    
  Go spirit go!!!!
Reviewer: Jenna from London
I travelled on the Spirit in October and thought it was amazing. The food was fantastic there was plenty to choose from with different varieties.
I would recommend this holiday to anyone who’s going first time cruising. The service of the staff was excellent and can not wait to go back on it ...
 First Cruise
Reviewer: Mr A Bradley from Greenock, Scotland
We flew from Glasgow to Palma then joined ship, first impressions of ship were good luggage delivered in less in an hour to cabin. Cabin spotless, crew very helpful, found all meals and entertainment first class and very enjoyable so much so we have booked for 2006. Looking forward to this cruise as much as the last. The lido resturant self catering 24hour was first class with no complaints at all only heard good reports. The ship overall was excellent the standard first class.
Ideal for first time cruisers!, 22/04/2004
Reviewer: Claire Hannam from Nuneaton
This was our first time on board a cruise and we thouroughly enjoyed it. Food was excellant and the entertainment was first class, the staff were so friendly. We cruised the canaries and Madeira itinerary which was great. there are excursions for everyone. We did helicopter rides in Madeira, quad biking in Morocco but you could do the botanical garden tour or just relax on the beach.
There was so much choice. we had an inside cabin which was furnished well, fairly spacious. cabin service was excellant, cabins were kept very tidy and fresh linen changed every other day. Would definatley recommend it to all first time cruisers!
Thomson Spirit Review, October 2005
Reviewer: A Reviewer from Manchester
Have just returned from a 7 night Cruise around the Med, we flew from Manchester - and met the ship at Palma. It is our first time cruising so were excited and apprehensive about what to expect. All the staff were professional and very friendly and helpful. Before boarding you are asked to pose for a photo which is then superimposed onto a picture of the ship, you are then escorted to your cabin by a steward.
First Impressions CABIN:
Very disappointing we had paid for a Deluxe Cabin on the Bridge Deck (8) and can only describe it as dark, sparsely furnished with twin beds even though we had requested a double. It reminded us of the inside of a very basic 70's style caravan. The bathroom again was in need of refurbishment, black mould around the tiles and the towels had been boiled to within an inch of their lives all frayed and a dirty grey colour!!
FOOD:
We then had a look around the ship which is huge we found the Lido self service eating area which I can only describe as awful, like being in a school canteen, I was shocked to find that even though we were in Palma there was "Steak and Kidney Pie " on the menu - not very medeteranean this got progressively worse as it was like a free for all with people gorging unbelievable amounts of food. We did try some "fresh pasta" which was available at the outside eating area of the Lido but this turned out to be warmed up pasta and cold vegetables - so again very disappointed.
COMPASS ROSE RESTAURANT:
This is Waiter Serviced and better than Lido so we ate here most evenings - very friendly staff and service
Sirroccos:
A La Carte but we could not get a table - there was an added charged of £16.00 per person for this.
ENTERTAINMENT:
There were shows each evening in the BROADWAY SHOW LOUNGE and also a comedian flown in from the UK who was very good the dance team and entertainers were very talented and worked very hard and were a credit to Thomson. There were several bars available if you wanted to get away from it all too.
CAPTAINS EVENING:
Time to get dressed up and have your photo with the Captain if you wanted too. The dinner was very nice and well presented - however, you did have to share a table and with up to four others which put a lot of people off and this happened every time we went in to the Compasss Rose Dining area so be aware if you say no they do not push you.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
The ships photogapher is all over the ship and there is a Video/DVD available at the end of the cruise for you to Buy should you want to do so. Every Evening there is the opportunity to purchase you photos from the Safety Drill, Captains Evening and the picture of you arriving at the ship, we paid £40.00 for ours.
SHIPS DOCTOR:
I deveoped a severe throat infection on my second day and was unable to see the Doctor at the specific surgery times 8am to 9am due to having to attend a safety drill this costs £27.00 however, if you are unable to go at these times you are charged another £20.00 also he appeared to want to sell me lots of medication which I declined I did purchase penicillin and throat sweets the total of £67.00, however, I found out that you can purchase Penicillin from the pharmacy at any of the ports of call which is cheaper!!
