Thomson Destiny Review : Ship

[SwissLe]

Hey guys,

Thought I would share my Destiny review with you. It's fairly long but split up so you can choose a section.

Hope it helps!

Ship: Thomson Destiny

Operator: Thomson Cruises

Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1982 / 2004

Length / Tonnage: 705 / 37,584

Number of Cabins / Passengers: 707 / 1,600

Officers / Crew: European / International

Itinerary: Colourful Coasts (Tenerife)

Date: 7th November 2008 (7 Nights)

Overview:

 

Due to the collapse of XL Airways my partner and I were forced to find alternative holiday arrangements at short notice. After much searching I decided that another cruise would be the best option, the tour operators were clearly inflating the prices of land based holidays to take advantage of the surge in demand.

 

As always the price of the last minute booking with Thomson was very competitive. A 7 night cruise around the Canary Islands incorporating Morocco and Madeira for two adults with a cabin upgrade to Deck 4/5 cost less than £1000. November is an awkward time for cruising as most ships are either finishing their time in the Mediterranean where the weather is changeable, embarking on long transatlantic voyages to the Caribbean or are indeed already positioned in the Caribbean where the rainy season is still in full swing. The ‘Colourful Coasts’ itinerary onboard the Thomson Destiny seemed to check all boxes, weather and price.

 

We flew from Gatwick on a ThomsonFly 737-500 which, as you would expect from a short-haul charter, packed to the brim. The flight left on time, offered a good level of service and the cabin crew were efficient. The majority of the plane opted out of the standard meal and judging by the one served next to me, they made the right decision.

 

The flight arrived into Tenerife South Airport at around 7pm. We then collected our luggage, made out way out to the buses and loaded the bags onto a coach. This was all well organised and guided by Thomson Representatives. We then made the 50minute journey to the north of the island where the Destiny was docked. We then were greeted by one of the Thomson staff who explained the checking in process. You have to collect an envelope with your cruise card, luggage stickers and a declaration of well health form. Once you have completed this you then queue for a check in desk where your credit card can be registered and your photograph is taken for the purpose of embarking and departing the ship during your cruise. These lines can be lengthy with many coaches arriving at the same time. Once you have completed this you make your way outside to an area where all the coaches have been unloaded. You take a sticker and put this on your bag then proceed to board. There are cabin stewards waiting at the top of the gangway who show you to your cabin.

Cabin;

 

Our cabin was located two decks up on deck 4. We did not pre-book a particular cabin and were allocated inside cabin #4050 in double bed configuration. As a rule of thumb onboard the Destiny standard inside cabins are in parallel configuration and therefore can be converted into a double bed. The outside standard cabins are in L-shaped configuration and cannot be made into double configuration. If a double bed is important to you either go for an inside cabin or upgrade to a deluxe.

 

The lady showing us to our cabin also happened to be our cabin steward. We introduced ourselves and I gave her a tip. This is normal practice for me on cruises and normally ensures good service for the rest of our cruise. However, rather than introducing herself she was more concerned pointing out the faulty toilet seat in the cabin. The seat did not have a cover, it was completely missing and the fixings clearly snapped. I asked her if this could be rectified as soon as possible and her initial reaction was ‘unlikely, it’s been broken for a long time’. It did not affect the operation of the toilet so I decided to let it slide.

 

On first glance the cabin appeared to be clean. On closer inspection this was not the case, there was a serious amount of dust on the shelves around the mirror and on the TV. There was also a large splatter of some unknown liquid on one of the pictures. This was present until I wiped it off the next morning. I assume the mirrors were cleaned with used towels as they had many swirls and streaks present. The cabin was only surface cleaned, not what I expected from Thomson or a cruise from past experience.

 

The cabin was small compared to those onboard the Celebration and Spirit. However, it is very functional and well designed. Two wardrobes with plenty of hangers, the only thing slightly lacking was drawer space. The space was more than sufficient for a week cruising. The bedroom area of the cabin was in pretty good condition apart from the TV front panel was missing and the remote control was poorly taped up. Within the drawers there is a hairdryer which was ample for our needs, a little annoying having to keep your finger on the button to continue operation though. Within the vanity area there is a small stool, lighted mirror and a selection of shelves. There is also a 110v shaver plug, 110v American style socket and a telephone. The only 240v plug is located behind the TV, which in this cabin was inaccessible. This is not a problem unless your device is 240v only, for example hair irons or my digital camera. Reception offer a charging service and I did see quite a few women standing in the corridor using hair styling devices, making the most of the european vacuum cleaner sockets high on the wall.

