We sailed on the Celebration without knowing the difficulties that there had been earlier in the year. Given that we had some fairly rough weather on the return trip, the toilets behaved very well!

The ship was clean, the cabins comfortable and the staff went out of their way to be kind and helpful - they smiled a lot!

The food was good, with a few exceptions when we arrived (very late) for some meals. The main waiter service area was very good.

The entertainment was not all to our taste, but the jaz band (The Crazy Faces) were very good. I enjoyed the cinema and access to a sauna. There was a very good range of different areas to sit in both inside and outside - it was lovely to be able to walk around the outside of the ship at sunset or have a drink watching the moon rise at sea.

We would be happy to sail on this ship again.

Introduction
=========

After just returning from what is probably one of the best holidays I have ever had it has taken me over a week to even start coming back down to earth and begin writing this review.

We did a back to back cruise onboard the Thomson Celebration. We did a 6 day to Norway called "Treasures of the Fjords" and a 4 day to Amsterdam and Belgium which was aptly named "A Weekend Affair".

Maybe I am being a little bit flippant when I say it was the best "holiday" I have ever had, I think the honest truth would be it was the best "time" I have ever had. However, I cannot fault the ship, staff or entertainment in anyway shape or form. So read on and make your own opinions from my predominantly unbiased review.

Embarkation
=========

We arrived at Harwich International Port at around 12.30, parked our car in the highly secure car park and were transferred to the terminal building on a mini bus. We handed over our suit cases at the entrance to the car park where they got stickers stuck to them stating our cabin number and we were handed a white envelope containing our cards for the cashless paying system, details of the Captains cocktail party and our return luggage labels.

On arrival in the actual terminal building we queued for less than a minute to check in. Unfortunately just as I got to check in the computer system lost satellite connection with the ship and we had to wait around 15 minutes for the system to reactivate.

During this time all embarkation staff (including members of the entertainment team) were very polite and certainly apologetic. By the time the computer service resumed there must have been a backlog of around 200 passengers for the team to deal with.

On our way up the gang plank to the ship our photographs were taken along side a board featuring a picture of the ship itself and the dates and name of the trip we were on.

As we stepped into the ship all our hand luggage was taken from us and carried down to our cabin by the porter that showed us the way.

Cabin
=====

I think we were one of the first set of passengers on the ship. We had booked the lowest of the low cabins (the cheapest) which meant that we could have either ended up on deck 1 or deck 2 - we were lucky we got deck 2.

Having never been on a cruise before I really didn't know what to expect in terms of what the cabin would be like. Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised. It was much bigger than I had expected. There was no port hole (which we knew as we had not booked one) but on one wall there was a curtain which gave the impression that behind it there was a window so with a little imagination you could have the most wonderful view you wanted.

However, in reality not too much imagination was required, you literally had to turn on the TV and 1 of the stations showed the view from the bridge or the view from the Captains eye you may say. This proved to be the best "window" we could want.

Strangely I didn't miss not having a window at all. However, because I had booked the 2 cruises separately originally we had not been allocated the same cabin on both cruises and for the Weekend Affair cruise we had to move across the hallway from cabin 702 to cabin 700 which was infact a room with a view, yes it had a window and I must admit whilst it was nice to have the port hole I wouldn't be bothered if next time I cruise I didn't have one.

Anyway enough about the view, lets get on with the rest of the cabin.

There were two single beds in both cabins and plenty of hanging space in wardrobes, loads of drawers and lots of floor space, certainly much more than I had expected. There were 2 plug sockets, 1 European (with the 2 round pins) and 1 USA style one (with the 2 flat pins). It is important to note here though that the European plug adapter that you take needs to have 2 round pins (as you would expect) BUT make sure you buy the ones with the round hole in the top half of the adapter because there is a pin coming out of the socket on the wall of the cabin which needs to go inside your adapter. I got mine from Argos but please be careful with this as there are 2 types and the other type WILL NOT fit.

The cabin was satisfactorily clean initially and then was cleaned and tidied by your cabin steward every time you left it. The beds were very comfortable and there were extra pillows available if required. There were lights and switches all over the cabin so you could have as much or as little light as required and could turn them on an off at various places.

There is a fairly powerful hairdryer in the room so don't bother taking your own. There are no tea and coffee making facilities in the room so if you did want to drink something you would have to order from room service at an extra charge.

On arrival in our cabin there was a bottle of cold water. We drank this and were then charged, please don't make the mistake of thinking it is complementary - its not.

The Thomson Way
==============

In fairness here I should say that the way Thomson work on their cruises is slightly different to most other operators and whilst I have had no experience on another cruise I think the Thomson way is what I would prefer.

Basically other companies charge you more "up front" ie room service is included etc. With Thomson you only pay for extras like this IF you use them not as part of your original fare.

