We just got back from the Adriatic Explorer itinerary. It was our first time on a cruise and we were not disappointed.

Our Premier cabin was very spacious and the en-suite had a bath. The cabin was very well looked after (by our steward, Teddy!) and was cleaned twice daily. The only grumble we had was the lack of English TV on the television. However, as we did not spend much time in the cabin, this was not really an issue.

We opted for the all-inclusive drinks package. At £149 for each of us, I don't believe that there was much difference than if we had paid as we went. However, it was good not to think about the money.

The food ranged from excellent to OK. We dined most evenings in Le Bistro (buffet) as the formal evening meal in The Chanterelle, forced to sit with people you may not enjoy the company of, did not appeal to us. The food could have done with being a little warmer than it was, but the choice was satisfactory.

The ship staff were pleasant, helpful and very friendly. The only quibble we would have is that the way that some of the senior staff speak to the lower ranking staff was unnecessarily abrupt. We saw this on a number of occasions. Special mentions should go to Bianca, Cristina and Olga who were very attentive and towards the middle of the week, a nod was enough for them to remember 'your usual' and see to it!

Some people have mentioned here the ship's age. The ship was not in a state of disrepair and the age was irrelevant. However, some people like tacky and neon, so other newer ships may be for them!!!

The only let down of the whole cruise (apart from Venice - which is overrated, crowded, smelly and charges over the odds for absolutely everything - stay onboard!!) was the entertainment. We do not go to see turns at a local Working Men's Club, but I imagine that this is what they are like. The 'Show Team' were amateurish, tacky and an overwhelming sense of 'can't be bothered' emitted from them. The events like quizzes were appalling. I got the feeling that the organisers of the events see that most of the passengers are old, and therefore have lost the use of their faculties and need to be entertained like children. However, I did hear some other passengers commenting how much they were enjoying the shows, but on the whole, the performances were cringe-worthy and somewhat reminiscent of older primary school children 'putting on a show!' The Cruise Director's Australian accent began to grate after a while over the tannoy and the Scottish lady who announced the arrival in ports could easily take the time to learn to pronounce their names! She did manage 'Venice' - just about! But, as I said earlier, we didn't go to see the shows, so the entertainment certainly didn't spoil what was an otherwise excellent holiday.

PS - If you are like us, in our 30s, do not worry that you are about to be walking onto the set of Cocoon - the cruise was being enjoyed by people of all ages!!!

After reading earlier reports I must admit we were a bit apprehensive. Wow! what a TERRIFIC holiday we had.

The transfer from airport to ship was very efficiant and we were in our cabin in no time. My first impression was a clean, comfortable cabin with all facilities working. The only disappointment was lack of channels on the TV especially no SKY news which we have had on previous cruises.

The food was very good and was also hot (people had complained the previous week so we can only assume that Thomsons had taken action). The atmophere in the Chantrelle restaurant was very friendly and the waiters were great entertainers. Bar staff were great carrying so many drinks and remebering who had ordered what.

The ship staff were always polite and our cabin steward Nikos was always back in no time at all with the bottled water we had requested.

The entertainment ,I felt could have been a little better at times. Couldn't quite put my finger on it but feel the singers were not that strong but as a group they could belt out a good song. Enjoyed the lido deck entertainment. Guest artists the Harper brothers were very amusing.

Did not bother with excursions as they are always so expensive but must towns were in easy reach of the ports. Athens metro was the longest distance we had to walk which took 30 - 45 mins which was hard in the heat. We travelled to the Acropolis which was approximately 1 Euro per person. Be aware if you need to find the metro it is not clearly sign posted and we had to ask the locals on several occasions before we finally found it.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable experience on the Emerald, it is an old ship but it's atmophere is so warm and friendly that we would definately consider visiting her again. Thank you Thomsons and Emerald.

