74 DAYS TO GO . . .

     TUESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2011

     SINCE I TALKED ABOUT MAKING YOUR PAYMENT ON YOUR CRUISE YESTERDAY, TODAY I THOUGHT I'D GIVE A RUNDOWN ON DISNEY CRUISE LINE'S LATEST CANCELLATION POLICY.
     PRETTY MUCH AFTER YOU'VE BOOKED AND PAID, IF YOU CHANGE YOUR DATES OR GUESTS NAMES, DISNEY CONSIDERS IT A CANCELLATION.  WHY?  BECAUSE THERE'S MORE MONEY TO BE MADE ON CANCELLATION FEES THE CLOSER YOU GET TO YOUR CRUISING DATE.  FOR EXAMPLE: 
     74 DAYS DOWN TO 45 DAYS PRIOR TO SAILING - YOU LOSE YOUR DEPOSIT AMOUNT PER GUEST,
     44 DAYS DOWN TO 30 DAYS PRIOR TO SAILING - YOUR CANCELLATION FEE IS 50% OF THE VACATION AMOUNT PER GUEST,
     29 DAYS DOWN TO 15 DAYS PRIOR TO SAILING - YOU LOSE 75% OF YOUR TOTAL VACATION COST PER GUEST,
    AND ANY CANCELLATION WITHIN 14 DAYS OF SAILING - YOU FORFEIT 100% OF YOUR MONEY (ALL) PAID.
     HAVING WORKED IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY MOST OF MY LIFE, I CAN TELL YOU THESE ARE CARVED IN STONE.  EVERYONE, AND I MEAN EVERYONE THAT NEEDS TO CANCEL HAS A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE, AND IT'S ALWAYS TOTALLY UNAVOIDABLE.  AND MORE THAN THAT, YOU WOULD BE AMAZED AT THE PERCENTAGE OF CANCELLATIONS THAT ARE TIED TO A CAR ENGINE THAT THREW A ROD OR A DEATH IN THE FAMILY.  SO WHILE YOU'RE PREPARING THOSE EXCUSES I CAN TELL YOU THE ENGINE THROWN ROD MEANS NOTHING.  CAN'T GET HERE?  GET A RIDE.  TAKE A BUS.  START HITCHING.  DEATH IN THE FAMILY IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS AND WHILE SYMPATHETIC, IF YOU COULDN'T FAX ME THE DEATH CERTIFICATE OF YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER WITH PROOF OF SAME, ALL CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.  SOUNDS TOO HARSH?  IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE A DEATH IN THE FAMILY WHEN IT'S RAINING OR SOME OTHER TERRIBLE WEATHER THAT'S GOING TO KEEP A FAMILY INSIDE THEIR HOTEL ROOM FOR THEIR VACATION.  COUNTLESS!  SO UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE YOU MAY HAVE AN EMERGENCY, FAR TOO MANY HAVE RUINED IT FOR YOU ALREADY BY WANTING A GUARANTEE OF PERFECT WEATHER AND MORE FOR THEIR VACATIONS INSTEAD OF PREPARING TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT NO MATTER WHAT.
     I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT DISNEY, LIKE MYSELF, HAS CERTAIN EXTREMELY SPECIFIC THINGS THAT THEY MAY ACCEPT AS LEGITIMATE EXCUSES WITH VERIFICATION, BUT DON'T COUNT ON IT.  AFTER ALL, THIS IS A BUSINESS, AND EVERY BUSINESS IS IN IT TO MAKE MONEY AND PROTECT THE BOTTOM LINE.  YOU SCREAM AND YELL AND SAY YOU'LL NEVER BE BACK?  WELL THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE WAYS TO GET SOME OF YOUR MONEY, IF YOU KEEP COMING BACK.  IF YOU'RE A LONGTIME CASTAWAY CLUB MEMBER AND HAVE SAILED WITH DISNEY MANY TIMES, THEN YOU PROBABLY HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF NOT LOSING YOUR MONEY THAN SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT.  IF YOU'RE A FIRST TIMER SAYING YOU'LL NEVER COME BACK, YOU NEVER HAVE AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF FIRST TIMERS WAITING TO TAKE YOUR PLACE.  THERE'S NO REAL LOSS THERE.  YOU HAVE TO EARN LOYALTY AND THAT'S WHY DISNEY, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, REWARDS IT.  SO THAT ROUTINE NEVER WORKS.  AND IT ALL HONESTY, IF YOU'RE SCREAMING AND CURSING TO GET YOUR WAY, I DON'T WANT YOU COMING BACK.  COMPLAINERS ARE LIKE CANCER, THEY SPREAD AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, AND YOU NEED TO CUT THEM OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  YOU CATCH MORE BEES WITH HONEY.  THE NICER YOU ARE, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES WILL BE OF GETTING YOUR WAY, OR AT LEAST SOME HELP AND UNDERSTANDING, NO MATTER WHAT.  GOOD LUCK AND . . .
     SEE YA REAL SOON!   ºOº