I shall begin as most others have and describe the start of the cruise. We flew in to Palma Airport from Stanstead with AirEuropa. The flight was confortable and drinks were served so it was rather enjoyable.
On arriving at the airport, our bags came round very quickly and we were taken to our coach. The ride to the ship was a short one but passed along the pretty marina and the impressive cathedral.
When we got to the ship we had to check in which took a while. After that we had a look around the ship, checked out the evening dinner menu and had a drink. A very easy and hassle free start to what would prove to be a great week.
Features and Staff
Yes the boat may be getting on a bit but it doesn't show. There was a restaurant, a grill and a buffet for food, more than 5 bars for drink and many other facilities including a gym, 2 pools, a kids centre, internet lounge (which was quite pricey), a library and various shops. All were kept in top condition.
As I mentioned, the ship is quite old but there are people mainting it and keeping it in its prime. For instance I saw the tables in the show lounge being painted at night, stairs being revarnished and even the body of the ship being painted!
This shows how hard the staff work. The room maids come round in the morning and afternoon cleaning and making up your room. They even give you fresh towels everyday that have been shaped into animals! The bar and waitor staff work constantly, remembering your name, favourite drink and hobbies! Just to top all this off, they're always happy and friendly! Even the captain makes appearances greeting children and appearing in the odd show!
Finally a word on the food and drink. In the restaurant, the food is from a menu and is very nice. Although the portions are quite small they make up for it. There is always a large choice and something for everyone. The grill serves pizzas, burgers and hotdogs throughout the day and one day there is even a barbeque! The buffet to the back of the ship is open nearly 24 hours a day! First serving breakfast, then more food until lunch which is followed by afternoon tea. After this it open again for tea, followed by the midnight menu where they continue to serve food throughout the night. It only closes for about 10 minutes between menus to change the food over!
The drinks on the ship are all known brands and fairly priced. I had an all inclusive package so most drinks were payed for. There were beers (Stella Artois and Boddingtons), soft drinks (Coke, Sprite etc) and a variety of branded spirits. Some premium drinks did however have to be paid for such as Jack Daniels and Guiness but these were heavily subsidised to inclusive passengers. For those without the all inclusive package the prices were still cheap, £2.45 for a pint of lager
Excursions
Although these are quite pricey, they are definitly worth it. You get coach trips and very friendly (and clear) guides who show you around. I won't go into detail on these as you will have to explore for yourself! Definitly worth a bit of extra cash.
The only problem is that in some of the smaller places like Monaco, Sardinia and some areas of Menorca, English is not very widely spoken or understood. Ordering lunch and drinks can sometimes be difficult but learning a few key phrases will help a lot.
Other
There is not much else to say about this cruise. A week on Thomson Destiny is great. The only thing I would suggest is to go for two weeks instead!
The final disembarktion was a bit of a mess, with cases being transported off the boat and some people having lost their passes but everything went smoothly in the end.
I would definitely reccommend this cruise to anyone and everyone.
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Aug 22nd, 2008
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