 

On the occasions I switched it on the TV had a handful of foreign language stations, Sky News, CNN, Discovery Channel UK and two movie channels. The TV is missing a bridge camera channel which was very disappointing.

 

There is no sitting area in the standard cabins and very little floor space. Our cabin was also always made up into ‘night mode’ during the day; our steward didn’t convert the bed into a sofa for the day, unlike when I travelled on the ship before under the Sun Cruises brand. We spent very little time in the cabin as a result of this. On a normal cruise I would wait in the cabin while my partner prepared herself for the night, but the small dimensions of the cabin made this pretty much impossible.

 

The bathroom probably gave the biggest clue as to the age of the ship. The small dimensions are taken to another level in here. There is a good sized sink with mixer tap, the sink has been re-sprayed in the past and the paint is now peeling in certain areas. This gives the impression of shabbiness and something that could easily be corrected. Above the sink area there is a 110v shaving socket and a set of three shelves for toiletries. Thomson supply 2 bars of soap, shampoo, shower gel and shower caps. As stated above our toilet did not have a lid, this meant that the vacuum operation was very noisy when flushing. The toilet was operational throughout the cruise, however the toilet paper was of low quality and hard. The shower is very small and an awkward shape. I was unable to use the shower curtain as half of my body was outside the shower tray while washing. This is not much of a problem as there is a drain in the main area of the bathroom and everything is waterproof. I would expect someone of a larger build would be unable to shower effectively in this enclosed space. The temperature and pressure was consistent throughout the cruise, however this was marred by a dirty and blocked shower head. Towels are changed twice daily. You are supplied with two large bath sheets, two smaller hand towels and a bath mat. All felt good quality and dried you well.

 

The bed was comfortable, nothing special. We were unable to feel the gap between the two single beds. The sheets and pillows were considerably worn. The pillows are small and square. At home I normally only sleep with one pillow but needed two to ensure a comfortable night. An extra blanket was supplied on request.

 

Each cabin has a thermostat. Enabling you to adjust the temperature but not speed, of the air-conditioning in the cabin. This was quiet in operation and always kept the cabin at a consistent temperature. The most noise we found in the cabin was the opening and closing of the drawers with the movement of the boat. We solved this problem by shoving a folded piece of paper into the top of each drawer. We didn’t feel any vibration or noise from the operation of the ship at any time, even cruising at maximum speed to Tenerife on the last night.

 

I used the cabin service to have a shirt pressed. The shirt was well ironed and the service prompt. The cost for one shirt on the next day service was £1.60, add 50% if you want it same day.

 

Full information of each port, ship layout and procedures was in an information pack on the vanity table when we arrived in the cabin. An ice bucket, 2 glasses and a bottle of water was also present. This is not complimentary and a cheque for £1.45 is left with each bottle.

 

Our cabin stewardess left something to be desired. Apart from the aforementioned hygiene issues, our cabin throughout the week was not serviced in the morning until 2pm. She regularly neglected to replace towels, our extra blanket was removed twice during the week, didn’t make the bed into day mode during first service and always had to be reminded to give us deck towels each evening. I had to request the ice bucket to be filled each day, and each time asked for it to be filled again tomorrow – it never happed. Her attitude was verging on the incredible several times during the week. Once I returned to the cabin at 1pm from the pool and wanted to shower, change and go ashore. As she had yet to service our cabin, I placed our dirty towels on her cart and took a new set. Minutes later there was a knock on the door where she instructed me not to touch her cart or she would inform an officer. I apologised, thinking it was a one off, and invited her to tell an officer. We also never received any towel animals like every other guest at our dinner table. Her interpretation of the turn down service was dumping two chocolates on the dressing table and changing the towels. She would never fold down the bed, tidy the cabin, wipe down the bathroom at this time. Her last act was on the final morning where at 8.55, we had to vacate the cabin by 9am, she was rapping on the door constantly. I answered and she demanded the blanket off the bed. I let her in to get it as my plea for 5minutes more was unacceptable. She marched in, took the blanket and left. There was no goodbye, no thank you, she just left with her head down. I was utterly shocked at this point. I suppose it did me the favour of giving no option but to not tip her.

 

Overall the cabin served its purpose, but did not offer the level of service I have received before on cruise ships.

