Thomson Spirit, 4th September 2009

[Lion_sa]

Hi.

This will be our first cruise, and we totaly have no clue about anything lol. so if anyone could help with a few questions that would be fab.

We are leaving harwich on the 4th Sep, 09 for the 14 night cruise up to St Petersburg and back.

I hear we can take unlimited luggage ? is that true? Can I take our (my wife and I ) bicycles on board ? so we can use them when we Dock at a Town?

And what about Can we bring on board our own alchoahol and water or cold drinks ? also do we get coffee making facilities in the rooms, or can we go to a resturant and get coffee anytime ? I know that we pay for drinks ( alchohal and fizzy) but what about Coffee ? do we pay for coffee ? as we both are coffee addicts.

 

Also we are hoping to go on the St petersburgh excursion, is it any good? or is it better to organise a private excursion through All-tours or Denrus or something ?

Sorry for any spelling mistakes in this post...but i am a bad speller, sorry.:):)

[cruiseanywhere2]

Hi I am so envious this is a fabulous cruies, you have not been ripped off for the trip in St Petersbourfh it's the only way to do it. You will need to contact Thomson direct about bikes but I don't think you will be able to take them.

You can take anything you like, liquid wise on the ship.

There are no coffee making facilities in the cabin but coffee is available 24/7 around the ship.

Hope this helps. Have a good trip

[Lion_sa]

Thank You for your reply.

We are so much looking forward to the cruise. Just Hope The weather will be ok as well.

[helenchickchick]

Hia, we have just done this cruise (simular) from Newcastle on Spirit. Loved it.

 

It was out first cruise too. Our luggage didnt get weighed at all, and we had no problems. we had 2 large cases and another bag with warmer clothes (just in case).

 

No sure about bikes - didnt see any on board.

 

Liquid - yes you can carry want you want on (to drink in cabin) or buy from duty free.

 

Yes you can have coffee/tea and water all the time in Lido rest. I drink coffee and found it tasted awful! so bought a a nice coffee in the other bars if I wanted one (£1.65).

 

St Petes excursions were fab and I thought value for money. We docked in a working dock and no taxi's etc nearby (not that noticed) so not sure how you go about getting into town? as quite a drive?

 

Any more questions let me know.

 

soz typed Very quick!!xxxxx

[kruzseeka]

Hi, Here's a link from a previous post with some info on some of your destinations. We've always done Thomson excursions in St Petersburg and found them pretty good value. I think the Alla/Denrus trips are very expensive - and might be worth doing if you've already been to St.P. and want to see something different - also I think they are popular with Americans because excursion costs on their ships are typically much more expensive than Thomson so it's more of a proposition to have private tour companies.

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=957658

 

Anyway, if you want any specific info I'll be pleased to help if I can.

[Nuthouse]

Hi, this is my first time as a member on Cruise Critic. We are also on that cruise, our first Thompson cruise. We are looking forward to all of the ports of call and just hoping that the weather will be kind to us. Will we need swimming/sunbathing wear in early September? Hope so !:)

[kruzseeka]

Welcome to CC Nuthouse - and I hope you will enjoy 'chatting' to members - there's loads of fantastic information on here which is really helpful. It's a great source to learn about destinations and help with planning excursions etc. :)

 

You ask about swimwear. Hmmmmmm...... well, I'd certainly take your swimwear - but you really can't be sure what the weather will be like.

 

We've done this trip three times - each one at the same time of year as your cruise. The first time was unbelievable the weather was so fantastic - it was approaching 30C and the Baltic Sea was like a mirror it was so calm. We were told that such high temperatures weren't common but as you can imagine, passengers were taking plenty of advantage of the sunbeds!! The other two times, the weather was pretty good but it's a good idea to go prepared for anything and also take a fleece along with your swimmies!!

 

Have a good trip - the Baltics are so interesting and varied and St P is nothing short of amazing.

[Nuthouse]

Thanks for that Kruzseeka, I've been reading the boards for a while now and there is some great info on them. I will keep my fingers crossed for the weather. Our cabin is on deck 4 and fairly central so we are hoping for a super trip.

[Lion_sa]

So You guys are on the same cruise. that is nice. ye Hope we have fab weather as I love to swim. Wouldnt mind the odd scuba dive of the ship :) but that I supose would be impossible. I'll have to just settle for snorkling on the ships padle pool :D,

 

ALSO thank for everyone that has answered to my first posting, Thank You. We where going to go on a tour through Alla or denruss. but from posts on here, sounds like we may just do the Cruises Tours, so we won't have to worry about anything realy.

