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campolady

campolady

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Disembarked this morning after an excellent 5 nights on the Dream. Despite a force 10 gale Monday night/Tuesday morning that stopped us docking in Valencia, we had an extremely pleasant trip. Here are a few memories, thoughts and impressions:-

 

Pre-Cruise

We flew to Mallorca on the Thursday and had 2 nights in Santa Ponsa - weather was perfect and we had a very pleasant stay. On the Saturday morning we took a taxi from our hotel to the cruise terminal - journey only took 15 minutes and the fare was a reasonable 23 Euros.

 

On Arrival/Cabin

We arrived at the Palma cruise terminal just as the first few coaches had dropped off their passengers so we queued longer than usual to check in but, once we got to the check-in desk, it was a quick and easy procedure; we were surprised that we didn't have to complete any health declaration this time. We were on board by 10.40 a.m. and our cabin was ready. Had a lovely surprise as we boarded as Roberto, a waiter we have known since our first Thomson cruise, was one of the escorts and he pushed to the front to give us a lovely warm hug then take us up to deck 7. As we booked late, and this was a bonus cruise, we had kept costs down and hadn't pre-booked a cabin which in hindsight was a mistake; we knew it would be deck 6 or 7 inside and got 7176 which was right below the Delo Bar so VERY noisy until gone Midnight. Apart from the noise aspect, and distance to a lift (the lift closest to the cabin was for crew use only), the cabin was fine - kept spotlessly clean by our lovely steward Arif who came to introduce himself as soon as we arrived; bathroom was recently re-furbished, the shower was much better than on our previous Dream sailings and the bed was wonderfully firm and comfortable. We had one lovely towel animal during the 5 nights.

 

Sunday - Barcelona

Barcelona is a city that we know very well - apart from our own visits we have docked there on 3 other cruises - and we didn't fancy any of the 3 excursions available (limited choice of excursions offered in all our destinations on this last cruise of the season) so just did our own thing. We docked in the Dreams usual spot by the World Trade Centre and walked to Las Ramblas and the Plaza Real where there was an interesting Stamp and Coin market on. Being a Sunday the city was very quiet and our favourite place/watering hole La Boqueria market was closed. After a Coffee in the Plaza Real we wandered slowly back to the ship.

 

Monday/Tuesday - Valencia/Cartagena

Monday was to be Valencia and the excursion we had pre-booked (Lladro factory and city tour) was cancelled due to inadequate numbers which was disappointing. We therefore queued to book shuttle bus tickets at £5 per person (the city centre is some 20-25 minute drive from the port). However, after a very rough overnight sail we were informed that Valencia port was closed so we would be sailing on to Cartagena and having an over night stop there. This was the second time we have been unable to dock at Valencia so we have still not seen the city - oh well, that's an excuse to book another cruise that goes there lol! The entertainment team put on extra shows and films to pass the time until we reached Cartagena - we spent a very pleasant couple of hours watching 'The Kings Speech' in the Broadway Theatre and 'Les Miserables' was shown in the afternoon. We arrived at Cartagena at 5 p.m. and, although still overcast and windy, at least it was dry. As the forecast was much better for the following day we decided to stay on board until next morning. Tuesday morning was much brighter so we went ashore and explored parts of the town we hadn't seen before then finished off with Chocolate and Churros at 'Valor Chocolateria' virtually next to the amphitheatre museum; if any of you are Chocolate lovers 'Valor' is a great place to go either to eat or drink Chocolate goodies or to buy the individual hand made Chocolates. We were back on board for lunch then the ship sailed mid-afternoon for the 21 hour trip to Gibraltar

 

Gibraltar

Our last full day on board and the weather was lovely. The views sailing towards Gib were spectacular and it was sunny and warm when we went ashore. 2 other ships were in port - the Queen Elizabeth that sailed out just before we docked and the Saga Sapphire. Due to Hubbys health issues, rather than walk to the centre we got tickets for the shuttle bus from the port to Casement Square that was a very well spent £4 each return. Christmas seemed to have come early to Gib with the lights already up and many shops either selling Christmas knick-knacks or with decorated windows. If anyone wanted to do the Rock Tour there was no need to book the Thomson trip as there were many mini-buses waiting outside the cruise terminal offering similar excursions at a lower price; the advantage of the Thomson tour being that the coaches returned you to the terminal whereas the local buses dropped you off on Main Street which is something to consider if anyone in your party has mobility issues. After a gentle stroll along Main Street, and a drink in the Star Bar which is the oldest bar in Gib and somewhere we have a drink in every time we visit, we caught the shuttle back to the ship but most people stayed ashore making the most of the late evening (9 p.m.) departure.