 

Public Areas;

 

Reception

 

The Destiny does not have any multiple deck height rooms or spaces and this is apparent in reception. If you are used to visiting reception or guest services in an atrium you will be let down here. Set in a sparse, relatively large area only broken up by an odd glass piece of art hugging a pillar in the center. Reception is surrounded by the small gift and duty free shops and shares a desk with Destination Services. The desk is staffed by Eastern Europeans who do not have a compassionate manner. I only had the pleasure of dealing with them once and this was where they refused to give me another comment card stating it was only one per cabin. My explanation of my pen exploding over the first one fell upon deaf ears. I sourced another from a random cabin steward in the end.

 

The gift shops sell all the basics you require, plus some dated clothing, expensive perfumes and Thomson Destiny branded souvenirs. There was also a jewellery and electronics shop which I didn’t visit.

 

The internet area is not a café, as they don’t serve anything. It is a small area with a couple of workstations which require your cruise card to log on. I didn’t use the internet here, I went ashore – cheaper and faster, but other passengers reported slow speeds and high prices. There was also a dated HP LaserJet printer.

 

Oklahoma Lounge

 

The Oklahoma Lounge is located at the rear of the ship and is the second largest public area onboard. It has banked booth and swivel chair seating leading onto a marble circular dance floor with a small raised stage. Oddly behind this stage is a buffet food warming area, where the pub lunch is served once a week. This lounge is used for the alternative evening entertainment such as quiz, karaoke and game show activities. The colour scheme is beige with colourful spots, it really works and the large bar area with seating behind finishes this well designed area.

 

The entertainment isn’t something I enjoy so we spent very little time in this area. We mainly headed here very late at night after the other bars and areas have closed. It hosts the late night disco and we finished our last drink in here most nights after 3am. Activities such as ‘That 70’s Quiz’, ‘The Weak Link’, ‘Friendly Fortunes’ and ‘Total Trivia’ were hosted here and always involved audience participation.

 

The entertainment team headed by Kane Davies was average. It seemed a requirement that you must have a Leeds accent and their presenting skills were weak. We only attended one quiz and decided that it really wasn’t for us.

 

Clipper Bar

 

Leading forward from the Oklahoma and surrounding the casino is this small intimate bar. It has a nautical theme with a very nice brass bar and sail artwork alongside. There is a variety of brown leather sofa and stool seating and a small dancefloor/stage area. The bar tenders in this area are very energetic and hospitable, always up for a joke. These guys make for better entertainment than the lounge music provided by ‘Tanyas Trio’ who play dated and compressed music throughout the evening.

 

Blake’s Bar

 

This is the most recently updated public area onboard. A small waiter service only room with large comfy sofas and armchairs all surrounded by lots of flat screen TVs. We only visited this bar once and found the service to be slow and the atmosphere lacking. There was also quite bad vibration when at cruising speed. The large flat screen TVs are normally found with ‘nature scenes’ such as fish or waterfalls but according to the schedule there were some showings of older movies during the day. At night the main entertainment is a guy called Bill tinkering the ivories for 10 hours.

 

Can Can Lounge

 

This is the largest and main show lounge of the ship. It is used as a theatre and the show team perform a show twice per night most nights onboard. There is only one level but the booths and swivel chairs are banked to ensure a decent view of the stage. Unfortunately this effort is ruined by several large obstructing pillars. The room has an awful colour scheme of pink and green, complimented by large gold and smoked glass light fittings. It really does give a dated impression. The seats are uncomfortable for long periods of time although you will be lucky to find one unless you get there early. This area is rammed at both show times and as a result both the waiters and air conditioning struggles. The room becomes unbearably hot and isn’t a nice environment. The tables attached to the sofas are small, do not have a lip and are angled slightly down. As a result several times during performances passengers drinks would slide off.

 

The performances are more of a spectacle more than a proper show. The show team are clearly more talented in dancing and some of the singing performances verged on painful. However, they are young, energetic and make the most out of the awful shows they are forced to perform. All the costume budget was thrown into the Moulin Rouge as the other shows had rather dodgy outfits. I would say the shows are worth a watch, but don’t go in expecting the West End – which is the impression Cruise Director Kane Davies wants you to think.

 

On the subject of Kane, I would agree with other comments on him. I find him patronising and far too confident. I think he has ideas of stand up comedy as we have a little performance from him each night. On the last night he reached new peaks instructing us how to fill in our ‘Customer Satisfaction Survey’ and ‘reminding’ us of the fantastic service we have received all week. I would much prefer he introduced the show and left us to form an opinion.

 

The Can Can Lounge is also used to host the Captain’s Cocktail Party. This was held on Sunday, unusually not our day at sea. There is an option to meet the captain or if you just want to get in there is an alternative entrance, - very well organised. You are given a complimentary drink - a choice of cocktail, champagne, bucks fizz or orange juice. Once you are in the lounge canapés are served, these are all of poor quality and regularly run out before they reach you. The party was uneventful and the captains’ speech amicable.

