We have just got back from our first cruise. We took a 5 year old and parents in early 70's. Everyone had a lovely time and the weather was very kind, which helped. Entertainment was of a far better quality than I was expecting with some good shows and a great Deck Party when the ship left the first port.

Jo and Lou in the KidsZone were great with the children and my son just loved going up there. It helped that there was only 8 children on board. I understand that in July and August there can be 50 children so he got very individual attention.

The oldies loved the shows and the free All Inclusive upgrade went down well. The staff and passengers were very friendly and you could dress up or down as you wished.

One blight was that our cabin was flooded by a burst pipe. It was clear that the cabin would not dry out but it took sometime to secure a new cabin with 3 beds. They kept offering a cabin with only 2 beds and my son on a roll out bed on the floor. Eventually we managed to get a delux suite which, although very nice, confirmed to me that it is not worth the extra.
Our original cabin was perfectly adequate with plenty of storage space.

One other critisim which I believe can be said of all cruises is that they have very little local information on the ports of call, because they want you to go on their tours. However most places had a tourist information point as soon as you got off the ship. Naples, Palma, Barcelona and Marseilles all had "hop on off off" buses to use. We found taxi's in Spain to be reasonable.

Despite the blips, I would go again on the Spirit. She was a beautiful and welcoming ship. Smaller than some of the others we berth against but we looked like we were having more fun!

Our first cruise and we thought it was fantastic - the ship was ultra clean - the food was excellent and always well presented and hot - staff very helpful and friendly. Could not fault anything. Would definitely return to this ship again. Entertainment better than some west-end musicals. Food available 24 hours a day if you wanted it.

Have made several cruises before mainly out of the USA. This was the first time on a Med Cruise. We found the ship to be very comfortable and all the staff excellent. As for the food, there was something for everyones taste. We took the all inclusive and our cabin was on deck 7. Cabin was comfortable and the cabin staff excellent.
Although we probably did not spend more than our allowance on the all inclusive, it was nice to know that we didnt have to watch our spending on drinks and have a nasty suprise at the end of the voyage.
The big advantage over other cruise`s was that you were not given envelopes at the end of the voyage to tip people that you probably have never seen. You could then remain free to tip staff that did give you good service.
All in all we thought good value for money coupled with very helpful staff.
We shall be booking again at some time with this cruise line.

