Ska man

Hi All,,,Going on canary cruise end of january,does anyone know if the weather will be hot enough for shorts and t shirts,,,and sunbathing/?,,,Thanks to anyone who replies,much appreciated ,:)

Been on this cruise twice and we have always had good weather.takes your mind off the awful weather back here.

This is my first time on a Thomson cruise, can anyone tell me the cost of the Ai drinks package and does everyone in the cabin have to purchase it as I don't drink alcohol so would be a waste of money for me?

Is there a self service laundry on board?

Is there a prepaid coffee package for premium coffees?

Any other useful tips would be welcome, thanks.

How much is the the ai? And yes everyone has to purchess it .i am sure there is no laundry. I cannot remember a coffee package . As for tips what I do is go with a open mind .i think what each day has cost me and if I think it is value for money I book again. We got the cruising bug late but we try to go at least once a year . We have two dogs and do not like leaving them otherwise we would be off all the time. Say hello to Ronald in the mdr from terry& Maureen and try to get him to serve you you won't be disappointed .he works at the 2nd not main door of the mdr and lastly enjoy

Well at the end of the first day all is well (in general). We ate in the MDR last night. We arrived at 20:10 and there was a queue of about 40 - 50 people in front of us, but it moved quite swiftly, and then the group in front of us wanted a table or four, but as a table for two came up we were able to jump in front.

 

The starter of Mexican bean chilli tortilla was very nice, as was the jalapeno and sweet potato soup, but my main dish of beef stroganoff and rice was very disappointing, the rice was over cooked (and somehow dry) and the beef whilst tasty, was as dry as an old boot and tough, it wasn't terrible, but I've eaten better (or at worst case similar) in other buffets let alone MDRs). My wife had the same starter, but a fish dish for her main which she said was "very nice".

 

The show that evening was "At the Copa" (Copa Cabana), a musical based on the "her name was Lola, she was a show girl etc song". It was a bit cheesy, but the main singers were very good, and whilst I normally quite often drop off in the evening show, I actually quite enjoyed this one and, consequently stayed awake.

 

The staff have all been very friendly and efficient, however the wine waiter in the MDR seemed very overstretched.

Hi mark we always go to the back of the mdr as there is never a queue .when people are queuing up to get in go to the other door they will show you to a table, mind you we usually eat at the same table and get served by Ronald who we look out for. But the back always seems less busier.

Yes, each to ones own opinion Ladies, but there are also a lot of people who would agree with me and my description of it being a Dreadful ship.

I wonder how many repeat bookings were booked by people saying I want to go on a dreadful ship , I bet the ta said which company do you want to sail with as they all have some different parts people don't like about the ship

Well it looks like it. Celebration has been booked into a Norwegian port a few times in 2017.

 

Celebration was the only ship I haven't seen listed anywhere else, so it does seem legit.

 

Anything else that I find, I'll let you know! Exciting!!...

Thanks for the heads up will keep checking your posts

Our first cruise was in Feb.this year,but we did a cruise and stay on the Celebration staying in Barbados on the second week.

We are going on our second cruise in February next year (2016) but going on a two week cruise.

I imagine we'll have to vacate our cabin relatively early and our flight home is at 6 in the evening.What do you do that day?

We've already booked a tour of the island on the middle Sunday,so wont want to do that.

Is it easy to book a late checkout cabin?When is the best time to do this?

What time do the coaches take you to the airport?:

Thanks in advance.

 

MARGARET

Hi Margaret usually out of cabin 8am if your flight check in is 2hrs before and it takes say 1hr to get to airport that's 3hrs so say 3pm leaving ship, you can ask for a late cabin to get a freshen up the night before ,you could take a stroll around the area you are in and chill before your flight home ,and you can still use your card onboard until you leave

Can anyone tell me why Thomsons raised their prices by around 50% when they were taken over by TUI?

We cruised 8 or 9 times with them until they priced themselves out of the market (we do 3 a year).

We like everything about Thomsons ships - smaller ships, happy crew, good food, excellent shows and a lovely atmosphere, in fact, everything except the price.

We have now cruised 30 times, with 14 different cruise lines and prefer P&O, who give much better value. It's a shame.

We went on our 1st cruise in 2008 for our silver wedding. And to go on the same cruise next year is about the same .