 

Malaga

We docked at 5 a.m. and cabins had to be vacated by 8 a.m. with everyone to be disembarked by 10 a.m. when the ship was sailing to Cadiz for a months re-fit. The weather was beautiful and it was a shame that passengers didn't have any time to explore this fascinating city - all the airport transfers were early. Being Cruise Only passengers we had a leisurely breakfast, disembarked, got a bus from outside the port gates and were back home with the first load of washing in the machine by 10.30 a.m.!

 

Crew

As usual the crew were fantastic and are what make a Thomson cruise special - can't praise them enough! Special mention must be made of our steward Arif and wonderful dining room duo (for the fourth time) of Roberto and Donny.

 

Cleanliness

There was no evidence of the dreaded Noro Virus on board and the ship was very clean; one toilet was out of order throughout the cruise but the rest were all working. Sadly there were still passengers using the toilets then leaving without washing their hands or using the sanitizer!!!!!

 

Entertainment

Broadway Theatre productions:-

Saturday - 'I'm Too Hot'. We had seen this in July and weren't over impressed so gave it a miss this time.

Sunday - 'Pop Goes The West End'. Songs from West End Shows based around the music of Abba, Madness, Rod Stewart and Queen. An extremely enjoyable concierto production.

Monday - Guest Comedian 'Micky Zany'. OK, but 45 minutes was enough for us so we didn't go to see his late night show the following evening.

Tuesday - 'Moulin Rouge'. Another show we have seen before on board so we gave this a miss too.

Wednesday - 'Styled By Rock'. We saw this in July and really enjoyed it so it was a must see again and it didn't disappoint! Excellent.

Overall the shows were first class as usual. However, we have seen most several times before and it would be nice to see some new productions for 2016.

 

Food and Drink

Food - We thought the food quality had improved in July and, on the whole, this was maintained; apart from lunch on the first day when the MDR was closed, and breakfast this morning, we ate in the Orion Restaurant. Breakfast and lunch selections were predictable (dare I say even a little boring) but evening meal choices were good with something to suit all tastes. We did opt for the Fillet Steak one night (£9.95 p.p. supplement) and the money was well spent. We got a bit tired of waiters, bar staff etc. plugging the 3 payable restaurants and we may well have fallen for one if we had been on a longer cruise. I do miss Afternoon Tea in the old Argo Lounge - I know the selection is better up in Sirens but I loved the old white glove/Earl Grey tea service that used to be offered.

Drink - We didn't pay for the so called 'All Inclusive' drinks package but did buy the Wine Package of 5 bottles for £72. We are not heavy drinkers, but didn't skimp, and our bar bill was under £150 which included the £72 wine package. The drinks menus seemed to have additional choices but SO many now come with a supplement which people who had bought the 'A.I.' package were rightly moaning about. We sampled the Coffees in the Explorers Lounge Coffee Port - very enjoyable; Hubby got a lovely large mug of Cappuchino for £2.70 but I did feel that £2.30 for a thimble of Espresso was on the high side but I am out of touch with UK prices. One person stormed into the Coffee Port raging that she had been charged a supplement in there and demanding that she got this removed from her bill/would complain to Thomson Head Office as she had the A.I. package but it is marked (in small print) on the menus that only a 50% discount is given; I can't believe how rude some people can be to the staff who are only doing their job.

 

Cruise Only/Future Cruise Desk

My concerns that the 'Cruise Only' option has been omitted from the new website are well known on here. We decided to ask if we could book this on board so visited the Future Cruises desk on several occasions but this was never manned; we therefore completed one of their request forms and waited for a reply saying that we lived in Spain. Yesterday we received a printed piece of paper saying that their computer couldn't offer Cruise Only so we would have to book in a UK Thomson Shop; if they had been prepared to have contacted Thomson for us we would have booked there and then - shame.

 

To Conclude

A really enjoyable/great value short break - felt like a week even though it was only 5 days. Sadly we cannot go on Dream next year as there are no flights from here to Greece but we will definitely be booking Majesty from Palma and Spirit from Malaga in 2016. For those of you about to sail with Thomson - have a wonderful time; I'm not jealous - honestly (OK, yes I am!!!!!).

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Ska man

Ska man

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Posted
Disembarked this morning after an excellent 5 nights on the Dream. Despite a force 10 gale Monday night/Tuesday morning that stopped us docking in Valencia, we had an extremely pleasant trip. Here are a few memories, thoughts and impressions:-

 

Pre-Cruise

We flew to Mallorca on the Thursday and had 2 nights in Santa Ponsa - weather was perfect and we had a very pleasant stay. On the Saturday morning we took a taxi from our hotel to the cruise terminal - journey only took 15 minutes and the fare was a reasonable 23 Euros.

