Spirit V's Majesty

Hi Everyone

Just returned from an amazing time on Majesty and are looking at booking another cruise next year but want to do the cruise and stay in Turkey. The only cruise ship that does Turkey is The Spirit, how does it compare to the Majesty?

Anyone seen any reviews on Spirit? I know its a smaller ship but that doesn't bother me. Also if anyone has any advice on any nice hotels in Turkey, comments would be very welcome.....

Thanks in advance.

Glad you enjoyed the Majesty :)

The Spirit is also a lovely ship. As you can see we have both booked. We did the Adriatic Explorer on her and really liked her. There are some reviews on this site and on other sites. Just click on "reviews"at the top of the page or google Thomson Spirit reviews and you will find them.

Sorry I can't help with the hotels inTurkey, but I am sure someone will be able to :)

Imo the spirit is 100% better than the spirit so friendly, brilliant staff, our favourite ship, it has had a bit of a refurb,it is always berthed up and work done each year over the winter season, got 2 future cruises booked on her, the staff are the friendlist of all thomson ships the cabin stewards seem to stick to the same cabins every year and remember you if you stay in the same area ( lots are friends on facebook), its small but the best, the majesty is a marite ship some like some don't, i know we would never travel on it again

'Also if anyone has any advice on any nice hotels in Turkey'

Hi Lisa

Two years ago we spent 10 days on AI basis in the Hotel Marti Resort in Ichmeler.

It was absolutely brilliant.

Great location with a huge pool and right on the beach. Food and service was fantastic.

Highly recommended.

The Spirit is my favourite too.

The Spirit is my favourite too.

It's so good we are doing two on Spirit this year.

First one a week today:D

Whoops just seen my mistake meant spirit better than majesty

Malch, I am looking forward to your review of Arctic Affair.

We really wanted to do that cruise but couldn't because of a family wedding and are going on Celebrity Infinity in August instead.

I hope you have a brilliant time :)

Hi Everyone

 

Just returned from an amazing time on Majesty and are looking at booking another cruise next year but want to do the cruise and stay in Turkey. The only cruise ship that does Turkey is The Spirit, how does it compare to the Majesty?

 

Anyone seen any reviews on Spirit? I know its a smaller ship but that doesn't bother me. Also if anyone has any advice on any nice hotels in Turkey, comments would be very welcome.....

 

Thanks in advance.

If you look at the dimensions of the Spirit there is not a lot of difference, actual tonnage of the Majesty is more but it has an extra deck so it has more passenger capacity, we found it quite cramped in the dining rooms and a lot of the cabins were small.Not our favorite ship to say the least.

It's so good we are doing two on Spirit this year.

 

First one a week today:D

Malch, I am looking forward to your review of Arctic Affair.

 

We really wanted to do that cruise but couldn't because of a family wedding and are going on Celebrity Infinity in August instead.

 

I hope you have a brilliant time :)

We really wanted to do this one also, but after three weeks TA we didn't want to be on a ship again for a while. Now the time is here I so wish we were.:(

Please take note of everything and tell us all about it when you get back.:)

Hi happy v

"after three weeks TA we didn't want to be on a ship again for a while. Now the time is here I so wish we were."

Just quoting part of your post.

We did the extra week before you and are off in 4 weeks on the Baltic Highlights. Last minute booking.:eek:;):D

Hi happy v

 

"after three weeks TA we didn't want to be on a ship again for a while. Now the time is here I so wish we were."

 

Just quoting part of your post.

 

We did the extra week before you and are off in 4 weeks on the Baltic Highlights. Last minute booking.:eek:;):D

Enjoy! We absolutely love the Baltic ports. So interesting, varied and a different cruise experience than most others we've done. Have a great time. :)

Never having been on The Majesty I can't comment. We have been on the Spirit 4 times and loved each cruise (shudder included) We always go for a higher deck such as cabin 016/014 as it is only one small flight of stairs up and you are on the sun deck - plus Horizon bar is on same deck as cabin and nice for a quiet pre dinner drink.

We have stayed at the Maritim Grand Azure in Marmaris (think they may have altered the name slightly now) on 2 cruise and stays and can't fault the food or location. We even had a "couples massage" in the spa after a Turkish bath....though my husband was VERY surprised when the masseur whipped his swimming trunks off and just covered him with a towel :eek:

Hi happy v

 

"after three weeks TA we didn't want to be on a ship again for a while. Now the time is here I so wish we were."

