Tony W
how true, it seems bizarre the way cruises are being allocated or should that be confirmed.
I would be dubious about an allocation in a year and half's time as presently according to my last allocation I should be on my way to Libya !
There seems to be no rational way that people are obtaining cruises
I just sent off my vouchers, filled in the form, got my allocation and thought that would be it. Off to Libya
Instead i've joined a great website !!!!
I am definately going to battle on for my £10.00 cruise as that's what i was offered not a perhaps in 2006 when I may have fallen off my perch
Judith

There must still be a way to get a 2005 cruise, only last week a new member joined our roll call for the Melody 4th July trip. As somebody else has mentioned MSC have availability, so what must people do to get one??

Hi Lilac
What must we do to get a cruise
I can't sing but I can swim
Judith

Hi
Were you asked to pull the photos? Im sure there was nothing mallicious in them, just a wonderful sence of humour. Somebody must be reading something into them I missed.
When someone next speaks on the phone perhaps they could ask for clarification of the 2006 dates. I was told I would be put on the 2006 list to arrange a cruise option for next year. They said they hadn't got dates yet.

Re spare places on MSC Melody

When my cruise was eventually booked, I gained the impression that the flights were full. I have to wait until the evening to return and I land in one Milan airport but return from the other. I was told this was all they could get. This is with BA (my least favourite airline).

Maureen H

Hi Maureen

Yes perhaps it is the flights then, as the lady I mentioned on our cruise definitely isn't on our flight, she's got to travel out the day before and stay in a hotel at her own cost. Probably worth it to avoid the 6am flight from Heathrow anyway.

Judith perhaps that's what you have to do to get a cruise - offer to pay overnight accommodation the night before!! Simple but cunning (a bit like TonyW!)

So who is going to be the first person to check flight availability against cruise dates for the rest of the year?

Not me, I`m simple.

Hi Jonty

Re a separate topic for the Gallo/Rise/flight offer, all I can suggest is that you post in the Help and Assistance forum asking Van if there is any way you can be accommodated. As this is the Cruise forum, I can't really help you in here unfortunately.

luci

Good Evening from the Balcony Cruise ship 'Good Intent'

Just got in, Thank the Lord the coven or rather 2/3 of it have gone off home and are hopfully giving me the night off They have either pinched my bottle or hidden it somewhere good, as I carn't find it anywhere.

What has happened to the wine tanker Juno:?:

To get back on topic - before someone complains.
The offer of a "£10 Cruise for all readers" the take up was in excess of 40,000

The fact that the take-up was in excess of both the D.E. and MKM expectations, is not the problem of the applicants - it is a problem of their own making by making the offer "too good to be true" J.C. on the T.V. adds and in the banner headlines.

If the offer had have been pitched at £100 then perhaps the take-up would not have been so great, but if my Antie had have had .........she would have been my Uncle ( I hope you are all still with me I shall ask questions on this in about 20 pages on) For which the prize will be a cruise on my mates narrow boat in 2009

I also told the Director of MKM that one of the big problems they have is their failure to communicate with resonable people. So I did offer to return on Tuesday (the next day) between 10 and 11 a.m to collect the written statement, when I returned at the given time - I was informed that there was a board meeting taking place and so no-one knew of the statement I had arranged to collect.

In the end, I did have an agreement with MKM, in that if they emailed me a statement - I would put across their side of the story, (on their behalf) for as I told them over and over again - we are resonable people who took up a ligitamite offer to "all readers".

So I gave my email address and asked for it to be forwarded to me - todate it has not arrived. So infer and make of the situation what you will.

The director whom I saw and spoke to, also had no problem with me taking photographs of the outside of the offices - on the understanding that I took none of the inside of the building or any members of staff, I agreed to this.

I have just sent a pm to Luci to inform her of the conditions by which I took photos, on a couple of the photos I have, members of staff can be seen leaving the building - so I have not loaded them on to the site, as per my ageement. I do hope that this rather long winded posting helps to clarify the situation.
Time for a drink I think.
Byeee for now ( a very dry and sober)
Phil Morris

Hi Luci

Glynis closed/ locked the seperate thread that was started up in Holiday complaints and every one was told to come to 'Daily Express / Rise Travel Topic' . David HT mod also directed people here.
We had a thread 'Rise Travel Promotions' which is now in legal hands.
It was discussing DE flight offer (was before the cruise), THE CRUISE, Gallo, Little Chef, First Direct.

Jonty we may get that thread back when the legal team have finished checking it.
Hope your are ALL still with us, even if we are now in the cruise section!
Quite a few of us cruisers also applied for some of these other offers.

