Info required on Thomson Spirit

[kruzseeka]

I understand that some passengers were able to book the Flam train at Bergen tourist information office so if you go to Bergen before Flam that seems like a good idea and one way of being sure you get tickets! (Alesund tourist office couldn't pre-book though.)

[juliejane]

Hi All

 

Thanks for that, we're on the 9th October cruise flying out of East Mids (it's just up the road from us), sorry should have mentioned that. Cant wait,wifes already shopping for yet more clothes dont know why she's got loads anyway, ah well looks like I'll have to make do again.;)

 

 

hello we (me and the hubs) also on this one hope to meet you on board.we will be the ones dancing and partying from miday on deck on the sailaway party hahahaha. :D

[wavehopper]

Hi Juliejane

Yeah, we'll be on board partying somewhere, only six weeks to go, can't wait, sent the tux to the cleaners today and dragged the cases down from the attic, the wifes been sorting some of her stuff out and had to remind her that this is a fly\cruise this time so she's weight restricted, I wont tell you where she told me to go (lol), looks like more excess baggage penalties, ho hum.

see ya on board.

[jaycee1400]

The Spirit is the only Thomson ship we have not sailed on, so we are giving it a try on 1st October. Hope we have made the right decision.

 

Hi! We've just come home from sailing on the Spirit round the Baltic capitals. It was superb! Having sailed on her 2 years ago to Norway we were still as impressed by the friendliness of the crew and the cleanliness of the ship.

 

Yes, there was some vibration but it was negligible, at least where we were! And yes, there was a sewage smell around deck 5 which should be sorted out asap, but overall we thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would be quite happy to sail on her again.

 

Have a good voyage!

 

Jaycee1400

[Sailingscots]

Hi,

 

Just want to agree with Jaycee- Baltic Capitals cruise was brilliant. Great ports, great crew and fab weather to boot! Only rainy day was Riga and for those that braved the early start and went to Berlin it was 34 degrees celsius there that day ( I heard not quite so hot for those who stayed in Warnemunde- but the send off from the locals more than made up for that!).

 

Vibration was hard to miss at times but did not cause us any problems- gave Peter Sallis (who was on board and did a couple of Audience With sessions) a cue for a topical joke.

 

Isobel

[juliejane]

Hi Juliejane

Yeah, we'll be on board partying somewhere, only six weeks to go, can't wait, sent the tux to the cleaners today and dragged the cases down from the attic, the wifes been sorting some of her stuff out and had to remind her that this is a fly\cruise this time so she's weight restricted, I wont tell you where she told me to go (lol), looks like more excess baggage penalties, ho hum.

see ya on board.

 

 

a lady after my own heart hahha as my bloke allways says i have 30k and he gets the remainding 10k lolol of the luggage allowance.... trust me us ladies all the same. see ya soon

[Ozzimandius]

The Spirit is not as good as the Destiny.The ship is not as spacious and the vibrations make you feel you are on a cheap car ferry and not a cruise ship.

It feels more crowded especially outside when weather is fine.

The smoking policy is not as good.On Destiny smoking restricted to portside .On Spirit they can smoke anywhere outside even where food is being eaten.Ughh!

The cabin walls are even thinner than Destiny.Take earplugs unless you want to hear your neighbours hanky panky,rows, and comings and goings.

You have made wise move going for cheaper inside cabin.Just not worth paying extra for a Thompson Cabin.

Wouldn't go with Thompsons again.It is worth paying extra for a bettter cruise line like princess or P and O.

You get what you pay for.

still you live and learn

 

 

Hi all

New to this site but cruised for the last 8 years on and off, we are on board the Spirit in October (Jewels of the Med) and have never sailed on her before, have read some bad reports on other sites, (vibration, service, food problems) has anybody been on her recently and can give any info on her?, also we are in an inside cabin this time and never done that before either ,always had a window or balcony, wifes idea as she says that if we like it we can have more cruises 'cos it'll be cheaper (why didnt I think of that)so any tips on inside cabins will be most welcome, have cruised with Thomson before on Destiny and that was fabulous so we're hoping that Spirit will be fab as well.

 

Thanking you all in anticipation.;)

[rothtdk1]

hi,

I was wondering if you guys could tell us about on board. Do we pay gratuities daily or is there a set daily fee you are charged. Do you leave your credit card for charges or pay as you go. How are the bathrooms? How are the suites? Anyone been on the egypt/israel/syria/cyprus cruise? I hear they are redoing the Spirit do you all know anything about that? How do you get from the airport to nthe cruise ship as we are flying in from the states and are booking seperate air. Also, I saw on MSC and Costa you have to pay for water, coffee, tea, etc. is that so on Thomson? I expect to pay for a pint, but our last cruise was 15 years ago and drinks were included then. Do you all have a travel agent you can recommend in the UK or is the Thomson web site ok to book thru?

