"improving" activities on Spirit

One of the things many cruise lines feature is a curriculum of educational classes/activities - cookery, history, photography, painting etc. I don't see those being highlighted in the Thomson brochure so I wonder if Thomson hold such "improving" events? And if so has anyone attended them and can say whether they are worthwhile?

I'd be up for cookery, painting or photography for example...

One of the things many cruise lines feature is a curriculum of educational classes/activities - cookery, history, photography, painting etc. I don't see those being highlighted in the Thomson brochure so I wonder if Thomson hold such "improving" events? And if so has anyone attended them and can say whether they are worthwhile?

 

I'd be up for cookery, painting or photography for example...

Not really a feature of Thomson although some activities do take place which could be considered to be 'improvement' classes of a kind. I think that it isn't an advertised aspect of Thomson cruises in part because they tend to have more port-intensive itineraries than most cruise lines. If you are sailing to the Med from Southampton for a 14 night cruise it's not uncommon to have eight or less ports of call. In such cases, there needs to be a wider choice of on-board activities for all the sea days. Thomson's itineraries have few sea days (except for relocations of course) since they are fly-cruises.

They do offer more of the type of activities you mention for relocations to the Caribbean which are detailed in the brochure and we have had a series of history lectures on Baltic cruises e.g. 'the Siege of Leningrad' and on the politics of the Middle East (Holy Land cruise). I've also been to card making classes, painting lectures - generally on itineraries with more sea days (North Cape, Baltics). I enjoyed them. They do offer wine tasting on most of the cruises though if you are interested, salsa classes and sometimes singing classes too. Cookery demonstrations also take place - but not lessons as such.

But if most people are off the ship visiting the ports of call during the day perhaps there isn't so much call for enhancement activities in general - I know we missed one of the lectures on the Middle East because were on a long trip that day. It's hard to fit it in.

They do offer more of the type of activities you mention for relocations to the Caribbean which are detailed in the brochure

...They do offer wine tasting on most of the cruises though if you are interested, salsa classes and sometimes singing classes too. Cookery demonstrations also take place - but not lessons as such.

Yes, I saw the transatlantic options as well as the "guest speaker" events, but they were all for specific trips only.

However I'm up for wine tasting anytime. And a cookery demonstration is ok too. But for Salsa and singing I'll pass. :)

Sounds like there will be something to keep the grey cells busy though, so thanks for that.