Also on most other cruise operators ships, tips are not included and you are expected to tip your cabin steward at the rate of around £2 per person per day so if there are 2 of you travelling for 1 week that would be a total of £56 - on the Thomson lines all tips are included in your original fare and you are not expected to tip anyone - but - can if you wish.

Restaurants
========

Basically there are 3 restaurants to choose from:

Lido
-----
The Lido is a self service restaurant with both indoor and outdoor eating areas. It is very clean there is plenty of choice, the food is good, but, it does resemble a café a little bit. The dress code in this restaurant is very casual.

The food choice in the Lido is extensive with options to suit all tastes from curries to roast beef and Yorkshire pud to salad with traditional deserts like spotted dick or apple crumble on offer.

Also in the outside area there is a place where you can get freshly baked pizza, burgers and chips etc.

We ate in here every morning and most lunchtimes and often visited for afternoon tea of freshly backed scones with jam and cream etc. Tea and coffee was available in this restaurant 24/7 FOC.

Overall I would say this restaurant if great especially if you are in a rush as you can take things at your own pace and we never struggled at all to get a table.

Meridian
----------
The Meridian is the ships main A La Carte restaurant and we ate in here most evenings. It is waiter service in there but it is open sitting, unlike most ships, you can turn up whenever you want and as soon as a table is available you will be seated. We didn't have to wait for a table on any evening put please be aware that unless you specifically insist on a table for 2 you will end up sat with other passengers. If you insist on a table for 2 you may have to wait a few minutes but you will get one. Again unlike most other liners you do not keep you same table allocation each night which in my opinion is much better. I also liked the open sitting idea.

The food in here was really good, 5 courses. You didn't get mountains of food but what you did get was fantastic - they had everything form lamb shanks to medallions of pork and on Captains night I had lobster.

Most evening the service was very good and it usually took in the region of an hour and 10 mins for the 5 courses.

In here the dress code as smart casual so open neck shirts with trousers was quite acceptable for guys and trousers and a nice top for the ladies was also fine. I did see people in the Meridian dressed casually in jeans and a t shirt but my opinion is that this was not good etiquette for this restaurant, though there were allowed in.

On the final evening of each cruise in the Meridian the waiters treat you to a cabaret and sing songs for you and do a baked Alaska parade with sparklers etc. This really is good so remember your video cameras.

Also on each cruise 1 night per week at midnight in the Meridian is "Buffet Magnifique" - this has to be seen to be believed - there are ice sculptures, chocolate fountains, every type of fresh fish you could imagine, animals made from chocolate - I really cant describe it but have included I photo to help.

Mistrals
---------
This is the 3rd restaurant on the ship and stands a cover charge of £15 per head to eat in there - we did not eat in there at all but from what I understand it is really well worth the extra bit of money if there is a special occasion - the food is just a cut above - lobster and things like that are the norm. We are going on the Thomson Spirit in October so I will give this restaurant a try then.

Bars
===

There are so many bars to choose from as follows:

Liberties
-----------
This is where most of the fun and action takes place. There are game shows in here such as Family Fortunes and Karaoke. There is also a disco in here each evening which finishes when the passengers go to bed - usually around 3am. This was by far my favourite bar - it has recently been redecorated and the ambiance was fantastic. You can also sit in an outside area here which is Deck 6.

Horizons
-----------
A piano bar on deck 9 - tastefully decorated and good service - the home of the duo band SP3 who are also very good.

Broadway Show Lounge
-----------------------------
Again this is a bar and has 2 levels the main area being on deck 5 and the mezzanine on deck 6. In here the big production shows take place but more on them in the Entertainment section.

Explorers
------------
This is a very quite lounge and is the home of the Evergreen Trio (piano, bass and violin). This bar has the atmosphere of a 5 star hotel.

Entertainment
==========

WOW what can I say - entertainment from 10am in the morning until midnight every night. Don't get me wrong , the entertainment is not rammed in you face but it is there if you want it.

There is everything to suit all tastes from paper folding to singing classes to bingo to Dolphin races to Karaoke.


Your first real encounter with the entertainment team is the "Sail Away party" - this is a fun filled half hour of sinigng and dancing out on the Lido deck - you realise at this poin what a fun time you are in for - every member of the entertainment team takes aprt in the from the Cruise Director, David James and his Assistant Bob McGowan to the kids club reps.

The entertainment team are absolutely fantastic. They are basically split into 3 sections, the show team, the entertainment hosts and the kids reps. I had experience in all areas and they absolutely excelled at everything. On top of that, never once did I pass a member of the entertainments team without them smiling at me of saying hello.

The full production shows put on twice each evening are second to none - again something to cater for most tastes from a tribute to Elvis to a Disney review to a cut down version of My Fair Lady. The singers and dancers were West End Standard as were the productions themselves.

