Dream All Inclusive

[shaznier]

Well after reading all your post regarding the AI package ,we have decided to take legal advise tomorow. Regardless of the fact if your AI package was a 'freebie' early booking incentive or you paid mega for it the point is Thomson cannot advertise one package and deliver another ,especially not being upfront and honest with us the before we sail

The outcome will lie with what our Solicitor if he says we are entitled to a full refund of our £3000 i will take back my money and book another holiday.

OOps mean Tuesday !! so angry forgot it was a Bank holiday

[Huddersfieldtourist]

Well after reading all your post regarding the AI package ,we have decided to take legal advise tomorow. Regardless of the fact if your AI package was a 'freebie' early booking incentive or you paid mega for it the point is Thomson cannot advertise one package and deliver another ,especially not being upfront and honest with us the before we sail

The outcome will lie with what our Solicitor if he says we are entitled to a full refund of our £3000 i will take back my money and book another holiday.

 

Regrettably you can not complain about the reduction in the cocktail choice as the AI states in the brochure "a range of cocktails" and there is still a range of cocktails but it would appear it is a lot less variety than before. You can still get these in the range :- Cocktail of the Day, Long Island Iced Tea and Frozen Colada Cocktails. I am not condoning the action taken or otherwise - I am merely looking at the wording of that part of the contract. Whilst I am no bar man or expert cocktail maker it would appear to me that the spirits used to make the cocktails are not brand spirits so the ingredients for the cocktails ( or many of them at least ) are still on the AI in the main but the made up article of the cocktail using those spirits is not. What has happened to the virgin cocktails is a mystery too as may be some of the non liquer coffees. Detailed clarification of the actual AI list in FULL is needed or at least clarification on the coffees and the non alcoholic cocktails.

[jojo67]

What has changed in the drinks package ,did you get it in writing?

 

Glenisla, what part of this discussion are you not understanding?? We have ALL seen the changes detailed 'in writing' as it was kindly posted by someone who has already sailed on Dream so we have seen it in writing? Have you received it in writing from your TA that things haven't changed?? Have you sailed on Dream yet??

[sobral]

Glenisla, what part of this discussion are you not understanding?? We have ALL seen the changes detailed 'in writing' as it was kindly posted by someone who has already sailed on Dream so we have seen it in writing? Have you received it in writing from your TA that things haven't changed?? Have you sailed on Dream yet??

 

I agree with you JOJo- Glensia just does not seem to get the gist of what we are all saying and reporting! I hope when they sail on Tuesday we are all proven wrong, but it is frustrating to read their posts on both threads!

[Huddersfieldtourist]

I agree with you JOJo- Glensia just does not seem to get the gist of what we are all saying and reporting! I hope when they sail on Tuesday we are all proven wrong, but it is frustrating to read their posts on both threads!

 

 

Perhaps it is because I studied law at university.Stick to the facts presented.

 

The letter states that " we've forced to take out some of the branded name spirits that we used to include. This is down to the fact that we pay for our spirits in euros. The weakened pound has made the cost of these brand name spirits very expensive so we can no longer afford to include them in the package"

 

The isues include

1. The Euro is weaker than it was last year ( not the pound weaker ) and forecast to get weaker with the Greece economy issue - opposite to the above

2. The cocktails are not made up using name brand spirits = you see the bottles they use in the demonstration on deck

3. The brochure states a range of cocktails and there is still a range which is the counter argument and is valid.

4 Are coffees such as latte etc still included - this has nothing to do with the price of spirits so if not still included - why not ? Where is the explanation for the removal of these ?

5. What is a speciality coffee according to Thomson ? Last year mocha and espresso and latte etc were included on AI.

6. Virgin cocktails - are these still included ? No spirits in these either.

7. Premium drinks are " as defined on board " - those concerned about the AI need a full definition.

8. What is the reason for the removal of non brand name drinks/spirits ?

 

just my opinion now - I suggest the abuse of the AI by some has also been a factor - those people ordering and ordering and leaving tables full of half drunk drinks or ordered cocktails they though they would like to try but did not like in the end so they are thrown away etc etc - I have been on may cruises with Thomson and seen this and the few who have done so may have helped spoilt it for the rest.

[kruzseeka]

Perhaps it is because I studied law at university.Stick to the facts presented.

 

The letter states that " we've forced to take out some of the branded name spirits that we used to include. This is down to the fact that we pay for our spirits in euros. The weakened pound has made the cost of these brand name spirits very expensive so we can no longer afford to include them in the package"

 

The isues include

1. The Euro is weaker than it was last year ( not the pound weaker ) and forecast to get weaker with the Greece economy issue - opposite to the above

2. The cocktails are not made up using name brand spirits = you see the bottles they use in the demonstration on deck

3. The brochure states a range of cocktails and there is still a range which is the counter argument and is valid.

4 Are coffees such as latte etc still included - this has nothing to do with the price of spirits so if not still included - why not ? Where is the explanation for the removal of these ?

