Trouble reaching person to book the M...

Author Message   DANIEL T. SCHULTZ Member Username: Schultz Post Number: 9 Registered: 06-2008 Posted on Friday, March 19, 2010 - 08:58 pm:    RICK, No refunds if you cancel 7 days or less prior to noon day of arrival. See ya'll at the hotel maybe. dan schultz   Richard Burn Member Username: Rhburn3 Post Number: 8 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Friday, March 19, 2010 - 06:59 pm:    I receive note that Kayak could be you into the Holiday Inn International Palms resort for $47 including all taxes and breakfast. Linda and Rick Burn have moved there for the night of May 12. On Kayak, you have to prepay the reservation with no refunds.   Barry Cantor Senior Member Username: Barry_c Post Number: 989 Registered: 06-2003 Posted on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 12:06 am:    Still no word on getting early approval for base lodging. Don't accept just the $55 rate at the Days Inn in Satellite Beach. Check around. On the mainland (yes, PAFB is off the coast...look at a map...there are 2 peninsulas off the coast) for a better deal...only 20 minutes drive from PAFB. A few dollars more will offer you lots better quality.   Roger Curry Senior Member Username: Rcurryastro Post Number: 790 Registered: 05-2008 Posted on Sunday, March 14, 2010 - 05:31 am:    Barry, many thanks for all of your work on this. I look forward to meeting you and sailing with you if you are coming. Roger in Jacksonville, FL   Barry Cantor Senior Member Username: Barry_c Post Number: 985 Registered: 06-2003 Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 01:37 pm:    See my posting under intial info for an Update. More info as it becomes available.   Roger Curry Senior Member Username: Rcurryastro Post Number: 786 Registered: 05-2008 Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 03:48 am:    Thanks for the info, Jimmy. That does clear things up. I will try to get reservations at the Satellite Beach motel and cancel the ones at Cocoa Beach. Still hoping that there will be rooms available on base. Roger in Jacksonville, FL   Jimmy L. Hardenbrook Member Username: Jim_hardenbrook Post Number: 7 Registered: 09-2006 Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 01:07 am:    That $55.00 is a good rate for Days Inn at Satellite Beach. This Days Inn is just a little south of Patric AFB. You must have booked Days Inn at Cocoa Beach http://www.daysinncocoabeach.com/. I called the Days Inn at Cocoa Beach and I also expected the $55.00 rate, but they insisted that the gov. rate was $88 or so. Anwyway, the desk person suggested the lower rate was at the other Days Inn at Satellite Beach--and it was. We decided to book at the Days in at Cocoa Beach anyway. It is North of Patrick AFB, but closer to the cruise port and it looks like a nicer place with a restaurant and just a block from pier with several restaurants.   Roger Curry Senior Member Username: Rcurryastro Post Number: 781 Registered: 05-2008 Posted on Tuesday, March 09, 2010 - 12:54 am:    Just reserved two rooms at Days Inn. However, they disclaim the $55/day and say their most discounted rate is $89 ($10 off the regular room rate). If anyone finds a better price, please post it to this forum. Roger in Jacksonville, FL   Jim McElroy Intermediate Member Username: Elroy_at_work Post Number: 60 Registered: 06-2008 Posted on Saturday, March 06, 2010 - 07:10 pm:    Thanks Barry, That makes it all better.   Barry Cantor Senior Member Username: Barry_c Post Number: 981 Registered: 06-2003 Posted on Saturday, March 06, 2010 - 03:04 am:    As has been stated elsewhere on this board, always read everything, before posting to find the answer to your question. ITT Patrick Tour desk has two (2) travel agents. They work Mon-Fri 9AM-4:30 PM. Cheryl (Our cruise coordinator also deals with many other patrons/walk-ins setting up travel arrangements for the 3,000 assigned folks at PAFB not to mention the 20,000 military retirees in Brevard County. She is not sitting there only waiting to help our folks. As I stated before, please be patient. The thread for this cruise was started last summer. I paid my initial deposit June 19th, 2009!!! Dirk posted it then so those on this board could spread out their payments over a long enough period of time to make it easier. In hindsight, maybe the email should have gone out sooner, but hindsight is always 20/20. Just to bring you all up to speed, I have requested an exception to policy to the base commander to go against the AFI for lodging to book space A earlier than the regulation required 30 days in advance for a space a reservation at the Space Coast Inn. IT has not been granted yet. In the mean time, it behooves you, like those long time members of this board always reccomend....have a plan A, B, C and if need D. Don't wait until the last minute. Call a commercial hotel and ask for a reservation NOW as a backup. We've been told, the Days Inn in Cocoa Beach is offering a double @ $55/night with a military ID. The smart ones among us, will book that NOW. And if rooms open up at the space coast INN, cancel the commercial booking and get one at the Space coast INN....