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

We have just returned from the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Med Ren & Moorish

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs N Parsons

Comments:

We have just returned from the Thompson Celebration, it was our first cruise and it was our honeymoon. Some of the reviews I read made me feel a little sad.



As for the people that said "it's the lower level of the cruising world & so were the guests". The descriptions in the brochure or the on the internet do not make out it is the QE2 or any other formal ship, it is a new era a new ship for the more laid back less stressed out about snobbery folk of the world - and about time too!!



Cruising is an amazing holiday and should not only be for the "higher level guests". I personally would not fare well with having to wear a super posh gown every single night, the balance was perfect, we both enjoyed dressing up on the captains nights, my Husband in his suit and dickey bow, I in my elegant cocktail dresses.



On Captains Nights make sure you get some pictures on the deck with the sea behind you, these are my favourite pictures of the holiday.



The staff were amazing - they could not do enough for us, the food was terrific. Captain Alan Leech was really down to earth. We made many friends with lots of different people, dif ages, cultures and classes too!



We are a young professional couple and would recommend cruising to all our friends, parents and grandparents it really has something to offer for everybody!

We had a 1 day taster on Thomson...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Celebration Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr AS Hoogesteger

Comments:

We had a 1 day taster on Thomson Spirit from Harwich to Southampton. The ship arrived about 6 hours late because of bad weather near Denmark. This ended up in the embarkation from hell. I've never seen such a chaotic embarkation. People leaving the ship and people entering the ship were mixed.



We left Harwich 2 hours after planned time.



After dinner around 9:30 or so, power fell out 3 times. The whole ship was totally dark. Explanation from the bridge was very rare.



The food was wonderful as was the staff in the restaurant. We were basically kicked out of our cabin while the ship was still sailing into Southampton. So I give it a 6.

Returned home last week having...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

jewels of the med

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs Do Matthews

Comments:

Returned home last week having spent a wonderful week on board the Celebration. Flight and transfer to the port of Palma went smoothly, all the staff on board were extremely polite and helpful from the captain Mr. Alan Leech[best we've ever had] , to the waiters, bar staff, reception, entertainment, our cabin steward Utomo and anybody else I've forgotten.



The food was superb, the entertainments team were brilliant, putting on top class shows every night but if this was not your cup of tea there was plenty going on in the other bars around the ship.



Our only little moans were the bath and hand towels in our cabin which were small and thin and had seen better days. On captains cocktail night we had to queue far too long as there was four photo shoots on the way to dinner.



Excellent trip to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast and a special mention to Maria the tour guide.



All in all we really enjoyed ourselves and will cruise again in the near future.

Great cruise on the Roman Epic...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss C Peel

Comments:

Great cruise on the Roman Epic itinerary visiting Toulon for St Tropez, La Spezia for Pisa, Civitavecchia for Rome, Alghero in Sardinia and Menorca.



Excellent ship with brilliant service from most staff, although had to ask cabin steward for pool towels on second day, and had no bath mat for 2 days so had to use towels.



Meals available from excellent waiter service restaurant where you have to be smartly dressed, or Lido bar which is self service and more relaxed. Waiters in Lido restaurant slightly overly attentive, disturbing meals to take away each plate/glass/cutlery separately instead of doing it one course at a time.



Entertainment very good except 'Guest Artist' night where comedians 'The Harper Brothers' were totally unfunny and a poor man's Cannon and Ball. On researching the internet it turned out they are Bobby Balls sons!!



Good standard of cleanliness throughout the ship and fairly big cabins compared to Thomson Destiny.



Enjoyed seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but not worth the money we paid for it as bus trip was miserable with no air conditioning working.



Overall a great holiday and have booked another cruise with Thomson for next year.

Just got back from a cruise and...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Roman Epic

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr M Matthews

Comments:

Just got back from a cruise and stay holiday with Thomson. First week aboard the Celebration.



We have cruised with Thomson before so we knew exactly what to expect only this time it was even better, from the captain to the cleaners all the staff cannot do enough for you, they are so happy and smile all the time.



We had no problems whatsoever from getting on the plane to disembarking everything was perfect, the cabin, the entertainment and especially the food.



I only booked two days before going and got a fabulous price for an outside cabin and a week stay in a platinum hotel in Sa Coma Majorca.



I will definitely recommend this company to anyone, we will definitely cruise with them again, and this review comes from someone very hard to please, believe me.

This was our 4th cruise with...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Mediterranean Renaissance Moorish D

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss B Dolan

Comments:

This was our 4th cruise with Thomson, 3 on the Spirit and this one on the Celebration. We had a wonderful time as usual!



