Thomsons Cruises Loyalty Club

Life is a learning curve, or so they say, and earlier today I learned something new.

Received a lengthy email from Thomsons reference our forthcoming cruise - well down the page was the following link.

https://cruise.embarkation.thomson.co.uk/

First time I've encountered such an electronic form - if you click on the FAQs it brings up a new page with Thomsons Cruises Loyalty Club on the tab.

It allowed me to enter my first name only - the blurb advises that certain fields cannot be completed as Thomsons already hold that information.

They have all that, but not my given name - eh ?

I wasn't sure if I had submitted it correctly, so I emailed the address quoted on FAQs - it was bounced back, could not be delivered :confused:

Nothing is straightforward when it comes to Thomsons online procedures !!!

Hmmmmm......... needing others' emails smacks of collecting data for more mail drops! (I speak as a disillusioned M&S Sparks holder who is convinced the whole set up is designed to manipulate me and get me to go into their website - hopefully so I'll spend something! Most offers are for things I don't buy - and by tracking my card use they will know that!!!! Grrr... sorry, rant over! :D)

Interestingly they are now calling this a 'Loyalty Scheme'. What is the scheme? I don't see it spelt out anywhere how this scheme works/what benefits come with it/any tiered level of 'perks' etc. If it's still as random as it seems to me in operation from the feedback we get on here, I still think they are failing to properly address the issue or am I missing something? :confused:

Interestingly they are now calling this a 'Loyalty Scheme'. What is the scheme?

Hi Kruzseeka,

My thoughts exactly.

We enjoy benefits on Princess, all clearly explained.

The FAQs don't really tell much, it's not rocket science to list the benefits etc. - as you say it looks like an information gathering procedure for marketing purposes.

Incidentally, I emailed precruisetravelservices to advise them that the address given on FAQs for Creator.co.uk email is not recognised............nothing suprises me with Thomson tbh.

BTW - we have the M&S Sparks thingy also, and I still don't really understand how it works, or why we need to have it. Our M&S credit card should be enough, if used, in their stores ?

Fred's loyalty scheme "Oceans" is also clearly defined. You get membership details and a printed benefits information booklet after your first cruise with them.

(My wife has given up on Sparks after she discovered you can't spend the points, unlike other schemes!) :eek:

Is opting out a choice? Don't believe in "loyalty" cards. It's just a way of gathering information they don't need to know (imo).

I tried to complete the Embarkation Form a few days ago for our cruise departing 4th October and it rejected our booking reference saying <<This form is no longer available as the deadline to submit details is 30 days after you have RETURNED from your cruise>> Why would you want to complete an Embarkation form after you had returned from the cruise???

Then below the form I noticed <<As part of on-going improvements to our services the embarkation form cannot be processed at the moment.>> What on-going improvements??? The website has been a nightmare since it 'improved' last November.

For starters, I was able to submit the embarkation form this morning, no problem.

It only allowed me to enter my firstname, advising all the other fields were already completed, and were access denied (or whatever the correct term is) to the user.

That struck me as odd, so I emailed the address quoted in the FAQs to ask if it had been done correctly.

ThomsonEmbarkationForm@creator.co.uk

That email was very quickly returned undelivered - not recognised at creator.co.uk :eek:

I then emailed Thomsons pre travel services to ask if there was a problem with the above third party email address.

The reply advised that Thomsons were experiencing some issues with the embarkation form, and to complete it once we arrived on the ship !!!

I'm wondering how Thomsons will recognise returning customers if we proceed as suggested - unless some admin type is actioning these forms PDQ as we arrive onboard !!!

I'd also like to ask Thomson how come problems with their online systems would result in an email to an external email address being bounced back ?

No point in telling them again that said form was submitted without difficulties earlier today.

What a mess.:eek:

I don't understand why a computerised system can't pick up all previous customers when you book online - surname and passport number linked to trigger such status.

When I filled in my embarkation form recently, my name and email was correct but the address was wrong, in the FAQ's it said they would make any corrections if you mailed them which I did, I received a prompt reply saying they couldnt change it but to go to reception on board and they would change it, dont think I could be bothered, how they have got me down for an address in Scotland when I am in the midlands!

There is another post about this somewhere! When I filled in the form a couple of weeks ago the small print underneath said it could not be processed at present! Why not just remove it then! I have filled in the form for the last few years and never had any recognition as a returning passenger from Thomson.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

At the risk of never getting a loyalty gift I am posting this from one of their Q&A pages

17. Does Thomson Cruises have some sort of loyalty scheme?

We like to offer our customers an individual and personalised service, which is why we don't have a standardised loyalty club. Instead, we prefer to provide thoughtful gestures to our returning customers who book with us as a 'little thank you' for travelling with us again.

We also put our most loyal customers on an email mailing list so they hear about our new itineraries before they go on general sale, plus exclusive discounts and offers.

Does this answer your question ?

I dont think it does really however our next cruise with them was so cheap the cost barely covers the flight, gratuities and drinks package if it was on most other cruise lines.

This has to be better than any gift for an inside cabiner.

I dont think it does really however our next cruise with them was so cheap the cost barely covers the flight, gratuities and drinks package if it was on most other cruise lines.

This has to be better than any gift for an inside cabiner.

Having their own airline with weekly (some more frequent) flights from all over the UK to the ship departure locations must keep the cost down significantly compared to other cruise lines ?

