Hello Again - I'm Back from Cruising

Hello all!! I'm back posting!! :D

Well, I've just returned from a week on the Dream so I thought I'd get around to doing a review and come back to doing some posts on here. Will post a review sometime tonight/tomorrow.

I've quickly scanned through recent threads so will try and answer the points that have been mentioned - Norovirus update, areas of the ship closed, the new VIP Broadway Show Lounge tables, more ways of getting money off you etc. We had a great time though, but I have to say there's more negatives this time than in the past.

Will post review shortly. :)

Hi Sailaway it's great to see you posting again.Do you have any news on Thomson Spirit next year which seems to have disappeared from view.I may have missed posts on this as have been otherwise engaged for a few weeks.

Trust you enjoyed your cruise and look forward to your review

Welcome back! Can't wait to read your review about the good the bad and the ugly parts of the Dream. Pleased you had a good time.

Hi Sailaway it's great to see you posting again.Do you have any news on Thomson Spirit next year which seems to have disappeared from view.I may have missed posts on this as have been otherwise engaged for a few weeks.

Trust you enjoyed your cruise and look forward to your review

It's gone! Will check this out for you.

Deeside Dave, just done a search on Thomson's site for Spirit for 2014 and it is appearing. Have you clicked on the 'Cruises from the UK' in the booking search panel?

we are booked on the spirit for april and oct next year

Look forward to your review Sailaway and if you read mine you`ll have a lot to live up to ;) :D

We had a great time though, but I have to say there's more negatives this time than in the past.

Ditto

Look forward to your review Sailaway and if you read mine you`ll have a lot to live up to ;) :D

 

 

 

Ditto

Will go and browse it now to see the standard set. ;)

So pleased to hear from you and to know that you had a great time Sailaway. :) I look forward to reading your warts and all review - would like to do Dream again so am looking at the reviews with particular interest. :rolleyes:

Welcome back. I will be pleased to read your review of Dream too as I am looking to book a Caribbean cruise for 4 in Jan, Feb or Mar 2014.

Was checking Spirit from liverpool for next May but couldn't bring it up.perhaps I didn't do it correctly

Hi Sailaway :) hope you had a great time, have booked Dream for March so reading all the reviews.

great to have you back sailaway:cool:

So, here’s my review for Thomson Dream. If you’ve read my recent posts on the forum then you’d know that recently I’ve been rather disappointed with Thomson regarding certain changes (and lack of in other areas), but we decided to give Thomson Dream another go. Before I start, I must say that we did have a great cruise and holiday, and there are a lot of positives and great points to mention. However, there are also some negatives, more so than on previous cruises with Thomson. But, on the whole, the positives points do outweigh the negatives. I haven’t really done a review on any of the ports, as we mainly just did our own thing in each, so I’ve mostly just concentrated on the ship.

FLIGHT, TRANSFER & CHECK-IN

Flight with Thomson Airways was on time and on one of their brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft with the ‘Sky Interior’. Seat pitch was good, excellent and efficient cabin crew, and the food menu has improved on last year, which was mainly just a menu of grease. Oddly, for the past few years, it has been the flight end of things that has decreased in quality, with the cruise having no problems. But it seems to be other way around now. With the new aircraft, the flight experience has improved significantly, although the return of IFE I think is needed for any flight over three hours. Transfer from Palma de Mallorca airport was quick with no problems, and check-in at the port was also efficient. We were told on the coach when we arrived at the port that the ship the previous week had had cases of Norovirus on board, and that it had been thoroughly cleaned that day. I knew that at the beginning of the season, there were a lot of cases of Norovirus on board (or what they were calling Norovirus anyway), but it did seem to have got better as the weeks went on, so whether it had got worse again the previous week? Anyway, more on Norovirus later. The lifeboat drill was then done at 9 pm, but there was no mention of it previously, apart from being in the Cruise News and an announcement 15 minutes before.

THE ‘PLATINUM’ UPGRADE

Since being on Thomson Dream it has had its ‘Platinum’ upgrade. Now, I already knew not to expect much and that really it was just a much needed refurb. Here are my observations of the refurbishment:

- Cabins: new carpet, flat screen TV, re-upholstered sofa, new bedding, new cushions and throws, tea and coffee making facilities. Bedding is a lot nicer and the carpet much better. Although, the furniture needs replacing! Dents in it everywhere, bits with paper wedged between it to stop it rattling. Still the same dated lighting. Certainly not Platinum standard for sure. The bathroom was okay, but if they said they were refurbishing the cabins, the bathrooms should have been done. And when will they get rid of those shower curtains and put a proper shower screen in!