The waiting staff take short term contracts and apply again via the agency for their continued work - the main reason I felt this should be reported is that this may not be an isolated incident and furthermore the waiter may wish to renew with Thomson in future if he has not already asked. Just because one person on this forum has been asked for money that does not necessarily mean that this is only a one off incident.

No one else on the forum have posted they have been asked so that might be the case I think we all should stop posting on this now and let them put it to the back of their minds

I was quite alarmed to read this thread and strongly feel and suggest that you should report fuller details of this correspondence to Thomson cruises at Luton. As you are probably already aware you can do so via email or via message on their official FB page. Unless you plan to go with NCL or Princess the chances of you meeting up again are remote and if he does not get on board with NCL and Princes and if he does gain a new contract on Thomson (even though he may prefer to move on) then you face the risk of meeting him again on the Thomson ship causing perhaps an uncomfortable cruise for you.The same would happen if you chose to go on NCL or Princess and bumped in to him.

 

He will be aware from his contract that sending begging letters to the customers of his principal via agency is not allowed.

 

As regards your final paragraph I can also advise you that Thomsons 100% certainly monitor this forum and will have read this whole thread and it certainly will have been referred to someone more senior than those who respond to chat and general postings on fb etc

If they do monitor it they would have to get in touch with you for his full name as they would not have been able to know him just by your postings Like I said he might have been in genuine need and thought a lot about you to ask; another poster said they say I own several houses back home my friend has bought property out there and for what he paid I would not swap one of my static. Caravans for them , a lot is just bragging by them. I would just let it drop and I would certainly not worry about meeting him again because as always when on board they all seem to do a professional job and I bet he would be the same and would not mention it if you didn't. For his sake I hope he gets another contract and for your sake just think about where you would like to go next good luck and put it to the back of your minds

He said in the previous text it was NCL or the Princess LInes.

 

I knew he was about to rejoin the ships and just last week I was wondering if he would again ask for money. So yes he again came back this week. NO its not a scam. My husband has now replied. I didnt think he should justify reason but this is what he says. We like the guy so dont want to be rude or horrible.

 

 

"Sorry XXX we cannot help you. I've just had to pay a big bill to fix a major problem on my car. Our only income is my pension plus a small amount that Karen earns which goes towards our holidays. Also our elder daughter has recently moved away from home and we have given her money to get set up in her new flat. With Christmas coming up we just have no spare cash. Is there no other way that you can get the money, colleagues or friends, or a crew welfare fund perhaps? Sorry."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chat conversation end

Put it to the back of your minds you can not help everybody that asks and hopefully he will understand

This sounds like a scam, I would delete it and dump the link to FB, it may well not even come from the waiter you met.

All the best

Why not ask him something only he knows about you also ask him what cruise line he is joining and can he send you proof if it is him he should not be offended other than that tell him to get in touch with George Osborne as he seems to give overseas aid to anybody ie India we gave them money then they wanted to do a space programme skint eh?

So we get there old cast offs and the Germans get nice brand new ships, sorry Thomson but when this occurs, we will probably move to p&o who have just provided a new shipfor there loyal customers .

Don't get me wrong we love a lot on Thomson but don't take us for granted!

This has been in the pipeline for a while plus thomson always get pre-owned ships . And then it's up to us to make them the special ships we all love.not forgetting the hard working staff we won't be jumping ship

Success!!! I have just had a phone call from Thomson confirming that, as long as you have a credit or debit card that is UK registered, cruise only bookings can be made by phone. I now have a price for 29th May from Malaga for 7 nights of £1298 for a deck 1/2 inside cabin. Success!!!

Glad you got it sorted Brenda and I hope all you ex-pats have many more happy years of cruising

Hello,

 

I will be travelling cruise only from Gran Canaria next Monday, and I am getting nervous about how I will find the check in desk and what to expect. It will be the first time I am not travelling as part of a package, so I won't have a rep to make sure I get to the right place!

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks.

Hi just get a taxi or bus to the port look for the ship you are on and make yourself known to the staff they will sort everything out for you hope you have a good cruise all the best

Hi flopsy sorry for not replying but only just got home from venice the website is

 

ukcaravans4hire.com/to-let-userid2564.html

 

How do I acsess the friend request ?

