We have just had a Nile cruise on Etoile du Nil III and whilst I agree with Mike's review there a couple of things to add. Overall we thought we got value for money the problem seems to be with the star ratings, it definitely wasn't 5* PROBABLY 2-3* and similar to lots of other boats doing the Nile cruise.
Cabins: Had all the facilities advertised but I personally found them dark and unwelcoming but we had clean sheets and towels every day and the plumbing worked and there was constant hot water.
Food: Full board means there will be repetition of menu but there was enough food and although we didn't like the soups and sweets ( except fresh fruit - melons, strawberries and fresh figs) there was always beef chicken and fish on the menu. Beer was expensive at £2 for a small can but the red Obelisk wine was £8.50p and quite palatable, spirits were expensive and we took duty free on board for a pre dinner drink in our cabin. Afternoon coffee/tea and cake rather poor and you must save a coffee sachet from breakfast to make a decent cup of coffee.
Excursions: We paid for the excursion package and thought it was good value for money as they were well organised and left and returned on time. We didn't do any extra trips as we had spent a week in Luxor and done Valley of the Kings etc and a Balloon flight with Jolleys for £42.50 per person. We did the Felucca ride in Aswan to Kitcheners Island ourselves for £3.50 each for 6 people for 1hour 30mins. (ask for Captain Abdul when you leave the ship in Aswan)
Facilities on board: Lounge area OK sun deck areas need renovation and sunbeds rather tatty, didn't use the massage facility although some did and were satisfied with their massage, reflexology session.
Crew: Very helpful and polite they did the best they could to make your stay enjoyable. The bar staff were efficient and friendly and the cabin steward left towel animals on the bed and kept everywhere clean and tidy. Dining room staff again very efficient and helpful.
Entertainment: Not much entertainment but 90% of people on board participated in the Egyptian evening (Friday) and dressed accordingly making it a successful evening. The Nubian evening was different and entertaining but the belly-dancer on the last evening wasn't very good. We were lucky that our dining companions were lovely people and most of the other people on the boat were friendly.
If anyone needs further info please do not hesitate to ask.
At last I have five minutes to report on the holiday I returned from last week. 
Very briefly to say the flight was fine, food ok as aircraft food goes and we arrived early. On the return we landed half and hour early ... not bad!!
Now for the holiday itself .. the boat was everything that we hoped it would be, elegantly decorated, spotlessly clean and comfortable. The cabins (although the furniture may have been a little big for the size of the rooms) were comfortable and the bathrooms had both a bath and a shower, marble trim and constant hot water. The cabin boys were cheerful and worked very hard keeping the cabins immaculate as well as making the notorious towel figures when they went in to turn the beds down!
The food was not haute cuisine but was plentiful and tasty. We had salad every day as a starter and were not affected by any nasty gastric bugs as a consequence. For those not inclined to experiment there was breaded fish and chips as one of the choices at most meals ... and the desserts were to die for.
This particular package had most of the tours included in the price .. an idea which I think I prefer to buying them when you get there or buying them locally. The only optional extras were the trip to Abu Simbel (which we did and was stunning) the hot air balloon trip, a boat trip on a fellucca and the camel ride. We felt under no pressure to book any of them. In fact our guide and egyptologist told us that our cruise operator made a point of paying the guides a higher salary than most but not giving them commission on excursion sales ... therefore no sales push!
We were divided into four groups and we were coach six with Hazem as our guide. I personally think we got the best deal .. not only was he extremely knowledgable and passionate about his subject but made us laugh a lot and was a real character. He decided early on that being coach six meant we were the "sexy ones" and the looks from other operators when we got to a temple to be lead off by a guide with a stick pointed skywards calling "sexy ones .... Attaaack!!" It became our rallying cry!
All in all it was the best holiday I think we have ever had ... even with the early starts. We saw fabulous things, learnt a lot, met some really nice people and also got a chance to relax on deck in the sun watching the Nile go by.
One drawback ... spirits are expensive as they are imported .. we didnt drink a lot really (who wants to leave the boat at 6am with a hangover) but had a lot of bottled water etc and our bar bill came to about £70 each which I suppose is only £10 a day!!
I would do it again definately .. I had a silver ring made for me on the boat for the princely sum of £20 too ... not bad for a one off item eh?
Anyone who wants to know anything at all please let me know. Just let it be said I highly recommend the Emilio (and my travel agent who was fabulous)
Hope this helps
Bobbie
Very briefly to say the flight was fine, food ok as aircraft food goes and we arrived early. On the return we landed half and hour early ... not bad!!
