Summer 2016

[Jakanne1]

Found them! So they're not all there as of yet, just a few.

 

Well I have searched and searched and not found them!! Just took it from a post on FB. :rolleyes:

[gillhalfpint]

HeHe :D:D:D

 

totally different contact problem - a friend of mine was walking past their doctors surgery and popped in to book an appointment. 'no' said the receptionist, 'you have to phone' :confused:.......... OK he said, whats the number?. Took his mobile out of his pocket and dialed....:D

 

Love that one.

[gillhalfpint]

http://www.cruise.co.uk. I cannot get the link to work but it was on FB.

 

That link opened it up for me ok.

[Jakanne1]

That link opened it up for me ok.

 

The link I meant was the one which took you straight to the page showing Iconic Islands itinerary, Gill.

[Sailaway487]

Official press release from Thomson:

 

Thomson Cruises has today revealed its new programme for summer 2016, leading with the announcement of itineraries for the latest addition to its fleet, to be named Thomson Discovery and sailing out of Palma.

 

 

 

The new programme also includes eight new ports of call across a range of exciting itineraries for its other ships as well as increased capacity for its cruise and stay offering.

 

 

 

Introducing Thomson Discovery

 

New for summer 2016, following the recent announcement of the acquisition of a new addition to its fleet, customers will be able to book to sail on Thomson Discovery. Currently sailing as Royal Caribbean International’s Splendour of the Seas, the ship will be based in Palma for summer 2016 following a re-branding and refurbishment programme. The latest addition to the Thomson fleet will have a capacity of 1,830 (double occupancy) across 915 cabins, and, nearly 40 per cent with balconies. The family-friendly ship boasts an outdoor movie screen, rock climbing wall, nine hole mini golf course and extensive dining choices with three à la carte restaurants and eight bars and lounges. The new ship’s itineraries – Highlights of the Mediterranean, Cosmopolitan Classics, Mediterranean Secrets and Magic of Spain – will take in some of the most popular European spots. These include Livorno in Italy (for Florence and Pisa), Villefranche in France (for Monaco and Nice) and Barcelona and Cadiz (for Seville) in Spain. Customers, particularly families, will be able to make the most of the programme with Saturday sailings and flights from 19 regional airports across the UK and Ireland.

 

 

 

New plans for Thomson Spirit

 

Malaga will be the new homeport for Thomson Spirit for summer 2016, enabling customers to explore all of its historic and modern treasures from the Picasso museum and La Alcazaba fortress to its many bustling tapas bars. Thomson Spirit’s four summer 2016 itineraries will feature new ports of call including Vigo (for Santiago de Compestella) and Marseille in France. With the new itineraries, visits to Ibiza Town’s UNESCO World Heritage listed old quarter as well as the winding streets and dramatic hilltop views of the Atlantic coast from Portugal’s second largest city and home of port wine, Porto, are also possible.

 

 

 

Thomson Celebration from Dubrovnik

 

Thomson Celebration will continue to sail from Dubrovnik and offer adults-only cruising for summer 2016, following the successful introduction of the programme this year. New for next summer will be an overnight stay in the ship’s Croatian homeport so that customers can take in even more of what the historic city has to offer as well as its nearby beaches and Dubrovnik’s Adriatic Riviera. The Croatian city, located on the south coast, is a UNESCO World Heritage site with its Baroque churches, Venetian houses and ornate palaces shouldering chic boutiques, modern hotels and popular bars and restaurants.

 

 

 

Thomson Majesty in the Western Med

 

Based in Palma for summer 2016, Thomson Majesty will be exploring the Western Mediterranean, with the introduction of evening stays in Ibiza and Barcelona on the Catalan Promise itinerary. This itinerary, with no sea days, builds on the promise of maximising customers’ time ashore and with the late evening stays allows for a leisurely dinner and the chance to soak up the post-sunset atmosphere. Huelva (for Seville) in Spain and Mahon in Menorca are new additions to the line-up on the Moorish Delights and Treasures of the Med itineraries respectively. Thomson Cruises is also making it easier for people from the North West to join the ship, with a new weekly flight from Liverpool airport to Palma for the Tuesday sailings.