 

On Arrival/Cabin

We arrived at the Palma cruise terminal just as the first few coaches had dropped off their passengers so we queued longer than usual to check in but, once we got to the check-in desk, it was a quick and easy procedure; we were surprised that we didn't have to complete any health declaration this time. We were on board by 10.40 a.m. and our cabin was ready. Had a lovely surprise as we boarded as Roberto, a waiter we have known since our first Thomson cruise, was one of the escorts and he pushed to the front to give us a lovely warm hug then take us up to deck 7. As we booked late, and this was a bonus cruise, we had kept costs down and hadn't pre-booked a cabin which in hindsight was a mistake; we knew it would be deck 6 or 7 inside and got 7176 which was right below the Delo Bar so VERY noisy until gone Midnight. Apart from the noise aspect, and distance to a lift (the lift closest to the cabin was for crew use only), the cabin was fine - kept spotlessly clean by our lovely steward Arif who came to introduce himself as soon as we arrived; bathroom was recently re-furbished, the shower was much better than on our previous Dream sailings and the bed was wonderfully firm and comfortable. We had one lovely towel animal during the 5 nights.

 

Sunday - Barcelona

Barcelona is a city that we know very well - apart from our own visits we have docked there on 3 other cruises - and we didn't fancy any of the 3 excursions available (limited choice of excursions offered in all our destinations on this last cruise of the season) so just did our own thing. We docked in the Dreams usual spot by the World Trade Centre and walked to Las Ramblas and the Plaza Real where there was an interesting Stamp and Coin market on. Being a Sunday the city was very quiet and our favourite place/watering hole La Boqueria market was closed. After a Coffee in the Plaza Real we wandered slowly back to the ship.

 

Monday/Tuesday - Valencia/Cartagena

Monday was to be Valencia and the excursion we had pre-booked (Lladro factory and city tour) was cancelled due to inadequate numbers which was disappointing. We therefore queued to book shuttle bus tickets at £5 per person (the city centre is some 20-25 minute drive from the port). However, after a very rough overnight sail we were informed that Valencia port was closed so we would be sailing on to Cartagena and having an over night stop there. This was the second time we have been unable to dock at Valencia so we have still not seen the city - oh well, that's an excuse to book another cruise that goes there lol! The entertainment team put on extra shows and films to pass the time until we reached Cartagena - we spent a very pleasant couple of hours watching 'The Kings Speech' in the Broadway Theatre and 'Les Miserables' was shown in the afternoon. We arrived at Cartagena at 5 p.m. and, although still overcast and windy, at least it was dry. As the forecast was much better for the following day we decided to stay on board until next morning. Tuesday morning was much brighter so we went ashore and explored parts of the town we hadn't seen before then finished off with Chocolate and Churros at 'Valor Chocolateria' virtually next to the amphitheatre museum; if any of you are Chocolate lovers 'Valor' is a great place to go either to eat or drink Chocolate goodies or to buy the individual hand made Chocolates. We were back on board for lunch then the ship sailed mid-afternoon for the 21 hour trip to Gibraltar

 

Gibraltar

Our last full day on board and the weather was lovely. The views sailing towards Gib were spectacular and it was sunny and warm when we went ashore. 2 other ships were in port - the Queen Elizabeth that sailed out just before we docked and the Saga Sapphire. Due to Hubbys health issues, rather than walk to the centre we got tickets for the shuttle bus from the port to Casement Square that was a very well spent £4 each return. Christmas seemed to have come early to Gib with the lights already up and many shops either selling Christmas knick-knacks or with decorated windows. If anyone wanted to do the Rock Tour there was no need to book the Thomson trip as there were many mini-buses waiting outside the cruise terminal offering similar excursions at a lower price; the advantage of the Thomson tour being that the coaches returned you to the terminal whereas the local buses dropped you off on Main Street which is something to consider if anyone in your party has mobility issues. After a gentle stroll along Main Street, and a drink in the Star Bar which is the oldest bar in Gib and somewhere we have a drink in every time we visit, we caught the shuttle back to the ship but most people stayed ashore making the most of the late evening (9 p.m.) departure.

 

Malaga

We docked at 5 a.m. and cabins had to be vacated by 8 a.m. with everyone to be disembarked by 10 a.m. when the ship was sailing to Cadiz for a months re-fit. The weather was beautiful and it was a shame that passengers didn't have any time to explore this fascinating city - all the airport transfers were early. Being Cruise Only passengers we had a leisurely breakfast, disembarked, got a bus from outside the port gates and were back home with the first load of washing in the machine by 10.30 a.m.!

 

Crew

As usual the crew were fantastic and are what make a Thomson cruise special - can't praise them enough! Special mention must be made of our steward Arif and wonderful dining room duo (for the fourth time) of Roberto and Donny.

 

Cleanliness

There was no evidence of the dreaded Noro Virus on board and the ship was very clean; one toilet was out of order throughout the cruise but the rest were all working. Sadly there were still passengers using the toilets then leaving without washing their hands or using the sanitizer!!!!!

