Reviews of Thomson Destiny Cruise Ship, Thomson Destiny, Thomson Cruises

This was our first cruise and we...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Colourful Coasts

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs S Ford

Comments:

This was our first cruise and we had a great time. I only got back yesterday and am missing the laid back atmosphere.



I was worried about the ship after reading about some of the reviews. The only comment I can make is yes the cabins are small. Especially when sharing with my husband and my very hyper small child. But we coped all right for the week. Sometimes even stayed in the room to watch the movie of the day.



The food I cannot fault in any of the food areas. The all inclusive drinks package is well worth the extra money. Only paid for a few bottles of water all week. Also the staff on board are all very very friendly and go out of their way to make you feel special and talk to the children.



The staff are always on top of keeping all areas of the ship spotless.



Our Cabin Steward Ron on Deck 2 was great, every time we left the room it was cleaned for our return and always with a different animal made out of towels for our son to enjoy (wished we could have took one home) my sons favourite was the dog with big droopy ears.



Only wish there was more to do for the children on a night. As we were looking forward to a few hours on our own but my son was not keen on Kids Zone so he was with us for the shows & quizzes on the night.



If you just want to chill and relax for a week I recommend you get on this ship.



The islands were all great Madeira was excellent. The toboggan ride was excellent I would recommend it to everyone.

This was our first cruise so we...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Colourful Coasts

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

D J Thomason

Comments:

This was our first cruise so we were a little uncertain as to what we might find as other people had said we should go on a proper cruise such as with Royal Caribbean etc.



We found the ship, although a little tired in places and showing its 25 years spent at sea, was more than adequate in most departments, especially in the quality and variety of food on offer the overall exceptional cleanliness of both the cabin and public areas and the exceptionally polite crew.



Entertainment was disappointing as the young singers and dancers require more practise to be step perfect and to sing in tune.



The pro. Guest comedian was excellent.



After evening meal, in the overcrowded Seven Seas restaurant, our ears were bombarded with all the waiters singing (or trying to) which detracted from the impeccable service they had provided during the meal.



The ports of call were very interesting although La Palma shuts on Sunday leaving precious little for the independent traveller to do their own thing.



All in all though, as an introduction to cruising, it has certainly whetted our appetite, and we shall try one of the enormous liners operated by the competition so that we can see whether bigger is better.

My comments are just to settle...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Colourful Coasts

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs A Crouch

Comments:

My comments are just to settle the worries of those who are already booked to travel on the Destiny and who have read some of the bad reviews about this ship.



Yes the cabins are small, but let’s face it this is a ship!! I have been on four cruises and this time we did have a problem with our toilet flushing once, this was resolved within 10 minutes of our complaint.



The food, entertainment, ports of call, all inclusive package, and everything else you can think of was excellent.



We took a family with us who had not been cruising before and they were very apprehensive after reading some of these reviews, please don’t let it put you off, some people are hard to please!

WOW! It gets better and better...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Colourful Coasts

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Rachel_1978

Comments:

WOW! It gets better and better each time I travel on the Thomson Destiny. I cannot fault it one bit. I travelled on her in April and thought nothing would ever beat it, but this one blew my expectations through the roof.



The weather was fantastic, average daily temp was around 30-35 degrees, so nothing to complain about there! The ship is in good condition, and the guys behind the scenes work very hard in keeping it that way.



The itinerary was very good too, including Gran Canaria - the sand dunes in Maspalomas are outstanding and Madeira - beautiful gardens and flowers (and food). We also had a day at sea which was nice and relaxing and very, very hot! When we were sailing into Lanzarote, we also saw some wild dolphins jumping in and out of the water against the sunrise - something I will never forget for the rest of my life.



The show team were average. I think we were spoilt by the show team in April, as these guys didn't really seem to have that much experience, it was a shame though as that was something I was really looking forward to. They had only been on the ship a week though, so they might well improve as the weeks go on.



The entertainment team were amazing. Special mention to Kane Davies (asst. Cruise Dir), Jayne, and Paul. They always go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and are always friendly. When I left, I felt as though I was leaving friends behind. The evening entertainment was good, with things like 'Mr & Mrs', 'Play your cards right ‘,’ Miss Destiny, and Your kind of music There was also a karaoke evening for passengers to sing, (or not as sometimes the case was). There was also the daily afternoon quizzes around the family pool. My aim is to win one of these the next time I go onboard.



The live band on board were called Garden Party, and they are from Hungary. They don't speak much English, but they can certainly sing in English - much to their credit.



