newbie questions

[MOMtoTwins]

i have a really vague request for opinions. I am an american cruiser who is used to cruising on mainstream(carnival, princess, norwegian and royal carib) cruiselines in the carib.

 

my family(dh and 2 8 year old dd's) is considering doing a UK cruise and we really like the itinerary on the spirit. we are not looking for a few years so who knows exactly what will happen with the itinerary or ships.

 

I have not been able to find as much information/opinions as i would like so i am here asking. what i am looking for is some general comparisons between these lines? food? kids camp? casino? cabins? any unusual fees? anything i should know when considering this line?

[geomagot]

OK so Food:

 

Is geared to the British tastes, a traditional fried breakfast with some continental pastries/yoghurt/fruit

 

lunch: meat pies, pasta dishes, chicken/meat in various gravies/curries, salads

 

dinner: usually 5 courses, a choice of 4 or 5 mains, a roast carvery style meal, fish dish, vegetarian dish

 

weekly black tie gala dinner

 

drinks are reasonably priced IMO

 

Kids club is for age 3 to 12 and runs 3 times a day spaces are limed but there are never all that many kids on board

 

depending on the ship? cabins can range from cramped to quite spacious, there are not many cabins with balconies, cabins are serviced 2 or 3 times a day and are kept spotless...there will be no baby grand piano

 

Unusual fees would include virtually everything....safes....bottled water....there’s a fee for booking a specific cabin location, some activities Pilates/Wine tasting cost extra too

 

Casino is small but is a regular casino that you would find anywhere, they have slots, Stud poker & Blackjack tables (Usually one of each) and Roulette

 

Thomsons ships are smaller older and more traditional, none of them have atriums, you may find some facilities are limited compared to what you are used to

 

however

 

the entertainment is second to none with west end style shows almost every night and a weekly cabaret act, also deck parties and game shows

 

99% of other guests will be British from all over Britain and from all walks of life so a great mix and a friendly village like atmosphere, you will get to know your fellow cruisers....who knows maybe make lifelong friends, the on board ambience is the main reason we Brits love Thomsons so much

 

tips are included and there are no added service charges but the crew will still treat you like gold

 

hope this helps

[kruzseeka]

Geomagot has given you a balanced summary. Here is another recent thread with a similar query.

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1724674

 

You will see how popular Thomson is with many regulars - but it isn't an a cruise line you would sail with if you want all the 'WoW' factors - it's a 'people' thing. If you respond to friendliness, want to get to know some British people - they will chat and be very welcoming - and just want to feel part of a large family for a time it could be for you. The ships are relatively small and therefore you do meet people again and make friends.

 

Note in the other thread a rather negative post from one of your compatriots but we have travelled on an NCL ship (to Norway from the UK) and although the ship was glitzy the cabin we had was cramped compared to the equivalent on all current Thomson ships (except for Majesty which I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend because of the design of the ship which affects delivery of certain aspects of the operation imo). The entertainment on NCL was poor by comparison to Thomson (a real strength of their product) and the service and ambience didn't come anywhere close to that on Thomson. Although we enjoyed the NCL cruise (itinerary was excellent) we were pleased to go back to Thomson.

[MOMtoTwins]

thanks for the great info.sounds like this may work well for us. now I just have to wait. we are not looking to do this trip until may/june of 2016

[kruzseeka]

thanks for the great info.sounds like this may work well for us. now I just have to wait. we are not looking to do this trip until may/june of 2016

 

Oh well we might just have some up-graded hardware by then! :D Newer ships with the 'Thomson product' would take some beating imo. Anyway MOMtoTwins watch this space - and we hope you will enjoy your trip whenever that may be. :)