Who's in for GREECE and TURKEY, June 15 2003????

[tajz90]

Must have just changed. For our 2012 Christmas Cruise, our reservations were linked with some friends and they booked us on all of their excursions. Our booking opened at the same time. Problem is, we didn't want to do the excursions they chose and we couldn't cancel them online. No idea why. We had to call. Frustrating. So if it has changed since then, good. Too much trouble to change if its something you don't want.

 

[MinnieDiva]

You can book your own stuff when you are linked, but you can't book for the others anymore. We used to be able to book Palo for our friends (with us, so table for 4), but last cruise we couldn't, they had to book when their window opened and it was gone by then. We just added them when we got on board.

Same with excursions, we could only book for ourselves, not them.

When was this?

I've always booked a table for as many as I needed. But I was concierge then. Dont know how that works non concierge

We shall see....

Must have just changed. For our 2012 Christmas Cruise, our reservations were linked with some friends and they booked us on all of their excursions. Our booking opened at the same time. Problem is, we didn't want to do the excursions they chose and we couldn't cancel them online. No idea why. We had to call. Frustrating. So if it has changed since then, good. Too much trouble to change if its something you don't want.

They probably locked you in to it. As we'd been linked to not only Mindy but several other ressies in the past, you're supposed to be able to toggle down and select who the reservation is for. It showed you the names of those linked, but you were able to select you you wanted to put on the dining, excursion, spa, whatever activity you were trying to do. Our last time doing links was in September.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes...

 

[mindelmouse]

When was this?

We shall see....

They probably locked you in to it. As we'd been linked to not only Mindy but several other ressies in the past, you're supposed to be able to toggle down and select who the reservation is for. It showed you the names of those linked, but you were able to select you you wanted to put on the dining, excursion, spa, whatever activity you were trying to do. Our last time doing links was in September.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes...

I guess I'll be the guinea pig. If i can book everyone on excursions that would be awesome.

 

[MinnieDiva]

I guess I'll be the guinea pig. If i can book everyone on excursions that would be awesome.

Isn't that the truth. I fully expect that you won't based on our previous experiences, but I'll take what I can get! BTW, last time I called I reconfirmed that all 4 rooms are still linked.

 

[DL1957]

You can book your own stuff when you are linked, but you can't book for the others anymore. We used to be able to book Palo for our friends (with us, so table for 4), but last cruise we couldn't, they had to book when their window opened and it was gone by then. We just added them when we got on board.

Same with excursions, we could only book for ourselves, not them.

That is what I was trying to say.
Thank you

 

[scubadiver]

Looks like many cabins have opened up in the last day or so.

 

[mindelmouse]

Isn't that the truth. I fully expect that you won't based on our previous experiences, but I'll take what I can get! BTW, last time I called I reconfirmed that all 4 rooms are still linked.

 

[justhat]

I've always booked a table for as many as I needed. But I was concierge then. Dont know how that works non concierge

We were concierge and not, different cruises. Didn't matter. We were in a Cat 2 in Alaska in June 2011, couldn't book for our friends in a Cat 4 because they were silver status. Same on the Baltic in July 2010, We were in a Cat 3, them in a Cat 4, they were silver. Most recently was the inaugural Fantasy. We were both in Cat 4s, us platinum, them gold. Couldn't do Remy or Palo or any excursions.

The cruises where we were concierge, we emailed concierge and they said they could add immediate family only (like my mom booked in a Cat 4), but no friends until their booking date.

When was this?



We shall see....



They probably locked you in to it. As we'd been linked to not only Mindy but several other ressies in the past, you're supposed to be able to toggle down and select who the reservation is for. It showed you the names of those linked, but you were able to select you you wanted to put on the dining, excursion, spa, whatever activity you were trying to do. Our last time doing links was in September.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes...

See above, various different dates. In August 2009 on an Eastern Magic we could book for our friends, but not the other cruises until their booking date opened.