We stayed in a hotel at Manchester airport the night before,it really felt our holiday had started,we had a super meal,and we really were getting quite excited.We arrived at the airport at 5.30am and had no queues to contend with and we were able to check luggage in straight away.we were called for our flight spot on time,smooth flight and arrived on time.On arrival in Palma we collected our luggage and instead of having that really long walk to the coach (approx 25mins)we were able to use the exit right at the side of the carousel which led straight to our coach.We arrived at the The Spirit after a very quick journey.After the usual formalities we were on board at last yippee.......we were met by our stewardess Eveline,who escorted us to our cabin,and there was I in for such a surprise,my super husband had as a surprise booked the Presidential Suite.ooooooooooooo wow...I stood there mouth wide open,once I had controlled myself,waiting inside was a bottle of champagne,a beautiful display of flowers and a basket of fresh fruit.the suite itself is really beautiful,consisting of a marbled entrance hall,which also has a cloakroom,then you enter the lounge which then goes through double doors into the bedroom,there you have a walk-in wardrobe,safe,dressing table with lovely illuminated mirrors,masses of drawer and cupboard space,kingsize bed and television,from there you go enter the beautful bathroom all done in marble,ther was alovely jacussi bath,separate shower cubicle and another toilet we also had two handbasins set side by side,the suite also contained a cd player and a dvd a computer and a large television,these were in the lounge area which also had a dining table and chairs and a fridge the bedroom and the lounge also had two picture windows each.I would say to anyone if you have something special to celebrate,it really is an experience I can highly recommend.All the staff are fantastic they cannot do enough for you,the food is superb,we dined in the Compass Rose each evening,and Thann our waiter is a real cutie the service we received was second to none.The entertainment was fantastic,we went to all the showsand I feel they were as good as any West End productions and I have seen alot of those,one day, they did an..... Afternoon with Steven Guy.... that was very interesting, where you could ask any manner of questions, including personel, and I felt you got extremely honest answers.Our favourite Bars, were the Horizon and Raffles, I was luckey enough to win a few pounds in the Casino, playing Roulette...........As far as excursions go we did the one to Portofino, which was by tender it was so pretty but extremely expensive,my DiL fell in love with pair of Jeans I hasten to add not designer,and when asked the price was told £1,500 and that was sterling we did ask again to make sure.I think they were having a laugh!!!!!!!!mind you it is a millionaires paradise.....2 beers, 1 bottle of water,3 small cokes =24 pounds...... and I promise you this is true, we use our trusty exchange rate calculator.........my husband and Dil went on most of the other tours, whilst I was very happy just to be on the Lido deck soaking up the sun,I must add I have been to the places before, but DiL had not so that is why, my Hubby went with her,she loved everywhere,Rome ,Pisa,Toulon,Mahon,Portofino........the weather was perfect apart from the morning we docked at Livorno,we had an amazing storm with very warm heavy rain but it only lasted about half an hour and from then on wall to wall sun............we took part in all the quizes, great fun on the lido deck, loved the sail away deck parties............we went to High Spirits everynight Fantastic......we loved Richard a really funny, and clever man...........all the entertainment staff work so hard and it really does show in the professional productions.Well it all went so quickley, we really did not want to leave this beautiful ship,and all the great people who made our cruise so wonderful................the morning came, and we were up at 6am to go to the lido, and have our breakfast,after which we went to Raffles wher we waited for our call to disembark The Spirit,which was also right on time 9.25am.we said our final goodbyes,and boarded our coach for the palma airport..........i wont go into details, but this was the only time I was getting more than a little annoyed,queues and more queues,that awful walk to the gate.........conveyor belts that stop working after waiting 1 hour................anyway I hope i have'nt bored to many people,and to those that read my review, I thank you for taking the time to do so,it really was a super holiday and one I would recommend to anyone.......Cheers Suzy

We did the Jewels of the Mediteranean cruise stopping at; Palermo, Naples, Ajaccio,Marseille, Barcelona. In our party we had an 11 and a 14 year old.All in all a fantastic experience. Thompson have got this all so well organised that everything runs like clockwork.
We stayed in a hotel in Majorca ( Sa Coma Playa - highly reccomend it) for a week before joining the cruise and there seems to be some debate amongst other travellers we met as to whic is the best way round to do this - stay and cruise or cruise and stay.
Some people we met always do the cruis first because they said it is quite tiring and you need the rest after - we did the stay first and think this is the best way to do it as it gives you chance to unwind and get used to the heat etc, also after you have been on the cruise most hotels no matter how good would be a let down.

On arriving at the port you are given an envelope - this has your room numbers in it on sticky labels and you find your cased on the dock side and put the labels on - then the cases are taken straight to your cabin within 1 hour.

We stayed on Main Deck (4) and had an inside and an outside cabin. The cabins were much more spacious than I had imagined with enormous amounts of storage space and a decent hairdryer so don't bother to bring your own!As to whether an inside or outside cabin is best - I liked having my porthole - it did bring light into the cabin and meant you did not always have to have the lights on, but you are not in the cabin much - it was good to have but really not essential. This deck would be a good one to stay on if anyone in your party had mobility difficulties as it is very central for everything - the Compass Rose Restaurant and Reception are on this floor and most times you disembark on this floor.

Food - a non stop 24hour feast if you want it. We ate every night in the Compass Rose Restaurant which was waiter service and a lovely experience. We didn't like the Lido which was the buffett style restaurant as it reminded us of a cafeteria - but I see on other reviews that other people preferred it. Its good to have the choice.

