Did you cruise on Thomson Majesty 19th-26th Dec 2014

[Dobbin51]

Hi,

Has anyone who travelled on Thomson Majesty over Christmas and New Year who wrote reviews on this site and followed up with complaint to Thomson actually had a satisfactory response?

[antigua]

Hi Dobbin51....we were on the xmas and new year cruise also, I had a letter back, which was an unsatisfactory response to our complaint, I have sent 2 more emails...and still waiting for a response.

I put a review on cruise critic on our return.

[antigua]

Hi again Dobbin51....my review was very similar to yours it's was under, name...Caribean03.

[Dobbin51]

Hi Antigua, we received a letter yesterday which just seemed like a standard letter format. I have sent another email asking for a copy of the full investigation, which I suspect was never done anyway! Did you get a customer feedback questionnaire before you left the ship or were you also told it would be sent within days of your return? Either way did you actually get one aswe didn't. We complained before leaving the ship and on our return.

Do you know of anyone else in the same boat as us(excuse the pun!) I know there were a lot of bad reviews posted and surely we can't all just be fussy, which is basically what Thomson are saying? It wouldbe good if we could have a chat about what action to take next. If you look at reviews posted for jthose that sailed after 16/01/15 they have nothing but praise. Either they have made some drastic changes or changed crew, surely we can't all be wrong about our cruise!

[antigua]

Hi Dobbin51....we were fobbed off saying, overall the cruise got high marks, I said....well they didn't come from us...we never received a questionnaire.

We did make an official complaint onboard about the attitude of maitre d and the toilet problem for 3 days.

We were forced to use the outside toilets, for 3 days...which I felt put at us risk of the noro virus.

To get the toilet to flush we had to call an engineer, which we did for 3 days, and 3 different reception staff came and saw the problem...almost like we were just moaners.

We paid almost £3.500 for the 2 weeks, which looking back now was a complete shambles and the food and service in the buffets were no more than a bun fight.

The second week was worse than the first...do you made a lucky escape.

We are not new to cruising have done nearly 20 cruises on various lines, in fact we have cruised Thomsons many times, and definitely this cruise was flawed from the start.

[antigua]

Hi Dobbin51....I've just spoken to friends we made on the cruise, they never received questionaire either...funny that !!!

[mouseworld]

Hi,

Has anyone who travelled on Thomson Majesty over Christmas and New Year who wrote reviews on this site and followed up with complaint to Thomson actually had a satisfactory response?[/quote

 

Hi Dobbin51

 

I went on the 29th November- 5th December still waiting for the questionnaire to come. I had one issue with the inside cabin on deck 6 I complained couple times as out in the rough seas little did I now I had the cleaning cupboard next to my room, the trollies moved about every night so for full week I didn't get much sleep, I went to reception and was laughed at, as single person I had paid £1300 for week, I was offered set ear plugs. I have travel on the Thomson Majesty 3 times in the summer months always booked outside cabin and really enjoyed it :)

[Dobbin51]

Hi mouseworld,

Strange that none of the questionnaires ever arrived, yet Thomson say that the questionnaires for the time we went showed them performing above expectations. What a joke! I'd like to know who filled them in.

We had an inside cabin on deck 3 we also heard noises like something rolling about in the wee hours but not enough to disturb our sleep, suppose it could have been trolleys thinking about it now. Did you write to Thomson on your return and if so did you get a reply that was satisfactory?

[Dobbin51]

Hi Antigua,

Yes our letter said the questionnaires filled out for the time we were away indicated the cruise was performing above their expectations in terms of the holiday overall and the food quality. It's an absolute joke! You don't expect to pay those prices for peanut butter sandwiches on a Christmas cruise. I would love to know who completed the forms they looked at.

Were the Jacuzzi closed after 26th as they were open when we were on?

which airport did you and your friends fly from? we flew from Bristol.

Yes we have also cruised with Thomson and others before and never experienced anything like this. Beginning to think this maybe something that Watchdog program may be interested in??

[antigua]

Hi Dobbin51....we flew from gatwick, friends we met on thomson majesty cruise page flew from various airports, we were the only ones left from our group on the second week...that's when things got progressively worse, yes the jacuzzis were empty and closed for the second week...they were completely stained brown.

