Thomson Spirit back in the UK

Thomson Cruises has announced that the line’s ship Thomson Spirit will be based in the UK from May to September 2012

Yesterday came the announcement that Fred Olsen’s Braemar would also be positing to the UK after dropping the fly-cruise programme and Thomson is following suit

Between May and July 2012 the Spirit will be based in Newcastle Upon Tyne and then Harwich from August through to September

Commercial manager Phil Gardner said: "We have widened the portfolio of destinations to give customers even more choice and we have also listened to our customers who have requested the return of our UK programme."

The 1,254-passenger Thomson Spirit will sail 15 cruises from the two ports to a total of 39 destinations in Iceland, Norway, and the Baltic. There will also be a weekend break to Belgium and Holland, and an 11 night round-Britain cruise, calling at Guernsey, Dublin, the Isle of Man, Tobermory, the Orkneys, and Edinburgh.

There are offers of 25 per cent discounts, onboard credit, and free coach transport or car parking for 2012 bookings made before June 30th this year.