The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

I think that's a very good idea.

Lets drop this now.


Frankly, I'm not sure why you have taken such a hard stance on people being prepared to have to possibly make alternative arrangements.

If you read my posts this is a completely false statement. I have just been posting the local information correctly, you feel you know far better.

While it's true that these changes would be inconvenient and expensive, a few days of hassle to be able to keep a great vacation on track certainly beats cancelling the entire thing.

Your last paragraph, here confirms everything I have posted!!!!

You made the bold change after my previous reply. Prior to mentioning the crossing, I went onto their website and took a booking all the way to the point where I would have to pay. I just went back into their website and did it again. There were no problems either time. Granted, I didn't enter my credit card number as I will not be Calais in the next few days.

The information was correct when I tried, personally I regret getting drawn into your argument.I am sure you have something better to do

People reading this thread want information on the Baltic and not this continued argument, not posting anything more on this subject, you can continue to misrepresent me if you so wish.

BBC news here 10pm, (ie as I post) just said all booked to MONDAY!!!!!!!!
 
If you read my posts this is a completely false statement. I have just been posting the local information correctly, you feel you know far better.
I've made not one false statement. Everything that I have posted was based on research made just previously.
sbell111 said:
While it's true that these changes would be inconvenient and expensive, a few days of hassle to be able to keep a great vacation on track certainly beats cancelling the entire thing.
Your last paragraph, here confirms everything I have posted!!!!
My last paragraph coincides with statements that I and MrsScooby made prior to your jumping in declaring that it was impossible.
The information was correct when I tried, personally I regret getting drawn into your argument.I am sure you have something better to do
We were having a nice discussion until you came along posting that it would be impossible to use other options, even though research showed that it was completely doable.
People reading this thread want information on the Baltic and not this continued argument, not posting anything more on this subject, you can continue to misrepresent me if you so wish.
The bolded bit is a misstatement and a personal attack that goes against the board guidelines.
 
Actually you both bring up some good points.
No one wants to miss their cruise if they can help it.

I wonder what DCL would do if more than half of their passengers couldn't make it by departure time?
 
Guys, I think we can all agree that it would be an extremely difficult situation if something like what's happening now happened around the start of any four of the Baltic cruises. It's probably very hard for those of us in the US to imagine the chaos that is going on in Europe.

An on the ground example: One of my colleagues in my office was supposed to fly to London this evening from JFK. Of course he's not doing that, and our secretary has spent all day trying to find him a flight this evening or tomorrow morning to any major European city. The travel agent is telling her that everything is sold out or backed up. She's also had trouble getting him a train reservation to get from any European airport to England. My colleague was supposed to fly from London to Hong Kong at the end of the weekend, and now our secretary is trying to book him straight to Hong Kong from JFK, and she's having trouble doing that, just because the planes are all in the wrong places.

If the Baltic cruises were happening now, then we'd have lots of people posting on these boards, luckily, explaining how their flights to the UK were cancelled and what they were trying to do to get across the ocean and to Dover. We'd know if it was doable or not doable and how many days' cusion you would need to make it happen. But since the first Baltic cruise is not for slightly less than two months, we really don't know what would be involved. The internet could say that we could do something, and the BBC could say that we couldn't, and until we actually tried to get to an airport, take off, land, get in a car and travel across Europe and the English channel, we wouldn't really know if we could make it work. We would also probably, frankly, be trying to figure out how to get to Oslo instead, to salvage some portion of the cruise, right?

I think this volcano is a terrible thing with continued repercussions given, as I understand it, that it's still continuing to erupt. At this point, we should be glad people are merely inconvenienced rather than seriously harmed (so far as I've heard) and that it's happening now and not in June. Hopefully the volcano will have calmed down sufficiently that we won't have these concerns then and can just enjoy the vacation we are all so excited about.

I love the DIS and the community of the people on it and the access to information and helpful suggestions, tips and sources. Let's not forget how great it is that we have this and that we have been sharing and planning for the Baltics for months and months. It would be just awful if all of the sudden we were struggling to figure out how to get to the boat, and even more awful if we actually couldn't get there, or had to miss a few of the ports before we found our way across the ocean. Let's just hope it doesn't ever happen and that we all have amazing cruises.
 

Your last paragraph, here confirms everything I have posted!!!!



The information was correct when I tried, personally I regret getting drawn into your argument.I am sure you have something better to do

People reading this thread want information on the Baltic and not this continued argument, not posting anything more on this subject, you can continue to misrepresent me if you so wish.

BBC news here 10pm, (ie as I post) just said all booked to MONDAY!!!!!!!!

Actually you both bring up some good points.
No one wants to miss their cruise if they can help it.

I wonder what DCL would do if more than half of their passengers couldn't make it by departure time?