The entertainment hosts kept you busy all day every day if you wanted it offering activities and quizzes at different venues around the ships.

Whilst I had no kids on board with me I did visit the Kids Club and the 2 ladies who ran it had a great rapport with the children and kelp them entertained regularly throughout the day.

Captain And Crew
==============

I could not fault the Captain, Cruise Director or the rest of their team at all. The Captain spoke to you via the tannoy system at regular intervals throughout the day as did David James, his Cruise Director. David would infact be seen at times taking part in the productions or operating the disco up in Liberties as would the Assistant Cruise Director - it was a real "hand on" approach I felt from the management of the ship.

The rest of the crew from cabin stewards to waiters to barstaff to social hosts etc were fantastic, friendly, polite and nothing was too much trouble.

Captains Night
===========

The Captains night was the only Formal night throughout the cruise and we were a little disappointed (as were other passengers) that there was no formal night on the Weekend Affair cruise. However we were fortunate enough to experience one of the Captains night and it is an experience that will remain in my mind for some time.

The evening started with a welcome drink in the show lounge and then we moved on to have photographs taken in beautiful settings, plus we got the opportunity to meet the Captain and the Cruise Director and have our photographs taken with the Captain.

Then we went to the Meridan and had an extra special meal before being treated to a wonderful evening production of "Fosse" in the show lounge and a fantastic evening up in Liberties.

Our Little Hiccup
=============

The cruise was absolutely faultless and everything was going swimmingly until we were to depart Zebrugger on the Sunday evening to return to Harwich on the Monday morning.

We left Zeebruger at 11pm which was our planned sail time and returned there at 11.30pm due to a main engine problem. To cut a long story short it was apparent very quickly that we were not going to sail anywhere that evening as they could not rectify the problem quickly. The Captain and Cruise Director kept us very well informed throughout the following couple of hours.

The disco and bars were kept open all evening that evening and we were told that the next update would come at 10am the next morning (we should have disembarked at 8am).

True to his word the Captain came on the tanoy system at 10am and updated us with information. He continued to do this at regular intervals until we eventually set said around 7pm that evening.

The way that the Captain and his crew dealt with this unfortunate problem was absolutely exemplary I could not complain at all. We were all given options to leave the ship or stay on. We were then given the option to leave the ship as soon as it returned to Harwich (around 1am) or stay in our cabin for the evening and disembark the next morning. We choose the option to stay and our on board account was credited at regular intervals with money to buy drinks etc.

The entertainment team rescheduled what ever they had planned and provided us with non stop entertainment from 10am till midnight as usual. The kids club ran no less than 4 kids club sessions that day and the show team did their fabulous "Disney Revisited" show for our entertainment.

It was a very unfortunate thing to happen and whilst I am sure it did inconvenience many passengers on board (not to mention the 1200 new passengers in Harwich waiting to embark on their holiday) I cannot emphasise how well Thomson Holidays, Captain Geir Larson, David James and his crew dealt with this - it was all done so professionally you would imagine that it was scripted.

Disembarkation
============

I think that our disembarkation process was not the norm due to the events described above but I think the usual situation is that you all are given specific coloured luggage labels and disembark as your colour is called. Disembarkation usually starts around 8am and lasts till 11am. With the problem as described above we would actually disembark at any point once the ship had docked so long as it was before 8am.

Summary
========

A fantastic holiday, fantastic staff, wonderful crew, great destinations. Can I fault it - no not really. For the first cruise the cost was approx £600.00 and the weekend affair was around £250.00 so £850.00 for 10 days full board in 5 star surroundings. The drink on board were very well priced at around £2.20 for a wine, £1.00 for a coke and £2.60 for a cocktail. How can you complain - my guess is you cant.

If you want a fun time with fabulous entertainment and food on a great ship then the Celebration I'm sure will take a lot to beat.

We sailed on the weekend affair to Holland and Belgium on the 26 August 2005. This is our first Thompson cruise, but have sailed on Airtours, Island Escape Carnival and Ocean Village cruises.

To set the record straight, instead of sailing on the Sunday night, we finally sailed at 19:15 Monday night, due to a 'Port engine controller' fault - as we were informed by the captain several times.

We did enjoy the extra night's entertainment and £10 bar credits each, but I think we were strung along all day Monday with regards to the expected departure time, and worse of all we could not get off the ship all day, as they didn't know when we would sail. Luckily it was a perfect hot sunny day so we managed to sunbathe. A lot of passengers did not pack shorts + suncream etc, so there were some strange sights on the sunbeds, and a lot of red bodies!

Anyway we can count our blessings as it must have been a nightmare for the 1000+ passengers who had to be accommodated overnight in hotels etc in Harwich and lost a days cruise!

The ship:

Our standard cabin outside was a nice decent size with plenty of closet space a lot Bigger than the old Airtours ships and the Island Escape, so thats a plus point. Only niggle was the tv being positioned on a shelf at floor level - quite hard to see when laying on the beds.

