Thomson confiscating your Duty Free

[jaceyar]

Bought gin at Man for "getting ready" g+t. On embarkation all alcohol is now removed, labelled and will be returned on leaving for packing. Soooo mad - people kicking off everywhere. I am in the Caribbean - may not be all ships. If you buy alcohol or cigs from onboard shop, same thing, given to you for packing.

Put booze in your suitcase!

 

 

Sent from my mobile using Tapatalk.

[Little Nell]

Shocker :eek:

 

Very glad now we took the AI package :cool:

 

I think if they are going to change policy like this they should give people fair warning.

[happy v]

Bought gin at Man for "getting ready" g+t. On embarkation all alcohol is now removed, labelled and will be returned on leaving for packing. Soooo mad - people kicking off everywhere. I am in the Caribbean - may not be all ships. If you buy alcohol or cigs from onboard shop, same thing, given to you for packing.

Put booze in your suitcase!

 

 

Sent from my mobile using Tapatalk.

 

That is so annoying, :( you now also have the extra weight to take home.

 

Could you still buy drink in port and take it to your cabin?

[Jakanne1]

Wonder if this applies to all Thomson ships?

[kruzseeka]

This was always one of the things which gave Thomson an edge as compared with other cruiselines/ It's a miserable approach to duty free! I'm afraid the more Thomson ape their competitors the less of a pull they will retain on their customers - and alienate them. Bad decision Thomson!:(

[mickmg]

Thanks for the headsup Jaceyar, this is not great news. We're flying out to the Dream on Sunday, does anyone have any idea if bottles packed in our suitcase will be confiscated before reaching the ship? As already asked what about purchases made at the first port, will they be confiscated?

[Little Nell]

This was always one of the things which gave Thomson an edge as compared with other cruiselines/ It's a miserable approach to duty free! I'm afraid the more Thomson ape their competitors the less of a pull they will retain on their customers - and alienate them. Bad decision Thomson!:(

 

Well said, Kruzseeka. It is astonishing what they are doing, at a time when their competitors are mimicking them with free AI, gratuities paid, flights from regional airports, P&O basing a ship in the Med etc etc. Thomson could end up paying dearly for this.

[kruzseeka]

Well said, Kruzseeka. It is astonishing what they are doing, at a time when their competitors are mimicking them with free AI, gratuities paid, flights from regional airports, P&O basing a ship in the Med etc etc. Thomson could end up paying dearly for this.

 

I agree Little Nell. There have been some poor decisions of late. Much as I'm a staunch supporter of Thomson they should take care not to take their customers for granted or ride rough-shod over them.

 

A few things concern me evidenced by:

the detrimental change to the AI

the change to custom and practice in respect of duty free with no warning

the Platinum hype which is just a very nice up-grade - but to a standard which other cruise ships offer as standard

pricings which can now easily be beaten - on newer ships with more to offer

 

It makes me wonder where Thomson place themselves in the market! You mention the AI, regional airports, included gratuities now being offerred by other companies. I'm the biggest fan of the ambience on Thomson ships - but there's only so much extra you are prepared to pay for friendliness. Thomson need their customers to return. By being parsimonious and engaging in such bad P.R. they may well be shooting themselves in the foot. :(

[Little Nell]

Add to that, outdated booking procedures and website and poorly trained sales and admin staff. I am starting to wonder why I go with Thomson :D

 

Mega bargains were available today with a number of cruise lines (advertising on a rival site) eg. £399 to Fjords from Dover with HAL.

[kate52]

If they go down that route they will alienate a lot of customers! We buy cigs in the duty-free to smoke onboard. Don't take alcohol with us, but like to buy some local wines to at ports which we will drink in the cabin while getting ready for the evening, for example.

When you have paid a lot of money for your holiday, too many petty rules and regulations can easily spoil the feel-good factor.

kate

[Dreamgirl1957]

Oh dear not good, what is happening to friendly Thomson's :confused:

 

We used those "rum runners" when we went with Royal caribbean and they are mega strict ! :eek:

 

They are like a cross between a bag and bottle, thick plastic, they lay flat and are un-detectable with the x ray machines, really handy, easy to pour and fill.