The staff were excellent, the entertainment first class especially the show team who produced shows of the highest quality both from a technical and entertainment value point of view. Very talented performing artists!



I have read lots of reviews about Thomson cruises and in the most part they are very positive, can’t understand the bad reviews, and must be that those passengers are too hard to please!



For the money you pay, by comparison to other cruise lines, you get excellent value for money, and Thomson is one of the few cruise lines that offer the free drinks upgrade, what more can you ask for?? Food varied and excellent, service exemplary. Casablanca the pits though! avoid it!



We always have a wonderful time and have already booked for next year.



One point I would like to make though- whilst I have every respect for non smokers, I as a smoker think that we are entitled to have smoking areas in and around the ship, British laws do not apply when not in the UK, and we smokers pay the same price as everyone else! Well done Thomson for catering in a sensible way for us smokers! I would therefore expect non smokers to have the same respect that smokers offer to you!

Just came back from our first...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Roman Epic

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Ms A Alex

Comments:

Just came back from our first cruise on the Celebration and I must say we are converts.



The ship is not the most glamorous but it is comfortable and we didn't have many complaints. It was clean and did what it said on the tin.



We stayed on Deck 1 in an outside cabin which was standard. I didn't pay extra to ensure that I had a double bed and so ended up with twin beds which could not be pushed together.



The cabin can sleep 2 -4, so ensure that if you're booking online you book the cabin that says sleeps two. It had a porthole, you could still see the views, and only in Palma, could we not see anything apart from the concrete berth.



When the sea wasn't calm, you would end up seeing water splashing the porthole, which is a bit disconcerting at first! There was ample wardrobe space, as there are four wardrobes. There were also sufficient drawers. There is a desk, a chair, stool and a minibar (not refrigerated), so if you have guests, there is space to sit.



The shower room could do with some updating but was functional. The shower is small and the tiles need re-grouting in places. There was sufficient space to store our toiletries.



You are provided with bath, hand towels and face towels in the bathroom and two pool towels in the bedroom but you're not allowed to take them to the beach, although I saw quite a few on sunloungers in Sardinia!



The crew were excellent, especially the domestic staff who did everything with a smile and were very helpful. We gave a tip to the guy who looked after our cabin.



If you like food, go on a diet before you go on this holiday. The Lido buffet restaurant is open 24 hours and there is always food available. The food varied from Italian Buffet to Indian. We also ate in the Meridian restaurant which has waiter service and the food was tasty and had restaurant sized portions.



We didn't go to many shows but we saw a comedy show which was really funny, went to the cinema a couple of times and I played bingo but missed out on the jackpot. There is always something to do and the best advice is not to take you too seriously and just enjoy the fun. However, if the activities aren't for you there is no pressure to join in.



We didn't get the drinks package as we are not hefty drinkers and our bill for the week excluding excursions, photos, bingo, purchases etc came to about £60.00 we had cocktails (£3.40!!) and a bottle of wine when eating in Meridian and used the minibar. I would think about how much you drink before getting the drinks package.



Our biggest cost was for the excursions but I anticipated that before we left and next time, we would probably only do one excursion and do the rest ourselves. Having said that, our Rome tour guide was excellent and it was really good if you weren't sure what there was to see and to gain an insight into the history of the place.



Do go to Rome, even if you do it on your own, it was fantastic! St.Tropez was disappointing and Florence was fine. Didn't do any excursions in Sardinia, as we needed to rest after having early starts for the excursions into Florence and Rome.



We met some great people, (many returning guests)and have been spoilt by not being in one place for a whole week. The price we got was very reasonable, booked a week before departure, and was good value for money.



Already looking at what's available for my next holiday, although I'm sure my partner wants to go just so that he can eat food whenever he wants!

I would also like to say well...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of the Mediterranean

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

rumbaliz

Comments:

I would also like to say well done to the staff on the Celebration. We were on Jewels of the Med from Aug 17th till 24th.



We have cruised 6 times in total. Formerly with an Italian cruise line, then Princess and also P&O and yes they are top of the range near enough and I guess that Princess is my favourite so far BUT...in April we went on the Destiny as we only booked late and wanted a cheapie so to speak, we were pleasantly surprised that the food was actually better than we had on the Oriana with P&O, the service from the Bar/Cabin and Waiting staff is second to none.



We booked late again for the Celebration and the standard and service was repeated once again.



Yes, the Thomson ships are small and old, but they do their very best to keep it as spick and span as they possibly can.