Hi just bumping this up for brenda

but

 

A bit better news Leurbost.

 

We got off the Dream this morning. We completed a form at the 'Future Cruise' desk - couldn't speak to anyone as the desk was never manned - explaining that we live in Spain and asking if we could book Cruise Only through them. Just got a short printed reply saying we need to book via a Thomson Shop when we return to the UK - what part of 'we don't live in the UK' do they not understand!!!

Hi Brenda do you want me to ask in the scarborough thomson shop if you could book with them if you let me know anytime you want to go . Could they not take your details over the phone while i am in the shop I could ask next week when I go in if you want

Hi Ska man that's a bit of a worry if people are doing the drinks thing I've never seen it before but this is the sort of action that will prompt Thomson to follow other cruise lines and spoil it for us all😈

I agree I only drink non-alcoholic and I was paying £3.70 which was only 1 euro on shore but would never attempt to take it to say the broadway as people were doing early filling their glass then going to another bar with it . Some don't look at the big picture and when they stop you bringing it on board . I think they will find a way as your bags do not always get scanned

Disembarked this morning after an excellent 5 nights on the Dream. Despite a force 10 gale Monday night/Tuesday morning that stopped us docking in Valencia, we had an extremely pleasant trip. Here are a few memories, thoughts and impressions:-

 

Pre-Cruise

We flew to Mallorca on the Thursday and had 2 nights in Santa Ponsa - weather was perfect and we had a very pleasant stay. On the Saturday morning we took a taxi from our hotel to the cruise terminal - journey only took 15 minutes and the fare was a reasonable 23 Euros.

 

On Arrival/Cabin

We arrived at the Palma cruise terminal just as the first few coaches had dropped off their passengers so we queued longer than usual to check in but, once we got to the check-in desk, it was a quick and easy procedure; we were surprised that we didn't have to complete any health declaration this time. We were on board by 10.40 a.m. and our cabin was ready. Had a lovely surprise as we boarded as Roberto, a waiter we have known since our first Thomson cruise, was one of the escorts and he pushed to the front to give us a lovely warm hug then take us up to deck 7. As we booked late, and this was a bonus cruise, we had kept costs down and hadn't pre-booked a cabin which in hindsight was a mistake; we knew it would be deck 6 or 7 inside and got 7176 which was right below the Delo Bar so VERY noisy until gone Midnight. Apart from the noise aspect, and distance to a lift (the lift closest to the cabin was for crew use only), the cabin was fine - kept spotlessly clean by our lovely steward Arif who came to introduce himself as soon as we arrived; bathroom was recently re-furbished, the shower was much better than on our previous Dream sailings and the bed was wonderfully firm and comfortable. We had one lovely towel animal during the 5 nights.

 

Sunday - Barcelona

Barcelona is a city that we know very well - apart from our own visits we have docked there on 3 other cruises - and we didn't fancy any of the 3 excursions available (limited choice of excursions offered in all our destinations on this last cruise of the season) so just did our own thing. We docked in the Dreams usual spot by the World Trade Centre and walked to Las Ramblas and the Plaza Real where there was an interesting Stamp and Coin market on. Being a Sunday the city was very quiet and our favourite place/watering hole La Boqueria market was closed. After a Coffee in the Plaza Real we wandered slowly back to the ship.

 

Monday/Tuesday - Valencia/Cartagena

Monday was to be Valencia and the excursion we had pre-booked (Lladro factory and city tour) was cancelled due to inadequate numbers which was disappointing. We therefore queued to book shuttle bus tickets at £5 per person (the city centre is some 20-25 minute drive from the port). However, after a very rough overnight sail we were informed that Valencia port was closed so we would be sailing on to Cartagena and having an over night stop there. This was the second time we have been unable to dock at Valencia so we have still not seen the city - oh well, that's an excuse to book another cruise that goes there lol! The entertainment team put on extra shows and films to pass the time until we reached Cartagena - we spent a very pleasant couple of hours watching 'The Kings Speech' in the Broadway Theatre and 'Les Miserables' was shown in the afternoon. We arrived at Cartagena at 5 p.m. and, although still overcast and windy, at least it was dry. As the forecast was much better for the following day we decided to stay on board until next morning. Tuesday morning was much brighter so we went ashore and explored parts of the town we hadn't seen before then finished off with Chocolate and Churros at 'Valor Chocolateria' virtually next to the amphitheatre museum; if any of you are Chocolate lovers 'Valor' is a great place to go either to eat or drink Chocolate goodies or to buy the individual hand made Chocolates. We were back on board for lunch then the ship sailed mid-afternoon for the 21 hour trip to Gibraltar

