Why?

[katrus-83]

Am I missing something with Thomson cruises?

Their ships are average at best and old and tatty at worst plus the prices they charge are on a par with some of the 5 star cruise lines ( higher at times ). Surely there are other cruise lines out there who offer much better value for money, better ships and even better food. I just wonder if people stick with Thomson out of brand loyalty and the fact that there is very little likelihood of finding any of the other passengers on board who come from outside the UK. Or like I said at the start is there something about Thomsons that I'm missing?

[geomagot]

you're missing the fabulous crew

[Midsomer Madness]

I think a lot of people like the casualness of Thomson and also that their cruises are port intensive with not so many sea days. Personally I think the standard of dress, entertainment, drinks package and food has all fallen,there was a marked deterioration in all from our first cruise on the Dream in 2012 and the one we did in the Caribbean this year. We probably won't cruise with Thomson again.

[kruzseeka]

The pluses for us are: ambience, service, great crew, excellent entertainment, port intensive, interesting itineraries (often with ports not often visited by other cruise lines) , regional fights, friendly passengers, well coordinated fly/cruise operation and although the ships are older with no wow factors they have a warm welcoming feel.. They are smaller ships which for some are a plus and for many years those positives have attracted us as repeat passengers.

 

Sadly I have to agree with the previous poster that we have detected a decline in standards though - of food in particular. I would be happy to travel with Thomson again even having tried out some of their competitors (although we rated them) as there are still aspects of the Thomson product we value. However I would have to be reassured that the dining experience would be better than our last experience. (Does seem to vary between ships though so continuing feed back from recent cruisers is important!).

 

But it is true their prices are very similar now to many of their competitors with much newer hardware.

[campolady]

The port intensive itineraries and Spanish home ports are the BIG selling point for us.

 

Also, maybe we could get a better deal with another cruise line but small ships and the most wonderful crews you could find on any shipping line are worth a great deal for us.

 

Another bonus for us with Thomson is the ease we get a table just for 2 in the MDR at all mealtimes; we always meet a great crowd on a Thomson cruise but we do like to eat on our own

 

Yes it would be nice to get a newer ship (we appreciated Majesty for this compared with the Dream) but we still reckon we get a good deal and thoroughly enjoy our Thomson cruises.

[shot2bits]

No, you are not missing anything and in fact you sum it up nicely in your opening sentence. We are about to go on our third and last Thomson cruise. Going only for the itinerary, no other reason. Thomson charge a premium price for a third rate product and as for customer service, forget it. We won't be using them again.

 

 

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[campolady]

No, you are not missing anything and in fact you sum it up nicely in your opening sentence. We are about to go on our third and last Thomson cruise. Going only for the itinerary, no other reason. Thomson charge a premium price for a third rate product and as for customer service, forget it. We won't be using them again.

 

 

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Hopefully you will change your opinion after your upcoming cruise. I hope that you have a great time.

[geomagot]

Going only for the itinerary

 

that one does kinda top the list when choosing a cruise product ;)

[4Mast]

IMO..Thompson had/has a great product bar the ships...if they obtained some more modern ships they may be a able to clean up on the market. However I expect that newer ships will lead to newer prices!

[pressy]

Having sailed with the bigger cruise companies, such as Princess (Coral Princess ) and RCI (Explorer and Freedom of the Seas). The staff and crew have made the difference, along with the general atmosphere. One more major positive is the numbers of days at sea and ports of call

[shot2bits]

Hopefully you will change your opinion after your upcoming cruise. I hope that you have a great time.

 

 

I hope so too! I really am going with an open mind and very much looking forward to the (altered) itinerary. You are all right about the staff on the ships and for the most part, we have found our fellow cruisers to be much the same as us. We have two couples who have since become firm friends both of whom we met on Thomson cruises. My main complaint is the Thomson ethos which seems to be get your money then don't bother us again. The lack of communication, the disregard for customers, the general feeling that they look at what other cruise lines charge and then think 'we can charge that'. They cannot continue to charge a premium price for the third rate product they offer and potential customers need to look at the many other cruise lines to put Thomson in perspective. Just my opinion you understand!