 

You put them right in the centre of your case ( we wrapped in another plastic bag to be safe but they say they def dont leak...:eek:)

 

Apparently ordinary glass and plastic bottles can be detected..

 

Buy on Amazon or eBay ;););)

[Grez]

Could one of the Thomson Social Media team who read this forum please comment as to whether or not this is happening?

 

Will not be happy if so. We always go AI, but as there is now so much not included its starting to be uneconomic to do so. And there is no way i'm going to be made to feel like a naughty schoolboy bringing on alcohol, or resorting to having to smuggle alcohol. I will leave that to the Americans.

[kruzseeka]

Extract from the P&O site:

 

Can I bring alcohol on board to consume in my cabin or in restaurants?

There are a variety of bars on board each of our ships, offering a range of drinks at competitive prices, and drinks can also be purchased in our restaurants. We reserve the right to take alcohol at the gangway, if brought on board, to return to passengers at the end of their cruise. It is not our intention to invoke this policy as a matter of course and we will implement it only when we consider it is likely that the health, comfort, safety and enjoyment of passenger may otherwise be compromised.

 

Can I consume my duty free purchase in my cabin during the cruise?

Duty free alcohol purchased on board can be collected at the end of your cruise.

 

 

So, you aren't able to buy duty free on board to consume on board. (As with the new Thomson approach reported by jaceyer). But within reasonable limits it seems that you can bring alcohol on board to consume in your cabin. In other words what we have hitherto understood to be Thomson's policy!

 

This issue doesn't bother me in essence as we aren't in the habit of bringing alcohol onto the ship or buying it from duty free to consume in the cabin - but I'm concerned that Thomson is really making changes which will turn customers away - or at least encourage them to investigate competitors. Watch your back is my thinking!

 

P.S. A good website on P&O eh? All the kind of questions we keep asking of each other are there in print and easily found! More food for thought Thomson!

 

(I'm a big fan by the way and a very regular customer and supporter of Thomson - I want Thomson to remain profitable but am worried by the way things seem to be going! They should be aware of the concerns of the members of this forum - we are the keen ones who love the Thomson product we have known for years - but lots of littledetrimental changes will eventually reach tipping point and less committed potential customers will soon drift away! :( )

[Sailaway487]

Extract from the P&O site:

 

Can I bring alcohol on board to consume in my cabin or in restaurants?

There are a variety of bars on board each of our ships, offering a range of drinks at competitive prices, and drinks can also be purchased in our restaurants. We reserve the right to take alcohol at the gangway, if brought on board, to return to passengers at the end of their cruise. It is not our intention to invoke this policy as a matter of course and we will implement it only when we consider it is likely that the health, comfort, safety and enjoyment of passenger may otherwise be compromised.

 

Can I consume my duty free purchase in my cabin during the cruise?

Duty free alcohol purchased on board can be collected at the end of your cruise.

 

 

So, you aren't able to buy duty free on board to consume on board. (As with the new Thomson approach reported by jaceyer). But within reasonable limits it seems that you can bring alcohol on board to consume in your cabin. In other words what we have hitherto understood to be Thomson's policy!

 

This issue doesn't bother me in essence as we aren't in the habit of bringing alcohol onto the ship or buying it from duty free to consume in the cabin - but I'm concerned that Thomson is really making changes which will turn customers away - or at least encourage them to investigate competitors. Watch your back is my thinking!

 

P.S. A good website on P&O eh? All the kind of questions we keep asking of each other are there in print and easily found! More food for thought Thomson!

 

(I'm a big fan by the way and a very regular customer and supporter of Thomson - I want Thomson to remain profitable but am worried by the way things seem to be going! They should be aware of the concerns of the members of this forum - we are the keen ones who love the Thomson product we have known for years - but lots of littledetrimental changes will eventually reach tipping point and less committed potential customers will soon drift away! :( )

 

One of the great things about Thomson was the relaxed rules regarding bringing your own alcohol onboard. Unfortunately, I was almost waiting for this change, as it seems they're doing anything they can now to get more money out of us. I wouldn't mind if it meant that we could still enjoy a varied and large AI package, but even that is no longer the case!

