Reviews of Thomson Calypso Cruise Ship, Thomson Calypso, Thomson Cruises

Had a really good holiday...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Itinerary:

aegean wonders

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr K POPE

Comments:

Had a really good holiday despite the ship not because of it. Our outside superior plus cabin, 629, was little bigger than a large cupboard and certainly not worth the £84 each supplement we paid.



The bedding and carpet was very tired looking. Wardrobe space was adequate but with an unwanted TV and drinks tray on the dresser, there was not much room for other storage.



The air conditioning throughout the ship did not work for the first 5 days of our 7 day holiday and this, during the heat wave that was covering the area, made sleeping almost impossible.



Eating in the lower part of the dining room was very uncomfortable due to the heat and noise from the engines. Our hot water in the cabin worked on only 5 nights. The buffet room was far too small and people had to sit at bar tables to eat.



The casino was closed throughout the week because of some admin error with the licence. Drinks were ok and fair value but some of the food came up short on quality.



Second sitting at 9pm was too late and open sittings would have been better but the ship is just too small for the number of passengers. Waiting service to the upper deck was almost non existent and there are no cooling showers on the upper sundecks.



Having said all that, the staff were friendly despite suffering the heat like the passengers.

The entertainment was very good with excellent shows and late night acts. The itinerary was very good with some excellent ports of call.



We have been on several other Thomson cruises which were excellent all round.



The calypso is not suitable for this type of cruise in our opinion and we shall not be using this ship again or recommending it to anyone!!

The Thomson Crimean Discovery...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Crimean discovery

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr L E Yardley

Comments:

The Thomson Crimean Discovery was our first cruise and it was fantastic. Thomson organised the whole holiday extremely well. We went for the cruise (Calypso) and stay afterwards (hotel Nostos) and both accommodations were excellent.



On the Calypso everything from the meals, the entertainment, to transport at ports and currency exchanges were very efficiently organised.



Two comments I would make are that the second meal sitting at 9pm was a bit too late, 8.15 or 8.30 at the latest would have been better.



Also, as others before me have said, in my opinion, Constanta was not a pleasant or worthwhile experience. My wife and at least one other passenger had their handbags slashed in the local market and Constanta is a run down and neglected city.

It might have been better to have spent a full day at Nessebar and just half a day at Constanta, rather than the other way round.



However, Nessebar, Sevastapol, Cannakkale and especially Istanbul made the trip a wonderful experience.



Another plus point for the Calypso was that because of its size, all of the passengers mingled and we met many friendly and interesting people during the cruise, as well as the most friendly and helpful staff. It was like one big happy family.



Hotel Nostos afterwards (another good choice) was a pleasant non-active relaxing break enabling us to recover after the first strenuous week.



Well done Thomson.

Having read previous reviews of...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Itinerary:

Aegean Wonders

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr Alan Snape

Comments:

Having read previous reviews of Thomson’s early cruises with this ship, we set off with some trepidation expecting the worst. However we were delighted with every controllable aspect of this holiday.



Ok the ship is 40 years old and has been rescued from its former life but the staff have really set to and put all the teething troubles of March and April behind them.



We have previously been with P & O and although we didn’t expect a 5 star ship for a 3 star price we had a very pleasant quiet cabin (Calypso Deck 623) with an attentive lady steward who cleaned the cabin and shower room, whilst we were at breakfast and turned down the beds each night, whilst we were at dinner.



The food in the Orchid Restaurant was excellent as was the attentive attitude of the staff but do make sure when booking your table at the start of the holiday that you are in the initial area where there are large windows and a quieter atmosphere (except when the waiters are singing to someone) We had table 6 with Romeo and Anthony looking after us.



Like most cruises there was food available from 0730 through till midnight with coffee tea and water constantly available.



The entertainment was beyond all expectations with an active cruise director, Frank Hammond, leading his eleven strong team (including his wife Dominic) from the front.



This man has boundless energy and really makes the whole cruise go with a swing.



