Thomson Team - Importand Question - Please Answer ASAP

[sodafountain]

As per this thread - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1815886 - it is being reported that bottles are being taken off you on embarkation, and that any bought in the duty free shop are being held back until your last night.

 

Is this correct, is this a new policy being introduced by Thomson (to p**s off it's loyal customers)?

 

Also, they say they are not even allowing you to have your cigarettes, if true, what is the reason behind this, and why are you not telling people before hand (especially those that hacve been on dozens of crusies, to find things have changed), as most people buy their cigarettes on board for smoking, not having a drink is 1 thing, but some might get very upset if they find they have no cigarettes apart from the 400 they have bought, but you are holding onto them?

[sodafountain]

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

 

So, does this go for cigarettes as well?

 

How are crusiers supposed to cope, if they are expecting to be able to buy them on board, to be told when BOARDING they can buy them, but can't smoke them, until the last night of the cruise? They will be climbing the walls without a cigarette!!

[Flopsy]

I'm not a smoker, but it seems a bizarre change to make.

 

Can't smokers even buy them in the bar?

 

Flopsy

[robanddiane]

After the cruise companies have built up a lot of custom over the past few years they seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot and throwing away all the good work done previously. Not just this new move by Thomson but the credit card charges for on board accounts, price of in room safes, cutting back on the all inclusive menu etc, increased cost of shore excursions etc. looking at next years prices looks like its back to P&O for us.

[3globetrotter3]

After the cruise companies have built up a lot of custom over the past few years they seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot and throwing away all the good work done previously. Not just this new move by Thomson but the credit card charges for on board accounts, price of in room safes, cutting back on the all inclusive menu etc, increased cost of shore excursions etc. looking at next years prices looks like its back to P&O for us.

 

I think it will be back to P & O for us also. Especially now that they are going to have ships with Mediterranean home ports. It was being able to fly from your local airport that prompted us to try Thomson. There seems to be less availability now from some local airports, especially for re-positioning cruises. The cruises that are available from regional airports have huge variations in supplements. Sometimes as much as £300 pp. more than headline price.

 

I also don't like Thomson's hard sell. I went into a Thomson shop a couple of weeks ago to enquire about a cruise. Talk about " double glazing salesmen ", and to make matters worse their price was higher than the other two TA shops I tried. I have had two calls from the Thomson shop since then asking if I was ready to book. Had another call this morning to say if I booked with them I would get a " VIP " rate for any currency I ordered from them.

 

Read this in a newspaper last week.......

 

" Tui Travel has admitted that it did not pay any Corporation Tax in the year to September 2012 despite reporting a profit of £390 million for the 12 month period ".

 

Thomson cruises are often more expensive than lots of other lines now but their passenger friendly attitude seems to be changing. It's now profit before passengers.

 

I could see the point of all the changes to AI, cut backs etc. if they were a struggling company but with such huge profits it is just GREED !!!

[jacknorman]

The snag is that thomson now have little competition. thomas cook own 75% of coop travel who we used to deal with, and thomas cook are in trouble. Thomson have swallowed up callers pegasus, and now first choice, so I am getting the feeling they can do as they like, with larger deposits,earlier balance payments,reduction in luggage allowance, and very much higher prices. I have only ever cruised with Thomson, but it may be time to look elsewhere.

[Dreamgirl1957]

May be time for another chat with FE ??

I know sailaway asked a while ago and it was split as quite a few thought it too soon but there are three or four issues at the moment which are causing lots of worry on the forum.

 

The "team" are fine but dont always have the authority to give very clear answers and on here we usually find out more between ourselves.

 

With talk of regular customers jumping ship to P&O i think it needs sorting and only by someone who can give honest answers !

 

Does anyone else think we need to be addressing FE again ?

[sodafountain]

May be time for another chat with FE ??

I know sailaway asked a while ago and it was split as quite a few thought it too soon but there are three or four issues at the moment which are causing lots of worry on the forum.

 

The "team" are fine but dont always have the authority to give very clear answers and on here we usually find out more between ourselves.

 

With talk of regular customers jumping ship to P&O i think it needs sorting and only by someone who can give honest answers !

 

Does anyone else think we need to be addressing FE again ?

 

To tell you the truth, what would be the point?

 

So he can take us all in again, make them look like the caring sharing company we thought they were, with a special 1 on 1 question and answer session?

 

He took us for mugs, promised the world and then stabbed us all in the back, changing yet more policy, without warning, so the first you find out about it is when you arrive on ship (they must hate this forum, all their dastardly plans revealed within weeks to unsuspecting cruisers).

