With West End-style shows, traditional fare and British beer, SUE BRYANT feels at home as she sails the Med from Palma, Mallorca on Thomson's latest cruise liner

IT IS said bad luck comes in threes and that was certainly the case in the delivery of Thomson Cruises' most recent ship, Thomson Dream. Weeks before the handover from its former owner Costa Cruises she crashed into the quayside in Sharm el-Sheikh.

She went into dry dock in Sicily for repairs, only for the shipyard workers to go on strike. Then came the volcanic ash, which meant crew and passengers due on the maiden voyage out of Palma, Mallorca, were scattered far and wide. In fact, the ship's first voyage became a rescue mission, ferrying 2,800 stranded holidaymakers from Palma to Barcelona, where they were bussed back to Britain. Dream finally set sail on April 22 with her funnel repainted in Thomson's trademark sky blue - 82 crew were missing, the plumbing was dodgy and the air conditioning didn't quite work.

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Happily, though, when I boarded for her second voyage, these teething problems had all but gone. Although at 24 years old the 1,506-capacity Dream is elderly in shipping terms, she is still more luxurious and better equipped than the rest of Thomson's fleet. Everything is geared to British tastes, too, so there is bacon and sausages on the breakfast buffet, draft John Smith's bitter in the bar and afternoon tea.

The vessel's vintage means it has a classic design, pointy not boxy, with gorgeous sunbathing areas on the tiered aft decks. There is an old-style wrap-around promenade deck in beautiful teak and one of the two swimming pools has a retractable roof. When I boarded in Barcelona on an unseasonably wet day, burgers were sizzling on a poolside grill, cocktails were flowing and guests lounged in hot tubs. You'd never have guessed it was pouring outside.

Other things surprised me. Thomson has inherited the vessel's original art collection from Holland America Line, the ship's owner prior to Costa, so the lounges are dotted with memorabilia from the Dutch Empire - scale models of wooden galleons and a real cannon.

There's a proper ballroom, too, with dancing every night to a band. The theatre is a gem, with plush seating and great West End-style shows.

Cabins are a bit dated and only the suites have balconies but as the ship was built for long-distance cruising, many are surprisingly spacious, with room for twin beds (or a double), a sofa plus a minibar and TV.

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There are plenty of places to eat.

The Andromeda serves buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner geared to British tastes. There are imaginative, themed buffets (including a superb Asian spread when I was on board).

The main dining room, Orion, has open seating and waiter service and for daytime snacks there is the poolside Terrace Grill.

As well as shore excursions the ship carries mountain bikes for guided tours in port. It's a great way of exploring but weaving through the insane traffic in Rome was not for the faint-hearted.

What was most memorable, though, was the crew. I've never met such cheerful waiters. On my last day, one lady was weeping at the thought of leaving her favourite behind. They're also talented. A staff dance troupe, Crew Cuts, has a cult following on YouTube, while we were entertained by bar waitress Hazel and buffetworker Keith singing opera duets.

Thomson Dream is going into dry dock at the end of the summer for a facelift. While she is a little dated, I hope they don't change the old lady too much. She's a real character.

THE KNOWLEDGE:
Thomson Cruises (0871 231 3246/www.thomson.co.uk) offers a seven-night Highlights of the Mediterranean cruise on board Thomson Dream from £804pp (two sharing), full board.

Price includes return flights from Gatwick to Palma, Mallorca, and transfers. Departing October 12.