Make sure that after dinner you go into the festival lounge straight away and try to get a seat at the front as all seating is unfortunately on the same level. In addition to the evening shows the team also perform afternoon playlets and organise a host of other entertainments quizzes, bingo etc. There are also groups providing entertainment in both the bars till the early hours.



We did however have one drawback on this cruise as on the third day following shore visits the tender could not be winched back on to the ship and despite the Chief Engineer pulling his hair out ( and he hasn’t much of it) parts had to be sent for resulting in a 24 hour delay and the loss of our visits to Tinos and Marmaris. This was very disappointing especially to those expecting to shop in the famous bazaars there.



The visit to Ephesus whilst on Kusadasi was extremely informative with a competent guide who seemed to know all there is to know about this place. Santorini and Mykonos were delightful and built in us a desire for longer visits.



Overall we really enjoyed our holiday despite half the ship appearing to have paid much less than us having booked at the last minute. We will be trying Thomsons again (god willing) as most of our fellow passenger’s spoke so highly of the other Thomsons ships they have been on.



I feel Thomsons give you what you are looking for if it’s a value for money cruise.

Only one review I read before...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Itinerary:

Aegean Wonders

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Ms A Tanti

Comments:

Only one review I read before travelling on this cruise. Not very Impressed, but on arriving onboard was pleasantly surprised!



Considering that this ship is small & quite old everything was sparkling!



The cabin I was allocated was on deck 3 mid ship outside with two portholes & of a very generous size!



The food options were very good & of a good standard & the staff onboard were all very efficient & pleasant.



The entertainments team were very good & offered a variety of entertainment to suit the majority of tastes, if you have travelled on any other Thomson cruises you will know that the entertainment is of a very high standard, & this ship was no different even though being the smallest of their fleet!



This ship is adult only & everything onboard was very relaxed & civilised. The ports of call were well chosen & having returned I feel as though I have had a holiday... unlike some cruises which can be quite hectic.



I would definitely travel on this ship again & would recommend it to all 40+ age groups looking to relax in comfortable surroundings with lovely ports of call!

Just come back from a cruise and...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Aegean Wonders

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss F Poole

Comments:

Just come back from a cruise and stay, the cruise itinerary was great, could have done with more time on the island Tinos.



We were given a room on deck 2, this deck isn't very nice, very noisy when docking into port, the corridor smelt damp and it wasn't great as we had a water tight door with 3 steps right next to our cabin door.



The crew staff were brilliant, and the entertainment was really great. The only criticisms we have are that the disco turned down the music at 12am and the food in the bistro was only luke warm.



But overall the ship was ok, but if we decided to travel on the Calypso again we would definitely book a higher deck.

This was our third cruise, once...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Crimean Adventure

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs S Ritchie

Comments:

This was our third cruise, once with sun cruises and once before with Thomson on the Destiny.



Chose this one because of the different itinery. Must say right away that it was the best cabin we have had so far, not enormous but plenty of room and a lovely picture window.



Although the ship is small it is very friendly with very helpful and most of all cheerful staff who couldn't do enough for you. I read with dread some of the early reports on this cruise and thankfully all my fears were unfounded.



The dining room was a little noisy at times and there was some vibration when leaving a port, but with excellent company and equally excellent food it was a very minor annoyance.



The trips were good if a little rushed at times, the trip in the Ukraine that we took was excellent. Do not miss the Panorama with the Defense of Sevastopol, I found it absolutely breathtaking and Istanbul well what can I say but awesome! And not enough time.



One thing to beware of on the Istanbul trip to Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar which was not told to you in the talk on the excursions, before they take you to the Grand Bazaar they take you to a carpet factory and some real pressurised sales talk goes one. We had enough and got up and walked out.



To sum it up, we had a great time in good company on a lovely little ship.

Fantastic holiday. The staff...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Ionian Treasures and Aegean Wonders

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs V.M. Saxby

Comments:

Fantastic holiday. The staff were brilliant and so polite, despite eating morning noon and night I still managed not to put too much weight on.



