Reviews of Thomson Celebration Cruise Ship, Thomson Celebration, Thomson Cruises

Having travelled in the past on...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Red Sea Magic

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr K Hamilton

Comments:

Having travelled in the past on the Topaz, my wife and I were apprehensive about this booking, but from start to finish were pleasantly surprised.



Although the Celebration is now a mature lady, the crew kept her well maintained and very clean.



The food was generally excellent, and we found no need to visit the a la carte restaurant. Being waved off on excursions by the crew, and being greeted on the quayside on return with drinks, hot towels, and entertainment, were totally unexpected touches.



The crew were generally attentive and pleasant, the public rooms comfortable, and the entertainment varied and enthusiastic. The all inclusive option of £148pp, we thought excessive, and declined.



Our bar bill for the week was approx. £120. Shore excursions were very interesting, especially Petra, and Luxor and of reasonable value. I would thoroughly recommend this cruise.

This was our first cruise...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Celebration Cruise Ship - R

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs M Green

Comments:

This was our first cruise although we are both in our 60's and have travelled extensively. We booked this particular trip because it was on special offer price wise and we have always wanted to see Petra in Jordan.



We upgraded to an outside cabin on Deck 3. The cabin was spotless and lacked nothing. Our room steward, Mashuri was efficient, friendly and well mannered. We found this attitude to be true of every member of the crew. Not one surly or bad tempered face was seen at all.



We mostly dined in the Lido Restaurant as we prefer buffet food and it is available twenty four hours a day. The food is probably the best we have ever had on a holiday and it is easy to put on weight!! Tea, coffee and water are also available free right round the clock.



We went on the Petra trip which was enjoyable but very tiring. We were unable to see everything as the walking was too much for me but most of the group managed it.



We gave Cairo and Luxor a miss as we've been twice before. The only other trip we did was the Seascope semi-submersible trip in Hurghada. This was excellent and the coral reef was alive with fish.



We thought this cruise would be a one-off but we are already looking at the brochure for the next one!

Having returned from our Cruise...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Baltic Capitals

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss J Prowse

Comments:

Having returned from our Cruise some months ago now, I can happily say that I am still smiling and have very fond memories of our time on board the Thomson Celebration. My Mother and I enjoyed the whole experience from start to finish.



We took in such places as Copenhagen, Tallinn, Helsinki and St Petersberg, all of which were wonderful. The Tour guides were all fantastic, my Mother does unfortunately have some walking difficulties and we were helped a great deal in selecting the right excursions.



My one and only complaint was in St Petersberg when we went to St Catherines Palace in Pushkin, our tour guide got off of our coach and walked so fast to the entrance which was what seemed like miles away that I had to run to catch her to get her to wait (there were four or five people on our coach who could not walk fast), as I said though this did seem to be a one off!!! The excursions were also very reasonably priced, anything from £30 to £60 and the odd expensive one of course



The Ship itself was great - we had slight engine trouble in St Petersberg which delayed us by a few hours for our next destination but we eventually caught the time back again!! The food was fantastic as was the entertainment, the staff could not be more helpful, like people before have said that seemed amazing that they remembered your name and your favourite drink as soon as you walked into a bar anywhere on board.



We spent most of our days in the Horizons bar, drinking cocktails which were very reasonably priced and very delicious!!



The Captains cocktail night - I had managed to convince my self that I would be completely over dressed, but I have to say my cocktail dress was just right, some people had made more of an effort than others in the dressing up department but it ranged from cocktail dresses and Dinner jackets to smart suits and even a few people really pushed the boat out by dressing up in their finery of a ball gowns. I had absolutely no need to worry about standing out at all!!!



The food where ever you dined was great - there was always plenty of choice even for the very fussy.



I would certainly recommend cruising to anyone even for people who do not like boats/ships, you could hardly tell you were on a ship until you looked outside.



We are currently saving like mad to be able to afford to book the next cruise - it is quite simply the best holiday I have ever been on!

This was our first cruise and we...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of the Med

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs K Eastwood

Comments:

This was our first cruise and we were celebrating our silver wedding anniversary. We were pleased with how easy checking in etc was. Our cabin was spacious on deck 4 and we had a lovely steward called Yulizar. The food is excellent in all the restaurants particularly Mistrals where we had our anniversary dinner. We liked the fact that each evening you can sit with different people, some of whom were very interesting.