Also we where going to go get visas for a just in case, but still thinking about it.

Can not wait for the cruise. But I must not get to excited as I mite just over expect things and get dissapointed, so we will see.

I am glad to hear that gym may be free to use. Thatw ay i can work on all the FOOD i will be eating on the ship, as it is FREE, i'll stock my body with FREE food. so I can last the rest of the ressesion in the UK, hey maybe on teh last night before we pack up. I can pack a big cooler box, full of food that can last us another week after the cruise HAHA. hey still got to save the pennies hey.

 

Chow for now

[from hull]

Hi..everyone :) is glad to know this forum, I am a first time cruiser, can't wait for the cruise, but it seem to me that there is a lot of things to plan, especially the excursion.

 

Anybody kind to tell me when thomson will give out the detail of the excursion? I heard that sometimes they will cancel the excursion, is that right?

[kruzseeka]

Hi there,

 

Try this link and look for your ports of call and there it will tell you about the destinations and some of the excursions available (plus prices). When your ticket booklet comes about two weeks before departure it also has sme details of trips. Thomson do say these can be subject to change once on board but usually there are more rather than less described in the Destinations Guide which will be in your cabin when you get on board.

 

http://www.thomsonbeach.co.uk/th/cruise/viewPorts.do

 

Occasionally, trips are cancelled - perhaps because so few sign up that it's not viable, or perhaps because of weather (sea trips to beaches in the Caribbean for example) but it's not common. We've never booked for a trip which has been cancelled and we've travelled with Thomson on a lot of occasions. the St P trips in particular are extremely popular as you can't get off the ship unless you have made arrangements before you leave and have a visa so it's very unlikely trips there will be cancelled.

 

One tip though - if you see a trip with 'Limited Availability' (they may have limits on numbers e.g. the Hermitage WITH the Gold Room, but not the other Hermitage trips) book it as soon as you get on board as once that is full you won't be able to do it. Generally the Destination Services will lay on as many coaches as needed to satisfy demand although there will be a point when they have to confirm booking with the coach companies. After which, spare seats may still be available up to the last minute, but they wouldn't be able to arrange an extra coach so then it will be 'fully booked' and no longer available. Moral of the tale, if you like the look of an excursion, get it booked and don't wait until the last minute.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy planning for your cruise - it's all part of the fun and it certainly adds to the anticipation! :)

[from hull]

hi, thanks a lot :) you are really helpful, I will gone through the information and made the decision :D

[Sez]

Hi, we are also on this cruise on the 4th September. This is our 2nd cruise on the Spirit. But not since 2004 which was our honeymoon, we had a fab time and really loved it, the food was brillant and the entertainment was very good, that time we cruised the Med, and have since wanted to do the Baltics but only managed to get it booked for this year, which was very lucky with them not cruising up there next year.

 

On our last cruise we only got off the boat to go on trips run by Thomson, but this time i am busy researching the different ports. We think we will do excursions in St Petersburg, Warnemunde (to go to Berlin) and Kalundborg (to go to Copenhagen), but do our own thing in Helsinki, Travemunde, Talinn, Gothenburg, Stockholm.

 

Just wondering what your thoughts are from hull and lion_sa.

[from hull]

Hi sez :)

Is nice to know there is another people in this forum same cruise with me :), me and my husband have a same thought with you, which also plan to have excursions in St Petersburg, will go to Berlin for warnemunde port and Kalundborg (to go to Copenhagen), but do our own thing in Helsinki, Travemunde, Talinn, Gothenburg, Stockholm :)

 

We still not sure which tour company we would like to join for the st petersburg excursion, there is some choices ( tour de force, Denrus, red october, Alla or Thomson), how about you? For Berlin and Copenhagen, will join thomson excursion, hope able to get a place :) I'm not seeing anybody talk about going to Berlin in this forum, not sure whether worth or not, because the travel time from warnemunde to Berlin will take about 5 hours return. Will create a new post later about this :)

[Lion_sa]

Hi Sez :D

 

Hey we are also doing that same sort of idea. We would like to go do the excursions in St Petersburg, and Copengahen and maybe the Berlin trip, we just also thinking on the travel time, does seem kinda long, But we only going to ever be up they once, so might just do it. but still thinking about it.

The other ports we also going to be doing our own thing.

 

I have been looking at the alla-tours as well, and Denrus. Looks like we may need to get our own visas, anyone els going to get thier own visas for Russia ? I have a british passport but my wife has Slovakian Passport, so we might need to get a visa, but still trying to find out.

Our ''room'' is on iether deck 1/2 it is our first cruise, so hope it is good for what we want to use it for :p.