Thats why we booked the entire trip from air to transportation and back through DCL! ;) And bought trip insurance! :thumbsup2 So, ASSUMING, and there is a lot of that going on in this debate :rolleyes1 getting to Dover is an issue, DCL will either get it done or we go NEXT year! :rotfl2:

Now, on to more important information please! :wizard:
 
Actually you both bring up some good points.
No one wants to miss their cruise if they can help it.

Guys, I think we can all agree that it would be an extremely difficult situation if something like what's happening now happened around the start of any four of the Baltic cruises. It's probably very hard for those of us in the US to imagine the chaos that is going on in Europe.

An on the ground example: One of my colleagues in my office was supposed to fly to London this evening from JFK. Of course he's not doing that, and our secretary has spent all day trying to find him a flight this evening or tomorrow morning to any major European city. The travel agent is telling her that everything is sold out or backed up. She's also had trouble getting him a train reservation to get from any European airport to England. My colleague was supposed to fly from London to Hong Kong at the end of the weekend, and now our secretary is trying to book him straight to Hong Kong from JFK, and she's having trouble doing that, just because the planes are all in the wrong places.

If the Baltic cruises were happening now, then we'd have lots of people posting on these boards, luckily, explaining how their flights to the UK were cancelled and what they were trying to do to get across the ocean and to Dover. We'd know if it was doable or not doable and how many days' cusion you would need to make it happen. But since the first Baltic cruise is not for slightly less than two months, we really don't know what would be involved. The internet could say that we could do something, and the BBC could say that we couldn't, and until we actually tried to get to an airport, take off, land, get in a car and travel across Europe and the English channel, we wouldn't really know if we could make it work. We would also probably, frankly, be trying to figure out how to get to Oslo instead, to salvage some portion of the cruise, right?

I think this volcano is a terrible thing with continued repercussions given, as I understand it, that it's still continuing to erupt. At this point, we should be glad people are merely inconvenienced rather than seriously harmed (so far as I've heard) and that it's happening now and not in June. Hopefully the volcano will have calmed down sufficiently that we won't have these concerns then and can just enjoy the vacation we are all so excited about.

I love the DIS and the community of the people on it and the access to information and helpful suggestions, tips and sources. Let's not forget how great it is that we have this and that we have been sharing and planning for the Baltics for months and months. It would be just awful if all of the sudden we were struggling to figure out how to get to the boat, and even more awful if we actually couldn't get there, or had to miss a few of the ports before we found our way across the ocean. Let's just hope it doesn't ever happen and that we all have amazing cruises.

Well said, MrsScooby and Cindy18. What's happening right now is very unfortunate. It's impossible to predict what the situation would/could be in a few months. I'm all for trying to have contingency plans, but we can't plan for the possibility of a future event based on the current event due to a million and one variables that are all waaaaay beyond our control. Being the eternal optimist, I'm going to continue planning our port excursions. :thumbsup2
 
I realize that in Europe, you guys kinda default to train travel. It's not like that in the US. If we can't fly somewhere, we jump in a car and drive.

Any city in Western Europe is within driving distance to the port. I seriously doubt that every rental car in Europe is going to be unavailable because of the ash cloud.

To test this theory, I just popped over to the National Car Rental website and verified that I could, indeed, rent a car in Rome, Madrid, Frankfort, or Zurich tomorrow afternoon. (Those are the only cities that I checked, as well as the only rental company.) I also just verified that I can still reserve space for a vehicle on the eurotunnel shuttle for the day after tomorrow and the next day.
Maybe you can get a job helping the 1000's of stranded people who apparently don't know who to call.:rotfl2:
 
Thats why we booked the entire trip from air to transportation and back through DCL! ;) And bought trip insurance! :thumbsup2 So, ASSUMING, and there is a lot of that going on in this debate :rolleyes1 getting to Dover is an issue, DCL will either get it done or we go NEXT year! :rotfl2:

Now, on to more important information please! :wizard:


We are booked entirely through DCL too. Do you know if they have one of those "act of God" clauses?
 
I'm working on my schedule plan for Sunday night. Does anyone know what time the shows start for the early diners? I want to plan Palo, but the kids would hate to miss the show!
 
I'm working on my schedule plan for Sunday night. Does anyone know what time the shows start for the early diners? I want to plan Palo, but the kids would hate to miss the show!

If I had to hazard a guess :confused3 I'd say 8:15-8:30pm since that's what time they currently begin on the other itineraries.
 
I'm working on my schedule plan for Sunday night. Does anyone know what time the shows start for the early diners? I want to plan Palo, but the kids would hate to miss the show!

Just confirming you mean for people who have main (early) dining, what time does the post dinner show start? I believe 8:30.
 
Maybe you can get a job helping the 1000's of stranded people who apparently don't know who to call.:rotfl2:
:thumbsup2

We have major TV stars stuck in France and cant get back to the UK from there, and our flights are grounded to at least 1am BST Sunday.
Just confirming you mean for people who have main (early) dining, what time does the post dinner show start? I believe 8:30.