 

The Thomson team haven't even said anything solid, just that "this information is being communicated to customers when they arrive onboard", what information? Why not give a proper answer, and why the need to put back cigarettes, why the need to put back bottles if you want them in your room, why not come out and say EXACTLY what the policy is, after all, we'll all find out when we board, so why not tell us now? What have they got to hide?

[stevedeccaman]

Answers‎ needed but the CEO is the decision maker :rolleyes:

 

or someone else :cool:

 

Stevie

[stevedeccaman]

Quote

 

The Thomson team haven't even said anything solid, just that "this information is being communicated to customers when they arrive onboard",

-------------------------------------------------------

all complete PR drivel and not answered our questions,(waffel)

probably hiding in the office cupboard saying the clients are not too happy

omg what do we do? :eek:

 

where is the MAN ?, (probably on a P & O cruise whilst working out how next to get more dosh from loyal Thomson Cruisers :(

 

yours unhappy Stevie

[Ashby]

We have also cruises 12 times with Thomson and have defended them to our friends when they have expressed surprise at the price we pay for such an old ship. We usually buy Duty Free on board to drink before our evening meal in our cabin. With the increasing amount of extras we are now being charged this latest idea is the last straw. We are sailing with Thomson on the Celebration in September (AI) and back from Barbados next April(20days) I forsee this will be our last Thomson cruise and will be looking at P&O etc for later 2014/2015. At a time of high competition and gobal ressession I think Thomson need to value their customers more - this latest move could well be the last straw.

[stevedeccaman]

Are you good Thomsom peeps reading all these threads or have you gone on an early Easter break ??????????? :confused:

 

unrest in the camp at the moment

 

Stevie

[stevedeccaman]

We have also cruises 12 times with Thomson and have defended them to our friends when they have expressed surprise at the price we pay for such an old ship. We usually buy Duty Free on board to drink before our evening meal in our cabin. With the increasing amount of extras we are now being charged this latest idea is the last straw. We are sailing with Thomson on the Celebration in September (AI) and back from Barbados next April(20days) I forsee this will be our last Thomson cruise and will be looking at P&O etc for later 2014/2015. At a time of high competition and gobal ressession I think Thomson need to value their customers more - this latest move could well be the last straw.

 

===============================================

sums it all up

Stevie:cool:

[kalos]

Are you good Thomsom peeps reading all these threads or have you gone on an early Easter break ??????????? :confused:

 

unrest in the camp at the moment

 

Stevie

 

I think the Thomson team only put what " The Management " tell them to put on this site .

They are hiding behind Rhiannon who at least took time to reply to us and we thank Rhiannon for that reply.

 

 

 

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

 

Most firms do review their policies on a regular basis ,we would be surprised if they did not and that leaves the question?

Why can you only give us this information as we arrive onboard ??

 

Tonight on TV I have seen two of your rivals adverts for cruising holidays

and looking on their sites they seem honest and have clarity in what you can and cannot do onboard.

 

That is all we are asking for.So I will post the part of Soadafountains question we would all like you to answer rather than us

wait a week for others who return and they will give us the truth anyway .

 

Soadafountain asked ?

"Why not come out and say EXACTLY what the policy is, after all, we'll all find out when we board, so why not tell us now?

What have they got to hide?"

 

Hope you tell us now ... or ...

 

[stevedeccaman]

nice one Kalos :)

[stevedeccaman]

Rhiannon ,have a nice Easter and do not wory about all us whingers on here;)

Stevie

 

ps still not happy:rolleyes:

[grab1]

Rhiannon ,have a nice Easter and do not wory about all us whingers on here;)

Stevie

 

ps still not happy:rolleyes:

 

Just returned from the dream and your right they take your bottles away and give them back on last night.

They run out of Pinot Wine on our 3rd day of our 14 day cruise, so I got 3 bottles in the port and took them to my cabin, I went up to deck 10 smoking deck and asked for a bucket of ice and 2 glasses, the waitress said that I should pay corkage of £8 but as they didn't have any bottles of Pinot she allowed us to drink them.

All of a sudden 2 glasses of Pinot was ordered by friends we met on board so they did have bottles but only sold it by the glass!

I said to the waitress how do you get the glasses if you got no bottles, as bottles are on the drinks menu, She replied I am sorry sir but she has been told to only sell glasses of wine not bottles.

The 2nd week I got 3 bottles at the port agin and they were taken off me and put in storage until last night to pack in my case, who wants to take Pinot home when we can buy it cheaper in sain....s 3 for £12.

I had 1 on Sunday morning and gave the other 2 to the bar staff who really appreciated it.

A man called Creig who was suppose to be a top man from thomson management spoke to me and he said what's on the menu they should sell it to you,and was going to look into why glasses and not bottles.

If anybody on this forum knows this man Creig I would like his Surname.

 

:D:mad:

 

 

 

 

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