The entertainment on board was brilliant we loved the spot light cabarets where each of the entertainment staff can show off there enviable talents. Our favourite bar on board was Horizons which had a very mellow and relaxed feel to it, if jazz is your thing this is the place for you. Even during the day if you stay on board there is plenty to do we never went anywhere without our cruise news which is delivered nightly to your cabin.



We loved going to Amalfi near Naples and Toulon which was a real surprise, try going up in the cable car to Mount Faron and you will not be disappointed.

The service on board was faultless and I loved the duty free shops, these are only open when the ship is at sea.



The ship had a difficulty with power one evening but the crew were so professional we had every confidence it would be sorted out and it was, within one hour everything was back to normal, it was quite exciting really.



We will definitely go on another Thomson cruise I think it has spoilt us for any other holiday now........maybe a Canary Island cruise next time.

We’ve just returned from a...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of the Med

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr D Bevan

Comments:

We’ve just returned from a cruise aboard the Thomson Celebration. The cruise was called ‘Jewels of the Mediterranean’. There were six ports of call over the period of a week. We had not cruised as a couple before as we are hardened independent travelers (we are previous winners of the Daily Mail independent travel family of the year competition). Our expectation was not high, but we were attracted to the cruise because the itinerary looked viable for a nice autumn break. There were a number of places we wanted to visit that separately didn’t justify a dedicated trip, but when put together under the umbrella of a weeks cruise became attractive.



The plan was to put up with the chips, burgers, bingo and Karaoke that we anticipated would form the heart of shipboard life in favour of the ability to travel independently once ashore.



Clearly, we didn’t read the brochure properly. Thomson, to our surprise and delight, has a real class act in operation. For sure, the chips and bingo stuff is present, but there’s just so much more on offer onboard. There are other published reviews that deal with the detailed mechanics of cruising on the Celebration that reflect accurately the Thomson offering so I’ve noted a few of the highlights and lowlights for us. Please bear in mind that we’re probably looking at this from a different perspective to a lot of people. There were a whole lot more positives than we expected.



We liked…



The itinerary is pretty comprehensive (with one exception). Six ports in seven days really does allow for a lot of land time. As I mentioned before, this was the primary motivation for taking this particular cruise. Pompeii is a highlight, subject to the concerns on personal security if you’re traveling independently via Naples.



The dining options are extensive. We tried them all and have no complaints for any of the venues. The food is pretty good generally and exceptional in the Mistrals restaurant. I would qualify this. We’ve eaten in a number of top class places around the world over the years (including a number of Michelin starred places), Mistrals is right up there with the best. It is easily worth the extra cash in terms of the food quality and the service if you enjoy fine dining. The chief waiter in Mistral’s (a guy named Enrique) was a real gentleman.



The crew. How can people actually be this pleasant for so long? How do they learn your name and your favourite drink so quickly? These guys are a revelation if you’re used to the usual level of service in a British hotel.



The cabin. We paid extra for a cabin high up. It was really nice and the steward was top notch. Upon reflection I wouldn’t have upgraded as the ones we saw lower in the ship looked O.K. In hindsight the only advantage for us was the big picture window and the very short walk to what became our favourite bar.



The drinks prices. They’re the same or less than the pub at home. Bear in mind Thomson do NOT add on a 15% service charge like a lot of other operators. As I mentioned earlier, the crew learn very quickly what you like as your tipple and in most cases a quick bit of eye contact on entry to the bar sees the drinks arriving as you sit down. The wine prices in the better restaurants are a bit steep, but consistent with those of a quality restaurant at home. If you’re a smoker, 400 fags cost less than 20 quid from the shop. All this led to a slight intake of breath when I saw our shipboard account, we must have been enjoying ourselves more than we thought (Several gourmet dinners in Mistral’s didn’t help keep the account down, but they became addictive)



Thomson are very, very organised with embarkation and disembarkation at the start and end of the cruise. Getting 1200 people (and about 2000 pieces of luggage) from airport to cabin is a mammoth task. We were most impressed with the speed and efficiency of the operation. There are queues, especially if several coaches arrived together, but its only a short wait to get ‘processed’ and we really liked the suggestion that we enjoyed some lunch while the stewards moved our cases to our cabin.



