Reviews of The Emerald Cruise Ship, The Emerald, Thomson Cruises

This was our 3rd Thomson cruise....

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Adriatic Explorer

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

johnboy59

Comments:

This was our 3rd Thomson cruise. The Emerald whilst a lovely ship is showing her age of nearly 50 years and is one of the smallest of the Thomson fleet and always seemed crowded.



The Embarkation process was very smooth and much better than previous ships.



The inside deck 1 cabin was a little spartan but was comfortable and the ensuite room bigger than the other ships. We prebooked the cabin after asking Thomson for a quiet cabin - we were very disappointed from this aspect, as the cabin located at the front of the ship was next to the bow thrusters which were deafening whilst docking (i.e. around 7 am for 30 mins each morning) and there is no way we could sleep through the deafening noise.



Having paid an extra £35 to pre book a recommended quiet cabin this was a serious failing on Thomsons part - beware of the forward lower cabins. The cabin was immaculately cleaned twice each day.



Food was excellent throughout and by far the best of the Thomson ships we have sailed on. However there was no grand buffet as on previous ships. Breakfast ended far too early at 10am whereas on previous cruises it was served much later. Late night food was also not available. Again this was available on all previous cruises. Entertainment was very good although the shows lacked variety and became a little monotonous. The comedy duo act was excellent.



The day and early evening entertainment was fun. The lounges and bars were excellent. 2 ports of call required use of the life boat tenders which were extremely cramped and waited far too long to fully load in the baking sun - this could easily be made more efficient. Without exception all the crew on board were very friendly and nothing was too much bother - superb service throughout.



The all inclusive drinks package at £149 per person whilst expensive turned out to be good value if you like to hit the bars hard and not worry about your final bill!



All in all an excellent "budget" cruise and we would not hesitate in recommending the Emerald and hopefully my criticisms are all constructive and helpful - well done Thomson for a most enjoyable week. See you next year...

My husband and I have just...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

pearls of the agean

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs L  Johnson

Comments:

My husband and I have just arrived home from the Emerald cruise ship, The pearls of the Aegean. Having read the negative reviews we were a little unsure, but we soon found out once we arrived onboard we had no worries.



The staff were excellent, helpful, and friendly. The food was superb, dishes to suit all tastes, and a choice of areas to eat. Cabin stewards were always happy to help and kept cabin spotlessly clean.



Our cabin was a superior inside, the largest we have had than on other cruise ships.



Lots of entertainment going on all day, we couldn’t not wait for evening cabaret, the young entertainment group were brilliant and very professional, every evening their performance was absolutely fantastic! Thanks guys and gals, just as good as the west end shows.



The Cruise itinery was great, went on the Athens and Acropolis excursion which we enjoyed.



We feel the Emerald is a great ship it may be older than some, but it has very pleasant decor, and fantastic staff.



Just like to say, to those who have given negative reviews, if you want 5 star treatments go on a 5 star ship and pay 5 star money.



The Emerald is a great friendly ship for what you pay! Well done to everyone aboard we had a super time we will be back!

Excellent cruise, cannot fault...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

The Emerald Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss K Murray

Comments:

Excellent cruise, cannot fault the service as the staff were very friendly and helpful, happy to stop and chat although they worked really hard. The food from both the restaurant and the bistro was brilliant, the choice was very good and you were treated as if you were in a five star hotel in the dining room.



We did one Thomson excursion which we felt was slightly overpriced (but there was 4 of us - for two people it may work out cheaper than arranging your own taxis).



I would recommend to anyone arriving in Koper (Slovenia) look out for a local handing out flyers for an excursion to a castle, cave, wine and cheese tasting. This was a most brilliant excursion. It was so cheap for the day out we were given.



It was truly personal and our Slovenian guide was only interested in making sure we saw what Slovenia had to offer and went out of his way to make us feel welcome.

In Brindisi we took a taxi to Ostuni, well worth the trip out as it was so much more impressive than Brindisi (100 Euros) for return. The taxi driver asked us how long we wanted to stay and was there waiting for us as arranged.



Altogether a fantastic holiday, cleanliness on the boat was very good and the entertainment of great quality. Try and ignore the poor reviews as I feel they are not a fair reflection.

I spent a very enjoyable week on...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Itinerary:

Adriatic Explorer

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Ms V Hills

Comments:

I spent a very enjoyable week on the Emerald. A grand old lady of the sea and from what I understand the last year with Thompson’s. I travelled with my mother who is in her eighties.



The crew were a fantastic example of excellent customer service. Everyone, and that included the engineers on the second deck where we walked through to avoid the steep gangplank, always acknowledged and said hello to the passengers.



The food was very good and enough for most people. We had a superior outside cabin on the 4th deck at the front of the boat - I paid to reserve the cabin as my mother has limited mobility and wanted to make sure we were near lifts. It was clean and kept tidy by an excellent stewardess.



