Raych wrote:

Hi
can anyone direct me to the link re holiday insurance.
Thanks

Hi Raych

The Travel Insurance topic is here:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1329&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

HTH

luci

Apologies for not having posted for a while. Let's just say I was fighting a running battle with our favourite travel agents.

I have just arrived home from a wonderful trip on the Lirica and I will post a review just as soon as time permits. Those of you who are lucky enough to have been allocated this cruise are in for a treat. Feel free to PM me with any questions and I will do my very best to answer them.

All my travel arrangements went like clockwork as I had added a couple of extra days in Milan before my cruise. Full marks to MSC for their organisation.

Now can some kind soul tell me where I post my review?

Hi Veritas

Delighted to hear you enjoyed your cruise so much!

You can post your rview of the Lirica here:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/cruise-reviews/msc-cruises/msc-lirica/

luci

it's all gone very quiet

where is everyone

have they all gone on their cruise (sneaking in the luggage of fellow cruisers )

Phil - where are you we need a laughter injection
we all need a good dose of

goodmorning to all or rather the few who are around,its all to quiet i agree we need phil to give us a lift.
there must be some one out there who has some news of getting a cruise its all a bit like the marie celeste people disapear without a trace!!!!!!!!
phil how do i get all the various emotions?please explain simply as i am only a simple soul!!!!!1
its alovely day here sun shining birds singing fish jumping [in my pond]i think i will float a little boat and hope it turns into a cruise ship1!!!!!!!!!!1
carol

hi mikec
I think they all must be busy packing, out in the sun or missing magsy. vivien

Who is due back today? Can't wait to hear how they got on.

Going on the 20th but no tickets yet. If they don't come tomorrow I think that I will phone them.

Hello All

I received an interesting communication on Friday. An envelope arrived in my handwriting with a "Gatwick" post mark. Inside was a small booklet. I could not remember sending for anything so I just put it to one side. However, curiosity got the better of me and I realised that it was a book of useless vouchers worth £7,000 or so it says. Bearing in mind that I have already been on my cruise, could it be that someone at R..... discovered my s.a.e. that I sent with the original tokens and thought they had not previously contacted me! On the other hand, perhaps it was the s.a.e. I sent for a free flight!

Enjoy yourselves those cruising!

Maureen H.

Hi
Sorry Luci I know this is off topic, but has anyone ever used the phone numbers you dial in front of the number your calling to make calls to abroad cheaper.My daughter is in New York and I would like to phone her on her mobile

Hi everyone!

Brilliant - we had a great time - loads of laughs I spent most of the time with Katie, Isobel and Doreen who doesn't have a computer but managed to get £10 cruise! (not many of those!)/ Other DE cruisers (lurking on HT so they knew who we were!). One married couple with a cabin each! Varied prices - one couple paid over £900! Others had to pay single supplement. Others stuck it out.

To those who haven't been successful yet - don't pay more than £10!!

No need to confirm flight back (well, we didn't!).

I had 2 waste bins, plenty of toilet paper, and loved the food! I can't eat wheat but had no problem at all finding alternatives. All you veggies well catered for.

Agree about previous comments regarding re-hashed bread rolls for afternoon tea (but plenty of alternatives). Agree about rotting fruit left in fruit bowl all week. (I could have chucked it out!) But these are the only (very minor) negatives.

No singles get-together. This would have really helped. I even found som DE cruisers on the very last day - it would have been good to have known them earlier! If you find yourself isolated - meal times etc., the Maitre d' will move you, but if you ask to sit with other single British people you may end up with Americans, Canadians or Australians as he can't differentiate between English speakers! I changed places 3 times and from late to early sitting also!

I would suggest in hindsight, that you have a word with Ayesha (don't miss her sessions - really helpful) to see if she could arrange some sort of get-together early on in the holiday - I am sure she would. I mentioned it on the 'comments' form, but don't know if anyone will actually read it!

