I am very Disappointed with the Disney Cruise line. My husband, myself, my 3 year old daughter Madyson, My sister and brother - in law, with their 3 children, as well as my parents decided to take a wonderful Disney cruise in October.
The trip started off great until the night my sister and I entrusted the Disney Nursery program to watch our 2 children. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, this is called " Flounders Reef Nursery" they watch your children for you for $6.00 an hour if they are under 3 years of age. At that time a couple months back my daughter was 2 1/2 as well as my nephew being 2 1/2. My sister put her other children in the older kids program as we went to the restaurant for adults only that they have aboard the ship.
We signed up in advance for a 2 hour time slot for our children to be watched while we attended dinner. We went to drop the children off and were met by a couple of young girls on their staff who asked if we were leaving any juice or snacks for the children to have, my sister and I both left juice and snacks for our children. We attended a lovely adult dinner and finished up alittle early and decided to head down and get the kids to make it to the show (this was our last night on the boat)
When we arrived at the nursery my nephew was standing at the half door they have to get in and out of the nursery eagerly awaiting our arrival. Let me back track a bit, when you step into flounders reef Nursery there is a desk where someone is supposed to be seated and I say that term loosely. Each time we went, no one was seated in that spot. My sister was able to just bend down and scoop my nephew us into her arms at the half door next to the desk.
When we got there to pick the children up there were adults and kids mulling around out front looking in the glass window and near the half door. Anyway, I was looking in and the middle room where the kids were and 3 teachers were, was well lit. There were other door ways that the lights were off but the doors were open. I was told they open them if they get busy.
Well, after my sister scooped up her son, I glanced the room and did not see my daughter anywhere. I turned and looked at my husband in sheer fright and panick and said, why don't I see her anywhere? My husbands eyes grew wide as well as the rest of my family! I then looked at the girl and asked the where abouts of my daughter? She started to look around and call her name!
The panic and FEAR that ran through me still makes me shake till this day. I started to get freaked out and opend the half door and came in the room following the girl who became frantic herself as she was looking for my daighter. She went running into each of the other dark rooms attachted to the room everyone was in turning on the lights and opening the cabinets.
I turned to my husband and dropped my bag kicked off my shoes and my knees went weak and my legs felt like jelly. I was shaking. I followed the girl from room to room as she assured me that they would find her! I followed her into he Oceanears Club with the older kids and as soon as we opened the doors it is a huge area filled with families and children. I saw her go over to a huge desk with a couple counselers at it and she was talking to the guy sitting at it and I saw him shake his head no, I started screaming and cying throughout the room above the noise as the tears rolled down my cheaks "my little girl is gone, help me, help me please" I was begging for someone to return her or find her.
Now at least 10 minutes had gone by and and nothing, I turned and ran back to my husband and I was overwhelmed and lost and I said" SHE IS GONE, SHE IS GONE, PLEASE, PLEASE, WHERE IS SHE?" Other mothers on the ship were starting to get concerned, just then I heard my sister yell my name, they had found her in the nursery. She had hidden under a little toy ladder in some plastic toy and she was sitting there crying.
Actually my nephew told my sister that she was under there. She was scared and crying. We still don't know how long she was under there as to no one even knew she was missing till I came to pick her up. I ran back and grabbed her in my arms and they appologized and handed me her belongings. We tried to go to the show and jusy were to upset to see the least. All of us were still in this state of fear.
We returned to our room and had a call on the phone in the room apologizing and were told we would not be charged for the childcare for my duaghter and nephew. We calmed oursleves and discussed how this could have been a terrible traggedy, and we thanked god we had her back in our arms. I then noticed that the snacks and juice we gave her was still full and they must have never offered it to her becuase they were untouched. We decided to go down and speak to the manegment.
Well, we met with a couple different peolpe and were told that we need to understand that they don't provide one on one child care, we were astonished to say the least. They did not know the where abouts of our 3 year old for a good 10-15 minutes and they call that watching her. We were all very dissappointed to say the least. We were also told they were not going to charge for the child care and I told them, of course you can't charge us, you weren't watching her, how could you charge me for something you were supposed to be doing and weren't. Anyway, we were told that they would be talked to about this event.
When we returned home my husband I thought that was not good enough and this program needs to change. We think now back to it and anyone could have walked up to that gate and taken our kid, she was hiding in this toy right next to the half door.
So my point was if no one saw her go under there and hide and no one realized she was gone, for all they knew, someone could have walked away with her. Also they have no plan put in place for a missing child, at least they didnt; know what to do when they thought she was missing. Just 1 young girl from the nursery running around frantically while the other 2 stayed and watched the otehr children. She never called anyone to enact some kind of alert or search.
To me this seems as if it leaves us all so vulnerable for trouble when we entrust our children to such a group of people who pride themselves in children entertainment. I mean this is Disney, the children are what makes them. It is just crazy to think that they don't have the childs best interest at heart. Anyway, when we got home I called the disney office a couple times and made reports and I was ignored each time.
Finally the 3rd time I spoke with a woman who told me that she was going to personally walk the report she took from me over to her supervisor. Well, she must have becasue a couple weeks later I received a letter apologizig and was told we can't offer you anything at this point and we refunded you childcare expense. I still have that letter and I think how ridiculous that is. How about, we are going to make some changes and make sure every kid is safe and how about we ruined your cruise that you paid a fortune for and will refund you for the night we ruined. Not to mention, they should have called me to speak to me personally.
Well, anyway, all said and done I am going to be searching for a lawyer to check our legal rights because I think they need to make some changes before this happens to someone elses child and the outcome is not as good. I just want everyone to be aware of this situation and don't trust your children to anyone not even the Disney Cruise Line.
I will never forget the FEAR, ANXIETY that ran through my body that day, not knowing if my daugheter was taken or climbed over the railing, who knows. (She was 2 1/2 and they are climbers especially on railings) My husband thought for sure she went over board, I thought someone took her. I hope no one ever has to feel that pain and 15 minutes does not sound long, but when your kid is missing, it is an eternity. You think if your kid is missing on a boat, what do you do? My point is, they hadn't at that time and I doubt they have one today, a missing kids plan.
PLease again just because they are DISNEY, BEWARE. THEY were not very nice about the situation on the boat either after it happened.
Stephanie
Orlando, Florida
U.S.A.
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