12/09/02 Update: New dates!

Join us for CruiseDo 2003 - Flyertalk At Sea!

Based on the feedback here and offline, I have started the process of getting pricing and information for the Carnival Ecstasy on May 9, 2003.

Itinerary:

Friday, May 9, 2003 - 5:00 PM
Depart Los Angeles

Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Ensenada, Mexico

Sunday, May 11, 2003
At Sea

Monday, May 12, 2003 - 8:00 AM
Arrive Los Angeles

For more information about the Carnival Ecstasy, click here!

The fares for this sailing will be $399+tax per person for an inside cabin, or $459+tax per person for an ocean view cabin. These prices include port charges, which the earlier estimates I'd given did not. Depending on the number of cabins that get booked, I'll also hopefully be able to send rebate checks out to everyone for an even bigger discount. The prices are, however, per-person based on double occupancy. If you want your own room, it will be just slightly less than 2 times the per person rates listed above (you would get about a $100 discount off the second berth in the cabin, as you wouldn't have to pay port charges on it).

I need to block the group of rooms this month -- doesn't mean any money is needed yet, but I need to give them an idea of how many cabins to hold for us in each category. If you think you might be interested in participating in the cruise, please reply to this thread or send me an email with an indication of which type of cabin you would prefer. Also, if you will be cruising alone, I'm going to start keeping track of people who want roommates so I can help pair people up if desired.

Please also note that this is Mothers' Day weekend. It was the best weekend in terms of rates and special amenities that Carnival will give us. To that end, it certainly would be welcome to have FlyerMoms cruise with us as well!

I will continue to post updates here, as well as on the CruiseDo web site.

See you at sea!

-Dave

[This message has been edited by dmfriedman (edited 12-09-2002).]

My guess is that plenty would like the idea of a cruise. These above are really so short that you'll be unpacking the wardrobe pretty soon after you unpack it. I guess that they were selected to hopefully tie in with weekends, but the whole cruising deal is a lot of times focused around the relaxed fact that for a week or so you need not touch a suitcase.

Joh and I did a Caribbean cruise earlier year out of MIA on The Explorer Of The Seas, the largest vessel ever built. Three times the tonnage of the Titanic etc. Massive. Think a new 4000 room Vegas hotel with a LARGE motor strapped on. Literally.

New, superb, and quite the way to to go. I know some other FT'ers I mentioned it to have since booked, and Belle just returned from a cruise on it.

Whatever the duration my tip is to try and select a liner that is NEWLY built. Even total refits on older vessels are not quite the same.

Anyway, I am sure we have folks on these boards who cruise several times each year that can add their input.



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~ Glen ~ Calling all United 1K Members - please join .. www.1Kflyers.com

I completely agree and understand, Glen. The thought behind a 3-day this time around is to give as many people the opportunity to participate as possible without requiring excessive time off. Also, to be honest, several people have mentioned that they'd enjoy a cruise, but aren't sure how much fun they'd have spending a week with the same group of people. This is an opportunity for us to see how it goes, and if people enjoy the 3-day, I'll put together a longer cruise either late in the year or in 2004.

I personally cruise at least once a year, and have seen benefits to all durations and all cruise lines. For a 3-day, the purpose is more to hang out and have a floating party with other FTers than my traditional purpose to get away from civilization and just completely relax.

That being said, if people are interested in doing this one as a longer cruise, let me know and we'll work something out.

Yes, we just came back from the Adventure of the Seas, and the ship is double HUGE!

Well, IMHO, for a 'starter' FT DO cruise, three, or four-day (max) is just nice. If there are enough interests, surely the next one will be a seven-day.

I am interested, but as a frequent cruiser, will more likely to join if it is a newer ship.

Thanks for organising!

COUNT ME IN. If you would like any planning help I would be most willing. THANKS

I agree, a 3-4 day cruise is perfect. It allows FT'ers to do what they do best: Manage to go somewhere unusuall for a unusually small amount of time (weekend). A lot of those three day cruises leave on a Friday evening, and arrive back in port Monday morning at about 7AM, allowing those of us on the correct coast (depending on cruise) to miss minimal time at work.

Being on the left coast, we would probably only participate in a cruise here if it is going to be 3 days. We just cruised the new Legend and it has an awesome water slide!! But most likely no 3 day runs.

After having been on a couple cruises, I'll also say the 3 day ones are too short and often land you on a smaller ship

I too like longer cruises. Okay, let me restate in plain english what I was hinting at above.

This is meant to be a floating FT party. Not your typical relax-a-cruise.

It will be good to introduce some newbies to cruising, while letting others who have cruised before enjoy yet another ship (no, it won't be a new one - they don't tend to do 3-days). But most of all, it'll be a party. A 72+ hour party on a giant floating FunShip.

No question this won't be for everyone, but hey, I can't make everyone happy no matter what I do. If I made this a 7 day cruise on a new ship, many people (myself included) couldn't go because of cost or time. So we'll start with this, and hopefully we'll still have interest later in the year or into 2003 for a longer one.

We'll put a web page up in the next few weeks with more details to come...

Interest in a FT cruise seems to be fading, it would appear. Unless people express a whole bunch of interest between now and the end of the month, I'm probably going to file the brochures back into the filing cabinet.

Anyone care to persuade me otherwise, or should I crawl back into my "Yes, I actually enjoy OTHER forms of transportation too" hole?

Well, part of me says to do it out of Florida, but the only 3 day cruises are really a long LONG drive to Nassau and back.. Carnival's Ecstacy does a trip to Catalina and Ensenada (sp?) out of LAX...

I think that would definitely get some people interested.

Talk w/ Saskia and see about getting something organized and getting deposits for it.... I think I'd go, especially if we can get Saskia on board :-)

-n

I'd be interested, esp. if it was FLA rather than LA. I'm just one person w/o an entourage unlike some other FTers. Maybe if you could convince some of the Tech Girls, kokonutz and Rudis of the board their interest would spark some from other folks.

[This message has been edited by El Boocho (edited 11-23-2002).]

I will be on the Adventure of the Seas in a few weeks. What can I expect ?
I love RCCL's suites!

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Take care, especially while being abroad.

Well, summer months are not good for me. May might work, but will only know short notice .

But, if you can schedule after Sept, I'm in for one for sure!

I am very interested in cruising with FT'ers, but could only go if the ship left from L.A. Being a school person, May is a SUPER busy time of year for me, and taking the time to fly to Florida would just not be possible. Put me (& wife) down for a definite/probable/possible from Los Angeles!