 

[justhat]

Must have just changed. For our 2012 Christmas Cruise, our reservations were linked with some friends and they booked us on all of their excursions. Our booking opened at the same time. Problem is, we didn't want to do the excursions they chose and we couldn't cancel them online. No idea why. We had to call. Frustrating. So if it has changed since then, good. Too much trouble to change if its something you don't want.

If your booking date is the same date, then yes, they can book for you. I'm talking about if people have different dates, like concierge/platinum and silver.

 

[Meum]

I went through the spreadsheet and removed the people that I knew had said they were no longer sailing with us, but we do have folks on the list that haven't posted in ages, so maybe it's worth sending a PM to those we haven't heard from in a while so they can "check in" if they are still planning to sail and would like to participate in any of the Meet activities we might end up planning.

Speaking of Meet activities, do you all want to schedule a brief meet-and-greet for the first day onboard? And what about for the first Sea Day for those who might not be able to make it to a sail-away meet and greet? I personally love getting to put faces with the names I've become familiar with early on in the cruise as it's nice to have friendly faces to say hi to when passing. We've found that the Promenade Lounge is a good place for a sailing day meet and greet, usually 30-minutes or so before safety drill. We obviously don't have to decide right away but could start thinking about if we want to do something particular.

Also, we'll be staying at the Renaissance Barcelona arriving on Thursday morning and would be happy to Meet and Greet on Thursday and/or Friday evening in the lobby of the hotel for anyone else who is staying there (or makes their way over). If you think you'd be interested, PM me and I'd be glad to host. We've done that before and find that it's a good way to share port-city touring tips ... we got a great tip in London about how to not have a long line to see the crown jewels at the Tower by meeting up with other DISers the first night while we still had a whole other day to tour London.

I'm checking in!!!! We're still going Will be arriving on the 13th as well but are staying at some apartment in Barcelona. (hubby made reservation so not sure where it is) would be willing to try and make our way to a meet and greet! i hunkered down and read through the shore excursions, know which ones i want to do, not sure if hubby and/or friend will be going with me i was totally confused about what to do in Mykonos & Kusadasi might just wander around. see ya, marianne

 

[CasaMartinez]

I haven't checked in since I booked the cruise last year February. Wasn't sure if we were going to be able to pull it off but thank heavens it's all coming together. We booked our air and will be making the final payment soon

Now to finish catching up on all these posts. I'm up to page 45 so about half way.

 

[mindelmouse]

We were concierge and not, different cruises. Didn't matter. We were in a Cat 2 in Alaska in June 2011, couldn't book for our friends in a Cat 4 because they were silver status. Same on the Baltic in July 2010, We were in a Cat 3, them in a Cat 4, they were silver. Most recently was the inaugural Fantasy. We were both in Cat 4s, us platinum, them gold. Couldn't do Remy or Palo or any excursions.

The cruises where we were concierge, we emailed concierge and they said they could add immediate family only (like my mom booked in a Cat 4), but no friends until their booking date.



See above, various different dates. In August 2009 on an Eastern Magic we could book for our friends, but not the other cruises until their booking date opened.

I understand that was your experience but it absolutely wasn't mine. On every cruise I've been on (6) on 3 different ships, I have been able to make the Palo reservations for my entire group. I never had to give any names, I just had the concierge book a table for how many I needed. I did this in 2008, in the med in 2010 (got a table for 10), in Alaska (8), NY to Bahamas this past August. So I think it depends on how you book it. I'm not concierge this time, so I don't know if I'll get the same ability, but I sure am gonna try.

 

[colemame]

Has anyone looked at airfares? We booked ours in Sept. and now the same seats are now $1,000 more! Boy did we make a great decision to book early!

We bought ours last week and they were $1400 straight flight from Miami to Spain. Was thinkining they would go down but we got nervous that they would go really high if we waited any longer!