$34.75 for an enlisted room/$39.00 for a BOQ. I can't make the reservation for you, so please don't call me. Call the Space Coast Inn. If I happen to be working, I'll be glad to make the reservation. But I do get a day off here and there and do not have the AIR FORCE Computer terminal at my home. What I have given you are the facts. Please do not take this as an admonishment and don't read anything into it that isn't there. We are running this by the book to be fair to everybody. As a matter of fact, our group already has credit for the mimimum amount of group bookings that will be divided by all paid up cruisers to lower their cost of the cruise. I can't tell you how much at this point, because it changes with each additional paid deposit. It might turn out to be $10 per cabin or $50 per cabin. That depends on the final number of cabins that Cheryl finally books. And Carnivale has announced that after March 22nd, the cost has gone up a few dollars. I understand, those who paid up before the announcement was made a few weeks back, will not have to pay any increase. This was Carnivale's decision, not Dirk's, Cheryl's or mine. But, as I said, the more who sign up and pay for their cruise, the more we will be able to rebate. And remember, we all get an onboard credit of $50 per cabin to spend any way you want. We get a lounge to hold our meeting in plus coffee and danish or if it is held at a different time, a cash bar, chips and dips or horderves or something. This is going to be one of those opportunities to make new friends, renew old ones and share trip reports and strategies FACE TO FACE to successfully do what WE ARE ALL INTERESTED IN ie, FLYING SPACE A. Anybody who has had a successful space a flight adventure knows it was a great experience 98% of the time and you SAVED ALOT OF MONEY DOING IT. And you will be able to ask questions and talk to the "Horse's Mouth" and ask followup questions. And a board administrator won't admonish you for getting off track on your thread because you weren't germain to the original question. That last fact alone should be reason enough to sign up !!!! To those who tell me They would rather fly commercial because it is dependable....I say...talk to those who had confirmed seats over the last couple of weeks & months and found their commercial flights canceled due to winter storms. And did they get vouchers for food and lodging with thier commercial plane tickets??? I think NOT !!! It was an act of GOD and the airline was not responsible. When a military plane breaks down before takeoff, That's an act of GOD. I know when the pax rep told me there were no seats available on the C-5, C-17 or PAT EXPRESS and then at roll call, 12 seats showed up for space a and I got on...THAT WAS AN ACT OF GOD TOO !!!!! But enough of my ramblings on....show up at the cruise and I'll make you aware of other surprises, not mentionable here. Come cruising with the Space A Warriors, I guarentee you will come away with many happy memories and a few new friends.   Jim McElroy Intermediate Member Username: Elroy_at_work Post Number: 56 Registered: 06-2008 Posted on Friday, March 05, 2010 - 01:44 am:    Yes, all went well today. Wednesday she is only one there. Best to send email with your information names, address, phone numbers, and follow up by calling. I think they are open 8 am to 430 pm. Multiple calls may help but internet seems to work best for initial contact. Jim   Marcia Griffin Member Username: Marcia Post Number: 37 Registered: 11-2005 Posted on Thursday, March 04, 2010 - 11:47 pm:    Jim, were you able to book the cabin. I still haven't gotten thru to Cheryl as yet. Still keep getting voicemail.   Jim McElroy Intermediate Member Username: Elroy_at_work Post Number: 54 Registered: 06-2008 Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 - 08:15 pm:    We have had difficulty today trying to book three cabins. We sent email on 2 March saying when we would call. Called at appointed time and got voice mail two times. We left the number of our location, and waited two hours with no response. We are hoping to get Lucky on Thursday. We did get an email on our home computer from Cheryl one hour after appointed time asking what time it was in Atlanta. There must be a problem with her voicemail- answer machine.   Roger Curry Senior Member Username: Rcurryastro Post Number: 778 Registered: 05-2008 Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 - 02:41 pm:    I had trouble making contact as well but finally had some luck. I do not know what it is but there is a second number for ITT at Patrick (google Patrick AFB). Press any option that will get you past the voice menus. Time is running short so I would suggest that you try, try again. Roger in Jacksonville, FL   John D. Moderator Username: John_d Post Number: 4075 Registered: 06-2003 Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - 06:51 pm:    Leah, You may want to read this.   Leah M. Paladino New member Username: Usmc_wife Post Number: 1 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - 06:39 pm:    Is anyone else experiencing a problem contacting the POC to book this cruise or obtain information? I can only reach an answering machine by phone and have not received a reply to my email attempt. Perhaps she is just busy and I should keep trying? Thanks!