Entertainment - The main shows were West End standard - some fantastic individual performances, one of the highlights of our holiday.

Cleanliness - amazing, dirty plates would vanish instantly, the staff worked non stop. Our rooms would be tidied twice or three times a day - fresh towels twice a day, clean sheets every day.

Activities for Children - my children loved this holiday, they even preferred it to the previous week at a hotel with a lovely pool. There are organised clubs on board with activities every day for different age groups. For the 13 and over they have their own club to hang out in which has internet access etc. My children would take themselves off to the cinema or take part in football or table tennis tournaments, they could even stay in their cabin and cool off for a couple of hours whilst watching a film on the tv. There were lots of families on board but then this was August, however, there were quite alot of people with babies and toddlers. I would not recommend this sort of holiday for anyone with children younger than 6/7 as you could not take your eyes off them and as far as I am aware there is no baby sitting service, but for over 7's it is brilliant.

Ports of Call - Palermo - we did a half day city excursion then went to Monreale - enjoyed it but half day excursions in July and August are enough because the temperatures reach nearly 40 degrees!
Naples - over 500 people from the ship did the Pompei excursion, beware there is no shade and lots of walking, but a fascinating glimpse into history.
Ajaccio (Corsica) - lovely, we just pottered about doing our own thing and excursion here is not really neccessary, its very pretty and very safe to go about on your own.
Marseille - a shuttle bus operated from the ship as we docked in an industrial port, so not a very attractive site if you planned to stay on board here. Marseille is a very good shopping area, lots of cafes.
Barcelona - we did the half day Gaudi tour which I would recommend as we covered more than we could have done on our own. We chose to be dropped off in town and then caught a port bus from the Christopher Columbus statue for 1 euro which takes you back to the ship.

Things to watch out for - sunbeds! We weren't bothered about getting a sunbed because we had just spent a week in the sun but some people seemed to do nothing else but lie in the sun all day - even when in port! Be warned there are not enough sunbeds for everyone - there is a 45min rule whereby if a bed has been unoccupied for 45mins even if it has stuff on it you can remove it,but it does take some nerve to do. I stayed on board one day and wached people reserving sun beds at 9.30 am and they did not return to sit on them until past 3pm! The first day you are at sea if you want a sunbed get up very early and make sure you don't leave it unoccupied all day - alternatively forget it and take part in some of the really interesting activities going on.
Seats in the Broadway Showlounge. After the first night people realised how good these shows are and would start taking their seats more than 30 mins before the performance, those that came in with ten mins to go found there was little choice and often had to stand.

We had a fantastic time and would love to go again - perhaps not in August next time as the temperatures were in the 40's and a bit too hot.

we went on the 19th August on the images of the riviera.The ship was fantastic and as it was my 3rd cruise with thomson i was used to the first class treatment. i really have to comment on how friendly the staff were especially the entertainment team and waiters! the best bart was the different range of activities and locations in fact when i got home i wanted to go right back. I would like to go again but we may try another ship in the fleet. one things for sure thomson made sure i'd never forget that holiay!

The ship was great for all two weeks there was always something different to do i would highly recomend the Thomson Spirit to anyone.

Cleanliness- The cabin stewardess knew eexactly what we wanted and it was hard to find anything wrong with how clean the rest of the ship was.

Food- All superb. the lido restaraunt is best for something light but for a 5 star meat go to the compass rose. the only problem is they always want to see you eat!

Staff- Stephen Guy (the cruise director) was so friendly and the were all readfy to help whenever they could. but some of them focused on a select few families to devote their attention to.

Entertainment- Great especially the band Coast to Coast, Richard (entertainment hoast), Stephen, Marc (Vocalist), Paul (Dancer) andDanny (entertainment host). And DJ Bob, he was just plain crazy!

I would definitely go again but not up north i like to stay in the sunshine so i might go on the celebration or destiny next year. hopefully someone familiar will be there.