Having read some previous reviews we were a little apprehensive especially as our 1st cruise. Our 1st impressions setting foot on board were WOW!!! The boat shone from top to bottom. We saw how hard the crew worked throughout our stay constantly painting and cleaning everywhere it was very impressive.

Our cabin was basic but certainly adequate with no complaints and that included our son sharing the room with an extra bed at the bottom of ours!
The food was fantastic, so much, and always an amazing amount to choose from, I cant understand anyone being disappointed with it. We ate our evening meal in the restaurant, which was always fantastic, entertained regularly by the singing waiters and bar staff. Breakfast was more than adequate with choices and also the bistro at lunchtime, there was just so much choice.

The staff we encountered were always friendly, good fun and couldn't do enough for you.

The entertainment was excellent, the team worked hard to produce some fabulous musicals at night and were also around during the daytime with entertainment of various sorts.

All in all this was one of the best holidays we have had and will definitely be booking another cruise at some point.

The only downside was the price of the trips but then that's no different to any package holiday where trips are being sold by the reps.

We got back from the Pearls of the Agean Cruise on 31 August, and after having read some bad reviews we had boarded with some trepidation. We have travelled on the Spirit and the Celebration before and the Emerald although smaller and older is really not much different. Our cabin (611) was quite roomy, with a picture window but needs a refit - new curtains, carpets and bed covers would be a start.

Voltaire, out cabin steward kept it very clean and greeted us with a smile every time we met. With a few exceptions the whole staff were pleasant and helpful. However, the entertainment was very iffy, and I agree that Andrew the Ozzy's accent got on your nerves a bit. The Scots lady (short blonde hair) was a bit monotonous but then I suppose she says the same thing over and over, but the other hosts and hostess were all very good. Willy and Ivor in the dining room were fabulous as was the UK comic, Carl Schofieild - very funny.

I thought the excursions were value for money as the guides really knew their stuff, spoke perfect English and were happy to answer my many queries.

The food in the Bistro was quite good for breakfast and lunch, but could have been hotter. The food in the Chantrelle dining room was very good and much better than we've had on the other Thomson ships, and by the way, hello to John & Gwen and Mark & Julie who we dined with each night. The ship was very crowded, (inevitable in August I suppose) and people tended to leave towels and books etc on the best sunbeds and then go ashore for hours, they are warned not to do this but did anyway!! Its very annoying when you can't find a bed in the shade - there are no umbrellas or anything, so you had to be in the full glare of the sun (so very hot in August) or in a shady but very noisy area of the boat.

All in all we enjoyed it for what it is - and the alcohol deal was great, we checked our bill and were at least £100 up on the deal. So I would say, if you've read bad reviews, take them with a pinch of salt and go and enjoy!

This was our second cruise on the Emerald. We did the Peals of the Aegean itinerary starting on 29th June.

The Emerald is a basic, but likeable ship. On the last cruise we had a superior outside cabin on deck 7, and this time booked early enough to get a premier cabin also on deck 7. Apart from the room on this cruise having a double bed, and the room on the previous cruise having 2 singles there wasn't much to tell the rooms apart. If you can get a superior outside cabin with a double bed save yourself the premium room supplement.

The staff are great and in our experience were always willing to help.

Entertainment wise, we are not avid show-goers, so we didn't attend any of the evening shows. Some of the daytime deck games were naff in the extreme, but this just added to the charm of it all. To prepare yourselves try to think of things begining with 'S' that you'd put in your suitcase.... Ummm.... shampoo (yes, 1 point), skirt (yes, 1 point), Semtex (OK then we'll give you the point) etc etc etc.

The ports of call were all pretty good. One annoyance was the fact that in Santorini we booked the excursion which visited the new volcanic island and hot springs. However they needed to get 40 customers to make the trip worth running, and only got 15, so the trip was cancelled. If you end up in this situation aim to be ashore by 10.30am ish and you can book a virtally identical trip from one of the local boat owners. These trips leave the jetty where the Emerald tenders drop you ashore, and last approx 4 hours. We didn;t know of these independent excursions and therefore didn't do the trip.

