Just returned having our first cruise and stay, what an experience and a wonderful one at that. Not having cruised before really didn't no what to expect, but you can be either dressed up or casual. We sailed on the destiny to the med and it was fantastic,the staff,waiters and cleaners could'nt have been more helpful and friendly and we thank you all, the food was excellent, service excellent,staff excellent, cleanliness excellent, we met some wonderful people.
We did a cruise and stay, and after having a superb time on the ship was concerned that we was going to be dissapointed with the 2nd week on land, we stopped at the plata d'or in Alcudia, again was not dissapointed, food again excellent, staff good and everyone was friendly, what a wonderful experience we have had and will certainly be doing it again and again and again.

We had previously cruised with Thomson on the Topaz, Emerald, Spirit and Celebration, but this was our first time on the Destiny. (We had previously done this Colourful Coasts itinerary on the Topaz).

Having previously read complaints about cabins, we booked a Deluxe cabin on deck 7 and we were very pleased with its size and did not hear our neighbouring occupants at all. The cabin steward topped up our ice bucket each day. Everything worked well (there is a 240v socket on the dressing table) and even the mini bar prices were reasonable (95 pence for a can of lemonade!)

We were very impressed with the ship and the amount of deck space for sunbathing. We only had two criticisms about the facilities: firstly that there are no hot tubs (often a good place to get to know fellow cruisers)and my son was disappointed that there wasn't a cinema (like the Spirit & Celebration). Although films were shown in "Blakes", they were on small LCD screens spread around the lounge.

All of the staff were excellent. We were greeted in the dining room by Angel and Mark who remembered us from previous cruises.

Entertainment was excellent (Stephen Guy was the Cruise Director: we had seen him before on the Spirit). We had been impressed by Juice on the Emerald last year, but this time they had a new drummer and an additional saxophonist.

We like our "all inclusive" packages and this one was the best one yet if you like your wine with your meal in the Seven Seas restaurant. After you have shown your AI card, the drinks waiter will give you a large glass of house wine and will keep coming around to top it up without prompting, right up to the time you leave the dining room! If you opt for any other alchoholic drink with your meal, then you will have to ask for another every time.

We sailed from Tenerife on 6th April and had good weather all week, with the day at sea being very calm and sunny.

We took the 4x4 excursion in Madeira - good mountain views, but quite a rough off-road ride. We tried to book the submarine trip 2 days before we got to Lanzarote, but there were no places left.

Tip: if you want to visit the bridge on your day at sea, then I recommend that you queue for tickets 10 minutes before the stated time as all of the allocations are quickly taken up.

We would definitely sail on the Destiny again.

If we could rate the ship with more than 5 stars we would! We've just come back from the last Colourful Coasts cruise of the season, and a week just wasn't long enough. I did the same cruise 6 weeks previously with my mum and gran, and this time persuaded Barney to come with me.

Flights and embarkation were really smooth and efficient, which gave us more time to settle in and enjoy ourselves. Our first point of call was the Lido restaurant - where we spent a lot of time, actually! The food was fabulous - so much variation, and the quality was superb. We ate in the Seven Seas restaurant each night where there was a choice of 3 meat dishes, a fish dish, a pasta dish, a vegetarian dish and a spa cuising choice each night.

The waiters in the restaurant were fantastic - they were so attentive and friendly. A few nights a week the restaurant staff sang or paraded through the restaurant, which was good fun!

The rest of the staff on the ship were amazing - so hard working and yet they always had time for a smile and a chat. Our cabin stewardess worked so hard to keep our cabin looking presentable, as we aren't the most tidy of people! Twice a day our room was cleaned, and we always had a chocolate on the pillow at night (sometimes 2!).

The entertainment throughout the week was fabulous - a different show every night, plus some late night entertainment in the form of a cabaret, deck party, comedian etc. Although they're young, the team are incredibly talented, and the entertainment was my favourite part of the holiday.

The ports of call are really nice for a wander around, apart from Agadir which was very industrial. We did organised excursions in Morocco and Lanzarote. In Morocco we went camel riding, which was brilliant. It also involved a trip to the souk (market) where we spent an hour wandering round looking at tat! In hindsight, if we'd know the excursion to Fire Mountain in Lanzarote involved a camel ride we probably wouldn't have done the Morocco one as it wasn't worth the money. The excursion to Fire Mountain was fantastic, though - worth every penny.

