I hope I have been clear that this is not the fault of the CMs on board. They tried their best, but there simply isn't a process in place. They were as shocked as we were. I did not make any negative comments about the staff, nor will I even mention the ship that we were on. I did not even comment negatively on comment cards, because I can honestly say they tried to work with us. Truly, everyone went above and beyond, and the fault lies with whomever is making these decisions without notice to anyone...guests or staff. I simply wish I had notice to make different decision about how to spend my family vacation. I know my kids best, and none of these judgmental questions posted here can change that.And then when a guest is dissatisfied on the cruise the comment or complaint reflects on the poor crew who don’t get a chance to be promoted or maybe even transfer to a ship to be with their significant other while the shoreside decision makers comfortably get things like minimum wage and days off and vacation pay without taking any responsibility for it.
My point in posting was #1 to inform those who may be in similar circumstances so that they may plan accordingly for their own families.
And #2, to process this so that I can send a response to Disney in a clear informative manner, rather than an emotional stress-out mom manner. I don't expect a response, but maybe enough voices will help find a solution...even if it doesn't work for me, at least future cruisers can know what to expect. Really, that's all I wanted...to know what to expect so I could plan accordingly. It's not about my child's maturity or my parenting style, or what you think I should do. It's about letting someone know what to expect when they plan for something as big as a family cruise. This isn't just like a day at the zoo. This is a big deal to most of us. I planned for a long time...6 days is not enough notice for this big of a change.
Thank you to those of you who have actually read my posts and commiserated with me. And an extra special thank you to the CMs that may be here. Without you there would be no magic at all.
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