8.30pm normally.

Thank you for your posts.
 
BBC NEWS in the UK.

Restrictions on UK airspace have been extended until 0100 BST on Sunday, as the danger to planes from volcanic ash from Iceland persists.
The UK's National Air Traffic Service (Nats) said some domestic flights may be able to take off from Scotland and Northern Ireland before 0100.
But British Airways said all short-haul flights to and from Heathrow and Gatwick on Sunday have been cancelled.


Officials warn that European airspace could be disrupted for several days.
Nats said the ash cloud was "moving around and changing shape", and some domestic flights may be able to take off from Scotland and Northern Ireland if it "moves sufficiently".


Prof Brian Golding, head of forecasting research at the Met Office said: "The latest information we have suggests the ash will remain over the UK for several days.

"We need a change of wind direction that stays changed for several days and there is no sign of that in the immediate future," he added.
Restrictions had been lifted in Scotland and Northern Ireland on Friday evening but were reapplied overnight
.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been stranded in the UK and abroad by flight cancellations.

"Current forecasts show that the situation is worsening throughout Saturday," said Nats, adding that it was "most unlikely" that many flights would operate later.

It said anyone hoping to travel should contact their airline before travelling to the airport.

A further update from Nats is expected at about 1500 BST.
Restrictions on flights in the UK have been in place since 1200 BST on Thursday because of fears particles in the ash from the volcanic eruption in Iceland could shut down plane engines.

Air travel across Europe has been severely affected, with a range of countries from Belgium to Switzerland completely closing their airspace.



In other developments:

• Ryanair cancelled all flights to and from northern Europe until 1300 BST on Monday. It will keep running in southern and central Europe, although flight restrictions are being imposed in Hungary and Romania
• P&O Ferries said it had dealt with 30,000 calls on Friday - the most it had dealt with on one day in its history. It said it would be unable to accept any further foot-passenger bookings
• Eurostar trains reported a complete sell-out of its services to Brussels and Paris for the second day on Friday. Its trains are fully booked until Monday.
• German airline Lufthansa has cancelled all its flights until 2000 local German time (1900 BST)

Unable to catch flights, many commuters across northern Europe have sought other means of transport, which has seen people filling trains, buses and ferries.

UK-based Aaron Soni is among those affected. He had been visiting his parents in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and son.
Mr Soni - who was due to return to the UK on Saturday but was told not to bother checking with his airline until Thursday - said his, and his wife's, work commitments are "in chaos" and their son had been due to return to school on Monday.

"It's getting expensive to pay all the bills," he said.
The no-fly zone also means some world leaders might have difficulty attending the funeral of the Polish president on Sunday.
And celebrities have not been immune to the travel disruption.
US singer Whitney Houston had to take a car ferry from Britain to Ireland for a concert in Dublin and comedian John Cleese reportedly paid $5,100 (£3,319) for a taxi ride from Oslo to Brussels.


The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was also affected by the restrictions.
An MoD spokeswoman said: "We are under the same restrictions as everybody else, above 3,000 ft. Below 3,000 ft essential helicopter operations, such as search and rescue operations, have resumed."
Manchester and Liverpool airports had been offered a six-hour window - between 0400 BST and 1000 BST - in which to operate some flights, but the changing conditions meant that was later revoked.


BAA said passengers due to fly should not go to its airports - Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow - but should contact their airline for re-ticketing information.

BBC weather forecaster Nick Miller said: "As the weekend goes on there is a risk that prevailing winds will keep volcanic ash in the air above parts of the UK, and may even bring it back to those parts from which it has cleared."
European air traffic control organisation Eurocontrol said more than half of the normal 300 trans-Atlantic flights had also been cancelled and it warned of "significant disruption" of European air traffic on Saturday
.
The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (Canso), a global association of air traffic control companies, said the knock-on effect of the cancellations so far would probably disrupt European airspace for several days.
Experts say the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud could jam aircraft engines, as has happened in previous incidents of planes flying into plumes of volcanic ash.

The last eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano system that is creating the problems was on 20 March, when a 0.5km-long fissure opened up on the eastern side of the glacier at the Fimmvoerduhals Pass.
The eruption prior to that started in 1821 and continued intermittently for more than a year.

Ashcloud.gif


Our TV, is reporting major disruption to Wednesday and then ten days to get thnigs back to normal.
 
bbc news in the uk.

restrictions on uk airspace have been extended until 0100 bst on sunday, as the danger to planes from volcanic ash from iceland persists.
The uk's national air traffic service (nats) said some domestic flights may be able to take off from scotland and northern ireland before 0100.
But british airways said all short-haul flights to and from heathrow and gatwick on sunday have been cancelled.