PORTS OF CALL:
Day 1 - PALMA - Great - lots of time to look around
Day 2 - At sea - recharge the batteries, look around Ship
Day 3 - Villefranche - Monaco-Montecarlo-Nice -
Outstanding locations - not enough time though!!
Day 4 - Livorno - for Pisa/Florence - Ab Fab great day but
again limited time
Day 5 - Rome - Absolutely Wonderful - but very rushed we
did the Roma Express Train which is great
but traffic is so heavy in Rome you lose
precious time- the guides were great but
too little time!!
Day 6 - Ajjacio- Corsica - very quiet
Day 7 - Mahon - Menorca - Very quiet, do some shopping and
relax
Day 8 - Disembark at Palma for flight home
AGE GROUP:
We were not suprised to see that the majority of people were aged 70yrs - 90 yrs however, the travel agent did not tell us this even though we did ask. There were a couple of young families with kids and groups of women and men around very late fifties and sixties. There was an absence of couples between 35 and 50 so did not have the opportunity to meet people within our age group, however we did meet some very nice people who were much older than ourselves.
Recommendations:
This cruise is a great way to see places quickly in order to decide if you want to come back, which we will independently to Rome and Florence. It is also ideal for the retired person or over 60 yrs you will have a great time - they even play BINGO!!
However, if you are in your 40's, want 5 Star accomodation and want to meet people in your own age group then its not ideal.
All in all we had a good time, the itinery was great but not enough time at some of the ports of call due to ship having to leave at certain times and also it was only a 7 day cruise. The staff were more than welcoming and work so very hard they are a credit to Thomson.
It is also a great cruise for families as there is lots to do for the kids if you do not want to leave the ship and again great for the lively 60, 70,80, and 90 age group.
So well done Thomson!!
Shiptastic, May 2004
Reviewer: Steve and Jenny from West Yorkshire
The ship was outstanding..the staff were friendly,polite and entertaining....food was excellent and the entertainment was fantastic...we upgraded to all inclusive which was well worth the money.
 Spirit Review, July 2005
Reviewer: Clive from Halifax
The Thomson Spirit wasnt that good, it didnt live up to my expectations.The food was poor and entertainment was bad aswell. Overall the experience wasnt too good!!!!!
The time of my life, August 2004
Reviewer: Dolly Ward from Harrogate - North Yorkshire
Being a travel agent I felt it only right to experience cruising first hand in order to advise my clients of the pros and cons of cruising. Personally I was worried about the ship being full of stuffy people but it wasn't.
I can't think of anything I didn't like about the Spirit. The service is efficient and friendly, and someone somewhere will remember your name. The Spirit feels spacious even when full and you can always find somewhere quiet to sit with a view. The food is excellent and the cabins are attractively furnished and comfortable.
Everything on board is well organised and guests are kept well informed about entertainment, excursions etc.
Top tips = treat yourself to a deluxe outside cabin on Eagle deck, It’s peaceful up there and you are close to Horizons bar with it fabulous surround views + buy the all inclusive drinks package, it includes branded drinks, great cocktails and wine with dinner + dine at least once in the A la Carte restaurant only £15 pp to upgrade but well worth it! All the above coupled with fabulous ports of call made this the best holiday we have ever had.
We loved it and are going again next June!
Great Holiday, June 2004
Reviewer: Patricia Challenor from Bedfordshire
Have never cruised before so didn't know what to expect, it was absolutely perfect.The food was excellent and there was something for everyone.You could dine formally or informally whichever you preferred and everyone on board was friendly and very helpful.
The ship was clean and the accommodation very good considering the lack of space.
I would definitely go again and would not mind going alone as I made a lot of friends.
Onboard Thomson Spirit, September 2004
Reviewer: Michelle from Bangor, Northern Ireland
I had never cruised before so this was an exciting trip for me... being younger I thought that I might not get the benefit of travelling on a cruise ship. When I arrived my opinion totally changed.
The ship and staff were fantastic. I really enjoyed myself. The cabins were an adequate size considering you really don’t spend a lot of time in the room. The food on board was fantastic and they had a wide range of meals to choose from.
Really enjoyed the ports of call instead of seeing the normal tourist resorts we docked in very traditional ports that really made you get the feel of the port you were visiting, entertainment was fantastic on board and all the staff from the captain to the cleaners were all very helpful.
Would highly recommend this to anyone.
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