[kruzseeka]

hi,

I was wondering if you guys could tell us about on board. Do we pay gratuities daily or is there a set daily fee you are charged. Do you leave your credit card for charges or pay as you go. How are the bathrooms? How are the suites? Anyone been on the egypt/israel/syria/cyprus cruise? I hear they are redoing the Spirit do you all know anything about that? How do you get from the airport to nthe cruise ship as we are flying in from the states and are booking seperate air. Also, I saw on MSC and Costa you have to pay for water, coffee, tea, etc. is that so on Thomson? I expect to pay for a pint, but our last cruise was 15 years ago and drinks were included then. Do you all have a travel agent you can recommend in the UK or is the Thomson web site ok to book thru?

 

Hello there and welcome to the Thomson forum! :)

 

Well, I don't really know where to start - there are some of your questions which are easy to answer - but others are very subjective and, I suspect, it will be difficult to convey just what you should expect - it IS a very British ship and one which I think you would love from the friendliness and warmth of the crew on board - as well as the passengers! But I'll do my best to try to paint the picture and draw some comparisons.

 

First the easy bits:

 

1. NO daily gratuity charge - tips are included with Thomson. We believe the crew are rather better paid on Thomson so they are not so dependent on gratuities. Having said that, we always tip our cabin steward, waiters and wine waiter as the service is excellent - friendly, respectful but not subserviant. (£20 each for steward, waiter, £15 for assistant waiter and wine waiter as a guide - or at least that's what we give for a 14 day trip - not quite sure what otehr posters would recommend). But the bottom line is that you don't HAVE to tip - or go to Reception to have automatic gratuities removed from your bill.

 

2. Yes, you lodge your credit cards details on embarkation and all on-board purchases (drinks, excursions, shop purchases) are billed to your account - payable at the end of your cruise. Excursions are usually a lot cheaper on Thomson too - check the prices on the web-site.

 

3. Bathrooms/suites: here you will need some input from other posters - we generally settle for basic cabins on the basis that we can afford to go more often that way. Even the basic cabins have good storage - plenty of drawer space and wardrobes. BUT possibly the biggest gripe of even loyal, regular Thomson travellers is that he en-suites (and I guess bathrooms too in the suites) are 'tired'. Unfortunately the original tiling was small mosaic tiles and the grouting often looks a bit grubby - perhaps in the bathrooms in suites it won't be as pronounced as the showers in standard cabins but it is in need of a refurb but since Thomson don't own the ships, it's unlikely there will be a massive investment on an older ship to change the tiling. And as far as I know, there's nothing to indicate that Spirit is going to have any significant refurb whilst out of use during the winter. There may be a bit of re-upholstery here and there but I've not read about anything major. It's out of service in the winter simply because Thomson only run three itineraries in the winter therefore not all their ships are needed.

 

3. Absolutely NO charge for water, tea or coffee! Waiters bring fruit juice and tea/coffee at breakfast (in the main dining room - available self-service in the Lido restaurant). Lunch and dinner iced water brought around and replenished as often as you wish and tea or coffee served at the end of the meal. Water/tea/coffee available 24/7 in the self-service restaurant.

 

4. If you book really early on some of the Thomson itineraries you can get an 'All Inclusive' which includes a wide range of alcoholic and soft drinks as well as cappuccinos, and waiter served pots of tea in the lounges - at any time of day. A few drinks (like speciality malts) would carry a surcharge even if you do have an AI. If the AI is offered as an add-on you have to assess whether it's worth the cost. I understand prices on Thomson are much like pub prices here and we buy a bottle wine for dinner @ £12 which retails at around £7 in the suoermarket so the 'mark-up' is not excessive IMO. (At least not compared to restaurants and hotels in the UK). I'd definitely say if you can buy the AI for £49 (sometimes available after the free AI offer disappears) it's worth it - whether it's worth £149 for a week all depends on your drinking habits - but it's definitely not a good deal for us.

 

5. I'm not sure what are the arrangements for transfer if you are an independent traveller. Most of us in the UK book the 'package' with Thomson - they have their own fleet of aircraft flying from regional airports so most of us are in the Thomson system from check-in at our home airport. Buses transfer passengers from the airport to the port. If you wanted to be taken from the airport then I don't think it would be a problem - but if you are in a hotel you presumably would have to make your own arrangements to get to the port. Perhaps you particularly want to spend some time at the cities where the cruise starts/ends but if not, would it be more cost-effective to fly to the UK and get the 'package' from the UK? A TA will advise on that.

 

6. As for T.A's - I've no idea how easy it is to book from the States. Certainly Thomson on-line bookings (if you can do it) are perfectly ok. It's a big company with ATOL and ABTA insurance cover (are these applicable to a purchaser in the US? Might be worth checking). But a site called cruise deals - run in all together in your search - is a TUI company and often has better prices than the Thomson site - don't ask why - it baffles us all. But apart from checking the prices on-line unfortunately you would have to phone them to book which could be expensive from the States - could still be worth it if the price difference is significant.

