Adriatic Explorer review

Koper

This is a lovely old town with an Italian feel.

we went on 'Piran & Portoroz' trip which was very enjoyable.

Venice

A foggy arrival meant we could not take in the sights! But the sun soon burned off the fog.

We booked 'Venice on your own' 4hours freetime in Venice.A launch right next to the ship took us directly to the waterfront near St Marks Square.We enjoyed seeing the historic buildingd, Rialto Bridge etc.It was plenty for us as we had been a number of times before, and Venice got hotter and more crowded as the day wore on!

Split,
Croatia (NB Croatia requires that you carry photo ID, eg, take your passport)

Before going ashore we exchanged £20 into Croatian currency-7kuna to the £.

This was the first tender port.Three tenders provided a continuous shuttle from the ship anchored in the bay to the quayside.Trips went first,then others, who had to collect a coloured coded ticket from a desk near reception- a huge queue!Each colour was called in turn to descend to deck 2 to catch the tender.It worked quite well.

On the quayside a local firm offered sightseeing tours around Split at 70kuna (£10).

We did our own thing and explored Split.If you turn right at the quayside you come to an interesting local market where the veg, fruit and flower displayed provides a colourful feast for the eyes- well worth a visit.

Dubrovnik,
Croatia (Take your passport!)

Another tender port however this was poorly organised and chaos ensued as hundreds of people filled the stairs! Hopefully the staff have learned from their mistake by the time you go! But we all got ashore eventually -the tender drops you at the quayside near the New Bridge.It's a 3mile walk, a local bus (you need kuna), or a taxi (10 euro), to Dubrovnik Old Town.Go through Customs before you get a taxi! The taxis alongside the tender are 40euros- so wait till you get through Customs and get in one outside that building- they charge only 10euros- same as last year!

The taxi drops you at Pile Gate which is one entrance into the old walled town.Wander the ancient streets,explore the old churches, walk the walls if you are feeling energetic (hundreds of steps) - there is a charge around 7euro/50kuna I believe - some gates insist on kuna-easily obtained at the cashpoint.Then wander out onto the harbour where you can get a boat trip for 10euros, to see the outer walls.

The taxi rank to return to the tender point is just accross the road from Pile Gate.

Don't miss the evening sailaway from Dubrovnik- a beautiful sunset in a gorgeous setting.A memorable sight.

Kotor,
Montenegro (it's euros here)

This destination has to be the most stunning port of call on this cruise!

I was blown away by the journey though this amazing fiord- steep mountains loomed up all around as the ship glided quite a way inland to reach Kotor.This place is steeped in history and is so unspoilt.Although the ship had meandered to this destination at a slow pace of 5 knots, as it was the ship's first visit to this port the captain took us on a tour of the bay before docking.This unfortunately delayed our arrival by almost an hour and the knock on effect on trips was a bit calamitous as everybody tried to disembark at the same time, but lets not worry about that!

We went on the 'Kotor,Heritage & Budva' trip.I recommend this trip- it was a wonderful mixture of experiences.

The coach took us to Perast- a Unesco protected small town nestling on the waters edge surrounded by mountains.There we got a boat to the manmade island just offshore 'Lady of the rock'.We had a conducted tour of the beautiful tiny church and museum.(There is one toilet and a lengthy queue but take this chance- our young guide allowed for very few 'toilet stops'!) But make sure you keep sight of your group as another three boats docked at this tiny island after us and hundreds of people were milling about.We arrived on one side of the island but left from the other side- on a different boat! So don't just go back to the spot where you landed in the expectation that that is where you will leave from!

Back ashore we walked to the museum and then contued on the coach through dranmatic scenery to the drive on ferry across the mouth of the bay to pick up the road to Budva.This is a beautiful resort and the guide takes you into the old walled town to see another church.We asked to give this a miss and instead went for lunch at a beach cafe as time was limited.The journey back to Kotor was only about 20mins.Then a conducted tour of Kotor would finish off this interesting trip.The ship was an hour late leaving because of the trips.This is the beauty of Thomson trips- the ship won't sail without you! Consequenty our voyage down to Corfu was at 17 knots!

Be on deck for the sail out of Kotor -it's stunning.Montenegro is the hidden jewel.

Corfu Town

As we had a late flight we booked the 'Bella Vista' trip.Wow the views on this trip are amazing- don't miss this one.