 

[DL1957]

I'm checking in!!!! We're still going Will be arriving on the 13th as well but are staying at some apartment in Barcelona. (hubby made reservation so not sure where it is) would be willing to try and make our way to a meet and greet! i hunkered down and read through the shore excursions, know which ones i want to do, not sure if hubby and/or friend will be going with me i was totally confused about what to do in Mykonos & Kusadasi might just wander around. see ya, marianne

Marianne
If you are on your own in those ports I will let you know what we book and you are welcome to join us. BFF is traveling as a single with us so she would love to have someone to talk with on the bus. Not sure about Mykonos because I have a live long friend who lives in Berlin and might meet us there and give us his own tour. He is a flight attendant for Luftansa so have to wait for his schedule before we know for sure. Sue Less than 60 days to opening day on 4/5 in SF and I will be home!

 

[nzdisneymom]

I'm checking in!!!! We're still going Will be arriving on the 13th as well but are staying at some apartment in Barcelona. (hubby made reservation so not sure where it is) would be willing to try and make our way to a meet and greet! i hunkered down and read through the shore excursions, know which ones i want to do, not sure if hubby and/or friend will be going with me i was totally confused about what to do in Mykonos & Kusadasi might just wander around. see ya, marianne

We are doing a walk-about in Mykonos, and for Kusadasi, we've settled on the DCL excursion that is Ephesus, Didyma, and Miletus. We always pay attention to see if someone is on an excursion that is by themselves so that when the tour guide starts counting and checking, we check to see that they are present as if they were part of our family - ever since when we were in Pisa and a lady on our excursion who was by herself got left behind at the restroom at the cafe stop. Our tour guide didn't count properly and some other tourists had mingled into our group and by the time the guide sorted those people out of his count, he miscounted. Thankfully the DCL CM that was with us recounted as we were pulling away on our little train and came up short and realized that we'd left someone. We had to wait 1/2 hour for her to be fetched and when we got back to La Spezia, they had held the last tender for us - other people were glad because they'd have been left behind if our DCL excursion had not been late!

I haven't checked in since I booked the cruise last year February. Wasn't sure if we were going to be able to pull it off but thank heavens it's all coming together. We booked our air and will be making the final payment soon

Now to finish catching up on all these posts. I'm up to page 45 so about half way.

Welcome back! Here's some information you might want to not have to dig back through all the posts for

ROLLCALL FORM

SPREADSHEET

If you want to join the Facebook group, go here to request to join the group.

Remind me if we have someone who is coordinating the Fish Extenders and if we've set a date for sign-up?

 

[TDC Nala]

DCL changed last year. I think it was early last year. You can no longer book Palo or excursions using your own CC status for linked staterooms with a lower CC status. Only for the persons registered in your own stateroom.

Don't know what the procedure is for concierge staterooms, it could well be different. But not on non-concierge staterooms.

If the linked staterooms have the same CC status, no problem.

 

[MJGirl]

Don't jinx us!!!!!

Ooops ... Sorry Weather Gods!!!!

Hi MJGirl!
Not bad here in Alberta. Hovering around 0', (that's about 32'F for our American friends). Heard it has been brutal down east. We get the magical chinook winds that take the temp up 20' in just a couple hours and melts the snow!
What part of Ontario are you from? DH is from Toronto but moved out west when he was a teenager.

Hi NanNan ... I grew up in Oakville, but now live in Waterloo. Will be nice to have some fellow Canadians on board eh!

 

[MJGirl]

Hey HavinABlast ... just noticed you are from Cambridge... I'm from Waterloo! Nice to be cruising with someone so close to home!!

 

[890537]

We bought ours last week and they were $1400 straight flight from Miami to Spain. Was thinkining they would go down but we got nervous that they would go really high if we waited any longer!

We haven't booked yet but plan to soon. The fares have stayed pretty much the same but are starting to inch up. We are trying to do a week in Spain before the cruise and need to work out the logistics before doing the airfare. It's running around $1200 now if our return is flexible.

 

[Travelbee]

Just want to stop in and say hi! We booked this trip on Day 1 along with two other families but wasn't sure if we'll actually do it. With the PIF date next week, we finally committed! It'll be me, DH Sean and DD10 Allison. I'm sure our friends will chime in soon as well - they are Casa Martinez and Double Trouble. Is there a centralize place where all Dismeet, FE, and other things are posted, like a website? 90+ pages are a lot to go through!