hi all, just a very quick post for now. just back off the opera yesterday, it was absolutely fantastic!!!
couldn't fault anything(except they could have spent longer in the ports, then again you wouldn't have got to use the fantastic facilities on board!!)
especially the afternoon tea and cakes being brought to you by gorgeous waiters dressed in cream suits and dickie bows!!!!!!

i met up with hilary(abroadscots), and can obvioulsy confirm the delays, we had 4 hours on the return. Please please check and allow yourself plenty of time before your ship sails, out of 27 flights returning that were up on the screen at the time 14 were CANCELLED!! ALTOGETHER.
must go and put the kids to bed, will update the site asap,
if anyone has any questions please feel free to pm.
joe

Hi Rosie,
Just to say I have not heard any more about a cruise since being allocated 5th Nov to the Caribbean. I know this is not happening as I should be with Juro, MEH,and Andy all of whom have other cruise dates now. I have e-mailed and then had phone calls from R*** all telling me someone will be in touch but nobody is. I had even asked for a second person price but they won't even quote me for that. We then booked a cruise on the Braemar but I didn't tell anyone on HT until we returned in case R*** were still monitering the site and decided to be mean and offer me a cruise when I couldn't go. Paranoid or what. Now I am back at work I could start nagging them again but I shouldn't think there is much chance of anything now the school holidays will soon be here as that is peak season. I suppose as I was due to go in Nov they could easily put me off until 2006 as that is only a few months longer. We live in hope.
Maureen

Hello again Maureen, I was another of the Guy Fawkes Cabbies but have now got the Melody on 4/7. If it wasn't for this site I'm sure I would still be in limbo. I believe some cruises were still being allocated for this year but it seems to have stopped for a while whilst R*** are in 'discussion' with the DE. The only advice I can give is to keep pushing and, whatever you do, don't accept the vouchers. We are all rooting for you and for all the others who are still waiting for news.

Found this information about potential strikes in Italy, hope it doesn't stretch the page:
CLICK HERE

hope it's ok luci

Edit to shorten link as requested
David HT Mod

Thanks David

Elaine xx

Hear hear Aslemma. great advice to all who don't yet have cruises! Keep at it, and at it and at it and at it!

yes Maureen,don't give up.

Even if it does stretch the page.

No, I won't give up and I don't want their vouchers!!!

Number 1 son got married three weeks ago, then we went on our Baltic cruise. Number 2 son is due to become a father any day now [first grandchild] number 3 son graduates in July so you will understand why I have not had much energy for phoning/e-mailing R***/D**** E****** After the summer, when hopefully I will cruise in my garden, I will start nagging them again. Perhaps by then Phil will find me a space on the balcony cruise. I will happily pay for a new bulb.

I wonder if the Travel insurance sold by Rise with booking (Optional but I took it) covers Air Traffic Control strikes? Do any of them?

More experienced flyers........please enlighten us!

If so, how does that work with the value of a £10 cruise.......does it refund £10 or replace the cruise?

The full details on Foreign and Commonwealth Office's travel advice for Italy is as follows:

Pre-planned Strikes -

31 May 24 hours local public transport
6 June 10.00 - 16.00 Pilots Italian Union strike
6 June 10.00 - 18.00 Air Traffic Control "
16 June 10.00 - 18.00 Air Traffic Control
26 June 12.30 - 16.30 Alitalia Pilots
7 July 12.00 - 16.00 Rome Air Traffic Control

Having spoken to Alitalia it seems that this will not be definite until 72 prior to flights.

For me that would be too late and leave no time for alternative arrangements. At that stage it would be very difficult to get a flight so for peace of mind I have changed my flight to previous day and am now flying to Linate and staying overnight. It is extra expense but worth it to know that there shouldn't be any mishaps! !

I will now be travelling with the others and not the so long as ther's room on their coach - must contact MSC to confirm ok.

Hi Tony,
I have had similar thoughts! Under normal circumstances one would contact ones Travel Agent, I wonder if anyone will?

I have no idea if the ATC strikes are just in Italy and whether they are connected with Alitalia strikes in any way. So many questions and a tad unsettling!

I suppose I should have tried to contact 'our travel agent' but with the Bank holiday and everything it's a tad too close for me to have to spend all day trying to contact them, them not responding etc and anyway I have to go to work, so no time!

Alitalia were under the impression I had paid £99 for my flight - no mention of anyone else paying!

There is a clause in my Boots Travel Insurance which says

"we will not pay if your departure or arrival was delayed as a result of industrial action which was public knowledge before the start of your trip."

I think we can assume as it's been posted on FCO site then it would be seen as being so!

Yes Allisu, too close for comfort! The insurance company would almost certainly argue that since it was reported on FCO that it is in the public domain. I think I would have done what you did! At least now you can rest easy!

Hi Alli,

Glad you are sorted.

Have looked at the official site and can confirm that the strike dated the 16th June has been revoked so won't happen.

The FCO are not always up to date on this so anyone else do please check the suggested links. The first is in English and explains what the Italian site means. A planned strike can be revoked if the commisione intervenes because it violates strike regulations and the strike may be subsequently cancelled. You need to look down the list for info on Trasporto Aereo and then for ENAV, the Italian air traffic control and then check if it says Nazionale at bottom or is just regional.

Ali I hope you enjoy your cruise as much as Joe and I have!! Good luck with everything and sleep easy.

Hilary

Allisu, I don't see how they can get away with "we will not pay if your departure or arrival was delayed as a result of industrial action which was public knowledge before the start of your trip." Only those with access to the internet (which would presumably include your travel agent) would know that and surely it would be up to the agent to factor in the problem. I can see that if a train or bus strike was announced it would be up to travellers to find an alternative way of getting to the airport but an air traffic control strike is a different matter entirely - what would passengers be able to do in that case Very little, apart from trying to get a different flight.

Tony, I see that it appears at present we are OK on 4th July, but it does raise the question of what would happen if there is unofficial industrial action. I would just say that as there is not much we can do about it we should just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best, whilst making sure we have our credit cards with us in case of emergency

Yes indeedy, Aslemma!

It`s the "Wildcat" actions that worry me more.......like Allisu, we could work around the advertised ones, but if a random strike stops us at the last minute then we`ve missed the boat, literally.

Can`t imagine a quick phone call to our beloved Travel Agent would get much result............standing at Heathrow/Milan and getting a "You will be contacted in 21 days" message is not going to help much.

I`m taking my inflatable dinghy just in case!

I think any phone calls to ****, quick or otherwise, would be a dead loss, so I will ask if I can borrow my son's hang-glider - I hope you know which direction I should point it in though and we will have to work out a way to send it back for the rest of our bunch, as I don't think it will take more than two of us, and that's not allowing for luggage

Tony

like Allisu, we could work round the advertised ones

Yes, you could if you want to spend 6 hours on-line trying to sort it out:

I am now in need of a holiday

I think the best idea would be to check with Alitalia direct, at least the day before. I did with BMI the other year when I was going to Paris at the time of the strikes at Heathrow. Luckily I was going to stay with friends so it wasn't a major problem that I had to go out a day late. I phoned again before flying back and was told everything was OK, but when I got to the airport I was told the flight was delayed and asked if I would like to take the earlier one. I only had about 20 minutes to check in and catch it but it saved a lot of hassle.