 

 

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[davecttr]

I hope so too! I really am going with an open mind and very much looking forward to the (altered) itinerary. You are all right about the staff on the ships and for the most part, we have found our fellow cruisers to be much the same as us. We have two couples who have since become firm friends both of whom we met on Thomson cruises. My main complaint is the Thomson ethos which seems to be get your money then don't bother us again. The lack of communication, the disregard for customers, the general feeling that they look at what other cruise lines charge and then think 'we can charge that'. They cannot continue to charge a premium price for the third rate product they offer and potential customers need to look at the many other cruise lines to put Thomson in perspective. Just my opinion you understand!

 

 

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In what ways is it third rate rather than second rate? and what do you consider first rate?

[nancyneptune]

Am I missing something with Thomson cruises?

Their ships are average at best and old and tatty at worst plus the prices they charge are on a par with some of the 5 star cruise lines ( higher at times ). Surely there are other cruise lines out there who offer much better value for money, better ships and even better food. I just wonder if people stick with Thomson out of brand loyalty and the fact that there is very little likelihood of finding any of the other passengers on board who come from outside the UK. Or like I said at the start is there something about Thomsons that I'm missing?

 

Over the last ten years I have seen a steady decline in the Thomson product.

Guests new to Thomson will not be aware of the declining standards. The crew are still the best asset, but sadly the cut backs in staffing levels are now very noticeable and crew appear to be pushed to the limits at times and it shows. I know many of the crew have now left Thomson to go to other cruise lines as they say it is like working for a different company now. Profit before people.

So many things have now gone, Buffet Magnifique, Chocolate Lovers Buffet, not so much singing now and the Baked Alaska Evening has been reduced to a few seconds compared to the lovely experience it used to be. It seems to be all about selling now. Seats for the theatre, Steak under the Stars, Bistro, etc. The standard of food on some ships has also deteriorated. AI, not only more expensive, but now many more supplements to pay.

 

Thomson are now more expensive than some other lines. Add in all the little Extras. Reserve your seats on the plane, Safe, Extra luggage Allowance. ( used to be 23 KG. now 20 KG ). etc. etc. I know these are optional, but they are free on many other lines.

Although Thomson say tips are included, most people do tip. When you see how hard the crew work, who wouldn't want to tip extra. Indeed I have often spent more on tips on Thomson cruises than I have on other lines which have the tips added.

 

Then there is the Thomson Customer Service. Really awful !!

 

People should not be afraid to try other lines if they find things are not as they were when they first started cruising with Thomson. You will be glad you did.

 

Not to say I won't cruise with Thomson again, but only if it is an itinerary I really want to do , and the price is reasonable.

 

Sorry, not having a moan, just giving my own personal opinion as I see it as a long time cruiser.

[Amerryscot]

Am I missing something with Thomson cruises?

Their ships are average at best and old and tatty at worst plus the prices they charge are on a par with some of the 5 star cruise lines ( higher at times ). Surely there are other cruise lines out there who offer much better value for money, better ships and even better food. I just wonder if people stick with Thomson out of brand loyalty and the fact that there is very little likelihood of finding any of the other passengers on board who come from outside the UK. Or like I said at the start is there something about Thomsons that I'm missing?

 

I have only been on Majesty and Dream, and while they may be old, they are not tatty.

 

There is nothing wrong with old, and new is not automatically better. I like that Thomson ships look like cruise liners and not container ships.

 

I think the size is just right, with plenty of amenities. I like that they can fit into most ports.

 

The crew on Thomson is fantastic. The British clientele means targeted hospitality and entertainment.

 

The ports of call are super, with plenty of time in them. The all-inclusive pricing is what cruising is meant to be.

 

Another great plus is that you start your cruise when you check in at your UK airport.

[holiday ahoy]

 

There is nothing wrong with old, and new is not automatically better. I like that Thomson ships look like cruise liners and not container ships.

 

I think the size is just right, with plenty of amenities. I like that they can fit into most ports.

 

This is exactly what we feel, the thought of going on a ship that looks like a hotel on Benidorm sea front does nothing for us.

Yes they may be old and small, but they look like a cruise ship should, with staff who always seem pleased to see you.

