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Posts posted by Sailaway487
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Zeinth and Horizon is take 1752 passengers.... do you have more info? length or Brt ?
Unfortunately no, just the passenger no. :(
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I thought it might be new ships, sorry newER , but they know about Sailaway and don't want to reveal their plans yet.;)
Maybe in the new brochure?:confused:
Maybe. I noticed that the 'Thomson TBC' for Villefranche says it has the capacity of 1,750 passengers - checked what they have for IE, Dream and Majesty and doesn't match either of them. Doesn't match Spirit or Celebration either so looks like a new ship to me.
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Date in the diary:
Restructure and the plans for the 'new' Thomson Cruises should be revealed on 13th May.
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Island Escape's sailing dates have now gone a bit odd.
Its sailings on Palma's schedule are still there, but another Thomson ship keeps being booked now along with it since the update.
Villefranche's schedule has now got rid of Island Escape and replaced it with 'Thomson TBC'. Possibly Spirit to replace its itineraries as it has been booked on the same dates as the original IE Mahon ones.
These schedules though are very confusing! :confused:
So who knows what is actually the case!!!
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Palma's schedule has now gone even more ridiculous!
Spirit, Celebration, Majesty and Island Escape booked in on the same day on many occasions, and Majesty booked every 3/4 days!
I think they're just putting any ship in now to reserve the space, and the schedule isn't updating the slots it is replacing.
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With the restructure announcement and summer 2016 itineraries around the corner, thought I'd start up the blog again:
https://sailawaycruiseblog.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/tui-to-restructure-thomson-cruises/
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TUI has revealed their 2016/17 itineraries. Just had a look to see what they're offering - predominantly 10/11 night itineraries which is good. Overnight stops in Barcelona. New 14 night cruises around Central America, a bit like the ones Dream used to do. Better than the Montego Bay offerings they're trying. Also Orient and Far East, and a big emphasis of Northern Europe.
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Hi Sailaway, is everything okay with you?
Have you managed to get any further information. We are missing your updates
1. Will the new brochure be approx third week in April as normal?
2. Know you have best projection on where the ships will be, any further detail.
3. Any idea on itinerary line up (re: If its the dream on Corfu)
big thanks in advance as you work very hard at getting information for the forum
Sorry FIFE1, must have missed this post! :o
As per my previous post, schedules are a bit of a mess now.
Summer 2016 to be the reveal of the new Thomson Cruises???
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Schedules are now all over the place! Celebration now in Palma, Malaga, Barcelona, Mahon and Marseille. Looks to me like Malaga departures.
But it is still in Dubrovnik schedule currently. Dream has disappeared from Rome and is now only a 'To be confirmed' for Split.
Very very confused. :confused:
Whatever TUI's plan is for Thomson Cruises future, looking more likely summer 2016 is going to be impacted...
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I just agree with everyone.
One thing though, does anyone know if Tui are mainly cruise orientated or do they do 7 night cruises and 7 night stay? I prefer longer trips with a wider range of ports.
A bit of both really. They don't do cruise and stay, and they choose routes that aren't tied down just to those that their airline TUIfly go to which is good.
Currently for next year, they're offering 7 night b2b cruises from Valletta, 10 night cruise from Palma, and then a good range for Northern Europe from Germany. They do Canaries and Caribbean in Winter, and unlike Thomson, the Orient with Dubai and they are just starting the Far East!
If they took essences from the TUI itineraries, such as the range of actual destinations like the Far East, and also the 10 night itineraries, and then matched it with Thomson's port intensive itineraries and ones that go to lesser known ports as well as the big hitters, then they'd win hands down for me.
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I'm guessing the current improvements they are making with the fleet was planned before the TUI merger was given the go-ahead. It does seem to me that this is the German side of the business trying to make its mark on the newly acquired UK side.
Be interesting if they do go down the joint RCL venture route like TUI Cruises. Particularly as that is what Island Cruises used to be before TUI UK took it over. Talking of which, I wonder what will happen to Island Cruises? My guess is is that it will go within the next couple of years - can't see it fitting this new business model.
I do agree with the point that what keeps many coming to Thomson is the Britishness feel of it. I suppose TUI could go one of two ways - have TUI Cruises and Thomson Cruises merged into one cruise line, or keep them separate and have them tailored towards the specific German/English markets. Although they have mentioned in the past how they want TUI Cruises to become more international.
I hope they keep the more interesting and different itineraries (but at the same time add some more 10/11 night ones instead of just the same 7 night pattern), the current Broadway-style entertainment, and the overall friendliness on board, particularly the fantastic crew.
I hope they change the ships completely, new builds if possible, but nothing over 90,000 GT, better food and drinks, better drinks packages, and overall become a more professional operation with improvements in customer service.
The promises of 'modernisation' in the past have always fallen rather flat. This time though it seems as though change is going to happen finally, and something will become of it - long overdue too in my opinion.
Time scale wise, I think May would mean it would be too late for any impact to happen in summer 2016, as usually the brochure is out in April. Although, it would explain why the cruise schedules I'm looking at keep changing and are rather secretive.
If I had to guess, I'd say Mein Schiff 1 & 2 would transfer over to Thomson once TUI gets another couple of new builds sailings, replacing Majesty and Spirit. While at the same time, two new-builds were commissioned to replace Dream and Celebration couple of years later. Almost follow the same pattern of TUI Cruises formation.
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Finally!