 

 

 

Island hopping on Thomson Dream

 

Tapping into the ever-popular Greek island hopping trend, Thomson Dream will be based in Corfu and its four itineraries include sailing to the likes of Mykonos, Santorini and new port of Syros. The iconic white houses with blue doors, warren of narrow lanes and volcanic scenery that Mykonos and Santorini have to offer, as well as Syros’s spectacular beaches and views of the Aegean Sea are just a handful of sites to take in. Customers on Thomson Dream will also be able to visit Istanbul from its new homeport.

 

 

 

Cruise and Stay

 

New for summer 2016, Thomson Cruises will be offering customers the chance to add a stay in central locations in Corfu Town, Palma and Malaga for those looking for a city break experience. The cruise and stay programme is perfect for those who want to spend more time exploring a port, or new to cruise customers who want a two week break without committing to two weeks on a ship.

 

 

 

Helen Caron, Managing Director for Thomson Cruises, says: “Thomson Discovery will be a fantastic addition to our fleet and we can’t wait to welcome customers on board so that they can experience it for themselves. The introduction of the ship is part of our on-going modernisation and transformation strategy, which has included recent investment in our other ships. The newest addition is larger than the others in our fleet, however, it still fits with our strategy of operating smaller ships with must-do itineraries. From next summer, these itineraries on Thomson Discovery will be ticking off Western Med highlights including Rome, Florence and Barcelona.”

 

 

 

Upgrade to all inclusive for free for summer 2016

 

Early bookers for the summer 2016 season will benefit from a free all inclusive upgrade on selected sailings for all the Thomson Cruises ships, worth £199 per person per week.

 

 

 

And finally – a crowd-sourced cruise itinerary

 

Thomson Cruises will be handing over the planning for a cruise in its winter 2016/17 season to its Facebook community. One of the ships in the fleet will set sail from Barbados on 15th January 2017, but that is where the cruise line’s control ends as the ports of call and the itinerary name itself will be crowd-sourced. Once the votes are in, the cruise will go on sale with the rest of the winter programme in November 2015.

[Cloudyrain]

I have to admit that I went "eeeeeekkkkkkk" when I got my email about the new ship being from Palma on a Saturday next year.

 

I know I have only been with Thomson once (on a trip that lots of other people seemed to have complained about) but we couldn't speak highly enough of them for the price we got.

 

I'm very much looking forward to the new ship and hoping to go next year on the Discovery's trip that includes Lisbon. I also love the fact it's from Palma - my favourite city in the world. Plus it doesn't depart until late so if we wanted to arrange our own flights it would be easy to do, and it's a Saturday, which is my second favourite day to cruise (after a Sunday).

 

I've just got to hope that the price for a balcony comes in cheaper than the price at the moment, because it's looking more expensive than the Epic at the moment, and Mr C needs big reasons to go on anyone other than NCL!

 

But still, despite all that: eeeeeekkkkkkk! :D

[FIFE1]

See on another thread someone mentioned they had brochure mailed to them????? Last year we could download, does anyone have in advance of 23 Rd launch???

[BaggersCruising]

And finally – a crowd-sourced cruise itinerary

 

Thomson Cruises will be handing over the planning for a cruise in its winter 2016/17 season to its Facebook community. One of the ships in the fleet will set sail from Barbados on 15th January 2017, but that is where the cruise line’s control ends as the ports of call and the itinerary name itself will be crowd-sourced. Once the votes are in, the cruise will go on sale with the rest of the winter programme in November 2015.

 

Where abouts on Thomson Cruises' facebook page is it? I can't seem to find it!

Edited April 18, 2015 by BaggersCruising

[BaggersCruising]

See on another thread someone mentioned they had brochure mailed to them????? Last year we could download, does anyone have in advance of 23 Rd launch???

 

My local Thomson TA had them where I could see them, but wouldn't let me have one yesterday. It seems to be hit and miss though, and other TA's have been giving them out.

 

I'm not sure why some of them are being 'secretive' over the brochures as it's available online here:

 

https://thomson.inbro.net/seeinsidebrochure/Thomson_Cruises:-November-2015-...-October-2016:-April-Ed/doublepage?pk=tdLCCU2BNIkmrrpHQi4W

[happy v]

My local Thomson TA had them where I could see them, but wouldn't let me have one yesterday. It seems to be hit and miss though, and other TA's have been giving them out.

 

I'm not sure why some of them are being 'secretive' over the brochures as it's available online here:

 

https://thomson.inbro.net/seeinsidebrochure/Thomson_Cruises:-November-2015-...-October-2016:-April-Ed/doublepage?pk=tdLCCU2BNIkmrrpHQi4W

 

Urgh! it happens every year:(, anyone would think they didn't want our custom.