The Argo Trio were also onboard, usually playing music in the Clipper bar, and sometimes on deck too. They were fantastic also, and always happy to give you a smile and have a chat with you.



The food was exceptional. I normally had breakfast at the Lido Buffet aft of the ship. There’s lots to choose from, such as Pastries, Cereals, Fruit, Toast, and a fully cooked breakfast. Also, there are unlimited amounts of tea, coffee and fruit juices available, as well as chilled water. I had lunch from either the pool grill or the lido buffet, and one day we had a big BBQ at the pool grill, so that was fantastic too. Dinner in the Seven Seas Restaurant was out of this world. We had lovely waiters on our table - Fred and Diaz and Head Waiter - James. Also, Christian our wine waiter was very good - we never had an empty glass once!



The food was so tasty and every night there was a different choice for people with different tastes. There was choice this time than there has been before. Also, the desserts have got better - I'll leave that on to your imagination so I don't make your mouths water!



The bar staff were very friendly and were always on hand to get a drink for you, the ones that stood out for me were Tony (pool bar), Mauro, Maratas, Inna, Katrina, Svetlana, Adrian, Daniel and also the F&B Manager Allwyn.



The cabin was adequate for what we wanted it for - sleeping/getting changed. We were on deck 6 inside and again, it cannot be faulted at all. The cabin stewards Alina and Aylona did an exceptional job in the cabins and made us lots of animals out of the towels. They both looked after us very well indeed.



Another special mention to Wint who is another cabin steward on deck 6 and was our cabin steward in April. He is the most professional individual I have ever met. He is so friendly and very, very good at his job. he is always smiling and always there to help you or get something for you if you need it - so if you see WINT onboard on deck 6 - give him a big hug and hello from me.



I'm already looking at booking another cruise for April/May next year onboard Destiny - I have already booked to go on her in January 2009 to the Caribbean!!



My advice is that if you are thinking about booking a cruise on Thomson Destiny - do it sooner rather than later, I am certain you will enjoy every minute of it and will not want to leave when the time comes.

Joined this ship on August 23rd...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Med

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs A Moore

Comments:

Joined this ship on August 23rd for one week. Our party was 6 adults ages 23 to50. We all had a lovely time.



The ship does need some repair. Towels to thin sunbeds too dirty. There are far too many people saving sunbeds for other people Thomson need to address this. All the staff on the ship are great always working hard to please everyone and always smiling. They're a credit to Thomson.



I am gluten-free and I was catered for so well. The meals were lovely and I was never made to feel different from my family. We have cruised with Thomson 4 times before and always been impressed. Our next cruise is Nov 29/ 07 aboard the Celebration.



A BIG THANK YOU THOMSON.

Just returned from our second...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Roman Epic Jewels Of The Med

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs J Ebdale

Comments:

Just returned from our second Thomson cruise.. My husband and I had a wonderful time. We found from leaving our airport to arriving in Palma to go to our cruise boat Thomson staff very helpful.



The staff on the ship were very friendly and helped in every way. The cabins were very clean.



The food was excellent and plenty 24 hours. The entertainment also was fabulous.



We enjoyed our trips we chose and again guides very knowledgeable in telling us of the places we picked. Highlight Rome. And Pompeii. We also went on other tours which we enjoyed. We will certainly go on another cruise.



Just one concern on one tour we visited a honey factory and we are not allowed to bring honey into the uk so be aware if you buy any.



Our other moan for Thomson officials at Bristol airport on our return we were two hours from landing to getting into our car to then drive 4 hours to Cornwall which annoyed us after such a great holiday. Too many planes for the airport to cope with.

This is the second time I have...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of the Mediterranean

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss LH Handlin

Comments:

This is the second time I have cruised on Destiny and I have loved every minute of both.



I could not fault anyone on the service or the fun put into my holiday. I even got to see the captain this time round and found him to be extremely pleasant and fun gentleman.



So I wish to extend my complements to all crew members who have indeed made my cruise one I will always cherish. thanks and roll on next year.



Lorraine

Have just returned from our...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Roman Epic

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr C Lane

Comments:

Have just returned from our first cruise, on board the Roman Epic. We were not disappointed.



We had an amazing experience and can thoroughly recommend the experience to anybody else pondering a first cruise!



As we only booked the day before the cruise, we were probably fortunate to get on, and had to make do with a deck 2 cabin. The cabin was very small, but adequate. The maids cleaned it very regularly (it seemed like every time you left the room, they were ready to go back in to re-clean!!) and once you get used to the fact that the room is very small, you can begin enjoying your holiday in earnest.