The main pool area is at the back of the ship and the pool deck was very small with hardly any sun beds and not somewhere you really can relax. Everyone seemed on top of one another due to all the Lido tables reaching right up to the pool with people eating, and we felt it lacked atmosphere because of this.

We only ate in the Lido dining room and it was set out very well and had plenty of seats, one of the best I've seen.
With regards to the food, my partner and I differed. He thought it was very good but I thought it only average.
The breakfast was very good, but the lunch and dinner had very limited choice and only one choice of vegetables which unfortunately were all mixed together.
The desert selection could have been better, but there was an ice cream bar which served different flavoured scooped ice creams and it also served whipped ice cream, however the whipped ice cream was not working all the 4 days on board.
A minor moan, there are no cups next to the tea and coffee making facilities. Waiters set them on the tables, but if you sat at a table just after someone else the cups had been used, so we were always looking for clean cups, constantly asking waiters to find us clean cups or looking ourselves.

The gym was quite small but had adequate floor space with mats, fitness balls and dyno bands to hand. However most of the equipment was very dated, and most of the CV machines were broken. It did however have free weights, and benches, which we have never seen on the other cruises we have been on.

The main entertainment lounge was a good size, but the overall entertainment in general was quite poor (maybe because it was a weekend trip?) There was hardly anything going on throughout the day. There was the odd quiz, but nothing else until 8pm-9pm when the shows started. The shows on the whole were very good, with a different theme each night, followed by a crowd participation event ie Karoake, play your cards right etc. The last (unplanned) night there was a comedian flown in which was quite good.

The library was one of the biggest we had ever seen on a ship, and this integrated with the games room where you could play board games and ajoined the internet room. There was also a giant jigsaw puzzle already started on a table in the middle of the room, which I think had about 5,000 pieces, and everytime we passed it, we couldn't help but try and fit some of the pieces.

One thing we couldn't understand was why the ship's shops remained closed all the 4 days we sailed. The notice said it was because we were sailing to the EU countries (the shops have always been open on our other Med EU cruises). Even the shop where you could buy the odd item which people had forgotten to pack ie. toothpaste, sickness pills, magazines etc, remained closed. With these shops remaining closed, this limited the things to browse on board.

The ship's casino, although small was adequate, and
The cinema was very good. The seating was just like walking into a cinema back home only smaller. They showed films throughout the day and these were changed daily.

All the staff were very polite and very friendly and nothing was too much trouble, and that included the cabin staff.

We thought the ship overall was very good, we had a great week-end cruise and itinery. The ship compares well with our previous cruises and we would definately recommend it for up to a weeks cruise, but as for a 2 week cruise, I think this ship is too small and may become too claustraphobic.

We travelled on the Celebration from Newcastle to The Baltic Capitals. We had two girls with us aged 7 and 5.

The crew were brilliant. Check in was efficient and simple, we parked at the port and our bags were taken from the car staight to our cabin. We were on the boat within about 15 minutes of arriving at the port. However, we could have had better dirrections to get to the port.

The cabin, we went for an inside on deck 3, was clean and larger than we expected, with plenty of wardrobe space. With three "ladies" we could have used a few extra hangers, so take your own if you are taking a lot of posh dresses.

The boat was clean and well staffed, our only problem was the toilets which were tempramental but didn't cause us any real problems. The problems are more pronounced the higher up the boat you are, so for once it's the posh cabins that suffer the most. The toilets in the public areas are less well maintained. Although the boat has had a refit to high standards, we felt that the plumbing had not been updated, the bathroom areas also looked dated.

Food was 5 star, waiting staff excellent, particularly friendly with the children. At the Meridian Restaurant it was normal to have a magic show or an animal folded out of a napkin from the waiters. Within a day or so most of the staff talked to our daughters by name.

We think we ought to mention the facilities for children, since no-one else seems to have yet. There is a children's club on board with three members of staff. There were events every day, including days in port and our two loved joining in. They even had a film night each week which included food so the adults could have a quiet meal on their own. There is also a games room which was well stocked with board games, chess, draughts, dominos etc, if you like card games it might be worth taking your own pack as some cards were missing. Our children also enjoyed the dance classes, the two swimming pools (one heated), the shuffle board games on deck, the on board lectures (including Russian Fairy Tales)and the evening shows which were of a very high standard.

There was a formal evening each week, for which its worth taking the Dinner Suit and Cocktail dresses, although some people were dressed "Smart not Formal". There was a midnight buffet each week and its worth saving some room, especially for the Chocolate one. Dinner is on open sittings and not fixed seating, so it's possible to get to eat with other passengers each night.

