Thomson confiscating your Duty Free

[Little Nell]

Hope you don't mind but I posted it on Thomson Cruise FB page? It is a private site.

 

There has been much discussion there of the situation on the Dream since the news broke days ago.

[geomagot]

yep...thanks nell & sail...the cruise was (actually....despite this) fabulous! and yep, feel free to use the image (and any others I post) for your blog

 

photo hosting sites

 

nell...the impact of this new policy onbard was....let me just say, it was....not very calmly received

 

heres another notice from cruise news (slightly re-worded) notice the 'in line with other cruises' statement!?

 

these notices were all over the ship! ....in the shops, in every issue of cruise news, even in poster size letters at the gangway (especially in ports like st maartin & st kitts where alcohol ashore is cheap)

[Little Nell]

yep...thanks nell & sail...the cruise was (actually....despite this) fabulous! and yep, feel free to use the image (and any others I post) for your blog

 

photo hosting sites

 

nell...the impact of this new policy onbard was....let me just say, it was....not very calmly received

 

heres another notice from cruise news (slightly re-worded) notice the 'in line with other cruises' statement!?

 

these notices were all over the ship! ....in the shops, in every issue of cruise news, even in poster size letters at the gangway (especially in ports like st maartin & st kitts where alcohol ashore is cheap)

 

Thanks, Geomagot. So glad you had a brilliant time :) and can't wait to hear all about it, particularly since we have booked to go to the Caribbean next year for the first time and have paid for AI :D

 

I find the timing of this unfathomable. Did anything trigger it off?

[kruzseeka]

[quote=geomagot;

 

Thoms have said (quote) they are doing this to align themselves with other cruise lines alcohol policy (s).....pity they couldn't also align themselves with: .......other cruise lines policys..... loyalty scheme policy(s)....free in cabin safes....free cabin reservations....free room service....free upgrades....good websites...free laundry...new ships...balconies etc etc

 

well!.....so long Thoms....there is so much more available 'out there' (to quote a line from another well known cruise line/competitor)

 

Thanks for that confirmation Geo...........

 

Your paragraph on policy(s) is very apt................. couldn't they have found a gentler way of applying some restraint on those who would seek to take advantage and retain this little perk for cabin consumption which would be a sweetener for their customers? After all as you quite rightly point out they fall short in other areas. :o

 

Was just going to add a P.S. to ask if you had a good time but have now spotted you did! So pleased that you did despite this furore! ;)

[gillhalfpint]

I am sure there will be folk caught out with this half way through the cruise who will not have space in their cases for alcohol they didn't want to take home.

 

Mad.

[Dreamgirl1957]

Well said, Kruzseeka. It is astonishing what they are doing, at a time when their competitors are mimicking them with free AI, gratuities paid, flights from regional airports, P&O basing a ship in the Med etc etc. Thomson could end up paying dearly for this.

 

Hi little Nell, I think what you've just put should be read by F E.

Just sums it all up.

 

 

 

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[Little Nell]

Hi little Nell, I think what you've just put should be read by F E.

Just sums it all up.

 

 

 

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Yes, Dreamgirl or as Geo said:

 

"Thoms have said (quote) they are doing this to align themselves with other cruise lines alcohol policy (s).....pity they couldn't also align themselves with: .......other cruise lines policys..... loyalty scheme policy(s)....free in cabin safes....free cabin reservations....free room service....free upgrades....good websites...free laundry...new ships...balconies etc etc"

[Sailaway487]

Well said, Kruzseeka. It is astonishing what they are doing, at a time when their competitors are mimicking them with free AI, gratuities paid, flights from regional airports, P&O basing a ship in the Med etc etc. Thomson could end up paying dearly for this.

 

Exactly! Regarding the P&O bit, on the poll on my blog, only 17% have said they are sticking with Thomson, the rest saying their looking at going over to P&O or will consider it when they see what Thomson have to offer. I think Thomson need to be careful. :eek:

[stevedeccaman]

new ships or new ships or new carpets ?

 

Stevie:rolleyes:

[kalos]

yep...thanks nell & sail...the cruise was (actually....despite this) fabulous! and yep, feel free to use the image (and any others I post) for your blog

 

photo hosting sites

 

nell...the impact of this new policy onbard was....let me just say, it was....not very calmly received

 

heres another notice from cruise news (slightly re-worded) notice the 'in line with other cruises' statement!?

