Thomson Dream On Watchdog 23 Sept

[EJNutz]

The recent problems on Thomson Dream are to feature on Watchdog. God help Thomson Cruises by the time Anne Robinson is finished with them. It will be interesting to see if the stories featured are recent or old.

[Pafos_sunset]

It was mentioned on the Celebration last week that 70% of Thomson cruise customers were return customers, I do not think is will cause Thomson long term damage the faithfull will still come.

 

Lets see...........

[Single Cruiser]

For a 24 yr old vessel which hasn't been refurbished and earlier this year crashed into the pier in Egypt http://malcolmoliver.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/costa-europa-thomson-dream-fatal-crash/ sounds like the little dry dock time they had wasn't enough!

[davecttr]

The recent problems on Thomson Dream are to feature on Watchdog. God help Thomson Cruises by the time Anne Robinson is finished with them. It will be interesting to see if the stories featured are recent or old.

 

hatchet job

 

no date given but they did say a 5? day cruise so I guess it was early.

 

normal that woman sarcasm and thomsons did themselves no service by not having the MD on the show explaining why the problems occured and what they were going to do about it.

 

of course the ship is not going to be refurbished because it does not need refurbishing. I thought my cabin was OK and the public rooms are better than on Thomsons ships. Stuff like upholstery and carpets is replaced as needed or at least it was on other Thomson ships.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

The question is "Are they going to refurbish her or not?" Stephen Guy seems to think not:eek:

[davecttr]

For a 24 yr old vessel which hasn't been refurbished and earlier this year crashed into the pier in Egypt http://malcolmoliver.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/costa-europa-thomson-dream-fatal-crash/ sounds like the little dry dock time they had wasn't enough!

During the dry dock for the Sharm repair the ship was still owned by Costa and Thomsons would not have been allowed anywhere near it.

 

I reckon what happened is that Thomsons plans for the ship were blown out of the water by the sharm tragedy, resulting in a malfunctioning ship. The refit in Germany would have been booked a long time in advance and Thomsons found themselves between a rock and a hard place.

[Single Cruiser]

As usual watchdog make minor problems look worse! Although I must admit not great for the cruise director being caught saying that!

[User Error]

Absolutely true, but the footage of drainage and of broken down Air Con didnt do anyone any favours did it....

[EJNutz]

I am cruising on Dream in 3 weeks. So I am a bit concerned. Of course Watchdog's job is to make things sound ten times worse than they are. I have sent an email to Thomson's to get a reassurance that things will be OK when we cruise. They will probably reply everything is OK and I'll just have to wait and find out for myself. It sort of takes the shine off the forthcoming cruise.

[jodanuke]

Show was a bit of a let down wasn't it?

 

Nothing there we did not know already..

[cullinp]

I can't understand people that would go and spend £1200 per person on a holiday and not research it inside out. How could you not know that the ship wasn't a new build........I mean..........look at it!!:eek: I like to think that I know pretty much everything there is to know about RCI Freedom Class ships and the standard of service to expect from them.

 

With regards the report, wasn't great was it - although I have to say (prepare for obligatory flaming) why the heck you'd want to spend a holiday on that ship when for similar money you could do Adventure out of Malaga and from next year Liberty out of Barcelona...:confused:

[bardunc]

hi,we to sail on her on the 12 October. would be interested in their reply, but still hopping to have a great holiday.

bardunc

[vwgolf]

I can't understand people that would go and spend £1200 per person on a holiday and not research it inside out. How could you not know that the ship wasn't a new build........I mean..........look at it!!:eek:

 

 

Have to say I agree entirely; it never ceases to amaze me that people spend so much money on a holiday and don't do basic research. I am planning next year's cruise (not Thomson's) at the moment and I have been readng up as much as I can on the ship and cruise line concerned.

[davecttr]

I can't understand people that would go and spend £1200 per person on a holiday and not research it inside out. How could you not know that the ship wasn't a new build........I mean..........look at it!!:eek: I like to think that I know pretty much everything there is to know about RCI Freedom Class ships and the standard of service to expect from them.

 

With regards the report, wasn't great was it - although I have to say (prepare for obligatory flaming) why the heck you'd want to spend a holiday on that ship when for similar money you could do Adventure out of Malaga and from next year Liberty out of Barcelona...:confused:

Simple really, you makes your choice and pays your money.