We cannot really comment on the excursions as we didn't use any. However, a little more information before getting on board might have been useful. A good guide book and walking shoes seemed to take us to most of the places visited on the excursions for a fraction of the cost, and we had more time to see the things we wanted to.

Overall, its one of the best holidays we have been on and the kids even said it was "better than Butlins."

hi,we have not long got back from the baltic capitals cruise departing from newcastle.check in was very smooth and impressive.we were on board and in our cabin very speedily.cleanliness of cabin and public areas were of a very high standard.cabin steward changed towels twice daily and was very friendly.
we ate mostly in the meridian restaurant food and service was impeccable.the food in the lido restaurant looked very good too.we do reccomend trying the small intimate a la carte restaurant a cover charge of £15 applies but we both felt that this was worth it.Staff were very friendly and always seemed to have a smile on their faces and a cheery word for everybody.
there was lots to do on the ship entertainment on the whole was very good but we found the uk visiting artistes not to our taste and some people may find the shows a little too loud,but really thats a minor criticism.
the Celebration herself we think is acceptable if your looking for a little less than the more modern superliner,mainly because the swimming pools are small and she`s a little ragged around the edges.would we travel on her again? well probably,if the itinerary and price was right.

Thomson Celebration
North Cape Explorer from Harwich
24 July to 6 August 2005

Overall rating – a nice ship, generally in good condition, offering an enjoyable holiday and good value for money. Generally very good food in the Restaurants, spacious comfortable cabins, always possible to find space to relax, something for everyone. The staff are mainly friendly and efficient and good at dealing with problems quickly. The ship has the potential to offer excellence and sometimes achieves it, but some issues need addressing.

This was our first proper cruise, but my second time on Celebration – I had spent two nights on board for the shakedown cruise in May, and had been so impressed by the ship that I booked this holiday.

EMBARKATION

Arriving at Harwich at 1:30, check in had been advertised as between 2 and 4pm, but boarding had already started. There were no queues for check in which was very efficient and we boarded within 10 minutes.

CABIN

Initial impressions of our cabin were poor – cabin 614, forward port side on deck 2. The cabin was pleasant enough, spacious, with lots of drawers and hanging space. However, it smelt strongly of stale cigarette smoke. Thomsons have a policy that smoking is "permitted, but not encouraged". A bit of a daft policy – and an ashtray was available in the cabin. There are no dedicated smoking and non-smoking cabins.

It got worse. My partner has worked for a major hotel chain, and knows first hand how adept cleaners can be at making rooms look superficially clean. If we stay in a hotel for a weekend we never unpack completely, we hang clothes but use our suitcase instead of drawers. However, we were going to be on Celebration for two weeks, so we wanted to unpack properly and make ourselves at home. A damp cloth wiped across the inside of the drawers quickly turned from white to grey. The outside of the wardrobes and drawers turned the cloth brown. At this stage we decided to closely inspect the cleanliness of the rest of the cabin. The cabins are designed with easy clean wipe down surfaces. There was evidence of staining and detritus throughout the cabin. On checking the carpets, we found a lot of hair, and the ultimate "yuck" – a toenail clipping. The inside of the bathroom cabinet had toothpaste stains.

We spent the next 15 minutes cleaning the bathroom, wardrobes and drawers. We called the housekeeping manager and showed him the state of the cabin, pointing out the stains, hair etc. We decided not to unpack until the cabin was properly cleaned. We also checked the beds and found hair on the blankets. We called reception and asked for the carpet to be vacuumed, the blankets to be changed, and some air freshener to be sprayed. When we returned to the cabin later on, we had clean blankets, the carpet had been shampooed and the room smelt fresh. A bottle of wine and a note of apology were left in the cabin later in the evening. However, the walls were not wiped down during our two weeks on board, and judging by the level of grime which we easily removed from the wardrobe and drawer exteriors, I don’t think the cabin had had a deep clean since the ship entered service 3 months earlier. Apart from the cleanliness problems, the cabin was well serviced in that towels were changed twice daily, beds were made each morning and turned down each night with chocolates on the pillows.

FOOD

We had lunch that first day in the Lido buffet – the only option for lunch on embarkation day. Again, this does not give a good first impression. Drinks service was slow; a main course was roast beef, which was tasty but tough, with a pork gravy and no Yorkshire pudding. My partner was by this time wondering why I had previously raved about the high standards on this ship.

The main restaurant is the meridian – waiter service with open sittings for all meals. We tried to go in to dinner at 7:30 and asked for a table for two. We were asked to return half an hour later, and assured a table would be available. Returning at 8pm, the situation was worse – there was now a long queue of people waiting for tables, and the Maitre D (Cesar) had just started a wait list. He was very apologetic, and said this had never happened before.

