It is often claimed that Thomson get such good reviews simply because many of their passengers are cruise ‘virgins’ and know no better. Well, I can now firmly disagree. Thomson get such good reviews because they are great value and offer a very good product.

The ship was charming, a perfect size at around 34,000 gt and in good condition. Many original features and furniture appeared to remain. The teak promenade deck. observation lounge and fantail were a joy.

The onboard atmosphere is very British as are the menu’s. The levels of food and service exceeded my expectations. In fact in the main dining room they were better than I had experienced onboard the QE2’s Mauritania grade. The Lido Buffet was well ran and offered tasty and plentiful options.

The passengers were very friendly (more than most), and came from many walks of life, including many Teachers, an accountant, P&O regulars and a woman that spent six weeks onboard the QM2 last year. There was a wide age range and many families, but the kids caused no problems for me. The one think that all people had in common is that they did not want to spend a fortune on taking a cruise.

The entertainment was surprising broad (broader than RCI for example). In addition to the normal range of song and dance type shows and bingo, there was a Cinema, some enrichment lectures and two plays were staged during the week. The ship never seemed too overcrowded and absorbed her 1250 passengers well.

Thomson’s organization, embarkation and disembarkation was the smoothest that I’ve ever experienced with any cruise (other lines please note). The flight was virtually ‘free’ when you considered that the overall package did not cost so much more than the flight, if it had been purchased separately. Thomson does not even require you to tip the staff. Needless to say the cruise was the cheapest I have taken, certainly the best value and one of the more enjoyable.

I would fully recommend the Thompson product for Brits , especially ‘Celebration’ and her twin sister ‘Spirit’ (ex Nieuw Amsterdam). I would now also seriously certainly consider ‘Thomson Destiny’ (ex RCI ‘Song of America’, My Travel’s ‘Sunbird’) which gets good reviews and next year they will offer ‘Calypso’.

I will be writting a review soon, for those interested in the finer details of this bargan!

(Thanks to Mec1 and Sread who both have provide postive feedback in the past, about Thomson which persuaded me to try the product).

[ 12-29-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Tom Burke:
Thaks for that, Malcolm - it's definitely given me something to think about, for 2008 maybe.

You were on Thomson Celebration, I see. It looks as if Thomson Spirit is a very similar ship, possibly a sister ship? And what about Thomson Destiny?

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Yes Tom, Celebration and Spirit are sister ships. I sailed on them many times when HAL brought them out as the Nieuw Amsterdam and Noordam. We loved both those ships - they were the perfect size.

Thomson 'Destiny', formerly RCI's 'Song of America (1983) was very popular with Brits as Airtours (Mytravel) 'Sunbird'.

I've never cruised on 'Destiny' but I recall that sread recently had a great time on her. So it appears that Thomson are carrying on the Airtours tradition.

It will be interesting to see the first Calypso reviews in 2007 when Thomson charters her. At 11,000 gt and adults only, she will be offering a slightly different product to the rest of the Thomson fleet.

[ 12-29-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

I would not be surprised in Thomson have only changed the carpets. Much of the decor and especially the cabin furniture looks like it must be original to me. Much of it had a 1969-1970's QE2 type feel to me, although the ship was built in 1984.

It looked as if my deluxe cabin (deck six) was probablly called a 'suite' originally, used to have a cassette tape played built into the dressing table/cuppboard assembly. The push buttons were still their but not the slot for a tape?

I'm going on Destiny (ex-Sunbird) at the beginning of February, and on Calypso later in the year.

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Originally posted by sread:
Excellent review, Malcolm ;-) Deserves to be seen by a wider audience......

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Thanks Steve. I suspect some members of cruisetalk are pretty 'wide'.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

I would not be surprised in Thomson have only changed the carpets. Much of the decor and especially the cabin furniture looks like it must be original to me. Much of it had a 1969-1970's QE2 type feel to me, although the ship was built in 1984.

