just back from tropical treasures/latin gems

just back from tropical treasures/latin gems

hi all

just back

fab flights on dreamliner:cool:

absolutely loved the itineraries...yes, we made it to st barths in the middle of a super yacht regatta....what a fabulous island! (i didnt want to go there as I wanted to do a duty free run in st martin instead) but I am so glad we did make it there.....its expensive but it surely is a beautiful stylish french island full of the beautiful people (and some ausies) we had a fabulous day there

but thats it....really guys...it breaks my heart to have to say the following:

food:

so if you eat at the buffet food is reasonably good and plenty of its but often somewhat lukewarm?, the usual thomsons full english breakfast, cant fault that, but main meals to get a bit samey, most times you will get: something in pasta, something fried, something in gravy and (some kind of) fish (day in day out meal after meal)....a bit samey after a few days, puddings have improved (they must have? they looked the same but I found myself eating them and I never liked the puddings previously)

the mdr: sorry guys, but a particularly lack lustre menu most evenings, again a choice of: something in pasta, something in gravy, something fried & fish and very small portions, nothing there to get excited about...perfectly good food just a bit boring

if you want to pay extra you can have a steak....steak under the stars seemed to be well attended most evenings, they curtain off a (quite pleasant) area under the stairs on sirens and there are about a dozen or so tables available which did seem to be booked up most evenings....waiters go around the restaurants most mealtimes selling 'steak under the stars' (amongst other things) thomsons?!...they are waiters not salesmen?....more on this later

so overall.....if you want a nice steak or a decent asian/french menu you will need to pay extra

wine packages are available at about £60 for 5 bottles (you dont get a choice of wines you have to take what is offered in the package) we didnt buy the package as I wasnt sure if we would like the selection? and so opted to order bottles (that we knew we would like) from the wine list, we were on pay as you go anyway so it didnt make a huge difference in price (apart from ferdie twice charging me for a bottle when I only had a glass?) :eek:

entertainment:

cant help with theatre entertainment (other then the crew shows) we didnt go, deck fest: a weird kind of sailaway party styled as a kind of glastonbury at sea with the show team and the peakles entertaining (basically a sailaway party)....with an opportunity to purchase various on board services....(every 6 seconds!)

something new!....thomsons were giving away prizes!! on their new tv chanel....each day stevie (chow for now) johnson would present a (rolling) hour long tv show, showing behind the scenes in the engines room/galleys/shops etc/interviews with crew members and plenty of adverts for the spa/casino/photographers etc complete with a daily quiz to win a prize....quite good prizes too, such as a free shore excursion from destination services/free meal in the grill/bottles of fizz/spa treatments etc etc plus one day 10% of the virgin gorda trip.....wont be beaten on the pre booking web price for shorex eh thoms?...I dont think so! (yet again I pay over the odds for pre booking on line?....will I ever learn?....... to book on board in future and take the onboard offers):(

every announcement is accompanied by some sort of plug for various onboard services

a myriad of vip packages offered each day: a seat in the theatre with galss of wine/ a seat in the theatre with steak under the stars and a glass of wine plus various other combinations all under the umbrella of vip treatment?

while we are on the subject of the vip treatment....craig freeman (some sort of thomsons top dog/manager) craig? very nice to talk too on a evening, v nice guy..... if you are a paying customer (sits up on deck 10 mostly) but if you are member of the crew its a completly different story? craig (yes we noticed) what a tyrannical boss you must be? you treat/and speak to the crew like sh**t!...we dont want to listen to that! we love our crew....... paying customers are sitting waiting to be served while the crew are pussyfooting around you 24/7? trying to keep you happy.... surely you can go and fetch your own: soup/bread/meal/coffee and if you insist on getting the crew to wait on you hand and foot while we are all sitting there (aghast at your antics ) please do at least acknowledge the fabulous service they provide you with a thank you....as we always do....thank you!:rolleyes:

meanwhile....back on deck 10, where we spent most (pleasant) evenings with likeminded company, listening to the 'live lounge' live music twice a night while enjoying a balmy evening....nice touch thomsons....enjoyed that very much