We got a table for two after about 10 minutes, and on subsequent nights we went for dinner between 8 and 8:30. We never had a problem getting a table again. We ate in Meridian for most meals, and were always greeted by the same Head Waiter who always managed to find us a table for two. Meals in Meridian were generally very good and sometimes excellent. This is not P & O – don't expect to feast on smoked salmon and lobster every night (although they do push the boat out on formal nights) – but the menus were imaginative with the chef making delicious meals from cheaper ingredients (delicious lamb shanks one night, for example). Soups were always home made and excellent. There was always a choice of two salads, and I think there was no repetition over the two weeks. The ice cream was excellent. Service was inconsistent – usually good, sometimes excellent, but poor on a couple of occasions with long waits between courses. The wine waiters were normally good, and several waiters remembered our names (which was amazing as we moved around a lot so we didn't have regular waiters). On a couple of occasions, I didn't see a wine waiter until I had started my main course. When service was poor, it was hard to catch anyone's eye, and the standard of service bore no relation to how busy the restaurant was.

Breakfast and lunch in Meridian were usually quiet, even on sea days, with most people seeming to prefer the Lido buffet. The wide range of options for breakfast included eggs benedict, kippers, full English, and a daily special (which always seemed to be quiche!) The black pudding was excellent, but the orange juice wasn't very good. Breads and pastries were (of course) freshly made on board, and very good.

One reason why we chose the Celebration was because of the casual dress code and free dining options. We would not like to be forced to eat at the same time each day sitting with a group of strangers. We didn’t take formal dress, so ate in the Lido buffet on the two formal nights. These were probably the best nights to eat in the Lido - it was quiet and the food was quite good. In the evening, the Lido has a better atmosphere than at other times with the tables laid with cloths, napkins, cutlery, and lamps. However, the wine/water service could be slow, even though the restaurant was quiet. Eating breakfast or lunch there, one feels one is in a canteen, queuing for meals with a tray, getting cutlery at the counter, and getting mediocre food (the buffet on DFDS ferries is better quality.)

We had afternoon tea in the Lido on port days when we missed lunch. Excellent sandwiches (crab, duck, pork with apple, wraps and vegetarian options) and delicious home made scones with cream and jam. However, the tea/coffee service was always unbearably slow and after a few days we started helping ourselves to tea and coffee.

We also tried the "A la Carte" restaurant "Mistrals" twice (the menu changes weekly). The menu here was made of more expensive ingredients – clam chowder, lobster, excellent steak, crepe suzettes. The tables were well dressed and the service was excellent. The restaurant is small, and all tables are close to the windows. A delicious sorbet was served before the main course, petits fours were served with the coffee, and small boxes of chocolates are presented with the bill. Eating here carried a cover charge of £15.00 each, and we thought it was well worth the money.

Wine was good value at £11 to £15 for a decent bottle.

BARS & ENTERTAINMENT

Excellent value for money. We worked through the cocktail list at £2.90 a time. We usually went to Horizons for the fantastic views from deck 9 forward. Good service, friendly waiters who remember your name, nice live music from SP3 - a pianist and lounge singer. Horizons is split between smoking and non-smoking sections.

We also enjoyed Explorers Lounge, a non smoking lounge on deck 5 where the Evergreen Trio (piano, violin and cello) play light and light classical music. Both Horizons and Explorers have the atmosphere of a five star hotel.

Only one complaint about the bars – they sometimes (understandably) run out of fresh ingredients, but they make unsuitable substitutions without asking/telling you. In May, they made be a Caipirinha with lemons because they had run out of limes, and this time they made me a Mojito without mint – which was awful. Minor gripe though as I just sent them back and got something else.

We saw one show and a play in the Broadway Lounge. Most people raved about the entertainment here, saying it was of West End standard. I can only assume those people never go to West End theatre! If you live in the provinces and never get to professional theatre, you will enjoy the entertainment. The entertainments team try and do things that are beyond their ability. I caught a bit of their version of West Side Story which was pretty dreadful – you need operatic voices to sing Bernstein's music, and the enthusiastic and hard working young entertainers were out of their league.

The guest lecturer – Rolf Richardson – was very good. We caught one of his lectures on Norway (which we had to stand through, as he filled the cinema 15 minutes before he started), and a second on his experiences as an airline pilot.

We saw some good movies, both in our cabin and in the cinema, but irritatingly the running times were not printed in "Cruise News", and the advertised movies were not always the ones that were actually shown.

CAPTAIN AND CREW

Captain Geir Larsen is one of this ship's greatest assets – especially on a Norwegian cruise - and I looked forward to hearing the daily briefings from our "Viking Driver". He did everything he could to make the cruise an unforgettable experience. When we left Flaam on our first day, he took us on an unscheduled trip down the Naeroy fjord – one of the narrowest in Norway at only 250 metres wide, and impressively spun the ship round on its axis at the end of the fjord – no mean feat as the ship is 215 metres long! The blasts from the ships siren echoed around the fjord and an impressed crowd on the upper decks gave a spontaneous round of applause.