We were in an inside cabin on deck 2, which was perfectly adequate for our needs. However, we were at the back of the ship so experienced a lot of engine noise and vibration every morning for about half an hour when the captain turned the ship around. It didn't really spoil our holiday, though - it was a good excuse to sleep in late!

All in all, a fabulous holiday and we can't wait to book the next one!

Late flight from Glasgow meant we did not embark the ship until 10 pm but transfer and registration was simple and quick. Shown to our cabin by a stewardess we were slightly disapointed by the size but we soon adjusted. Cases arrived at the cabin door within 30 Minutes. We set off to explore the ship and ended up on the Lido deck for the sail away party which we really enjoyed. This was our first introduction to the ships entertaiment and it was surprisingly good with some exelent singers among the entertainment team. The cruise was repositioning the ship from its winter itinery to its summer one so took in the Canarys,Maderia,North Africa,Spain and Italy over 13 nights it was brilliant.
The entertainment team put on a different show nearly every night and every one was as good as the next.
The food in the resturant was very good and served by two very attentitive waiters. We eat in the Lido Cafe for breakfast and lunch but due to a cool breeze the food was never very hot so would recomend the resturant until the weather hots up.
Our cabin stewardess was superb and beside the cabin being kept spick and span we were greeted most nights by swans flowers or even monkeys made from the bath towels. Overall the ships staff were excelent with a special mention to Thony. Mirro and PK the best barmen on the ship.
We really enjoyed our time on the Destiny and look forward to sailing on her again in the near future.

we live in tenerife so travel on many of the thomson ships that visit our island, and have done so for the last 11 years. Travellrd on the Topaz many, many times, have travelled On the Celebration, Emerald and Spiritalso. Loved ther Destiny but I think that employing as many Eastern block staff as they do now has spoilt it for us. I find them less friendly than the Phillipinies on board, not as helpful and at times a littlsullen.
Had a lovely time taking the ship from Tenerife to Majorca and would recommend all thomson ships to everyone.

We sailed in April & are about to book again for January.

Our only criticism is the Lido where it is very cold at times, we think it needs closing in more.

Food & service are excellent.

We know so many people who go on this cruise again & again, it is such good value.

My husband,myself and three children aged 9,10 and 14 flew from Cardiff airport on the 20th april.We met our ship "The Destiny"in Tenerife.Me&my husband had also been on the ship in2005&2006 and on those occasions we'd had a fantastic time so we wanted our 3youngest children to experience what we had.We couldn't wait to see our (old friend)again.We'd had trouble free transfers throughout our luggage was taken to our cabins while we had refreshing drinks at the clipper bar where one of the waiters P K learned our names and remembered them for the 2 weeks (as did all the other members of the crew(How do they manage it?)We met up with friends Lynne & Ali Hodgson whom we'd met on our first cruise in 2005 it was fantastic to see them again.The ship was spotlessly clean as previously,with happy maintenance staff forever cleaning and painting .What can i say about the FOOD!!!!!!!!! Other than plentiful and DELISHIOUS.(PLEASE NOTE DIET BEFORE GOING BECAUSE BY THE END YOU WILL BE A GREAT DEAL HEAVIER!)We were on all inclusive and no sooner were our glasses empty than they were quickly replaced,the waiting staff always remembered what was our prefferance.AMAZING!Onboard entertainment was EXCEPTIONAL Steven Guy (fellow welshie from Saundersfoot)was brilliant as was the so funny Gavin Carrol and the lovely Kane Davis in fact i would like to mention all of them if only i could remember their names (please forgive me?)the shows in the can can lounge were of west end standards amazing singers and dancers(oh for some of their energy)The quizes and game shows in the Oaklahoma lounge were so much fun .The childrens entertainers in Kids Zone were fantastic and my two youngest loved the time spent there.As for would we sail again on OUR DESTINY (IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE!)iF ONLY A LOTTERY WIN WOULD ALOW AS MONEY IS SHORT!When it was our last day we were all in tears as we had to say goodbye to ALL our friends on board The Thomson Destiny THANKYOU Captain Terry and all your WONDERFUL CREW (HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN) X X X X X X X

My mum, gran and I have just returned (yesterday!) from a fabulous week on the Thomson Destiny. It's the best holiday I've had, and I cried when I got home last night!

