Good Evening TonyW

Just a point from reading Dads printout (as 1/2 Aussies) we were brought up to understand that a Dyke was a person who 'batted for the otherside' I can assure you Dad wil not be going near any of them, In Holland we are staying at the American Hotel which is quite near the redlight dist.
But will will keep a tight hold on Dad

Kate

Thanks Kate for posting on behalf of your father for us. It's great to know also that you have sailed in the caribbean during the stormy season and here you all are living proof, that ships still sail.
Are you nearly packed for the Dutch trip?

Dizzy

Mike C

Just noticed the time on the post and it looks like the clock on the HT server is an hour behind the rest of the UK

It was just after 6am when i posted (at work )

Yes, I know!! That is what my clock showed. An horrendous hour to be posting!!!!!!!

Alli

Hi Kate,

we were brought up to understand that a Dyke was a person who 'batted for the otherside'

Ah Yes! We understand that as well.....................But I did mean the very large things constructed to keep out the sea from reclaimed land!

Probably best if Phil keeps away from both versions really as it will hurt falling off either of them on a dark night.

If you see a large pile of small furry animals near the sea, do not worry.................you will be in "Hampster-dam"

good evening cruisers

glad you are keeping a tight rein on yor dad kate as we wouldnt like to see him get lost and miss his cruise.

nice one tony.

next week on the new programme departure lounge they are going to be sailing on an orange ship over to france. vivien

I have today spoken to Rebecca S. at the DE. She is currently handling the £10 Cruise enquiries.
I was awaiting a call from R... regarding a cruise in 2006. Magsy kindly recently updated me on the current postings and the latest situation regarding the offer as I had been "adrift" (not on a cruise I hasten to add!!) from this site for 8 - 10 weeks.
I was told today to write in to the DE with my details and copies of any correspondence previously received. Rebecca positively confirmed that R... were no longer involved and as of recently the DE were now handling everything themselves. She said there were no definate decisions on what would be offered as yet, this was still being discussed. They were working their way through acknowledgeing people in writing with the intention of following this up with phone calls when decisions had been made.

Not a huge improvement on the situation, but she was very pleasant & polite and I did feel reasonably confident that I was being told something positive and not just being fobbed off. Time will tell!!

Helen.

Great news Helen I am very pleased to have confirmation that the DE is now in control I think we just have to hang in there and hope we willl get there in the end. There are bound to be lots of different rumours around as it is the silly season even though the weather in Herefordshire has been far more like autumn this week. I really could do with a cruise as keeping grandchildren happy in the rain is proving very expensive keep fighting and we will succeed in the end, regards Carol R

Good evening Kate,
I would just like to say how glad I am that you seem to have inherited your dad's sense of humour. Have a good time in 'Hamsterdam' and all of you return safely.

Helen has had it confirmed that the DE have taken complete control ,and Rise are no longer involved in the process at all. Yesterday barneydog received a phone-call from Rise trying to sell him a cruise. What is going on? Are Rise trying to pull a fast one ? The situation still seems very confused .

I wonder what Rise are saying about the situation? If the Daily Express have indeed taken over the outstanding cruises that are owed you'd have thought Rise would be refering everybody straight there.

Up date on my posting yesterday re my telephone call to the DE.

Today I received a letter which I assume is in response to an earlier email
I had sent which I thought had been ignored. The letter reads as follows:

"Thank you for contacting us recently with regards to the £10 cruise promotion.

Express Newspapers has now taken over direct control of the situation from MKM/Rise Travel, and we are working hard to find a way to satisfy all readers who legitimately qualified for the £10 cruise promotion.

Owing to severe storms last year, and hence a vast reduction in availability of the type of cabin capacity as specified in the promotion, our cruise promotion has suffered huge displacement. The cruise operators are, in some cases now quoting the latter part of 2006 or later as a time they can provide capacity to us for the quantity and type that we require.

I will be arranging for an Express Newspapers' representative to contact you in the near future. In an attempt to resolve the situation you will be offered an altenative to the £10 cruise offer and this may include a cash amount, other holidays or long-haul flights. Unfortunately we are unable to offer cruise availability to you at this time.

In the meantime I request that you continue to be patient with us whilst we finalise our plans.

Once again, and on behalf of Express newspapers, I do apologise for any inconvenience or distress caused.

Think I now need to go and crack open a bottle, Cava of course!!
Helen

Hi Helen

you're one step nearer- you've had a communication from the DE. Keep at 'em, girl, don't give up and enjoy your drink.

cheers

Elaine xx

hi every one,just caught up with all the pages and news.
glad to hear dof e now taking control hope this means the waiting people will get there flights.. keep fighting we are all behind you !!!!!
great to get news of phil i hope he returns from amsterdam a new man!!!!!!!!!
i have just got back from canada a fiacsco at gatwick landed 2.15 didnt get us to landing area till after 3 no explanation then missed courtesy bus to holiday inn where car was by 1 minute then when we did get there they had taken wrong carout so had another wait while they found ours,m.25 very busy torrential rain got to barnet at 7pm then i drove home.just a bit shattered!!!!!!!!
today house work and washing back to the real world!!!!!!!
what has happened to all the avators?no one has any.
catch up on my sleep now. night night .

where is everybody?????????nothing since yesterday!!!!!!!
is there any one there or have you all followed phil to amsterdam??????carol

Dear Kate Phil's daughter I have paid £80 for the 2-4 1 on the offer and cant find any odf the £399 offeres you talk about - which would of course really have peeved me /exact link for these on the Melody for Sept are?>

Stuart the Meddy

Hi Stulaine

There's a magazine that Cruise Control send out monthly to members of their cruise club and I saw the £399 offers in there. I think the magazine is called 'From the Bridge'

The September cruises start at £449 with Fast track - teletext link:

http://www.teletextholidays.co.uk/OfferSearchesAndResults/holiday_offers_search_results_cruise.asp?area=cruise&SuperArea=13&Adults=2&Child=0&Ports=0&Lines=0&DepDate=10%2f09%2f2005&Ships=79&Exactness=14&Cabin=0&Length=0&CruiseType=0&Price=0&Sort=4&btnAdvancedSearch.x=0

and the October cruises start at £399 - teletext link:

http://www.teletextholidays.co.uk/OfferSearchesAndResults/holiday_offers_search_results_cruise.asp?area=cruise&SuperArea=13&Adults=2&Child=0&Ports=0&Lines=0&DepDate=10%2f10%2f2005&Ships=79&Exactness=14&Cabin=0&Length=0&CruiseType=0&Price=0&Sort=4&btnAdvancedSearch.x=0

Still plenty of availibity (DE please note!!)

Ok, this is going to sound bizarre, but has anybody who has cruised with MSC sniffed the bed sheets?

It's not as bad as it sounds - really. I ask in all innocence as i am allergic to a lot of detergents. I am hoping that as it's a ship and the waste water is presumably cleaned and dumped at sea that they will use non-biological washing powder. I can cope, but only just, with biological powder but the real killer for me is fabric softener and conditioner. It's like cryptonite to Superman to me. I am hoping that somebody will have noticed and can let me know.

hi craig
why not just take a couple of pairs of sheets with you and let the cabin staff know the reasons why you dont need them changing. Obviously its more work for you but at least you will know whats what!
ann