Dream Photos - Review to follow!

[davecttr]

IIRC from one of the Dream posts they have put the price of drinks up as well. Truly a example of the bean counters ruining a companies reputation.

[Huddersfieldtourist]

Think this is what you may require , seemed to have

"fallen into my case when packing"...!!!

 

 

That is pretty clear - it is altered !

[moldgirl]

Think this is what you may require , seemed to have

"fallen into my case when packing"...!!!

have a copy of bar list too, unfortunately document is too large to scan

[Huddersfieldtourist]

Do you think this sounds as though this applies across all their ships? We haven't heard anything to the contrary from recent travellers on Spirit and Celebration - but I suspect it will only be a matter of time!

 

 

 

It may be that this is the policy for the summer season and the other ships are just starting theirs soon - currently relocating cruises at the end of winter

[Mack11]

Thanks for that Opthamology!!. That's being printed off and taken into the agents next week with me!

[oceancreek]

Do you think this sounds as though this applies across all their ships? We haven't heard anything to the contrary from recent travellers on Spirit and Celebration - but I suspect it will only be a matter of time!

 

I spoke to Thomson rep at Thomas Cook Cruise event this evening, yes it is all ships.

 

If you have the AI suggest taking a cocktail shaker with you and mixing your own as you still have the spirits and the soft drinks. Plus the frozen cocktails

[Mack11]

If you have the AI suggest taking a cocktail shaker with you and mixing your own as you still have the spirits and the soft drinks. Plus the frozen cocktails

What a great idea! LOL

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Been on phone to Thomsons today to ask about the current situation of the restrictive AI on Dream and she didnt even know the Dream had sailed!

 

A few weeks ago I went into TA and asked about the crash and they knew nothing about it :eek: They said they had been told there had been an incident and they did not know that some crew had been killed :(

 

Linda

[davecttr]

........If you have the AI suggest taking a cocktail shaker with you and mixing your own as you still have the spirits and the soft drinks. Plus the frozen cocktails

 

I don't think this will work as you can only order one drink per person which hopefully means you can have a gin and tonic but not order multiple spirits for a cocktail :(

[Davebhoy]

I think that AI list looks pretty good- especially the 50 % discount on non AI drinks, which I wasn't expecting ! Choice of more than three cocktails each day too...

[Huddersfieldtourist]

I think that AI list looks pretty good- especially the 50 % discount on non AI drinks, which I wasn't expecting ! Choice of more than three cocktails each day too...

 

I think the biggest issue for people seems to be a lack of choice of alcoholic cocktails - the non alcoholic ones seem to be unaltered but there only seems to be cocktail of the day that is alcoholic. Cruises and cocktails for many seem to go together - that now seems to be somewhat curtailed as regards choice.

 

To be frank I can not see Thomson changing this policy at all but those who have actually paid the full supplement for AI may have a case to request the AI being removed and a refund of the charge saying they should have been told it was more restricted when booking. Thomson state in the letter posted on here by someone just back from a cruise that it is due to the increase in price of drinks - some will argue that the AI has increased in price as an option too and it would be reasonable to expect that the increase in AI price as an option was to reflect that cost increase for spirits etc.

 

Those who booked expecting the same AI as last year or similar and received it free as an early booking option may find that there is nothing that can be done - the wording in the brochure states "a range of cocktails" - there still is a range of cocktail but it is now much more restricted as regards the alcoholic ones. I am sure there was , in the past , marketing used that said something on the lines of "book early for a limited time period free AI upgrage on all sailings in summer 2010" - as such this is why some will feel they are a touch aggrieved and I must say I do sympathise.

 

Those aggrieved would be best advised to take it up with the agent with whom they booked it or if on the Thomson website with Thomson directly and see if any satisfactory solutions can be gained.

[kruzseeka]

I think that AI list looks pretty good- especially the 50 % discount on non AI drinks, which I wasn't expecting ! Choice of more than three cocktails each day too...

 

Ah! but for quite a few of us, half the fun of the cocktails was being able to sample different ones - and a good variety. I'm not keen on gin so tend to go for different spirit based cocktails. If the cocktail of the day is one I really don't fancy I've got a choice of Long Island Iced tea or a Colada (ok as I like coconut - but not everyone does). This doesn't sound like a lot of choice to me :( particularly as there were probably between 15 -20 on Celebration last year which were included on the AI.

[Huddersfieldtourist]

:confused::confused::confused:The letter does not explain why cocktails are restricted - when they make them they do not use brand name spirits as we have all witnessed during the cocktail demonstration on deck. They use "house spirits" and mixers,soft drinks and fruit juices which are still included in the package still so now it does not make sense to me - but it does not affect me either as I do not bother with the AI !!:confused::confused:

 

What I am saying is the ingredients are still on the AI but the made up article is not !