We couldn't find a single fault with any aspect of our holiday - our flights were on time, boarding and disembarking were smooth and efficient, and it just got better by the day. At first I did feel like I was on a Saga holiday (being only 22!) but people were on the whole very friendly and age didn't matter at all.

A few people have said that the ship is a little dated, but we didn't think that at all. It was meticulously clean and tidy and the staff were constantly vacumming and polishing - we didn't dare touch the handrails for fear of leaving fingerprints!

We had booked an inside cabin on deck 2 and we didn't hear any engine noise all week. My mum and gran were first time cruisers, so were a bit shocked at the cabin size and lighting when we first went in, but they soon got over that. Our table guests were in a suite on deck 9 and it didn't sound an awful lot bigger than our cabin, so we couldn't complain.

I spent what little unoccupied time I had in the cabin, but for those who aren't hermit-like there was an abundance of sunbeds in a multitude of places (including a place for topless sunbathing) so no-one could complain there weren't enough places to relax.

From the minute we got there I ate my way around the ship! The food was fantastic - the presentation, the variation, the quality and the amount. I'm a fairly fussy eater and I put on a good few pounds - there was something for everyone.

The Lido cafe is lovely when you're in a port, but when you get sailing it's a little on the draughty side. There are tables near the pool, though, which are sheltered, so we sat there and it wasn't a problem. For breakfast we ate in the Seven Seas restaurant where they had waiter service or buffet arrangements.

I was a little disappointed with the Captain's night as not many people made an effort to dress up, but I still didn't feel out of place in a cocktail dress.

We couldn't fault the staff - everyone was so cheerful and tried to remember your name, or at least something about you (we were greeted with cries of "Whitley Bay" when we entered the restaurant as it was the only place near Newcastle that the waiter had heard of!).

Which brings me to the entertainment staff. They made our holiday - their energy and their enthusiasm shone through at every available moment. They are such a talented group. I'm not a fan of "hi-de-hi" entertainment but the assistant cruise director, Kane, was brilliant, and we followed him from one event to the next. The show team was fantastic - we looked forward to receiving the Cruise News each night to find out what the next show was. Particularly outstanding were Matt and Christian - Matt has the most fabulous voice and Christian is an amazing dancer. They also took part in the fashion show, and we've never laughed so much! To be honest, we were wondering when the team managed to sleep as they were constantly doing something - if not entertaining they were doing port walks, welcoming and directing people etc.

We didn't do any organised excursions as most of the ports are pleasant enough just to wander around. We even thought Agadir was okay, and Madeira was a particular favourite with the cable cars and open top bus tour. We didn't get into Lanzarote due to high winds, which was a pity, but they put on extra entertainment so we soon got over our disappointment!

The only thing we didn't enjoy was the guest comedian and his dirty jokes - but we seemed to be alone in that opinion!

We would difinitely sail with Thomson and on the Destiny again. We heard people moaning from the minute they got their to the minute they left, but some people just like to moan! So, ignore the bad reviews and get the next flight to the Canaries - I'm already searching for our next cruise as we speak!

Returned home today after a fabulous week aboard the Destiny. Our family of 6 consisted a mixed age group from 71 to 14.

The ship is kept beautifully clean and you can't seem to go anywhere without seeing someone polishing or cleaning. We had deluxe suites on deck 7 with bath and shower which were very comfortable with large windows - you can see the underside of the lifeboats but we didn't feel they obstructed the view too much at all.

The food was very good, we ate breakfast and dinner in the Seven Seas restaurant and our waiters Warren and Cary were lovely, nothing was too much trouble, it was lovely when they sang to us with their guitars. The lido was fine for a snack but we did find it a bit breezy up there. The poolside grill was great for pizza and barbeque etc .

The Buffet Magnifique was amazing so much effort it and creativity it seemed a shame to eat it, but we had to do it! We have all put on so much weight as it was difficult to resist the mountain of food prepared for us.