After leaving Tromso for the North Cape, Capt Larsen took us on a detour up the Jokelfjord to see the only glacier in Norway that reaches down to sea level. Judging by the people coming out of their houses to photograph us in this remote fjord, I don't think many cruise ships make it down there (although its in the brochure as a scheduled highlight of next year's North Cape Explorer).

Arriving at Honningsvag, Capt Larsen had another chance to show his skills. The weather was poor, with high winds, and we had been warned that we might not be able to dock. We passed the Saga Rose at anchor in the bay, her tenders shuttling back and forth through the choppy waters as we headed for the quay. After half an hour of careful manoeuvring with assistance from a harbour boat we were safely berthed.

We were due to call at Hammerfest the next day, but high winds prevented us from docking, despite a valiant effort by our Viking Driver. Capt Larsen decided tender operation would be unsafe, so we had an unexpected additional day at sea. The ship's company here showed how they excel at dealing with problems. Within half an hour of the announcement that we could not dock, Cruise Director David James was on the tannoy telling us about a hastily rearranged and action packed day of entertainment and activities, and printed schedules were available around the ship. Captain Larsen got permission from the Norwegian authorities to sail on the inside of the Lofoten islands without a Pilot, and we enjoyed a close-up view of puffins and other seabirds as we cruised slowly by this spectacular seascape.

The crew were mainly very friendly and always polite. We saw waiters entertaining diners, and enjoyed some good-natured practical jokes from waiters and bar staff.

TOILETS

Thomson Celebration has some notoriety following its maiden voyage being cancelled because of serious problems with the toilets. We had problems with our cabin toilet after the first week. For four days in a row, the toilet did not flush in the morning. Each time we reported it, it was fixed quickly, but there are clearly ongoing problems.

DISEMBARKATION

This was very annoying. We were returning to London on the Boat Train, and had the appropriate disembarkation card. Disembarkation was delayed, and started at 9 am. The London train was due to leave at 9.20, but Thomson's disembarked two groups of car passengers before calling for train passengers to disembark at 9:14. We got to the platform at 9:20, just in time to see the London train pulling away! It was extremely annoying, as we had to hang around the station for 45 minutes and got to London an hour late on a local train. A pity that such bad organisation brought the relaxed holiday atmosphere to an abrupt halt.

SUMMARY

I hope this review is firm but fair. After the shake down cruise, I rated Celebration "excellent". That trip was full of Thomson staff and friends, and the directors were on board. Service is not as good for the general public. Little things like only occasionally having the assistant waiter coming round with the pepper mill, poor service in the Lido, and the cleanliness problem. The ship has the resources and the potential to be excellent, if Thomson has the ability to deal with the problems (Thomson don't directly manage any of their ships).

Despite some disappointments I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, Celebration is a nice sized ship with good amenities and a nice character, and offers value for money. I will probably cruise on her to the Baltic next year.

We have just returned from North Cape Explorer and have enjoyed wonderful service,excellent food and a clean, larger cabin with all systems working!! The scenery and itinerary were superb, and as the Captain (Viking Driver) advised, the Midnight Sun at the North Cape was a remarkable experience. The Entertainment Team are to be congratulated on excellent performances with someting to suit all tastes. Our collection of photos, complemented with the two DVD's available on board will long be reminders of a fine cruise. Our cabin was on Eagle Deck and the only disturbance was the steward getting the sunbeds ready over our heads early in the mornings. The sunbed cushions and brand new rugs were all for our comfort. The Meridian Resturaunt staff were all very friendly and helpful, with courteous and efficient service, even to an extra scoop of ice cream if you asked them nicely!! In all very well done David James.

Two-week Baltic Capitals cruise:
Arriving at Newcastle Central Station we and others were met by a Thomson rep who escorted us to a shuttle bus. Thereafter all the check-in details were speedily dealt with and we were on board just after 2pm. Whereas one of our suitcases was delivered quickly to our cabin it was ten minutes from sailing time (6pm) before the other one arrived. The delay was apparently caused by the lifeboat drill at 5pm which interrupted the luggage distribution but perhaps a tannoy message to that effect would have been helpful as there were numerous worried passengers anxiously peering down the corridors as departure time neared.

Our cabin was down in the bowels of the ship … an inside for'ard one on C deck which was ideal. Well-furnished, comfortable and clean and looked after daily by an excellent cabin steward for whom nothing was too much trouble. Towels were changed twice daily.

Okay, we'd heard and read of the Celebration's earlier plumbing problems so were a trifle worried as to what to expect and, alas, we did encounter a few snags. On arrival we couldn't get any hot water in the basin, then we couldn't shower as the water was scaldingly hot and later we got no water at all from the shower. However, the combined efforts of the steward and Reception resulted in these faults being quickly remedied. There are on-board plumbers and these good souls were seemingly always on call as we heard of similar problems (including flooding) from other passengers. Despite this, these faults did not detract from our thorough enjoyment of the cruise.