The entertainment team were great due no doubt to the entertainments manager.



Reception staff were very helpful as were the people who ran the trips explaining if we would be capable of the walking.



We had a great time and are looking to book to go next year on a different itinerary.

This was our second cruise...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Crimean and Ionion

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

 BJ & J Wilcock

Comments:

This was our second cruise experience in nine years. Our first left a lot to be desired and it has taken us this long to dip our toes in the water again.



Everything about this holiday was superb. The fact that the ship was the smallest in the Thomson fleet added to our enjoyment. Everybody, passengers and crew, got to know each other very well and the atmosphere was fantastic.



The entertainment was of an extremely high level, as was the food and the standards of hygiene.



The crew and the entertainment team did everything they could to ensure that every passenger had the best holiday of their life.



Passenger enquiries and problems were handled efficiently and courteously.



If you want five star restaurant food every night and you really want to enjoy your holiday we recommend you try Thomsons little treasure, The Calypso.

We were very worried about our...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Crimean Discovery

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs G Kent

Comments:

We were very worried about our cruise after reading other peoples comments but we had a fantastic time.



Our cabin 615 was bigger than the one we had on our last cruise on the Thomson Destiny, and although we didn't see our cabin steward she kept it really clean.



The food was really good and plentiful and we had excellent company on our table.



The entertainment was very enjoyable but unless you were at the front you did not get a very good view so we made sure no-one was behind us and sat on the back of the seats.



We found all the staff very friendly and helpful with special mention to Francis in the bar.



Really enjoyed the excursions especially in the Ukraine and to the Bulgarian village.



The weather was absolutely perfect and although I was seasick on the last cruise on the Destiny to the Canary Islands, this time I was fine.



We would definitely go on the Calypso again.

Crimean Discovery was our sixth...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Crimean Discovery

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs S Thomas

Comments:

Crimean Discovery was our sixth cruise, and this one did not disappoint.



Frank the cruise director and his team, made this a wonderful holiday, they worked really hard to entertain. Frank never stops, the whole team have marvellous voices, and put on wonderful shows.



Food as ever was delicious. Nessebar should have been a full day, not half a day, and Istanbul should have been for two days, by missing out Constanta, in Romania, which was the pits.



We were given a four bedded cabin for two people, which was great. Will be sticking with Thomsons.

First of all I must congratulate...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Ionian Treasures

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs S Barnet

Comments:

First of all I must congratulate everyone on the Calypso for their excellent service during our week on this ship. This is the first time we have taken a cruise and I must say, I cannot fault the effort everyone took to make our holiday a pleasure.



Although the ship is the smallest of the Thomson fleet, the atmosphere with both crew and passengers was a pleasant surprise. They made everyone so welcome and nothing was too much trouble.



The reception staff went out of their way to assist with any problems and Paula was helpful on the destination desk - shame about the grumpy other girl!



As for Frank and his entertainment team - they worked really hard all week - they put 100% into every show, play, musical, quiz or craft event. We couldn't believe how hard they all worked.



We were surprised how quickly we settled into our cabin - yes it was a little noisy - but what do you expect - it is a smaller ship! We would never have experienced the Corinth Canal if the ship was any bigger. Shame about Albania - that did seem a waste of time but stopping at Piraeus for Athens made up for it.



The food was excellent - both in the restaurant and in the bistro - the staff never seemed to stop but did chat to us when we made the effort to talk to them.



I and many other passengers really enjoyed our week and some even wanted to stay on for another week - we met some lovely people.



Well done Thomson Calypso and thank you all for your hard work.

I actually had a very good weeks...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Itinerary:

Agean Wonders

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr P Smith

Comments:

I actually had a very good weeks cruise on the Calypso last week. So why have I only given it 6/10?



Well, I was on holiday with a group of family members for a birthday celebration and it was that that made it really enjoyable. If I had gone on my own or part of a couple then it wouldn’t have been so good.



