Well lookey here...I leave you all alone for a while and you go and get cruises!

Congratulations to all.....and a gold star for persistence!

Reading about DE and the `original Libya Cruise` is a real blast from the past for me.

ps I am the original "tonyW"

Hello Shipmate - those were the days and I've still got the pictures to prove it. Are there any more Independence Day Melodians around I wonder? I've seen Phil Nunn on here a short while ago and he's still cruising.

Hiya Tony!!! Where have you been hiding for the past year???

I was just talking about you today as there is another member with a similar name.

Don't be a stranger.

luci

Hi Luci and all.....

I was just talking about you today

Nothing good I hope!

Yes Pam did mention that there was another user with a similar name (a space between `tony` and the `W` I believe)...but there is only one me!

I have been here and there since previously being a regular poster on HT...including holidays to Malta, Venice & Sorrento area for which I owe you reports and photos.

Will play catch-up soon.

Oooh...congratulations on the auspicious nomination as best travel site..and well deserved I think.

The other Tony W has very kindly changed his name so no more confusion.

Yes we are delighted to be nominated for the BT Excellence awards. Voting starts on Monday.

If anyone would like to vote for HT, please ensure you vote for http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk and not the .com site which we think has been nominated in error.

luci

Hi im Brian and about to go to court with Express Newspaper,
Can anyone please provide me any info that can help?
What i am after is.
Dates that people have had their cruise.
Did you go alone.
What did you have to do to get it.
Exact date it appeared inthe press.
Copy of original promotion.
Many thanks in anticipation, Brian

Merged with existing topic.

Can anyone help Brian with a copy of the original promotion or T&C's please?

luci

Hi Brian, Welcome to HT - you have certainly come to the right place for support. All of us who have now had cruises started out the same way, by collecting the coupons and sending them off in accordance with the terms in the paper. I was delighted to be offered a Caribbean cruise and asked to nominate my preferred dates. If my memory serves me right, I opted for about November that year (2004). This was followed by a deathly silence! As I hadn't heard anything further by the October I chased them again, to be told that there were problems (due to the hurricanes in the area :roll:) and I would be contacted again as soon as possible. Some months (and a few phone calls) later I was offered the Mediterranean on msc Melody on 4th July 2005. There were five of us from HT on the cruise. I paid £60 (can't remember what the extra was for), two of us managed to get it for £10, one lady paid £70 including a hotel for a night and the other lady took her daughter. The rest of us were all singles.

Many others have had to fight for a lot longer and been made to jump through hoops, but it does seem that those who have opted to go down the legal route have seen the paper crumble at the last minute and have been offered cruises just before the case went to court. I hope someone can give you further information and wish you the very best of luck in your fight for justice.

Hi all on HT. Just got back from cruise on island star. Well worth the wait. Met three nice guys not on forum, but got their cruises, from DE. Didn t see tallguy or PMad1 on there, but hope you had good time like I and my friend did. Wishing everybody good luck with claim to cruises. Will keep looking in to see how everybody is getting on. Best wishes.

Hi cmlin36

Glad you eventually got your cruise and enjoyed it. Would be delighted if you would post a review by clicking on Cruise Reviews at the top of the page.

luci

Hi All,

After writing several more letters to The Daily Express, I have now submitted my claim to The Small Claims Court for the cost of a single occupancy cruise on Royal Caribbean on a similar month to the Louis Cruise Line cruise I was originally allocated.

All my letters to The Daily Express have been sent by recorded delivery asking what Terms & Conditions over and above the ones published in the paper were, but after the first 2 responses saying they will not enter into any further correspondance, they have now not bothered to reply or answer the question. This it seems, in my eyes says it all and that they are just simpling stalling at every opportunity to try and avoid supplying or compensating for the lack of cruises.

I say bring on my day in the Small Claims Court.

I will keep you posted.

Energyuk

All the very best of luck with your claim. Look forward to the next update.

luci

Hi
Some info that might help those on the legal 'cruise' can be found by following the links.

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=24243&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=15379
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=88198

http://www.pembs.com/ht/tandcs.doc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="break-word">http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.pembs.com/ht/tandcs.doc
(copy and paste all of the above into the address bar, then click 'May30 2006' and then open with word)

For more up to date info on people who are getting cruises you will have to check back through this topic.

Well done to those getting a cruise or settlement.

Peter

Hi Peter, good to see you back. Thanks for those links.
luci

Hello all,
I am back from my D E cruise on Island Star. Hubby and I had a great time with some very nice ports of call. I will do a revue when I catch up with work. To all you would be cruisers I would say to persevere as it is worth waiting for. Write to the D E and and keep on writing until you get what was promised.
We nearly booked for the same itinery next April but thought we had better check with the others we usually travel with. I am not really 'tight' but I must say it was nice not to be reminded of the 'tipping policy' every five minutes. Never heard the word mentioned once.

Welcome back Maureen. Glad it was worth the wait.

luci

Hi there folks,The DE defence that I recently receives ,admits my allocation to the cruise. but it was was over subscribed, and there was no promotional availability,and denies liabliity and breach of contract.Would appreciate some feedback concerning there defence, after all they gave me a allocation letter for a cruise which seem to me to be some form of contract .kind regards.bucca.

Hi
Hope this might be useful



Hi Bucca

They are just hoping you will go away, press on with your court action.

It was a £10 cruise for EVERY reader (see picture). 'Over subscribed, and no promotional availability' I doubt will be any defence at all, when you state that they ran a TV campaign promoting the offer!
(Judith Charmers was the person used in it).

Peter

Luci
if you can shrink the image or transfer it to a holidaytruths album, please do so.

Thanks Peter. It's not stretching the page for me so I'll leave it in all its glory unless it is causing problems for members.

luci