The ship was extremely clean and was well-equipped with lounges, cinema, show place and shops which provided room for everybody. The crew (mostly from the Philippines) were extremely polite, welcoming and cheery and we were sure that there was a rule that said they would be chucked overboard if they were spotted failing to greet passengers warmly!.

Food: Ah, it was delightful. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were available in the Meridian Restaurant with waiter service … dinner was a gourmet style 5 courses plus coffee … and the waiters carried out their duties impeccably. Much the same fare was available in the alternative, mainly self-service Lido Restaurant (which provide snacks and food 24/7). Both restaurants were huge and could accommodate everyone at most times of day. A highlight each week was the midnight buffet … one for chocoholics and one (which took 48 hours to prepare), the Buffet Magnifique. There was a third, smaller and more intimate restaurant, the Mistral, which had a great menu and which we would have tried had it not been for the 'modest' cover charge of £15 per head.

Entertainment: Basically excellent as the resident singers, dancers and musicians were versatile and well worth listening to. The Broadway show cast gave super performances of shows such as West Side Story, Fosse, Mid West Revival, Buddy, My Fair Lady and the much loved Parisian show featuring the 6 minute Can Can. Elsewhere there was a 6 piece band, a trio (pianist, violinist and cellist)who played songs from the shows and light classics and a duo (pianist and singer). In addition the entertainment staff laid on something for everyone daily; lectures, tea dances, wine tasting, deck parties and origami and dance classes to name but a few.
The only downside to the entertainment was, and we've encountered this in previous years, the guest 'comedians' of whom no-one has heard. We missed the first comedian (preferring to go to the cinema that night) but judging from reports we didn't miss much. In the second week we sat in for the end of the first performance to see if it was worth attending at the later show but five minutes was enough … most agreed the material was smutty and uncalled for with an audience mainly of mature years and a handful of children. Time to call it a day for these 'guests' or at least vet their material?

Excursions: These were numerous and seemed to cover most aspects of the cities and environs we visited. Average cost for a half day trip (4 hours) was £28 and personally we found the ones we took to be good value with guides telling us about the history and way of life of the various inhabitants. This appeared to be the ship's first Baltic cruise and consequently there were a few hiccups as regards the shore trips, e.g. a shuttle bus we weren't told about which meant some walked for 40 minutes into town rather than ride in comfort. In addition, it should perhaps have been stressed that the Russian excursions (to Peterhof and the Hermitage at any rate) took the form of conducted tours and involved walking around for almost three hours … not too good for those with mobility problems. You really couldn't saunter at will at these places but rather follow the courier in a group from place to place. This was especially difficult at the Hermitage where you had to keep your guide in sight while competing with umpteen other groups and locals. Needless to say some folk got temporarily separated and lost … which wasn't a happy situation in a building with 1000 rooms!

All in all the cruise was the greatest and we'd recommend it, and the Celebration, to everyone. An all-inclusive option would have been welcome but the bar prices were fairly reasonable. This was our 4th Thomson cruise and hopefully we'll be back another year.

My wife and I travelled and have reviewed our cruise earlier. However, I have just read the review, which I consider misleading, in that we travelled on Eagle Deck (Deck 9) and not once during the cruise did we have a plumbing problem.

It is malicious to suggest that "posh" cabins on the highers decks are likely to have problems with plumbing!!!!!

We travelled to Newcastle by car and only got lost within a mile of the port where the signposts directing us seemed to have disappeared. Once at the port we were dealt with very quickly and soon onboard to enjoy lunch and await our luggage. One case arrived in just over an hour but the other arrived after we set sail which caused a lot of worry. Once it arrived though we relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. The ports of call were brilliant and we did our own thing everywhere except for St Petersburg as we didn't have a visa thanks to misleading information from Thomson. Be aware that if you want to go ashore independantly in Russia you need a visa and should apply well in advance. We did 2 full day trips there however and thoroughly enjoyed them. We'd been on the Spirit in 2004 and had an identical cabin (Deck 4 outside) which I would recommend, it's very well situated. Had a problem one morning when the bathroom was flooded with clean water from the overflowing toilet. Rang reception, put some clothes on and used the public toilets, had breakfast and by the time we returned you wouldn't have known there had been a problem. The shows were almost identical to those on the Spirit but not quite as good which was a bit disappointing, but the food was better. The trio playing classical music were excellent. The comedians from the UK were dreadful - it was embarrassing watching them, their material was so out of date and very poor. We would recommend this cruise wholeheartedly - the itinerary is so good and the whole experience on the ship is excellent. The staff are very friendly and we found any problems were sorted quickly and efficiently (except for the lost luggage!)