paulaud

Thanks for the replies. For the first time we are not interested in a window seat there are 3 of us this year as my daughter is traveling with us so the 3 centre seats suit us perfectly. On the return flight I realise that row 7 on the left doesn't have a window and on the right there is a toilet so again no windows but realistically 10 minutes after take off from Barbados you are above the clouds and the rest of the journey is at night right up to landing so now much to be missed. Thought we might try to get some sleep instead. Just hoping that last line of 3 seats has some recline!

Has anybody travelled in Premium club? The seats are configured on 2 3 2. I wanted to know if you choose the back row is there enough space behind you to take advantage of the recline or is there a wall that stops you reclining. There is no mention of limited recline on Seat Guru.

Two things to bear in mind here. As others have said there is no such thing as free all inclusive. The price you pay for booking so early is extremely high. Just looked at Celebration 1 week in Croatia cost £1000 plus extras in July.

Bear in mind you can fly to Caribbean and have a week on the Celebration for less.

When the 'free' offer is withdrawn the price will go down. Also Thomsons are clever at manipulating the extras costs ie cabin charge. When the cost of the cruise goes down the cabin prices go up.

All inclusive here anyway is not all inclusive you do still have to pay for many of the drinks albeit on a reduced cost.

We are regular Thomson customers and love them but don't be fooled, its rare that there are any bargains just a re shaping of the prices

We have done all 3. I think for your first visit either paradise or cocktail they both have some real lovely islands. I particularly love Antigua. This year we did the Thomson trip to the Crusoe island. If you want only 1 beach bar this is the place. Its a small island privately owned, there is a coral reef surrounding the island lovely sand and plenty of rum punch. Out of this world!

Be careful when completing these form from Thomson. Whatever you do don't put your phone number on as they sell the information and you will get bombarded with telephone calls from all sorts of people trying to sell you things. By all means fill it in but be careful!

Hi! That's a great review! I was a bit worried about this ship as we had sailed on the Costa Concordia which was beautiful(shame what happened to it). My husband and I are looking forward to the European Treasures cruise in April. I'm so glad you enjoyed the entertainment as my daughter is a singer in the showteam! We can't wait to see her and the shows!

I was just wondering what sort of vegetable choices you get on board and what are the desserts like? Thanks! :)

Hi Funky Lady,

I thought the vegetable choice wasn't brilliant but there again I am not a veggie lover. my wife did think that the choice of veg was fine.

Congrats to your daughter if she is one of the current entertainment team. I thought they were brill, with some good singers and dancers

I would definitely cruise the Celebration again!

I have just had my review posted on the members review section.

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=272028&sr=2&sd=1

Copy and paste if this is not an automatic link.

Its my honest review.

Hi,

 

We are considering our first ever cruise in February next year. This date is set due to the event we will be celebrating. We like the look and itinerary of the Thomson Celebration, Caribbean cruise (circa 8 days + 1 week resort). However, we have a few questions that we can't seem to find answers to, so here goes:

- what are the dining arrangements? are you free to dine when and where you like or are there sittings?

- the public rooms don't appear very big on the photos. We understand the ship accommodates about 3000 passengers. Is this a problem?

- are there enough sun lounges?

- what is the entertainment like? (we will be x4 adults)

- is the drinks all inclusive value for money? (e.g. branded sprits etc.)

- any recommended cabins with balconies?

 

I guess we just don't want to feel comfortable this is the cruise for us ;-)

 

Appreciate your responses...

I was on the Celebration the week before last here are my honest answers:

1. You are free to dine at whatever time you wish in either the Main Dining Room or the Lido. The only exclusion is on the Captains Dinner where there are 2 sittings. you will be invited to one of the sittings. However if you are miserable sods like us you can dine as you wish in the Lido on this night. Plenty of people take this option. There are also 2 new paying restaurants Kora La is the Asian cuisine. I thought worth the money but others might think otherwise. There is another steak area but didn't go here so cannot comment.

2. The ship does not hold 3000 but 1240 passengers. The public areas are ample don't forget other than the sea day most people get off the ship during the day so there is plenty of room.

