The ideal trip, if everything goes our way and we can pull a few strings...

AJAX IN MARCH 2002 - WHOLE HOG

Sat 02: arrive Amsterdam. Get pissed. Sun 03: Ajax - Feyenoord Mon 04: free day Tue 05: museums, shopping, potsmoking etc. also: Heineken brewery tour Wed 06: Amstel Cup semi-final? Thu 07: Arena day: observe Ajax 1 training, tour Arena & museum, meet John O'Brien; possibly also observe youth training at De Toekomst Fri 08: History tour Sat 09: Ajax 2 - Willem II (2) plus tour De Toekomst, meet Kees Zwamborn Sun 10: Ajax - De Graafschap Mon 11: depart Amsterdam

It's a 10-day Ajax orgasm, if all that works out (and Ajax wins everything during the week).

But there is an option of making it shorter (in case people can't make a 10-day trip and/or we can't get tickets for Ajax-Feyenoord):

AJAX IN MARCH 2002 - LITE VERSION

Wed 06: arrive Amsterdam; evening, Amstel Cup semi-final (if in or near Amsterdam) Thu 07: Arena day: observe Ajax 1 training, tour Arena & museum, meet John O'Brien; possibly observe youth training at De Toekomst Fri 08: History tour Sat 09: Ajax 2 - Willem II (2) plus tour De Toekomst, meet Kees Zwamborn Sun 10: Ajax - De Graafschap Mon 11: depart Amsterdam

Still f*cking great trip. :-)

Youth schedule: http://www.ajax.nl/wedstrijden/ajax2/schema0102.html

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

Answers

The pre-release version of our 2002 Trip page!

http://www.ajax- usa.com/ajax/travel/2002/

We just need to finalize some details with our pals at Ajax Travel, and we're ready to go!

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001

I just got off the phone with Silvia Duivenvoorden of Ajax Travel. Very nice, although her English is not perfect, which might explain why she was slow to get in contact with me. Anyway, it's all good news from this point on...

Silvia has reserved 25 match tickets for Ajax-Feyenoord and 25 match tickets for Ajax-De Graafschap. She has also reserved 15 rooms at the AMS Hofpark Hotel & Résidence, a three-star hotel near Vondelpark (34- 36 Koninginneweg, 1075 CZ Amsterdam). I told her that most people will probably want a private room, but she thinks we can add rooms to our reservation if we don't wait too long. I think we'll know pretty quickly the answer to that.

To book passage, members have to pay 10% up front (which is nothing, really) and the remaining 90% one month prior to travel. That's perfect! Silvia will send me an invoice, and I will collect payment and mail them off to her.

Of course, last year's travelers will get FIRST crack at signing up, then we'll open it up to the membership. I think the 25 spots will go fairly quickly, don't you? Silvia says that she *may* be able to get more tickets for Feyenoord game if we need them. Somehow I doubt it: 25 seems like the right size to me. What do you guys think?

Menno and Baggy, what do you think of this hotel? I think the rates are fine, and my initial reaction is 'Vondelpark: cool!'. I think I'll rent a bike at Mac Bikes and keep it all week, riding through Vondelpark every day to get to the city center. :-)

I will sum up the details of the trip in an email, to make sure my facts and prices are correct. Then, we're able to announce!

Guess I'd better book that flight now! :-)

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

WellsFargo bank will give me a 'small business' checking account for $8/mo. This would allow members to write checks payable to 'Ajax USA' to pay for their trip. This would solve the currency conversion problem. I will probably try to find a lower rate, then roll the cost of this checking account into the total package price (divided by 25).

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

I believe this is good to go:

Ajax USA in Amsterdam, March 2002

... in fact, Ben and I have already bought our airline tickets! And we're on the same flight! God help the rest of the passengers!!!

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

All that's left to do now... I am going to visit the bank this morning, to confirm the process and fees for opening a checking account for Ajax USA (make sure I can do it before telling people to send checks) and also confirm the fees for transferring money to the Netherlands (to make sure I'm covering my costs when it comes to paying Ajax Travel). And I'll check my math (in the spreadsheet) one last time. And then I'll unveil the trip.

Oh, and I heard from Peter Hassebroek... he plans on going. :-)

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001

Info on the Heineken Experience:

Admission to the Heineken Experience is five euro (NLG 11). Persons below the age of 18 years only admitted under parental guidance. Opening hours: Tuesdays through Sundays, 10.00 – 18.00 hrs. Last ticket sales: 17.00 hrs.

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001

I was mulling something over tonight... Maybe we should revise the ordering policy. If we leave it the way it is, there is no incentive to pay the balance after deposit anytime sooner than Feb 01. And the deposit is so small, as little as $42, that people won't care too much about forfeiting their deposit. I'm afraid that some people will reserve a spot with a deposit just in case they might want to go, and then cancel on January 31 or just never send in the rest of the money. If that happens, with only one month to go, it will be difficult to sell those vacated spots, because waiting-list people might not be able to get cheap flights or the time off work.

Instead, how about we ask people to pay in full within, say, 45 days of reserving a space (deposit within 14 days, remainder within 45). That way, people who book early are rewarded by being assured of a space, but also have to cancel prior to Feb 01. It makes a more reasonable scenario for finding replacements if people do cancel.

I'm inclined to make this change, but I'd like your feedback first. I won't announce the trip until we resolve this.

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001

Ben thought this new 'policy' would be too extreme. Difficult to come up with the big bucks that close to the Holiday (shopping) season. Good point.

Why don't we leave the official policy 'as is' but stay in good touch with people who sign up, gently encouraging them to pay earlier than the absolute deadline, and also coaxing them to admit it if they're having second thoughts by offering to refund their 10% deposit (contrary to policy) if we can sell their spot, assuming we've sold out the 25 spots already. If we haven't sold out the 25 spots, we don't have a problem.

Okay, I think that's it. Let's launch.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2001

We are launched. Ben tips me off that Raymond wants to go but is looking to "roll his own" package in the hope of finding a cheaper hotel. Bollocks. Nobody will be able to equal the value we're offering. But to make that clear, I think I'll post a detailed price break-down, and a cost-comparison if doing this 'on your own.'

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2001

Difficult, difficult...

I see your point totally, but we may scare off some people if the terms of payment are too "aggressive". Frankly, I hardly have any experience with this myself. I have no idea whether full payment within 45 days is reasonable or usual.

Your alternative proposal doesn't sound unreasonable to me, though. So if you think that would be better for us, I think we should do it that way.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2001