First stop was a visit to a small monastry.Cover your shoulders and knees or you will be asked to put on a skirt (several piled on a table) so that the monks won't be attracted to you lol.

Then it's back on the coach for the journey to a beautiful bay where you can take an optional boat ride to see some caves where the water is of diffrent hues -this costs around 7euros.Or you can just sit and have a coffee.

Then it's a toe curling climb in the coach through narrow hillside villages and to reach the high point known as Bella Vista where you can see for miles- you can even see our ship in the distance! There is a cafe where you can buy delicious home made cakes and coffee.

Then its back to the coach for the scenic ride back to the ship about 1pm.This trip is well worth the money.

I hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did.Treasured memories!

Flopsy



_

Just back last Friday,Aegean and Adriatic.We originally sailed on her maiden in 2005 from Southampton,the cruise that was curtailed due to toilet problems,so we were keen to see how shes changed.Glad to report that she is in very good condition all the public toilets have now been refurbished and are much nicer and no problems in that area.
As allways the crew are cleaning hoovering and polishing every time we walk through.To fight any risk of infection [Novovirus] your are given hand gel every time you go onboard and entering the restaurants.
The food as usual was very good lots of choices in the lido,the food in Meridian was excellent,steak diane,chateubriand,lamb shanks,beef wellington and lobster just to mention some of it,our waiters Richard and Jonathon were top class as was our wine waiter John-John,my glass was never empty,even in the lido if he was working we did not have to ask him as he knew what we wanted straight away.
We watched all the shows in the Broadway,once again they have put together a very,very good team of dancers and singers,also the crew show was very good,the dance team were brilliant,especially the Mask dance,and the 21 year old operatic singer had a beautiful voice and rightly received an standing ovation from a packed lounge.All the ships crew were friendly and acknowledged you wherever you were onboard,the ships photographers,Fergus and co were top class,even Capt Roy was always walking around and he even had breakfast in the lido,where people respected his space and did not disturb him,and on dock days in Corfu he was seen to feed a dock workers dog from a goody bag,truly a man of the people. We were blessed with very hot weather for the 14 days,and the ports of call were all fab,Venice and the cruise around the 'fiords'leading to Kotor stick out the most.Yes we would go back some time for what would be our 6th Thomsons cruise,we have been on other ships but these are consistantly very good.Just hope that when we do cruise again they will be having UK departures,as there are none next year.

As my ratings show once again we have just come back from an excellent cruise,the staff were alwways cleaning,dusting, polishing,hoovering and painting.Our cabin was kept very clean with regular change of towels.
All the food and there was plenty of it and choices galore was first rate,especially in the Meridian, where our waiters Richard and Jonathan,and our wine waiter John-John were excellent,my glass was never empty.From the Captain [Roy] down all the crew were pleasant always acknowledge you wherever you were on the ship.The ships snappers were also very good,quality pictures all the time.The singers and dancers as usual were top class,brilliant shows especially Africa. and the entertainment team led by Dave did a great job every day and night,this was our 5th time on Thomsons and hope fully wont be the last.

I booked this 3 weeks before we went I had read reviews about the ship vibrating constantly. I had been on island escape and ocean village before and there was a little vibration on both these ships, but the vibration on the celebration was really bad it was constant day and night and even at port. It was worst higher up the ship and we were glad we were on the 3rd deck and not any higher. Apart from this problem the ship was fantastic, the food great, service was amazing, the staff looked after all our needs, the cabins a wee bit dated but very clean, our cabin steward Rasyid was very friendly and kept our cabins very clean, the entertainment was not great but ok, the night the crew cut staff preformed was fantastic and was better than the british entertainment.
We done the colourful coast cruise { the canaries], the ports we went into were ok but not much to do around the areas if you were not on any of the trips.
I really did enjoy this cruise but will not go on this ship because of the vibration. I will try another Thomson ship overall 8/10