3. There are plenty of sun loungers around the ship. In fact they have removed the sports area on the top deck so there is more room now for sunbathing. On word of warning, on the sea day everybody is obviously on the ship. Don't get up at lunchtime hoping to get a bed. You will be disappointed. We got up at around 9am, had breakfast and then went out. there was plenty of room. The best place is on the very top deck towards the front of the ship this is the last place to fill up. The pool area does get busy quite early as this is the place where they have entertainment during the day.

4. Entertainment. Depends what you find entertaining. In the evening there are usually 2 shows. singing and dancing. These are excellent. Some good singers and dancers. they last about 45 mins. They also have a uk comedian one evening who then does a late night show on the Thursday. Plenty of other entertainment round the ship. Mainly singers and The Peakles (not brilliant)

Incidentally Thomson Spirit the sister ship has just won an award for best entertainment. Thomson are renown for their entertainment

5. The all inclusive drinks option is not all inclusive! You will have to pay a reduced charge for most drinks.ie cocktails £4.70 but on AI £2.70 (approx.) We have done AI before but find that you are then drinking to make sure you get your moneys worth. Might be worth it if you are decent drinkers and going with friends as you are more likely to beat the cost. At £199 each I think its expensive. Its a drinks package not all inclusive! They now offer a wine package on board when you embark on the first day. If you like wine this is still expensive but some decent quality wine.

6. Did not stay in a balcony room. The balconies do look a reasonable size but expensive to me, plus if you are going with friends are you likely to stay in your room that much? My advice is save your money on drinks package and balconies and put this money to trips on the islands. You will have a much better time. The Caribbean is lovely but the towns are a bit shabby. Best spend as much time on the beautiful beaches as you can.

Hope this helps. By the way I have just posted my report on our holiday. Just waiting for Cruise Critic to review and post it.

Sorry, seems I highjacked a thread.

 

Regarding wine packages, I didn't have the wine package as I only drink red and they wanted me to have white and fizz in the package.

 

If I find a package I want, where would I collect the bottles? Would I just keep them in the cabin, then carry one round with me in the different bars and theatre to drink, and just ask for a glass from the waiter?

The wine packages were very much evident the first 2 days of the cruise. I think they were about £17 per bottle with £2 off if you bought the full package. I have to say that there was an excellent choice of wine from reds, rose and white. I didn't want a wine package as my wife doesn't drink much wine but I did buy a bottle of Argentinian Malbec which was fab!

You can leave it at the bar then if you go elsewhere, you can tell them you have a bottle at say Horizons and they will go fetch it for you.

A friend was on that cruise and she has just emailed to say they had the Dreamliner to Manchester :)

Your friend was correct, quite a surprise as we were scheduled to fly back on a 767. The Dreamliner was only 3 weeks old. The 767 out flew at around 480 mph whereas the 787 flew at 680. Reduced the return journey to about 7 hours. Mind you we did have a 100 mph headwind going and a 100mph tailwind on the return.

Jus back this morning from a week on the Celebration. Our first time on this ship although we have cruised the Spirit in past years. Will post a full report post jet lag but suffice to say we had a fantastic time. For an old ship she brushes up well!

Cant believe that I never mentioned the trips. Over recent years I have done a number of different trips. Last year we paid for a Thomson trip to the beach. They collected us from the Dream and took us by taxi to Dickenson Bay. We were escorted to the beach and given sun beds and parasols(cost extra). There was as much rum punch as you could handle and the people were so nice and friendly. We were also entertained that day by a guy who turned up with home grown Aloe Vera and offered a back massage or hair massage with this not very nice green looking slop, he was so funny I cried laughing. All this for £25 each. Wow.

 

Now I have this image of you drunkenly staggering back to the ship with slurred speech, and dripping in green gloop ha ha!

 

Yes we always do the Thomson excursions. I recall waiting to sail from Venice when one couple were missing- with one minute to go a taxi sped up to the ship and a couple leapt out and ran on board. The lady later told me they had got on a vaporetto and then realised it was going in the wrong direction so leapt off in a panic -and then realised they were lost. Clutching the Cruise News (NB.take it with you folks!) they found the ship's phone number and rang the ship- a member of staff called a taxi and went to rescue the lost couple. The lady said when the staff member arrived 'I kissed and kissed and kissed her- I was so relieved'!