The unique ‘Anti- theft’ mechanism employed by Thomson to prevent you nicking the toweling robes from your cabin. They simply make them so big and fluffy that you can’t actually get one inside your suitcase…Neat!



We were able to fly from our local airport. This made a huge difference over having to fight our way through the crowds at the London airports.



We didn’t like…



Tunisia is a poor choice of destination. There’s a whole day and night at sea to get there and then the ship only docks for four hours. As the port is a long way from town there’s no real choice but to take an organised tour. Carthage is worth seeing, but isn’t worth the cost of the tour. Taxis however are unreliable and are known to be less than honest.



The Celebration is beginning to look tired. It’s spotlessly clean, but there are deeper issues. A breakdown at sea on the Friday evening left us drifting off the North African coast for over an hour without engines or power. This happened just at the climax of the Broadway show which I reluctantly admit, I was actually enjoying.



Some couples really made it their business to make the lives of their fellow passengers and the crew hell. Why do people act like this? Thomson have a pretty honest attitude to what they offer, it’s not as if Thomson are ripping anyone off. I guess we’ve all seen these sorts of people before, but in view of the relaxed atmosphere onboard it was a disappointment to see this sort of behaviour on holiday.



The destination/port guides are pretty knowledgeable, but as you would expect, the emphasis is on taking the Thomson offered tours. Complaints about the lack of advice regarding personal security in Naples led to improved information at the Barcelona briefing so it appears they do listen, but as this wasn’t the first time the ship had visited Naples one might have thought the information would have been forthcoming without prompting. Navigating the Naples traffic, railway station and buses isn’t for the faint-hearted.





Two other observations.



For a whole week at breakfast I resisted the blueberry pancakes with the fresh cream. Unfortunately the increased waistline suggests the cakes served with afternoon tea may have taken their toll. I guess we’ll call it a draw.



As a hardened independent traveler it pains me to say that we are already studying the Thomson cruise itineraries for 2007. Looks like Thomson win after all.

I have just returned from a...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Atlantic Charms

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs R Atkins

Comments:

I have just returned from a cruise on the Thomson Celebration. I was accompanied by my 85 year old mother. Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before and we therefore had no idea what to expect but we felt that this sort of holiday would best suit our requirements.



We have not been disappointed. From the moment we seamlessly boarded the ship at Southampton our every need has been catered for. We had a spotlessly clean cabin and in general the hygiene standards on board were very high. The variety and quality of food available was incredible.



The staff on board this ship are exceptional. Nothing was too much trouble. I will not forget the kindness and courtesy shown to my mum for a long time.



The weather was not terribly kind to us and we even had to deal with the tale end of hurricane Gordon, but this did not deter our enjoyment. Indeed it added to the adventure.



I must make a special mention of the entertainment team. Richard Sykes and his team are amazing, delivering first class entertainment with such enthusiasm every day of the cruise. Well done to you all.



My mum has returned to Cardiff with a treasured video of her cruise and some very happy memories which I am very pleased I was able to share with her.

I and my partner have just...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Baltic Treasures

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr K Farley

Comments:

I and my partner have just returned from the best holiday that we have ever had. It was on board the Thomson Celebration Baltic Treasures tour. The cruise was our first but will almost certainly not be our last. The ports of call, including Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen were excellent.



The organised visits in St. Petersburg were well planned, led and went to a number of really interesting and exciting sites. We chose to 'do our own thing' in the other cities but for the less adventurous or more elderly, Thomson arranged a number of really good excursions which were obviously enjoyed by those who participated.



If I now consider aspects of the cruise ship etc. I would rate the accommodation as excellent. Our cabin was of a very ample size with all the facilities we could wish for. The steward service was superb. Our own steward Hamzah was excellent, as were other stewards if other passengers are to be believed. The food was of a very wide variety and met all tastes. The Meridian restaurant service was very good and the Lido provided a fantastic range of foods and at all times!



