Roll Call: Thomson Spirit - Pharoahs/Promised Land - 7 April 2010

[zzyzxuk]

Have just booked this cruise, and am curious if anyone else is going. (Haven't seen any other roll call for this one...)

 

Am also considering booking various shore excursions in Egypt / Ashdod, and am considering going with the smaller private companies rather than Thomson itself, so if anyone else is interested, it'd be nice to hear from you to make the price cheaper. :)

 

-Jeff

[charabanc]

Hi Jeff,

I am considering this cruise, but not completely sure about it. What made you pick this one at such a late stage?

 

Regards, Ann.

[Teeny]

Hi, I am booked on this cruise with my husband. Just received the tickets yesterday. This is the first time we have sailed with Thomson and hubby has only cruised on Star Clipper ships before so this will be a very different experience for him. We haven't decided about our excursions yet but I understood that you require your own visas if not visiting as part of an organised ships excursion. Having read the info in the ticket booklet it isn't too clear whether you need your own visa for Egypt or you only need a visa if going to the Red Sea and intending to exit Egypt. Perhaps an experienced visitor can advise? Really looking forward to a bit of sun and rest (which is why we booked this as a last minute holiday). Really only want to visit Cairo, Jerusalema/Bethlehem and El Alamein. My experience of too many excursions on cruises is that you are exhausted at the end and we are going straight home at the end of the seven days.

 

Teeny

[suzedelaney]

Hi we booked this cruise last year and the price is pretty much the same Thomsons dress the pricing up in funny ways so it looks like you'v got a late deal price but its not always the case. I have read that you do not need a visa as the ships visa covers you - we love the spirit we sailed on her in october hope the crew are as good this time around if anyone knows who the cruise director is i would love to know. Also been t5old to take Euros , American Dollars and stering for all ports can anyone confirm this????

[zzyzxuk]

Hi Jeff,

I am considering this cruise, but not completely sure about it. What made you pick this one at such a late stage?

 

Regards, Ann.

 

This is going to be our first cruise ever, and it was a bit of a surprise that we booked it in fact. We just wanted to go somewhere warmer than the UK for about a week, and when we looked at the price of hotels and airfares, it started to look like a good deal to actually stay on a "floating hotel" that happened to be going to some interesting places every day, and the price was pretty competitive, so we've decided to give it a shot. We may hate it, we might like it, but we thought "why not?"

 

I'm also curious about the Egyptian visa thing - if we go with Ramses tours, which seems to be fairly well-recommended by the forum posts here, is it true that we won't be able to get an "on-the-spot visa" at the harbour? If someone knows for sure and can point us to somewhere on the web that definitely spells it out clearly, it'd put our minds at ease.

[goody1]

Hi,

My wife and I are also on this cruise which is our first Thomson Cruise. We picked it due to the itinerary, although we feel it is a shame that Syria has been dumped and replaced with Alanya.

Regarding the visa situation, I don't believe it matters whether you are on an independent trip or a ships excursion. I believe that all passports are collected, stamped and returned prior to docking in Alexandria. If I've got this wrong, I'm sure somebody will put me right.

[tummysmummy]

Regarding the visa situation, I don't believe it matters whether you are on an independent trip or a ships excursion. I believe that all passports are collected, stamped and returned prior to docking in Alexandria. If I've got this wrong, I'm sure somebody will put me right.

 

That is correct. Last time I was on the Spirit they collected all passports as we embarked - they are then all stamped on arrival in Egypt (regardless of whether you are going on a Thomson excursion or independent) and you collect them as you go off the ship and carry them with you while out and about.

[binky&jane]

My family is currently booked on an NCL med cruise with one of our ports being Egypt. I am looking at your thread because this itenerary is a future interest for us. I would LOVE to hear a review of your cruise.

 

I will also state that we have booked 6 tour groups through Ramses. 3 in Cairo and 3 in Alexandria. They have been absolutely wonderful to work with. Actually, the best of all the private tour operators in all of our ports. We made our decision based on reviews on CC and Trip Advisor. I know we will not be disappointed. I will be more than happy to give you a full review when we return in 3 weeks. You can also check out a recent review of Ramses on the NCL page. They just had a cruise return and there are a couple reviews that mention Ramses.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful cruise!!!:)

[jenny wren]

We have just returned from this cruise and the information about visas is correct .....all passports are collected and stamped and then returned to you to carry with you when ashore.....

 

For those of you tempted by private tours I would advise you to do your homework...The Thomson tours to Cairo are £80 pp from Port Said (they don't go from Alexandria as the ships sails at 1800) ....they are long days (12 hours at least...ours was 13) and all coaches carry an armed guard who stays with your group all day.... and travel in convoy with armed escort vehicles.....the traffic on the side roads is halted by local police to let the convoys pass through.....we had lunch included at a Movenpick resort hotel and also a snack box from the ship.... we also had the knowledge that the ship would wait for us should we be late back (sailing time is 1900)

 

On this occasion we visited Memphis, Sakkara and the Stepped Pyramid, the Tombs of Cairo and the Giza pyramids and Sphinx and it was excellent value for money.....we have been to Egypt five times now and there is no way we would consider a private tour when Thomson offer such good value for money...RCI charged £120 for basic Museum and Pyramids last year!!