 

I have to say Flopsy that one or two were slightly more vocal on the return journey back to the ship. Hilarious, some didn't turn up in the evening LOL.

Hi Jax

 

I do hope that paulauds reply has put your mind at ease as the reply was so well written and to the point.

 

We have been on 11 cruises with Thomson and at first I used to do elaborate reviews- now I'm getting too lazy! Search under my name to read a few!

 

We love the relaxing atmosphere on Thomson cruises- the staff are so much fun- we look forward to seeing familiar faces from year to year and they are always happy, smiling. and so hardworking.

 

The shows are superb. The first few times I went to the shows on my own as my hubby 'didn't like musicals' but one year he came to a show, and now he can't stay away!

 

We love waking up in a new port every day.The itineraries on Thomson are so interesting.

 

I think people who have had a bad experience are much more inclined to post a thread- the rest of us who had a good time are less inclined to post a message.I do hope that you will enjoy the experience as much as we do.

Cant believe that I never mentioned the trips. Over recent years I have done a number of different trips. Last year we paid for a Thomson trip to the beach. They collected us from the Dream and took us by taxi to Dickenson Bay. We were escorted to the beach and given sun beds and parasols(cost extra). There was as much rum punch as you could handle and the people were so nice and friendly. We were also entertained that day by a guy who turned up with home grown Aloe Vera and offered a back massage or hair massage with this not very nice green looking slop, he was so funny I cried laughing. All this for £25 each. Wow. We have also done our own thing. The only issue is making sure you get back to the ship on time and that does worry me. WE did Aruba 2 years ago on the Dream. When we got off the ship the port staff pointed us to a local bus station and we caught the bus to Eagle beach. The cost was coppers! In fact it cost far more for 2 bottles of beer. Overall I think the Thomson trips are quite good value for money but I suppose there may be the odd one here and there that might disappoint. With NCL we docked quite a way from the town at Dubrovnik they decided to put coaches on but you had to pay which i thought was a bit cheeky. I think again you have to take trips on face value and understand that in some places facilities can be a bit basic. I don't see this as a reason to complain. Some people go abroad and spend their time complaining because its not like home. Well I say thank god! If I wanted that I would not go away. I think its worthy of asking on here about the trips. There is always people here willing to talk about their experiences and most of us are quite genuine

We have booked an 18 night repositioning cruise for December.

This will be our 11th Cruise first with Thomsons

I am getting really worried as opposed to other cruise lines Thomson gets a lot of very bad reviews. I am undecided as to cancel and lose what deposit I have paid against £3,000 down the drain.

I would be interested in what others thought who have cruised with other lines.

Thanks all comments will be welcome.

Wow interesting question and I think one only you can really decide. Looking at your post you have travelled on some really nice cruise lines. I have cruised with Thompsons on a number of ships, Dream, Spirit and Destiny. I have really enjoyed each one however, I think it is fair to say that you need to take an overall view on what s important. Thomson ships are much older than anything you will have been on before. They tend to show their age although they do try to refurbish them every few years but realistically it is only cosmetic. There are however some major attractions. The shows tend to be excellent but generally targeted at the British markets. I have travelled with NCL and the shows tend to be more international and I didn't think as good. Whilst we thought that the cabins were modern and the Norwegean Jade a lovely ship there were just too many people on board and we have returned to Thomson. I also didn't think that the food was much different on NCL comparing to Thomson.The big attraction with Thomson is that normally you get more ports for your money. We are doing the Celebration in February. There is only 1 day at sea plus you generally dock at 8am and do not sail until 6pm so a full day in port. Some cruise lines give you only a few hours in port. Another advantage is that Thomson ships do not carry more than about 1500 passengers. The Celebration is limited to 1200. This makes a massive difference to us particularly if you have to tender into port. You will understand what I mean if you have travelled on large ships. The staff are also very friendly and do go out of their way to make your holiday enjoyable. Food can vary but we have always found the food to be very good.