 

The highlight of the week in this show lounge was the crew talent show. Members of staff who are not part of the entertainment team such as bar or hotel are invited to perform for the passengers. Some amazing characters were given amazing support on this night and really did make for an entertaining hour. The show lounge was full to capacity at this time but its well worth cramming in.

 

Mast Bar

 

This outdoor bar is on the top sun deck and faces aft. It has a small selection of tables and chairs, complemented by umbrellas. It is mainly used during the day for sunbathers to grab a drink. It was deserted most nights apart from the first during the ‘Sail Away Party’. There are a bar stools around the edge overlooking the family pool, ideal for viewing the ice carving or fruit carving demonstrations during the day.

 

Lido Bar

 

The second outdoor bar, on the lower level of the sun deck, set by the adults’ only pool. There are 6 tables and chairs at the edge of the pool, however, there is nowhere to sit at the bar. Instead it is mainly used for the pool deck waiters to process and collect drink orders for the loungers in the day and the Lido Café at night.

 

Sky Bar

 

Wrapped around the funnel this is the most unique feature of the Thomson Destiny and also my favourite bar. When Sun Cruises purchased the ship from RCI they were not required to remove the bar which offers fantastic views of the sea or port. It only accessible from a rear lift or stairs located on the left hand side of the Lido Café, a common mistake is for passengers to try and climb the emergency staircase located on the top sun deck. A small lounge with a selection of booths and a seated bar area makes for an intimate environment. Only quiet relaxing music and low lighting only enhances this impression. On first glance the décor is very dated and garish, dark blue, light blue and yellow everywhere. However, at night it has a really fantastic atmosphere and the excellent staff only enhance this. Expect top notch service and the ability to never have to order a drink in this bar. We spent many fantastic nights in this bar, and it certainly made the cruise.

 

Casino Royale, Oceans Spa & Photo Shop

 

The casino is located on the opposite side of the ship to the Clipper Bar. It is small compared to modern ship standards but offers all the usual slots, tables and gamblers you would expect. The machines and furnishings looked a little dated, but as I don’t gamble I can’t really comment.

 

The photo shop takes up the entrance to the casino with the display boards located down the one side. The photographers are unskilled and the photo price does not reflect this. Many passengers enjoyed this service and took full advantage.

 

Mixed in with the Casino and photo boards, quite confusingly, is the Oceans Spa. On the one side of the corridor is the manicure area and salon on the other side. The prices were a little high for me to participate in any of the treatments but I heard several positive reports.

 

All these areas looked dated and an afterthought, slotted in to extract revenue from passengers.

 

Other Areas

 

All the public toilets onboard were well maintained and cleaned. Thomson do try their best to ensure that hygiene levels are kept high by passengers but I feel this is a losing battle. Hand washing was very rare by the majority of passengers and buffet sanitizers infrequently used.

 

The pools were drained and filled each morning with sea water. The temperature was very low which meant that I often had the pool to myself. The depth is constant (5ft 5) apart from a very shallow area at each end. The adult pool did suffer from a large amount of sulphur from the funnel which meant that you are covered in black when you get out. The family pool didn’t suffer from this problem but was normally very busy.

 

The ship is small by today’s standards and therefore very easy to navigate. We used to the stairs all of the time, although the lifts rarely had queues which suggests they are effective. All carpets were in good condition throughout the ship and I didn’t see any stains or bald patches. The brass handrails were often receiving a coat of brasso throughout the cruise. There were some repairs being done to the few teak deck areas. The main outside deck areas were coated with plastic matting, this was often bulging in areas and uneven – however Thomson are open about the fact that the ship isn’t suitable for people with mobility issues.

 

The ship does have a medical centre but we didn’t have any need to visit.

 

Dining

 

Lido Café

 

The Lido Café occupies the rear of the ship. It is an external area but there are awnings placed to attempt to enclose it. At the front of the Café there are self service counters which offer cold, hot and special serving areas. Just behind these are the tea, coffee, juice and water stations with another cold buffet area in the center. The rest of the space has round tables with four chairs. They are outdoor bistro style but are laid with linen cloths. We ate at the Lido Café for every breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea onboard the Destiny. All plates are china and the cutlery is stainless steel, however the napkins are paper. Mugs are all plastic and there is a selection of glass and plastic juice glasses.