We had brown water in our bathroom taps....after that, that's when we had trouble with our plumbing system, but they just said people were clogging the toilets with non flushable material ??, funny...it happened after the brown water issue.

The self service buffets were an absolute joke, queuing for everything...clean cups, cutlery, and worse for food.

I once queud for 20 mins for a slice of bacon, when it was my turn they told me the queue was closed...and to join the other side.

I do not accept this treatment and would never give Thomson the chance to get any of my hard earned money...we paid such a premium for xmas and new year and what we got in return was atrocious and not at all acceptable.

[Dobbin51]

Hi Antigua, I have emailed Thomson again asking them to acknowledge receipt of email and a response asap. Still no reponse! Have also been in travel agents today, they advised me that they too are not impressed with Thomson customer service (& they are a Thomson travel agent). Said should email again and send hard copy of everything I have along with the reviews found online to the address on letter but mark it for the attention of Customer service Manager. Also advised not to let it drop. I certainly won't be letting it drop and hope that others who have also complained will pursue it and not be fobbed off with the standard letter. I will let you know if I get any further response and hope you will do the same?

[shot2bits]

So why do you all spend your hard earned on Thomson? Wake up and smell the coffee, other lines are better and in most cases, cheaper.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Sadly I think you will eventually have to give up. When we had the sickness on the Dream in 2013, which I believe was food poisoning, I was told that it was not Thomson fault, but that we took germs on to the ship!

[antigua]

I agree Linda...it all boils down to good customer service, they will lose returning guests, there's plenty more cruise lines out there....their loss, just don't think their bothered, they seem to fob you off far too easily, making it look like you're the only one that's complained.

Dobbin51....I've sent the 2nd letter twice now, no reply.

[antigua]

Hi Dobbin51....just to fill you in, we received another letter from Thomsons today saying basically...after reviewing your case again, we feel like we are unable to offer any sort of compensation, and thank you for bringing further comments to our attention.

If we still feel unhappy with this response, you may refer this matter to arbitration.

If we chose to do this we must first contact the consumer affairs dept of ABTA, and they will provide you with the relevant information.

 

Basically they are not accepting any responsibility for the cruise shambles.

Not at all happy with this response.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Hi Dobbin51....just to fill you in, we received another letter from Thomsons today saying basically...after reviewing your case again, we feel like we are unable to offer any sort of compensation, and thank you for bringing further comments to our attention.

If we still feel unhappy with this response, you may refer this matter to arbitration.

If we chose to do this we must first contact the consumer affairs dept of ABTA, and they will provide you with the relevant information.

 

Basically they are not accepting any responsibility for the cruise shambles.

Not at all happy with this response.

Same old Thomson!

[rookery]

I had the same sort of 'tough luck' response to a very valid complaint. I consulted a solicitor who advised that even if I won my claim, it was not certain that I would be awarded costs so reluctantly had to draw a line under the whole sorry episode. It left a very bitter taste and despite having cruised with Thomson a few times since, I am more inclined to look to another line for future holidays.

[FOD1984]

They will always fob you off. Keep pressing. Take a look at the recent 'Dream Turned Nightmare' post where people have been give varying amounts of compensation.

 

Then vote with your feet and cruise elsewhere. Thomson only understand money and when their ships are not full or when their yeild are hit maybe they will take notice.

[Brummie]

looking at Thomson Dream...can't beat the price....but it looks like some of you guys are not happy with the line ??? any help would be appreciated....

Cheers brummie

[antigua]

FOD1984...I did read ...dream turned nightmare...it's ironic, when THOMSONS actually know there's a problem why they just don't hold their hands up and accept that they have to compensate people, after all we've paid in good faith and they have failed miserably to deliver the goods.

We have sailed Thomsons many times and have always been happy, we know the ships are old, but we've always felt the service we've recieved has outweighed this.

When things go wrong, they need to acknowledge the issues, rather than...belittle you in saying...the ship scored high in its ratings of enjoyment...all I have spoken to have not recieved a satisfaction questionaire, they are just trying to pull the wool over our eyes and trying to fob us off.

We love cruising, been with various lines...but never with thomsons again, so they have lost us. Perhaps they are not that bothered, but like you say...empty ships means LOW LOW PRICES or lost revenue.

[Dobbin51]

I for one am not going to give up! Still waiting to hear back after second complaint letter. Perhaps BBC Watchdog will be interested?