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Thomson claims ship’s not a stinker
Thomson is attempting to restore confidence in its flagship cruise ship by claiming that it has scored record highs in customer service questionnaires in recent weeks.
The Thomson Dream hit the headlines earlier this month when the BBC Watchdog programme investigated complaints from passengers who complained the ship stank of sewage and needed updating.
The programme criticised Thomson for presenting the ship as a new vessel, when in fact it was only new to the Thomson fleet and was in fact 24 years old.
Some passengers complained the smell in cabins was so bad they had to sleep on deck. Thomson has since been offering passengers free upgrades to outside cabins for passengers who book cruises between January and July next year before October 28.
Director of Thomson Cruises David Selby said: "Whilst we accept that there were challenges following Thomson Dream’s introduction to the fleet in April, the customer service questionnaire scores and customer feedback over the summer as a whole have underlined the efforts our crew have put in to deliver a fantastic cruise experience to all our customers.
"We are confident that the ship will have a long and successful career with Thomson Cruises, continuing with this winter’s Caribbean itineraries.”
Thomson claimed 100% of passengers rated the service onboard as ‘good or excellent’ in recent weeks and on the recent Mediterranean Explorer itinerary 99% of passengers rated the dining, entertainment and cabin accommodation as ‘good or excellent’.
The ship will spend six weeks in dry dock in Hamburg before sailing to the Caribbean, where it will operate 14-night itineraries.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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