A & G Bristol
Mediterranean Cruise on Thomson Dream
"In short - it was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and didn't want to come home! The Thomson Dream was great as far as we were concerned. No apparent problems despite the continued scare-mongering on the internet and we didn't come across anyone else who had experience any problems either. We actually met a few couples who were on second and third cruises on the Dream having enjoyed themselves so much on previous trips.
We did end up in a cabin directly beneath one of the main lounges which was rather noisy when holiday makers were strutting their stuff on the dance floor but on most occasions we were up and about until late anyway and so the entertainment in that lounge had come to an end before we were heading for bed. The inside cabin was just fine and actually larger than i expected. It was a little weird at first without any daylight but having seen glimpses of the other cabins, I'm really not convinced that it's worth paying any more for a porthole or 'picture' window. If we went again on the same ship, I'd certainly plump for another inside cabin and use the money saved to enjoy the holiday and ports more.
The food quality was excellent and varied (and pretty much available all day). I certainly miss the variety now that I am home and cooking for myself again.
The staff were excellent and the entertainment was generally very good (we weren't too keen on the comedians whose material was pretty dated).
Although the guests were predominantly older individuals, we certainly weren't the only 'youngsters' onboard. A number of the quizzes were clearly aimed at the more 'life experienced' (shall we say) but they were keen to have us around when the more contemporary questions came up. The music was nicely varied representing all decades.
The ports of call were great. We managed to tick off a number of places from my morbid 'places to see before I die' list. We filled every day with excursions in order to get as much as we could from each place so we had quite a busy holiday but saw so many things. It might be nice to go on the same two loops again and have an more relaxed time (but to be honest I'm not sure that would really be us).
Would we go on a cruise again? - Definitely. We might try a bigger ship on another occasion for a few more varied facilities but I get the impression from other cruisers that the smaller ships have a better atmosphere. We'll see..........Thanks for your help in arranging it all.
From Dave, Rhoose South Wales
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say what a great time we had on our first ever cruise. MSC, the cruise line you recommended, was a great choice with the Orchestra and our balcony cabin being the star of the show. The standard of the facilities and the decor was first class. The staff although Italian were English speaking, polite and very helpful and the cuisine matched out high expectations.
We will be cruising again and would certainly consider MSC again
ALL IN ALL LOVED IT THANKS !!!!
Val & Jim, Rhoose South Wales
Its very important for us to know that the hotel we're staying in is close to all amenities, but not in a hilly area. We have booked our last three holidays with You Choose Holidays and have had a fantastic trip each time.
Jan & Holly, Cardiff South Wales
My daughter Holly and I wanted to get away for Easter 2008.
We decided we'd like some guaranteed sunshine, a swimming pool in a decent hotel offering half board, flying from Cardiff airport and within budget. I gave Russell our 'wish list' and he worked his magic on the database, he came up with a few options ranging from Dubai, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain and Madeira.
After looking at all our options I came home and discussed them with Holly, I was armed with brochures and information. It didn't take us long to make a unanimous decision that it would be Madeira.
Having a teenage daughter meant the obligatory 'retail therapy' was on our itinerary as well as some organised walks exploring the many Levada's, coastal paths and Mountains. We also made the wonderful trip in the cable car to the top of the island and it didn't disappoint us one bit the views were magnificent and we sat and had a wonderful lunch surrounded by beautiful colours and the most spectacular scenery I had ever seen. The highlight of our holiday was an organised walk to Ponta de Sao Lourenco it was more breathtaking than I can explain and if you ever get the chance to visit Madeira I would highly recommend taking this excursion, thanks to Russell for organising our holiday, we plan to return to Madeira as soon as possible.