- Medusa: new carpet, new seating. Looks nice, but it wasn’t terrible really before. I think the money could have been spent elsewhere and better if finances were limited for the refit. And yes, definitely less seating. Trying to find somewhere to sit 15 minutes before something was beginning was virtually impossible. Why seating has been taken out I really don’t know?

- Orion Restaurant: new carpets and re-upholstered chairs. To be honest, hardly any change noticeable here.

- Lido Restaurant: new seating, new carpet. Still needs a complete redesign. Having starters and main courses together on the same side just causes huge queues. I know it would take a bit of money to do, but I think the space is there, it just needs to have some sort of lines on both sides of the restaurant, and more separate stations.

- The Grill: new chairs and tables, new carpet. Nice area, but Sirens is still the same. The tables and chairs here need updating for sure (I’d have done this instead of the work on the Medusa). They just look tatty and old, especially when comparing the new ones in The Grill. Surely they could have spent a little more and added the chairs and tables in The Grill for the whole of Sirens?

- Lido Deck: canopy added, upgraded serving area, new seating. Particularly liked the new wicker chairs, more of these please!

- Spa: Has been refurbished and does look better.

- Throughout the ship: new carpets in most areas, which were definitely needed after all the plumbing problems that had led to terrible stains and smells. No more smells in the corridor so this must have been coming from the old carpets in the past. Although why they chose a carpet design that looked like something out of an airport in the 1980s I don’t know? I’m guessing it was cheap as no one else wanted!

What still needs to be done:

- Ocean Bar could do with updating and brightening up.

- The back of Deck 8 is still hardly being used. What the ship needs is a Horizon style bar (but I understand this would mean a lot of structural work), but it also needs a nice coffee lounge like Blake’s was on Destiny. The Water’s Edge would be perfect for this, and it could then have a nice outside area with the wicker sofas leading onto the back area of Deck 8.

- Siren’s needs updating.

- The pool deck on Siren’s does still look a bit tatty. The chairs that are now on the Lido Deck would be nice for up here also.

- The metal sun loungers HAVE to go. I can’t believe they’re still using these after inheriting them from Costa! They look awful, are in a bad condition and are very uncomfortable.

- Get rid of the Sports Deck and change it into a sunbathing area, maybe an area with individual pods like TUI Cruises have:

http://tuicruises.com/mein-schiff-2/sonnenbereiche/

Would be much better use of the space as I never saw anybody using the Sports Deck at all.

So, what the Platinum refurbishment worth mentioning? A definite no. It was just a much needed refurbishment in areas that really needed it. If it had never been mentioned, I don’t think I would have even noticed it. Even a normal refurbishment by other cruise lines would have gone a lot further than Thomson did. Surely, if they say they’re refurbishing to a Platinum standard, all bars, restaurants and bathrooms in cabins should have been refurbished! I did notice that when booking your cruise, the word ‘Platinum’ is mentioned a lot, from the brochures, information online etc., but when you’re on board, there’s hardly any mention of it at all. Actually, I don’t think I saw it mentioned once! Makes you wonder if it is just a thing to make you book and then not mention it when you’re on board as they know customers would be disappointed and walking around going Platinum! What Platinum upgrade!?!?

ENTERTAINMENT

The Show Team really did try hard, but they definitely were not the best that we’d seen, certainly not as good as the ones we’ve seen for the past couple of years. There are some good vocalists though; Charlotte in particular has a fantastic voice. The shows were a bit mixed really. A lot more of the Concerto-style shows than before. Less big production shows, with less costume changes, background scenery etc. Another cost-cutting practice? Perhaps to tie in more with the entertainment on Majesty? The cruise director, Paul Fisher, was very good.