Officials warn that european airspace could be disrupted for several days.
Nats said the ash cloud was "moving around and changing shape", and some domestic flights may be able to take off from scotland and northern ireland if it "moves sufficiently".


Prof brian golding, head of forecasting research at the met office said: "the latest information we have suggests the ash will remain over the uk for several days.

"we need a change of wind direction that stays changed for several days and there is no sign of that in the immediate future," he added.
Restrictions had been lifted in scotland and northern ireland on friday evening but were reapplied overnight
.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been stranded in the uk and abroad by flight cancellations.

"current forecasts show that the situation is worsening throughout saturday," said nats, adding that it was "most unlikely" that many flights would operate later.

It said anyone hoping to travel should contact their airline before travelling to the airport.

A further update from nats is expected at about 1500 bst.
Restrictions on flights in the uk have been in place since 1200 bst on thursday because of fears particles in the ash from the volcanic eruption in iceland could shut down plane engines.

Air travel across europe has been severely affected, with a range of countries from belgium to switzerland completely closing their airspace.



In other developments:

• ryanair cancelled all flights to and from northern europe until 1300 bst on monday. It will keep running in southern and central europe, although flight restrictions are being imposed in hungary and romania
• p&o ferries said it had dealt with 30,000 calls on friday - the most it had dealt with on one day in its history. It said it would be unable to accept any further foot-passenger bookings
• eurostar trains reported a complete sell-out of its services to brussels and paris for the second day on friday. Its trains are fully booked until monday.
• german airline lufthansa has cancelled all its flights until 2000 local german time (1900 bst)

unable to catch flights, many commuters across northern europe have sought other means of transport, which has seen people filling trains, buses and ferries.

Uk-based aaron soni is among those affected. He had been visiting his parents in melbourne, australia, with his wife and son.
Mr soni - who was due to return to the uk on saturday but was told not to bother checking with his airline until thursday - said his, and his wife's, work commitments are "in chaos" and their son had been due to return to school on monday.

"it's getting expensive to pay all the bills," he said.
The no-fly zone also means some world leaders might have difficulty attending the funeral of the polish president on sunday.
And celebrities have not been immune to the travel disruption.
Us singer whitney houston had to take a car ferry from britain to ireland for a concert in dublin and comedian john cleese reportedly paid $5,100 (£3,319) for a taxi ride from oslo to brussels.


The ministry of defence (mod) said it was also affected by the restrictions.
An mod spokeswoman said: "we are under the same restrictions as everybody else, above 3,000 ft. Below 3,000 ft essential helicopter operations, such as search and rescue operations, have resumed."
manchester and liverpool airports had been offered a six-hour window - between 0400 bst and 1000 bst - in which to operate some flights, but the changing conditions meant that was later revoked.


Baa said passengers due to fly should not go to its airports - heathrow, stansted, southampton, edinburgh, aberdeen and glasgow - but should contact their airline for re-ticketing information.

Bbc weather forecaster nick miller said: "as the weekend goes on there is a risk that prevailing winds will keep volcanic ash in the air above parts of the uk, and may even bring it back to those parts from which it has cleared."
european air traffic control organisation eurocontrol said more than half of the normal 300 trans-atlantic flights had also been cancelled and it warned of "significant disruption" of european air traffic on saturday
.
The civil air navigation services organisation (canso), a global association of air traffic control companies, said the knock-on effect of the cancellations so far would probably disrupt european airspace for several days.
Experts say the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud could jam aircraft engines, as has happened in previous incidents of planes flying into plumes of volcanic ash.

The last eruption of the eyjafjallajoekull volcano system that is creating the problems was on 20 march, when a 0.5km-long fissure opened up on the eastern side of the glacier at the fimmvoerduhals pass.
The eruption prior to that started in 1821 and continued intermittently for more than a year.

ashcloud.gif


our tv, is reporting major disruption to wednesday and then ten days to get thnigs back to normal.

wow!!!
 
I second that "WOW"! This is a big deal.

Yes, I thought I would quote the BBC has they have a very very high reputation and show how big this thing is. People can underestimate the total effect.

We have Blue skies, no plane vapour trails, I can hear wood pigeons, and birds, this morning the sunrise was in a haze, and I could look with my eye at the circle of the sun through it without getting burnt, it was a mixture of mist and fog. My car has ash on it, and my house window sills have ash on it, not large amounts but there.

23 Countries have closed their airports now,

We have TV presenters and stars stuck in places such as FRANCE and will miss presenting their shows.

Its big, but.... when ever this volcano blows, the bigger one next to it always goes off shortly afterwards......
 
Wait a minute. What do you mean "the bigger one next to it"????? What's that? And how serious is that risk?:scared1:
 
I bet some UK/Euro companies were wishing they had a few of these right now!

d903540.jpg


A drigble wouldn't likely be effect like a jet is.
 

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