I should start by saying that we actually embarked at Montego Bay, Jamaica but that wasn't an option so I went with Barbados since that is where we finally disembarked.
We have cruised with Thomson twice before. Our first was in Sept 2009 and second in Sept 2010; this cruise was booked prior to us travelling in September and also prior to the Dream's first journey and we were therefore concerned by the reviews and the infamous Watchdog episode.
Our flight to Jamaica was delayed by about an hour and a half which we later found out was due to a fuel shortage in Dominican Republic resulting in increased air traffic in the Caribbean. A gentle introduction to the Caribbean way of life where tours that are advertised as lasting 2hrs actually take 2 and a half hours - worth knowing if you have to get back to the ship!