This was our 1st Cruise as a special holiday for my 40th birthday. As we didnt know what to expect we booked a cruise and stay, by the middle of our 1st week we were so impressed we tried to stay for our other week it was full! All i can say is "FANTASTIC" so much so we booked for this year the day we returned we are on the Thomson Destiny this year hope its a good as the Spirit. Our second week was spent in the Bonaire in Majorca which was also excellent.

OK. My name is Georgi, I use to work as a barkeeper on board the ship. Many people know me from the Horizons bar or the Georgi's bar how they use to say. Not any more, I quit because I want to look forward in my life. Please everybody who knows me write back. I am at home and wait for all my friends.

<font color=blue>Anyone wishing to contact Georgi can do so on our forums which are located <a href="http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=35"><font color=blue>here</font></a>.</font>

Well i know theres a lot of reviews on the excellent Spirit but heres mine to add to things! Will try and cover everything day by day and put the single/vegetarian view point across! If anyone has any questions - just ask!

Arrival: I flew from Birmingham - had to que for 1 1/2 hours just to check the bags in as the baggage belt had broken! I was still in the que when my flight was due to go! The flight was delayed as one man was ill so had to wait for medical crew to arrive to take him off (hope he made a good recovery?) Flight was fine and once we arrived in Palma it was time to collect bags and do the Palma marathon - such a huge place!
Once through you are directed to a rep who gives you an intro leaflet to the Spirit - whilst we were waiting fro our coach i met other passengers for a chat. Its only 20 mins to the ship, once there you are directed through for check in, ID cards, the 1st of many photos! and then you are met by a host/hostess who takes you to your cabin. Suitcases arrive usually within an hour.

The cabin:
I was in 587 on the 3rd deck, this was a single inside cabin - i found this very spacious - twin beds, nice clean en suite shower room, big wardrobe, 2 bedside cabinets, dressing table, table and 2 chairs. There is a tv (sky news, itv news, safety video, 2 movie channels, radio channels: bbc radio2, classical channel and the mix (pop music) there is a view from the bridge and a video about the ports of call (v.useful) My cabin was cleaned by a lovley girl called Servia who was from Bulgaria. The cabin staff do such a good job - popping in at least 3 times a day to tidy up and top up the ice bucket. They always had time for a chat.

After settling in i had a wander round the ship and read through the leaflets from my cabin - you get the cruise news daily and a small map and guide to each port of call. Extra copies are on reception desk on deck 4.

I decided to pop into Palma after a quick lunch on the lido deck (more about food later!) To get on/off ship you just need to show your ID card which they scan. I caught the local bus (line 1) from outside the port - after an hour or so round the cathederal area and shops I got a taxi back (7 euros) to the port and decided to find a supermarket. There is a duty free shop in the port but it is fairly expensive, if you stand outside the port and go left - away from town, after 10 mins you will see signs for the Carrefour supermarket. This is more like a hypermarket and is under a huge shopping centre! just follow the port road and you should find it. I stocked up on soft drinks and a bottle of vodka for the cabin. I then finished the unpacking and went to the lido buffet for tea as I felt too tired to get changed and go to the compass rose. After some food I explored the ship, during the evening there is an introduction to the ship and the entertainment team. I then stayed on deck talking to people and joined in with the leaving party, this is held on the lido deck and is good fun. We left at midnight - by this time i was so tired i had to go to bed!

