Ah Tony, what a kind person you are, a drink for every one, thats 1600 in total at £3.50 per head, ooohh that a lot of dosh, no wonder you need the money ??
All mine is tied up in plaster of Paris, I feel the need to get plastered, my pain killer aint working, might pinch some of Phils medication see if that helps.
Night all.

Dave

PS mind tony it could be worse, some people may take it that you are buying all 40,000 participants a drink ??? depending on the small print and how you interpret it of course ??

Hi Dogleap,

Just when we start to get a trifle complacent, what happens?

He did not seem aware that I had a cruise insisting they had no record of my passport. More problems with the databases

Perhaps they are using a Call Centre to call us or was it your travel consultant?

hi all
The News of the World are advertising cruises on MSC Lirica today from £499-£649 May to November. Hopefully they'll pull in a few more Brits, I wonder if any more of us will be allocated these ships this year?

Guys surely you remember that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. Many posts ago on the previous forum we had this problem, remember the dreaded phone calls telling us that the cruise had been cancelled, when what they meant was that the Louis cruise was not going ahead. They were working from different databases then.

Dizzy

There is a half-page feature article in today's Daily Telegraph, Travel Supplement concerning Rise Travel and E & J Gallo free flight offer. It is a diary of frustrating events experienced by the writer in his attempt to obtain his free airline ticket.

It is so familiar that you could substitute the word 'cruise'......

Rise travel and it's various employees are mentioned by name - some we know - it's like reading about old friends!! (well, perhaps not)......

All the usual excuses and broken promises are given. He was expecting a free flight to USA and at one point was offered a flight to Boston in late January returning in mid February. Via Iceland

Now you know which newspaper I really read ..... only bought the Express for the offer. I don't suppose MKM's reader profile assessment allowed for that sort of applicant. I think I am probably a one-off...... :):that does not need a response, thank you!!

The illustration which accompanies the article could definitely be one of us. It portrays someone at their computer gazing longingly at a picture of a plane (substitute cruise ship) with the obligatory bottle of wine at his side.

I have just been trawling a few pages trying to work out whats happened

Have you lot been driven mad by Rise? Garden cruises??? Plaster of Paris??

Think this is going to take me a while to fathem out where this all started although i'm a little scared to do so!

I think I am probably a one-off...... :that does not need a response, thank you!!

..............................................
Alii..............it has all gone pear-shaped since Phil went away. I`ve tried to be sensible...........not very hard, admittedly.............but the band of whackos just keeps growing.

Unlike the list of new people with confirmed cruises.

..........hang on, here`s one for Phil........ ...and...... ........

Perhaps the Telegraph should be updated on the progress of the DE/Rise/MKM performances to date if they are willing to do half a page on the flight `offer`...........this one should get a whole supplement!

Got that out of my system now!

I've tried to be sensible

Tony, you have my sympathy....... It's difficult to maintain. I submit a couple of 'normal' posts and then I just can't help myself.

Has anyone a cure?
Alli

I can occasionally be sensible, and so I have just had a look at the report Dennis did on his cruise on the Sinfonia, which sounds really great. If the Melody is as good as that I shall be delighted. I never drink coke as it ruins good whisky, so it doesn't matter to me whether or not I can fit bottles in the fridge. The only problem is that with all that food on offer I will need a whole new wardrobe when I get back.

Tony, I won't be bringing the guitars or drum set with me as I'm only a poor weak woman and couldn't carry them, added to which I couldn't afford the charge for extra baggage

Dave - I'll answer you once I get your bank details (see my original Offer).

Allisu - your geography is VERY impressive - as for the rest, I'll have to consult my solicitors before I respond. At present I'm having difficulty finding new ones who are willing to accept my T&Cs.

Cardiff girl - don't worry, there's plenty of time to find yourself a rich beau.

Alii - good luck, and do give us regular updates on your thoughts along the way. Or maybe you'd rather keep them private for fear of being taken to court by lots of irate HT-ers.