SERVICE

The crew were there usually friendly self, and were, as expected, fantastic as usual, cabin stewards and waiter especially. However, there has definitely been cost-cutting when it comes to bar service. It takes so loooooooooooong to get a drink now. And it isn’t the staffs fault. They are going as quick as they can, but they simply don’t have enough staff to take orders and then make the drinks behind the bar. It wasn’t unusual to wait for about 20 minutes from sitting down at a bar to eventually getting your drink. Medusa, Lido Restaurant and Broadway Show Lounge were particularly bad, and passengers were starting to get rather irate with it. There definitely seems to have been staff cuts, something that I think I read people have noticed on Celebration too. In all areas to cost-cut, I think this is one that definitely SHOULDN’T be done. The crew are the biggest asset to Thomson, and people will start to get the wrong impression that the service they provide isn’t good because of the length of time it takes to get anything. Get more staff Thomson! Cost-cutting in this area is criminal!

DRINKS PACKAGE

The drinks package as we all know has become a lot more limited. Ordering by the glass instead of a can is stupid. Also, drinks really varied between bars and different nights. Some very strong, some very weak, some cocktails tasted extremely different each time. Also, no bar menus at all! More on this later.

You can now purchase the drinks package on the ship, priced at £225 per person. Also, they’ve now got a wine package. You get five specially selected wines for £59.80. Clearly, Thomson has listened here as this was something that was brought up in the Q&A with Ellacott and how it was only available on Spirit and Majesty.

FOOD

Ate in Sirens for breakfast, Lido/Sirens for lunch and then Orion in the evening. I have to say, food quality has seriously decreased. Most of it was very bland, not as much choice as before. It was all rather tasteless. I know the food on Thomson has never exactly been gourmet, but it has definitely become poorer. You could tell that they were trying to use the cheapest ingredients possible. Some serious cost-cutting has clearly been done here. I think the food was definitely the worst we’ve ever had on a cruise. Breakfast was marginally better, but lunch and dinner we found were poor. Also, I did notice the dress code has got rather relaxed. Saw some shorts and sandals in the Orion during the evening a few times, and it seems that smart casual has gone now to just casual. Don’t mean to sound snobbish, but it did seem that the clientele had gone slightly down market than previous years. I know that sounds awful, but it was definitely noticeable. Don’t mean it in a horrible way, just a slight observation, especially regarding the dress code.

NOROVIRUS

We were told when we got to the ship that there had been a Norovirus outbreak again the week before. As a result, pools, Jacuzzi’s, library and gym were closed during the cruise. Pools did re-open halfway through (not sure about the others), but the Jacuzzi’s were definitely closed for the whole week. Staff served you in the Lido and Sirens, and there were no bar menu’s so as not to spread any infection, which meant trying to work out what had a supplement and what didn’t was rather tricky. We didn’t see any evidence as such of anyone being ill during the week, although we did see the dreaded carpet in front of the cabin doors, indicating that someone in the cabin was sick so not to enter it. I think it is definitely improving, but probably not at the speed as it should be.

ANOTHER CHAOTIC TENDERING

Bad tendering seems to be all the range this year doesn’t it! Portimao from the re-positioning cruise, Scarey Mary said that the Black Sea tendering was badly organised and here is another one to add to the list, Saint Raphael. We were supposed to be docking here, but I think it was Berwyn that said they couldn’t because of the weather so went to Villefranche instead. I think this might have been the first time then that they have been to Saint Raphael? When booking it wasn’t down as a tender port, and online it still says it isn’t. Returning to the ship was a bit chaotic. Excursions all arrived back to the ship at the same time, so there was an extremely long queue for the tenders. The last tender should have been at 15:15, as we were sailing at 16:00, but that was never going to happen, the queue was that long. In the end, the ship left over and hour and a half late, and had to seriously speed up to get to Barcelona in time. Organisation was terrible, as surely they knew this was going to happen. The problem with Saint Raphael is the tender boats go into a little marina area, which means that only one can go into it and out at a time, causing long delays. I see they’re looking at going here again next year. Saint Raphael is okay, but certainly no Villefranche. I have a funny feeling that if the tendering situation continues, Saint Raphael maybe dropped in favour of tendering from Villefranche where they can go to and back to the ship more frequently, or go and dock in Toulon instead. Will see what happens with this one. Be interesting to hear of anyone who goes to Saint Raphael next regarding if it has improved at all.

MORE WAYS TO GET MORE MONEY OFF YOU

Yep, the VIP tables are true. For £10, the booths downstairs in the centre of the Broadway Show Lounge are now reserved. For the £10, you get a glass of champagne and a table cloth (ooh the luxury!), and they are roped off, with a rope like those you get that separate lines at an airport check-in. In my opinion, a blatant way to make more money out of you. Already it can be difficult to find a decent seat in the show lounge that isn’t obstructed by a pillar or someone’s head, and now they’re charging for good seats.