Now for the holiday itself .. the boat was everything that we hoped it would be, elegantly decorated, spotlessly clean and comfortable. The cabins (although the furniture may have been a little big for the size of the rooms) were comfortable and the bathrooms had both a bath and a shower, marble trim and constant hot water. The cabin boys were cheerful and worked very hard keeping the cabins immaculate as well as making the notorious towel figures when they went in to turn the beds down!
The food was not haute cuisine but was plentiful and tasty. We had salad every day as a starter and were not affected by any nasty gastric bugs as a consequence. For those not inclined to experiment there was breaded fish and chips as one of the choices at most meals ... and the desserts were to die for.
This particular package had most of the tours included in the price .. an idea which I think I prefer to buying them when you get there or buying them locally. The only optional extras were the trip to Abu Simbel (which we did and was stunning) the hot air balloon trip, a boat trip on a fellucca and the camel ride. We felt under no pressure to book any of them. In fact our guide and egyptologist told us that our cruise operator made a point of paying the guides a higher salary than most but not giving them commission on excursion sales ... therefore no sales push!
We were divided into four groups and we were coach six with Hazem as our guide. I personally think we got the best deal .. not only was he extremely knowledgable and passionate about his subject but made us laugh a lot and was a real character. He decided early on that being coach six meant we were the "sexy ones" and the looks from other operators when we got to a temple to be lead off by a guide with a stick pointed skywards calling "sexy ones .... Attaaack!!" It became our rallying cry!
All in all it was the best holiday I think we have ever had ... even with the early starts. We saw fabulous things, learnt a lot, met some really nice people and also got a chance to relax on deck in the sun watching the Nile go by.
One drawback ... spirits are expensive as they are imported .. we didnt drink a lot really (who wants to leave the boat at 6am with a hangover) but had a lot of bottled water etc and our bar bill came to about £70 each which I suppose is only £10 a day!!
I would do it again definately .. I had a silver ring made for me on the boat for the princely sum of £20 too ... not bad for a one off item eh?
Anyone who wants to know anything at all please let me know. Just let it be said I highly recommend the Emilio (and my travel agent who was fabulous)
Hope this helps
Bobbie
We just got back from two weeks in Egypt, week one was 'The Mysteries of the Nile' on the MS Grand Star. We covered Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan, Luxor (both sides), with Abu Simbel as an extra.
The tours were very interesting, the only downside was the additional commission stops at places like perfumeries and papyrus 'museums' (shops).
The Egyptologist was fantastic, spoke very good English, and was a fount of knowledge. The rest of the staff on board were friendly and efficient.
The transfer to the boat was well handled, and we got to our room quickly, and our luggage wasnt far behind. At dinner we had the same seats all week, which is normal. The food was generally OK. Nothing exiting, but it was edible and well cooked. There were a few upset stomachs, which were probably attributed to a virus one of the passengers took over than the food. The boat was very clean, I couldnt believe how clean it was considering.
Drinks were slightly overpriced, especially wine.
Downsides - we were told about a 'gala night' at which we were asked to dress up and directed to a boutique on board to buy jalabeas and so on. I resented this sufficiently to buy my outfit elsewhere. The Panorama rep didnt seem to do much - the Egyptologists seemed to handle many of the things he would normally do.
Overall it was extremely interesting, and very much worthwhile. As well as the temples etc, you see some of Egypt from the boat.
I have issues to raise with Panorama concerning the transfers back from Hurghada where we spent the second week, but thats for another thread.
The tours were very interesting, the only downside was the additional commission stops at places like perfumeries and papyrus 'museums' (shops).
The Egyptologist was fantastic, spoke very good English, and was a fount of knowledge. The rest of the staff on board were friendly and efficient.
The transfer to the boat was well handled, and we got to our room quickly, and our luggage wasnt far behind. At dinner we had the same seats all week, which is normal. The food was generally OK. Nothing exiting, but it was edible and well cooked. There were a few upset stomachs, which were probably attributed to a virus one of the passengers took over than the food. The boat was very clean, I couldnt believe how clean it was considering.
Drinks were slightly overpriced, especially wine.
Downsides - we were told about a 'gala night' at which we were asked to dress up and directed to a boutique on board to buy jalabeas and so on. I resented this sufficiently to buy my outfit elsewhere. The Panorama rep didnt seem to do much - the Egyptologists seemed to handle many of the things he would normally do.