My son got the call today giving him the list of options, was told NO CRUISES till 2006. They're phoning back to ask what hes decided.

Cruiser I had noticed some were still managing to get a cruise (Phil) but as many on this site will tell you finding a needle in a hay stack would be easier and simpler!

Moneysavers have a flight checker.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/flightchecker/
Ryanair fly from Stanstead To the port of GENOA. Have to go the day before as flight lands 5 minutes after ship sails, for super cheap flights.
R*** can book flights with them and a hotel. They did for ME!
Or you can book your own its approx £30.

Glad your son got that monitor for you Pat
Tony if you still haven't got the MSC brochure try Co-Op Travel. Went and picked up another today
Peter

Peter,
Thanks for the info........but Alli sent me one which arrived today! Bless her.

It was so much more fun getting it that way (don`t think we`ve got a co-op travel around here anyway)!

Tony

Good Evening, from the Balcony Cruise ship 'Good Intent' (I was once, well I was told I was - you can work it out)

My kind neighbour has just brought me a bottle of Bells (ding dong) that is what I call a good neighbour

To continuue, Yes I have a cruise and have paid for an upgrade to a Cabin on 'A' deck (outside) It is still a bargain at 10 times the price, that is if MSC are any good as a cruise line, myself I was on only 1 Frog (France) 1 Russian (Moscowvit) the stamp has faded so difficult to read. The rest were G.B. regiestered, that was until P & O went overboard, and the Dutchess of Downing Street came to power (the old witch. Saw her on the telle the other night she still looks evil).

Sorry - but I have been on Cruise ships for over 20 years - on the otherside. I know what to expect thats why I polished up my 'King Dicks' ready for action.

Now the good news Because of my shortsightedness and stupidity I am unable to travel untill Easter Sunday, sorry if I built up your hopes. So if any of you were planning to totally confuse me whilst I was away, by getting the site closed again - think again. 'Da Da Da Da' Theme tune from
Well it sould have sounded dramatic but ........... Even my 'Dear Grandchildren' cringe when I sing or whistle. (I think Number 1 puts them up to it)
Is it my fault I am have a singing voice which excells her range of understanding
It is nice for William to keep in touch, even though he has had his cruise. and by his posative feedback I think we can all take encouragement.

I see that their are only 3 of us so far going on the Oct 10th Cruise - there may be more readers going they may not have any knowledge of this site and the splendid work we do to encourage each other

I filled in the email order form for a MSC book of cruises months ago, when I was first offered a cruise - todate nowt. I do hope it is not an omin.

Arm is getting sore now as I had to have Yellow Fever and Small Pox jabs with a Typhus booster, today as mine were well out of date.

Good excuse to get the cooker on - Yes I do cook, very well indeed - all my sustanance does not come c/o distillers, contry to what the coven may say or imply, in my absence, I never knew what Number 1 put on to the site whilst i was away last time, so I am taking the main broadband cable with me when I next go.

Byeeee for now

Phil Morris

Did Phils visit result in him being a cruiser or did he return empty handed: These people will have it all worked out and have the best advise there is, after all the we have a cruise we have not a cruise people seem to be getting stressed out. As I said before I will be keeping to the Daily Mail as I have gone into many of there promotions and always been happy. Will continue to log in and see who is left, but I know my next trip is going to be Australia..

Yes tukumb0, Phil's visit to the Rise offices did result in his 10 October cruise being reinstated after they had previously cancelled it.

luci

Good Evening (Yet Again) from the Balcony Cruise

What is with all this Jammie and Delia rubbish just chop a large onion, fry till light brown, fry some steak mince , add two tins chopped tomatoes, I tube tomatoe puree, pepper and salt, chop 2 spuds into squares put in water, and boil, lightly grill four large mushrooms, when steak etc is cooked to brown add to cassarole put mushroms on top put in preheated oven and cook for 20 mins
p.s. I do add a good dash of red wine, left over from the previous couple of days.

Sorry Luci and Van.

Just thought I would repay the terrific info re the 'Jungle Formula' and Sun Tan cream, (I did not get to the shops today, but will tomorrow) On my way back from Sri Lanka I'm stopping of in the Maldives for a week, Just to brush up my tan ready for the cruise.

Timers going off Good Night

Phil Morris

PHIL!!!! That is definitely !!
luci

Hi tukumb0,

Did Phils visit result in him being a cruiser or did he return empty handed:

Do not worry it`s not just you, I have a hard time working out Phil`s cryptic postings as well once the Bells starts taking effect! (On him not me!)

I read it twice and was quite relieved that someone else wasn`t sure......he is a card!

barking