Disappointed in my DCL PP
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SouthernBelle · 08-14-2010, 03:31 PM

Mine arrived today, but it is a good thing that I don't need the Travel Worksheet pages 69 and 70. It looks like it has been thru a mangler. The corner of the page was folded over backwards and has multiple holes on the bottom of the page, and since it was folded over, it was not trimmed properly, it has about a 1/2 inch over hang on two sides..... so much for quality control.

I also am quite disappointed at the photos in the book, some of them did not copy well and are very hard to see. Luckily I am not a first time cruiser, but if I was a first time cruiser and wanted to see a good picture of my stateroom, I would be very disappointed.

I was really hoping that this time around and especially after the long wait for the new book that it would be in color. This will most likely be the last time I order a DCL PP.

unewillow · 08-14-2010, 04:25 PM

I am sorry you are not happy with the book you recieved. I would write to Jen or Dave and tell them your issues and see if they will send you a replacement.

**duck addict** · 08-14-2010, 04:32 PM

Sorry

you are not happy. I do know they will replace the defective one. Contact them on Monday (they took a long weekend for once

) by PM or phone.

NanaTink · 08-15-2010, 07:55 AM

I also received my DCL passporter, and also wish the photos were clearer and in color, but my issue is more in how long it took to get it. The delay of the printing process not withstanding, I just got mine yesterday as well, despite preordering it immediately preorders opened and paying for priority shipping.
Wondering if the media mail shipping label under the priority label has anything to do with that. I know people who ordered the same book with media mail shipping got theirs before or at the same time I did.
Unfortunately, my date for booking excursions for our cruise is past.

JKSWonder · 08-15-2010, 09:59 AM

I still haven't received my pre-order DCL 2010 refill yet. If it didn't come by Monday, I was going to send an email. I pre-ordered when that window open and I chose the regular shipping option.

Our time for booking excursions passed two weeks ago, though I did read the online version of the book they released ahead of time to help me with that.

Mostly, I now want the book in the event our cruise ship is re-routed for some reason and I have to make split second decisions about what we would do in the event we miss a port or visit an alternate port. I also do like the pockets in the back of the book. I write down all my plans, confirmation numbers and keep all my written confirmations and cruise docs in there.

ripkensnana · 08-15-2010, 12:00 PM

I was hoping for updated Panama Canal repositioning information. Good thing I have those pages from a previous edition (Deluxe is a "Wonder"ful thing.....)

**Minniemouse27** · 08-15-2010, 12:38 PM

I preordered my refill last spring and have yet to receive it as well.

SouthernBelle · 08-15-2010, 01:38 PM

I just pulled out my DCL PP from 2008 and the pictures in that version are much clearer and crisper..... the highlighted areas are much easier to read also.

Not sure what went wrong with the 2010 version, or perhaps I just got a bad copy all toghether

**HeatherD** · 08-15-2010, 11:41 PM

Have your issues been addressed with Jennifer or Dave? I know that some things are out of their control, but whatever is within their control they will surely attempt to make right....

They are more likely to hear of issues and make steps to rectify if you go directly to them (as Don said - through email or phone or even PM here) rather than on a thread that it might take them a while to get to.

I hope things work out to your satisfaction.

lukeandbrookesmom · 08-16-2010, 06:33 PM

That's disappointing to hear that the quality is so poor - I hope it gets resolved for you! I also hope all you members that preordered receive your books soon

heatherwillmom · 08-16-2010, 06:36 PM

I got my deluxe refill today but I have not opened it yet. I will post after I do

**cjadkins** · 08-17-2010, 07:43 AM

I received my new DCL Passporter and couldn't be happier with it. Sometimes printers have issues and a page or two will go awry- I'm sure Dave and Jennifer would be more than happy to send you a new one with good pages. As for the pictures, I don't see a problem with them. I've flipped thru the whole book and didn't see a single picture that looked fuzzy or that I couldn't see the detail in. I'm sorry you feel yours is of a different quality. IMO Jennifer and Dave had lots of issues trying to get this edition out and given all that they had to deal with, I believe they did the absolute BEST that they could. I applaud their efforts and praise my DCL Passporter!

**Dave Marx** · 08-17-2010, 12:59 PM

I'm sorry your book was defective. Please send me an e-mail or PM with your order info so I can send you a replacement. While there are lots of QC steps taken, it's not practical to inspect the pages of every copy. Overall, defect rates on our books are under 1/10th of 1 percent, or one in a thousand.

As to the reproduction of black and white photos in a paperback book, it's always something of an art. We did switch to a new book printer this year, but we also went to the printing plant to perform a "press check" on the first sheet (32 pages) and covers, and were quite satisfied with what we saw. Still, there are always some photos that are darker and/or have relatively low contrast - that's the way we sent them to the printer, based on what we have to work with with the photos themselves. When those photos repeat in future editions, we try to tweak them so they reproduce better. Still, there's a lot of art in the process.

We'd love to do all our books in color and in the same quality that we do the Walt Disney World guide, but in the quantities we need to print for the DCL book, the cost would be prohibitive. We'd also have to send the job overseas, to printers in Asia who have specialized in doing relatively short press runs of color books. US book printers made the business decision to specialize in high-speed production of black and white books, and they deliver those books at very good quality and at a great price. We're often stuck on the horns of a dilemma, because we are criticized for not printing all our books in the US. While printing overseas enables us to do things we couldn't do economically here in the states (like the many unusual features of our Walt Disney World guidebook), it also adds time delays in production and shipping that make it harder for us to produce a timely book, and adds shipping costs that have to be offset by savings elsewhere. For books like the DCL guide, the number of books we need and schedule considerations just don't add up to doing the book in full color at a price folks would be willing to pay, whether we print here or overseas.

After the DCL books came off the press, we had to do further work to assemble the Deluxe Starter Kits and Deluxe Refill Kits. Rather than delay the paperbacks until the Deluxes were done, we started shipping the paperbacks immediately. We then turned to shipping the Deluxes. As of now, it seems the vast majority of Deluxes have been delivered. Most shipped by August 9, and after that, we get to blame the US Post Office.

However, when I've checked tracking on folks' orders, even Media Mail deliveries to California (which are usually slow) have mostly arrived by now. At this point, our customer support e-mail has swung over from folks wondering where their packages are, to folks whose packages seemed to have gone astray in the mails (tracking shows delivery last week or earlier, but the book isn't in their hands).

I thank all of you for your patience and support. This is a very challenging business in all its varied aspects, and we work very hard to keep you all satisfied. While perfection is not within anyone's reach, it truly hurts when we fall short of that goal.

Thanks for being part of the PassPorter community!