HEARTBREAK: Flight cancelled - Cruise missed

[mattj009]

The Dream will sail this afternoon (4/17) without our family. We had been planning our trip for a year, and scheduled flights the evening before departure just to be safe. Just to make a terribly long terrible story short, our 6:10 pm flight from BWI kept getting pushed back and back and back because of bad weather. They let us on the plane at 1 am, but the plane did not have a first officer. We waited on board for another hour and 15 minutes before Southwest finally announced the flight had been cancelled.

We spent another 5 1/2 hours at the airport looking for alternative ways to get to Florida - Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa or West Palm Beach - NOTHING was available. No time left to drive. No way to get to Canaveral before the ship departs.

Let this be a lesson to anyone who even thinks about cruising without trip insurance... We didn't have it... And now, our Deck 8 verandah stateroom will sail the next four days without us - but still fully paid for.

John

 

[e_s_jones]

I am so sorry to hear that. I can't imagine a worse travel problem that doesn't include sickness or injury!

 

[shelleyr25]

I am so sorry to hear your news, that is just awful! We flew back home last night from Orlando after a bunch of delays and a horrible flight that ended with ds vomiting for the last half hour of the flight, it was a very rough landing..
That compares nothing to missing your cruise...I feel just horrible for you.

 

[Verandah Man]

So sorry to hear you and your family will be missing your Dream cruise.

 

[LIFERBABE]

So very sorry to hear.

 

[mickeys girl 52]

I am so sorry for you. I can't imagine this happening because I no how excited everyone gets as the time draws near. I just feel so bad for you.

 

[njmom23grls]

I feel so bad for you! Can you call Disney and see if just by chance they can move you into the 3 day portion of this week? Oh I'm so sorry

 

[woody73]

Let this be a lesson to anyone who even thinks about cruising without trip insurance...

Good advice.

Woody

 

[sorul82?]

Is there nothing at all? Can you fly to Nassau? When we were in St. Thomas, there was a couple at our hotel awaiting their cruise ship. Their flight was canceled so they airline flew them to St. Thomas where they joined their cruise in progress.

 

[thechief]

That is why we always go at least 30 hours ahead. Sorry about your situation.
Never trust your airline.

 

[sayhello]

And you even did the right thing and planned to fly in the day before. I'm *SO* sorry this happened to you.

Sayhello

 

[GoofTroop]

So sorry....I can't even imagine how devasted you all are.

 

[debdreamsofdis]

I'm am so sorry that happened to you! Is there any way that Southwest can offer some compensation? I understand the weather is out of their control, but once they let you board and wait on the plane for an hour and 15 minutes because they didn't have an officer, it seems like they should offer you something for that inconvenience. That's time that you could have been using to find alternate transportation.

 

[mattj009]

We are sitting in our family room, kinds stating at each other and trying to figure out how this happened. Ironically - it's a beautiful morning outside. If we had booked air for this morning, we'd be on our way to the port right now.

Imagine going from planning Spring break for a year, and then being home, on vacation, with no budget for vacation because you had it all poured into your cruise.

I did speak with Disney Cruise Line this morning, and while I received profound sympathies, I did not receive anything else - not even a discount on a future cruise... Not that I expected one. It's not Disney's fault I couldn't get there. I was a bit peeved however, that they took all of my money and won't even count the cruise towards the Castaway Club count. That seems a little cheap to me.

Oh - and aside from travel insurance, here's the next lesson... Get a passport. Two in our party had passports, but two did not... and that fact precluded us from possibly joining the ship in Nassau... (Although I'm sure the Nassau airfare would have been cost prohibitive for us anyway...)

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

I am SO sorry to read this.
I can't imagine the disappointment and the frustration.

 

[mattj009]

It looks like Southwest is going to refund my ticket... which is at least a step in the right direction, considering they usually only offer credit. But no - if it's weather related - as this was - that gives airlines an out to offer you nothing.

 

[smb6]

I absolutely cannot imagine how horrible you must feel..... I am SO sorry for you having to endure this experience.... You planned well by planning to fly in the night before; lots of folks go w/out travel insurance and your advice is good, but this just sounds like one of those freak occurances that you certainly could not have predicted.. I think it is crazy that they could not get you onto another flight either sometime over night or this morning; that part is ridiculous and out of the norm....... Do you have children that were suppose to be on the cruise? I can't imagine that for the kids also..... What a horrible experience all around.

 

[goofysgirl]

I am so sorry to hear that this happened to you. I can't imagine how badly you must feel, was there nothing available today to get you into Orlando, Sanford or Tampa? I am truly surprised that Southwest is not doing something to get you there!

 

[Otimon]

My heart goes out to you! So very sad to hear what happened.

 

[genmasjoy]

I am really sorry this happened to you and your family. We live in West Palm Beach and flew home from a vacation on Saturday,through Philadelphia on US Air. The flight was overbooked and they were looking for volunteers to be bumped, and fly the next day. I guess it's so busy because it is Easter week.