 

Now, I think I had better out-line what the main differences are on Thomson as compared with, say the NCL ship we recently travelled on - you probably won't have been on a ship quite like the Thomson fleet!! (Unless you were on the spirit many years ago when she was with HAL).

 

Thomson ships are renowned for friendliness, service, warmth, entertainment, good hygiene and fantastic atmosphere (most passengers will engage in conversation and we've met some lovely people on our cruises.)

 

On the Spirit it's 'open' dining but often we return to the same waiters/table each evening as they get to know your preferences and do look after you very well - you just need to let them know you will come the next evening (and an approximate time). The Lido restaurant is self-service but in the evening there are some nice touches - table linen and waiters in attendance serving water and quickly clearing tables. Although it gets crowded at times it is quite a civilised dining experience - unlike the awful chaos we experienced on the large American ship we sailed on.

 

She is a small ship - this enhances the friendly feel - but there aren't all the impressive facilities you get on the huge ships - ice-rinks, climbing walls, glass malls, lots of shops etc., etc.

 

On the plus side, smaller numbers make for easier embarkation etc. and there is a much more personal feel to the ship - we never actually feel at home on a large ship - but that's a personal thing.

 

Entertainment is usually highly regarded on Thomson. A showteam delivers well choreographed, lively shows for about 8 nights of a two week cruise (based on ABBA, Buddy Holly, Lion King, Moulin Rouge etc.). One night a week is a comedian and then there are classical musicians in Explorers and a resident band in LHigh Spirits and a usually a jazz style combo in Horizons (very relaxing, mellow bar at the top of the ship). In addition, the showtem also do deck parties and late night cabarets. They usually put on at least one play too on a sea-day in the afternoon and the entertainment team run the usual game shows/passenger participation activites. The showThere was absolutely no comparison in the standard of entertainment on NCL - but Thomson is rather British-based so there could be a difference here in expectations.

 

Well, I can't think of any more. In summary:

 

Thomson is about the software - service, entertainment, warmth and ambience NOT the hardware. Their ships are NOT flashy, glitzy and can honestly be described as tired old ladies - but for regular passengers they have a charm all of their own and many of us are regular and repeat customers. Hope this helps. :)

[rothtdk1]

Hi Kruzseeka,

Let me first say how much you have helped me sort through this decision process. I really appreciate your help and your advice. Thank you for taking the time to be so detailed and kind. I like the idea of a smaller ship. From what you desribed I think we will enjoy this ship. I am so excited now! I am nervous, more so than usual because I am out of my element in choosing a cruise. I wish you were going on our cruise in March as I am sure you would be a great guide for us. Have you been on this paticular cruise to Egypt, Israel, Syria & Cyprus? I know sometimes think Americans are rude but I don't think we are (my husband and I), do you think we will be received well on a mostly British ship? I like people and we are looking forward to meeting lots of nice people.

[kruzseeka]

Hi Kruzseeka,

Let me first say how much you have helped me sort through this decision process. I really appreciate your help and your advice. Thank you for taking the time to be so detailed and kind. I like the idea of a smaller ship. From what you desribed I think we will enjoy this ship. I am so excited now! I am nervous, more so than usual because I am out of my element in choosing a cruise. I wish you were going on our cruise in March as I am sure you would be a great guide for us. Have you been on this paticular cruise to Egypt, Israel, Syria & Cyprus? I know sometimes think Americans are rude but I don't think we are (my husband and I), do you think we will be received well on a mostly British ship? I like people and we are looking forward to meeting lots of nice people.

 

 

Hello again, :)

 

You are very welcome - so pleased you found my thoughts helpful. :)

 

No, we haven't done this itinerary - we have just come back from a Black Sea cruise on Celebration (Spirit's sister ship - to all intents and purposes almost identical in all respects including service/standards/entertainment) and in May we're booked on the Spirit doing the Adriatic/Aegean itinerary - but the one you are looking at would be a completely new area to us - but it does look fascinating. It would be very 'neat' (I believe that's what you'd say!) if we were on this trip - I would be happy to share info, ideas etc. I usually do as much research as possible before we go to find out what the main attractions are and what we think we want to see (email local tourist information offices - they are often very good in sending brochures too if you ask and give your address) and of course there is a lot of help on here on the port threads and people are very good in giving the benefit of their advice. Incidentally, the Destination Services on Spirit were superb when we went to Norway in July. They were very helpful and supportive and went out of their way to find information to help the independent traveller - so don't think you have to go on all organised trips - unless you want to.