Dining on board:
I found the quality of meals to be great, for breakfast i tended to eat on the lido deck (deck 5) - the inside buffet has such a range of food - fruit,yoghurts,cereals,cooked breakfasts,cakes,rolls,cheeses and cold meats, juices etc... you can eat inside or out. If you like waiter service the Compass Rose is open (deck 4). At lunch you can visit the buffet or go to the compass rose, i tended to go to the buffet - you have the choice of many cooked meals, salads, breads, soups and desserts also cheese and biscuits. Outside there is a pizza oven and also chips and burgers, Frankie the pasta chef will cook you up some great fresh pasta - with a sauce of your choice - worth sampling this!
In between meals you can have morning coffee and cakes, afternoon tea (the scones are nice!) also midnight meals too! basically its a case of eating what you fancy when you want! Even a fussy eater will find something!
In the evening i liked to get dressed up and go to the Compass Rose for the 6 course dinner, i just loved the atmosphere and service there - the waiters will remember your names and are so great! The food is superb - i use to have a starter, soup, main and dessert.
As a vegetarian i found the food was great - there was only one main meal i didnt fancy as i cant eat cream - the waiters cooked me some fresh pasta instead. Some of the meals included: vege mousakka, vege stroganoff, quiche, curry, vege pancakes, pasta dishes, cutlets. The vege food is based on cheese, eggs, some beans so if you were vegan you would need to mention this - i know they would offer alternative dishes. The taste and presentation are excellent. If anyone has any questions about food allergies do ask me as i had a chat with some of the chefs and special diets can be catered for with advance notice.
Do visit the buffet magnifique - even if full - got some great photos, the ice and fruit carvings are so amazing.

The staff:
Basically all the staff are so nice! they work so hard for a very small wage, often leaving family behind for 9 months, i did tip the girl who cleaned my cabin - she did such a great job. The entertainment team work hard and put on some great shows and the waiters are all stars! they do a grand job and you get spoilt! Every evening the waiters sing and dance as well as serve up excellent meals.

On Friday the day at sea you have to attend the lifeboat drill at 10.15 - watch out for the photographers! I then attended the solos lunch - this was hosted by Laura - who is a very friendly young lady who looks after the solos and everyone else!
About 5 of us singles turned up and made friends, hello to Morag, Kathleen and Ian if you read this! Laura made sure we were all on the 2nd sitting for the captains dinner and we all met up every evening for dinner and the show. Im sure we will all keep in touch as we all got on so well.

In the afternoon i treated myself to a pedicure (£22) this was carried out by Geda in the beauty salon who was very good (nail polish has yet to chip!) I have a price list if anyone wants any info on treatments?

The captains dinner:
There are 2 sittings early (starts 5.45)and late (8.45)
I went to the late one, its a great chance to get dressed up, i met the others in the bar, you then que to have 3 photos taken: one in the doorway, one by a staircase backdrop and one with the captain. After this the captain does a talk and introduces the managment team. Then you go for dinner in the Compass Rose - the table settings are great and again food and service were fantastic. After dinner there is the Oscars show at 11.15.

The entertainment:
Make sure you go to the shows - I really enjoyed them, the entertainment team are a very talented group of singers and dancers lead by Stephen Guy the cruise director. Shows included Disney Oscars,We are the champions - a football story with Queens music, Party in the park (Beatles,Drifters,Mowtown)My fair Lady, and a broadway show. All were very good, there was also various discos, music and fun in the other bars: Raffles, Horizons, Explorers lounge and High Spirits.
During the day there are sports activities, quizes, talks and demos to go to - if you can find the time!!
There is a cinema on board films included: Chicargo,Brother Bear,Calender Girls and movie channels in your cabin, i only saw Love Atcually, but films included: paycheck, last samurai and mona lisa smiles.

Childrens entertainment:
I did not see what this involved but seemed plenty on and all the children on board seemed happy! am sure others will be able to review this in more detail.

Excursions:
There are various trips on offer, channel 21 on the cabin tv has a video about the trips and there is a talk in the broadway lounge on the first morning at sea. The prices seem to be £25 - £29 for a half day trip and £38 - £42 for full day trips. children pay 1/2 price. I only went on the 1/2 day trip to Pompeii which cost £29, i found the guide Marco to be very good and the coach was good quality. Others I spoke to enjoyed the trips, but when at Naples as its a Sunday the traffic jams to Sorrento are awful - people did complain about this trip as you only got 50 mins in Sorrento after a couple of hours on the coach (they did warn you about this first) You do need to book places on the trips quickly - by 1pm Friday for a lot of them. There can be last min places available. 300 went to Pompeii - so the trips are popular! I often prefered tp do DIY trips.