5. What is a speciality coffee according to Thomson ? Last year mocha and espresso and latte etc were included on AI.

6. Virgin cocktails - are these still included ? No spirits in these either.

7. Premium drinks are " as defined on board " - those concerned about the AI need a full definition.

8. What is the reason for the removal of non brand name drinks/spirits ?

 

just my opinion now - I suggest the abuse of the AI by some has also been a factor - those people ordering and ordering and leaving tables full of half drunk drinks or ordered cocktails they though they would like to try but did not like in the end so they are thrown away etc etc - I have been on may cruises with Thomson and seen this and the few who have done so may have helped spoilt it for the rest.

 

 

I agree with all the points you make - especially the suggestion that some may well have used (abused) the AI to the extent that it has spoiled it for others. Also on the finance front - hasn't the cost of the AI gone up markedly over the last year or two? Wasn't that to take account of increased costs?

 

I can understand that AI may well have been on borrowed time based on economic factors/abuse/need to be more competitive. Actually AI is not a huge deal for us. We really don't drink so much that it would cost Thomson a fortune to give us free AI (a decent onboard credit would be as acceptable an incentive for us) but it's the principle which is making me angry!

 

Thomson have every right to change or even withdraw the AI - but IMO not in between sale and delivery. It should be done transparently and customers told at the time of purchase and not discover retrospectively that they haven't got the deal they thought they had.

 

It's like custom and practice (you will know more of the legal aspects of this than me :) ) but in my layman's interpretation those who bought the AI did so in the expectation that it was as they had received in the past. Even the ****** banks have to write to tell you when the terms of their accounts change now!

 

It just strikes me that Thomson should have decided on the changes they wished to make, determined a timeline and then informed people of the nature of the 'new' AI and how significantly different it is compared with that previously offered. Then we would be in a position to decide whether or not we felt it was a suitable incentive to book early - or pay for it.

 

They may well not have broken the letter of their contract but it feels to me as though they have let their customers down badly by keeping them in the dark and the way it has been handled is morally reprehensible in my book.

 

We are going at the weekend and I'm anticipating that the atmosphere on board is going to be affected by this issue - I can already hear the moaners! (And with cause really!) So another plus factor for sailing with Thomson is likely to turn into a negative too! :( I bet Capt Dearman and Stephen Guy are not enjoying the atmosphere on Dream at the moment either. What a sad situation after all the excitement and anticipation of the arrival of the 'new' ship. Unfortunately it's rather tainted now. I just hope the people travelling on her will have a good experience despite all this fuss.

 

It's been an exercise in how NOT to manage change - and a complete let down for many loyal and supportive customers. And this is from someone who really doesn't care too much about whether they offer AI or not - but does care very much about how Thomson treat their passengers!

[davecttr]

On the other board there is a item about Celebrity changing their drink packages.

 

Apparently Celebrity cancelled all existing packages and gave their customers a refund with the option of buying one of the amended packages.

 

This is the way it should have been done.

[lilybelle2]

We are booked for Adriatic Explorer and have paid full price for AI, therefore concerned enough to check at Thomson shop. They have confirmed (although only verbally) that the AI restrictions were for the Dream only and then only for a short period of time. We have been assured that AI is as it was and includes the full range of cocktails, spirits and coffees. If we wanted to cancel AI option, they said there would be a £35 per person admin charge. So we're going with it and will report back I daresay.

[kruzseeka]

We are booked for Adriatic Explorer and have paid full price for AI, therefore concerned enough to check at Thomson shop. They have confirmed (although only verbally) that the AI restrictions were for the Dream only and then only for a short period of time. We have been assured that AI is as it was and includes the full range of cocktails, spirits and coffees. If we wanted to cancel AI option, they said there would be a £35 per person admin charge. So we're going with it and will report back I daresay.

 

 

I do so hope that you're right - or your TA is. We'll be finding out soon too - off on Friday all being well! :D

[Huddersfieldtourist]

We are booked for Adriatic Explorer and have paid full price for AI, therefore concerned enough to check at Thomson shop. They have confirmed (although only verbally) that the AI restrictions were for the Dream only and then only for a short period of time. We have been assured that AI is as it was and includes the full range of cocktails, spirits and coffees. If we wanted to cancel AI option, they said there would be a £35 per person admin charge. So we're going with it and will report back I daresay.

 

It will be interesting to see reviews and reports from other Thomson branded ships on this

[jojo67]

If we wanted to cancel AI option, they said there would be a £35 per person admin charge. .

 

:eek: So they'd actually charge you to remove something that they had missold you in the first place, beggars belief!