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written by on 24/07/2008

Good Points
The Calypso is a lovely ship and I would recommend it to anyone. It is small but very friendly. On our cruise the crew were excellent and nothing was too much bother for them. The food was also excellent, as was the entertainment.

Bad Points
The only small criticism is that I felt some of the excursions were not value for money. I think there is a balance that has to be struck between finding trips at a reasonable cost and that are interesting. I feel those in Istanbul could have been better.

General Comments
Package

Myself and my wife were on The Calypso Crimean/Ionian cruises beginning on 07 July 2008. The flight from Newcastle and the transfers could not be faulted. Thomson did a good job.



Ship

We had read some reviews and had some reservations about the ship. They were completely unfounded. It is small, friendly and as good in terms of service, food and entertainment as any other we have been on. The cabin we had was a bit small but commensurate with the overall size of the ship, and certainly not out with reasonable expectations.

I am no expert on ships and how they respond to sea conditions. While I do not suffer from motion sickness, I do get apprehensive when the ship begins to pitch and roll. Some reviewers state that the Calypso is unstable and not good in rough seas. My experience is that when to sea was rough eg. in Black Sea, the Calypso performed remarkably well. It did move a bit in response to the swell once or twice. However, my experience is that larger vessels, claiming to be stabilised, were no better in a swell.



Crew

This is where the Calypso excelled for us. Nothing was too much trouble for the crew. From the cabin stewards through the entertainment and bar staff to the officers, they were all very friendly and helpful.



Itinerary

The Black Sea cruise was excellent. The Panorama in Sevastopol itself would have been worth the trip. Sailing through the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus was truly an experience. Istanbul at night was worth seeing. Nessabar in Bulgaria was beautiful and even Constanta in Romania had its own charms. It is unfair to be critical of a country and people who have suffered so much yet still manage to welcome strangers.

The second week was what we expected, lazily cruising the Greek islands of the Ionian Sea. The Corinth canal was worth seeing; both the outward passage during the day as well as the night passage on the return leg.



Overall Thomson and the Calypso cannot be faulted. Found it much better than the P&O Sea Princess we sailed on last year.



If you are thinking of booking, do not hesitate.