I think when reading reviews it is best to understand that some people are never happy. I think it might be unfair to compare Thomson with say Cunard. I generally take an overall view when reading reviews one bad review against 6good stacks in Thomson favour in my opinion.

Good Luck

Hi, we are on Caribbean Treasures on 8th Feb. Has anybody done the Thomson Whale & Dolphin trip and if so did you see anything.

We did the trip this year in St Vincent and saw nothing other than a girl being sea sick the whole time we were out!

Paul

I agree with Kruz Olympia depends on your personal taste. We were quite disappointed as many of the buildings are reduced to rubble and it seemed a shame to me that no attempt had been made to try to reconstruct them even partially. Don't get me wrong some areas have been retained and some minor work here and there but there are large areas where they are just a jumble of rocks. How cool it would be if these could be put back together. It would give you a great sense of what life must have been like.

Like most other historical sites anything remotely interesting is removed and placed in a museum. Whilst I understand that the smaller exhibits would probably walk if left outside I don't understand why large statues are kept in doors.

Having said all that its a very peaceful place and it was interesting to see the arena. I also agree that it is worth paying for a trip. The guide does give useful info. Im not sure I would have fully understood if we had done a DIY.

I thought Katakolon was quite nice with shops and bars.

Hi Kruzseeker

you could be right the segregation might have been as you described although I do seem to recall there were some like clear plastic panels, regardless it is really windy up there when the ship is at sea. I agree the Grill looks really cosy

Geomagot, I didn't actually go to Steak under the Stars but they seem to section off an area next to the Jacuzzi near Sirens. The area seemed to be separated by those plastic rollers that they pull down. I thought it was very windy up there when the ship sailed and I don't think these will help to block out the wind. I didn't fancy cold steak plus the wife feels the cold easily and I cant stand the earache!!!

We sailed on the Dream last February (2013) on Latin Gems. That was our first time on The Dream and we had a great time. In view of our last experience we decided to book for Tropical Treasures. However, some of the reviews by other Dreamers on Cruise Critic particularly those Dreamers cruising on the TA and over Christmas had me concerned that we had made a serious mistake. Thomson are not necessarily the cheapest and of course the ship is quite old in comparison with other cruise lines.

For those who do not wish to read my full comments I can confirm that we had no cause for concern. Service, staff and food were all as good if not better than last year and we both agreed that this was probably the best cruise we have done (our sixth).

Airport/Thomson Dreamliner

Manchester airport really slick once again with pretty much no queue. Waved goodbye to the suitcases and didn’t see them again until outside our cabins in Barbados. Coming home you wave goodbye the night before and again you don’t see them until you get back to Manchester. So what happens if your baggage is over the 23kg allowance?

The aircraft is fabulous and a great start to the holiday. We were in Economy, plenty of legroom, wide windows with really great view but don’t book row 37 if you want a window seat. There are no windows. Also I believe that the extra legroom seats also have no windows particularly near the doors. The wings of the aircraft do actually curve upwards in flight, quite an unusual sight. I have a great photo. Food and service good and in flight entertainment excellent.

Embarkation

We were at the port in about 25 minutes from getting off the plane. There was hardly any queue in the embarkation sheds. Greeted by a band and plenty of staff to get the process done really efficiently. I think it took about 10 minutes from entering the shed to exiting. Fantastic. We travelled on the Norwegen Jade last summer, this part of the process took over 1.5 hours mostly waiting around for our turn to board the ship! Once we entered the ship someone was waiting to take us to our cabin

Cabin

We chose cabin 7119, inside but midships. The room was clean and tidy kept so mainly by our steward Ronaldo, despite our efforts! One good tip on an inside is take a small torch or a decent alarm clock. Its dark. You have no idea of time. Fortunately I always wake up at 7am and even though we were 4 hours behind I still woke up at 7am bizarre. Tea and coffee refreshed daily. TV had Sky News and Sky Sports News along with BBC World News. This was useful to be able to see the wet and windy weather whilst we were languishing in 27 degrees!

Take something like pegs or table cloth weights to clip to the bottom of the shower curtain otherwise you will make a new intimate friend as it seems to be attracted to your nether regions. Thomson provide shower gel and shampoo.

