Maureen

I don't think you should worry

I can't see many schools wanting the responsibility of 24 hours in Ibiza with all it's clubbing connotations. I don't think St. Tropez is a usual school destination either.........

I expect there will be some more DE cruisers on board and I think MSC make an effort to arrange the seating at meal times so you would be with any others.

I am sure you will have a lovely time

Good Afternoon each and everyone, from the balcony.

Sorry not got back to each of you who sent me kind emails, PMs and mentions in the posts.
(sorry Luci & Van) I never post in capitals, do I ?

I got hi-jacked, yesterday (seems as if it were weeks ago) by number 1 (who turned up unannounced, (Cheap Babysitter required - and I fitted the role)
"Well you can't look after yourself, and you are not going down the pub, you'll fall and etc........ So you come and stay with us" (I am)
So I had no choice, - As if I had any choice, in the matter anyhow

Luckly she (who's is in charge) was so engrossed in organising her social life, (On my phone) I managed to forget clean clothes. So now I'm freeeeeeee, well until I have my uses again. 11pm "Come on time for bed" She barked You'd have thought I was 12 yrs old. End of 'Off Topic'

It is good to read of so many getting ready, when you all get on board just relax and enjoy the experiance. The heartache will coome later when to have to use a mirrior to see the scales (it wont fly off)

I wonder why I had my cruise confirmed in March for sailing in October, when so many are getting confirmation much eariler, perhaps it was not a wise move going to Timperley after all - talking of which I shall be there next week,(well Altringham) to witness another good man bite the dust of the Isle.

Number 1 has told her better half, to get a light for the balcony "Just to shut dad up" Who broke it Note she is not paying for it - when do they ever

Hi Alli, just a point on Barcelona, is Columbus still pointing east towards America Always made me chuckle, not been there for years, might go on the remains of my lottery win as they now fly from Bristol.

Any way better go, and stagger to the kitchen, serlion steak tonight

Byeeeee for now

Phil Morris

Dizzy Thanks a lot the Bacon was grand - but this morning it was down to rabbit droppings and B&Q white emulsion along with decafe tea (Ug)

Last night she gave me Roobiosh & Vanilla tea, "it will help you sleep" was her orders, (so would a mallet over the head- or a drop of Bells). The chesse plant looked decidedly worse this morning.

Even the doss house was a march up on Number 1s idea of Breakfast, no wonder the Kids and her 1/2 seem to enjoy coming here, nowt fancy just full fat honest grub.

Ahhhhhhhhhh Phil,
So nice to see that in spite of your trials and tribulations, your sense of humour is still in rude good health! Long may it last!
Hope your recovery is speedy! Take care now!
PS I am looking forward to the lamp being replaced then we can get back to late night ramblings from the balcony!

Typical Bank Holiday weekend weather here - Foul!

Calling anyone who has had problems with receiving PMs, I have opened a topic for this in the Help and Assistance forum which you can find here:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=35831

To anyone who may have sent me a pm which I haven't replied to, sorry!, I may not have received it!!!

Elaine853 wrote:

Is there any way you/I can transfer my 4 new HT points.

Sorry Elaine, but that is not possible I'm afraid. You can however log on as eacharity again and donate your points to the HT charities if you wish.

luci

Hi Elaine853!

Yes, I received a letter from R*** enclosing a booking confirmation that now states "transfers included" (good!) and air tickets.

I was really excited until I looked more closely at the air tickets and found that I have been issued with tickets Gatwick to Genoa, the very same flights that BA cancelled a few months ago!!!

I have checked the BA website and I'm still confirmed on the new BA flights Heathrow to Milan, so I think a phone call is required!!

mee

Mee

All my confirmation documents still say I leave from Heathrow South Terminal when there is no such place. I checked on the internet and it is Terminal 1 so someone does not seem to know the difference between the two. I also telephoned BA to check as well as checking on the internet. My BA flight is 7.35am to Linate Airport but I return from the other airport in Milan. I will let you know how the computer check in goes.

Allisu: Thank you for your words of comfort. I had forgotten about Ibitha.

Phil: My condolences.

Maureen H

Hi Everyone & thanks for all your responses about Barcelona. Isn't it great when to have this site - a mine of information - a kind of Ask Jeeves!

Mee - I've sent you an email re my letter/tickets - I did phone Rise and I think they just looked at our files and thought the tickets were still valid - we are definitely going on an e-ticket from Heathrow. Our cruise pack will arrive 2 weeks before we depart.

Chat soon
Elaine

ps Luci - thanks & I will log in as my alter-ego and donate the points to charity as suggested.

Good Morning All,

Just checked in my BA flight for to-morrow and changed my seat. Can't print a boarding card for this flight though.

Maureen H

Elaine

I've just been to Barcelona and did the open topped bus trip, which was great. It cost 18 euros and we paid on the bus which we got on at the port. You could hop on and off all day if you wanted. It lasted over 2 1/2 hrs and was well worth doing. La Ramblas seemed perfectly safe to me although I was with my husband, I think you could easily have a wander around and stop for a drink or meal on your own and I saw others doing this.