 

Breakfast was very good. A large selection of cereals, fruit and cold meats served with bread rolls. In the hot counter there was bacon, sausage, black pudding, eggs and all the usual compliments. In the center buffet there were pastries and muffins, and the usual tea, coffee and juice. The special section offered omlettes and crepes cooked to order most mornings.

 

Lunch offered a good selection of options. This normally consisted of salads and cold meats and then several types of hot dishes – British classics

such as cottage pie. In the special section was normally a well cooked piece of meat, carved in front of you or pasta prepared to your order. The cold section in the center offered desserts such as cakes, pastries and a cheese selection. A hot pudding was also offered, the rice pudding was especially good. During the day the juice is not present in the machines. Instead it is a simple choice of water, tea or coffee. The water is undrinkable in my opinion, a very strong chlorinated taste and very rarely cold. There are plenty of drinks waiters roaming around to rescue you though.

 

You can also take your tray to each side of the sun deck where there is raised area with more tables and chairs leading to the front of the ship. One side of this is designated a smoking area.

 

Afternoon tea is only served in the Lido Café. It is a heavily attended affair when it opens, with long queues at some points. I normally went a little later and there was no queue. There are several types of sandwiches, fresh cookies, cakes, scones and sausage rolls. An excellent snack before dinner that is very hard to resist!

 

Dinner is served in the Lido for those who wish to eat at whatever time they wish or if they do not wish to conform to the dress code. We only ate here on the first night and it was a very acceptable dinner in a buffet restaurant. It had much the same layout as lunch but offered more choice. In the special section there was a stir fry option or again meat carved to your specification.

 

The main drawback of this area is the fact it’s not an enclosed area, or an exposed area. Passengers were commenting that its chilly at night because there is no heating or walls. I moaned during the day as it probably has fantastic views but all the canvas panels are opaque. They need to enclose it properly or just remove them and create an alternative dining area for people at night.

 

Poolside Grill

 

Just below the Mast Bar is a small kitchen and buffet area where they serve lunch and snacks throughout the day. The buffet area offers freshly cooked pizza, hotdogs and burgers – all served with fries. The other buffet area serves a small selection of baked potatoes, grilled steak, fries and a special of the day. There are also counters with salad and cakes – a little smaller than the Lido.

 

Twice during the week they did an on deck BBQ which served flame grilled steak, sausage, burgers and corn on the cob. The food was much the same but I can’t help feeling the billowing smoke around the pool deck wasn’t really worth it. It seemed to attract more visitors on the BBQ days though.

 

There was also a station offering a special of the day. Some days it was sandwiches or ‘subs’ made to your order and another day it was a stir fry, again made to your specification.

 

Seven Seas Restaurant

 

This is the main restaurant on the Destiny. It offers two sittings, unlike the Celebration and Spirit you are allocated a table. The early sitting is 18.30 and the later is 20.30. You can choose when you book, call Thomson after you have booked or like I did just visit the restaurant at the allocated times to state which fits with your schedule. We chose late sitting as we wanted to make full advantage of the sunbathing and onshore time. We were seated on a table of 8, only 6 people ever turned up though. Thomson attempt to sit you next to people of your own age range, I don’t feel there are more complicated social experiments going on here.

 

The restaurant has been given new chairs and this drastically improves the overall feel in quality of the room. Our table was located in the separate section at the rear, known as the Galileo Room. It is wood panelled with gold light detailing throughout, with good views out to sea. On many occasions the table linen was dirty from the first sitting, but the overall cleanliness of the restaurant was good.

 

Apart from the Captain’s Gala Night the dress code in the restaurant was ‘Smart Casual’ without any enforcement – you could wear what you wish.

 

As you are fixed seating I would expect the waiters to come and introduce themselves to you on the first night. This was not the case and proved to be a clue to the mundane service experienced in this restaurant throughout the week. The wine waiter was far more switched on and introduced himself very quickly – although seemed surprised we wanted the wine list. The majority of passengers simply drank red or white wine, irrelevant of their all inclusive status. The wine like all drinks onboard was reasonably priced and although I didn’t expect it on Thomson offer a fairly budget and limited selection of plonk. It’s pleasing to see that Thomson have retained the free ‘cork and save’ service free of charge as we rarely drank a bottle over dinner.

 

The waiters lacked any sort of serving etiquette. Throughout the week they provided a sloppy, rushed and uninterested service. This was also observed by our table mates. They failed to join in with any of the singing or jovial fun they like to encourage on Thomson Cruises and didn’t give any of the ladies on our table or surrounding tables roses. One lady on our table was quite upset by this and so I grabbed another waiter from an adjacent table who was delighted to make a bunch for each of the ladies. Even this didn’t give our two motivation to give that little bit extra, they looked positively pained during the ‘Baked Alaska Parade’.