The ship itself is fine. Never having gone on a cruise before I found the cabin to be spacious (outside Superior) and the public areas perfectly acceptable.



The restaurant and the waiting staff were excellent as was the food. The problem was that I gained the impression that the different parts of the ship were run by different sub contractors.



For example, the excellent service and friendliness of the restaurant staff was not consistent throughout the ship’s company. On arrival on board we were handed discount coupons for the shops, showed through to the official photographer and then nothing!



We went back to reception to ask where to go and were told to go back round the corner where we did find someone to show us to our cabin. Although the staff all wore the Thomson badge it was though Thomson run the ship rather like one of their package hotels in that they drop you off, sell you the trips and otherwise leave the operation to the local owner.



I only managed to attend one of the entertainment shows on offer – due to choosing a late sitting and being tired. It was a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber and it was very good indeed. But for the whole week I never saw any of the entertainment staff doing anything during the day. Maybe they were and I didn’t notice or wasn’t in the right place at the right time.



I think one incident sums up the attitude on the ship: One night we had a birthday celebration in the outside bar. In front of us two singing members of the entertainment staff were sitting chatting. One was wearing the distinctive Thomson polo shirt.



The waitress serving the drinks asked everyone in the bar to sing Happy Birthday which they did. When she asked the polo shirted singer to join in he said “Happy Birthday but I’m not singing it’s my day off.”

My wife and I returned from our...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Itinerary:

Ionian Treasures

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr RC Griffiths

Comments:

My wife and I returned from our Cruise on 21st May, our third, exhausted and vowing not to go on another cruise with Thomson and certainly not the Calypso.



Although we booked at the beginning of the year, paying extra for an outside cabin, we were allocated Deck 2 in the cabin from hell - 258 - sleep was impossible because of engine noise and vibration.



Every time we docked, the noise was unbearable and this was from 6am depending on arrival in port. On the first morning at about 8.30, we and our friends in 256 complained bitterly.



That afternoon our friends were given an alternative cabin on Deck 5 and the people from cabin 260 were also moved leaving ourselves alone on this part of the deck. When we complained at being overlooked, we were told there were no more cabins available.



Following our repeated complaints and Head Office being notified, our account was credited with £300.



We made it quite clear that in our opinion, these cabins should not be allocated to other passengers, but before leaving the ship these cabins were being made ready for further passengers - Heaven help them!



The itinery was disappointing, Parga looked attractive but we were unable to land by tender due to choppy conditions, Corfu, Corinth Canal and the Acropolis were fine but we would have preferred more time in Athens rather than the one pre-arranged visit to a shop by the tour guide.



The remainder of the itinery, Volos and Albania, were not worth getting off the ship for.



We found the Staff at all levels excellent especially on Reception; food was good and plentiful in the Bistro.



Entertainment was very enjoyable and the hardworking Artistes were always happy and pleasant.



However, we would not recommend the Calypso to anyone and certainly not Cabin 258.

We arrived on the Calypso on...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Itinerary:

Ionian Treasures

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

nanabo

Comments:

We arrived on the Calypso on 14th May with an open mind after so much was said about this ship.



We were quickly through the terminal gates and up the gang plank without a hitch. Straight to the bar for a well deserved drink to be met by a smiling waiter named Frances.



Our cabin was bigger than I expected clean & tidy with new furnishings or refurbished. 10 hangers between two of us was a squeeze but we managed. Did not see our cabin steward until about the 3rd day. Which I thought unusual as they normally introduce themselves as you arrive at the cabin, but never mind, she kept it tidy for us, but must have had a short lead on the hoover it only got a hoovering twice.



The cabin was a bit noisy but not as bad as some we got used to it. As we were on top deck it must of come from the funnel which was directly above us, some days noisier than others.



Friends we met had stories of great noisy cabins that they could not get to sleep in they actually went to the doctor to get tablets and another used to get up at 4 to sit in the lounge to get a snooze before everyone awoke. So it’s like Catkins said it all depends on the cabin really.