We had such a good time. The excursions were good. The entertainment was hilarious (even when it wasn't meant to be!) . I can't begin to describe what one DE elderly gentleman (not from HT) did trying to impress the judges in the 'Miss Melody' competition. I could provide details in a pm - it really isn't printable!

All the staff really helpful - couldn't do enough for us - room service, carrying trays to table etc.

Helpful hints -

Light switches are on edge of mirrors (spent a lot of time looking for them!).

If you don't fancy the Gala Evening - drinks/photo with Captain etc., don't worry about it as you give it a miss but still go for the meal as it's a separate occasion held in a different room.

Duty free - shop in MSC terminal (going only) is cheap and nobody objected to bottle out on show in cabin. Also ship's duty free reasonable but someone advised they kept your purchases until disembarkation. Malpensa airport has a huge very good duty free shop.

If you would like a postcard to get back to UK before you, suggest you post in Naples - they arrived home in 2 days!

Well, that's just a few things for those departing soon. I'll try and do a proper review soon. Some interesting photos may appear - Katie will no doubt sort that out!

Alli
p.s. line dancers kept to themselves, didn't go on any outings as far as we could see and appeared to be only about 35 or so of them!

hi allisu
you sound as though you had a great time, so glad, even though we did pull you leg about the line dancing before you went,bet you were dreading them... so do tell, what was your cabin like
kate

Raych

I suggest you post your query in the General Enquiries forum. I use http://www.call18866.co.uk to make calls, although only once overseas. I don't know if it would work out cheaper using that to call a mobile though or even if it would work.

Allisu

Delighted to hear you had such a great cruise and look forward to your review!

luci

Hi Kate

My cabin was very much like the other up-graded ones except I had better quality fittings! The main difference was that I had an opening window (bigger than a port hole!) - which I apparently annoyingly kept dropping into the conversation (e.g "when I was looking out my window this morning I saw........" etc.etc!). I think I drove them mad! But the view was great and I could climb up and sort of sit on the ledge, complete with drink, and sit and watch the scenery.......

/Alli

Hi Allisu
Glad to hear you had a good time on the Melody. Can I ask you a couple of questions please? I want to take my hairdryer what exactly do I need to be able to use it? Do I need an extension lead? I presume i have to get a travel adapter what do I ask for? Also do you know if there were any problems about taking a butane gas hair tongs along?

hi allisu
you lucky girl
in my dreams!!!!!
they call it the fairy....if i pull all my teeth out and put them under my pillow i wonder if the fairy would visit me..........knowing my luck, would be toothless and still no fairy,but we can all dream.
so i think we might now have a good review as you did have 2 bins in your cabin and lots of loo rolls
do tell about 'miss melody' we are all very broad minded, we have had to have been ,going through what we have all been through
kate

Allisu, It all sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing with us. Were you new to cruising before this and if so are you now hooked?

This may be a silly question, but... Can herds of line dancers all jigging in unison rock a ship?

Raych, i can second what Luci says. I am reliably informed that 18866.co.uk is the cheapest phone provider and i have been using them now for several months with no problem. If my memory serves correctly calling a US mobile costs only 2p per minute! However if your daughter has a UK mobile you will pay the UK mobile rate of 3p at the weekend or 12p weekdays and your daughter will pay a charge as well. Just don't forget to dial 18866 before every call!

Barbj1 -

You won't need a hairdryer - there is one fitted in bathroom.

The only thing not allowed , is I think, a travel iron. Also, if that is spotted at airport security, they will break into your case to check what it is! My case had it's locks removed (and thrown away presumably) both going and returning! Best not to take anything big and made of metal!

If you have a travel adaptor, you can use this to charge your mobile but I don't think the voltage is right for anything else.

Craig - - yes, I'm new to this type of holiday. The trouble is, I've been spoilt now by being upgraded to a mini suite! It will be a long time before I go on another (if ever!).