 

Just quoting part of your post.

 

We did the extra week before you and are off in 4 weeks on the Baltic Highlights. Last minute booking.:eek:;):D

Good for you, Skioncruises. I hope you have a great time :)

Enjoy! We absolutely love the Baltic ports. So interesting, varied and a different cruise experience than most others we've done. Have a great time.)

Hi kruzseeka.

Thanks. We did the Baltic on Celebration in 2008 and there are only three ports which we have done on this upcoming one.

I was trawling your posts yesterday for info on Copenhagen as we have picked the trips for the other ports. As we are thinking OYO as we did a Thomson trip the last time and I needed your valuable input.

One question - you said you had drinks but did you eat? and, if so, can you remember roughly how much it cost. We would probably only be looking for snack food/sandwich as I am diabetic and an 8 hour trip is too long to go without food.

Jan:)

Good for you, Skioncruises. I hope you have a great time.

Hi Little Nell

We were only back about 4 weeks when I booked end of October and next May then I decided we were going to do the Baltic Highlights. I had an inkling before we went on the TA that I would watch the prices when we got back as they were likely to go down as the final balance date would have happened.

The price did come down and I booked it on the 4th June. DH nearly had kittens and said "that'll be 8 weeks holiday this year" to which I just smiled (grinned) sweetly and said yes.:D

You may have picked up in some of my recent posts that I broke my wrist one week later on the 11th. I thought the cast was to be on for 6 weeks but it is now coming off after 5 which means 2 weeks and 2 days before we go. Unable to do anything at the moment as the cast, from palm to elbow, is not a straight one but shaped down to stretch the wrist and turned into my body. Once it comes off it will be pandemonium getting everything done.:eek:

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Hi kruzseeka.

 

Thanks. We did the Baltic on Celebration in 2008 and there are only three ports which we have done on this upcoming one.

 

I was trawling your posts yesterday for info on Copenhagen as we have picked the trips for the other ports. As we are thinking OYO as we did a Thomson trip the last time and I needed your valuable input.

 

One question - you said you had drinks but did you eat? and, if so, can you remember roughly how much it cost. We would probably only be looking for snack food/sandwich as I am diabetic and an 8 hour trip is too long to go without food.

 

Jan:)

Hi Jan, no I'm sorry we didn't bother eating as I remember but I understand you will need to. All I can remember is how expensive we found Copenhagen. Since then though we've done two cruises to Norway/Denmark and Iceland and I think we must have just got used to the higher prices in those countries because we just paid up without giving it much thought.

Generally we've had waffles or local cakes/tarts with coffee and cappuccino prices are perhaps in the region of £3.50. I've just looked up my credit card statement and typically two coffees and cake was in the region of £15-17 so that will give you an idea. I realise cakes etc wouldn't perhaps be suitable for you but if you work on about 50% higher costs than here I don't think you'd be far out. Sorry not to be able to give you any more precise info.

If you are going OYO with no trip costs it will still be a cheap day. Copenhagen is a good city to walk round with the palace, Nyhavn, Mermaid shops etc all relatively close by.

Pleased to hear you are getting on OK with your arm - you will be so relieved to get the plaster off. Just take care - you will be looking forward to your trip. ;)

Hi kruzseeka

Thanks for your reply. As we have no baggage worries I might pack some cereal bars and take them to nibble on throughout the day but hopefully find somewhere to get a snack of some sort. Could also look for a supermarket/

fruit shop and pick up some fruit. Don't really want to take food from the ship as I know some countries are a bit cagey about bringing food into the country.

Jan:)

Hi kruzseeka

 

Thanks for your reply. As we have no baggage worries I might pack some cereal bars and take them to nibble on throughout the day but hopefully find somewhere to get a snack of some sort. Could also look for a supermarket/

fruit shop and pick up some fruit. Don't really want to take food from the ship as I know some countries are a bit cagey about bringing food into the country.

 

Jan:)

Funny you should say that - on our last cruise in the newsletter each day there were dire warnings about taking food off or bringing food or drink onto the ship saying it was against the law of the respective countries. Now I was a bit suspicious that it suited them to say that - in particular the reference to not bringing drink on board (they'd confiscate - oops, sorry 'keep it for your convenience' until the end of the cruise if you did try getting booze on board - wonder what they did about water?????).

