Hi craig - thanks for the reply.

I've copy and pasted our two posts to this thread:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=478538#478538

Hi,

Just thought I'd add a few comments on free drinks - on the Melody.

Breakfast (Buffet restaurant) - coffee and tea from an urn or good variety of Twinings tea bags and hot water.. we went for Twinings tea bag - made an excellent cup of tea. We usually managed to drink 2-3 cups each!! Also you could help yourself to orange or pineapple juice and occasional grapefruit juice.

Throughout the rest of the day you could help yourself to iced water.

Coffee and tea was available again with afternoon tea.

Ask for a jug of iced water in the main restaurant- everyone on our table drank several glasses of this every day.

If you want tea, coffee, orange or pineapple juice at any other time then room service will provide this free of charge.

Ayesha told us that we could get tea and coffee in the main restaurant after our meal in the evening - the 7 of us all tried on the first night - and yes we did get it after a wait. We found it best to go back to our cabin and order it from room service.

Hope this helps

Have a great time

Jean

Good Afternoon from the Balcony

Just popped in to see what was going on I am a bit of a peeper, well one carn't help it being so high up and having no curtains

JennieL - I think you are thinking of amoretti biscuits

craig are you an immersion eater as well !! I think Digestive are the best for immersion and then a quick sweep of the forarm to get it into the mouth before Isac Newton takes over. Old Isac has something to answer for, just think if he had not invented gravity what a better world it would be

I know Luci, I hope you had a nice Holiday, was Magsey with you

i am off in a few moments to number 1 house as she is running me to the Airport in the morning, Ug more rubbish and vinilla thank the Lord KLM give a sandwich and orange juice, I found it is cheaper than Easyjet, so don't beleive tha advertising - as we should all know by now "a £10 cruise for every reader "
sound familiar :rofl

byeee for now

Phil

Once again from the Balcony, what a lovely sunny afternoon it is to be sure

Thanks Jean you a wonder - kettle to be packed - one cannot make tea with "WARM" water no matter how warm it has to have 'happy bubbles' as our kids used to say, not boil for a minute or more.

Byeee for now

Phil

Completely and now that Luci is back we had better watch out but I'm not a dunker - too much gunge at the bottom. Amorettis are nice to scoop the froth from your cappuccino though. Very continental!

Hope you benefit from your Amsterdam trip, Phil.

Welcome back Luci. How was the cruise?

Magsy is very quiet isn't she

Congratulations, JennieL and everyone else who's got their tickets.

Apologies to everyone who commented on my last message - had an access problem (did DE block my password??). Carol - I only wish I'd had the ding dong.

I had assumed that you had all received the same correspondence as I did: an apologetic 'holding' letter from the DE to say that they had taken over the promotion from MKM, followed by another (long) one offering a Thomson's cruise (handled by Going Places/My Travel), but under revised T&Cs. Then, while I was away, I had a phone message announcing that I'd passed the closing date (the letter hadn't mentioned one) and that the cruise was, therefore, cancelled. Despite that, I've now made a 'provisional' booking. But I'm not holding my breath.

I've so far had four offers (Louis (twice), MSC and, now, Thomsons) so I'm not holding out hope until I've received confirmation.

And there's been another hurricane problem!!

I haven't got the DE's letter with me (it's at home), but I believe they said that everyone who's £10 had been cashed would be reimbursed (upon submission of written evidence).

Wull asked about the 'three' offers: I've not seen the other two myself, but My Travel staff mentioned them - and told me that they are suing the DE over the 'free' one.

As to Going Places being a well-known high-street travel agency:
that's true. But, for this promotion, there is a special phone number (guess what: 0870 - so they'll make some cash from that) and only three of the staff at the call centre have been briefed on the DE offer.

Maureen: I asked how they are going to make money out of this promotion - but got no explanation. It is very hard to see what an agent with financial problems can benefit from signing up for such a deal. Unless the DE is paying them a whopping sum - but, then, what does the DE gain? The logic behind the whole promotion remains a mystery.

Hope you had a super holiday, Luci.

Bye.

Hi Cruiser now I am even more confused than I was by your previous post Were you actually offered a Thompson cruise and was there really a mention of Going Places taking over the promotion Surely if the DE were returning people's £10 it was so that they no longer had an obligation to provide them with cruises not because they were offering them free You may not have been on the ding dong but I am edging towards the booze cupboard as I type Now I am even more determined to get my cruise and I am going to turn down any alternative offers unless it is enough cash to purchase a cruise. Carol R.
P.S all this talk of tea is making me feel quite out of sorts give me a large glass of wine any time. CR

Why are MyTravel dealing with a Thomson's cruise ? I would have thought that DE would have gone to Thomsons direct to arrange the cruise instead of using another (rival) company.

Maureen,

When I was REALLY fed-up, I asked about a cash alternative. They made two offers - neither matched up to a lost cruise.

C

Trisantona,

Sorry can't answer that. We can only guess!

Hi, Carol,

Are you still sober enough to read this?

It's 'yes' to both your questions. The new T&Cs are for a free cruise - that, they say, is the reason why the £10 is cancelled. It's to compensate for all the inconvenience we've had.

Am I really the only HT member to have had the letters??

Here's a cheeky thought , the Daily Express run a consumer help column called " The Crusader" . How about somebody writing a letter along the lines of :-

Dear Sir ,

A few months ago I booked a £10 cruise via a well-known newspaper. Up till now I have not received this holiday and whenever I try to contact the newspaper I get the run-around. I know that your column has a very good track record in solving consumer problems. Perhaps you could resolve this one

It would be good to see one part of the newspaper investigating another. But of course this won't happen.

Hi cruiser,
I think you are the only one on this site who has been offered a cruise in a long time. None of us have letters mentioning Going Places or any other travel agent. Hope there is something on Watchdog tomorrow.

Can someone who has been on the Melody cruise answer the following question:-
Is there a spare plug socket available and is it easily accessible?
I want to take a small night light with me as I prefer not to be in complete darkness during the night. I know I can leave a room light on but it is usually too bright for sleeping.
I know what you are thinking "what a wimp" but without any natural light it can be so dark.

Sue

hi everyone ,goodluck to craig and co have a good time will be waiting to hear your adventues
its great to hearso many of you who are waiting in the wings coming out fighting.i think we will all be happier when we hear some one else has a cruise given ti them.
off topic you can buy biscuits called dunking biscuits dont fancy them myself as i dont like bits floating in my tea!!!!!!
2 more days and off to new yorki am so excited at my age i should know better !!!!!! carol

hi craig,
now you have your tickets, start packing and do have a most fabulous time.i am sure you will ,as all us lucky people that have had a cruise did,well , unless you want to spend your time counting bins and toilet rolls.,which i am sure you will not.
i am not jealous !!!!!sob , sob, just wish i was going again...it was so brilliant, and i am sure it will be for you
kate xxx

Hi nannysue

Is there a spare plug socket available and is it easily accessible?

You could unplug the tv (there is no spare socket) but you will need an adaptor.

But maybe you won't need the night-light. The corridor lights are permanently on so the light shines through the gap at bottom of door so you are not in complete darkness!

Alli

On the Melody I took a nightlight and there were 2 types of plug sockets and it fitted in one of them. However, I left it there!!!!

Hi sue.

I think we had a spare socket - used it regularly to recharge batteries.

We left the bathroom light on all night - wasn't too bright - no problem sleeping.

Have a great cruise - wish we were going again!!

Jean