 

Gibraltar

Our last full day on board and the weather was lovely. The views sailing towards Gib were spectacular and it was sunny and warm when we went ashore. 2 other ships were in port - the Queen Elizabeth that sailed out just before we docked and the Saga Sapphire. Due to Hubbys health issues, rather than walk to the centre we got tickets for the shuttle bus from the port to Casement Square that was a very well spent £4 each return. Christmas seemed to have come early to Gib with the lights already up and many shops either selling Christmas knick-knacks or with decorated windows. If anyone wanted to do the Rock Tour there was no need to book the Thomson trip as there were many mini-buses waiting outside the cruise terminal offering similar excursions at a lower price; the advantage of the Thomson tour being that the coaches returned you to the terminal whereas the local buses dropped you off on Main Street which is something to consider if anyone in your party has mobility issues. After a gentle stroll along Main Street, and a drink in the Star Bar which is the oldest bar in Gib and somewhere we have a drink in every time we visit, we caught the shuttle back to the ship but most people stayed ashore making the most of the late evening (9 p.m.) departure.

 

Malaga

We docked at 5 a.m. and cabins had to be vacated by 8 a.m. with everyone to be disembarked by 10 a.m. when the ship was sailing to Cadiz for a months re-fit. The weather was beautiful and it was a shame that passengers didn't have any time to explore this fascinating city - all the airport transfers were early. Being Cruise Only passengers we had a leisurely breakfast, disembarked, got a bus from outside the port gates and were back home with the first load of washing in the machine by 10.30 a.m.!

 

Crew

As usual the crew were fantastic and are what make a Thomson cruise special - can't praise them enough! Special mention must be made of our steward Arif and wonderful dining room duo (for the fourth time) of Roberto and Donny.

 

Cleanliness

There was no evidence of the dreaded Noro Virus on board and the ship was very clean; one toilet was out of order throughout the cruise but the rest were all working. Sadly there were still passengers using the toilets then leaving without washing their hands or using the sanitizer!!!!!

 

Entertainment

Broadway Theatre productions:-

Saturday - 'I'm Too Hot'. We had seen this in July and weren't over impressed so gave it a miss this time.

Sunday - 'Pop Goes The West End'. Songs from West End Shows based around the music of Abba, Madness, Rod Stewart and Queen. An extremely enjoyable concierto production.

Monday - Guest Comedian 'Micky Zany'. OK, but 45 minutes was enough for us so we didn't go to see his late night show the following evening.

Tuesday - 'Moulin Rouge'. Another show we have seen before on board so we gave this a miss too.

Wednesday - 'Styled By Rock'. We saw this in July and really enjoyed it so it was a must see again and it didn't disappoint! Excellent.

Overall the shows were first class as usual. However, we have seen most several times before and it would be nice to see some new productions for 2016.

 

Food and Drink

Food - We thought the food quality had improved in July and, on the whole, this was maintained; apart from lunch on the first day when the MDR was closed, and breakfast this morning, we ate in the Orion Restaurant. Breakfast and lunch selections were predictable (dare I say even a little boring) but evening meal choices were good with something to suit all tastes. We did opt for the Fillet Steak one night (£9.95 p.p. supplement) and the money was well spent. We got a bit tired of waiters, bar staff etc. plugging the 3 payable restaurants and we may well have fallen for one if we had been on a longer cruise. I do miss Afternoon Tea in the old Argo Lounge - I know the selection is better up in Sirens but I loved the old white glove/Earl Grey tea service that used to be offered.