But just infront of us one day as we went through their very thorough security as we reboarded they stopped a lady and rechecked her bags through the Xray machine. After some considerable time they found a banana in her bag and confiscated it. The irony was that it was one she'd taken off the ship but hadn't eaten so they were refusing to allow on board one of their own bananas!

So yes, although I've never found Thomson to be so picky I suppose if there are local laws in force it's prudent to observe them.

P.S. I tried to do a link for you Jan but failed on the tablet - I Googled 'Copenhagen cafes for snacks' and quite a lot came up some with indicative prices and one was a kind of 'insiders guide to Copenhagen'. You might be able to pull up menus and find somewhere central to target from such a recommendation. :)

Hi kruzseeka

Thanks again. I know about food being taken into countries. We were on the way to New Zealand and had a 3 hour stop-over in Brisbane where I had a "friendly" spaniel gave me the once-over. When we got off the plane there were numerous bins with dire warnings and fortunately I had disposed of something edible in one of them before my encounter with the four-legged mutt who had several of its mates patrolling the airport with their handlers telling people to stand still.:eek:

I have already started googling for eateries and am sure I'll find something. Alternatively I'm sure I'll find shops selling something suitable and head for the nearest park and hide in the bushes. Might need them as well unless I can find somewhere "convenient". On our last trip to Copenhagen some people wanted to be comfortable before going on the tour. The guide was horrified and initially didn't know where to take us and was worried about our schedule. Mutiny almost broke out as there were no facilities on the coach.:eek:

:D:D Actually thinking about drinks costs etc we always factor in the 'convenience' break and free WiFi which then becomes much more acceptable! ;)

Hi happy v

 

"after three weeks TA we didn't want to be on a ship again for a while. Now the time is here I so wish we were."

 

Just quoting part of your post.

 

We did the extra week before you and are off in 4 weeks on the Baltic Highlights. Last minute booking.:eek:;):D

Hope you enjoy it, we did the Baltic last year.

It was the first time we had tried a three week cruise and it was slightly too long for us. Maybe in a few years time when there isn't so much going on at home we will try it again. Having said that if the right itinerary came up I know we'd give it another go.;)

I bet you're looking forward to a good scratch when the plaster comes off!!!:rolleyes:

Hope you enjoy it, we did the Baltic last year.

 

It was the first time we had tried a three week cruise and it was slightly too long for us. Maybe in a few years time when there isn't so much going on at home we will try it again. Having said that if the right itinerary came up I know we'd give it another go.

 

I bet you're looking forward to a good scratch when the plaster comes off!

Hi happy v

We did the Baltic in 2008 on Celebration and there are only three ports this time which are the same, so looking forward to it. Four weeks today we will be sailing.:D

The longer the cruise the better as far as I am concerned. Loved the four weeks although must admit the four weeks we did to Singapore from Crete in 2009 when we ventured on Ocean Village 2 takes a lot of beating.:D

Not had any problems with itching but counting the days until the 17th. Don't know if it is the type of cast or what but it is made up of a layer of tubigrip, a layer of cottonwool, then a bandage which was soaking wet and warm wrapped over the top and pressed into shape round the wrist. It then dried and feels like fibreglass.:eek::)

Four weeks on Ocean Village 2 :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Four weeks on Ocean Village 2

Hi Linda

Yep. 33 days to be precise. We only do cruises where the itinerary appeals and I found this one by accident and we had an absolutely fantastic time. Probably all the ports that made it.

We started in Heraklion, then Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula, Corfu, Zakynthos, Heraklion then - Port Said, Suez Canal, Sharm el Sheikh, 5 days going full speed with high security through pirate land and being met at the end by a British Warship at 6 in the morning with its helicopter flying around us as well.:eek: Next we went to Oman, Dubai, Cochin (India), Langkawi (Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur then 3 days in Singapore.

We had previously been on OV. First one was "never again" and second one was a TA which was slightly better. But OV2 made up for it. It may have been because the ship was going to Singapore for a refit and rebranding before going on to Australia but the crew were fabulous and the ship was spotless. Entertainment wasn't as good (too used to Thomson) but others enjoyed it. Pricewise it was only a few pounds more than we paid for the TA in April which was 6 days less.

Jan:)