Ports of call:

Sicily:
The port is a 10 min walk to town, be careful crossing the roads! Italian driving is fast and furious! I walked round the old town using my map and guide book and looked round the museum, and several churches. All the sales were on so had a look in the shops. I discovered the local markets which were great. The ice creams are a must! All shops seem to close between 1-4pm so i went out early and went back to the ship for a late lunch. There is a lot of walking if you want to see the old town. I felt fairly safe out on my own but would have felt more confident if i spoke a bit of Italian!

Naples:
I had had a lot of warnings about Naples, if it had not been so hot i think the train to Pompeii is an easy option. However i decided to take the trip - very well organised with an excellent guide. You only touch on the sites at Pompeii but it gives you a good introduction. Be warned there is no shade at Pompeii and it is very busy, the temps were at 44 degrees! so take water and sunscreen, i found my mini fan very useful! You can buy guide books after and have a juice in the square. There are no toilets once in Pompeii!
Our driver took us on a tour of Naples - i thought the downtown area was very dirty and saw a lot of beggars about. Personally I would not want to be hanging round there (but prob no worse than certain city areas here!) I went back to the ship for lunch and then ventured off into "up town Naples" I felt safe here and walked round the castle area, the indoor shopping area is full of people selling fake designer handbags - if you pick up a bag the traders will pounce! I did buy 2 bags you do need to barter! prices started off at 20 euros each and in the end i got the 2 for 10 euros! I love a good bargin and was use to this from holidays in Turkey. If you dont want to buy just walk off - you will be followed for a bit but then they will give up! Do take care crossing the roads - it is a real risk!

Corsica:
My favourite port of call - we docked so close to town - i liked the shops and felt the quality of the jewellrey and food gifts were good. There is a very nice beach so i spent some time there and went for a swim. The island felt very safe to wander about or there was a land train and tour bus, Corsica is somewhere i would like to come back to.

Marseille:
You have to get a courtsey coach in as the port area is not near to the town, this drops you in the harbour area. There are bus tours or i went on the mini train - 2 routes 5 euros each. The views from the Basillica Notre Dame are excellent, also liked the shops. Plenty to see and do in town but the coaches back get very busy from 3-4pm.

Barcalona:
A massive place! we docked close to town, i decided to do the tour bus trip - 16 euros and you get on / off as you like. This worked well as the busses are every 5 mins. I visited the Ramblas as i love shopping, the entertainers are funny! I avoided the animal stalls as I knew it would upset me, they start after the flower market. I managed to visit most of the Gaudi places - the unfinished cathederal, and i liked the Gaudi park - good views and very unusual. Barcalona is huge and some bus routes take 2 hours! I liked the Spanish village great craft shops. Do as in any city watch your wallets/bags.

If anyone needs further info on ports of call just ask!

Last eve/ morning:
Sad this as we all wanted to stay for a 2nd week! we enjoyed a farewell dinner - i will really miss all the waiters and staff - they were great! I swapped address/phone numbers with the other people i had met and am sure we will keep in touch. I went back to finish my packing at 1am - you collect luggage labels from reception and leave your case out by 3am. You have to leave your cabin by 8am and there are courtesy cabins if you have a late flight. I had to leave at 9am to get my flight home. If you wanted your own cabin all day it was £30 but only a few are available.
The return process is easy enough - dont que in the first duty free shop there is another one once thru passport control!

Overall:
Had a fantastic time! the atmosphere is great - the staff are great and really look after you. I will go again im sure either with friends or family or on my own as its such a safe place for single travellers! Cant wait to experience the Thompson cruise holiday again!

Think ive covered everthing!!! But do ask if any questions i would be happy to help!

Alison.