Thomson Cruises Reviews

I'm sorry your honeymoon was spoiled, but, if you spent every evening in the bar or casino how do you judge the entertainment? Perhaps you are 'large ship' customers.

Bummer about the Guinness. I got a free AI for my cruise in May and I was wondering about Guinness. Trouble is, I drink red wine and Guinness, but not in the same session 'cause red wine and the black stuff gives me a headache. Perhaps it's fortunate that Guinness isn't on the AI; I'll stick to the grape juice. If there a selection of wine on AI, or is the AI offering a solitary house plonk?

I feel quite low now having read this review. I love my cruising and hate to think of anyone having such a lousy time....Shame about the Guinness, couldn't you persuade him to try something else? .....Neil

I wonder why people get totally different impressions of the same ship? I find Thomsons crews very friendly and helpful. It makes you feel good when on day one you meet a waitress (Carole) coming out of a bar with a tray of drinks and she immediately recognizes you from a cruise 6 months ago!. The food is perfectly acceptable and it is a pity you did not dine in the main restaurant which has a better choice than the Lido, even for breakfast. Even in the Lido there is a lot of choice and theme nights. The open dining worked well for me and I never had to queue so you must have always tried at peak times. Some of the crew might have been a bit miserable last summer as Celebration was cruising from Corfu and the Greek unions forced Thomsons to employ a proportion of greek crew who apparently were miserable and inneffcient plus some of the original crew were sent home which did not help!. This is now sorted as the greeks have all gone. The entertainment is excellent with some really talented artists. A passenger asked if the singer in horizons could sing a special song for her and although they had never sang that number before they rehearsed the next day and sang it that evening, excellent. Another performance had half the audience in emotional tears because it was so good. Finally I think the main problem was the Guiness?

You are very much entitled to your opinion but I think you will be probably the first person I can recall on here that has ever given one star to staff on a Thomson branded ship. It seems that nothing was to your taste so perhaps you should go back to Royal Caribbean where the staff can angle for a tip and give you "better " service. Sorry your honeymoon was not as good as you hoped.

Well we have travelled with NCL and I hope you will find NCL entertainment to your taste - we thought it very poor. Despite the superb theatre, the three shows the showteam performed (in 12 nights) it could only be described as amateurish - no staging, costumes or dancing. I'm not sure which aspects of Thomson entertainment you consider to be like 'Butlins' (I've never been to Butlins so don't know what they have to offer therefore wouldn't presume to make comparisons). Thomson provide a wide range from quizzes to gameshows run by the entertainments team (not my particular taste but enjoyed by many) as well as classical musicians (did you listen to them in Explorer's Lounge? - one currently on Celebration plays in the Hungarian National Orchestra so of a superb standard), an easy-listening jazz combo in Horizons, a band in Liberties and a superb showteam putting on two shows a night for 6 evenings a week in addition to late night cabarets. I think the slick choreography, costumes, staging and singing in the shows are excellent. We have a broad appreciation of a variety of entertainment from classical concerts, West End musicals to pop concerts. Those who lump all of Thomson's entertainment into one category ('Butlins') I think haven't sampled all that's on offer or don't have a very open mind to different types of entertainment - either that or Butlins entertainment is excellent!