Allegra SOS (Saved or Sold)

[Goldryder]

Oh to be a fly on the wall...

 

I appears that the 'big boss' at Costa UK was completely in the dark about the charter too and is having 'words' with HQ in Milan about it. The UK MD is also Italian, so I can just imagine the conversation...someone in Milan is probably going to get their ear well and truly chewed off and spat out :rolleyes:

[Goldryder]

Someone might be in deep doo-doo...

 

Tour operator TMR advertises a French-style cruise with Costa Allegra while the Genoese company schedules regular cruises from China to Taiwan next year

 

If it was widely known that Costa Crociere (a subsidiary of Carnival Cruises) will bring back Costa Allegra to Europe next April, the news that French tourist operator TMR is advertising a cruise in 2010 under the brand Croisières Paquet with this same ship amazed even the company’s Genoese head office.

 

French sources report that this is Carnival’s direct response to the good performances of French-style cruises on vessel Bleu de France operated by Croisières de France (CDF), a new subsidiary of Pullmantur that in turn belongs to Carnival’s archenemy Royal Caribbean.

 

Therefore, Costa Allegra would have been picked up because of her right size (1,000 passengers and 28,500 GT) and history (built in 1969, several times refitted) to resume, after a suitable further restyling, the Paquet brand that Costa lately operated with the ships Mermoz and Pearl (disposed of and going to be, respectively).

 

However, while Costa’s head office has not been able to comment the news, as Costa Allegra’s official 2010 program schedules a series of short cruises in the Mediterranean since May, none of which calling at any French port, most probably this is only a matter of a spot charter arranged between the company’s French branch and TMR.

 

Aside this news, next year Costa will be the first operator to provide regular cruises from PR China to Taiwan, with 15 cruises on offer (sailing from Hong Kong to the island’s most fashionable places, as Taipei, Keelung and Taichung), thus confirming the company’s growing success on the Chinese market where it presently operates with Costa Allegra and Costa Classica, and to the increasing co-operation between the two former strong enemy States

 

http://www.ship2shore.it/english/articolo.php?id=5283

[upontheCs]

i'm more confused now :confused:

[Goldryder]

Well it looks like TMR/Paquet might have put in a request to charter Allegra but NOT had the confirmation of a charter given.

 

The article is from an Italian maritime online newspaper based in Genoa. It gives the impression that Costa have not inked the charter contract at all and that Paquet went out and announce the charter without that confirmation in place. If anything Costa sound like they knew about a possible charter but certainly not one that has been signed, sealed or delivered. Paquet/TMR is wholly owned by Costa but nothing more than a TA now, it was a cruise line in it's own right 17 years ago.

 

Cart before the horse type thing.

[Goldryder]

Just to add to the confusion a little more, Costa Marina has been readvertised as being for sale...

 

http://cruiseship.homestead.com/costamarina.html

 

She is shorter than Allegra and has the bridge over the pool which Allegra hasn't.

[keltic]

I have been confirmed about it by some top COSTA CEO some days ago.

 

So, no more Allegra in Costa. No definite information about routes of dates, but the fact is that she will leave COSTA, and I am quite upset.

[Goldryder]

Well I shall wait and see what comes from Costa UK's MD, Marco. He is dealing with this now and will report back to my TA's direct contact, Marilyn who in turn will let my TA know. As of Friday last week, Marco was not aware of any charter being requested or confirmed for Allegra...and by all accounts he was not at all amused at receiving the news from a guest of the possibility that the ship was chartered.

 

Like I said at the beginning of the thread, we as guests should not find things like this out from the trade media...nor should the individual regional offices in other countries be finding things like this out from guests or TA's.

 

Whether it is a cart before horse and TMR Paquet have jumped the gun on this or they have quoted the wrong ship....Marina is for sale and is using French ports next summer, so she would be the more ideal choice and only slightly smaller than Allegra...then someone at TMR Paquet should get their butt well and truly kicked.

 

Since I am booked on a cruise that could be affected, all I can do is sit and wait to hear from Costa as to what is happening and then deal with it accordingly. At least I do have a contingency plan in place should it be needed. I am well over half paid for the entire cruise, sector 1 & 2 is 90% paid for, sector 3 (which could be affected) is still to be paid for.