It’s not the best of ships, I think Thomsons could do with a better quality ship as it was a bit of a bone shaker. When the ship was trying to get out of dock everything shook so much the tables cups and saucers and all the glasses on the outside deck rattled and fell to the floor. No one was in a hurry to clean them up either.



Entertainment was quite good and the costumes were lovely everyone made an effort.



The drinks were quite reasonable about the same as the celebration. Waiters went out of their way to help in the restaurants, and were attentive placed napkins on your lap and had a chat etc; there was a large amount of elderly and disabled people on board and Thomsons did not provide a shuttle bus on all but one of the ports which I thought a bit of unfair.



We are able bodied but you could see lots of people struggling to get around and out of the port to get taxis. I would not go on the ship again, it just lacked something, but I don’t know what. I think it would better to pay a few quid extra and get quality. When you weigh up the ship and the cost, you get what you pay for.



The food was good plenty of it, if you worked out what it would cost at home if you ate out for seven 5 course meals twice a day you could say you get your monies worth on that alone.



Each one to their own I say. We enjoyed it met some nice people but have been on better.

Just back from the Ionian...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Itinerary:

Ionian Treasures

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

catkinx

Comments:

Just back from the Ionian Treasures, sailing on the Calypso.



We tried hard to keep an open mind about this ship, having read the conflicting reports here, but it would seem that it rather depended on which cabin you had, and the weather, as to whether the cruise was a success.



My husband needs room to manoeuvre and we therefore always pay the supplement for a larger cabin. Cabin 520 was an odd shape to start with, it was for two people and the available space was filled with 2 two-seater settees (not convertible divans), one armchair, one chair, one stool, and a coffee table, this left virtually no space to move about at all.



The cabin had a miniscule shower room, the smallest we have ever had and we have had some small ones, and it was quite the noisiest cabin too. It vibrated the whole time, the walls and ceilings creaked and squeaked incessantly through the night for no apparent reason that we could see, and the most appalling noises were heard during docking.



We realised that being so far back engine noise was the norm, but being on the fifth deck we did expect this to be muted to some extent.



To say the furniture was “distressed” would be an understatement, the only refurbishment appeared to be the curtains and bedspreads.



Throughout our holiday we didn’t have enough water pressure to have a proper shower at peak times, 6.00 in the morning was the only time the pressure was high enough.



We had some rain at the time we were due to leave Durres, in Albania, (personally I wish we hadn’t stopped there in the first place, not a nice port of call) and alarming noises were coming from the thrusters propellers as the Calypso tried several times to move away from the quay, a tug finally pulled us out, and we were told that the difficulty was due to wind making it impossible to move the ship from the key!



There were certain speculations circulating the ship, as we had bumped the side twice while progressing through the Corinth Canal on our outward voyage.



Our next stop was to have been Parga, one of the places we hadn’t been to before, but again due to the weather, we were told that it would not be possible to tender off the ship.



We could see from our cabin window that the lifeboat when it was first launched, was bobbing about considerably, though at the time the Captain made the decision not to call in at Parga, the sea was fairly calm, and as we sailed away the sun came out.



It was not very reassuring to see frogmen diving under the hull when we docked at Piraeus.



The Bistro self service restaurant was really far too small and relied on the outside deck space to accommodate passengers. If it rains and the deck cannot be used, then there is no alternative for those wishing to sit to eat their meal, but to use the adjoining lounge which is also bursting at the seams.



The other voyagers were lucky perhaps in that they had good weather and did not experience this.



That being said, we did enjoy our holiday as the ship had such a friendly atmosphere, the crew were excellent, and we recognised many of them from previous cruises.



We met some very nice people and Frank the Cruise Director (who we met on the Emerald last year) was as exuberant as usual and put on some very good shows.



Our holiday was a success I would say, in spite of the Calypso, which I think still has some teething troubles, and I also feel may be a little too old and not quite up to the job. We much prefer the Spirit and Celebration.