Grez

Hi, this may seem a silly question, but we are considering booking a one week cruise and then stay in Sorrento on TUI's 'new' ship the Explorer 2. It made us smile to see that she used to be the Celebrity Mercury. Still has her X funnel !

 

We know that she will have changed in many ways but are wondering if anyone on here can give us any information re the size of the ship and what the suites were like - size, location etc - and if the aft cabins were good.

 

Sorry if this seems silly to ask, but am sure that there are some of you out there who have lots of knowledge about the old Celebrity ships.

 

It is our 25th anniversary and we have been going around in circles for months now checking out cruises and land holidays. This cruise would give us a weeks cruise and then a stay in Sorrento where we had our honeymoon. To be honest we had looked at the Edge and then seen this cruise and stay.

 

Many thanks

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Not very likely, the latest trading results (December 16) are easily accessible on the TUI website and show how the Thomson Cruise brand has managed to increase EBIT quite nicely over the last 3 years.

Plus they are part of the worlds largest travel company which offers extra security.

thanks again Grez , can I just pick your brains on how u did that?

 

Stevie :confused:

remembered now that after 64yrs still don't know what I'm doing :rolleyes:

Hi Stevie, its pretty simple when you've done it once. You need to have a photo hosting site (so for example I used Photobucket). You need to register an account but its free and only takes a second. Then you load the picture onto the site, click the URL link on the picture you've uploaded and then on this site click the insert picture icon on the reply function and paste the URL. Job done.

I've probably made that sound really complicated, but it literally took me 2 minutes to copy Jule's pictures from FB to Photobucket and upload them here.

There is a test forum on cruise critic where you can play around and try it.

I have seen cruises that visit Newcastle but never one that started there.

Thanks for the incorrect report!

No.

The currency on board is Sterling, but the ship is cashless as mentioned.

I would strongly advise using a different travel agent in future.

The winner was "Indian Summer"

 

This is a long gin and elderflower refresher and won the votes in the shortlisting. After the taste test, Thomson and moreover the mixologist plus Apollo refined this creation with a slosh of apple schnapps and by swapping the lemon for lime that just took the edge off a heavy gin base.

 

You will be able to get this on the Dream this summer !!

So in other words, they already knew exactly what cocktail they were going to add to the menu, and chose the entry that was closest? Then added the bits that were missing. ;-)

Many thanks Grez you were spot on

Hope you have a lovely cruise.

Hi huddersfieldtourist hope you had a fabulous transatlantic cruise and I wish you a Merry Christmas. Can you tell me please who the current musicians are on Dream and anyone else you can remember I've asked on your cocktail thread but go some odd replies. Many thanks

 

Dream 19th Jan 2016. Dream 12th April 2016. Dream 19th June 2016

I guess the replies you got weren't so "odd" after all.

Many thanks pension cruiser you're right about heart and soul being heart and mind now as we saw them on Celebration in September.

So pleased Maris and Tom are back on the Dream cos they told us they thought they would be on the Celebration when we left them in Palma in May. As you say they are brilliant and they must be cos hubby is a musician and he bought their CDs too and we play them regularly at home.

Thanks jules for your reply too I suppose they are playing in Waters Edge due to the refit and moving the casino to make way for cabins but surprised they're not in Tides or has that disappeared?

Still would love to know the name of the band Any answers out there?

The band is Soundroom, Tides is still there

Sound room- medusa lounge

2 Intense- waters edge

Heart and soul ?

Heart and Soul in Tides,

Keith Kerslake (pianist) Waters Edge mainly

David Morgan (Steel Drum) Deck 10 aft (outside)

On our cruise this past January (the Grand) we tried Alfredo's for pizza. Turns out Alfredo's is the pizza of my dreams. We are now considering going on the Caribbean Princess. I believe they don't have an Alfredo's, but Prego Pizza. Will I be dreaming about this pizza as much as Alfredo's or disappointed as I have been with my local pizza choices since I got back from the cruise?

Alfredo Pizza was available from Sabatini's several times at lunch (complimentary) on the Caribbean Princess earlier this month, although I didn't try it I'm afraid.

Steve you sound a bit ...

Keith certainly gets around, his latest showreel is at http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/actor/profile/keith-maynard-1

Not sure that the diet chef people will be too pleased with the advert for antacid right after he's been talking about the diet chef food!

Sunwing released their 2015/6 cruise brochure last week, they continue to offer Thomson Dream. Somewhat bemused by this thread, are people suggesting that Thomson Cruises won't call at Havana because other cruise lines do?

http://www.sunwing.ca/newsstory.asp?id=558

No.

Just returned from a cruise & stay, sailing on Celebration 11/6/15 then a week in Dubrovnik 18/6/15.

Had a brilliant week on board. We haven't cruised since 2013 and we did notice the increased 'sales push' on board. We were constantly approached by waiters and other crew members to buy a particular package or pay for the A La Carte restaurants. Even pushed by table waiters to pay extra for streaks at the dining table. Personally I don't like this kind of thing but it didn't spoil our holiday.

All went really well upto the final day with disembarking!!!

Almost everyone going to hotels had times of 10.30 to 11.30 to leave the ship.

Trying to get off the ship to collect our luggage, to take to the hotel, was an absolute nightmare. Thomson had passengers boarding and queueing on the 'single' gangway at the same time. Trying to get past people with your own hand luggage and them with their hand luggage was just about impossible. Disembarking passengers had to pass their bags over the top of the gangway to crew members then pick them up again at the bottom of the gangway.

The bus journey was advised of 10 mins but was actually 30 mins with other drop offs. This left us at your hotel at 11.30 am with check in time being 2pm. My question is, why could we not stay on board till 1pm then go to hotels. We were left in limbo, especially as we had a problem at our hotel with rooms not being ready and having a 5 hour wait for a room. We therefore lost a day of our holiday. Thomson know the times when rooms are normally available but I think their attitude is one of not caring. I will certainly be avoiding booking with Thomson again, which is a shame as I love their cruises.

What did they say when you complained?

Plus there is a C&A!!!

the problem appears? to be that thomsons have no easy way of collecting payment in us dollars from us based clients?

 

sunwing (canada) have a some kind of deal going on with thoms? and sell cruises on thomsons ships to clients in canada (flying from toronto) ...they may be able to (better) accept us currency and may be able to fix something up (bespoke) for you? (might be worth giving them a call)

Not sure how that is an issue? If I want to buy something from an American retailer in US$ I just use any debit/credit card and the payment is automatically converted into sterling.

Sattva, have you managed to book yet? Seem to remember others either e-mailing Cruise Deals (a UK company which is essentially Thomson) or Cruise 118 - not sure if the latter still exists.

How rude. Maybe the OP is not aware there is also a port stop section on here.

Especially given as how the person criticising has only been posting on this sub forum for a month or so, and in that time has become the most pointless contributor since Kirk!

I've never seen more than a handful of kids on any Thomson ship I've been on.