Chow 4 now

[from hull]

Hi Lion_sa, if you take Alla or Denrus tour, you no need to apply the Russian Visa, they will appy the group Visa for you, but, you cannot going out during evening by your own after they sent you back to the ship. I ask one of the Russian tour called Tour De force before because the passport I hold is malaysian passport, they say, if I take the excursion with them no longer than 3 days, then I no need to apply Russian Visa.

[Sez]

hi lion-sa and from hull,

 

Just been looking back at my information from our last cruise, we did a trip from Civitavecchia (where the ship docked) to Rome, which i remember was a long full day, also did Barcelona from Palamos, the info says that is a 2 hour journey each way, but i am sure we had a tour guide on the coachs all the way there and back busy telling us things all the time which was interesting. We are of the feeling that as we have the option to do it then it is worth the travel time.

 

Think we will use thomson for excursions in St Petersburg.

 

We are in a cabin on deck 3/4, we have not pre booked a cabin this time did last time.

[from hull]

Hi, Sez,

I'm not sure whether we need to apply our own visa or not for excursion with thomson to St Petersburg, if yes, I may join the local tour because the fee for the Visa is not cheap. In addiation, I hold a Malaysian passport, apply my own visa will need extra support document compare to those hold the British passport.

 

I will stay in deck 2, middle of the ship ;)

[Sez]

Hi from hull

 

I am 100% sure we don't have to apply for our own visa, (well i am not going to) I am sure i have read if you are going with an excursion from the ship then they sort out the visa's.

[from hull]

hi Sez,

That's good :) I will have a look what thomson offer and compare to others and make desicion :)

[Lion_sa]

Hi.

 

If you go on the ships excursion, then You don't need a visa. But if you go with any other excursion that The ship does not do, then You will need a visa. I contacted Alla tours and that is what they also told me.

As my wife is from Slovakia, we might just get a visa for a just in case, and if we decide to wonder back into St petersburg at nite, or do a Full day excursion the first day, then do the second day into St Petersburg on our own.We will then have our visas. We still trying to decide what to do. As we both are not keen about waisting time in Museums or galleries, we would rather walk a round the towns looking at the buildings and window shopping and poeple watching do a bitt of suvineer shopping, that sort. The past tours we have done. the guid chats, then a day later we have forgotten what they said any how. We will see.

Chow

[Lion_sa]

Hi all

 

for those who want to know. here si the link for Russian Visa prices.

http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/visafees.aspx

[from hull]

Hi Kruseeka,

 

Something to ask you again ;) If the arrive time show in the itinerry for st petersburg is 8am, what time roughly I will get off the ship? I heard some passenger from others cruise line critics about their ship will let the passenger who take the ship excursion get off the ship first, and for those indepenedent tour (local tour) have to wait. Is this happen for thomson spirit?

[kruzseeka]

Hi Kruseeka,

 

Something to ask you again ;) If the arrive time show in the itinerry for st petersburg is 8am, what time roughly I will get off the ship? I heard some passenger from others cruise line critics about their ship will let the passenger who take the ship excursion get off the ship first, and for those indepenedent tour (local tour) have to wait. Is this happen for thomson spirit?

 

Sorry, I've not had experience of this - I've seen the thread about the difficulties someone experienced with another cruise line too but I don't know if that happens with Thomson - we've always done the ship's excursions in St P. All I can say is that I've never been aware of any arguments or complaints about this issue (and these things usually fly around a ship if there is a problem!) on the three occasions we've been to St P with Thomson.

 

It's probable that only a relatively small number of passengers will be doing the independent tours as compared with the American ships where I read excursion prices are pretty horrendous. Thomson prices are much more reasonable (although I know it builds up if you are taking several trips) so I think fewer of the Thomson travellers will go down the route of private tours so perhaps it's not such a problem for Thomson.

 

I notice from our Destination Guide that some of the Thomson excursions are due to depart at 8.00, others at 8.15, 8.30 and 9.00. They usually start early so that you can get back from a 3/4 hour trip have a quick lunch and go on another one in the afternoon.

 

I have seen Thomson staff hold back independent travellers when they're using a tender and they're trying to get the booked excursions off quickly for the coaches on the quayside (which doesn't seem unreasonable), but not when the ship is docked.

 

Sorry can't give you a definite answer on that one but it would seem to me to be very bad publicity for them if they did adopt this strategy. (Actually Spirit is run for Thomson by Louis Lines so perhaps the decision would be taken by them!)

[from hull]

Hi kruzseeka,

 

Thanks for your info :)