The size of the ship suited us - this is our third cruise, our third ship and I prefer the vessels the size of the Emerald.



The entertainment was fine and all the entertainment staff were approachable and friendly.

My only disappointment was the limited selection of excursions for someone with mobility problems. Slovenia and Croatia were beautiful and worth a visit of longer duration (like a week). Koper and Zadar, beautiful and still unspoilt with a dramatic sailaway from Zadar.



Seeing Venice from a cruise ship at day break will stay with me forever. I had no idea how near to St Mark's Square and the entrance to the Grand Canal the ships get.



Dubrovnik - use the bus or taxi to get there/ Large ice creams for 80p and beer for 1.50 - a welcome relief after the rip of prices of Venice (14 Euros for two small beers).



All in all a very enjoyable cruise that catered for a range of tastes. The ship is kept in immaculate condition, constantly cleaned both inside and out.



I would certainly recommend a cruise on the Emerald and its worth paying the extra to select your cabin.

We have just been on this trip...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Pearls of the Aegean

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs Kate Baker

Comments:

We have just been on this trip and have been home for only a couple of days, I was just flicking through the internet to take another look at the emerald, as its the best ship ever.



I was really surprised to read some of these reviews of the ship. The crew really were so kind and helpful they couldn’t do enough for you, the ship was spotless and had plenty to do for everyone, from posh dinners to just chilling out on the deck while listening to a live band.



In my opinion I think some of these people writing these reviews expected the standard of the qe2 while paying the fair price of the emerald. As with anything you get what you pay for.



I think it was great value for money and would definitely go on this cruise again and again. Keep sailing her Thompson and take no notice of the complainers.



The emerald will be a better ship without them anyway and maybe this will give the very hard working staff a break. This ship is a cruise ship for everyday folk; I think some people find this very hard to understand. Cabin 200 right at the front.

Just returned from brilliant...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Pearls of the Aegean

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss K Mullard

Comments:

Just returned from brilliant cruise with the Thomson Emerald, Pearls of the Aegean.



I have travelled on the Spirit and the Celebration but thought that the Emerald was far more homely. I was a bit concerned when I read other reviews on this ship especially as I was taking my mother (71) on her first cruise, but my fears were allayed as soon as we stepped on board.



Yes it is older than the other ships but there seemed that there was more space somehow, enough seating in restaurants and on the pool deck and the decoration was up to the spirit and celebration, just nicer somehow.



The staff were fantastic, from cabin stewards to bar staff and the officers who are ever present checking things are right, everyone had time to have a little chat even though they work extremely long hours.



Special mentions must go to beautiful Bianca who at the time of our cruise worked on the lido deck, serving drinks and to the excellent! George who looks after the Bistro buffet, a complete professional who walks miles and miles a day around the pool area and buffet making sure everything is ok for the diners.



I had a fabulous time and so did my mother who is already on about booking the next cruise.



Don't believe all you read on negative reviews - this is good value for money with excellent ports of call and fabulous staff that do all they can to make your holiday special - enjoy!

My party of six have been at...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Adriatic Explorer

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Portland Direct

Submitted By:

Mrs S Grainger

Comments:

My party of six have been at home for just a week after cruising around the Adriatic and frankly we are missing it so much. This is my second cruise on The Emerald and I am shocked to read so many bad reviews of this ship.



My husband and I two years ago cruised round the Aegean onboard The Emerald and we loved it. So much so we returned with our teenage children and more family. Prior to this holiday, I like many others checked out the reviews and was surprised to see so many unhappy people.



From the moment we stepped on board this Thomson classic we were treated like very special people. Everyone could not do enough for us. The ship was spotlessly clean, the entertainment was fabulous.



The show team entertained us superbly every night. Helped along by cruise director Sue Denning and the guest comedian Lloyd Hollett, two very talented and funny people. As for the food, my husband is a chef and has been for 27 years, he is I think qualified to comment on the quality and standards, he had nothing but praise for everything put in front of him.



On many occasions he would manage to eat the full five courses!!! My children found plenty to do and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.



We did not go on any of the excursions but chose to make our own way round our ports of call. Apart from Venice where we had to get a water taxi and Dubrovnik where we caught the bus to the old town (8 Kuna each, which is just over 1 euro) we were well within walking distance of the local towns.



I hope that anyone who has read these negative reviews of The Emerald will not be put off. We have had a fantastic time and we will return to cruising with Thomson's, whether it be onboard the Emerald or trying another of their fleet as soon as poss. would love to do a fortnight next time!!! Please enjoy!

Just returned home after a week...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Itinerary:

The Emerald Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr J McAlpine

Comments:

Just returned home after a week on this ship. It was terrible. We paid for an outside superior cabin and could not sleep at night because of the noise from the engine! To make matters worse there was a terrible smell from the drains. When we went to inform the ship, we were issued with earplugs!!!!