The staff work their socks off and always have a smile for you. We enjoyed the fact you could turn up and be seated and even at busy times waiting times kept to a minimum.

We embarked quite late and didn’t get to the Meridian restaurant till 9:45pm but we were sat down and not rushed at all.



We requested the same waiters each night, Ace and Albert. John was our wine waiter and was very knowledgeable about wines and each night he brought my daughters orange juice straight up to her, and actually, he never charged us for her drinks.



As for the Entertainment, we liked to just chill out in the casino bar most nights but we did catch one show and it was of the highest standard, absolutely brilliant singing, and dancing from the young team.



In Liberties bar each night was fun and laughs with quiz games etc, most bars had some sort of music from taped music followed by a band/group/disco something for everyone.

There was even a get-together for Teens which was great for my 14 year old , it gave her the chance to meet kids of her own age to hang out with.



there were lots of children onboard but none of them were any bother, I didn’t see any running about at night or anything.



We had a suite and it was very spacious. You get an American sized bed, a double wardrobe, a seating area with a curved sofa a coffee table and two armchairs, a big dressing table with the whole of the wall mirrored and a large bathroom. the sofa converts into a double bed which my daughter slept in and there is a curtain to pull across so as she had some privacy.



We weren’t in the cabin that much but we often sat and had a drink and cheese and bix , watched TV for a bit before getting ready of an evening, also when it was a bit rainy one day it was somewhere to sit till it cleared up...which it didn’t.. Corsica, rained all day .

I noticed that the Deluxe cabins were a good size too. In the suite was a bowl of fruit, and bathrobes. There is a mini bar and if you drink any of it its charged to your account. the price list is on the dressing table and the prices were about 20p dearer than if you bought it at the bar, so for instance, a glass of wine at the bar was £2.95, or £3.10 from your mini bar.



One thing I'd like to say is that, on the Thursday in Barcelona, the ship had a 5 yearly Inclining Test ...testing the ships buoyancy.. there was nothing the ship staff could do as it was out of their control...the whole of the ship had to leave, staff and all, from 10am till 5pm and we were told this at the start and as a thank you for the inconvenience EVERYONE got a free trip in Barcelona...and that’s not cheap is it ...and then we were taken to a shopping centre and a function room was set up for all passengers to have a lunch and wine/beer/soft drinks which, although there were long queues, as we all arrived at once, there was plenty of food though it may of not been to everyone’s liking but they did their very best.



We had a great holiday and would recommend the Thomson ships to anyone that wants good food, good entertainment and good service while seeing a different country everyday.

What can I say? Another perfect...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of the Med

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr M Jones

Comments:

What can I say? Another perfect cruise with Thomsons. This holiday was faultless from beginning to end.



The crew bent over backwards to help, the food was excellent and the entertainment superb. We went on three excursions, one of which was a freebie as everybody had to get off of the ship at Barcelona due to some tests that were required – a legal requirement.



The purpose of this test was explained to us by the captain who apologised for any inconvenience. He needn't have done as we not only received the complimentary trip but had a lunch thrown in as well!



The only minor downside was the number of Russian guests onboard. I have nothing against Russian people but they do not seem to understand the concept of queuing and had to be told several times to wait their turn in the buffet lines.



This doesn't stop the cruise from scoring full marks, though. I can't wait for our next one!

You gets what you pays for......

Overall Rating:

8/10

Itinerary:

Thomson Celebration Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs A Thorpe

Comments:

You gets what you pays for...



The Celebration is like most Thomson ships, are the grand old lady of the seas... If you accept this, and realise that you’re on a comfortable, interesting, relic, then you will not be disappointed.



I have had a week on this ship in June we did the Renaissance cruise.



Stopped in Livorno, just went on the Thomson coach into what they call little Venice, had a lovely Sunday afternoon stroll around the canal areas, had a beer, a walk around the few shops open on Sundays, just like the uk in 70's and was a welcome change to the hustle and bustle of uk Sundays, then finished with a lovely ice cream, back to the coach just a 15 minute ride back to the ship for a few cocktails in the horizons bar...before sailing to our next port.



For 4 single 40's ladies out for just a laugh and chill out week, the Celebration was ideal.



Monday we woke to a wonderful sunny morning with views of VilleFranche sur Mer...wow what a beautiful typical French village, I have been round most of France and thought I had seen the best in old world France in the limousine, but this was so beautiful, could not wait to get to the tender to explore.



We were on 4th (main deck) I feel the most convenient having been on board for the week and after a five minute float across to the jetty we walked about 10 mins to the station to visit Monaco for the day, this was so cheap...around 6 pounds.



