Extortionate Prices!!!

[sobral]

Just got Thomson brochure yesterday for 2011 cruises and the prices are riduculous! What on earth are Thomson thinking of? Summer 2011 prices are way over the top even if they offer the AI. Other lines are advertising much more competetive prices for 14 nights in the Med. I am so disappointed! I am going to wait until proices appear on the website and see if there is any significant discount:mad:
What do you all think?

[scout1956]

Just got Thomson brochure yesterday for 2011 cruises and the prices are riduculous! What on earth are Thomson thinking of? Summer 2011 prices are way over the top even if they offer the AI. Other lines are advertising much more competetive prices for 14 nights in the Med. I am so disappointed! I am going to wait until proices appear on the website and see if there is any significant discount:mad:
What do you all think?

Couldn't agree more. I got the brochure yesterday and will not be running to book without good incentives. And given April date of publication it's unlikely volcano disruption has anything to do with cost. Between the price hike and clearly misleading pax about the so called 5* dream they are taking the proverbial :eek:

[Smee]

I agree, I can drive down to Southampton get on a P&O ship and cruise for two weeks for a little more than Tomson charge for a week.........:confused:

[Ozzimandius]

Just got Thomson brochure yesterday for 2011 cruises and the prices are riduculous! What on earth are Thomson thinking of? Summer 2011 prices are way over the top even if they offer the AI. Other lines are advertising much more competetive prices for 14 nights in the Med. I am so disappointed! I am going to wait until proices appear on the website and see if there is any significant discount:mad:
What do you all think?

I agree
We compared a P and O cruise on Oriana with the best comparison to a Thompson cruise.
The P and O worked out £200 cheaper with £200 on board credit plus 16 days free parking at Southampton for a cruise that lasted 2 days longer.
Bearing in mind that the Oriana would knock spots off any Thompson ship we went with P and O.
Look at the Pand O Carribean prices[ditto]

[donaldsc]

So don't book with them and throw the bouchure in the trash. If we got posts on every overpriced trip out there, Cruise Critic would be full of them.

DON

[jessie36]

Do you know if will prices be on the website tomorrow?
Thanks

[sobral]

Am hoping they are more competetive! I have cruised Thomson every summer for several years and never seen the like! The prices are on average £300 more expensive per person than other cruiselines. I like the Thomson product but really £1,800+ for 14 nights on med is just too much. The exact same cruise on cruisedeals.co.uk was only £1,549 with the free all inclusive. Will check website tomorrow and if no change we will definitely have to consider deserting Thomson!

[sobral]

So don't book with them and throw the bouchure in the trash. If we got posts on every overpriced trip out there, Cruise Critic would be full of them.

DON

I think you are missing the point here- I have been a loyal thomson cruiser for years as my signature shows and I posted to ask fellow cruisers what they thought. I think your retort was uncalled for actually

[scout1956]

I think you are missing the point here- I have been a loyal thomson cruiser for years as my signature shows and I posted to ask fellow cruisers what they thought. I think your retort was uncalled for actually

I too was disappointed at the brochure price but and there is always a but things might change :)

[kruzseeka]

I too was disappointed at the brochure price but and there is always a but things might change :)

We can always hope. :rolleyes: The problem is that some/many? may have defected to alternative cruise lines by then which certainly won't help Thomson's profits/competitiveness.

It's true to say that the brochure prices are often a fair bit higher than the on-line prices - I've just checked Thomson's site and there are still the problems with the 14 day bookings so I can't compare my forthcoming cruise price with the equivalent one next year. However I've just looked on cruisedeals and the price is only £20 more than this year - same cabin category, airport etc and with AI included.

But I must say I sincerely hope that the terms of the AI aren't like those currently on Dream. I'd be furious if I'd boked early for the 'perk' of free AI - or worse still PAID for it and found only one cocktail variety (of their choice!!!!:eek: ) was available each day. That's NOT in the spirit (if you'll excuse the pun :o ) of what all of us expect an AI to be. If this isn't a mistake and quickly remedied, it will seriously affect Thomson's reputation. If they want to cut out AI - be honest and cut something off the price instead - or at the very least TELL customers how limited it is. With this query/issue about the AI at the moment which is often the sweetener which prompts people to bookmearly I think they'll find there's no rush to book just now. :(

[sobral]

Have just been on phone to Thomson and asked why couldnt book on their website- had no answer! Their quoted online price on the phone as they call it was £200 more expensive than same cruise etc on cruisedeals so I too will be booking with cruisedeals instead of Thomson. I too am worried about the so called AI- going on Dream in summer and worried about lots of things including their AI

[davecttr]

I will certainly not booking early for next summer and once I get hold of next years prices I will be doing comparisons with other cruise lines. By then I will have done 8 Thomsons cruises. What price customer loyalty? All the interesting itineries have been dropped e.g. UK sailings and Black Sea, apparently in the chase of ex OV passengers. The Adriatic is the only one that really interests me. For the Baltic and more of Norway I will have to look elsewhere. :mad:

[kruzseeka]

I will certainly not booking early for next summer and once I get hold of next years prices I will be doing comparisons with other cruise lines. By then I will have done 8 Thomsons cruises. What price customer loyalty? All the interesting itineries have been dropped e.g. UK sailings and Black Sea, apparently in the chase of ex OV passengers. The Adriatic is the only one that really interests me. For the Baltic and more of Norway I will have to look elsewhere. :mad:

My sentiments exactly - and we've done 15 Thomson cruises! I still have to ask the question - what IS the rationale behind putting THREE ships sailing out of Palma? What customer base are they chasing - and where do the old regulars stand in this? :( Forgotten/abandoned is what's coming to mind!!! :(

[davecttr]