sunbed situation:

the usual sunbed situation on the sea day....what can be done about that? who knows?....we sat there gazing longingly at the empty (cavernous) sports net while sunbed war was breaking out all around they do enforce the 45 minute rule and someone is going around putting tickets on any reserved beds

there are now some tables and chairs for smokers on the smoking side of deck 12 sirens (next tot he tumble drier outlet vents) where if you sit there for long enough you will end up looking like you have been tarred and feathered in tumble drier fluff

lido pool deck is a much quieter sunbathing area but the sunbeds on deck 10 (wings) are like bear traps! very grubby and rickety and only a few put out (about 12 on each side) but lots (more) tables and chairs available

overall....we were a little disappointed with dream this year....food has declined (not in volume but in quality) entertainment is very much geared to selling (i mean 'in your face' selling) packages for this, packages for that? its too much/too complicated/too cheesy and too repetitive

cant fault the fabulous itinerary (despite there being an extra sea day on latin gems now?!)

i really do have concerns about the way thoms are heading? plus....thomsons crew contracts are out for tender this year (originally a 5 year deal) so there could be big crew changes ahead too?

will stick with thomsons for now (bit of a diehard) mainly because of the jamaica itinerary next year but that is the only reason that attracts me to thoms now

sorry guys for disappointing review....i'm not really a happy bunny and have some serious concerns regarding thoms and my future with them:(

more on itinerary later

Oh dear! Well all I can say geo is that we share your dismay at the way things are going and your thoughts reflect our experience too. I believe Thomson have become complacent about their regular customers thinking they can cut this, cut that, charge for this, charge for that and that we'll take it! I'm not at all happy either with the direction Thomson have decided to go. If their prices are significantly cheaper then perhaps we would travel with them for a good itinerary - but they're often not that competitive and it's not as though you are getting newer ships either - so what are they investing in? (Their own profit margins - and at our expense?) It makes you seriously reconsider doesn't it?

We too are really disappointed to even be thinking like this - we would never have thought we would. I can empathise with your 'breaks my heart' comment. That's exactly how we feel after investing our money, faith, love and attachment to Thomson and their crew for so many years. (More fool us you may say!) And believe me, from speaking to some crew, they too are unhappy in the changes 'over the last couple of years'! Work it out! :rolleyes:

But the bottom line is, whilst some will continue to be happy with the Thomson product, it wasn't what it was and we are certainly no longer thinking Thomson will be our first port of call for cruises. And it's a recurrent theme on here from many regulars. That is worrying - or at least should be to Thomson! :(

P.S. Pleased you enjoyed the islands though - that is still one area Thomson really score well. :)

so.... I have thought long and hard to find some positives:

I remember the old thomson product and i liked it....there have been many changes....some i admit I dont like, but its not all bad....there are are some nice touches:

the usual very slick transfer from runway to gangway....cant fault thoms on that

the ship was spotless and looked to be very well maintained (lots more health an safety awarness going on than I have noticed in previous years)

deck 10 used to be a grubby smoking area with a couple of tables and mostly laid out with sunbeds during the day....now it is a very pleasant al freco bar like area, mostly laid out with tables & chairs and just a few sunbeds on the wings, a place where people can enjoy a lunch or dinner, in the eveningtimes (especially at sunset) it comes into its own with live musicians (classical trio/peakles/a saxophinist and a member of the show team singing) a lovely place to watch the sunset and enjoy a drink, in the mornings it becomes a kind of breakfast club with freinds meeting up to plan their days travels, we really enjoyed this area and are pleased to see thoms extending its scope

no piped music on the open decks all day every day

a bottle of complementary sparkling wine was delivered to our cabin on the 2nd day along with a thank you card from thoms for our loyalty....its not much but it was something...thanks thoms

the future cruises desk was actually offering quite good incentives to book while on board (extra on board credit deals etc) and they beat the web price on that day (I checked) we didnt book anything tho