The food was good on the ship, but was not available all day like most ships, so don’t expect to walk round a port and then nip back on to the ship and get a spot of lunch as it won't happen.



The ship is very old and is in need to a complete overhaul. I spoke with a number of passengers and a great deal of them were very unhappy. One couple even asked to be flown home.



At the end of the trip we were offered £84 compensation, which we did not take. We paid over £1000 each for this cruise and booked months in advance, only to find that those that had a late deal had much better cabins.



We have done many cruises in the past, but this was by far the worst. I would not recommend this ship to anyone.

Great cruise, great choice of...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Itinerary:

Not Specified

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

archee

Comments:

Great cruise, great choice of food, ship cleaned all the time. Great staff.



Only down side - trip to Slovenia done on a Sunday nothing open, although place was great to walk around.



With this being the first time on a ship didn’t feel it move didn’t get sea sick and if all you wanted to do was eat and drink then so be it.



The only one snag I came across being a first timer was that you have to pack all your clothes and leave your luggage outside the cabin the night before, remembering that there are new restrictions for carrying liquids etc on planes, you may have to leave your toothpaste and shampoo etc behind, it’s just something to bear in mind.

Went on this (our first) cruise...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Adriatic Explorer

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr N M Kerry

Comments:

Went on this (our first) cruise to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We were apprehensive that we would even enjoy a cruise at all but absolutely loved this.



Have only not given a 10/10 rating as we have not other cruise experience to compare against. Will happily repeat this cruise.

This was our first cruise and we...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Pearls of the Aegean Adriatic Explo

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr K Beattie

Comments:

This was our first cruise and we were apprehensive as to what to expect. We need not have worried at all.



From the moment we embarked at Corfu the crew and staff were on hand to help make our stay as enjoyable as possible.



The Emerald is an old ship but very comfortable and the standard of cleanliness was first class. We had upgraded to a Premier cabin which was as big as any hotel room.



Another concern was that we had heard so many scare stories about stomach bugs on board ship, but straight away were delighted to find hand sanitizer units on entry to all bars and restaurants and heard of no one being ill on the cruise.



The food served on board was always well cooked and beautifully presented in the Chanterelle dining room and the waiters were polite and efficient and friendly.



The itinery had been well planned and we enjoyed all the ports of call.



All the entertainment was first rate.

Having been on the Emerald 3...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Itinerary:

Venice and the Dalmation coast

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs M Jamieson

Comments:

Having been on the Emerald 3 years ago, was very disappointed indeed with the quality of the food which seems to have gone down in standard.



The service in the dining room had also lapsed in efficiency. The entertainment team was less professional than had been previously probably due to their being less experienced.



Overall I felt that the Emerald had definitely gone down from what had previously been excellent.

A fantastic experience. Cabin...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Adriatic Explorer

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr B Bass-Woodcock

Comments:

A fantastic experience. Cabin was the largest we have ever had. The itinerary was really well thought out and very interesting.



Food was varied and of good quality. Entertainment overall was quite good. But the really outstanding thing about this ship is the staff, we received excellent service and always with a smile and a friendly word.



We would recommend this ship to anyone especially first time cruisers.

My wife and I were apprehensive...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Pearls of the Aegan

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr A Beadling

Comments:

My wife and I were apprehensive to say the least about going on this cruise after reading the poor reviews on this and other review sites, but this had been needless worry as the service we received from all of the staff was excellent as was the food.



Although the ship is old it was spotlessly clean and we would have no hesitation returning for another cruise aboard the Emerald.

Having read a few...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Itinerary:

Adriatic Explorer

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr J.P McFarlane

Comments:

Having read a few non-complimentary reviews before we undertook this cruise, we were naturally wary of what was in store.



However our experience compelled me to submit a review in order to strike a balance.



We found that the travel arrangements were very good with a speedy trip from Corfu airport to the Emerald, the return trip was not so pleasant as Corfu airport is too small to cope with the demand and is badly designed where there are lines of travellers in each other’s way, but the Thomson reps in attendance did their best to keep things orderly and the lines moving.



The staff on board were very friendly and polite and worked exceptionally hard. The food was of a good standard with the beef wellington being delicious as well as the lamb curry and overall commensurate to the price paid for what in essence is a budget cruise, and I think people expect too much as this was one of the worst features that I had read in the reviews.



The ships entertainment team were good and put on various different shows. The visiting comedienne was excellent and the comedian was good.



Our cabin was kept exceptionally clean and tidy and was in reasonable condition especially when the age of the boat is taken into account.



On the negative side there was perhaps too much emphasis on taking photos and this became tiresome and the quality of the draft beer varied from bar to bar but in general was poor and I had to switch to bottled beer.



Overall a very enjoyable experience with Venice and Dubrovnik being the highlights of the ports of call and the others being average but none the less taking everything into account I for one would certainly go on another Thomson cruise.