If you click on the Embarkation Form FAQs the tab title is Thomsons Cruises Loyalty Club, a strange heading if it's non existent.

To my mind, there are two aspects which regular customers find irritating.

1. Not knowing if such a scheme officially operates, or not - and if it does, what are the details ?

2. How/why some customers receive unsolicited benefits and others don't ?

We've twice had £25.00 complimentary credit added to our onboard account, with little clarity on why.

I have just returned from the Discovery and in the cruise news it was asking for returning Thomson passengers to register at reception which I duly did.

My wife and I were invited to a champagne reception with the captain and officers, it was quite a nice little surprise.

Last year on the Spirit we were invited to the bridge to meet the captain for a champagne reception and tour. That's the only recognition for returning cruisers we have received after 8 cruises

Ditto on our last cruise on Discovery

If that's the offer champagne reception with el Capitano and occifers for returning/ loyal cruisers they can keep it for me

Ditto on our last cruise on Discovery

 

If that's the offer champagne reception with el Capitano and occifers for returning/ loyal cruisers they can keep it for me

Ha ha Jim, quite agree.

We have had a couple of bottles of cava, but the second time we had DP, so not really a great deal :D

We once had a BOGOF at the pay extra restaurant, but as we never use them that was binned!

Last time I booked at a travel agent I asked about filling in the form and she said it didn't need to be done! So never do it now.

We have had the fizzy wine which I am sorry to say we don't like. Tried it with orange juice in but still couldn't drink it. Shame really, but it was good to be acknowledged. We had a thank you note once to say we could go to a restaurant and only pay for one meal which I thought was a strange thank you for returning when it involved us paying for 1 meal, and we are happy with the included meals. We have had a £25 off OBC bill which was good, and an ironing service for 6 items free which gave my husbands shirts a good crease free look. It is usually the wine we don't like though. Anyone know if stewards would change this for a bottle of red or white?

Gill

At my level on the P&O loyalty scheme I get priority boarding, champers (bowels of the ship manufacture) a 'do' with officers and 10% of my onboard spend. Thing is it won't make any difference as to whether I cruise with P&O again ;)

The best one is Princess. You can use your P&O points (though not the other way round, strangely!)and also they added on my one Ocean Village trip.

Re. M&S card, I quite agree. I signed up online and ticked the box for no emails, but might as well not have bothered :rolleyes::rolleyes: As Kruzseeka says, the offers are never anything you want, so think I may abandon it and unsubscribe to the emails if I can. The only ones worth having IMHO are Tesco an Sainsburys, where you get credit to use in their stores and can buy what YOU want.

Agreed Linda, Princess are good, and they give extra onboard credit for military personnel, serving or retired, regular or reservist.

Up to US $ 250.00 per cruise........a nice little earner for those who qualify :)

We now qualify for the queue jumping benefit as well.

We have had the fizzy wine which I am sorry to say we don't like. Tried it with orange juice in but still couldn't drink it. Shame really, but it was good to be acknowledged. We had a thank you note once to say we could go to a restaurant and only pay for one meal which I thought was a strange thank you for returning when it involved us paying for 1 meal, and we are happy with the included meals. We have had a £25 off OBC bill which was good, and an ironing service for 6 items free which gave my husbands shirts a good crease free look. It is usually the wine we don't like though. Anyone know if stewards would change this for a bottle of red or white?

 

Gill

I know they will change them on the spirit

Finally cracked the embarkation form LOL

It let me in and the cruise detail was there and my wifes name - she is

the first named person who books the cruise. I filled in her address and email then I thought it would move on so I could fill in my details, but no

it just stopped at that point!.

I came out and then tried to go back in but when I entered the name date and booking number it came up with a red message saying something like

This has been completed.

It will be interesting to see if she gets any emails.

Oh yes and it still says the form is not working.

Well perhaps I haven't got this right.

We are the Spirit from departing from Malaga on 09 October, cruise only. So I thought I had better fill in the embarkation form as we would be embarking. However when I tried to do this it told me I couldn't do this until after I has disembarked.

Surely they should call this a disembarkation form. Otherwise why would I fill it in.

Or am I just missing a point somewhere !

Or am I just missing a point somewhere !

No, it's simply Thomsons inability to do joined up electronic administrative procedures online.

Been on 30 plus Thomson cruises and never had a penny for being loyal? :rolleyes:

No, it's simply Thomsons inability to do joined up electronic administrative procedures online.

I would have to agree- the embarkation form was in the same state at least a year ago. In fact after being on other cruise websites I was almost put off booking a Thomson Cruise just because it was so bad. I wrote and told them their website was the worst I had encountered when trying to book a holiday. Since then I have noticed other major problems like the same ship being in different places on the same dates!! - didnt bother to tell them as I wasnt looking to book either, just checking itinerary.

I booked a TA on Dream for April 2017 in April this year I have now booked a week on Celebration to the Middle East in January 2017 so decided to fill in embarkation forms for both holidays at the same time. The one for April was accepted but not the one for January. I then realised that my booking number for April was of only 6 numbers however the January cruise booking ref no has 7 numbers maybe this is the problem. Thomson have obviously increased the size of the booking number since we booked in April and have not updated the embarkation form to accept 7 numbers when we try to complete it. I think they need to update their IT employees or the company they use. The old website was so customer friendly if a little old fashioned to look at but this new website looks great but is far from customer friendly - trying to find the excursions without a magnifying glass for instance (only joking) but having 2 similar colours doesn't help for print and background.