Hope this helps

Juliet

Good morning all
Havent been on lately but am still getting mega excited about 18th June approaching. Where have all the MSC Lirica people gone. Rosie and Floeeye and Peters son Steven all travelling on 18th June. Two weeks on Saturday hurrah!!
How many days prior to departure have people been getting their tickets etc.? They told me possibly 10 days is that about right.
Thanks Pat for the details re the cost of drinks. I was surprise that they are not too expensive and good that you can buy the odd bottle from the boats duty free (cheaply)
Glad you have your tickets Elaine you know you are definitely going now and can be even more excited. I was really pleased when I rang Ryan Air and they told me I was already booked on the flight on the 18th. That just made it seem real that I was definitely going.
Hear from you all soon. Keep writing the reviews when you have been, its great reading.

May B
Nottingham

Like any tourist area, the Ramblas is safe if you take common sense precautions.

There are pickpockets there, particularly around the game where you bet on which cup the coin is under. While you are concentrating on your bet, someone may try to take your wallet.

Usual rules apply - don't carry too much, esp. on view in outer pockets, stick to main streets, and enjoy yourself while staying aware.

Just saw these posts with review of an April Opera cruise and details of their excursions and trips ashore.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=3851569#post3851569

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=183872

I'm still trying to decide which Armonia excursions are worth taking - any thoughts?

Good Afternoon from the Balcony Cruise 'Plastered du Paris'

Got to be quick, Grapin Furher has let me lose to collect some more clothes, and she has just dashed to Tescos as she realised she is running out of Soya Milk (Ahhhhhhhhhhh !) it bears no relation to milk except in colour, where is the Trades Discription Act etc....

No joy on the lamp Magsey, it seems "they had none", Uh ("thats like saying Cadburys have no chocolate") was my retort. he is as big a skin flint as Number 1
Ah she's back the car has just pulled into the car-park, any one got a spare file

Will post from Stalag Avenue, if I get a chance.

Phil Morris

Hi All,

Got back very late last night (air traffic control strike) and only just catching up!

What a week!!! Opera 21st May. For packing in multiple new experiences in as short a space of time as possible then it should be difficult to beat a cruise! Think I'll be processing this one for months :-)
Istanbul - Wow. Packed full of Liverpool supporters so I didn't do the mosques and palace but the spice market was ideal. The sights, the sounds, the smells... fantastique! Then back to the ship to sunbathe looking over the minarets and listening to the prayers broadcast over the city. I'm laughing at myself at the memories. The fishing going on over the Galata bridge, watching the fabulous ship spin on a sixpence and dock sideways amongst the myriad little fishing boats on the Bosphorus in the early morning mists, the excitement later in the ships disco as we watched Liverpool pull back on the big screen and win!!! Oh, I could go on forever. Dubrovnik, I'd go back tomorrow - beautiful Not nearly enough time there - just three hours after being tendered in from the ship. And the sheer joy at bouncing around in the spray on those tenders with the waves breaking over the bows :)))

Must, must go. I'm meant to be at a poetry reading far too soon and I'm no where near ready.

more later,
Hilary

IMPORTANT INFO.

We were stuck in a an Air Traffic Control strike on the way home, had it been on our way there we'd have missed our cruise!!!! (as it was we had a 1hr delay (quite enough to cuse ulcers!)

There is an official website for italian strikes which had the info about the strike before I left home.
No one however knew about the strike on the ship nor at the airline JET2 nor even at the Foriegn and commonwealth office and I phoned them all. Please, please do your own checking as more strikes are planned between now and June. They are often cancelled last minute but the air traffic controllers have affected the return journeys of at least two cruises. If in doubt, change your tickets to the day before with the airline and find a cheap hotel!

Sites -
This first site tells you how to read the main strike page which is in Italian
http://www.whatsoninrome.com/more-strikes.php

This is the official strike page.
http://www.commissionegaranziasciopero.it/

Luci, perhaps these could be put somewhere useful so they don't get lost.

We had such a wonderful time I'd hate anyone who got this far to miss out!

Hilary

Hi Hilary

Glad you enjoyed your cruise so much. Please feel free to post a review in our Cruise Reviews section, link at top of the page.

I have copied the strike info into the Useful Links sticky. Thanks.

luci

Hi Hilary,

It sounds as though you had a fantastic time. We are all looking forward to reading more about it. Thanks also for the tip about Italian strikes - it is better to be forewarned and at least now we can check.

Hilary

Thanks for bringing that to our attention.

I though things were going too well for me (mini suite!). Checked your links but couldn't understand it as in Italian so looked at:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/ for Foreign Office advice re Italy travel and there it is:

planned air traffic and pilot strike for 6 June, the date I travel!

It won't affect Katie and Isobel as they fly out previous day. I have contacted Alitalia who want nearly £100 to change flight (then I'll have hotel costs and presumably there will be no coach pick up if no flights) Since Hilary's post I have spent all this time trying to find alternative flights and I can do it but with cost of flight and hotel it will be so expensive. Then of course if I arrive at a different airport I will have to get to Linate to be picked up with the other two!

I am considering flying direct Genoa with Ryanair but I will have to spend a night going and returning, so more hotel costs!

Alitalia say it may not happen and to phone a couple of days before......talk about taking the edge off things.

Any suggestions?

Alli

other dates of possible strikes: 16 June Air Traffic Control
26 June Alitalia
7 July Rome