First time on this ship sailed on the spirit last time. All the staff are friendly, polite and care. The cabins are spotless although the bathrooms do not a revamp, tiles, sink etc loking very shabby. The ship is spotless eveywhere you go, the food is amazing especially Zili's this is worth the extra if celebrating or just fancy a treat. The Maridian is fantastic service only used the Lido at breakfast and lunch. All the entertainment staff work so hard and the shows are very good, you recieve a Cruise news every evening and you can plan the next day to the minute it tells you everything on and time. Oh and if it says starts 9 it starts 9 !! Plenty to do. The staff do there own show one evening and they are so talented. Your cabins are cleaned daily and sheets pulled back on a evening ! Ports on the Colourfull Coasts we found to be a bit lacking loved Maderia and Morocco but the others were drab. I paid for the Celebration Package for a birthday surprise this is well worth the money and the service and care was exceptional. Made the day just perfect. Would sail on this ship again but not this itinerary. Kane is worth a mention the cruise entertainment directer he makes the whole package come together.

Overall a very good holiday - just a tip Thomson - revamp the bathrooms!

Having just returned from a wonderful cruise on thomson celebration just thought id add to the mostly good reports ive read so far.The cleanliness of the ship is very good with the staff working non stop cleaning and polishing every inch of the ship.The food is fantastic allways found plenty of choice sometimes to much' and cooked perfectly.Having travelled before on the destiny we were comparing the two ships and I think on the whole they fare about equal, the cabins on celebration are better than the destiny, bigger brighter and better beds but Ifound the public rooms on the destiny better, especially the show lounge although the celebration looks slightly more modern.All in all a great holiday and will definately cruise with thomson again.

This was my first cruise - travelling with family for a family celebration.
I wasn't sure at first when it was booked, preferring quiet get-aways, but I was determined to keep an open mind... and I'm pleased I did!!
The food and service proved better than most hotels I have been to. The staff are so polite and friendly, and nothing is too much trouble for them. As soon as they learned that one of our party requires a gluten-free diet, then they bent over backwards to ensure that she was catered for (literally!).
I have read some of the other reviews on this page, and do agree that some of the guests need to regain some manners (some of the OAP's really do know how to push and shove!)- but then, that is fairly common in most holiday hotels in my experience. Just live with it!!!
Organisation was superb - we were always kept informed of what was happening and when, and the 'Cruise News' was extremely useful.
I've only given the entertainment a '4' because we didn't really experience it. Once we had indulged in post-sunbathing cocktails, showered and changed, had pre-dinner cocktails, dinner, and then post-dinner drinks, there was no time for entertainment except to listen to the 3-piece band in the Horizons bar!!
Brilliant holiday - I guess I'm now a cruise convert!

BACKGROUND: We booked this cruise with Portland Direct in January and we flew from Birmingham to Tenerife on 27th March. We decided to do the itinerary twice so that we got a 2 week holiday. This was our 2nd cruise (our first was last year round the Med on the Thomson Spirit). Overall we had a wonderful holiday. Large cruiseliners do not appeal to us in the slightest so Thomson Celebration was for us the perfect choice really. Value for money is excellent. Weather was good too!

CLEANLINESS: Cannot be faulted at all. Staff are always cleaning or painting or doing something around the ship. The ship is old yes and isn’t contemporary in it’s décor although I think Liberties bar has had a bit of a refit possibly. Our cabin steward was excellent and was “sorted” twice a day for us.

FOOD: We went to breakfast at Lido most mornings because we prefer to help ourself and aren’t that chatty first thing! Very good choice for breakie in there. We didn’t tend to bother with lunch although sometimes had afternoon tea in Lido which was very good. Lido is a little like a cattle market at times but you just have to grin and bear it! We went to dinner every evening at 6.30pm (to meet “our waiter” for a table for two!) in Meridian. Very good food and service. Slightly disappointed that the menus were repeated everywhere the 2nd week but wasn’t an issue as we just chose something else! We went to Aldo Zilli’s one night and Darren at Lillia off Strictly Come Dancing were sat two tables away from us (oo-er! Ha ha). Excellent food and service in there well worth the extra money. Lots of choice of bars and drinks too. We paid for the drinks package and in our opinion it is well worth it and saved us a fair bit of money in the longrun.

STAFF: All very friendly. Had no problems at all. We preferred the cruise director on the Spirit last year but that’s a personal opinion probably. The hotel manager seemed to be better on the Celebration than the Spirit though. Tips are included in the price but we gave out 3 (waiter, wine waiter and cabin steward) – up to you though.