the photographers are much better than previously, they have a dedicated studio on deck 10 (by the gym) for portrait sessions and their photos are of a much better quality, no tatty costumes on the gangway just nicely staged pics and some really well produced portraits....still expensive tho.... no sign of the photographers during the safety drill

drinks/cocktails etc have improved in quality (since my last experience 2013) no sign of inconsistencies between the bars they are all served in the same way same quality throughout.....they didn’t run out of anything that i noticed...plenty of bar waiters this time, its really just a matter of a few minutes between sitting down and having your order taken

coffee/tea/iced water now available 24/7 in lido (even when closed)

all crew are their usual friendly happy attentive engaging and hardworking selves

dream is looking good and sailing well, v stable in the water and can zip along smoothly at 20 knots with very little vibration (as we noted it was doing on the last night to get back to barbados in time)

very good selection of shore trips and a reasonable price imo very slick and efficient service from destination services

Thanks for that comprehensive review Geo, we can always count on you to say it as it is, whether good, bad, or indifferent :)

It's not nice to have a boss like the person you mentioned, the staff don't deserve it, they work extremely hard, we all know that. I hope your comments are picked up by Thomsons and acted upon.

Kruz, you are right about what you say that the service on the 2 Thomson ships has declined over the last 2 years, yes I have worked out what you mean;)

If you cast your mind back to last year many were saying that the 2 Louis run ships were performing better than the 2 Thomson ones, apart from the problems in the new San Marco the Majesty seems to be getting good reports right now especially re the staff and entertainment. The Spirit starts properly tomorrow so we shall see how that fairs soon.

It seems they are going down the Ryanair route and trying to maximise profit by selling extras and cutting back. The problem for us regulars is that we notice it, however those new to cruising will not and just think it's normal and accept it. (At least until they try other lines)

Geo, it sounds like you had a good time all things considered, it's just that some things have slipped quite a bit.

Welcome back, Geo. Really missed your input on here.

Thanks for the very comprehensive review.

We too got a bit annoyed with the waiters being used to sell extras in Sirens when we had to search for a waiter to bring us a drink with our meal :(

As you pointed out, there is still much to like but also enough changes to the product to at least make us think twice about booking Thomson in the future.

yes still much to like guys

its waht you make it...we had a good time...a great time....we turned a blind eye to the bits that we didnt like too much

cant fault the itinerary or the seamless flying

cant fault the crew

cant fault the great village community that develops on board (this is what I missed the most on ventura)

but the relentless selling? (I hope you didn’t employ some sort of consultants for this thoms?):confused:

waiters were in the cattle shed/at the gangway selling wine packages before we had even embarked on the ship (in our case before we had even checked in!)....thoms, listen, I dont wish to purchase a wine package straight after an early morning 8 hour transatlantic flight whilst laden down with hand luggage/uk strength winter coat/silly hats and various bits of paperwork handed to me during the duration of my journey (none of which contained the word 'welcome')

I really don’t think anybody wanted to purchase anything at that particular moment in time? all anyone wanted to do is go for a smoke/freshen up/a cool drink/sit in a comfy chair, and not have start thinking about what wine you might like to be drinking for the rest of the week and weather you wanted to pay extra to be a vip or not!

However this (rather helpfully):rolleyes: did set the scene for the rest of the cruise

every meal time...I mean every mealtime in every resturant (just as soon as you were comfortably sitting down happily perusing the menu) waiters came around selling vip packages/meals in the grill/steak under the stars/wine packages/various combinations of anything that costs extra that is feasibly possible etc etc....having to say no thank you 3 or 4 times a day (whilst trying to enjoy a meal) is....seriously irritating (and I hope these poor waiters whose unfortunate turn it is that day to have to do this are not target driven? are they thoms? I hope not?)