Another new thing is ‘Steak Under the Stars’. Costs £13.95, and you sit outside on Sirens deck. Didn’t try it so don’t know how good it was, but if you’re on Sirens deck, you can’t really see the sea properly can you, just through the windows on the side. So your view is really the roped off Jacuzzi’s. Don’t know how popular it was, but perhaps someone who has tried it can add more information on this one.

ALCOHOL POLICY

In the Cruise News and when you get on the ship, it still states that only the alcohol that staffs sell you on board can be drunk. I didn’t see anyone having there’s confiscated, so I don’t know how strict they’re being now with this rule, but it would seem if they want to enforce it more strictly, they could do.

So, overall did we have a good time? Yes we did. I know I’ve mentioned mainly negatives on here, but that’s just highlighting the difference between now and previous years. The staff were still very friendly and definitely the best out there, ports were very good (can never get bored of Rome!), entertainment was on the whole enjoyable, and I do still love cruising, and Thomson do still do many things right. And the atmosphere and other passengers on board still make the cruise (something I did see Kruzseeka you mentioned was slightly lacking with P&O). Will I be going with them again? This is more difficult to answer. For the full price, definitely not! Two years ago, we would look at booking in advance and would pay the full fare with the free AI, but I never would again. The cost-cutting has resulted in you paying a higher price for a lower level of overall service and quality level of cruise. However, if the price decreased, then yes, I would still consider Thomson, but I’m definitely looking at P&O or Celebrity for the next cruise. Thomson has made too many cost-cutting measures and, with the disappointing Platinum upgrade, they need to move with the times more as they are going to get left behind.

If you are about to join Thomson Dream, then don’t worry about my negative points too much, as I’m sure you will still have an excellent holiday! There are many positives you can say about Thomson Cruises, but just keep in mind the negatives to put on the questionnaire to make sure that something is done about them.

great review...thanks for this, glad you had a lovely time

converting the waters edge into an horizons/blakes style bar and utilising the back of deck 8 with wicker sofas etc is a great idea sailaway....genius

I don’t think they will ever get rid of the sports net....mores the pity:(

I also felt a lack of bar service on dream on my new year cruise (almost impossible to get a drink in medusa) and the pool bars at times....always seemed to be long queues

Thanks for that comprehensive and very thought-provoking review Sailaway.

I am absolutely appalled that they should have instituted charging for some seats in the theatre! I just couldn't believe this when I read it earlier and felt sure there was some other explanation. So much for thinking the best of Thomson. Another let down!

From your comments about more Concerto style shows (yes it is a cost cutting measure - less staging, costumes, choreography and rehearsal needed!) I must say Thomson are rapidly losing my confidence. Do they not realise that it is the production shows which have earned them the reputation for such excellent entertainment? And that is their usp! One Concerto per week is enough! Start reducing the shows (Concertos are really just like a cabaret rather than a show) and that will definitely drive me towards alternative providers.

I know all cruise companies are doing their best to be competitive and we heard complaints on P&O of things which had changed for the worse but what with a drop in the standard of food and staff cuts too which affects service, they are really sailing close to the wind. Customers will vote with their feet.

Yes, there are still things about Thomson which I value highly and perhaps would pay a premium for but there is a limit and if they think they can pull these stunts and we're not going to notice then they are very much mistaken and for me it will tip the balance. If I can get better value elsewhere I'll settle for less stimulating entertainment - after all it seems that Thomson are making their entertainment package less attractive anyway so what's to lose?

So glad to have you back Sailaway. Just the other day someone asked in reference to a query "where's Sailaway when you need him?".

I haven't read your review yet, I just wanted to say hello......I'll read it now.:)

£10 for a table cloth ... £13 to dine at the side of a the roped off Jacuzzi’s:o Oh dear !

They (Thomson) are making other cruiselines seem a better option :(

Welcome back Sailaway :) and you too Kruzseeka :),glad you both had good cruises :D

Great review Sailaway glad you had a good holiday even with the negatives. We must have been leaving the ship the day you embarked.

It was our first time on the Dream but have sailed with Thomsons before and always enjoyed them but I agree the food was certainly not the standard we were used to. Having to pay £9.95 for a steak in Orion is ludicrous.

Nothing special either about the gala night dinner.

We still had a great holiday though and enjoyed most of the ports of call.