We went to the Pink Palace, what a lovely place with the souvenir shops and cafes, then on to the cafe de Paris, near to the casino area, this took around 15 mins to walk to but worth the trek...had a beer, whilst soaking up the moment...gazed into the Hermes and Lalique shops...if only...lol



And then just another wander around on way back to station, the time just flies to plan your day please...we had enough time for quick walk around VilleFranche and had a bottle of wine in a gorgeous outside bar.



Tues... got us to Civetevvecia... sorry about spelling...the Rome stop I call it... Anyhow we went on the castle tour where TomKat were married. It was a lovely village but not enough time...did not need to visit the lake would have been better to stay in the village for a walk around.



Wednesday, my favourite place...Sardinia. Alghero is so unspoilt, we had a lovely day. Tender from ship again was choppy but very exiting whilst we upped and down the waves to the jetty. We did not take the trip to winery as it was fully booked, so decided to just trek around the town.



Glad we did, my friend and I just loved the lovely quaint shops, its not too touristy, we found perfumeries, pottery shops.. which were gorgeous, we found boutiques, bought perfume, makeup, and shoes and a lovely dress, very up to date...lol...again....then went to a cafe on the sea front new a tower, and had drinks, you get a snack thrown in.



Then on for a walk along the promenade... this was beautiful the sea view was delicious...we came to another cafe quite delightful, the locals frequented so we stopped and had pizza and a bottle of rose, the two of us sat and watched sardinia life go by...then we realised it was time to go back the ship...we stopped in a wine shop and bought a bottle of the wine, we would have bought at the same winery...saved the trip...ha ha...



Thursday...

Barcelona day... yet again the two of us went against the grain and went to the Salvador Dali museum... what an experience this was a place well worth visiting, the guide was excellent and explained in detail all to do with this great and ecentric man...bought lots of souvenirs so taken with Mr Dali...then on for a little shopping in this town.. so many shops...so little time yet again...but we managed...lol...again

So back to the ship...and yet more cocktails.



We ate in meridian most nights...we had a waiter called jenny, he was most attentive as were all the waiters and wine waiters...the food was excellent, could not fault...the lido did a lovely afternoon tea....and breakfast each morning was always filling, we had lunch here too if we were still on board...there were not enough shops on board...but we managed to buy things in what we renamed the £7.00 shop...anyone who has been on board will understand...



Finally the rooms were a little tired, we had no problems with toilets, but all in all the rooms and ship were clean, tidy and very presentable...any people with adverse reports must have been unfortunate or very picky.



As I said at the beginning...you gets what you pays for... we had an upgraded all inclusive drinks package...due to booking early...and an upgrade to the main deck...so we did get value for money.



We all of us would recommend this cruise liner to all of you that read.

Remember at the end of the day...for under a grand you get bed and board, excellent attention from crew...and delivery to 5 points of call excluding Palma if on the same cruise as we were on....



So come on why complain, make the most of whatever is thrown at you, cos at the end of the week its over...till next time you get to holiday...bon voyage...to all...xx

Please, please do not go on this...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of the Med

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs N Clarke

Comments:

Please, please do not go on this ship. It is ancient, in need of an overhaul. Never paid so much to stay in such dreadful conditions.



Cabin was being continually flooded by toilet water causing an offensive, musty, foul smell around the cabin - carpet lifted in cabin next door to us due to flooding!



This was meant to be my honeymoon but it turned out to be a holiday from hell, I wouldn't recommend this ship to my worst enemy, ruined our visions of this trip, could not wait to get off.



Had to give some rating for the excellent service by staff in the Lido, otherwise would have scored 0.



Entertainment very amateurish, a downmarket butlins at sea.



You have been warned!

Excellent cruise the 4th we have...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of the Med

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr A Hayes

Comments:

Excellent cruise the 4th we have done with Thomson. Cannot recommend them highly enough.



Last year on Celebration for Norway and the years before on the Destiny and the Emerald.



Cruise into Venice its amazing!

My husband and I have just...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Med Renaissance & Jewels of the Med

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs A Milligan

Comments:

My husband and I have just returned from our first ever cruise which was nothing less than fabulous.



The organisation from the Thomson team was faultless from start to finish. The ship’s crew were very friendly and helpful and could not have done more to make our holiday enjoyable.



The entertainment team were very hardworking and extremely talented, as was Lee Oliver the Entertainments Director. Captain Alan Leech was excellent and very down to earth.



We ate in the Lido, The Meridian, and Mistrals (Al a Carte restaurant) and would say that the selection of food in all was extremely good.