Staff

Said many times before they make the cruise. Friendly, willing to spend time chatting

and they smile all the time. I just don’t know how they do it. They quickly recognise you which is probably due to the smaller number of passengers on the ship. Despite earlier reports we found plenty of staff available at bars and around the pool areas. Absolutely no worries here.

Day at Sea

This why I love Thomsons. Only 1 day at sea so you get more ports for your money. I don’t care what anyone says sea days will always be a problem with sunbeds on whatever ship you are on. We were awake at 7am but didn’t reserve a bed going out on deck 12 at about 9am. There was plenty of room. Now to me if you want to squander your morning in bed followed by a late breakfast then you have to expect it will be a struggle to find a bed on sea days. Passengers were wandering round with towels at noon surprised that they couldn’t find an empty bed. I have read a post that sunbeds are in a poor state of repair. I disagree. They could do with a bit of a wash but they were in good condition and those on deck 9 were really excellent.

Food

We visited the main dining room on the evening of the Captain’s Dinner only. There was plenty of room, the food was excellent and service was fine. We ate most mornings and lunchtimes in Sirens and Lido in the evening. The first 2 days we were served by the staff however once they had established that the new passengers had not introduced Norovirus it became self service. Food in Sirens was excellent with a wide choice of food at breakfast. Lunchtime again had an excellent selection of food from cold meats and salads to fish, shepherds pie and chicken. Usual snacks in the afternoon including sandwiches, biscuits and scones with fresh cream and strawberry jam.

Evenings we went to Lido which again has a great selection of foods including a different carved meat every night. We only saw chips once during our 7 night cruise, so chip lovers beware (this includes lunchtime). I think however they were available during the day at the Lido and Terrace grills if you cant live without them. I think you can ask for them in the evening as well but you might have to wait for them to be cooked.

Tea, coffee and herbal teas are available FREE all day but not if you order from the bar, so beware. The teas are decent quality being Twinings. Coffee Nescafe.

They still have the Grill on deck 9 which is pay only but they have started the Steak Under The Stars, of course its not really under the stars its an enclosed area next to the pool and there is a cost. You can pay extra and include a reserved seat in the Theatre but its definitely not worth paying for this as there are always decent seats if you look around.

Entertainment

My only real grip. Went to every show in the Broadway Theatre. Shows generally were good but for me the guys are far too camp this year. In the past the group usually have at least 2 good strong male/female voices but this year they don’t exist. The male vocals are far to gentle, the strongest voice was Kirsty but the rest are really backing singers. They have also moved one of the shows up to the pool deck which we didn’t attend as it is far too windy. The UK comedian was ok but I have seen better and this time we didn’t attend the late night show.

I think last years group were the Top Men if I remember right. This year it is Tina and the Peakles. I am so sorry but they are really poor. Out of tune and cannot sing. The whole package here is poor and I’m surprised that Thomsons have gone for this group. There is an excellent trio playing around the ship and a brilliant duo that play in the Ocean Bar so not a total disaster. In the Delo bar Keith is back again. I do think he is an excellent pianist and perfect for this small bar as the music is not too loud gentle and provides a nice relaxing ambiance until he sings! I just wish he would play the piano only. I am not really criticising as we went in here every night.

The staff in here are excellent and work hard to remember your name. They are happy to spend time chatting even when they are busy.

Photos

Another new venture for Thomsons has appeared this year with PURE. I am sure I didn’t see this last year. We always stop to have photos taken as they don’t cost anything unless you decide to buy. But on one night the photographer asked if we would like to attend a private photo session. These are done in Black and White then you go back the next night to view them. When you have picked your favourites you are presented with the prices. The basic package is 1 11x18 and 3 10x8 cost £295. The cost goes up as you extend the picture selection. Now I have to say they are really good and to be fair a private session with a good photographer is always expensive. I did say that if we have these I couldn’t afford to buy any of the colour pictures taken on the other nights. The photographer said I will have a word with the manager to see what we can do. Nothing else was mentioned and I thought it was an empty promise but on the last night she left us about 6 colour photos for free so overall not a bad deal. Thanks Thomson’s

Drinks

Not big boozers but we had our fair share. Prices are about£4.60 for Barcardi & Coke. Actually most drinks are at this price including Cocktails. I think beer and lager was slightly cheaper. Unless you get the all inclusive package for less than £100 which they tend to offer at times I don’t think the all inclusive at £199 each is worth it personally. Most drinks carry a small surcharge for AI passengers at about £1.30. So working out averages you need to drink at least 8 alcoholic drinks per day each over the 7 nights to get any real value. Now sounds ok but for those who are not big drinkers beware because the spirits are 40mls rather than the UK 25mls. So every drink is almost a double giving you the equivalent of almost 16 standard UK Barcardi’s per day.

