Thomson Majesty Disaster

[Little Nell]

I must admit when I've been in a tender I've always thought there's no way you could get 150 people in. Hubby says "if the ship was sinking - you would!"

 

I'm pleased Thomsons have made the right decision to cancel this cruise. I do feel sorry for everyone whose holiday has been spoilt but I don't really see how they could have had a good time after this. Well done Thomson, it's not always about the money, and this will have gone a long way in customer satisfaction.

 

I hope Infoqueen is alright though because she booked her own flights and I don't think she's due back until Saturday.

 

I agree, happy v, I would have wanted to go home I think. I am sure they will look after Infoqueen.

[Geraintw]

Although that doesn't answer this question:

 

I'm not entirely sure of the answer, as you say cruisin Linda it does seem a bit daft. Perhaps it means that they should not rely on the surplus lifeboat. So the side where there is a lifeboat missing still must satisfy the criteria, and must safely evacuate every person on board? I can't imagine that they would get into trouble for using it in an emergency if it can be used I.e. if there was no listing

[Vitalsign]

Tenders are different to lifeboats (although used as lifeboats in an emergency) and lifeboats are not used as tenders. So perhaps they don't carry as many passengers as a lifeboat but as 'HappyV's hubbie says (made me laugh out loud) "if the ship was sinking - you would!"

 

Glad to hear Geomagot that the cables are probably replaced every 2 years or so

 

I know how you must have felt CruisingLinda watching the tenders being raised on OV2 in rough seas - its heart stopping. Those passengers who witnessed the tragedy on the Majesty must have felt so helpless.

 

Thomson Spirit Repo Palma to Sharm el Sheikh Oct 2005

Thomson Celebration Red Sea Magic Jan 2007

Ocean Village Caribbean & Central America Feb 2008

Ocean Village Eastern Med August 2008

Ocean Village 2 Caribbean Feb 2009

Ocean Village Caribbean Mar 2010

Thomson Dream Cuba & Caribbean Feb 2011

Thomson Celebration Eastern Med August 2011

Thomson Celebration Red Sea Magic April 2012

Thomson Eastern Wonders Repo Red Sea to Med April/May 2012

Thomson Dream Caribbean 24th Feb 2013

[clive and anne]

A passenger booked on 15th Feb cruise has been told to go to the airport as normal on Friday according to what he has put on Facebook.

[infoqueen]

Just to let you know that about 24 independent passengers after they tried to dump us at the airport have now been put in a four star hotel in las Americas for 3 days on full board but we had to fight for it were all ok now and about to have dinner

[clive and anne]

Sorry to report a conflicting news report is saying Fridays cruise is cancelled.

[clive and anne]

Well done Shirley.

Enjoy your Dinner and have a half a shandy for me

[happy v]

Just to let you know that about 24 independent passengers after they tried to dump us at the airport have now been put in a four star hotel in las Americas for 3 days on full board but we had to fight for it were all ok now and about to have dinner

 

I'm glad you are safe and well. I was quite worried about you seeing as you were on a different island to your plane!

[Jakanne1]

Just to let you know that about 24 independent passengers after they tried to dump us at the airport have now been put in a four star hotel in las Americas for 3 days on full board but we had to fight for it were all ok now and about to have dinner

 

Excellent. Pleased you are sorted. :)

[ladyjayneq]

Where did you here Fridays cruise is cancelled, we are also supposed to be on board, but not hearing anything yet, thank god for this site!

[clive and anne]

Sorry, someone came on facebook and said the cruise passengers had been told to go to the airport on friday. Then she came back and said it was cancelled and then ademitted she was talking about the current cruise. So basically I have no idea. Did read a report earlier saying that people on the ship this week and next had been taken to tenerife to await boarding on Friday but the situation is so confused. Its a pity Thomson cant come on and tell everyone whats happening

[Thomson Cruises]

Hi Everyone,

 

With regards to future cruises on Thomson Majesty, at this time we have no reason to believe they will be impacted. The safety of customers on board is of paramount importance to us and investigations are still being conducted by the authorities and of course Thomson Cruises.