 

They supplied us with food, they didn’t add any sort of flare or interest that makes you want to stay in the dining room. I understand they were young and under considerable pressure to serve passengers twice per night, but surely they should take example from those around them?

 

There were plenty of varied options on the menu each night, even for my vegetarian partner. The food was well presented and portion size was adequate. Again for the bargain price you pay for Thomson you can’t expect lobster or fine cuts of steak, however they do try by offering snails on the gala night.

 

Thomson being a traditional cruise line retains the midnight buffet or so-called ‘Buffet Magnifique’. This is an event when the chefs go all out to create a lavish affair of food. Unfortunately, while it is impressive to see the marzipan, ice and fruit sculptures – what they actually allow you to eat is very basic and limited – so they can put it away for next week!. If you go expecting Celebrity levels of molten chocolate and fine Belgian chocolates you will be sorely disappointed. My advice would be go, take some photos and then don’t bother to returning to eat.

 

Buffet breakfast, Lunch and late night snacks are also available within the Seven Seas, however I didn’t attend any of them due to massive consumption elsewhere.

 

Summary

 

For the low price you pay on Thomson you are very forgiving with many elements. I went onboard with an open mind. When you compare the package they offer to a 4* hotel in a Spanish resort then it wipes the floor. They are operating in the highly competitive cruise industry and with premium companies such as P&O offering more capacity and therefore lower prices Thomson are at risk of being pushed lower and lower. There were some glimmers of fantastic service demonstrated by a handful of staff. I think my main issue is that the service is inconsistent. You can forgive an elderly ship, but you can’t forgive staff having a bad attitude – this costs nothing. Perhaps if the staff were motivated by tips rather than the OSCARS system then it might help this problem.

 

However, we had a fantastic holiday. The ports of call were amazing and certain bar staff made the holiday that little bit special. For just over £1000 including spending money for 1 week in the sun in November – it’s untouchable. I just can’t imagine being able to book another Thomson Cruise.

[Crinkle]

Hi SwissLe, your maid sounded pretty useless!

Glad we didn't have her, as other half was constatnly stealing stuff off our maid's trolley, running away with it! and she was howling with laughter. She even stuffed some of his clothes with towels and sat this stuffed man on his bed with a BOO sign lol

[SwissLe]

It's so odd the way the service varies so much. Perhaps Thomson need to accelerate the training or something!

 

Did you have a good time Crinkle?

[Swerve]

Was your cabin stewardess Eastern European by any chance ?

 

In the 7yrs we've sailed with Thomson the steward/ess has been Philipino or Goanese except on one occasion. She was eastern european and really hard work. No sense of humour, no personality no nothing. Did the minimum and that reflected in her tip at the end of the cruise !

 

I really hope our steward/ess in two weeks time has a sense of humour.

[Crinkle]

Yes we had a fantastic time thanks. Weather was a bit good wasn't it!

Waiters worked really hard to entertain us. The people on our table the 1st week were such a laugh, we were on a table for 8, but there were only ever at the most 6 of us on it.

On our 2nd week we stayed on the same table, had my parents join us, and 2 other couples. Didn't have as much as a good time with the other 4 people, but still was ok.

[marylizcat]

SwissLe - that was a great review! Very interesting. We are doing this itinerary over New Year, but on Celebration. I wondered if you could give us a review of your thoughts on the ports of call? Crinkle too, maybe?

[kruzseeka]

Great and very comprehensive review, SwissLe - thanks for that. Sorry about your cabin steward - not good, or the damaged loo - both should/could be easily remedied! Pleased that you were able to enjoy your cruise so much despite these irritations.

 

marylizcat - perhaps this link will give you a bit of info for the Colourful Coasts, but I'm sure others will be able to add more/give different perspectives of each port.

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=847502

 

The second time we went to Madeira we did the 'West of the Island' tour (from the ship) which was fantastic. I see that Strawberry World Tours also do a similar trip at a cheaper price (although we had a good lunch as part of the Thomson trip - not sure that's included in the private firm's tour). We thought we'd try them next time and do the East of the Island.

 

Anyway, happy planning :)

[slhw]

Oh heck, first one review encourages you, then the next makes you want to walk the plank!! Quite put off Destiny at the moment - wish we'd stuck to Spirit or Celebration.

Anyone out there offer any encouragement before I go shoot myself?

