Hi Alii, It's lovely to hear from you - the rest of us are quite envious (in the nicest possible way of course) particularly as today is cold and grey. Have a wonderful trip and we look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.

Morning all!
It's 3.20am in Houston so Alii should be all tucked up in bed now, recovering from the flight!
Have you all realised Alii is the 4th cruiser on this promotion!

Allisu - PLEASE don't sue me, just think of all my expenditure to date: brand new database (at least, it was in 1958) bought at local car boot sale for exorbitant sum of 50p, brand new blue grass installed at great expense (local boy scouts, £2.50), brand new steps installed at BOTH sides of my Back Garden (picked up from local skip), premium rate phone line installed at great expense (OK, it hasn't actually arrived yet, but I'd given it some SERIOUS thought), etc etc etc.....

Dizzy - have mercy, PLEASE. There isn't a river within shouting distance of my Back Garden - you could try the Thames (just like Watchdog did, though they might sue YOU for copyright infringement, which would eat up any money you got from suing ME) - unfortunately, I live too far away from it to hear you.

Tony W also had to cancel his Taxi-Cruise Intergallactic - the recent problems with the Fantasy Cruise Industry seem to stem from over-subscription to these very important new additions to the general cruise market, and we young (!!) upstarts didn't have the experience to anticipate the problems that would ensue from our great generosity.

By the way (and now I'm being serious) - smoking isn't allowed in cabins, Tony W, and their smoke detectors are very very very efficient. You can't even smoke in your bathroom, or in any of the ship loos etc. There are usually designated smoking areas, specified parts of some lounges etc. Just thought I'd warn you. You can normally smoke on deck, but there are warnings about what to do with your stubs - e.g. never throw a ciggy overboard as the wind may blow it back onto a lower deck etc, even if it seems to be blowing the other way when you throw it - winds change direction, without warning. That sounds obvious, as nobody wants to start a fire, but there's always the cad who ''didn't think of that'' and one usually finds that such warnings have good reasons, i.e. someone somewhere has done just that.

Once again, please accept my most sincere and contrite apologies for any inconvenience caused by my Offer - if you've bought sunscreen in advance, or had any other undue expenditure, all I can say is TOUGH - you shouldn't have been taken in by such an obvious con.

(snigger, snigger, snigger)

Fay's Ex Enterprises etc

By the way (and now I'm being serious) - smoking isn't allowed in cabins

Good morning Fay, are you sure this applies to MSC? The only information I have seen (in their brochure and on the website) is that smoking isn't permitted in Dining Rooms or in a designated Non smoking bar or in the theatre!
I have cruised 10 times and have never experienced non-smoking cabins!

What no smoking in cabins? Shoot me now! Yes I know smoking will have the same result it just takes longer, but come on. The cabin is my private space on board and if I can't smoke, then I'll have to set up a tent on deck.

Are you sure about this? It is an Italian ship and the Italians smoke in the shower.

Andy

Fay wrote:

smoking isn't allowed in cabins,

Smoking has been permitted in the cabin on every ship I've been on. I think you can breathe easy again Tony and Andy.

luci

and me Lucy! and lots of others too!

Anyone wanting to read the Watchdog report from Tuesday's programme this is the site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/holiday/holiday_20050412.shtml

I hope the cabin I get on the Melody has been fumigated after all these smokers have been indulging - yes, and the shower!!

I don't think the 3 people mentioned can be 'our' 3.

William definitely paid more than £10 and Chris and Colin I thought had also paid more.

The first genuine £10 cruiser may be an Armonian?

Hi All, I am going on the Opera on the 23th April and I am still waiting for my documents, have spoken to R*** and MSC and they both assure me they will arrive about 7 days before departure, fingers crossed.
Tony R

YIKES! Tony

They are cutting it a bit fine - fingers crossed also that the tickets arrive shortly.

Are you flying the flag for the first MSC cruiser?

Hi Jenny,
Thank you for that link - it confirms what I saw!

None of our 3 cruisers paid more than £10 for their cruises, they paid extra for flight supplements so I imagine that's the way they look at it!

Our first MSC cruiser is Gary who sails on 17th April. He hasn't received his MSC documents yet but in fairness, he only got booked a week ago!

Magsy has pm'd me. She has telephoned MSC who confirmed that smoking is permitted in cabins.

luci

Bless you Luci and Magsy for that news. Fay nearly gave me a heart attack. I know we are a dying breed (some may think suicidal) but I couldn't imagine the Italians having too stringent anti-smoking policies.
It is certainly cutting it fine if Gary is going on 17th April and still hasn't got his tickets. There is only a couple of days to go. It doesn't matter that the cruise was only booked a week ago, tickets should have been put in the post the following day.

Hi Luci, Magsy, orchardweb and anybody else concerned about smoking. I'm very sorry if I misled you, and thanks for putting me right. I've only cruised once since re-starting the habit (on the Marco Polo, Orient Lines) and smoking definitely ISN'T allowed in cabins - much to my disappointment. I don't know why I got the impression that's standard practice - maybe from seeing people lighting up and smoking on decks on previous cruises, where there are ashtrays attached to the rails. They seemed to wait till they got outside, which is why I assumed it wasn't allowed inside. Maybe I put 2 and 2 together and got 22.

It's a huge relief that I'll be able to smoke in my cabin on the Melody, in fact I can't believe it because the only disadvantage to cruising was that I actually had to go into a lounge or on deck to light up first thing, and as I like my first ciggy pretty early I got strange looks - ''what's she doing up so early????''

Hope I'm forgiven

Fay

Hi Fay, No problem, just a few palpitations!
Remind me not to book a cruise on Marco Polo please! Not only do I have the filthy habit, I am also a bit of an insomniac and I don't fancy going out on deck in the middle of the night in my dressing gown, and having to get dressed would be worse!

For those worried about smoke filled cabins, all of the cabins are airconditioned so smoke is drawn out. Might be advisable to take a bottle of Febreze though!

Smoking was permitted in the cabin when I was on the Marco Polo. Perhaps you were in a posh non-smoking cabin Fay?

luci

Hi, Fellow Pariahs,
I'm just a Dracula Untouchable, as l never have a puff before the sun goes down. NO TONY....This is not Round The Horn, and Kenny Williams is dead.

Magsy, l was about to ask you, please, pretty please, to get in touch with Magwa and find out the truth A.S.A.P. When the good news arrived Phew.

Cheers,
JoanXX

Well Fay,

You've certainly put the cat amongst the smoking pigeons!

Thanks to Magsy for phoning MSC and finding it is not so and PMimg me. Interesting to know about the Marco Polo. Like Magsy I'm inclined to slouch around in my underpants until I've had the first fag of the day and the sight of me in my Calvins up on deck isn't likely to add to the pleasure of the cruising public.

Does there seem to be a disproportionate number of smokers on this messageboard?

Andy