 4-night vs. a 3-night, you have an extra day to try to dock on the
4-night, correct?

You still may not be able to dock on a 4 night. If another ship is already scheduled at CC, then they won't let the ship that had to miss it dock there. They can only handle one ship at a time. On our cruise we were lucky that no other ship was on the schedule to be there, so we were able to go there on a day that was originally scheduled as a sea day for us. The Fantasy always goes there on Fridays, don't know which days the Dream goes there. Then you have the Wonder and Magic that go there part of the year, so there's only a few days out of the week that doesn't have a ship there part of the year. In the summer only the Fantasy and Dream go there, so that would increase your odds of there being an opening if needed.

 

[SL6827]

You still may not be able to dock on a 4 night. If another ship is already scheduled at CC, then they won't let the ship that had to miss it dock there. They can only handle one ship at a time. On our cruise we were lucky that no other ship was on the schedule to be there, so we were able to go there on a day that was originally scheduled as a sea day for us. The Fantasy always goes there on Fridays, don't know which days the Dream goes there. Then you have the Wonder and Magic that go there part of the year, so there's only a few days out of the week that doesn't have a ship there part of the year. In the summer only the Fantasy and Dream go there, so that would increase your odds of there being an opening if needed.

Ya, that is a good point.

 

[Dug720]

You still may not be able to dock on a 4 night. If another ship is already scheduled at CC, then they won't let the ship that had to miss it dock there. They can only handle one ship at a time. On our cruise we were lucky that no other ship was on the schedule to be there, so we were able to go there on a day that was originally scheduled as a sea day for us. The Fantasy always goes there on Fridays, don't know which days the Dream goes there. Then you have the Wonder and Magic that go there part of the year, so there's only a few days out of the week that doesn't have a ship there part of the year. In the summer only the Fantasy and Dream go there, so that would increase your odds of there being an opening if needed.

Yeah, increased chances for the Dream. But unless they have advance knowledge that it's not going to happen, the Fantasy would be out of luck since it's there on the last day of a cruise. (Obviously when the Fantasy is doing the Nassau Circle run (3- and 4-nights like the Dream does) she might have alternatives too.)

 

[kiford]

I would be on the phone asking for a portion of my money back.

Unfortunately, when you sign your cruise contract you acknowledge that you may not get to all or any of the ports and that you are not entitled to any compensation if it doesn't happen. All cruise lines do this. It's not always possible to dock for any number of reasons.

We nearly once didn't dock at CC - Captain tried a few times and it was clear he was having issues. I finally decided to head back to the stateroom and plan for a day at sea but then heard that they finally docked. It was very windy that day - might have been nicer to have a day at sea - which was why the reason they had trouble docking. We spent a very little time on CC and then headed back to the ship where we could be more protected from the wind.

Once we were scheduled to go to Cozumel but a hurricane had been through recently so we were informed a week before the cruise that they were going to go to Nassau instead. I was very disappointed with that since I'd been to Nassau a couple of times and wasn't terribly interested. When we checked in, we were told that we were going to Costa Maya instead. Our table mates told us that they tried unsuccessfully to get some kind of refund for that. Wasted a half-hour arguing at check-in that they deserved something even when the relevant clauses were pointed out in the contract. My dad even paid hundreds once for shots so that he could go to Devil's Island but they had to skip it due to late arrival and tides. He was disappointed but knew that missing a port is always a possibility so, you just shrug and make the best of the day.

 

[SamFaniam]

A number of years ago we were on the Wonder, I think, although it might’ve been the Magic. This was before the two new ships came on. We were scheduled to spend the day at CC and then have a sea day. Well the CC day was cold and rainy and miserable, so captain said next day we were going back. The second day was beautiful and sunny and warm, so we got really lucky. On the first day we had done the stingray activity, and we got to do it again on the second day for free so that was nice. But now I think there’s a lot of days where a ship is at the island, so it’s harder for the captains to be flexible like that.

 

[lklgoodman]

Yeah, increased chances for the Dream. But unless they have advance knowledge that it's not going to happen, the Fantasy would be out of luck since it's there on the last day of a cruise. (Obviously when the Fantasy is doing the Nassau Circle run (3- and 4-nights like the Dream does) she might have alternatives too.)

Yup, We were VERY lucky that on our cruise it worked out for us. The cruise left on a Sunday. They told us at PC about the change, so before the cruise even started they were able to make it happen, and there was no other ship scheduled at CC on Monday so we were able to go there then. Tues was then changed to a sea day (originally was St Maarten day). If just one of those things hadn't worked like it did, we wouldn't have gotten the extra CC day, we were VERY lucky. I loved going to CC at the beginning and ending of that cruise.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Disney Cruise Line Blog on IG noted today that: "After three attempts to approach the pier, Captain Marco called off docking at Castaway Cay today."