Sandie

[Crinkle]

Lol sorry shouldn't laugh really.

Well Ive just had 2 weeks on Destiny, and really enjoyed it.

Only complaint I had about the food was, that sometimes in the seven seas it wasn't quite as hot as it could be. In the lido if it was breezy it got cold fast.

Service at bars and in show lounges was great.

If you like cheezy quiz shows then you'll have a laugh.

From what family and friends have said about the Celebration, then its much of the same. Only the destiny isn't as noisy.

hope it helps a bit!

[SwissLe]

Thanks for your comments guys. I am in the process or writing the ports of call part. I will say that the locations really were excellent. As Crinkle stated the weather was great too!

 

Our cabin stewardess was called Ira and was indeed from Eastern Europe. Kick her in the shin if you get her for me please :rolleyes:

 

slhw - I don't think anything was bad enough to consider suicide. I liked the fixed time dining as it gave us a chance to bond with our table mates, you just don't get this on the Celebration. We also had a really good table location so it was good to get this each night. The ship is a better design than the Celebration but the public rooms have been updated on the Celebration and the cabins are of a better size. I think we were unlucky with service and my review reflected this. The chances are you could, like Crinkle, have fantastic service which really does change the viewpoint of the review. We still had a great holiday at a great price, with just some very rectifiable elements causing problems. Oh and our food was always fresh and a good temperature and we never hung around long enough in the Lido for it to go cold. It just shows the different experiences people get on the same ship and even same cruise!

[Swerve]

Our cabin stewardess was called Ira and was indeed from Eastern Europe. Kick her in the shin if you get her for me please :rolleyes:

 

Absolutely and she'll have a kick up the backside for last time and a second one to make sure she get's it right this time :D

[Sailingscots]

Hi SwissLe,

 

Seems we were neighbours- we were in cabin 4054. Ira was also our maid. Didn't actually work out which one she was until almost the last day as she never came to introduce herself and she never came to the cabin anytime we were around. W didn't have any real complaints about the way she kept the cabin (apart from an used bar of soap left on top of the shower from the previous occupants)and we did get a couple of towel 'animals' during the course of the week.

 

We had a great cruise, though I was really disappointed with the cabin size compared to Emerald and the shower room was really dated.The dressing table drawers were a real pain- we ended up stuffing bits of cardboard in the sides to stop them from opening each time the ship rolled.

 

We didn't leave the ship till 6pm and were allowed to keep our cabin till 5pm, which was a real bonus (presumably this was possible because no new passengers were coming on). The ship was absolutely deserted by the time we left and it was a bit sad watching all the entertainment staff bidding fairwell to each other.as they left the ship. They kept both the poolside serveries going all day- so we didn't go short of food or drink!

 

Already on the lookout for our next cruise. Quite fancy the Baltic route next time.

[kruzseeka]

Hi Sailingscots - pleased you enjoyed your trip.

 

I can thoroughly recommend the Baltic itinerary - we've done it 3 times as there's so much to see, especially St Petersburg which is fantastic. If you want any info, I'll help if I can.

 

I reckon it will be the Celebration doing the northern runs next summer so you'll find the cabin sizes better than Destiny and lots of drawer space too. I just hope that the recent refit has improved the dated en-suites as these do let the Celebration down a bit. I'm keen to hear from the first travellers since the refurb - I think they'll be returning this weekend.

[SwissLe]

It's ashame you never had the pleasure with Ira, or lucky! I guess she got bored of doing the animals by the time she got to us, as we were closest to the service entrance and judging by the time she serviced each day - the last. I think the fact that she failed to spot a used bar of soap from past cruisers suggests her cleaning was no way up to usual cruise or Thomson standards.

 

We went home an hour earlier than you guys on the Scotland flight and weren't permitted to keep our cabin, even for the £30 supplement. I guess they required it for earlier arriving passengers.

 

Every other cruise line I've been on that has charter flights included has kept the services going until the last minute, so I didn't really think anything of it. The Lido is always open unless it's too cold and it switches to the Seven Seas.

[Bella36]

Thanks for that very comprehensive review SwissLe.

We are going on Destiny's "Tropical Transatlantic" repositioning cruise on Dec 7th, so I have to say I am a little disheartened at Swissle's review of the ship.:( I have also been looking at some videos of Destiny on YouTube, and they really did worry me! Not the ship itself, because I know that it is a little dated in decor now, and I expect small cabins etc, but the type of entertainment shown was very "Butlins at Sea", particularly the Deck Party and also the commentary from one or two of the video posters left a lot to be desired!! Take a look for yourself, if you haven't already.