Overall it was extremely interesting, and very much worthwhile. As well as the temples etc, you see some of Egypt from the boat.
I have issues to raise with Panorama concerning the transfers back from Hurghada where we spent the second week, but thats for another thread.
We spent a week cruising down the Nile on the MS TiYi booked through Suntar Leisure otherwise known as Midland. We found the boat to be absolutely first class and the food was brilliant, however, the price of drinks were very expensive, a small can of local beer was £3+, a bottle of water £1 and a small measure of spirit with a mixer just under £5.
95% of the other guests were Spanish, Korean, Yanks etc. Only eight of us were brits, which I found interesting.
I think that we were unlucky to have our guide (Achmed), he seemed far too uninterested/lazy. We spent most days just lazing on the boat while most other passengers went sightseeing, He then started charging us for the trips he did take us on, it was only after I challenged him that these were included and had my booking form to prove it, that he refunded SOME of the money. We ended up on the last day having to do all the Luxor trips in just one morning, before most of our group left for the airport to return home in the afternoon.
Luckily for me, we had a second week booked in a hotel in Luxor so we could revisit all the sites we had sprinted around.
95% of the other guests were Spanish, Korean, Yanks etc. Only eight of us were brits, which I found interesting.
I think that we were unlucky to have our guide (Achmed), he seemed far too uninterested/lazy. We spent most days just lazing on the boat while most other passengers went sightseeing, He then started charging us for the trips he did take us on, it was only after I challenged him that these were included and had my booking form to prove it, that he refunded SOME of the money. We ended up on the last day having to do all the Luxor trips in just one morning, before most of our group left for the airport to return home in the afternoon.
Luckily for me, we had a second week booked in a hotel in Luxor so we could revisit all the sites we had sprinted around.
-
Edited by
BigPhil
2006-06-13 18:20:09
Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 9:40 pm
Subject: Domina Prestige Emilio
I've just returned from my cruise on the Domina Prestige Emilio and, although Bobbie hh very recently wrote an excellent review of the boat - all of which I completely endorse - I thought I might just add a little of my own experiences.
The first impression of the boat was a bright, shining, spacious reception area with a high ceiling and huge chandelier a la Phantom of the Opera and every time we came back - sometimes through other boats - we were glad it was ours.
We found the single cabins rather more cramped than we would have liked (couldn't use the dressing table because the chair hit the bed before it was out far enough to sit on; had to climb on to/over the bed to open/close curtains) and, despite assurances to the contrary, 2 of the cabins had only portholes and not windows. However, the cabins were kept spotlessly clean, the bathroom was lovely with powerful, hot shower and a perfectly adequate hairdryer. (Saw a few double cabins and they looked great).
The staff were, without exception, efficient, very hardworking, courteous, friendly and fun loving. On one occasion we turned the tables on the lads who looked after our cabins by tucking one of their 'towel people' up in bed for them to find. They thought someone was still sleeping and had a good laugh with us when they realised what it was!
The air conditioned coach used for excursions had a fridge for bottled water which we were able to buy at 50p for two .75 ltr bottles ie 25p per bottle!
We did extra trips: Abu Simbel - no matter how many photographs you see the reality stops you in your tracks. Bird watching trip - egrets, herons, pied kingfishers, etc. and a stop off at a crocodile breeding area where small crocs were brought on board for us to hold! The hot air balloon ride - 2.5 thousand feet up over the Valley of the Kings was terrific even if a bit hot each time the captain fired up!
This was our first time in Egypt and our first taste of cruising. The whole experience was absolutely wonderful.
Subject: Domina Prestige Emilio
I've just returned from my cruise on the Domina Prestige Emilio and, although Bobbie hh very recently wrote an excellent review of the boat - all of which I completely endorse - I thought I might just add a little of my own experiences.
The first impression of the boat was a bright, shining, spacious reception area with a high ceiling and huge chandelier a la Phantom of the Opera and every time we came back - sometimes through other boats - we were glad it was ours.
We found the single cabins rather more cramped than we would have liked (couldn't use the dressing table because the chair hit the bed before it was out far enough to sit on; had to climb on to/over the bed to open/close curtains) and, despite assurances to the contrary, 2 of the cabins had only portholes and not windows. However, the cabins were kept spotlessly clean, the bathroom was lovely with powerful, hot shower and a perfectly adequate hairdryer. (Saw a few double cabins and they looked great).
The staff were, without exception, efficient, very hardworking, courteous, friendly and fun loving. On one occasion we turned the tables on the lads who looked after our cabins by tucking one of their 'towel people' up in bed for them to find. They thought someone was still sleeping and had a good laugh with us when they realised what it was!