[Cymro1953]

We have just returned from this cruise and the information about visas is correct .....all passports are collected and stamped and then returned to you to carry with you when ashore.....

 

For those of you tempted by private tours I would advise you to do your homework...The Thomson tours to Cairo are £80 pp from Port Said (they don't go from Alexandria as the ships sails at 1800) ....they are long days (12 hours at least...ours was 13) and all coaches carry an armed guard who stays with your group all day.... and travel in convoy with armed escort vehicles.....the traffic on the side roads is halted by local police to let the convoys pass through.....we had lunch included at a Movenpick resort hotel and also a snack box from the ship.... we also had the knowledge that the ship would wait for us should we be late back (sailing time is 1900)

 

On this occasion we visited Memphis, Sakkara and the Stepped Pyramid, the Tombs of Cairo and the Giza pyramids and Sphinx and it was excellent value for money.....we have been to Egypt five times now and there is no way we would consider a private tour when Thomson offer such good value for money...RCI charged £120 for basic Museum and Pyramids last year!!

 

Hi Jenny and all,

It's not just RCI or the Middle East as we found too. We were due to go to Rome with Princess later this year but are now going on Thomson Dream. Princess want £133 for a similar Rome tour to the one we are fancying doing with Thomson's for £72. We have always found their tours excellent value for money and convenience compared to U.S. cruise lines or D.I.Y.

 

Berwyn

[goody1]

Hi Jenny,

Do you have any info/opinions on the tours in Israel? We were thinking of doing Jerusalem and Bethlem, followed by Nazareth and Galillee.

[jenny wren]

We did the Thomson trip to Nazareth and Galiee from Haifa and had a day off in Ashdod as we'd done Cairo the day before so needed a rest!!! We decided to give Jerusalem a miss on this occasion as there had been a bit of unrest there and there was the option of Nazareth....I've detailed the trip elsewhere on this board...can't remember where though !! Suffice to say it was excellent value and was 10 and a half hours for £70 with an excellent lunch and wine in a kibbutz on the shores of Galilee with a coffee stop in a different kibbutz on the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized and where lots of people were immersing themselves in the river. Excellent tour which we were glad we chose.

 

I've just checked ...Its on the 'Haifa 1/4/10....' thread that i've put more detail of the trip!!!

[goody1]

We did the Thomson trip to Nazareth and Galiee from Haifa and had a day off in Ashdod as we'd done Cairo the day before so needed a rest!!! We decided to give Jerusalem a miss on this occasion as there had been a bit of unrest there and there was the option of Nazareth....I've detailed the trip elsewhere on this board...can't remember where though !! Suffice to say it was excellent value and was 10 and a half hours for £70 with an excellent lunch and wine in a kibbutz on the shores of Galilee with a coffee stop in a different kibbutz on the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized and where lots of people were immersing themselves in the river. Excellent tour which we were glad we chose.

 

I've just checked ...Its on the 'Haifa 1/4/10....' thread that i've put more detail of the trip!!!

 

Thanks for that.

[charabanc]

Hello,

 

yes, I am on this cruise, looking forward to it, lets hope it's a good one!

 

Ann.:D

[hollypolly]

I'm on this and can't wait. We are taking our 14 year old son. Will he have to wear a suit on the Gala evening?

 

Thanks

[jenny wren]

I'm on this and can't wait. We are taking our 14 year old son. Will he have to wear a suit on the Gala evening?

 

Thanks

 

I would have thought a shirt and trousers would be fine...if he wants to wear a tie/bow tie that would be nice as well....I think as long as he doesn't wear t shirt and jeans type things he will be OK......there was actually a man at our formal night in a crumpled beige polo shirt and he looked very out of place.. and was allowed to eat in the main dining room !!!!

[charabanc]

Have just booked this cruise, and am curious if anyone else is going. (Haven't seen any other roll call for this one...)

 

-Jeff

 

 

Hi to everyone going on Wednesday,

 

Not long to go now, We are getting very excited, packing is turning into a nightmare, but I still have a couple of days to get it finished. :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

Does anyone know how long the coach journey from Paphos to Limassol will take?

 

We are hoping for good weather, good company, good food, and above all else, an absolutely fantastic time! :D :D :D

 

See you all there,

 

Ann & Peter.

[jenny wren]

It takes about an hour on the coach from the airport to the port...perhaps a bit less..on the motorway so not particularly interesting !!

 

I'm sure you will have a fantastic time....we did ! Weather was very warm and sunny....sometimes hot ...and that was March 10th - 17th !!!!!

[suzedelaney]

hi also busy packing but dont worry anything goes on a thomson cruise, just relax and enjoy yourself

[zzyzxuk]

Today is packing, getting travel money, and being very glad I'm not going to have to spend another day in this cold, gloomy place... Bring on the sunshine! :)