Fay's Intrepid Enterprises Anonymous

I was surprised when I was not asked for passport and insurance details for the MSC cruise. I just assumed they already had details. I have written confirmation from R plus E-tickets for BA and I am definitely booked on the flight for 30th May. Having just read the confirmation again, it says that a rep from MSC will be at the airport. I hope he/she speaks English.

I had better check anyway as I have a new passport and I don't know which number I gave them.

Maureen H

hi
i too have a new passport no. number which i didnt get until i had my cruise confirmed. when booking i informed the rep that i was renewing my passport therefore would have a new number and I was told that is was ok as long as i had a valid passport at the time of travel.
please please dont tell me that im going to have trouble now.
as it is i have just sent my passport off for identification cos i was being lazy in producing another form.
ann

Was it this thread where people were talking about renewing passpots on-line?

Mine runs out Feb 06 and I like the idea of renewing it on-line but what happens to the old passport? Do you have to send it back? If not, is it still valid for the length of time left? Could you be in possession of two valid passports for 6 months?



If I'm ever in Manchester I will most certainly take a trip on the MSC Irene or whatever she is called.

Hi Jennie, I renewed my passport on line a couple of months ago as my old one was due to expire in May. I can't remember the link, but put 'passport' into Google and it will come up. You fill in the form on line, including your debit/credit card number to cover the fee. The Passport Office then send you the form already filled in by them, which you sign and return with two photos and your old passport. If it is a replacement you don't need the form countersigned, nor the photos if you are still recognisable from your old one. Up to 6-9 months outstanding from your old passport is added (I can't remember exactly how many). Your new passport, complete with your facsimile signature is returned to you, as is your old passport which has been cancelled. The whole process took just over a week, mainly because our local photo booth wasn't working so it took a couple of days to get my pic (and no, it wasn't me that broke it). :lol: I hope this will help.

There was a lady on Three Counties Radio today who,a few days ago, had been given the stark options of either sharing with a complete stranger or have a cruise in 2006. After thinking about it she has decided on the latter. So that is one more person who will not be cruising this year.

I don't understand how ANY holiday company can ask ANYBODY to share with a complete stranger. What if he/she decides to kill you?? OK, that may be rather extreme, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. Who would take responsibility for the consequences? If I were in charge of a travel agent, I certainly would be so reckless as to suggest that to anybody. Each time I read on HT that somebody has been offered that, I get more and more horrified.

I have friends I know and trust, but that still doesn't mean I'd like to share with them. I always pay supplements rather than share, even with people I know - arguments can easily develop about what (and when) to watch on tv, whose turn it is to occupy the bathroom, and 1001 other things nobody could think of. That could ruin a holiday completely.

I belong to an interest group - we travel now and then in pursuit of our interest. One lady whom nobody likes, shared last year with someone who had obviously never met her - she simply ignored the obnoxious woman. I felt sorry for her each time I looked at her, as she was having such a miserable time. How do you know you won't get someone like that? The simple answer is ''you don't''.

Fay

One of the presenters on the programme did say she could end up sharing her cabin with a "smelly psychopath". I don't know which of those traits would be worse.

Just in case there are any new people out there who are a bit confused by the humorous postings on this thread, please don't rush away. This is simply our way of coping with the lack of good news regarding more people being allocated cruises! There is only a trickle of new cruises at the moment but then we represent only a very small proportion of the total number of applicants. Post your information here and you will be guaranteed support! Many of us have been successful in getting cruises thanks in the main to the Holidaytruth forum and its members and moderators.

So please don't be shy, tell us your story, happy or sad. Chances are we have heard it before! May I also suggest you go to page one of this thread and read a few pages. This will give you a better idea of what we are really like in serious mode!

Has anybody heard from William71 lately? I just wonder if he wants to remember his cruise for the wonderful experience it was, and not be reminded of the horrors that went before it by keeping updated with all our woes (or maybe the madness!!!!) on this thread?

I've also wondered how I'll feel when I get home - I'll obviously want to update you all with what happened, stay around for a few weeks to answer any questions, etc - but what about afterwards? Will I just want to bask in the warm glow that always hangs around for at least a few weeks, or read more of ''my confirmation STILL hasn't come'' etc? It may be too soon to ask you this, but how do you think you'll feel once you get home???

Fay