Looks like new ships and a whole restructure. Looks like they seriously mean it this time:
http://m.travelweekly.co.uk/Article.aspx?cat=news&id=53169
Announcement to be made in May but looks like they are going towards the TUI Cruises model. Exciting times ahead I think...
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Just spotted this on the official Thomson Cruise FB page; possibly just hearsay but it is a member of staff who has posted it. Maybe Thomson are feeling the squeeze with passengers moving to other lines who sail ex-UK?
" Hi Bronwyn Our cruise trading team constantly review itineraries and destinations so they took the decision for the Spirit to be based in Turkey for this summer. However the team might make a decision in the future where we might sail from the UK so please keep an eye on our website. ^Craig"
There's definitely something odd and secretive going on with the itineraries for 2016.
Celebration is down to be going from Dubrovnik every week, but then also appears on various Tuesday's in Palma Mallorca.
Dream is on Split's and Dubrovnik's schedule, so it looks to be doing Corfu itineraries. It was down to be in Rome (Italian Flavours itinerary), but this has now gone from their schedules.
Majesty is down weekly for Palma's cruises, this seems to be a definite.
Then Spirit is down in Gibraltar at the end of May. Why would it be so far west at this time? Perhaps going up to doing ex-UK cruises? Or maybe it is Spirit that is down for Palma's various Tuesday calls, but Celebration has been put by accident as the two ships have the same specs? These Palma stops come from Malaga, then to Palma where it leaves at 21:00, suggesting it isn't starting/ending in Palma, then onto Barcelona. Perhaps Spirit is doing Malaga cruises for the summer?
Would make sense to move Spirit elsewhere as I wonder whether Marmaris itineraries are selling that well, can't see the Black Sea being very popular at the moment, and the cruises have become limited since not going to Egypt.
They are being more secretive though this time, not adding ships into schedules, adding them in and then taking them out, or not having the name of the ship but the specs match one of theirs.
Can't find any Thomson ship stopping at any ex-UK port though.
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Just noticed you can now book this summers shore excursions. Looks like they went on sale today.
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And I am penciling in the Majesty in the Med in 2016 :D
Happy New Year Sailaway. Glad you are OK, we thought you had "Done a Berwyn" :D:D
No, I'm still here! :D
Just been busy lately.
To add Celebration's itineraries, looks as though it is going to be doing an extended season from Dubrovnik, with cruises sailing into November. Durres in Albania is going to be added to the itineraries.
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Celebration is definitely back in Dubrovnik. Looks to be doing similar itineraries to this summers, and in the same pattern: 2 itineraries to Venice, 1 around Greece and 1 with Malta; in the pattern of Itinerary 1 > Itinerary 2 > Itinerary 3 > Itinerary 4 > Itinerary 1 > etc.
Dream is definitely in Corfu. Already penciling in my b2b of Adriatic Explorer and Italian Flavours on the Dream for 2016! :D
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Hi, sorry for not posting for a while!
Not got any more info I'm afraid. At the moment it looks like Majesty in Palma, Dream in Corfu, but not sure on the other two. I think Spirit's season may be slightly different as there is a date in Gibraltar for the ship at the end of May, which is unusual. Will post if there is anything else that appears, but they're being a lot more secretive this year.
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Celebrity Cruises have just announced two new ships also, and interestingly they've gone off the trend and gone for smaller ships than their current largest. Nice to see cruise lines finally realising that bigger isn't always better.
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Are they targeting the UK or American market Sailaway? Any info on size of ships? Will be very interesting to see what market share they will pitch at also where they will slot into the hierarchy from budget to luxury - probably not high end but with new ships they could certainly mix things up a bit. Wonder too where they will base themselves.
Head office is going to be based in Miami so I'm guessing they'll be going for an international market like RCL and Carnival.
No info yet on the ships, but there is a quote saying
“They’ll be sailing on the latest ships offering a great quality, a real sense of fun and many exciting activities all delivered with the famed Virgin service.”
Sounds like a cross between Ocean Village, RCL and TUI Cruises. If so, then I think they're probably onto a winner. Plus, I would bet they will use their Virgin Atlantic flights to promote UK cruisers to try them out around the Caribbean.
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I see Virgin Cruises has now been confirmed. Sailing two new build ships. Be interesting to see what sort of product they may offer. Got a feeling they will do rather well.
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How would I find the flight number?
I did the TCX one, it is a 757-300 The comment was very cramped :rolleyes:
Does the flight number not come up when trying to book?
If not, have a look at the timetable here, and find the day and flight times and get the flight number that way.
http://flights.thomson.co.uk/thomson/en-GB/timetable/default
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Yes - my birthday in February.
For Thomson flights that have a three digit number, so TOMXXX, if you've got the flight number, type it in the box in the top right of this website and it comes up with the recent flights with the aircraft type.
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Thomson are trying to replace all short haul aircraft with the 737 now, with most routes operating this type of aircraft. There is a lot fewer short haul 767 flights now, with a couple operating out of Manchester and Gatwick. If you are looking at Thomas Cook, try http://www.thomascookairlines.co.uk and do the normal booking process and it comes up with the seat plan for your flight.
Is it for this winter?
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I see Thomson Cruises has won best refurbishment in the Cruise Critic awards. Must not have had many refurbishments to choose from if Thomson won...
TUI to Restructure and Change Thomson Cruises!! - Announcmen & Plans in May
in Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson)
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Unless they delay the brochure by a month.