 

We have only cruised with P&O before, and whilst I am not someone who moans unnecessarily, of the "Ventura is not like Oriana" breed - the review did worry me a bit! I use the Ventura comparison, because there were such negative reviews of her from the more "traditional" P&O cruisers, yet we really loved her contemporary and younger look and atmosphere. I am hoping we will love Destiny too, but for obviously different reasons, as I know she is a very different type of ship.

 

I do hope we don't get the now infamous, Ira as our steward though!

I will do a review on my thoughts on Destiny when we return. Whatever I think of Destiny though, two weeks in the Caribbean just has to be better than cold, wet Wales!:)

Regards,

Bella36.

[smiffy1951]

Hi Bella36:rolleyes:

 

We have been on the Destiny twice so far and are booked again in March 2009 for the 2 week Caribbean cruise. In fact she's our favourite Thomson ship.

 

I think everyone has different ideas about good and bad and therefore can only go on what we have experienced. We have NEVER had any complaints about any part of the Destiny. Our cabin stewardess (even the Eastern Europeans) have been excellent. We've had our "animals" every night with chocolates adapted to parts of their bodies (eyes etc) and also one even put a pair of sunglasses on an elephant. Our cabin has always been spotless, and although the cabins are smaller on Destiny than on other Thomson ships, we spend very little time in them so it's never been a problem for us.

 

The entertainment is very varied depending on which part of the ship you go, so if you don't like one thing there is always something else on offer.

We love the Sky Bar which is quite quiet and has fantastic staff, but we also like the Oklahoma Lounge for a change and a bit of a laugh.

 

We always eat in the Lido Buffet as we prefer to please ourselves when and where we eat, but that's an entirely personal choice.

 

I think it's best to go in with an open mind and no pre-concieved ideas based on other people's experiences. Like I say, everyone has different ideas.

 

Anyway I hope you have a great cruise and look forward to your review when you get back.

 

Smiffy1951:):)

[kruzseeka]

 

I reckon it will be the Celebration doing the northern runs next summer so you'll find the cabin sizes better than Destiny and lots of drawer space too. I just hope that the recent refit has improved the dated en-suites as these do let the Celebration down a bit. I'm keen to hear from the first travellers since the refurb - I think they'll be returning this weekend.

 

Getting confused :confused: Of course Celebration is in the Eastern Med this summer - and Spirit doing the northern itineraries. Sorry about that! Still, cabin sizes are bigger on Spirit too (it's like the Celebration).

[SwissLe]

Thanks for that very comprehensive review SwissLe.

We are going on Destiny's "Tropical Transatlantic" repositioning cruise on Dec 7th, so I have to say I am a little disheartened at Swissle's review of the ship.:( I have also been looking at some videos of Destiny on YouTube, and they really did worry me! Not the ship itself, because I know that it is a little dated in decor now, and I expect small cabins etc, but the type of entertainment shown was very "Butlins at Sea", particularly the Deck Party and also the commentary from one or two of the video posters left a lot to be desired!! Take a look for yourself, if you haven't already.

 

We have only cruised with P&O before, and whilst I am not someone who moans unnecessarily, of the "Ventura is not like Oriana" breed - the review did worry me a bit! I use the Ventura comparison, because there were such negative reviews of her from the more "traditional" P&O cruisers, yet we really loved her contemporary and younger look and atmosphere. I am hoping we will love Destiny too, but for obviously different reasons, as I know she is a very different type of ship.

 

I do hope we don't get the now infamous, Ira as our steward though!

I will do a review on my thoughts on Destiny when we return. Whatever I think of Destiny though, two weeks in the Caribbean just has to be better than cold, wet Wales!:)

Regards,

Bella36.

 

I have cruised with P&O on multiple occasions - from the Canberra right up to Arcadia. I think this is where I get most of my service standards from, P&O really do have a good balance of formality and personability.

 

The entertainment isn't too far away from P&O, but you can see where corners have been cut due to budgets and also many of the staff who host the quiz shows are from Butlins - people seem to lap this up and it's not really intrusive; you can join in if you want, but there are many alternatives. If you get a chance go up and see 'Fhil' behind the bar in the Sky Bar and tell him Tommy sent you for a 'Pink Binkini'!

 

I did not go expecting P&O service on Thomson and previously had a really positive experience onboard the Spirit & Celebration. As I have stated before the service was not bad as a whole just very inconsistant. This also didn't detract from the fact we had a very enjoyable holiday based on the price.