the landslide of flyers/pamphlets/random adverts/useless information and pretty pictures (photocopied to within a an inch of their legibility) pictures of people enjoying wine/massages/photo sessions/steak! that appears under your door every night is mind boggling! (despite putting a 'no junk mail' notice on my cabin door) whats it going to be next thoms?.....cold calls to your cabin at midnight? oops! hope I havnt given you an idea there

a little selling….fine…its a business….thats fine, to be expected…but this is so blatant/cheesy/old fashioned/obvious and relentless and i suspect wasteful, also those waiters would be better employed doingthe job that they are highly trained to do?...ie...serving meals to those whose only wish is to enjoy a quiet (at no extra cost) meal in the mdr on an evening

yes still much to like guys

 

its waht you make it...we had a good time...a great time....we turned a blind eye to the bits that we didnt like too much

 

cant fault the itinerary or the seamless flying

 

cant fault the crew

 

cant fault the great village community that develops on board (this is what I missed the most on ventura)

 

but the relentless selling? (I hope you didn’t employ some sort of consultants for this thoms?):confused:

 

waiters were in the cattle shed/at the gangway selling wine packages before we had even embarked on the ship (in our case before we had even checked in!)....thoms, listen, I dont wish to purchase a wine package straight after an early morning 8 hour transatlantic flight whilst laden down with hand luggage/uk strength winter coat/silly hats and various bits of paperwork handed to me during the duration of my journey (none of which contained the word 'welcome')

 

I really don’t think anybody wanted to purchase anything at that particular moment in time? all anyone wanted to do is go for a smoke/freshen up/a cool drink/sit in a comfy chair, and not have start thinking about what wine you might like to be drinking for the rest of the week and weather you wanted to pay extra to be a vip or not!

 

However this (rather helpfully):rolleyes: did set the scene for the rest of the cruise

 

every meal time...I mean every mealtime in every resturant (just as soon as you were comfortably sitting down happily perusing the menu) waiters came around selling vip packages/meals in the grill/steak under the stars/wine packages/various combinations of anything that costs extra that is feasibly possible etc etc....having to say no thank you 3 or 4 times a day (whilst trying to enjoy a meal) is....seriously irritating (and I hope these poor waiters whose unfortunate turn it is that day to have to do this are not target driven? are they thoms? I hope not?)

 

the landslide of flyers/pamphlets/random adverts/useless information and pretty pictures (photocopied to within a an inch of their legibility) pictures of people enjoying wine/massages/photo sessions/steak! that appears under your door every night is mind boggling! (despite putting a 'no junk mail' notice on my cabin door) whats it going to be next thoms?.....cold calls to your cabin at midnight? oops! hope I havnt given you an idea there

 

a little selling….fine…its a business….thats fine, to be expected…but this is so blatant/cheesy/old fashioned/obvious and relentless and i suspect wasteful, also those waiters would be better employed doingthe job that they are highly trained to do?...ie...serving meals to those whose only wish is to enjoy a quiet (at no extra cost) meal in the mdr on an evening

Just like to have my two penith. All the staff are now on commission for selling packages and extras. I don't know how much of this now makes up there wages. I was told this from more than one of the waiters selling packages, so know it to be true!.:confused:

Just like to have my two penith. All the staff are now on commission for selling packages and extras. I don't know how much of this now makes up there wages. I was told this from more than one of the waiters selling packages, so know it to be true!.:confused:

shocking! this is truly shocking to my ears/eyes

thoms, if you want to sell? go ahead and sell, feel free.... but do employ some proper salespeople (people who are unfazed by targets & commissions and are trained to do so) these same people that we can encounter at home and know how to politely deal with, please dont use some unfortunate waiter/crewmember who has no choice in the matter, who has their own job to perform and who we would never do or say anything that would impact them adversely....shame on you thoms:(

Such a shame they have taken this sell, sell, sell route. That and the decrease in food quality once again just shows more cost cutting and a greater emphasis of getting as much money of us as possible. :(

Thanks for that comprehensive review Geo, we can always count on you to say it as it is, whether good, bad, or indifferent :)

 

It's not nice to have a boss like the person you mentioned, the staff don't deserve it, they work extremely hard, we all know that. I hope your comments are picked up by Thomsons and acted upon.