Excursions

We did the following

Antigua – Dickenson Bay after lunch. Picked up by minibuses outside the port area and driven to the beach. You are taken to a reserved area and provided with a sun bed. Brolleys are U$10. A lovely beach and the team here really look after you. Plenty of rum punch, in fact as much as you can drink. Clean toilet facilities also available. This was an excellent trip with really friendly people. Score 10/10.

Tortola – We did Cane Garden Bay. This is another beach day not quite as well organised but still really nice. A typical Caribbean beach. Taken there and back by minibus. Free drink on arrival and free sun bed. I think the brollys were free. Again toilet facilities are available. You are also given a short tour of the area by the driver who provides some local info. Score 8/10

St Vincent – We did dolphin and whale watching. Again we really enjoyed this but I have some tips here. You are warned that as they are free and wild there is a good possibility that you will not see anything. I saw 1 dolphin. When you get on the boat everyone goes for the seats at the front of the boat as these give the best view. However, the sea is calm whilst you are within the bay but when you go into the open sea it becomes very choppy and those at the front get absolutely soaked. Don’t do this if you think you might get sea sick. One young girl on our trip turned green and must have hated every minute. I really felt sorry for her but there is no turning back so you are on here for about 3.5 hours.

They then take you to a beach where you can get off for about 30 minutes. Take your snorkelling gear as there is some excellent snorkelling at the far end and in shallow water. Score 9/10 despite the lack of dolphins and whales.

Overall

Yes much the same as in previous cruises with Thomson’s. Great staff, decent food, brilliant itinerary and decent entertainment. There are some minor changes. Towel Animals seem rare this year but lets face it these were only done to try to sell the book on how to do them. The reserving of seats in the theatre is daft but I think passengers have to be dafter to pay for this. I don’t think this is a major issue.

We had a really great time and we are thinking of going back next year to see what is on offer.

Hi Mark I have just posted a reply to someone with the same concerns as you. I have returned this morning from The Dream.

We had a fab week and everything was fine. Think Thomsons must have reacted to the complaints because there were no issues or complaints as far as I now from the other passengers.

Food was good. plenty of staff in the bar areas and cabins were spotless.

Will post a full review later this week

Just read your post about your concerns.

We have just returned this morning from a week on the Dream in the Caribbean. Yes there have been some minor changes but I can assure you that you will have a great time. If there were problems at the latter end of last year I think Thomsons have ironed them out as we did not experience anything where I can be seriously negative. We sailed last Feb on the Dream so we do have a comparison. I came across no complaints from any other Dreamers!

I hope to post a full review later this week when I have recovered from the flight and my first day back at work.

For me its that very moment when it does actually start, once that final tie to land is released and I can see a widening gap between the ship and the port. I always find that moment really exciting.

Looking forward to next Sunday when we join The Dream in Barbados :)

Have a great time, we join for your second week. Really looking forward the weather looks brill!

Hi Infoqueen.

Yes I saw your post on the Roll call. Really looking forward to this cruise, we did Latin Gems in Feb 2013. It was fantastic with lovely sunshine and stunning beaches. That cruise went across S America to Aruba and back again whereas this cruise sails north ish. Weather looks like it is really settling down. Looking forward to my first drink in the Delo bar!

We are on the 7 day sailing on Feb 9th. Not had any indication of change in ports as yet and its only 4 weeks to go. I havn't planned anything in St Barths as I understand it is a very expensive island. Must admit not really bothered I just need to be pampered around the Caribbean with sunshine and plenty of Bacardi & Coke!!!

Hope things have improved on this ship!