 

these notices were all over the ship! ....in the shops, in every issue of cruise news, even in poster size letters at the gangway (especially in ports like st maartin & st kitts where alcohol ashore is cheap)

 

Glad you had a good time Geo :D and it goes without saying we are glad to have you back .

Just to see how things are going down with people on here I have posted A poll on a new thread ,

just to see how people will react to this news .

 

The thread will auto post the results in 8 days time from today .:cool::)

[geomagot]

have just read thru the whole of this thread....so will try to answer some of the issues

 

no...cigarettes are not included in this policy, you can buy duty free cigs from the shop (£34.00 for 400 lambert & butler) and take them away with you

 

tbh i didn’t notice anything that may have kicked this new policy off so suddenly?? I also (despite our many cruises on thoms) have never seen anyone drinking their own alcohol in the bars....many like us will like a bottle of something just for drinking in the cabin (personally we like a nightcap)

 

the searching at the gangway is quite intrusive....your bags are scanned and anything remotely liquid is unwrapped/inspected....including bottles of water (that may look slightly off colour?...heads up here guys)

 

I walked onto the ship one day holding a cup of rum punch (from the rhum runner) and had to down it at the door! (not sure if they were just joking about that tho….possibly not?)

 

Will write a little review shortly on the cruise….apart from this and the bogof offers on shorex, nothing much has changed since I was last there at new year

[Jakanne1]

Wonder how long it will be before the Thomson travel agents get to know and inform people??? :rolleyes:

[Dreamgirl1957]

Been away so not read all new posts but in a way can see why they are doing it if people have been taking their own drink into the bars . Obviously now messed things up for those of us who behave and follow the rules :mad: It's not as if bar prices are high! !!

 

However I'm at a loss as to why they will take cigarettes off you if you've bought them on board or even in port? ???

What is the thinking behind that? ? :confused::confused:

 

My husband smokes so are you supposed to take enough with you for the full two weeks ...but then you can't as they will be taken off you . Have I read it wrong? :confused:

 

With two cruise's coming up we just will not go if he can't smoke when we booked they were not doing this!

 

Thought little Nell summed it all up well, Thomsons will def lose customers and a few companies out there ready to snap them up. From what I've seen of the answers from the "team " they are pretty pointless :rolleyes:

 

Pleased you had a good time geo! :)

 

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[Jakanne1]

Been away so not read all new posts but in a way can see why they are doing it if people have been taking their own drink into the bars . Obviously now messed things up for those of us who behave and follow the rules :mad: It's not as if bar prices are high! !!

 

However I'm at a loss as to why they will take cigarettes off you if you've bought them on board or even in port? ???

What is the thinking behind that? ? :confused::confused:

 

My husband smokes so are you supposed to take enough with you for the full two weeks ...but then you can't as they will be taken off you . Have I read it wrong? :confused:

 

With two cruise's coming up we just will not go if he can't smoke when we booked they were not doing this!

 

Thought little Nell summed it all up well, Thomsons will def lose customers and a few companies out there ready to snap them up. From what I've seen of the answers from the "team " they are pretty pointless :rolleyes:

 

Pleased you had a good time geo! :)

 

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Cigarettes are ok. See #136 (if I remembered it correctly).

[Dreamgirl1957]

Cigarettes are ok. See #136 (if I remembered it correctly).

 

Thanks Jackie :D, I must have read it wrong :o thought someone had said they were being confiscated too, hubby starting to relax! ! ;)

Thanks !!! :):) Vic

 

 

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[sodafountain]

Hi Sodafountain,

 

I’ve found your post regarding the cigarettes, however you’d already asked this question and we’d also given as much details as we could at this current time. Because of this it was considered as a spam post and your comment wasn’t approved.

 

Thanks,

Lauren

 

So then Thomson, what was the point of any of your replies, as you never told us anything, even saying it's all you can say at this time (why?), I even asked what you had to hide, as we'd all find out soon enough when returning cruisers posted the situation, and look, here is the answer to the question I have asked countless times, and also by countless others.