The staff are a credit to Thomson but a special mention to the fantastic entertainment team who have so much energy and really want you to enjoy your holiday. Kane the assistant cruise director was everywhere, presenting displays and gameshows, his bridge tour was really informative and he is a very confident funny and amiable host.

Gavin's cabaret was great he can really pull off some big songs, as can Stephen the cruise director his version of empty chairs from Les Miserables brought tears to Mum's eyes!- the girls Louisa Ingrid Leanne and Vicky are bright bubbly and very friendly and they really do work hard as do the lads Christain Nick Matt Arron & Sam - are a great team, when they are not performing on stage they are teaching salsa or line dancing etc and they are always so well dressed, after the shows you will see the girls around looking elegant in their cocktail dresses.

The weather could have been better as we had a couple of rough nights and could not dock at Lanzarote which was understandable, as we stood on the top deck approaching Lanzarote the wind was blowing the sun beds over

Thanks to Stugeron none of us were actually seasick.

Maderia with the cable car and toboggan was brilliant you can walk down through the Botanical Gardens and thankfully you don't have to walk all the way back up as you can get a cab at the bottom. Sorry to say I didn't like Agadir at all. We went on an excursion and although I wanted to experience the culture I felt quite intimidated when the coach stopped and we were surrounded by locals wanting money to have photos taken with their baby goats or camels, they are probably trying to be friendly but they were a bit too much for me, also the Souk felt more like an indoor market it didnt have the ambiance and colour I expected. My daughter bought a wooden box and spent ages choosing the one she wanted and haggling a price only to find once back on the coach that hers, once wrapped had been swapped and was a different colour to the one she had chosen (and it was broken) to be fair the tour guide did say that if there were any problems to let him know and he would try to sort it out. He did try hard to provide us with lots of information but I think from a lot of other reviews it doesn't seem to be very popular destination.

Downside not really enough for teenagers, bit too breezy in the Lido food gets cold quickly but probabaly due to time of year - I expect it's great to eat there on hot days with the sea views off the back of the boat

Highlights for me - The deck party sailaway, dancing on deck as we left Tenerife (which was our last night but most peoples first). The boat was rocking and the wind blowing us in all directions but we had a good laugh - the Elvis cabaret with Matt Gavin and Stephen getting us all singing at the top of our voices and dancing with them. The colurful costumes and talent displayed in the shows, the waiters singing, the food.... In fact all of it...As we left I looked back at the ship and thought how this had been a memorable holiday and one we all agreed we would definately do again ! Hope you all enjoy it

Having travelled on so called more modern ships we were wary of what we would find on an older ship.
First impressions when we got on board were that it was not quite so "glam" but within hours we were sold on the atmosphere generated by the staff in all parts of the ship.What a team!
Our cabin(outside on deck 3, a bit small but adequate,window big enough to whale and dolphin watch!)was kept clean and tidy by Ricky,towel changes twice daily,bed linen daily.He even placed our slippers like footprints one night towards the bed, on which he had left a rose with a swan towel display.
The service in the bars and restaurants was excellent,breakfast in the Seven Seas can be a bit of a scrum,we tried waiter service one day but found them less attentive than buffet,but the food quality and the amount you can eat cannot be faulted.
Lunch in the Lido on top deck is breezy this time of year but great for afternoon tea and biscuits.....yes more food!
The evening meal in the Seven Seas was great, plenty of choice and with entertainment from the waiters playing the guitar, and singing karaoke style...great fun.
Entertainment was the best we`ve encountered.The team are brilliant.Leaving the Seven Seas after dinner we went to the oklahoma lounge for a quiz, over to the Can Can for a brilliant show....and they all were...then back to the Oklahoma for a Play your cards Right type game.Then if you choose another late cabaret,then midnight buffet........this is only for the fittest!
Ports of call varied.We took the excursion on La Palma to the Caldera but the weather was too misty to enjoy the stunning(we were told) scenery.But a lovely island, as is Madiera our favourite.
Dont bother getting off the ship at Agadir its not worth it.The port is too far away from the centre,and the trips expensive.We did Tarroudant and it was a waste of money..a quick trip to the market and back.
Everywhere else we did our own thing easily.
Overall this trip gets 5 stars from us.......we`ve already booked again for next year!
Well done the team!