 

Hopefully this might have just been an isolated incident for some reason, but I have a feeling it isn't. Please Thomson can someone from the Social Media team come on here and confirm the policy for bringing your own alcohol onboard.

 

Like you say kruzseeka, being a loyal Thomson cruiser also, I'm getting annoyed at their recent actions, which seem to be about making as much money as possible, while treating customers as just numbers on a ship. With loyalty schemes from other cruise lines, newer and better ships, and more varied itinerary durations, I have to admit I'm starting to look elsewhere, much more than ever before. Please restore our faith Thomson in your product. :(

 

Nothing like a good moan to start the day! :D

 

P.S. Yes, P&O's website is very good. Much better than the slightly amateur and the lack of information on Thomson's.

[kruzseeka]

One of the great things about Thomson was the relaxed rules regarding bringing your own alcohol onboard. Unfortunately, I was almost waiting for this change, as it seems they're doing anything they can now to get more money out of us. I wouldn't mind if it meant that we could still enjoy a varied and large AI package, but even that is no longer the case!

 

Hopefully this might have just been an isolated incident for some reason, but I have a feeling it isn't. Please Thomson can someone from the Social Media team come on here and confirm the policy for bringing your own alcohol onboard.

 

Like you say kruzseeka, being a loyal Thomson cruiser also, I'm getting annoyed at their recent actions, which seem to be about making as much money as possible, while treating customers as just numbers on a ship. With loyalty schemes from other cruise lines, newer and better ships, and more varied itinerary durations, I have to admit I'm starting to look elsewhere, much more than ever before. Please restore our faith Thomson in your product. :(

 

Nothing like a good moan to start the day! :D

 

P.S. Yes, P&O's website is very good. Much better than the slightly amateur and the lack of information on Thomson's.

 

 

:D:D But on the serious side - this isn't like me - honestly! I don't like to moan - but concede that this is a moan - but I'm hoping that the comments on here will serve as a red light - or at least give Thomson pause for thought.

 

And I couldn't agree more Sailaway - we need our confidence restored. We've always regarded Thomson as a friendly cruise line - the crew certainly do their bit (Thomson's strongest selling point imo) but we must also have faith in the Compnay - to know that they are still consumer-friendly.

 

Yes we know it's a business and we have a vested interest in Thomson being profitable - I want to be able to cruise with you in the future - and cost-cutting measures sadly have to be considered and implemented with that in mind. But perhaps more consumer research would be helpful.

 

Where could economies be made which, in the interests of continuing profitablity, would be acceptable to a large percentage of your customers?

 

Which aspects of the Thomson product has been changed/gradually being eroded which is prompting people to look elsewhere?

 

 

It's often just little things - the proverbial straw and camel's back! I'm certain Thomson keep a careful eye on what their competitors offer - but mustn't forget that we do too. :rolleyes:

[sodafountain]

One of the great things about Thomson was the relaxed rules regarding bringing your own alcohol onboard. Unfortunately, I was almost waiting for this change, as it seems they're doing anything they can now to get more money out of us. I wouldn't mind if it meant that we could still enjoy a varied and large AI package, but even that is no longer the case!

 

Hopefully this might have just been an isolated incident for some reason, but I have a feeling it isn't. Please Thomson can someone from the Social Media team come on here and confirm the policy for bringing your own alcohol onboard.

 

Like you say kruzseeka, being a loyal Thomson cruiser also, I'm getting annoyed at their recent actions, which seem to be about making as much money as possible, while treating customers as just numbers on a ship. With loyalty schemes from other cruise lines, newer and better ships, and more varied itinerary durations, I have to admit I'm starting to look elsewhere, much more than ever before. Please restore our faith Thomson in your product. :(

 

Nothing like a good moan to start the day! :D

 

P.S. Yes, P&O's website is very good. Much better than the slightly amateur and the lack of information on Thomson's.

 

Fraser did mention they were thinking of a loyalty scheme, this must be it then, how to royaly p**s off your loyal customers by constantly changing things between cruises, the ONLY loyalty scheme Thomson seem to know :D

[TC28]

Have always bought ciggies in the shop for on board consumption on Thomson ships. Where is the logic in taking them off you? It just means you will buy them ashore and bring them on board so no profit for Thomson. Crazy.