 

As we left the Celebration in October I believe she was doing a re-positioning from Corfu to the Red Sea which included some of your ports of call - perhaps if you started a thread on this forum to ask if anyone has experieince of 'Syria, Cyprus, Egypt' ports, you may find someone who can help with that.

 

As for your question about being 'accepted' - without a shadow of doubt! Of course, in every nation there are some who behave in a way which is not very edifying - but our experience on Thomson ships is that there is a genuine 'warmth'. Breakfast and lunch (and evening meal should you wish) you can sit with someone different every meal in the main restaurant and with very few exceptions, we've enjoyed exchanging experiences, discussing ports and just generally chatting about - anything!! (On a VERY few occasions we've thought we'll try to avoid a particular couple in future - but that's usually because they have been rather pretentious or miserable/moaners!) But I stress that is the exception - we've made some great friends and often see people we've met before - Thomson attracts lots of repeat passengers. In the showlounge, on excursions etc. people always chat and I'm sure you'd be welcomed as yourselves in fact you'll probably find everyone would be very interested to learn about you - and especially what you make of the Brits on holiday!!!! :D

 

On our Aegean trip earlier this year, we met a delightful young American couple who hiked to 8 miles to visit an attraction (then back again!) and they became fairly famous on the ship for such an intrepid feat!! The age profile on Thomson is generally 'older' (and the time you are going - plus the itinerary I guess will mean there would be few children on board) but there is a mix on board and everyone seems to get along well. We've enjoyed the company of all age ranges from young newly-weds to genteel old ladies and I don't think anyone who is friendly could feel anything other than 'at home'. (Although to be fair occasionally you see a review from young travellers saying the passengers were 'old' - but they were probably looking for a different type of holiday mainly with other young people.) But there is a really 'fun' atmosphere on board - the deck parties are good fun and the staff so friendly it's hard not to go along with the flow. On the other hand there is also a quiet lounge with classical musicians performing so something for everyone!!

 

Be confident about sailing with Thomson - I don't think anyone who is a 'people' person - friendly and approachable could possibly NOT enjoy the atmosphere on board. That is not an area people ever bring up as a 'negative'. As I've outlined before the main criticism is the 'tired' en-suites and the sometimes noticeable vibration - although after a little while - most say they don't notice it. It certainly doesn't put us off the ship.

 

If you do decide to book and have any other queries about Thomson, I'd be happy to help - and others on the forum may well have info on your particular ports to help with that. In the meantime, do you know about the ports of call link on the Thomson website? Here is the link. It tells you about the destinations and some of the trips available (with prices). Put in the correct season for your travel (Winter 2010?) and then scan down for the ports and click on that for more information.

 

http://www.thomsonbeach.co.uk/th/cruise/viewPorts.do

 

Good luck with your planning - and I hope you have a great time if you do decide to book. :)

[rothtdk1]

Once again you came to the rescue. I am really excited! We will be spending a few days in London in March, maybe we can buy you and your family dinner for all the wonderful information. We are not sure if we are sailing on the 3rd or 10th of March yet, but will deciding soon.

[kruzseeka]

Once again you came to the rescue. I am really excited! We will be spending a few days in London in March, maybe we can buy you and your family dinner for all the wonderful information. We are not sure if we are sailing on the 3rd or 10th of March yet, but will deciding soon.

 

 

Hello again,

 

Thank you so much for that lovely invitation :) but there really is no need to buy us dinner - I'm just very pleased to be of help! We do occasionally go up to London so please keep in touch and, if we can, we'll try to meet up with you to say 'Hello'. :)

 

I'll put you on the 'friends' option on the 'personal details' section of this site so that, should we wish, we will be able to exchange private emails.

[Beckyfaye-2008]

rothtdk1

If you decide on the 10th March, you will be on the same cruise as us, and I am sure you will be most welcome.:)

[crocsaway]

Once again you came to the rescue. I am really excited! We will be spending a few days in London in March, maybe we can buy you and your family dinner for all the wonderful information. We are not sure if we are sailing on the 3rd or 10th of March yet, but will deciding soon.

 

hello-hope you got your cruise sorted out

I am going on the Thomson Spirit on march 3rd so may see you aboard,have a great trip:)

[middy]

I'm on 3rd of march too. :)

[crocsaway]

I'm on 3rd of march too. :)

 

Hi Middy:)

 

are you flying from Manchester?(can see you are in lancs somewhere!)

 

I'm from Wigan and new to cruising as started last year with my mum who used to cruise with my dad(now passed on)

 

its an easy way to holiday with her and she picks where we go etc

 

this time will have my cousin and her 80yr old mum(my aunt) with her

 

looking forward to a good trip;)

[middy]

Hi crocsaway,:) yep we are out of Manchester too. Cruising with hubby and 23 year old son. 2nd time on Spirit for me and hubby. Have done Egypt ports before but Syria and Israel are new to us. Not long to go now. :D We are in North Lancs. Morecambe.