Drink - We didn't pay for the so called 'All Inclusive' drinks package but did buy the Wine Package of 5 bottles for £72. We are not heavy drinkers, but didn't skimp, and our bar bill was under £150 which included the £72 wine package. The drinks menus seemed to have additional choices but SO many now come with a supplement which people who had bought the 'A.I.' package were rightly moaning about. We sampled the Coffees in the Explorers Lounge Coffee Port - very enjoyable; Hubby got a lovely large mug of Cappuchino for £2.70 but I did feel that £2.30 for a thimble of Espresso was on the high side but I am out of touch with UK prices. One person stormed into the Coffee Port raging that she had been charged a supplement in there and demanding that she got this removed from her bill/would complain to Thomson Head Office as she had the A.I. package but it is marked (in small print) on the menus that only a 50% discount is given; I can't believe how rude some people can be to the staff who are only doing their job.

 

Cruise Only/Future Cruise Desk

My concerns that the 'Cruise Only' option has been omitted from the new website are well known on here. We decided to ask if we could book this on board so visited the Future Cruises desk on several occasions but this was never manned; we therefore completed one of their request forms and waited for a reply saying that we lived in Spain. Yesterday we received a printed piece of paper saying that their computer couldn't offer Cruise Only so we would have to book in a UK Thomson Shop; if they had been prepared to have contacted Thomson for us we would have booked there and then - shame.

 

To Conclude

A really enjoyable/great value short break - felt like a week even though it was only 5 days. Sadly we cannot go on Dream next year as there are no flights from here to Greece but we will definitely be booking Majesty from Palma and Spirit from Malaga in 2016. For those of you about to sail with Thomson - have a wonderful time; I'm not jealous - honestly (OK, yes I am!!!!!).

Hi Brenda I agree with what you have said.i did not have any problems with food choice I had breakfast at 6.30 everyday then a walk around the decks and went for breakfast with my wife to fill me up while on shore. We sat on the tables Ronald was serving on . He was on our first sailing on the celebration with manny who we still keep in touch with and when we leaving malaga ronald gave Maureen a hug .shook my hand and said look after her. my wife had a tear in her eye . I think that it is why we keep going back genuine people . One thing I noticed was people filling their own glasses with drinks. One couple would ask for a bit of water and ice then get miniatures out of her bag in full view

I had the great pleasure of meeting Ska man - a regular on here - and his lovely wife during our cruise this week.

 

Just want to say a massive 'thank you' for the goodies Ska man - I will especially think of you each time I visit a certain room in the house!!!

 

Hope to see you again sometime on a future cruise.

 

Best Wishes to you and Mrs Ska man.

 

P.S. Please don't forget to send us the caravan link.

Was nice to meet you and Ian to Brenda I didn't know if you thought the package was -cheeky- hope you know what I mean will post link as soon as we get the washing out of the way I am laid up with arthritis after all the walking we did but loved it will post later

Thank you Ska man - will definitely look out for you (we are quite easy to recognise as Hubby has a beard and I am taller than him). How kind for the offer of UK bits - nowadays there isn't much that we don't get here (although I still miss Andrex loo rolls lol) but many thanks for the offer. Have a safe journey and a wonderful cruise.

We will keep a look out for you both

Oh no - just realised that it is only Tuesday so it is the day after tomorrow that we will be on our way! Do I feel an idiot!!! Blame it on the fact its my birthday and the Cava has been going down very nicely!

Happy birthday we are also on this cruise is there any bits from England you cannot get in in shops in Spain you need ( all legal of course) I'll be the one with the northern soul shirts on hope you and your hubby have safe flights I wish I was having a couple of days in palma first

hello , i am of of the dream on saturday i have never been before , we are not big drinkers so we dont have the drinks package . is any drinks included at all on board with breakfast etc or any meal ? on the buffet

thanks

Also going on Saturday try the omelette station and juice first thing in the morning and a quick walk around the ships decks sets you up for the day

I was only allowed 5kg hand luggage last week. Was weighed at check in!

Just printed tickets off for dream 31st oct and it says 7kg hand luggage will keep paperwork to take to airport

Ska man I don't know how to get in touch-I have sent you a friend request but had no response from you.

 

Have you got a website for your holiday rentals?

Hi flopsy sorry for not replying but only just got home from venice the website is

ukcaravans4hire.com/to-let-userid2564.html

How do I acsess the friend request ?

Just back from the Celebration, we had a wonderful time but now have the problem of how to get rid of the stick glue left by the security tag. Any suggestions.

Most shops sell stickey stuff remover - that's its name and it is a very good product just dab a bit on and leave a bit and pull off