The air conditioned coach used for excursions had a fridge for bottled water which we were able to buy at 50p for two .75 ltr bottles ie 25p per bottle!
We did extra trips: Abu Simbel - no matter how many photographs you see the reality stops you in your tracks. Bird watching trip - egrets, herons, pied kingfishers, etc. and a stop off at a crocodile breeding area where small crocs were brought on board for us to hold! The hot air balloon ride - 2.5 thousand feet up over the Valley of the Kings was terrific even if a bit hot each time the captain fired up!
This was our first time in Egypt and our first taste of cruising. The whole experience was absolutely wonderful.
I have just finished a 7 day holiday cruising down the Nile on an Archers Direct / Cosmos Holiday on the boat Lady Mary. This was an Upgrade, as we were booked on the MS Sara.
If you are planning such a trip do not go when the locks are shut, the boat was not moored in Luxor, but in Esna, and this made a big difference to the cruise, two days of cruising were lost, and replaced by coach trips. Esna is not big enough to cope with all the boats, ours was moored 10 deep. The smell of diesel was bad. I do not think the companies should run the trip when the lock is closed.
The Egyptologist, Shereen, was excellent, her knowledge vast and she has a very good way of teaching you all about the gods Egyptology ect.
The temples and tombs were of course fantastic, and a Nile Cruise is an easy way to see the sights.
The boat looked clean and the crew pleasant.
The food was not good, it was buffet style and monotonous. Also many, many people were ill with diarrhoea, so questions arise to the hygiene on board.
The entertainment on board was poor, the Egyptian night a great disappointment, with all the gests dressed up for a 1970s Disco??
The flight was with Monarch form Manchester. Cramped, but on time both ways with a good crew both ways, as pleasant a flight as you will get in such cramped conditions.
Over all, this was an all-inclusive deal and as such the guests were treated like second-class citizens. Served flat coke, sprite or orange. Wine and beer were served one glass at a time with very slow service. The rep kept reminding the guests not to drink alcohol, as this is what caused the stomach upsets!!
If I do go to the Nile again it will be with a different company/ boat, and when the lock is open.
If you are planning such a trip do not go when the locks are shut, the boat was not moored in Luxor, but in Esna, and this made a big difference to the cruise, two days of cruising were lost, and replaced by coach trips. Esna is not big enough to cope with all the boats, ours was moored 10 deep. The smell of diesel was bad. I do not think the companies should run the trip when the lock is closed.
The Egyptologist, Shereen, was excellent, her knowledge vast and she has a very good way of teaching you all about the gods Egyptology ect.
The temples and tombs were of course fantastic, and a Nile Cruise is an easy way to see the sights.
The boat looked clean and the crew pleasant.
The food was not good, it was buffet style and monotonous. Also many, many people were ill with diarrhoea, so questions arise to the hygiene on board.
The entertainment on board was poor, the Egyptian night a great disappointment, with all the gests dressed up for a 1970s Disco??
The flight was with Monarch form Manchester. Cramped, but on time both ways with a good crew both ways, as pleasant a flight as you will get in such cramped conditions.
Over all, this was an all-inclusive deal and as such the guests were treated like second-class citizens. Served flat coke, sprite or orange. Wine and beer were served one glass at a time with very slow service. The rep kept reminding the guests not to drink alcohol, as this is what caused the stomach upsets!!
If I do go to the Nile again it will be with a different company/ boat, and when the lock is open.
My mum and I spent 4 nights on the Crown Prince (Travcotels) in July and enjoyed every single minute of the cruise...even the very early mornings! We travelled with Budget Travel Ireland.
There is nothing about our holiday or the ship that we could fault.
Don't let the name Budget Travel fool you! There was nothing Budget about this holiday it was luxury the whole way!!
The food was excellent, always hot and plenty of variety to suit most tastes. On the first night we were seated at a table with two other people and remained at that the table for all other meals, I liked this as it meant not having to find a table everytime.
The whole ship was spotless, the rooms were cleaned and the towels changed every morning then in the evenings the rooms were tidied and the towels were changed again. The cabin guys always left a different towels creation on our beds......the best being a huge crocodile wearing my sunglasses!!
All the staff were friendly and would really go out of their ways to help you.
After returning from the excursions we were greeted by a waiter serving lemon juice or egyptian tea and handing out hot damp towels - very refreshing!!
