Cruises

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Had it confirmed that the cruise on 19th oct 2010 is the spirit of iberia!
They have honoured our price and set up coach transportation to take us from harwich back to east midalnds airport seen as we should have flown back there.
To be honest the ports of call are not what i would have originally picked , but they are places i have never been to and it gives me the opportunity to book a med cruise for the year after!!!! :tup
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Jaccabean,good on you + good thinking,iv'e never been to Vigo or Cherborg + am continually searching for new ports.
After 15 cruises you think iv'e done them all but this year when on IE just because it did Trapani + Nice which i had not been to before.
Next year looking at Ottoman Treasures on Celebration to see Istanbul but waiting to see if price reduced ,unfortunatly could not make mind up before free A/I finished end August.
Johnny C
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Hello, it's me, back from beyond and I have finally stopped sulking about the Emerald going.

Now my attention has been turned towards the Thomson Dream.

I am eying up the 23rd December 2010.

2 Weeks cruise, Gatwick to Dominican republic then around Caribbean including Jamaica and a couple of days in Havana, Cuba. Plus there is the option to extend this to 3 weeks at a reduced cost.

Apparently, the high street stores may be allowed to take a £10 deposit to reserve holiday. £49 to go all inclusive per person and £100 cabin credit.

£1400 for the 2 weeks, no ideas for the extension. I have been hounding Thomson for more details, but it's not on the system till tomorrow.

Anyone interested

Oh, and sorry to anyone who's been trying to contact. I've been away sulking. Plus I went to see the Emerald sailing under Louis Cruise lines, but didn't get a cruise out of it. :sun2
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hi fatandy1972. That cruise sounds really fab. I presume it is £1400 per person. Sounds a great deal especially during xmas time. Would love to go away for xmas.
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hi col29. I am so jealous. Would love to have gone for 2 weeks. Mind you the second weeks itinery I have done twice already. It takes in Rome which is fab. We decided on 22-29th June as it takes in Barcelona and a couple of other places which we ain't visited. Did you get the free all inclusive.
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Hello, just booked the Cuban Adventure, on Thomson Dream. 30th of December 10. No free Drinks package, £50.00 pp on board credit. I wouldnt pay the £338.00 pp for the drinks package, we dont intend being on the ship that much through the day, so it wouldnt be worth it for us. The itinery looks really good, Havana being the main reason for choosing this Cruise. Think i may have jumped in too early to say i got a really good deal, but i am happy with my choice. Carnt wait now !!!!, Only got to get through 4 holidays now before then !!!!!
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Hi there

Thomson are really getting a little naughty as in their pricing structure. After hearing about all the great deals they were offering, I strolled into the Ashford Branch and attempted to get some deals.

My wife had already done this as soon as the brochure was out on the Thursday, but had a rude person on the phone who, when told it was cheaper via cruise deals, promptly said, well book with them. !!!

After looking thorugh all the options for the cruises to include Cuba, there was no way we could justify this. Even cutting off the crazy all inclusive price of over £700 per couple it was still too pricey, let alone adding another week.

We next attempted to book the 30th, thinking that we could have new year out there. No chance.

We finally settled for 6th January. Flying out to Havana and departing from barbados. All in all, without all inclusive but with the leg room etc on an inside cabin, £3018 for the two of us. We had to get the shop to match the web price and they would not match other sites, I was tempted to wait it out and attempt last minute, but judging by the amount of people asking about it, i thought it better to book.

Looks like I will be with you carroll40 at Havana. Have you looked at the excursions yet. I may be sad and undertake the Concorde experience at barbados. But thats because im a Concorde geek.

Any one else coming. I know Eunice and Keith from Nottingham (former Emerald travellers) are also present on 6th jan 2011 as I was speaking to them as they booked 12 mins before I did.