 

If the situation with future cruises was to change then we will contact any customers who will be affected.

 

Regards,

 

Dan.

[socim]

See http://www.thomson.co.uk/editorial/alerts/thomsonfly-travel-alert.html

[sodafountain]

Just to let you know that about 24 independent passengers after they tried to dump us at the airport have now been put in a four star hotel in las Americas for 3 days on full board but we had to fight for it were all ok now and about to have dinner

 

That's the problem with organising your own transport, and i think you were lucky to get what you did.

 

Firstly, your flight home with Thomson has not been delayed (as i presume youa re not travelling with Thomson, and whichever flight you are on, it is leaving on time), so they are not responsible under EU flight rules to put you up, and they have cancelled your holiday and refunded it, so are only duty bound to return you to where you started from, in this case, Tenerife.

 

Others book with Thomson in full to get the guarantee that if something were to go wrong, you are covered no matter what, so i do not see why you think you should also be covered, having made your own arrangements?

 

Also, think of it from the other side, people who paid MORE to Thomson for their holdiay have been sent home on a plane, you have paid them less, and been sent to a hotel for 3 days.

[sodafountain]

Its a pity Thomson cant come on and tell everyone whats happening

 

It is out of their hands, as already said, they will advise you when they know, they are waiting for investigations to finish, and get the go ahead they can sail again, they are not doing it to piss you off.

[geomagot]

Just to let you know that about 24 independent passengers after they tried to dump us at the airport have now been put in a four star hotel in las Americas for 3 days on full board but we had to fight for it were all ok now and about to have dinner

 

so pleased to hear Thoms are looking after you

 

but, yes, i agree

 

Unfortunately these are the pitfalls of not booking a package

 

I saw this myself during the 'ash cloud' where independents were taken to the airport while all others were sailed back to UK

 

I expect Thoms will be issuing letters to pax who may need to make claims from their insurance

[CRUISIN LINDA]

That's the problem with organising your own transport, and i think you were lucky to get what you did.

 

Firstly, your flight home with Thomson has not been delayed (as i presume youa re not travelling with Thomson, and whichever flight you are on, it is leaving on time), so they are not responsible under EU flight rules to put you up, and they have cancelled your holiday and refunded it, so are only duty bound to return you to where you started from, in this case, Tenerife.

 

Others book with Thomson in full to get the guarantee that if something were to go wrong, you are covered no matter what, so i do not see why you think you should also be covered, having made your own arrangements?

 

Also, think of it from the other side, people who paid MORE to Thomson for their holdiay have been sent home on a plane, you have paid them less, and been sent to a hotel for 3 days.

 

While, what you say is true, I think it is uncalled for, for you to say this to Shirley at this moment. She has obviously, along with all the other passengers, had a terrible time (are you forgeting that 5 people lost their lives here?)and has been kind enough to send us messages keeping us up to date.

[Julessmiles]

While, what you say is true, I think it is uncalled for, for you to say this to Shirley at this moment. She has obviously, along with all the other passengers, had a terrible time (are you forgeting that 5 people lost their lives here?)and has been kind enough to send us messages keeping us up to date.

 

I agree with Linda here - Shirley didn't have to come on here to let us know of any of the news but she has been good enough to do so. There has been quite a lot of unpleasantness on here & the Facebook page over the last few days about what has happened which I personally feel is incredibly insensitive and un-necessary considering what has happened and what some people on the cruise have had to go through and of course not forgetting the very sad loss of the 5 lives and 3 others who were injured.

[moleymo]

Globetrotter - I cruised on Majesty from 25th January which was a Friday, joining the ship in Tenerife. We had the proper drill as described by yoursleves - whole ship with announcements, on deck, lined up with a roll call etc. We then sailed and another smaller group of passengers joined in Gran Canaria on Saturday, but their drill seemed a lot more casual - there were no PA annoucements (that I heard anyway) and I saw them in the lounges with life jackets on, whilst life on the rest of the ship went on as normal (bars open, loungers on deck etc). I wonder if this was about not disturbing the Friday joiners too much whilst ensuring that the drill went ahead for each group before sailaway? Before Concordia I've experienced a whole-ship drill on day 2 but now that's not possible they had to somehow accommodate two changeover days which may be a bit unusual.