Well it looks as if Thomsons won't be getting my custom next summer. According to the website there are NO single bookings available for the entire summer season aboard Spirit or Dream. Plenty for the other ships so it is either another example of head office incompetance with the web site or Thomsons have decided to sail those ships with the single cabins empty :mad:

[Huddersfieldtourist]

I will certainly not booking early for next summer and once I get hold of next years prices I will be doing comparisons with other cruise lines. By then I will have done 8 Thomsons cruises. What price customer loyalty? All the interesting itineries have been dropped e.g. UK sailings and Black Sea, apparently in the chase of ex OV passengers. The Adriatic is the only one that really interests me. For the Baltic and more of Norway I will have to look elsewhere. :mad:

Agree that there should be more variety in the itineraries - taking new customers upfront but risking losing existing is not the way to run a business. Those converted are more likely to stay than those who are yet to try it out - some, and I stress some, experienced OV cruisers will already be considering Thomson as their 2nd (?) choice or otherwise they would be already Thomson regulars not OV regulars

[Huddersfieldtourist]

I will certainly not booking early for next summer and once I get hold of next years prices I will be doing comparisons with other cruise lines. By then I will have done 8 Thomsons cruises. What price customer loyalty? All the interesting itineries have been dropped e.g. UK sailings and Black Sea, apparently in the chase of ex OV passengers. The Adriatic is the only one that really interests me. For the Baltic and more of Norway I will have to look elsewhere. :mad:

Agree - more variety needed. OV converts if experienced OV Cruisers must in the main be seeing Thomson as their second choice if not they would not be OV regulars. Thomson need to look after its loyal following as the OV converts may not wish to continue with Thomson and then the whole thing falls flat for Thomson. Alternative itineraires are desperately needed - and this really applies ex Palma. Why not base one of the three ships at palma somewhere else in this part of the Med ?

[Jim The Scot]

Agree - more variety needed. OV converts if experienced OV Cruisers must in the main be seeing Thomson as their second choice if not they would not be OV regulars.

Very true.Thomson indeed is my next best thing.
As an ex OV2 cruiser if she was still here I would be sailing on her

[davecttr]

Agree - more variety needed. OV converts if experienced OV Cruisers must in the main be seeing Thomson as their second choice if not they would not be OV regulars. Thomson need to look after its loyal following as the OV converts may not wish to continue with Thomson and then the whole thing falls flat for Thomson. Alternative itineraires are desperately needed - and this really applies ex Palma. Why not base one of the three ships at palma somewhere else in this part of the Med ?
Base it at Marseille so you can go on Eurostar/TGV

Of course it is too late for 2011 so for my Norway cruise I will be looking for a english speaking cruise line which is not too formal and not with a old clientelle, which kind off counts out P&O and FO

[kruzseeka]

Base it at Marseille so you can go on Eurostar/TGV

Of course it is too late for 2011 so for my Norway cruise I will be looking for a english speaking cruise line which is not too formal and not with a old clientelle, which kind off counts out P&O and FO


Hi Dave, we did the North Cape on NCL - it was a very good (fairly late) deal. The itinerary was excellent, the ship new and well appointed although I confess to thinking there were areas where I felt they fell short (very far short in entertainment) as compared with Thomson. However, we did enjoy the cruise because of the wonderful scenery and the fact that we got it at a good price (I'm prepared to compromise for a good deal!).

At the end of the day - we want to go somewhere which appeals - Norway is a country I would never tire of visiting - some of the Med ports are less of a draw - Marseilles, Genoa, Toulon, Palamos etc are fine for one visit, maybe for trips out thereafter but three ships doing more of the same seems ridiculous to me - unless they have an agenda!

But we've done the Baltics three times (with Thomson) and never repeated an excursion in St Petersburg (2 days per visit) because there is so much to see - and we'd still go back! Sorry, but I can't say the same for some for the Med destinations.

P.S. Have you tried ringing cruisedeals to see what they have to say about potential single rooms? Perhaps if they log into the same Thomson's site we do, they may come back with the same answer - but they may be able to get 'underneath' the public booking system and at least tell you if they have any singles or not. (I find they often have better prices than the Thomson site. Why?) There are some seriously weird things on Thomson's site at times. As others have mentioned, you get 'SOLD OUT' against some cruises which most definitely are NOT so it might be worth chasing it up - although like me, I know you have some reservations about itineraries this year too. Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide. Keep us posted. :)

[Beckyfaye-2008]

It is not only Thomson's who according to some are now getting very expensive, but if you go to P&O's main site, they are also complaining re P&O prices.
The only consolation may be, is that a lot of Cruise Lines this year have adopted Fluid pricing, in that depending on when you book etc, depends on how much you pay, and the prices being charged bear no resemblance to what is in the brochure.
For us having heard what some people have paid on last minute bookings, this is what we are going to do for our next cruise.

[bankiegirl]

Am hoping they are more competetive! I have cruised Thomson every summer for several years and never seen the like! The prices are on average £300 more expensive per person than other cruiselines. I like the Thomson product but really £1,800+ for 14 nights on med is just too much. The exact same cruise on cruisedeals.co.uk was only £1,549 with the free all inclusive. Will check website tomorrow and if no change we will definitely have to consider deserting Thomson!

I agree Thomson prices are are now more expensive than other cruise lines. Transatlantic on P&O much cheaper than Thomson Dream from Southampton. I have already deserted Thomson.

[bankiegirl]

So don't book with them and throw the bouchure in the trash. If we got posts on every overpriced trip out there, Cruise Critic would be full of them.

DON


My brochure is already in the recycling bin

[bankiegirl]

So don't book with them and throw the bouchure in the trash. If we got posts on every overpriced trip out there, Cruise Critic would be full of them.

DON

brochure !!!