Food was absolutely fabulous; lots of choice every night. Glenn, our waiter, worked very hard throughout and kept us entertained with his napkin folding (more exciting than it sounds!), flower making, singing, dancing etc!



We thought the trips seemed bad value for money so decided to make our own way to destinations; definitely worthwhile doing, e.g. we got a return train ride to Rome, and a sightseeing day once we were there for about a quarter of the price that Thomson quoted.



We were very sad to leave but will definitely be returning. Despite being a young couple (early 20's) we found it easy to make friends, and our dinner table (ranging from people in their 60's to one man who was 93!) helped make our trip even more enjoyable! Thanks very much to Nell and George from Shotley Bridge for some amazing stories!



Anyway, wouldn't put anybody off going on the Thomson Destiny. We are considering going on the Destiny to the Caribbean next year, but are also considering other cruise-lines.



Great trip - go!

My wife and I have just returned...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Renaissance

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr G Curtis

Comments:

My wife and I have just returned from our first ever cruise on Thomsons Destiny, and it was fantastic, we got 4 star treatment from the minute we stepped on board until the minute we left.



The food was excellent all the way through the ship, no matter which restaurant we went into, our cabin was kept very clean by the cabin boy whose name was "Ganesh" he was from Nepal, nothing was too much for him, he seemed to be around all the time, he made our beds down each night, and of course there was always a chocolate on your pillow.



The entertainment was also top class, the cruise director, Steven Guy had a great team, they put 100% into every show, I would like to thank them all for a fantastic holiday, and we were so impressed that we have already booked for another cruise on the Destiny next year.

I’m just back from a fantastic...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Destiny Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss Grace O Sullivan

Comments:

I’m just back from a fantastic week cruising the Med on board the Thomson Destiny & I couldn't describe how brilliant it really was.



Now that I’m home I’m very depressed thinking of the lucky souls on board this week! The staff couldn't have been friendlier, the food was unreal (bring loose clothes for the end of your holiday you'll need them!) & the drink was very reasonable considering they really could charge what they liked out in the middle of the ocean!



The cabins while small in comparison to apartments you might be used to on a typical sun holiday are very comfortable & you hardly you you're moving.



As for the entertainment staff, my God they were something else. The talent these guys have & the energy they put into every performance was unbelievable! They really made the holiday for me & I would have no hesitation in recommending the Thomson Destiny to anyone & I hope to travel on her again in the future.



So all that's left to say is a huge thank you to everyone on board the Destiny who made it such a fantastic holiday. p.s. hope to see ye all soon in the Caribbean!

Just returned from the Destiny....

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Destiny Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs Janette Evans

Comments:

Just returned from the Destiny. We travelled as a family, with ages spanning 22 to 79, there were 4 in our party and everyone had a fantastic time. The ship was brilliant, the public areas were all very up to date, the cabins are quite small but why spend time there?



Everything about the holiday was good, the food ,service and entertainment could not be faulted. The hard working entertainment team especially Gavin, Kane , Keith , Gemma, Sam and Sarah are truly the hardest workers around - they made our holiday.



Some of the ports of call were a slight let down for us. Casablanca - can't see the point of calling there. I know Marrakesh is the draw for people but with a travelling time of four hours each way just to spend four hours there surely it would be better to just fly there and stay? There must be some prettier ports to call at??



Next year the Destiny is going to the Caribbean, I for one will definitely be making that trip. I have sailed on all class of cruise liner, the very large, very expensive and those in between but you will NEVER get a better atmosphere and good feeling as when you travel on the Destiny. It is the only holiday I dreaded leaving thanks to all the staff.

Just returned home after a week...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Itinerary:

Moorish Delights

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr M SMITH

Comments:

Just returned home after a week on the Destiny. " Moorish Delights" cruise.



Bad points:



This ship is in need of a major refit. It now looks and feels very tired.



The sunbeds are a disgrace, not only were they filthy, they are falling to bits and can be dangerous to the point of collapse and trapping and cutting fingers.



The towels in the cabin are so thin and worn out they no longer absorb water and have now turned a grey colour and are no longer white.



The mattress on the cabin beds have no support left in them and seem to have a big hollow in the middle to which you fall into.



Our toilet failed to flush on a number of days and we kept having to report it and get it fixed, which it was quickly.



The lido cafe for some strange reason has opted to use polystyrene cups, and thin plastic type glasses. These are awful, let alone unsuitable as the slightest of breeze and they are blown over, full or empty.



We took the all inclusive drinks package at £149, OK but be careful as there are big supplements on certain branded drinks which I feel is a complete rip off.