For me the requirements were:

British ambience ship - Thomsons, FO or P&O

Suitable for a 81 year old mother + me - suites on Dream are excellent with a seperate bedroom so I could tuck mother up for the night and go out to play.

Short notice - and we got a good discount on the price.

Comfort zone - I have cruised with Thomsons and knew what to expect. I knew the history of the ship but of course no one, even Thomsons, were expecting the problems that arose.

 

We had a 14 night cruise and it was excellent apart from the aircon failing and missing Carthage. They fixed the aircon within 30 mins and Cagliari was an excellent substitute for La Goulette.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

 

We had a 14 night cruise and it was excellent apart from the aircon failing and missing Carthage. They fixed the aircon within 30 mins and Cagliari was an excellent substitute for La Goulette.

 

Take it from me, you missed nothing at Carthage! Just a field full of stones! The coach just stopped long enough for us to take photos and that was it. When you have seen Petra and Ephesus - it was pretty pathetic.

 

If I see an itinery with La Goulette in it, I avoid it like the plague:D

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Simple really, you makes your choice and pays your money.

For me the requirements were:

British ambience ship - Thomsons, FO or P&O

Suitable for a 81 year old mother + me - suites on Dream are excellent with a seperate bedroom so I could tuck mother up for the night and go out to play.

Short notice - and we got a good discount on the price.

Comfort zone - I have cruised with Thomsons and knew what to expect. I knew the history of the ship but of course no one, even Thomsons, were expecting the problems that arose.

 

 

Quite agree Dave, I have been on RCI and Princess and they were very nice, but also very expensive due to hidden costs of 15% on drinks (which were already highly priced) and prepaid tips (which we refused to pay - but that is another story!) and expensive trips.

 

At the moment FO is in favour after a wonderful week on the Braemar, but Thomson come a close second. I am still concerned, though, that they are not going to reburbish the Dream. Our cabin, although very large, was very gloomy dark wood, not a bit like the pictures in the brochure. That is one reason why we have chosen the Braemar again over the Dream for our Cuba trip next February.

 

I still don't understand why people thought it was 5* or NEW as I have the origianal brochure and nowhere does it mention either of them

[Goldryder]

From what I can gather from a variety of sources, Dream is going to Blohm + Voss in Hamburg from October 29 thru December 16.

 

The drydock dates were confirmed long after the filming was done, which IIRC was about 8 weeks after she entered service with Thomson. Drydock was confirmed at the start of this month, unlike your family car, it is not a case of picking up the phone and booking a ship into the garage for MOT etc. It takes time to sort out and confirm and crew are rarely in the loop when it comes to information of that sort, so not surprising that anyone interviewed had no clue about the drydocking as it wasn't confirmed at the time of filming.

 

One thing that does concern me...more than the biased filming...is the slightly off inspection scores from Paris MOU for the ship before and after her transfer from Costa to Thomson. Bearing in mind that the crew is entirely Thomson now and has been since handover.....

 

The Paris MOU website has her inspection scores...

 

Her last two as Costa Europa were as follows :

 

07/09/2008 in Tenerife - 0 deficiencies

09/09/2009 in Constanza - 1 deficiency - Safety of navigation, Automatic identification system (AIS)

 

Her first two as Thomson Dream were as follows :

 

17/04/2010 - Palermo - 7 deficiencies - - Accident prevention (ILO147), Other (accident prevention)

- Crew certificates, Tables of working hours

- Life saving appliances , Lifeboats

- Life saving appliances , Public address system

- MARPOL annex I, SOPEP

- Structural safety, Closing devices/watertight doors

- Structural safety, Signs, indications

 

10/09/2010 - Livorno - 8 deficiencies - - Crew certificates, Endorsement by flagstate

- Fire safety measures, Main vertical zone

- ISM related deficiencies, Certification, verification and control

- ISM related deficiencies, Maintenance of the ship and equipment

- MARPOL annex I, Oil record book

- Propulsion & aux., Cleanliness of engine room

- Propulsion & aux., Cleanliness of engine room

- Structural safety, Closing devices/watertight doors

 

It should be noted that as Costa Europa the largest number of deficiencies ever found during an inspection was in 12 in Cadiz in 2008, the other 7 inspections tween 2007 and 2009 had tween 0 and 5 deficiencies listed.