Yes the ship is quite dated, however this added to the character of the ship.



Overall I would be very hard pushed to find anything wrong with this holiday and wouldn't hesitate in booking a future cruise with Thomsons.

On arrival at Palma as an...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Itinerary:

Jewels of Roman Epic

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr J Ringer

Comments:

On arrival at Palma as an independent traveller there was not a sign on Thomson's at all, no signs, no Rep. no ship, nothing.



This was 8 am. No phone numbers or anything. Having phoned our son in England on a mobile it took a further 3 hours to find out the ship was still in Barcelona, we was told a Rep. would come to collect us, this never happened, after more phone calls now from a call box as mobiles had run out, we was told to get taxi to Magaluf, given a hotel room and told a meeting would be called.



It was now 11. 45 am it took till 18. 30 before this happened after a further 12 coach loads of passengers arrived.



Finally left hotel a Mid Night, and arrived at port along with 1000 others to line up and wait. On boarding ship cases finally arrived now 3 am the next day.



Bed by 4 am, only to be called at 9 .30 am for life boat drill (stupid), now on way to Tunisia where flies are bred.



After the storms wrecked landing in Corsica, all other ships managed to land but The Celebration being an older ship couldn't dock without a tug and we couldn't be ferried in because of bad seas.



Newer ships were always first in port and people looked at The Celebration as a relic, along with its plumbing, showers made up of 5 different types of tiles, chipped sinks, toilets that wouldn't flush and when they did it came up in the next cabin, windows that let in water and soaked the bedding, public toilets always flooded or out of use, carpets constantly water stained.



This wasn't a touch of luxury as advertised, am awaiting comments from Thomson Managing Director, to see if he thinks this was luxury, (don't expect will hear).



Food, waiters and entertainment excellent, drinks expensive tours excellent but expensive.



They said in an email that they would like to see us again on another cruise; these people must live on another planet or Tunisia.

Just returned home from 14...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Moorish Delights & Med Renaissance

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs E Jakeman

Comments:

Just returned home from 14 nights aboard the Celebration.



Had a marvellous time and would recommend to anyone. I think the best thing about this company is the choices that are available to you. We did not take any formal clothing, never intending to participate in the formal nights, although I am sure some did attend in only smart casual wear.



There was still lots to do instead and plenty of choices of where to eat or drink to avoid the formal proceedings.



Glad that we chose not to have the drinks package as the total onboard drinks bill for the 2 weeks was about £450, which was less than the drinks package option by £150.



There were a number of children on board who generally were well behaved and again there were plenty of places to go to avoid them if you really wanted to. I didn’t have any problems with access to the pools or Jacuzzi’s, but then I stayed on the ship when many others went haring off to look at famous piles of rubble!



We did not book any of the organised visits, I thought they were expensive and many required long coach trips to get anywhere interesting and that was not the reason why I chose to cruise in the first place. It was very nice to have the ship to ourselves when many disembarked to go to Rome or other places of interest.



Although notices abound regarding towels on sunbeds as a means of reservation while out on visits - staff did not reinforce this by removing towels that were on beds at 7am and remained there most of the day.



I left the ship at every port and explored the immediate area - the worst being Casablanca and well worth avoiding. It was a long way from the market area and even then this was dirty, smelly, and very intimidating.



In a couple of the ports got a good deal on a waiting taxi driver and had a very interesting couple of hours in Gibraltar and Tangiers where our taxi guides were excellent and very attentive and took us anywhere we wanted to go - they also took us to some places they wanted us to visit, possibly shops owned by relatives??



The only downside to this holiday was having my camera stolen by a fellow passenger on board the ship, they were sat next to me in the buffet restaurant at lunchtime, and my camera disappeared from my side. I know I should have been paying more attention to what was going on around me, but it was not something that I would have expected to happen and by a fellow passenger. They were Russian passengers (there were quite a lot of Russian holiday makers on board during our cruise) and I think that they left the ship the following day. Reception were unable to (or unwilling to) locate them and would not put a call out over the tannoy system asking for its return but have written a letter for my insurance company.



All the staff were wonderful and very attentive. Mario in Hemmingway bar is worth a mention and makes a mean cocktail. Our cabin boy, Deny, was lightening quickly and knew when we had left our room before we did.



Sue Sweeny from BBC radio Tyne was the comedy act for the second week and was a blast, and very good at tailoring her act for the age of the audience around, although I thought that the late night spot she did should have been for adults only as there were still a number of kids around and she had to work extra hard as not to offend small ears (or parents of small ears).