The entertainment was brilliant, the offering of live shows each evening was far more than we expected and the range of shows was also excellent. The entertainment team, well led by Richard Sykes, offered music of all tastes from Gilbert & Sullivan to Buddy Holly and plays like Abigail's Party. It would be very difficult to find a passenger whose musical taste was not covered more than once on the cruise. The facilities in the bars were once again really good with smokers given an opportunity to enjoy a cigarette and a drink and not feel like lepers! The bar staff were second to none, our own favourite being a very sweet girl named Abigail who worked in Hemmingway's Bar. The crew of the ship are captained by a very impressive Norwegian named Geir Larsson who presented himself in a range of ways (our personal favourite being BBC - Big Bald Captain). He definitely has a presence and comes over as a firm but fair captain.



So as I have stated above I would rate this cruise as almost perfect and would advise any person contemplating cruising to consider Thomson's and the Celebration for that cruise.

For the amount I paid for this...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

All inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr R Mariner

Comments:

For the amount I paid for this cruise I really can't fault it. The cabins were comfortable and spacious on deck six with no problems with the promenade deck outside and no obstruction of views. I took my 80 year old in-laws for their first cruise and they were astonished by both the scenery and the excellent service from the staff. The more so as my mother in law is picky but loved the ship.



The food is good both in self service and in the excellent restaurant. The shows were enthusiastic and well produced and obviously aimed at the type of traveller who cruises and no bad thing at that. The captain was amusing and informative and made you feel welcome along with the staff.



As for Norway: it was spectacular and the weather was good and brilliant in Bergen at about 25 degrees! A great experience. Try it - a ship with both atmosphere and service to match. Well done crew.

Our first ever cruise was...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Celebration Cruise Ship - L

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss A Berry

Comments:

Our first ever cruise was excellent! Traveling with 3 children there was lots for them to do! With cinema and pools onboard!



The shows performed by the entertainment team were outstanding! My children enjoyed the Rhythm and Blues Deck Party.



Would definitely go back on this ship! And highly recommend it!

Fantastic holiday, stunning...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Legend of the Fjords

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs B Cowper

Comments:

Fantastic holiday, stunning scenery, people and staff were friendly, my 14 year old son could play the piano in the lounge, which he loved. Food superb plenty of it too!



Evening entertainment is very good. Not much to do for teenagers and we found the trips were very expensive. We tried to book the flam railway ourselves when we got off the ship, but the train was fully booked which was a disappointment, but since we found out that you can book it online or ring before hand as you will save yourself a fortune on what the ship charges as its their most expensive tour at £75 each (£65 for a family of four if you book it yourselves). It was a great holiday, one of my best to be honest, well worth the money.

Just returned from the Legends...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Celebration Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Ilkeston

Submitted By:

Mrs K Prosser

Comments:

Just returned from the Legends of the Fjords. What an experience, can't wait to book another cruise. Everyone was wonderful; we would like to thank our wonderful waiters Robert and Soller, if you are ever on this cruise ship ask for table C.



The weather was fantastic, even in Bergen, which apparently has 275 days of rain a year. It was clear blue skies and 75 degrees. We met people who had been on other cruise ships and they told us it was just as good if not better.



The shows were wonderful and everything was spotless. With all the people on board you would think the waiters and other staff would not remember you but they do.

Fantastic is the only way to...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs A Shinn

Comments:

Fantastic is the only way to describe our first cruise. Colourful coasts visited the Canary Islands as well as Funchal in Madeira and Agadir in Morocco. The service on board was faultless and the ship immaculate.



The entertainment on board was great and there was a lot of variety to choose from. It was really exciting being at sea and the arriving at a new destination nearly every morning. The ports were a good way to get a taster of a lot of countries in a short period of time and there loads of excursions if you weren't too busy being pampered on board.



We were all inclusive and food drinks and snacks were available whenever we needed them. Don't miss afternoon tea it's fab and the crew really pulled all the stops out for the midnight buffet which was truly amazing. The only problem is you don't want to go home.

I have to agree with Caroline...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Fjordland Splendours

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr Colin Bishop

Comments:

I have to agree with Caroline Rolling's comments. This was a most enjoyable cruise and the overall organisation was pretty much faultless.