[lovecruise22]

It used to be in the terms and conditions that you are able to bring alcohol on board for comsumpsion in your cabin only? Can Thomson confirm if this is no longer the case??

[SHAZ465]

I went on the Dream on 10 march-24 march 13. On our first week there were no signs to say anything about bringing alcohol on board and on some days our bags were not scanned. At the start of our 2nd week signs went up to say if you brought alcohol back on the ship it would be taken of you and returned on your last night. Our bags were scanned every day and a person would be sitting at table at the end to take your drink of you. We did get stopped one day for having liquid in our bags but when I showed him we only had a small bottle of beer he let us keep it. I did buy a bottle of rum on board the ship on the Friday which we were allowed to keep but we were going home on the Sunday so I think that was why we could keep it.

[TC28]

Maybe what you do is befriend someone who is leaving the ship before you and get them to buy your stuff and pick it up from them.

I'm going on 7th April for 20 days so is anyone leaving the ship on 14th April? - just joking!!!

Should we start a new thread to organise this???

[TC28]

Now that Barbados doesn't allow ANY cigarettes thru customs (e.g. bought on the plasne or at Gatwick), can anyone tell me if the Thomson Dream passengers arriving at Barbados airport go straight to the coaches and avoid going thru customs?

[kruzseeka]

It used to be in the terms and conditions that you are able to bring alcohol on board for comsumpsion in your cabin only? Can Thomson confirm if this is no longer the case??

 

 

That's what I thought too but........................

 

In the April 2013 - April 2014 Brochure, in the A-Z Guide, Page 206 bottom line.....

 

"Alcohol

During your flight and on our cruise ships, you can only drink the alcohol that staff serve you."

 

When did that creep in? Has anyone got an older brochure? What did it say in there? Is it just a change in the more recent edition?

 

I suspect they have they put it in the April 2013 - April 2014 brochure, waited until the old brochure is out of date (i.e. the one which went up to April 2013) and are now starting to implement it - pointing us to the brochure to say 'it's in the terms and conditions'?

 

But that does beg the question of when you booked - what did it say in the current brochure at the time of booking? Shouldn't that be the situation for your cruise? I guess it's been in the A-Z for a while and we've not noticed until they put it into operation! :(

[Big Paul]

I notice in the terms and conditions that no alcohol may be taken on board. As I remember these were already in effect on my last two trips with Thomson but were never implemented.

extract of T&C's follow

19. Liquor

 

19.1 Alcohol will only be served to adults.

 

19.2. Where the fare paid by a Passenger includes meals on a breakfast only, half board or full board basis, it does not also include wines, spirits, beer, mineral waters or other liquors. These are available for purchase on-board at fixed prices and Passengers are not permitted to take on-board any such liquors for use during the voyage whether for consumption in their own cabins or otherwise.

 

19.3. The Carrier and/or its servants and/or agents may confiscate alcohol brought on-board by Passengers. Such alcohol will be returned to the Passengers at the end of the cruise.

 

19.4. The Carrier and/or its servants and/or agents may refuse to serve a Passenger alcohol or further alcohol where in their reasonable opinion the Passenger is likely to be a danger and/or a nuisance to himself, other Passengers and/or the Vessel.

[Thomson Cruises]

Could one of the Thomson Social Media team who read this forum please comment as to whether or not this is happening?

 

Will not be happy if so. We always go AI, but as there is now so much not included its starting to be uneconomic to do so. And there is no way i'm going to be made to feel like a naughty schoolboy bringing on alcohol, or resorting to having to smuggle alcohol. I will leave that to the Americans.

 

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for sharing your comments with us. We're constantly reviewing our policies and this information is being communicated to customers when they arrive onboard. But we'll make sure all your feedback is passed on to the Cruise Team.

 

Thanks,

Rhiannon

[Sailaway487]

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for sharing your comments with us. We're constantly reviewing our policies and this information is being communicated to customers when they arrive onboard. But we'll make sure all your feedback is passed on to the Cruise Team.

 

Thanks,

Rhiannon

 

What is the exact policy then for bringing your own alcohol on board? Taken off you until the end of your cruise? Is this the case for all ships?