The trips are very expensive so it is much cheaper to do your own thing or join in with fellow passengers and get a taxi or minibus.



Good points:



The staff are great, nothing is too much trouble, they work very long hours and still manage to smile and be friendly.



The food was good, but not as good as the old days on Airtours days unfortunately.



The cabins are kept spotless our maid was always on hand, the towels were changed 3 times a day and the ice bucket always kept full.



Thomson say they are starting a Caribbean cruise itinerary with this ship next year, I hope it has a refit before.



This ship can only justify a 3 Star rating at the most now, after all its over 25 years old and looks like Thomsons have done nothing with it since they took it over from Airtours.



At the end of the day you get what you pay for so if you can get a cruise at approx half price this is fine and if you don't mind putting up with worn out fixtures and fittings then this ship is OK, however for not a lot more money you can get the luxury of a much more modern ship.



Thomson need to smarten up there act and this ship if they want to continue to fill the places.

It was our first cruise, so not...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Itinerary:

Mediterranean Renaissance

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

mummykins

Comments:

It was our first cruise, so not sure what to expect. We were not disappointed, having only booked the month before departure we chose deck 4 inside cabin.



This was quite small and reminded me of a caravan, but had everything needed as not much time was spent inside anyway.



Trips were well organised but little expensive, so did Rome on your own excursion as not confident enough to try the local train. VilleFranche took the local bus into Nice, was only 2.60 Euros return, and took 15 mins. Pisa afternoon trip was also reasonable price, (beware of pickpockets in the market area).



Food was excellent, ate in Seven Seas for breakfast and Dinner, and Lido Cafe for daytime and late night snacks.



Entertainment was like being in a holiday camp, although the evening shows were of good quality.



Weather was fantastic, although we did have 2 rough crossings the first to VilleFranche was interesting! This was the first day at sea, lots of passengers were ill, Captains Dinner party was half empty, and we made it as far as reception.



The second rough patch was overnight crossing from Italy to Corsica, which was very rocky, felt like being on a rollercoaster ride. There were apparently lots of passengers sleeping on the stairs, we were near the front of the ship, which felt worse, lots of things falling off shelves and loud bangs heard all night, there were a plentiful supply of sick bags placed all around the ship.. Felt more like the Atlantic than the Med.



Staff were all friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble.

This was our first cruise and...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of the Mediterranean

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr J Boydell

Comments:

This was our first cruise and was only booked the week before we left. To say we enjoyed it is an understatement, it was fabulous.



The standard of food was superb. We ate mainly in the Seven Seas Restaurant at breakfast and dinner but we found that the Lido Restaurant was excellent for lunch as it was a buffet. Svetlana who looked after our cabin was lovely and couldn't do enough to make sure that we were well looked after, the little touches such as one night a dog made out of 2 towels and another night an elephant, was greatly appreciated.



Thomson certainly work their staff hard, they never seem to have a day off. The waiters in the restaurant were all fantastic and, as well as waiting on us, they also entertained us with their singing. Talking of singing, the entertainment on board was of professional theatre standard; Steve, the entertainment director, had assembled a superb team.



There was always so much to do on board or you could just relax. We did not think much of Palermo but we did it ourselves and probably missed the interesting bits. We enjoyed all the other places we visited, especially Sorrento, Pompeii and Barcelona. Although the Destiny is not a new ship the facilities and furnishings on board are excellent.



As I said at the beginning this was our first cruise, it certainly will not be our last.

Booked two weeks on the Destiny...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Destiny Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs A Chandler

Comments:

Booked two weeks on the Destiny for myself, husband and two children. Have cruised before on P&O and wanted to try Thomson’s.



The cabins were too small for four people unlike other ships we have been on. The cabins were old and dated we had not enough space for the clothes in wardrobe so had to keep these in the case, there was nowhere to keep cases so we just had to climb over them. No sockets for electrical appliances in cabin so had to use this outside in corridor.



Charged £12.00 per week for a small safe. Cabins were kept very clean, staff were good, entertainment good, food good. Excursions overpriced it’s cheaper to do these yourself.



Not enough sun beds so a lot of arguments about these. Sheets and towels worn and need to be replaced.



Had to make sure you were in show venues at least 45 mins early to get a seat. Most of the people on ship had only booked two weeks prior so they got the cruise half price or were able to get two cabins for the price of one, so in future I would not book up but hang on for a deal or pay extra and go either P and O or one of the specialist cruise companies.



If you looking for luxury the Destiny is not for you, but if you want a budget holiday it’s ok but keep clear of the four berth rooms.