Ship has been acquired from Royal Caribbean and will homeport in Palma in summer 2016
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Thomson Cruises has revealed the name and homeport of its latest cruise ship, which has been acquired from Royal Caribbean International and will join the fleet in April 2016.
Currently sailing as Splendour of the Seas, the 69,130gt ship will be refurbished and rebranded as Thomson Discovery before she joins the Thomson fleet. The ship, which can accommodate 1,830 guests at double occupancy in 915 cabins, boasts an outdoor movie screen, rock climbing wall, nine-hole mini golf course, three à la carte restaurants and eight bars and lounges.
Sailing from the Spanish port of Palma in summer 2016, Thomson Discovery will operate four European itineraries – Highlights of the Mediterranean, Cosmopolitan Classics, Mediterranean Secrets and Magic of Spain. She will call at destinations such as Livorno in Italy; Villefranche in France; and Barcelona and Cadiz in Spain.
“Thomson Discovery will be a fantastic addition to our fleet and we can’t wait to welcome customers onboard so that they can experience it for themselves,” said Helen Caron, managing director of Thomson Cruises. “The introduction of the ship is part of our on-going modernisation and transformation strategy, which has included recent investment in our other ships. The newest addition is larger than the others in our fleet, however, it still fits with our strategy of operating smaller ships with must-do itineraries.”
Thomson Majesty will also be based in Palma next summer and sail Moorish Delights cruises and Treasures of the Med itineraries, which will include maiden calls in Huelva and Mahon in Menorca, respectively. The ship will also offer Catalan Promise itineraries, which will feature evening stays in Ibiza and Barcelona and no sea days.
Meanwhile, Thomson Spirit will reposition to the Spanish port of Malaga to offer four itineraries that enable guests to visit destinations such as Vigo and Ibiza Town in Spain, Marseille in France and Porto in Portugal.
Thomson Celebration will homeport in Dubrovnik, Croatia, for the second consecutive year, offering adults-only voyages. In 2016, guests will be able to overnight in Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage city, for the first time.v
Based at the Greek island of Corfu, Thomson Dream will sail four itineraries to Greek destinations such as Mykonos, Santorini and the new port of Syros, as well as Istanbul in Turkey.
Also new for summer 2016 is Thomson’s ‘cruise and stay’ programme, which will enable customers to stay in central locations in Corfu Town, Palma and Malaga after their cruise.
The line will also offer its Facebook community the chance to choose the ports of call on one of its ships, which will depart Barbados on 15 January 2017.