If you book the Zanynthos beach transfer trip be prepared to have your idyllic stretch of sand invaded after an hour or 2 by approx 300 club 18/30 holidaymakers (on our trip they arrived in 3 pleasure boats). These groups take over the one and only taverna for their pre-booked lunches. Also the water sports provider on the beach has difficulty in calculating the 10% discount which Thomsons has negotiated with them, and in my case they called me in over 5 minutes early during my 30 minutes booked on a jet ski. I felt more like a packaged tourist on this beach than I have done in years. And to top it all we had to leave the beach to return to the ship before the wet T shirt competitions started! (I jest).

In practical terms, take a jumper as the deck can be breezy in the evenings, even in high summer. If you don't want to take a suit and attend the gala night then don't take one. There is a good quality bufet put on every evening in the Bistro restaurant, and gala night is no exception.

we arriver in corfu on the 29th for the pearls of the agean cruise..

we arrived at the port check in very quickly and was processed fast and efficiently.
first impressions of the ship was, old and worn but still clean and tidy...
the cabins were small and basic but then who wants to spend their holiday in the cabin!!!!!!!!
we were at the bottom of the ship so was quite noisy..
the crew were all very friendly and helped you in every way they could, the captain however was very disappointing as we only seen him once at the captains dinner.
he could not even be bothered to speak to the guests over the tanoid.
the food was good in the sit down restaurants but in the buffet you had to queue and the food was only warm..we were very disappointed to find this ship did not do the famous midnight chocolate + ice sculpture buffets.…
drinks were very good and no shortage of staff to get them for you.
the entertainment was very good with quiz shows and hard working dance shows.
if you don't want to see the main show there is two other bars with things going on at the same time.
the excursions were expensive and most ports you could get off yourself and save money.…
all in all we enjoyed the ship but would not be too sad if we never saw it again.…

The old girl was certainly in good form!

I think that people sometimes forget that the Emerald is nearly 50 years old - yes some of the fixtures and fittings are a bit worn and she doesn't have a lot of the facilities that the newer larger ships have but she more than makes up for this with her character and the friendly atmosphere generated on board.

Can't speak highly enough of the ship's crew - be it the dining room waiters, the bar staff or the cabin stewards. The only criticism I would reserve is for some of the management who don't appear to always appreciate the staff's efforts and who at certain times were downright rude in the way they spoke to them.

Food was excellent (be it in the Le Bistro buffet restaurant ot the Chantrelle waiter service restaurant), we travelled on the Emerald last year and the food this year was a considerable improvement (can't believe that people complain about a lack of 24/7 catering - no wonder the British are becoming so obese!)

Onboard entertainment was good, especially the 'Africa' show and the two guest artists.Jean-Pierre the piano player in the StarLight Lounge was also very good. Exotic name but he's actually from Chester le Street in Co. Durham.

Would agree with the comments made about excursions, at most of the ports you can make your own way and from the comments we heard from other passengers the 'official excursion' didn't represent good value for money

Finally. special mention to Nicky, Mihai and Ivo in the Chantrelle Restaurant and Yiannis our cabin steward (we had him last year also)

We had previously cruised on the Spirit, which we were more than pleased with and we were a little apprehensive about a change of ship.

Our fears were unfounded as we really did have a great cruise.

Could not fault the cleanliness on board and our cabin was always spotless, thanks to Zoya!

The staff were absolutely fantastic and they couldn't do enough for you (just like The Spirit. The entertainment team were brilliant and the shows were colourful, professional and very well choreographed.

Only the food doesn't get full marks and although it was more than acceptable on the whole, the biggest problem is that they have to overcook the meat so much, now when I have steak, I want the plasma as well, a concept they find very difficult to understand so on a few occasions the meat was tough and chewy!!!