[BaggersCruising]

Urgh! it happens every year:(, anyone would think they didn't want our custom.

 

I know, especially when P&O's cruises for next summer are already on sale!

[davecttr]

The link shows deck plans for Discovery:

 

30 single cabins, 15 outsides, 15 insides, forward on deck 3

 

thetare is the broadway show lounge

 

Casino royal is now casino and bar with roulette plus 3 card tables and some slots, plus additional seating etc.

 

schooners bar is now the cocktail and piano bar

 

the R bar is the atrium bar

 

centrum is now the atrium

 

the King and I dining room is now just the main dining room and balcony

 

the top hat lounge/diamond club/concierge club is now one large lounge

 

the shops are broad street

 

deck 6 has the coffee pot and photo gallery

 

deck 8 internet area

 

deck 9 lido buffet, inside pool and solarium etc film screen

 

deck 10 kids club, golf etc :(

 

deck 11 2 a la carte restaurants and the SKY BAR :D

 

the single cabins are all in a ghetto on the port side but at least they are well away from the engines :)

[Sailaway487]

I'm a bit disappointed with the itineraries. Too western Med heavy IMO. Still think Crete would have been a better new homeport, or maybe 10/11 night itineraries out of Malaga.

 

No Rome itinerary out of Corfu which is a shame. :(

 

Iconic Islands on Dream I think is the best one, but only doing it twice.

[Sailaway487]

The link shows deck plans for Discovery:

 

30 single cabins, 15 outsides, 15 insides, forward on deck 3

 

thetare is the broadway show lounge

 

Casino royal is now casino and bar with roulette plus 3 card tables and some slots, plus additional seating etc.

 

schooners bar is now the cocktail and piano bar

 

the R bar is the atrium bar

 

centrum is now the atrium

 

the King and I dining room is now just the main dining room and balcony

 

the top hat lounge/diamond club/concierge club is now one large lounge

 

the shops are broad street

 

deck 6 has the coffee pot and photo gallery

 

deck 8 internet area

 

deck 9 lido buffet, inside pool and solarium etc film screen

 

deck 10 kids club, golf etc :(

 

deck 11 2 a la carte restaurants and the SKY BAR :D

 

the single cabins are all in a ghetto on the port side but at least they are well away from the engines :)

 

I guessing at the moment those named generically like main dining room and lounge will have a name eventually. :confused:

 

Show lounge looks quite small in comparison to the size of the ship.

[Stevio]

The link shows deck plans for Discovery:

 

 

Casino royal is now casino and bar with roulette plus 3 card tables and some slots, plus additional seating etc.

 

 

 

 

Roulette plus 3 card tables :mad: .... Just got off the Majesty & even she currently has a roulette with four other tables & 60 slots... Cannot work out the advantage to Thomson of all this "additional seating" when they could put this seating in front of a slot machine so that people like myself could subsidise the ticket price for everyone else.:rolleyes:

[kruzseeka]

I guessing at the moment those named generically like main dining room and lounge will have a name eventually. :confused:

 

Show lounge looks quite small in comparison to the size of the ship.

 

Hmm.... That's something to be aware of....... in our experience larger ships don't necessarily have proportionally larger theatres to accommodate the bigger passenger number.

 

There's quite a debate on P&O regarding the theatre size on the new Britannia. With two shows per night it can accommodate just under 50% of the passengers. No big deal if you're not too bothered about shows but it does provide the main entertainment for many in the evening. How frustrating then if you can't get in. Of course there are other entertainment venues but you can't assume passengers will spread evenly across them all.

 

This is an issue with bigger ships imo - the total public spaces don't grow in relation to increased decks/cabins. Of course there are other compensations like more choice of dining/entertainment venues, activities and bars and of course with more balconies that should provide some additional sitting out space for some to take the pressure off deck space (if it works like that and is warm enough to sit out or you're on the sunny side!)

 

I actually like other ships I've been on of around the size of the Discovery - they're just that bit bigger to give more variety of areas but still have a decent ratio of public space to passengers.

 

It wasn't something I'd considered before going on a bigger ship (just assumed everything like the theatre etc would be scaled up proportionally) but that hasn't been the case and I certainly now think about such things in weighing up the pros and cons.