There always seemed to be enough sunbeds for everyone although they are placed very close together. There was always a constant supply of clean pool towels to use.
We went on all the trips that were included and also the optional one to abu simbel, it's a 3am start but it was worth it!! If you are going I really recommend that you go as it has to be seen to be believed.
Egypt is such an amazing country and there is so much to do there that you will probably need another holiday to recover when you get home!!
If you are going with Budget Travel Ireland I hope you have the same fantastic experience that we had!!
Happy Holidays
Leanna
PS....I have also posted reviews on Le Meridien Luxor and Sol Y Mar Makadi Marine which is where we spent the rest of our Egyptian holiday.
There is nothing about our holiday or the ship that we could fault.
Don't let the name Budget Travel fool you! There was nothing Budget about this holiday it was luxury the whole way!!
The food was excellent, always hot and plenty of variety to suit most tastes. On the first night we were seated at a table with two other people and remained at that the table for all other meals, I liked this as it meant not having to find a table everytime.
The whole ship was spotless, the rooms were cleaned and the towels changed every morning then in the evenings the rooms were tidied and the towels were changed again. The cabin guys always left a different towels creation on our beds......the best being a huge crocodile wearing my sunglasses!!
All the staff were friendly and would really go out of their ways to help you.
After returning from the excursions we were greeted by a waiter serving lemon juice or egyptian tea and handing out hot damp towels - very refreshing!!
There always seemed to be enough sunbeds for everyone although they are placed very close together. There was always a constant supply of clean pool towels to use.
We went on all the trips that were included and also the optional one to abu simbel, it's a 3am start but it was worth it!! If you are going I really recommend that you go as it has to be seen to be believed.
Egypt is such an amazing country and there is so much to do there that you will probably need another holiday to recover when you get home!!
If you are going with Budget Travel Ireland I hope you have the same fantastic experience that we had!!
Happy Holidays
Leanna
PS....I have also posted reviews on Le Meridien Luxor and Sol Y Mar Makadi Marine which is where we spent the rest of our Egyptian holiday.
We sailed on this boat from 15th Jan for a week and had a wondereful time It was classed as a Standard All-Inclusive.
Although the Preziosa was not the largest or poshest of the boats everywhere was immaculately clean and sparkling and the crew were the most helpful and friendly staff I have met anywhere. Our cabin was bright and spacious with table and chairs by the large window,comfortable bed and a bright bathroom with power shower and clean towels at least once a day - the cabin was cleaned twice daily. The meals were mainly on a buffet basis with a huge amount of choice, and apart from the odd tough piece of meat in the various casseroles was very well cooked and presented - I especially enjoyed the fish dishes.One of the gentlemen on our table had 6 courses at every lunch and dinner - salad,soup,fish,meat,dessert and cheese and biscuits -I think he had hollow legs! He will laugh if he reads this.
There were 15 British and about 40 German people on the boat, with plenty of Sunbeds and fresh towels on the Sundeck, with a smallish swimming pool, gym equipment and a jacuzzi. Afternoon tea with cakes,biscuits and crepes was served on the openair back lounge area.
Some days it seemed like we never stopped eating and drinking!
Our excursions were led by "Captain" Achmed our Egyptologist,very lucid,,knowledgable and passionate about his subject.and we would not have missed a single one even though we were exhausted by the end of the week.
All in all we had a brilliant time and made many new friends as everyone was very sociable and seemed determined to have a good time, and it seems to be the same whichever boat you sail on.
A few tips - dont forget your binoculars and comfortable walking shoes -take Dettol wipes or antiseptic hand gel and use them after handling money- brush your teeth in bottled water- take a bottle of water on every excursion and drink it all-
take cough sweets as most places you go are very dusty-dont drink anything at the alabaster factory or perfume shops, as this seemed to be where people picked up their tummy bugs-ignore the hustlers completely, they think that No thanks means Yes maybe.
This was one of the best holidays we have ever had, and we are already tryng to work out the best time to do it all again.
Although the Preziosa was not the largest or poshest of the boats everywhere was immaculately clean and sparkling and the crew were the most helpful and friendly staff I have met anywhere. Our cabin was bright and spacious with table and chairs by the large window,comfortable bed and a bright bathroom with power shower and clean towels at least once a day - the cabin was cleaned twice daily. The meals were mainly on a buffet basis with a huge amount of choice, and apart from the odd tough piece of meat in the various casseroles was very well cooked and presented - I especially enjoyed the fish dishes.One of the gentlemen on our table had 6 courses at every lunch and dinner - salad,soup,fish,meat,dessert and cheese and biscuits -I think he had hollow legs! He will laugh if he reads this.