 

Kruz, you are right about what you say that the service on the 2 Thomson ships has declined over the last 2 years, yes I have worked out what you mean;)

 

If you cast your mind back to last year many were saying that the 2 Louis run ships were performing better than the 2 Thomson ones, apart from the problems in the new San Marco the Majesty seems to be getting good reports right now especially re the staff and entertainment. The Spirit starts properly tomorrow so we shall see how that fairs soon.

 

It seems they are going down the Ryanair route and trying to maximise profit by selling extras and cutting back. The problem for us regulars is that we notice it, however those new to cruising will not and just think it's normal and accept it. (At least until they try other lines)

 

Geo, it sounds like you had a good time all things considered, it's just that some things have slipped quite a bit.

Majesty reviews do seem good at the moment. Looks like the ships Thomson have most control over mean the most cost cutting. Will also be intrigued to Spirit's reviews.

We too loved the deck 10 outside bar area and spent every evening up there...I think Neil has moved down to Argo lounge now or may even be on leave but he and Carlos were brilliant, we enjoyed their company! I agree about the staff using that area though. We found the selling a bit of a pain. They are getting like p&o!

Welcome home Geo :) That fortnight went quickly :(

Very interesting review. Personally, I don't think we shall go on the Dream again. Very interested to hear about the food. We definitely thought the food standards had deteriorated. No illness on now though, I hope!

I know we all love(d) Thomson, but there are other shipping lines out there folks :)

Very interesting review and welcome back Geo. I'm being unusually brief as I have to get up very early in the morning to catch a plane to go on the 2nd week of Spirits new season. Very last minute booking. It will be interesting to compare Dream, Spirit and Majesty.

Must admit though, after the onslaught on the first two days on Dream of every waiter trying to sell us wine packages, I didn't notice any more hard sell until the following week when new passengers arrived.

Ferdie, the Head Wine Waiter went out of his way to ensure we had a good experience in the MDR.

thanks for welcome guys:cool:

jaks have a fab-u-lous time on spirit:cool:

ah ferdie...yes he's a fantastic character....we luv ferdie....but he does get a little flustered sometimes....but yes he did remember your party 'lady jacqueline' ;):cool: he remembered you very fondly...he is a lovely guy

Welcome home Geo :) That fortnight went quickly :(

 

Very interesting review. Personally, I don't think we shall go on the Dream again. Very interested to hear about the food. We definitely thought the food standards had deteriorated. No illness on now though, I hope!

 

I know we all love(d) Thomson, but there are other shipping lines out there folks :)

no evidence of norovirus on board that i noticed linda.....but I did notice undercooked (transparent) fish on the buffet:(

no evidence of norovirus on board that i noticed linda.....but I did notice undercooked (transparent) fish on the buffet:(

Will they never learn? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

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dream anchored of st barts

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shell beach st barts

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beautiful harbourside gustavia

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Ffryes bay antigua....probably the most beautiful beach in the world

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beach in oranjestad aruba

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fred olsen docking in front of us in curacau

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dream deck 10 by night (live lounge)

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deck 12 (not the sea day)

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brand new shopping boulevard backing onto mambo beach curacau

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Some fab pictures there geo - makes me want to go back - soon!!!! What a beautiful part of the world! I'll make a note of your recommendations for future reference - would certainly like to visit some of these!!! ;)

a pair of sperm whales playing in the deep waters surrounding the beautiful, unspoiled nature island of dominica:cool:

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Welcome back Geo, fabulous photographs just putting me in the mood.;)

Have you the details for getting to Ffryes Bay, please? My itinerary at the moment is for Valley Church Beach on the 22 bus, do you think Ffryes is better.

Ffryes is beautiful...so is valley church they all are on antigua

velley church is busier...only about 6 other people on ffryes when we were there, its secluded, theres a beach bar/restaurant, rest rooms, open wifi, no vendors, just a few sunbeds (supplied by the beach bar no charge) v quiet and relaxing, calm clear water for swimming

about 20 mins from port in a taxi $8 (us) each way, driver will come back at an arranged time, pay on return

hope this helps

Which Fred ship is that Geo? Looks like the Balmoral?