 

I hope the benefits which come from a bit larger ship like the Discovery works well for passengers - it will be interesting to hear folk's views in due course. It's a size in principle I like but I've not been on a ship which has the attractions like Discovery - will that have a noticeable effect on other available space?

 

Of course it's horses for courses and what suits one won't be important to someone else (or what would be an issue for one won't matter to another) but it's definitely worth reading about these things as it helps in being better informed so that you know what to expect.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Agree Kruzseeka. We went on the Braemar in 2010 (about 900 people) followed by Independence of the Seas (around 3,500) and to be honest, although it was a much bigger ship, the cabins were not much bigger. Consequently there were lots more people on IOTS but the public space was packed as there were too many people on it IMHO.

[SausPud]

Hi all,

 

I've just found this thread as looking maybe Thomson for Summer 2016 or Costa (dependant on stops and price) and have read through all the posts. Great that a new (second hand) ship is coming and she will only have interior refit work done, as she had a major refit of new engine props not so long ago.

 

But in other news that is not mentioned (yet) is that Thomson with Royal Caribbean are building a brand new ship for them that should be launched 2017. I was looking in the German shipyard webcams and listings for the Anthem of the seas and Ovation of the seas information and came across this little unknown gem. So after getting second hand ships, they are finally getting a new one for Thomson, yay! I believe that RCCL are putting in 60% of the building costs and taking the same percentage of the profits from her. But RCCL won't be putting their stamp on it or sending any press releases about their involvement. This is some deal that was made when Thomson bought Splendour/Discovery.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Are you sure that is not for Tui? Mein Schiff?

[davecttr]

Discovery's Broadway show lounge has room for 800+ according to the brochure so that about 80% of the passengers with 2 shows. They will of course have the problem of people sitting there all evening :(

 

The new mega lounge has light entertainment and 'family game shows' so that is going to be the butlins bar.

 

ps - no disco!

[Sailaway487]

Hi all,

 

I've just found this thread as looking maybe Thomson for Summer 2016 or Costa (dependant on stops and price) and have read through all the posts. Great that a new (second hand) ship is coming and she will only have interior refit work done, as she had a major refit of new engine props not so long ago.

 

But in other news that is not mentioned (yet) is that Thomson with Royal Caribbean are building a brand new ship for them that should be launched 2017. I was looking in the German shipyard webcams and listings for the Anthem of the seas and Ovation of the seas information and came across this little unknown gem. So after getting second hand ships, they are finally getting a new one for Thomson, yay! I believe that RCCL are putting in 60% of the building costs and taking the same percentage of the profits from her. But RCCL won't be putting their stamp on it or sending any press releases about their involvement. This is some deal that was made when Thomson bought Splendour/Discovery.

 

Pretty sure this is TUI Cruises and not Thomson. Thomson Cruises MD has stated that new builds are not being considered.

 

Although, have you got a link to the above to see it.

[kruzseeka]

Discovery's Broadway show lounge has room for 800+ according to the brochure so that about 80% of the passengers with 2 shows. They will of course have the problem of people sitting there all evening :(

 

The new mega lounge has light entertainment and 'family game shows' so that is going to be the butlins bar.

 

ps - no disco!

 

 

That's good! I'd be happy with that. It's the ships which can't accommodate even half the passengers I'd have an issue with.

[nancyneptune]

I'm a bit disappointed with the itineraries. Too western Med heavy IMO. Still think Crete would have been a better new homeport, or maybe 10/11 night itineraries out of Malaga.

 

No Rome itinerary out of Corfu which is a shame. :(

 

Iconic Islands on Dream I think is the best one, but only doing it twice.

 

Agree Sailaway. Too Med heavy. Having done so many Thomson cruises over the years and visited many of these ports several times we were looking for new and exciting destinations. Lets hope the winter itineraries are better.

 

Thomson's prices are also creeping up. There are far better deals around. Thomson's crew are very helpful and friendly but so are all the crew on other lines we have cruised with.

 

Thomson are going to have to make their prices competitive if they are to compete with other lines.

 

Thank you for all the hard work you have put in keeping us all informed about the " new " ship.

[davecttr]

That's good! I'd be happy with that. It's the ships which can't accommodate even half the passengers I'd have an issue with.

Apparently only cabins of deluxe balcony and higher have refrigerators :mad:

 

Just how committed to upgrading the fleet willt Thomson be :rolleyes:

[jayneez]

I agree, Palma Itineries old hat.