[davecttr]

I think that AI list looks pretty good- especially the 50 % discount on non AI drinks, which I wasn't expecting ! Choice of more than three cocktails each day too...

You used to get over 30 cocktails a day! and the discount was over 75%. Plus I notice speciality coffees and virgin cocktails are not on the list. I suppose Thomsons will use the exchange rate excuse for those as well :mad:

 

For me I can continue with my favourute cocktail by not going on one excursion per week :D

[sobral]

Thanks for the evidence! I cannot believe that two different Thomson Travel agents- one in northern Ireland and one in the south assured me yesterday as I called them several times to query what we were hearing on the Dream that the AI was the same as advertised. I am spitting that I actually booked my 2011 cruise with them!

As others have mentioned you can get cheaper prices with other cruiselines but AI was a major incentive on Thomson and this offering is hugely different from previously.

What can we all do???

[Mack11]

The sooner i get into Thomsons shop the better so i can get to the bottom of this.

 

The same shop that made a huge cock up on someone elses cruise where they promised the client they would have £50 per day to spend on the ship, and once on board it turned out it was a one off payment of £50.

 

Fortunately they had it in black and white, so Thomsons had to refund them £400 because he took his story to print.

[Mack11]

Oops duplicate post :p

[steelerannie]

Looks like my after dinner tipple of a Tia Maria is off the list as well!! I can't believe what Thomson's have done. I'm so glad we decided not to book the Dream for our Caribbean Cruise in Jan 2011.

 

Ann

[Jim The Scot]

For me I can continue with my favourute cocktail by not going on one excursion per week :D

 

:D

 

Good thinking dave

 

As an aside,if and I say if its one cocktail per day,what happens if every tom,dick and harry are drinking it and they run out of that specific cocktail.....say in the afternoon?

[Mack11]

As an aside,if and I say if its one cocktail per day,what happens if every tom,dick and harry are drinking it and they run out of that specific cocktail.....say in the afternoon?

Theres a thought?!......Mutiny on the Dream!! ROFL

[kruzseeka]

Think this is what you may require , seemed to have

"fallen into my case when packing"...!!!

 

 

There's no mention in the link opthalmology posted (official Thomson notification of changes) of cappuccinos, hot chocolate etc.. Do I take it these are no longer available as part of the AI deal as well? :( Anyone actually know?

[jojo67]

There's no mention in the link opthalmology posted (official Thomson notification of changes) of cappuccinos, hot chocolate etc.. Do I take it these are no longer available as part of the AI deal as well? :( Anyone actually know?

 

No mention of any 'virgin cocktails' either which are always popular poolside during the day & with the children, mine hate fizzy drinks & were really looking forward to trying a selection of the 'virgin' cocktails :(

[Davebhoy]

There's no mention in the link opthalmology posted (official Thomson notification of changes) of cappuccinos, hot chocolate etc.. Do I take it these are no longer available as part of the AI deal as well? :( Anyone actually know?

 

Pretty certain that in the details we got on booking the AI it did say that coffees weren't included, but tea/coffee/etc would be available for free from the restaurants.

 

I also didn't know anything about a discount on the non-AI drinks before, so 50% looks a good deal. Obviously its not such a good deal if you were expecting 75% - but where did you get that from ? It doesn't appear to be in the brochure...

[kruzseeka]

Pretty certain that in the details we got on booking the AI it did say that coffees weren't included, but tea/coffee/etc would be available for free from the restaurants.

 

I also didn't know anything about a discount on the non-AI drinks before, so 50% looks a good deal. Obviously its not such a good deal if you were expecting 75% - but where did you get that from ? It doesn't appear to be in the brochure...

 

I don't know anything about 75%. The 'old' AI had an extensive choice - but there were always some drinks which weren't included but you could get them by paying a reduced price but that wasn't a set % as far as I know. Sometimes it was a small supplement, other times not a lot less than the full price - it depended on the drink/brand.

 

Cappuccinos, hot chocolate and virgin cocktails were included in the AI - if you want coffees etc anywhere other than in the dining rooms, you have to pay for them. With AI they were free. Speciality coffees like Irish coffee etc were always exempt from the AI. (This has nothing to do with the free tea/coffee served in the dining rooms and available 24/7 in the Lido restaurant - they have nothing to do with the AI.)

 

Hope that all makes sense! :confused:

[Davebhoy]

Cheers, Kruzseeka - that makes sense !

Just hadn't seen anything that that mentioned any of this, and with not being on an AI cruise before, wasn't expecting any of it - so as long as I can have a cold beer by the pool, its all good !

 

My cocktail of choice is a Long Island Iced Tea too - so double the fun !!