Obviously, safety is paramount and I am certain not docking here was the prudent action. It's in Disney's best interest to have guests enjoy their experience at CC, so I am not in any way, shape, or form questioning the captain's decision.

My question, rather, is how many of you have had this experience where CC has not been a possibility due to weather (or other reason) during your cruise? How did you truly feel about it?

We have not had this experience in more than a half dozen Caribbean cruises, but I do think it would be very disappointing, particularly if this was your first time on DCL and you were really looking forward to CC (and you should be, btw - it's fantastic). I would think this would be true even if you were well aware it was the right decision. If you've been previously, then maybe it's not so disappointing, but if it's your first time there...well, it's typically a very anticipated portion of any Bahamian/Caribbean itinerary that has it scheduled.

Did it dampen your entire feeling about the trip? Was it inconsequential to you? Somewhere in the middle? How did DCL try to "make up" for the unexpected missed stop? How did you/your family adjust?

Have any of you ever cruised on DCL where CC was a part of the itinerary, but they knew before they left Port Canaveral that it would't happen, or is this always a day of decision? Have you ever felt like it might be the wrong decision?

Our first DCL Cruise was on the Dream in 2011 and we were unable to dock at CC because of the weather. We were disappointed at first but then the cast and crew did such an awesome job of planned activities during our unexpected Sea day. We actually fell in love with sea days because of that and book cruises with the most sea days as possible. We ended up being able to get to CC on other cruises but I actually prefer sea days now. I can take or leave CC, doesn’t really matter to me either way.

 

[tvguy]

This hasn’t happened to me, but I think the only time I would be really upset is if I paid for a double dip CC cruise. Those cruises are way more expensive then the average trip that stops once. I would be on the phone asking for a portion of my money back.

If you still have your documents, check them. You agreed to the terms that said that they not only don't guarantee which ports you will stop at, they don't guarantee you will stop at ANY ports.
And they don't even guarantee which ship you will be on. So you can certainly call, but don't expect a penny back from something they have no control over.
Now if there is a mechanical issue on the ship, then you likely will get some compensation.

 

[DCLDVC1]

We would be very disappointed. We would not blame DCL, but we would still be very disappointed. We love Castaway Cay.

Same here. I know it's not DCL's fault but it would ruin the cruise for us.

 

[Poppins2000]

It is sad and disappointing when you miss a port of call. You just have to know that when you cruise with any cruise line, there is always a chance you will miss a port due to weather or other circumstances We have been on 15 Disney cruises and on 3 of those cruises, we have missed docking at Castaway Cay and other ports due to strong winds and/or inclement weather. We live in South Florida and know that winds are a big factor in the Atlantic and Caribbean from December - April. Those 3 times we missed pulling into port happened during those months - all due to windy conditions. It stinks, but I 'll take a windy day at sea on a Disney cruise ship over a great day day work any day!!

 

[mmouse37]

Over the years we have missed a few different ports due to weather. We missed CC a few times. One time we knew beforehand as a hurricane had a direct hit and the island needed a lot of work. Ships were not docking there for several weeks. The other times it was that same day due to high winds or rough seas. We missed Grand Cayman once due to high winds. The Grand Cayman port authority would not let ship anchor in the harbor as the water was too rough for tenders. When people found out you would think their world ended. People were yelling at guest services, threatening the Captain...it was ridiculous how some people acted. More recently we missed a stop in Iceland as there was too much ICE in the water LOL!! We got an extra port in Norway instead.

MJ

 

[Dancing Cuckoo]

My wife and I were on a 7 day Western cruise a couple of years ago. After we left our final port (Jamaica) and before heading to Castaway Cay, we were told by the captain that we could not head in that direction because hurricane Michael was headed towards the east coast. We headed back west and spent another day at Cozumel and then headed back to Port Canaveral. Because of the change, we skipped Castaway Cay but we spent an extra day at sea getting back to port. Our 7 day cruise ended up being an 8 day cruise. Not a bad consolation for missing Castaway Cay, which we had been to multiple times before.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

In 20 Disney cruises, it’s never happened to us. (3 didn’t have CC on the itinerary but 2 were double dips)
I guess we’re lucky but I sure would be disappointed if we could’t stop there.

We have had several Nov cruises with such high winds, all water sports were cancelled. For a while our kids loved the jet ski tour, so when those were cancelled at least we had a refund of several hundred $$.

 

[mary habicht]

Remember if it is that bad that they can't dock then all of the land actives will be canceled anyways. We docked in July but had no land actives other then swimming, eating and spa.

 

[SL6827]

Ya, it can happen, can't be helped, and there is nothing you can do about it. I would be so disappointed but that is just a chance you take with cruising. Where is the other island at they are building up for the guest?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Where is the other island at they are building up for the guest?

South Eleuthera, Bahamas. It's not a whole island, just one of the points on the island.