A new ship to be added in summer 2010

Thomson Cruises, one of the UK’s biggest cruise lines, today announces the addition of Thomson Dream to its fleet. Joining Thomson Celebration, Thomson Spirit, Thomson Destiny and Island Escape, the ship will begin sailing under the Thomson Cruises brand as of April 2010.
 

David Selby, Director of Cruising enthused “Whilst the recent independent survey of passenger reviews published by Cruise.co.uk illustrates that Thomson Cruises is already among the highest rated cruise lines in the business, the addition of Thomson Dream will allow us to satisfy an even wider audience, attracting new customers as well as introducing a new option for our many loyal followers who return year after year.”

Currently sailing as the Costa Europa, the ship has capacity for 1,506 passengers and at 54,000 gross tonnes, will be Thomson’s biggest and most luxurious ship yet. The interior décor is stylish, the public areas of the ship are spacious and tastefully designed, with several bars for watching the day’s port sail away, a large fitness area and sports deck, a cosy library and adults-only area for relaxation.

The Broadway show-lounge with its large revolving stage will allow Thomson to continue to feature its highly popular entertainment programme, for which it is renowned. The ship will also offer a choice of several smaller areas for daytime entertainment and cabaret.

As with Thomson’s other ships, the atmosphere onboard will be relaxed and friendly with emphasis on service, entertainment and dining. The ship’s dining options will be of a very high standard and features five restaurants including a main dining room, an a la carte Grill restaurant and a 24hr buffet restaurant, where friendly waiters are on hand to take care of everything from surf ‘n’ turf to a midnight sandwich.

All cabins onboard, from the super luxury Grand Suites with balconies to the comfortable standard cabins, have all been recently renovated. The spacious standard inside and outside cabins have a stylish neutral décor, with a splash of accent colour, while the high end Grand Suites and Suites offer a separate living area, queen size bed and large en-suite bathroom with bath and shower. The Grand Suites also have large balconies for an idyllic sail-away cocktail.

Out on deck there are two swimming pools, one of which has a retractable roof allowing for year-round swimming whatever the weather. Plus, there is plenty of space to sunbathe and relax during the day and then enjoy the entertainment when the sun goes down.

Thomson Dream adds to the highly successful cruise operation out of Palma, joining Thomson Destiny which is currently sailing itineraries during the summer months. Thomson Dream will sail three, seven night itineraries taking in some of the most picturesque areas of the Mediterranean including Rome, Florence and Barcelona. There is also the addition of a new port, La Goulette in Tunisia, a traditional fishing town just 20 minutes from Tunis.

David Selby concludes; “Palma is ideal as a home port. Passengers have a short flight from 22 different UK airports and once there, it is ideally situated to reach a whole host of fantastically varied destinations during a seven night cruise. This latest addition to the fleet reinforces the importance of the cruise market to Thomson and our commitment to its growth.”

The standalone ‘Thomson Dream’ brochure covering itineraries for Summer 2010 will go on sale on 16 July with prices from just £729 per person based on two adults sharing, including return flights and accommodation on a full-board basis.

Plans for the Winter 2010/2011 season have yet to be unveiled.

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Despite facing tough opposition, Thomson Cruises was recently awarded a well deserved second place in a survey of Cruise.co.uk customers who rated their favourite cruise lines against various criteria.