 

Entertainment

Broadway Theatre productions:-

Saturday - 'I'm Too Hot'. We had seen this in July and weren't over impressed so gave it a miss this time.

Sunday - 'Pop Goes The West End'. Songs from West End Shows based around the music of Abba, Madness, Rod Stewart and Queen. An extremely enjoyable concierto production.

Monday - Guest Comedian 'Micky Zany'. OK, but 45 minutes was enough for us so we didn't go to see his late night show the following evening.

Tuesday - 'Moulin Rouge'. Another show we have seen before on board so we gave this a miss too.

Wednesday - 'Styled By Rock'. We saw this in July and really enjoyed it so it was a must see again and it didn't disappoint! Excellent.

Overall the shows were first class as usual. However, we have seen most several times before and it would be nice to see some new productions for 2016.

 

Food and Drink

Food - We thought the food quality had improved in July and, on the whole, this was maintained; apart from lunch on the first day when the MDR was closed, and breakfast this morning, we ate in the Orion Restaurant. Breakfast and lunch selections were predictable (dare I say even a little boring) but evening meal choices were good with something to suit all tastes. We did opt for the Fillet Steak one night (£9.95 p.p. supplement) and the money was well spent. We got a bit tired of waiters, bar staff etc. plugging the 3 payable restaurants and we may well have fallen for one if we had been on a longer cruise. I do miss Afternoon Tea in the old Argo Lounge - I know the selection is better up in Sirens but I loved the old white glove/Earl Grey tea service that used to be offered.

Drink - We didn't pay for the so called 'All Inclusive' drinks package but did buy the Wine Package of 5 bottles for £72. We are not heavy drinkers, but didn't skimp, and our bar bill was under £150 which included the £72 wine package. The drinks menus seemed to have additional choices but SO many now come with a supplement which people who had bought the 'A.I.' package were rightly moaning about. We sampled the Coffees in the Explorers Lounge Coffee Port - very enjoyable; Hubby got a lovely large mug of Cappuchino for £2.70 but I did feel that £2.30 for a thimble of Espresso was on the high side but I am out of touch with UK prices. One person stormed into the Coffee Port raging that she had been charged a supplement in there and demanding that she got this removed from her bill/would complain to Thomson Head Office as she had the A.I. package but it is marked (in small print) on the menus that only a 50% discount is given; I can't believe how rude some people can be to the staff who are only doing their job.

 

Cruise Only/Future Cruise Desk

My concerns that the 'Cruise Only' option has been omitted from the new website are well known on here. We decided to ask if we could book this on board so visited the Future Cruises desk on several occasions but this was never manned; we therefore completed one of their request forms and waited for a reply saying that we lived in Spain. Yesterday we received a printed piece of paper saying that their computer couldn't offer Cruise Only so we would have to book in a UK Thomson Shop; if they had been prepared to have contacted Thomson for us we would have booked there and then - shame.

 

To Conclude

A really enjoyable/great value short break - felt like a week even though it was only 5 days. Sadly we cannot go on Dream next year as there are no flights from here to Greece but we will definitely be booking Majesty from Palma and Spirit from Malaga in 2016. For those of you about to sail with Thomson - have a wonderful time; I'm not jealous - honestly (OK, yes I am!!!!!).

 

Hi Brenda I agree with what you have said.i did not have any problems with food choice I had breakfast at 6.30 everyday then a walk around the decks and went for breakfast with my wife to fill me up while on shore. We sat on the tables Ronald was serving on . He was on our first sailing on the celebration with manny who we still keep in touch with and when we leaving malaga ronald gave Maureen a hug .shook my hand and said look after her. my wife had a tear in her eye . I think that it is why we keep going back genuine people . One thing I noticed was people filling their own glasses with drinks. One couple would ask for a bit of water and ice then get miniatures out of her bag in full view

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Ska man

Ska man

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Hi Ska man that's a bit of a worry if people are doing the drinks thing I've never seen it before but this is the sort of action that will prompt Thomson to follow other cruise lines and spoil it for us all😈

 

I agree I only drink non-alcoholic and I was paying £3.70 which was only 1 euro on shore but would never attempt to take it to say the broadway as people were doing early filling their glass then going to another bar with it . Some don't look at the big picture and when they stop you bringing it on board . I think they will find a way as your bags do not always get scanned

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joeholiday2

joeholiday2

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Thanks for the great review Brenda, pleased you had a good time.

 

I hope they get the cruise only thing sorted out for you and others from Spain. I know you can use other lines like NCL etc, but they don't have the same friendly atmosphere from both staff and passengers.

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campolady

campolady

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Campo lady did you notice how much the speciality restaurants were? I noticed on another thread you could book all three at a special price but assume that can only be done on board ?

 

As far as I remember:-

Hot Stone - £15.95

Kora La - £16.95

Mistrals - £19.95

 

Didn't see the special 3 meal price advertised this time but it may have been available on request.

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