 

no...cigarettes are not included in this policy, you can buy duty free cigs from the shop (£34.00 for 400 lambert & butler) and take them away with you

 

Just makes you wonder why you couldn't just say this in the first place, why we have had to wait for a paying customer to come back and inform us properly. To tell you the truth, I think my 1 year old daughter could have come up with a better response :rolleyes:

 

Have to consider whether a Thomson cruise is the pull it used to be, back ground staff at home need to be just as good and accountable, if we can't rely on you, then what is the point?

[jilljoy]

i witnessed a man drinking jack daniels neet out of a tea mug which he filled at his cabin,and he was actually bragging about it to me.

my reply was "thats shocking" and he walked away in the huff

[Dreamgirl1957]

i witnessed a man drinking jack daniels neet out of a tea mug which he filled at his cabin,and he was actually bragging about it to me.

my reply was "thats shocking" and he walked away in the huff

 

 

That makes my blood boil too jilljoy, a few selfish people spoil it for us all.

Bring back the plank lol! ;);)

 

 

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[Dreamgirl1957]

So then Thomson, what was the point of any of your replies, as you never told us anything, even saying it's all you can say at this time (why?), I even asked what you had to hide, as we'd all find out soon enough when returning cruisers posted the situation, and look, here is the answer to the question I have asked countless times, and also by countless others.

 

 

 

Just makes you wonder why you couldn't just say this in the first place, why we have had to wait for a paying customer to come back and inform us properly. To tell you the truth, I think my 1 year old daughter could have come up with a better response :rolleyes:

 

Have to consider whether a Thomson cruise is the pull it used to be, back ground staff at home need to be just as good and accountable, if we can't rely on you, then what is the point?

 

Thanks soda, has put hubby's mind at rest about the cigarettes :)

 

Still very bad about the alcohol tho, not what you expect from "good old friendly Thomson" who dont seen quite so friendly after all.

Why tar up all with the same brush if a few rule breakers have caused all this! ! :mad::mad::mad:

 

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[geomagot]

jack daniels out of a mug! thats a disgrace!....what is he on? errr...;):D

 

anyway

 

to be fair bar drinks prices on thoms are v reasonable (at the moment)

 

however...I noticed that the advent of this new policy did prompt much talk of smuggling and of boycotting the onboard bars out of rebellion

 

if it didnt happen much before I believe it will start to happen a bit more now.....thoms are (basically) pushing their customers out into the bars ashore and encouraging smuggling

[Dreamgirl1957]

Yes, Dreamgirl or as Geo said:

 

"Thoms have said (quote) they are doing this to align themselves with other cruise lines alcohol policy (s).....pity they couldn't also align themselves with: .......other cruise lines policys..... loyalty scheme policy(s)....free in cabin safes....free cabin reservations....free room service....free upgrades....good websites...free laundry...new ships...balconies etc etc"

 

Oh yes! !!!!!

 

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[Dartmoordan]

This will be our first Thomsom cruise having previously been with Fred Olson for the last 3 trips. The Alcohol policy doesn't bother me too much as we're used to not bringing it to our cabin, it was the rest of duty free things that were. I do hope the ship is everything we hope for.

[geomagot]

This will be our first Thomsom cruise having previously been with Fred Olson for the last 3 trips. The Alcohol policy doesn't bother me too much as we're used to not bringing it to our cabin, it was the rest of duty free things that were. I do hope the ship is everything we hope for.

 

dont worry...trust me...I am just back this morning....we had a fabulous time (despite the issues being discussed here) hot and sunny and calm seas, beautiful islands (and the bonkers captain Torsten) there is still much to like about the dream especially in Caribbean:cool:

 

have a great cruise

[kruzseeka]

dont worry...trust me...I am just back this morning....we had a fabulous time (despite the issues being discussed here) hot and sunny and calm seas, beautiful islands (and the bonkers captain Torsten) there is still much to like about the dream especially in Caribbean:cool:

 

have a great cruise

 

 

Oh I really liked Capt Torsten - he seems to be a real people person and I bet he's a good Capt to the crew too. Very personable and with a dry sense of humour (kindred spirits Geo!) :D

[Dreamgirl1957]

dont worry...trust me...I am just back this morning....we had a fabulous time (despite the issues being discussed here) hot and sunny and calm seas, beautiful islands (and the bonkers captain Torsten) there is still much to like about the dream especially in Caribbean:cool:

 

have a great cruise

 

That's good to know geo, while you were away we have booked for the Dream for next Jan :):)

 

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