It looked as if my deluxe cabin (deck six) was probablly called a 'suite' originally, used to have a cassette tape played built into the dressing table/cuppboard assembly. The push buttons were still their but not the slot for a tape?

Anyone?

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Oh, Malcolm, I wish I still had a brochure showing the deck plans for the HAL ships and then I could maybe tell which type of a cabin you were in.

The top cabins were categorized as A Suites and were on the Navigation & Boat decks. None of the cabins had a cassette player - only a radio which was built into the headboard of the bed. I don't ever remember anything being built into the dressing table.

These cabins had a King size bed, huge dresser and sitting area with a sofa and a coffee table, which were placed under the window. I don't know what "deck 6" would be on the Thomson ships. On the HAL ships, Deck 6 would have been in the bowels of the ship, so looks like Thomson have changed the deck #'s.

We had one of these cabins a couple of times, but normally took either cabin 200 or 201, which were the 2 middle cabins on the Upper Promenade deck at the very front of the ship. We loved these cabins, although we did often have people peering in the windows at us - no one way glass in those days, so you did have to keep your curtains/drapes closed. I will look and see if I have any pictures, which I am sure I do.

Click Here.

I see that the cabins we took on the Upper Prom deck are still numbered as 200 & 201. If you were on deck 6 then you had the the same type of cabin but more mid-ships. They are/were great cabins, weren't they? Peter loved them as he could just step out the door to his "private" verandah and have a cigar & didn't have to go all the way down to the pool deck.

Interesting to see the new bedding, etc. What Thomson calls a Suite, HAL called an A cabin, which was the top category.

Diane

Forgot - no TV or mini bar in the "old" days.

[ 12-29-2006: Message edited by: sympatico ]

seems to me that to get the best of the area you would have to spend most of your cruise on a coach.

how many did you do malcolm? how expensive?

The Thomson 'Red Sea Magic' is a pretty unique (odd?) cruise. There was no other cruise ship operating in that area. The ports of call are all ugly docks, and the ship overnights twice, so apart form one sea day, she does not really cruise much! Interestingly there were to choice of port to board – so passengers joined and disembarked on both Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Coach excursions were essential - it would be difficult to do them by taxi. I went to the Ancient city of Petra (Jordan) an hour bus ride each way and Cairo (Pyramids and Museum) which was a two hour ride each way. I also went on a half day shopping trip to Hugada. My excursions were spaced out with a day onboard, in between.

The other big excursion was to Luxor (Valley of the kings and karnac temple) which was a three hour coach ride away. I saw them in 2005, so I gave it a miss. The prices of the full day excursions were around £70 (which did include a good lunch).

Many people were on the cruise because it was a very good price and a Christmas celebration. The ship was the destination for many. I don't suppose so many people did all three full-day excursions as they were very long, tiring and not exactly cheap. Thomson offered a cheap additional week in Sham El Sheik, so many people did this after the cruise.

So a strange way to see some of Egypt's highlights, but very enjoyable. You can do it for about £300-350 in January, inc flight, no tips required!

See:
Thomson Web Site

[ 12-30-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by gaz hants:
..i thought this cruise would be a good way of revisiting both the pyramids and petra.

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It was, as long as you appreciate they never really give you enough time at the sights, even on full day excursion. I regarded it as a cruise (the main course) with Egypt as a 'side dish'. You are unlikely to find a better value cruise. (The delux cabins are nice, especially if they are on 'offer').

The Thomson excusions and prices are HERE if you click on each port.

[ 12-30-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

[ 01-01-2007: Message edited by: glynn ]

See Here - use magnifying glass to enlarge image

and the even smaller than Sovereign inside cabin we had.

[ 01-06-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Dave the Wave:
But now I enjoy cruising twice a year and have alot more fun with out the constant nagging, "don't you think you have had enough to drink?"

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Sorry to hear that Dave, but at least you got your priorities right; drinking and cruising!