Welcome back

Thanks for that comprehensive and very thought-provoking review Sailaway.

 

I am absolutely appalled that they should have instituted charging for some seats in the theatre! I just couldn't believe this when I read it earlier and felt sure there was some other explanation. So much for thinking the best of Thomson. Another let down!

At the end of the day, you can still watch the show, without paying. People have long moaned about not being able to get in to watch shows, now you can, at a price, but you can guarantee a good seat. I bet if they did this from the start, no one would bat en eyelid, as you would accept it as standard.

Remember, you can't please everyone, and we are all different, paying a little extra during your holiday to enjoy yourself is nothing new, after all, some go on Thomson trips, others do it DIY, either to have freedom or to save money, but the choice is there, as it is with the show longe, fight for a seat for free, or pay a little more for a guaranteed seat.

Look forward to the review.

Keith

At the end of the day, you can still watch the show, without paying. People have long moaned about not being able to get in to watch shows, now you can, at a price, but you can guarantee a good seat. I bet if they did this from the start, no one would bat en eyelid, as you would accept it as standard.

 

Remember, you can't please everyone, and we are all different, paying a little extra during your holiday to enjoy yourself is nothing new, after all, some go on Thomson trips, others do it DIY, either to have freedom or to save money, but the choice is there, as it is with the show longe, fight for a seat for free, or pay a little more for a guaranteed seat.

I take your point and of course you are right - but where does it end? Pay more for which seats you are allocated on excursions, first tenders off the ship, first on the lifeboat! :D

It's the principle I find disagreeable - a creeping tax on luggage, safes, plane seats and now the theatre. I just get the feeling they are looking for every and any wheeze to charge more and the sad thing is in my book that they are alienating many of their customers. Yes I and others will quite likely put up with quite a lot of little things but eventually they will get to the stage where I will consider it too much especially if it's for something I value and the costs build up making your cruise quite a bit more expensive with these 'hidden' charges (as far as the advertised lead-in prices go). What next - charge to make your cabin a double??? :rolleyes:

Incidentally Grannymags a lady on our table on P&O asked to see the next day's menu every night to pre-order 'What she liked' and if steak wasn't on there she ordered one! And she got it! Of course it wasn't perhaps the large more expensive ones you pay £9.95 for. I must say I thought it a bit off - she hadn't dietary requirements - just a desire to have what she wanted! Good job the whole restaurant didn't adopt the same approach!:eek:

The review is there Keith...... you really should read the threads if you post on them, never mind you are almost at the 50K;)

Sodafountain, the problem with the VIP area is that some people will end up standing at the back whilst there are empty seats, not a good way to look after your paying customers.

A cracking review Sailaway, your recommendations to change some things are spot on.

Thomson have made a big thing about the Platinum upgrade, what did they spend? Was it around a million on 2 ships I seem to remember? whoopie doo.... Carnival are spending $155 million on one ship, what Thomson have done is just routine upkeep like any Hotel would have to do.

Thank you. I had red the first post and didn't think the review would be up so quickly. Just read the review.

Keith

I take your point and of course you are right - but where does it end? Pay more for which seats you are allocated on excursions, first tenders off the ship, first on the lifeboat! :D

 

It's the principle I find disagreeable - a creeping tax on luggage, safes, plane seats and now the theatre. I just get the feeling they are looking for every and any wheeze to charge more and the sad thing is in my book that they are alienating many of their customers. Yes I and others will quite likely put up with quite a lot of little things but eventually they will get to the stage where I will consider it too much especially if it's for something I value and the costs build up making your cruise quite a bit more expensive with these 'hidden' charges (as far as the advertised lead-in prices go). What next - charge to make your cabin a double??? :rolleyes:

 

Incidentally Grannymags a lady on our table on P&O asked to see the next day's menu every night to pre-order 'What she liked' and if steak wasn't on there she ordered one! And she got it! Of course it wasn't perhaps the large more expensive ones you pay £9.95 for. I must say I thought it a bit off - she hadn't dietary requirements - just a desire to have what she wanted! Good job the whole restaurant didn't adopt the same approach!:eek:

I believe you can order something different to what is on the menu but was not aware you had to pre-order it. I could always find something I liked from the menu in fact sometimes there was too much to choose from. On my last day our favourite waiter insisted I had something different for breakfast so I had to order an omelette just to keep him happy! :D:)