We chose this cruise for the itinerary. Had previously had a whistle stop visit to Dubrovnik on a previous cruise with a different provider and we wanted to revisit. Thomson Spirit itinerary met everything we wanted in revisiting Dubrovnik and seeing some of the other regions of Croatia with bonus stops at Trieste and Venice. We had between 6 to 8 hours in port at each stop. We booked two tours: Trieste (Slovenia Cave and Castle) and Hvar (wine tasting). Both excellent with very knowledgeable tour guides who gave insights into Croatian way of life and idiosyncrasies of the particular region. All other stops we did our own thing, getting on public buses and taxis. Now the Ship! We have been on previous cruises, much larger ships with a more luxurious aspect but I can quite understand the loyal following of Spirit. Staff are amazing, customer services is the best. Our cabin stewards Henry and Vitalily were awesome and looked after us from the moment we entered our cabin to disembarkation. Our cabin, deluxe outside, was large and very comfortable, constantly cleaned and made tidy. In the evenings we dined in the Rose Compass Restaurant as we like to have waiter service when on holiday. On the whole food outstanding with only a couple of meals that perhaps were not to our taste, hey ho you get that on every cruise. Food on the Thompson Spirit, we felt, hugely better than our previous experience with other provider. Entertainment was ok, with the best performance saved to the last night, West End Productions. This was amazing and well deserved the standing ovation. We didn't take part in the scheduled activities or demonstrations as chose to get off the ship at each destination. Yes there were areas of the ship that clearly showed signs of age, wear and tear with minimal repair work that did the job but not particularly pretty. Despite this the atmosphere on the ship was fantastic. Free dining meant we were on a different table each evening with different table companions, highly enjoyable and entertaining. Thank you to all those that shared our dining experience each evening. We drank in every bar at some point during our cruise but always ended up in High Spirits for the excellent live band Strum Jam and the entertainment and disco afterwards. Except for one night we didn't get back to our cabin before 2am every morning, dancing into the early hours. Met some great people and will certainly be booking another Thomson Cruise.