ENTERTAINMENT: Very good although we were disappointment they repeated everything the 2nd week (right down to jokes told and quizzes!). Staff very talented and friendly. We didn’t see that many shows (very busy and you have to get there early to be honest then leave early to get a seat in another bar!). I think we preferred the shows on the Spirit though. We weren’t very impressed with the 2 “uk guest acts” the Celebration had, who were comedians (apparently!).

OTHER BITS:

The ship was very overcrowded in our opinion. Could never get a sunbed (people reserved even though they shouldn’t) and yes some people have no manners whatsoever but then you get that there everywhere. Our 2nd week was the start of half term and boy did we know it! Ha ha We expected it though to be honest.

SHIP MOVEMENT/NOISE: You do hear engine noise at the back of the ship especially lower down. There is a slight vibration everywhere too but you get used to it (most noticeable in Horizons bar). There is sea movement (obviously!) but again you just get used to it. We had one very rough night at sea – my husband didn’t get to sleep until 4am – I slept right through (thanks to some bubbly!). Neither of us were sick although I did really have to try hard the first few nights. Ginger’s very good. A lot of people seemed to suffer a bit I have to say.

DESTINATIONS: Please see my comments in the port reviews on the forums.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Very friendly team. We didn’t buy any (they only managed to catch us twice though ha ha!). They also do a DVD and we had the videographer with us on a couple of excursions. You can buy the DVD for £12 but we didn’t bother.

DRESS CODE: We like to dress up a little for the evening but you don’t have to at all. My husband wore smart jeans and shirt in the evening and I wore a skirt/top or dress/smart trousers. During the day it was casual shorts skirts, trousers etc. We didn’t bother going to the captain’s dinner either week - but that’s personal choice. Everybody seemed to wear evening gowns and suits/tux though for it.

CABIN: We upgraded to deck 3 inside. We felt less movement than last year (deck 2 outside) and less engine/sea noise BUT our neighbours were very noisy (TV and laughing at 3am and 6am most of the days!) TAKE EARPLUGS! The cabin is small yes but what would you expect? The brochure tells you the size of them. You only sleep in it anyway. We were promised twin beds that could be converted into a double by Portland and that’s why we paid £35 to reserve this particular cabin – however we got L-shaped twin beds. The ship office staff refunded us the £35 though no problem. After 11 years of being together though it wasn’t a massive issue to have separate beds for 2 weeks! Ha ha We were told we couldn’t upgrade as the ship was at capacity. By the way, you get “cruise news” delivered every evening – be sure to read it. You have to pay £12 per week for the safety box – we didn’t bother and didn’t have a problem.