One passenger I spoke to with experience of other cruises said it was the best he had been on and it certainly matched the standards of our previous river cruises. The ship is big but not too big as to become soulless.



OK, so the weather was a bit Norwegian but visibility remained good so we were able to appreciate the wonderful scenery and the sunny departure from Flam down the most spectacular Fjord scenery was magic! All the photos we took captured it very well.



We did do two of the long excursions on the basis that this was the best way of seeing something of the country and did not regret it. The buffet lunch on the Flam trip was certainly mind (and stomach) blowing but the return trip wasn't "just down the mountain" as it included a long drive through beautiful mountain scenery with fantastic views. Yes, the trips were quite expensive but given that prices in Norway seem to be between 50% and 80% higher than in the UK we thought they represented good value in the circumstances.



We were certainly very impressed with the organisation and efficiency of the Thomson operation and of the overall experience. Definitely recommended.

We had the holiday of our lives!...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Celebration Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr M Lamb

Comments:

We had the holiday of our lives! We flew to the canaries and also did Madeira and morocco. I really can't recommend it highly enough if you want an informal, fun, friendly cruise Thompson are the people to go with. Entertainment was top notch.



Food was great. Staff were friendly. No Tips (All other cruise ships expect huge tips!) Emma One of the entertainment staff was amazing! Such good fun. Having used most other cruise companies to go to some of the most beautiful locations, (and paid a fortune for the honour).



I have to say that Thompson cruises suit me down to the ground and I can't wait to go on one again.

I have just returned from a...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Fjordland Splendours

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs Caroline Rolling

Comments:

I have just returned from a wonderful week cruising through the Norwegian Fjords. My first cruise, I have to admit to setting out with some trepidation but all my preconceived ideas of cruise ships have been swept away. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed a holiday more and didn't want the week to end.



My friend and I left our families at home and shared a cabin in the middle of deck B. The Cabin, and rest of the ship, was spotlessly clean and, though there was some vibration, our cabin was quiet. We even felt quite smug at having booked one of the cheaper cabins where there was far less movement than on upper decks during the one stormy night.



The crew who were all friendly, polite and attentive, made sure we both felt very well looked after and thoroughly pampered all week. They all work extremely hard and I can't praise them highly enough.



Considering we travelled during term time, there was a good mix of ages among passengers, though weighted towards a more mature age range. Entertainment seemed to be geared more towards this age group but the ship is big enough to provide something for everyone, including plenty of quiet space to avoid the crowds. The best entertainment of all though is the Fjords themselves. We spent hours on deck watching the spectacular scenery slowly pass by.



We took the advice given on reviews and, apart from one trip to the top of a mountain at Gerainger, we did our own thing rather than pay for excursions. I recommend the Flam Railway which costs 275 NOK for an interesting 2 hour trip through beautiful scenery. The ships excursion taking in the railway trip, lunch and return journey down the mountain cost £73! Everyone who went seemed to enjoy it though all we spoke to mentioned the lovely lunch rather than the scenery.





Every evening an information leaflet about the next port of call was left in the cabin. Each one included a very useful street map showing bus and taxi points. Bergen and Alesund both cater for tourists during summer months and have touring buses/trains which are cheap to use. A free bus in Bergen travels between the older, and most interesting, areas of the city.



The one small bit of criticism I can think of is the constant pushing to have your photograph taken by the ships photographer. It started on arrival just before getting on board. Personally, I wasn't very happy to see a photograph of myself, looking tired and dishevelled after travelling for five hours, on display for the whole ship to see. We spent the rest of the week avoiding cameras and glaring at the man with the ships video recorder.



I did hear some people complaining about the weather. Be aware that, unless you like rain, you don't go to Norway for the weather. They have lots of it, but coming from Britain we should all be used to that. We didn't take enough warm clothes and had to buy more. Remember a waterproof and windproof coat, umbrella and a warm jumper and you'll be fine. On the plus side it never got really dark and it was fascinating to be up in the early hours and still be able to see the breathtaking scenery around us.



At the risk of repeating myself, it's been a wonderful week made all the better by the lovely people we've met. There are one or two I would love to meet again and, if any of you are reading this, thank you, I only wish we lived nearby.



I would definitely travel on Celebration again and may not wait 'til 2007.