 

On the face of it, it does appear that general maintenance by Thomson crew is maybe not as stringent as with Costa's crew. The ship is chartered without a crew from Costa, so everyone on board is entirely the responsibility of Thomson. They do have experience of operating older ships, so why this one is causing them problems is a mystery really.

 

The other ships, Destiny, Celebration & Spirit, are getting tween 0 and 5 deficiencies on their inspections. Dream is the first 'big' ship operated, maybe that is why they are falling down on her at the moment. Her accident will not have helped, nor will her stretching as that will have caused problems too (as is the case with most stretched ships).

 

Hopefully she will settle down after her drydocking in Germany.

[UK_Cruiser]

 

With regards the report, wasn't great was it - although I have to say (prepare for obligatory flaming) why the heck you'd want to spend a holiday on that ship when for similar money you could do Adventure out of Malaga and from next year Liberty out of Barcelona...:confused:

 

 

Totally

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Although clearly there are some right rip-off cowboys out there, who it is good to expose, it is always interesting to note that when one is acquainted with a sector that comes under that sneering, hectoring, 'Weakest Link' women's gaze (or her cohorts) it is quite clear they haven't got a clue what they're talking about. It was also out of date.

 

Re the picture of the cigarette ends, who dropped them in the first place, surely not the same people who moaned about the state of the ship.:)

[Jim The Scot]

 

I am still concerned, though, that they are not going to reburbish the Dream. Our cabin, although very large, was very gloomy dark wood, not a bit like the pictures in the brochure.

 

In every cabin ;)

[EJNutz]

I have been to my local Thomson's shop today. They advised me that the undercover report took place in May, just after the initial problems. It's a pity Watchdog did not state this when they filmed it. Just goes to go what shoddy reporting it is.

 

Anyway I have been assured that the ship no longer suffers from the sewer problems as identified. They admitted that a bigger refurbishment was expected but this was not done and the blame has been put down to the time being used to repair the ship after the crash in Egypt. They said that Costa were aware of the sewage problems but due to lack of time it had following the crash repairs it did not resolve the problems and left it to Thomsons.

 

More refurbishment will be done when the ship goes into dry dock before going to the Caribbean.

[kruzseeka]

From what I can gather from a variety of sources, Dream is going to Blohm + Voss in Hamburg from October 29 thru December 16.

 

The drydock dates were confirmed long after the filming was done, which IIRC was about 8 weeks after she entered service with Thomson. Drydock was confirmed at the start of this month, unlike your family car, it is not a case of picking up the phone and booking a ship into the garage for MOT etc. It takes time to sort out and confirm and crew are rarely in the loop when it comes to information of that sort, so not surprising that anyone interviewed had no clue about the drydocking as it wasn't confirmed at the time of filming.

 

 

 

She's due to sail to the Caribbean on December 8th so hopefully she won't still be in Hamburg on 16th! :confused:

[UK_Cruiser]

I have been to my local Thomson's shop today. They advised me that the undercover report took place in May, just after the initial problems. It's a pity Watchdog did not state this when they filmed it. Just goes to go what shoddy reporting it is.

 

Anyway I have been assured that the ship no longer suffers from the sewer problems as identified. They admitted that a bigger refurbishment was expected but this was not done and the blame has been put down to the time being used to repair the ship after the crash in Egypt. They said that Costa were aware of the sewage problems but due to lack of time it had following the crash repairs it did not resolve the problems and left it to Thomsons.

 

More refurbishment will be done when the ship goes into dry dock before going to the Caribbean.

 

:DChuckle:D

 

 

Not to mention what a shoddy fleet Thomsons have !

[Beckyfaye-2008]

:DChuckle:D

 

 

Not to mention what a shoddy fleet Thomsons have !

 

What always makes me laugh, is why that somebody who obviously does not like Thomson's, wastes so much of their time, writing on a Thomson forum.

Cannot have much of a life to want to do that.:eek::eek:

[Iain1873]

:DChuckle:D

 

 

Not to mention what a shoddy fleet Thomsons have !

 

such a sad person , that's twice in the last two threads i've read on here he's criticised Thomsons or a Thomson ship , how sad , uninteresting , shallow and inadequate his life must be indeed that he feels the need to go onto a Thomson forum to put them down rather than try to be constructive with any criticism he may have :confused: