WOW! It gets better and better each time I travel on the Thomson Destiny. I cannot fault it one bit. I travelled on her in April and thought nothing would ever beat it, but this one blew my expectations through the roof.
The weather was fantastic, average daily temp was around 30-35 degrees, so nothing to complain about there! The ship is in good condition, and the guys behind the scenes work very hard in keeping it that way.
The itinerary was very good too, including Gran Canaria - the sand dunes in Maspalomas are outstanding and Madeira - beautiful gardens and flowers (and food). We also had a day at sea which was nice and relaxing and very, very hot! When we were sailing into Lanzarote, we also saw some wild dolphins jumping in and out of the water against the sunrise - something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
The show team were average. I think we were spoilt by the show team in April, as these guys didn't really seem to have that much experience, it was a shame though as that was something I was really looking forward to. They had only been on the ship a week though, so they might well improve as the weeks go on.
The entertainment team were amazing. Special mention to Kane Davies (asst. Cruise Dir), Jayne and Paul. They always go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and are always friendly. When I left, I felt as though I was leaving friends behind. The evening entertainment was good, with things like 'Mr & Mrs', 'Play your cards right', 'Miss Destiny' and 'Your kind of music' There was also a karaoke evening for passengers to sing (or not as sometimes the case was). There was also the daily afternoon quizzes around the family pool. My aim is to win one of these the next time I go onboard.
The live band on board were called Garden Party, and they are from Hungary. The don't speak much english, but they can certainly sign in english - much to their credit.
The Argo Trio were also onboard, usually playing music in the Clipper bar, and sometimes on deck too. They were fantastic also, and always happy to give you a smile and have a chat with you.
The food was exceptional. I normally had breakfast at the Lido Buffet aft of the ship. Theres lots to choose from, such as Pastries, Cereals, Fruit, Toast, and a fully cooked breakfast. Also, there are unlimited amounts of tea, coffe and fruit juices available, as well as chilled water. I had lunch from either the pool grill or the lido buffet, and one day we had a big BBQ at the pool grill, so that was fantastic too. Dinner in the Seven Seas Restaurant was out of this world. We had lovely waiters on our table - Fred and Diaz and Head Waiter - James. Also, Christian our wine waiter was very good - we never had an empty glass once! The food was so tasty and every night there was a different choice for people with different tastes. There was was choice this time than there has been before. Also, the desserts have got better - I'll leave that on to your imagination so I don't make your mouths water!
The cabin was adequate for what we wanted it for - sleeping/getting changed. We were on deck 6 inside and again, it cannot be faulted at all. The cabin stewards Alina and Aylona did an exceptional job in the cabins and made us lots of animals out of the towels. They both looked after us very well indeed. Another special mention to Wint who is another cabin steward on deck 6 and was our cabin steward in April. He is the most professional individual I have ever met. He is so friendly and very, very good at his job. he is always smiling and always there to help you or get something for you if you need it - so if you see WINT onboard on deck 6 - give him a big hug and hello from me.
I'm already looking at booking another cruise for April/May next year onboard Destiny - I have already booked to go on her in January 2009 to the Carribean!!
My advice is that if you are thinking about booking a cruise on Thomson Destiny - do it sooner rather than later, I am certain you will enjoy every minute of it and will not want to leave when the time comes.
Travel operator:
Thomson
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