Special mention to Bianca, our friendly Ukrainian waitress, although they were ALL brilliant and to Rob on the entertainment team, a young Scot who did everything to make our cruise and our anniversary which we celebrated on June 14th so memorable.

For those of you who have your cruise coming up, just lie back and enjoy!!

Ship: First impressions were of a gleaming white ship.
On boarding and subsequently, this impression was never changed. Some member of the crew was always tidying up or mopping somewhere.
Cabin: Standard outside (with porthole for views). Basic but adequate. Ample storage space for two and beds very comfortable. Kept spotless by attentive steward.
Crew: All friendly and helpful. You only had to appear to be in need of assistance for them to come to your aid.
Meals: Let's face it; very important part of cruising for most. On the Emerald, no complaints for the main dining room. Waiter service was attentive and very professional at all times. Choice of courses was varied and the food was well presented. Menus changed each night and no menu was repeated during our week. Quality of food was very good. Many meal times enlivened by the "waiters choir" serenading passengers who were celebrating a birthday, anniversary or some such. Overall, a very happy, almost family atmosphere. The buffet was self service and afforded the opportunity to pick and mix more than the main restaurant. Here too the choice was wide and varied enough to select an enjoyable meal. Admittedly, the food was sometimes not quite piping hot but this can be said of any buffet service and is something most diners are prepared to rub along with. The afternoon tea and midmight buffet were available for anyone with a spare corner to fill. We cannot understand the gripe of the passengers who wanted a 24/7 buffet service. Anyone who wants/needs access to food on this basis is a candidate for medical intervention!
Excursions: We did a mix of excursions and D I Y shore visits. All the excursions were enjoyable from the content aspect but for some, Thomsons could take more care in the selection of guides who are fluent in English and can hold the attention of their audience more. Heavily accented, monotonous, hesitant presentation is a killer! A lot of people on our excursions just mentally switched off.
Best visit was to Santorini, where we loved the scenery and the atmosphere. Worst was to Kusadasi (a D I Y visit), where the persistent badgering by the shopowners and the aggressive attempts to clutch at clothing took any pleasure out of the visit. In the end, we escaped to the relative peace of the Ladies Beach. Turkey.......nul points!
Entertainment: The entertainment package was first class. Cruise Director, Sue Denning, kept it all ticking over smoothly and the nightly shows were a sparkling display of talent and energy from the cabaret team (AND they did it twice nightly). Other tastes were catered for with a disco, duet, four piece combo and piano lounge. Daytime onboard activities included quiz sessions, films and popular formats from T V.
Summary: We started this cruise in a "lets see how it goes" frame of mind and ended it with a "where shall we go next" attitude. Very many thanks to all on the
Emerald for a lovely first experience.

To Julie of Eastleigh. Hope this has put your mind at rest. Stop worrying, you're going to have a fantastic cruise.

Well after reading some of the reviews about this ship,i wondered what we was letting ourselves in for.On boarding the ship at Corfu,i was a little apprehensive,and was trying to compare things to the Thomson Celebration which was the last ship we sailed on,but after a trip round the ship my fears where unfounded,yes the ship is getting on a bit in years,and a bit worn in places,but overall was a great ship to sail on,our cabin was quiet,we were well looked after by the cabin crew,beds always made up,and the room always tidied,even after we had left it looking like a bomb site!!.The food in the bistro was excellent,always hot enough,we only tried the waiter service restaurant on 2 occasions,the food was good,but vegtables a bit crunchy and not done enough.Ships staff were always friendly,and as for the entertainment all you can say is that it was spot on,these people work really hard to put out 2 shows on nearly every night,i dont see how any one could be dissapointed ,by the shows they put on.Yes we would sail on the Emerald again,the trips we went on where excellent,especially Venice.Just one last thing the ship as a lot of raised sills in the doorways,which can be a nuisance,until you get used to them,but i think it would be wise for this to be mentioned by the tour reps before people board the ship,overall an excellent holiday.