 

When i went on the Majesty for xmas and new year cruise we flew from Doncaster to Tenerife. Our flight was the last to join the ship and we arrived after the lifeboat drill. We just had a letter pushed under our stateroom door stating that they were aware we did not attend the drill and to just make ourselves familiar with were out lifebost station was and the route from our cabin to the station. Even though there was a drill next day for those boarding in Gran Canaria we were not asked to attend and were not asked to attend the drill the 2nd week of our cruise even though they knew we hadn't attended the first week. Having cruised many times before this wasn't a problem to my husband and i as we know the procedure but there were many first time cruisers on the flight. The Doncaster flight is also the latest flight every week so this is a regular occurance. Upon speaking to other passangers they were under the impression that our flight was in late but it wasn't it is the scheduled time

[Jakanne1]

I too agree with Linda. Sometimes what people write on FB and CC can be misinterpretated and lead to unpleasantness.

[WIGANATH]

Just got home-cruise was cancelled in the end which is understandable under the circumstances-you only get one life and we can have more holidays. The Thomson staff were fantastic-it must have been a logistical nightmare sorting all those flights out and they worked around the clock to accommodate everyone-well done Thomson staff you did us proud!! RIP to the 5 crew members and their families.

[barnowl1950]

While, what you say is true, I think it is uncalled for, for you to say this to Shirley at this moment. She has obviously, along with all the other passengers, had a terrible time (are you forgeting that 5 people lost their lives here?)and has been kind enough to send us messages keeping us up to date.

 

Agree with you here Linda.

 

Heard this terrible news soon after it happened last Sunday but couldn't find the right words to put here at the time just felt heavy-hearted for all involved.

[sodafountain]

While, what you say is true, I think it is uncalled for, for you to say this to Shirley at this moment. She has obviously, along with all the other passengers, had a terrible time (are you forgeting that 5 people lost their lives here?)and has been kind enough to send us messages keeping us up to date.

 

Sorry if you don't like what i say, and at no point did i say anything nasty of vindictive, so unsure why you are singling out my post as if it was?

 

I was merely pointing out what i feel Thomson are liable for, and what they are not, nothing more and nothing less. Pointing out the good Thomson do for those that book a "package" and warning others of what might happen if they decide to sort their own travel.

 

It is a valid point, a warning to others, and at no point was meant as an attack at anyone.

[Dreamgirl1957]

Hi everyone, hope I didn't upset anyone with my replies to CB on f/b, I never meant to . CB just annoyed me as he was so antagonistic and seemed to me to be having a go at Thomson . I just tried to explain the rules to him hoping he would take it in good faith which is how it was written. After working as a ta it's one of the things you stress when people don't book a package.

 

I really really do feel for Shirley and the other independant bookers and certainly didn't mean to imply I didn't care as I do very much about the whole situation.

 

Thomsons really can't treat independent travellers the same as package customers when things like this happen as a matter of course, if they did there would be huge repercussions after everything had settled down. I do know they offer help to independent travellers wherever they can but it cant be expected and thats whats stated in the conditions.

 

I rarely book separate flights even though it can save a bit I've seen what can happen I'm afraid.

 

Just want everyone to know if it is me being referred to re f/b I was only trying to point out to CB why Thomsons may have made certain decisions and also when refunds were questioned on there and i could see certain comments I just wanted to explain as much as I could about how decisions may be made as per Thomson terms and conditions when some were cruise only no flight, some full package and some cruise and stay etc.

 

Really sorry again if it's me who has caused any upset I would never have intended that at all and am very upset.

 

 

Sent from my Galaxy S111 using Tapatalk

[Adam Coulter]

Sorry to report a conflicting news report is saying Fridays cruise is cancelled.

 

Hi Clive and Anne,

What news report is that? Thomson tell us that they "have no reason to believe that this Friday's cruise is not going ahead".