[maggie 57]

For us it's the ports, traveling from local airports, tips included, the hard working staff, evening entertainment and fewer sea days. The only add ons we pay for are to book a cabin, the safe and for 2 weeks 5 extra kgs of luggage. The extras I just factor into the price. I agree the food on the Dream is not as good as it used to be but is still ok for us. The food on the Majesty in May we thought was of a better standard.

 

 

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[shot2bits]

I think nancyneptune sums up my feelings exactly. You have to take the product as a whole, not just the ships, the Staff etc. the fact is their prices have increased so they are no longer good value for money, which was their strong suit. I am not saying their cutbacks have not been reflected in other cruise lines, but, with more modern ships, better food, and similar prices, other lines need to be looked at. I still say Thomson itineraries take some beating, but there are now some very good itineraries with other lines and the other lines have good customer service in my experience, something Thomson used to have but no longer sadly.

 

 

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[Amerryscot]

It's not only goof itineraries, it's also that you get a decent amount of time in port to explore, either as a tour or DIY.

 

I swear when we were in Palma, NCL Epic was there for only two hours. What's the point of that? I have seen similar in many other ports.

[maystar08]

I have only been on Majesty and Dream, and while they may be old, they are not tatty.

 

There is nothing wrong with old, and new is not automatically better. I like that Thomson ships look like cruise liners and not container ships.

 

I think the size is just right, with plenty of amenities. I like that they can fit into most ports.

 

The crew on Thomson is fantastic. The British clientele means targeted hospitality and entertainment.

 

The ports of call are super, with plenty of time in them. The all-inclusive pricing is what cruising is meant to be.

 

Another great plus is that you start your cruise when you check in at your UK airport.

Totally agree with you on every point you have made,Just can`t wait to get back on the dream on 30th august.

[maystar08]

It's not only goof itineraries, it's also that you get a decent amount of time in port to explore, either as a tour or DIY.

 

I swear when we were in Palma, NCL Epic was there for only two hours. What's the point of that? I have seen similar in many other ports.

Now the ncl epic is a ship i would`nt like to sail on far to big as far as i`m concerned.

[Little Nell]

Nancyneptune, I couldn't argue with any of what you said.

[Julessmiles]

Nancyneptune, I couldn't argue with any of what you said.

 

 

I agree - I think NancyNeptune has hit the nail right on the head.......

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Yea, I agree too. I actually think they started to go downhill when they sold out to TUI.

 

When we first started to go abroad, there were lots of holiday companies. Where are they now? Apart from Thomas Cook and a few internet companies, Thomson have a monopoly and can charge what they want and treat people how they like.

 

Personally, I find it odd that people only use one company and I'm not just talking about Thomson here. My brother and my neighbour will only use P&O (although that is a bit more understandable as they do get a loyalty bonus) Surely if you do this, you must keep going to the same places. I like to go to new places and the only way to do that is to try different companies.

 

I like Thomson, of course I do, I've been on 7 cruises with them and two more in the pipeline, but that doesn't exclude me from going with other companies.

 

I think Thomson need to wake up and smell the coffee. There are lots of other cruise companies out there!

[kruzseeka]

Yea, I think Thomson need to wake up and smell the coffee. There are lots of other cruise companies out there!

 

There is a recurrent theme here. A lot of loyalty still for Thomson but a lot of long time Thomson cruisers agreeing with nancyneptune. Her summary of the Thomson of today as compared with the Thomson product of old is spot on imo.

 

And it's clear that there has been a change in the minds of many in terms of giving other cruise lines a go - especially since there is now often little difference in pricing. Of course Thomson may not care about regular customers defecting but I believe Linda is right - there is a lot out there to be sampled. I thought for long enough that other cruise lines wouldn't suit me but have enjoyed excellent cruises on other cruise lines. Until I tried them, I really didn't know how they would compare. There were pluses and minuses of course but on balance they provided a superior experience in areas which mattered to us.

 

Yes Linda I too think Thomson need to wake up and smell the coffee - because their customers are doing just that. :rolleyes:

[Sailaway487]

Completely agree with nancyneptune also. Perfectly summarised the issues the loyal customer base is having. Here's hoping something is done.