We have just returned from our first ever cruise aboard the Thomson Celebration. We had a fabulous time and really for the price we paid, cannot praise Thomson highly enough for their professional but friendly management. We booked the "Colourful Coasts" cruise only 2 days before departure and got an online bargain at £409 each !!! We flew to Madeira on ThomsonFly and then joined the ship there. next day sailed to Morocco, then Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, La Palma and the back home from Madeira. Onboard the public areas were spotless and well maintained and we we greeted by some of the friendliest staff we have ever encountered whilst on holiday. 98% of the crew are from the Phillipines, the Captain is Polish and the entertainers mainly English/European. Hygiene on board is a big priority and all around the ship, there are dispensers of hand gel to stop the spread of any bugs which may break out (bearing in mind that there have been incidents reported in the news before on other Cruises, this seems to be a sensible precaution) Not sure where to start, but seeing as most people think about food on holiday, lets start there !!! Breakfast was taken either in the Lido (Buffet) or in Le Meridian (Waiter). Buffet consisted of all cooked fare, such as bacon, eggs (numerous styles), sausages, black pudding, devilled kidneys, kippers, beans, mushrooms; Continental items included toast, crackers, crispbread, croissant, pastries, cakes, cold meats, cheese, an array of fresh fruit, figs, prunes, walnuts, yogurt, as well as cerals and porridge. If you prefer waiter service, Le Meridian is open from 8 am and serves similar fare; however you can also have Eggs Benedict, Smoked Haddock and Assorted Omlettes. Lunch could be taken "Buffet" style in The Lido with Soups, Salads, Roasts, Curries, Fish and Vegetarian Dishes. There were lots of desserts, jellies, fresh fruits and hot puddings with custard. They also have an ice cream bar where cornets or bowls of assorted ice cream are served. You may also have a "Sit Down" lunch in Le Meridian but we tended to save this for the evening meal. Outside on the "Deck" they serve additional hot food items such as baked potatoes, hot dogs, burgers and pizzas (home made and replenished all afternoon !!). If you have any room left before dinner time, then afternoon tea is provided, including home made scones with cream, sandwiches, pastries and Tea and Coffee (including Fruit/Herbal teas) are available all day, either inside the Lido or out on deck (Free of Charge). Evening meals again either in the Lido or down at Le Meridian. Le Meridian served wonderful 6 course dinners as good as any 4-5 star hotel, starters, soups, salads and mains ALWAYS included veggie choices, which for me is a big bonus as i sometimes struggle to get decent "Main Courses" as a Vegetarian, and often end up with a plate of veg and potatoes !!!!! My husband has declared the Lamb Shanks and Chateaubriand as "Mouthwatering". On Gala Night you dress up in nice dresses/tuxedo/suit and join the captains cocktail party. This was very nice, although due to the large numbers queuing, took almost an hour to get our picture taken and have a drink !! (They did this in 2 sittings but with 1200 guests on board, still a lot to get through!!) We then went through to the Meridian for a Gala Dinner. On the menu were Lobster Tails, Steaks, Salmon and Baked Alaska. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and ate and drank far too much !!! While on here I would like to say a big thanks you to Adrian, Lanz and Edwin who served us in Le Meridian all week. Their dedication and level of service was second to none and all with a smile and good humour, even when they were very busy. Entertainment of all sorts was available all day if you wanted, from Quiz Time on deck, Bingo, A Cinema (Free popcorn provided!), Table Tennis, Basketball, Gym, Library. There were also 2 small saltwater pools on board, although we did not use as water too cold !! In the evening there was a lovely trio playing jazz/easy listening in the Horizons Bar, Quiz "Shows" (eg Mr and Mrs/BigHeads (AKA Eggheads !!) Caberet or disco in Liberties, Casino and Bar in Hemingways and various "West End" type shows in The Broadway performed by the resident entertainments team and very professional. For Night Owls there is a late night food buffet in the Lido if you're still peckish !! We paid £160 each for all inclusive drinks but to be honest, the prices aboard are very reasonable, cocktail £3.40, Bacardi with Coke £2.85, Coke £1.25, Pint of Stella £2.70, so not sure if it was actually worth it? Maybe we would drink more on a summer cruise...... Our accomodation on level 1 (Outside) was clean if a little tired, but for the price we paid hardly worth mentioning. There were 2 wardrobes and more than enough drawers for all our clothes. Our cabin steward "Tamir" was amazing and made sure that every little detail was in place, including folding my nightdress and turning back the sheets every night with a bedtime chocolate on the pillows! One thing I must mention is that as "Virgin" cruisers we got caught out by the cold at night and didn't take warm clothes....won't make that mistake again, next time a fleece and warm socks in my case !!! There are a couple of duty free shops, selling perfume, drink, jewellery and clothing. We bought Bacardi 1litre and Absolute Vodka 1litre for £8.50 each, which was much cheaper than the airport. There is the Ocean Spa, which does beauty treatments, manicures, hairstyling etc if you wish to pamper yourself. I wanted to go for a treatment, but never found the time !! Excursions can be booked for all resorts but the only one we did was in Morocco, where we took the coach to Touradant, an old walled town about an hour from Agadir. This was like stepping back in time, with donkey carts, horses and a local market full of colourful characters. The Celebration ship is sturdy, well maintained and although we had a couple of bumpy nights down near the engine room I didn’t get seasick !! (Where you go when you book last minute bargain !!) All in All I would say that Thomson have got things more or less spot on with this Cruise. The crew are in a nutshell, AMAZING, the food is FANTASTIC and the cleanliness aboard is FAULTLESS. We shall definitely return with Thomson again and possibly try another in their fleet.

This was my first cruise and I was very suprised!
as I can be a bit of a Victor Meldrew!
The staff were absolutley wonderful every single one of them, food was just as good!
Just reading some of the comments above I must have been on the wrong ship!
Please dont let this put you off as you cant please all of the people all of the time or some of the people any of the time!
I would recommend this to anyone!
The only downside was that a had a hangover on one of the days!
Excellent!