[Goldryder]

My decision has now been made, in most part due to not liking being held in limbo.

 

I have withdrawn the extra 4 nights off the end of my big repositioning cruise and added 2 nights to my hotel stay in Singapore instead. Costa have agreed to cancel the tacked on mini cruise without penalty which is great of them in the circumstances.

 

But the most thanks go to my agent who as always has been an absolute star in all of this mess and managed to get Costa to sort the alterations out with as little fuss as possible :)

[upontheCs]

Costa have agreed to cancel the tacked on mini cruise without penalty which is great of them in the circumstances.

 

you were a long ways away from final payment time. there would've been no cancellation penalty at this time anyways.

 

at least you are able to make definite plans though.

[Goldryder]

you were a long ways away from final payment time. there would've been no cancellation penalty at this time anyways.

 

at least you are able to make definite plans though.

 

In the UK we always lose the deposit, regardless of how far we cancel..pain in the rump when it happens but Costa have relented on this occasion thanks to my agent's intervention.

 

I am not the most patient of people and since it wasn't being settled as quick as I would have liked, I made the decision this morning to have it amputated rather than hang around any longer, best way really :)

[upontheCs]

In the UK we always lose the deposit, regardless of how far we cancel

 

this may be part of the reason for america's original cruise from GB. ;)

[Goldryder]

this may be part of the reason for america's original cruise from GB. ;)

 

Quite possibly....although since Costa is owned by an American parent, I think it is about time it adopted the American way of doing things LOL

 

Or is that asking waaaaaayyyyyy too much? ;)

[G.M.T.]

My decision has now been made, in most part due to not liking being held in limbo.

 

I have withdrawn the extra 4 nights off the end of my big repositioning cruise and added 2 nights to my hotel stay in Singapore instead. Costa have agreed to cancel the tacked on mini cruise without penalty which is great of them in the circumstances.

 

But the most thanks go to my agent who as always has been an absolute star in all of this mess and managed to get Costa to sort the alterations out with as little fuss as possible :)

Give me 2 days in Singapore over 4 days in the Med anytime.

 

Singapore is a great place and so much to do. Only thing is the authorities have cleaned up the city. If you are looking for genuine fake goods then Phuket (or Patong if the ship stops there) are the places.

 

Ron

[Goldryder]

Give me 2 days in Singapore over 4 days in the Med anytime.

 

Singapore is a great place and so much to do. Only thing is the authorities have cleaned up the city. If you are looking for genuine fake goods then Phuket (or Patong if the ship stops there) are the places.

 

Ron

 

Well with the 2 nights on board Allegra in Singapore too...I will have plenty of time to get used to the humidity and have a really good explore around the city, Ron.....not to mention that my holiday starts earlier now too, March 30th and ends on May 6th, so will get to see the run up to Easter weekend in Singapore which apparently is quite heavily celebrated, at least Good Friday is anyway...I have a table already booked at a restaurant in the hotel that evening :)

[upontheCs]

hmmm. board is acting up.

[Goldryder]

hmmm. board is acting up.

 

Seems to be doing that alot lately...someone needs to take a large sledgehammer to the servers that run the site ;)

[Goldryder]

The confirmation PDF came through via my agent earlier today regarding the changes to my trip. The flights are still to be confirmed...hoping that they will not be British Airways as I cannot stand the airline, would much prefer Air France, KLM, Lufthansa or Emirates since they actually know how to look after their passengers.

 

The hotel change is already in the system, so that is all sorted. Will probably spend a day over in Sentosa and at least half a day on a WWII type tour or at the zoo in Singapore, the rest of the hotel time will be relaxing by the pool, especially when I first arrive :)

[voiceofreason]

Quote:

Originally Posted by upontheCs

hmmm. board is acting up.

 

 

Seems to be doing that alot lately...someone needs to take a large sledgehammer to the servers that run the site ;)

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Forget the sledgehammer.It has just developed a human response to boredom.:eek:;)