:tup :tup :tup Cuba here we come

Fat Andy

Ps has anyoen actually taken the free drinks package. I worked it out at around 9 beers every day including the flight days to ensure you even broke even. As mainly a soft drink drinker, I need to drink over 30 lemonades a day.....!!!
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oh, should have said, we get the £50 per person credit too. So that can cover beerage if I do drink, lol
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Hello Fatandy, you are making me laugh, i have not looked at the excursions yet, only just got in from work. i have pre-booked my cabin and yes we did choose deck 9. They only had 3 cabins left on that deck to choose from. Quite a heafty supplement i know. I did book our cruise in the shop after they price matched it from the web. I have since seen it on the web £50.00 cheaper but the price went back up the day after. I too was going to wait but i know there is a lot of interest so i did jump in. The drinks package would not be worth it for us either, i would be drinking mostly soft drinks, and we dont intend staying on the ship all day everyday!!!! too much to explore !!!!. Thomson prices for all cruises next year have risen quite a lot from what we have previously paid, but we are always happy with what we get. Did the caribbean last December with a stay first in the Dominican, we had a fabulous time, Especially when they gave our cabin to someone else !!!!!. It was fantastic, we ended up with a disabled cabin, really big and spacious, on our own little landing, Dinner with the captain, money off vouchers and £700.00 refund for the mix up. If they had given us £50.00 we would have been happy.
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Insurance should really be taken out as soon as the cruise is booked, but if anyone still has to sort theirs out, make sure the travel insurance covers Cuba.

We have an annual policy with Direct Travel Insurance which does include cruises, but specifically excluded travel to Cuba.

luci :wave
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Thanks Luci

I will have my normal annual policy from work. I wont mention them in case I get banned, lol

But thanks for the mention I will ensure It covers Cuba.

On a separate note, bet you were surprised I came back. After they killed my little ship. Have you noticed i've waited until Thomson picked a ship with a classic liner configuration rather than one of the new types.

Plus the Costa Europa was the only ship that did not get the Italian styling with all the mirors and stuff as it was a former HAL.

Do you fancy coming with us? I can't pay though

:cheers
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Good to see you back Andy. I'm sure a change will be as good as a rest, but no doubt you will keep comparing the ship to the Emerald.

I would love to come with you, but alas all my holiday entitlement is spoken for.

We did one cruise last year as our destination of preference at the moment is Vegas. We have a major wedding anniversary next year, but we're struggling to find something suitable in August. I'm not keen on going from Southampton again.

What we may consider is a Mexican cruise with Princess with a stay in Vegas so we get the best of both worlds.

luci :wave
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P&O have a Panama canal trip which is coming in at a very attractive price.

Bit of the carribean, mexico and the canal are all good.

Maybe link that to a flight down to the lights of vegas aftwards, and maybe even a blessing from Elvis at the little chapel.

I'm sure you will find something good.

This will be my first trip back the the carribean since my honeymoon, alas the Emerald never returned there. Now the Dream is there and is doing one of my destination hotlist - Cuba.

This just leaves about 100 more, lol :offtop

And no worries, i wont compare the dream to the Emerald, however I do notice a lot of Emerald faithful are avoiding the blocked toilets of the celebration and spirit and going straight to the dream.

Andy
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Hi I've never cruised before and was looking at the Thomson Dream highlights of the med and med explorer 14 night cruise for June but I've just noticed it says for adults only. Does anyone know what age an adult is as my youngest will be 16? Like the sounds of the ports in the this one or can anyone suggest anything a wee bit different?
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Just booked the Mediterranean Gems cruise on the Dream for October. I booked it online on Monday and when I had another lookyesterday, I noticed it was £81 cheaper! Never mind, it's given us something to look forward to.
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I do think it is a matter of taste as to whether you travel on larger resort ships that are out to fleece you or a line like Thomson which doesn't. Surely there is little time to enjoy the many amenities of the larger ships if you are visiting a different destination every day and disembarking to spend the day exploring. Thomson have leased the Dream which I personally feel will be a great benefit to the fleet. It is older but therefore deep keeled and able to manage heavier seas unlike the newer larger vessels which are almost flat bottomed ( except for Cunards Queens) It will also be crewed by Thomson employees unlike The Destiny which personally I believe is below the standard of the rest of the Thomson fleet. On our last visit to the Caribbean on the Destiny last year we payed under £900 each, so price wise if you are prepared to wait for the bargain you do get one. The nearest competitor was charging over £500 each above this price and in fact RCI was charging more for just one week.
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Hi. Very sorry to hear about the loss of life today on the Costa Europa. My thoughts are with their families. Does anyone have any idea how this impacts on thomson taking over this ship to be the thomson dream? I've got my honeymoon booked in 12 weeks time on this ship and am wondering if I should look elsewhere?
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Hi newcruiser
I don't have any actual info but i would hold tight as Thomson will let you know if they have to put you on another ship but my feelings are that you will be fine don't forget the Calypso set on fire just prior to Thomson taking it over and that was all put right in time for its sailing. I think the damage is a 2mt hole in the side.
Hope all is well for you both

Roger
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