There were 15 British and about 40 German people on the boat, with plenty of Sunbeds and fresh towels on the Sundeck, with a smallish swimming pool, gym equipment and a jacuzzi. Afternoon tea with cakes,biscuits and crepes was served on the openair back lounge area.
Some days it seemed like we never stopped eating and drinking!
Our excursions were led by "Captain" Achmed our Egyptologist,very lucid,,knowledgable and passionate about his subject.and we would not have missed a single one even though we were exhausted by the end of the week.
All in all we had a brilliant time and made many new friends as everyone was very sociable and seemed determined to have a good time, and it seems to be the same whichever boat you sail on.
A few tips - dont forget your binoculars and comfortable walking shoes -take Dettol wipes or antiseptic hand gel and use them after handling money- brush your teeth in bottled water- take a bottle of water on every excursion and drink it all-
take cough sweets as most places you go are very dusty-dont drink anything at the alabaster factory or perfume shops, as this seemed to be where people picked up their tummy bugs-ignore the hustlers completely, they think that No thanks means Yes maybe.
This was one of the best holidays we have ever had, and we are already tryng to work out the best time to do it all again.
Hi all
Well we are just back from a Nile Cruise onboard the First Choice boat which is called the MS Orchid which is owned & operated by Wings on behalf of First Choice.
THIS link will take you to their website for more info on the boat, ignore the section where it details the 3 or 4 night program as this no longer applies.
Arrival in Egypt
On the flight out to Egypt you will be given a landing card, to save time fill this in on the plane. For the entry visa we simply placed a £10 note (must be a Bank of England note) in each passport and went to the very last small bank on the left when you enter Luxor airport, we were given 25L.E back, very simple and quick.
After you have collected your luggage you will meet the FC rep inside the airport who will direct you outside to another FC rep who will give you a label for your case on which you write your accommodation (Orchid) and cabin number, be sure to have some small Egyptian money (5/10L.E or £1 coins as a last resort) to tip the baggage handler who puts your luggage on the coach.
The M/S Orchid
On arrival on the boat after your 20-25 minute transfer you are taken to the lounge and given a drink and a short talk by the FC rep and then groups of approximately 10 people at a time are taken to reception to be allocated their cabin, meanwhile your luggage should be delivered to your cabin.
The standard cabins are located on the lower deck with the superior cabins located on the 2nd and 3rd decks. The junior suites are located on the 2nd deck but after having had a look in them I am pleased that we were unable to book one, they are a bit larger than a standard / superior cabin with an additional window but other than that they are not that much different from other cabins and in my opinion not worth the extra cost.
The cabins all have a window with a view of the Nile or boat moored next you, you may / will end up moored beside another boat or with one moored beside you, so if you open your curtains you may be looking in to the cabin of another boat. This also means that you may have to walk through other boats to get to and from the shore, but this is no problem as they are moored against each other.
All cabins have either twin or double beds, a bathroom with a half size bath and a shower, a hairdryer is also provided in the bathroom.
The cabins also have an ample size wardrobe with plenty of hanging space and plenty of drawer space is also provided.
You also have a fridge and TV, I never tried the TV for any programs, I did use it to watch some of the video footage I had shot while on the trip.
In the superior cabins there is also a small table and chair, I am not sure if these are provided in the standard rooms, but we never used them anyway so not a problem if you dont have them.
All cabins have a safe provided free of charge which you program your own code in to.
The decor in the rooms is perhaps slightly tired and in need of a lick of paint but it is nothing to worry about or put you off in anyway.
The male cleaners do very good jobs of cleaning your room, and providing fresh towels that are made up in to different designs every day.
Dining on board
The Orchid has a dining room on the 3rd deck where all your breakfasts, lunch and dinner are taken on a buffet basis.
Breakfast is available from 08:00 to 09:30 and consists of a selection of fruit, yogurts, cereals, pastries, bread, jams, honey, cheese, cold meats, fruit juice etc.
Also available were some hot dishes including white beans (very nice & similar to baked beans) a form of Egyptian porridge, sausage, boiled eggs etc.
The made to order omelettes are very nice or you can just ask for a fried egg.
Dinner is served at 20:00 and is announced by a bellboy ringing a small bell on each deck and dress is very casual, casual trousers or jeans are fine.
The first night on board you will be shown to a table for 6 and this will be your table for the remainder of the cruise (I hope you like your other table companions).
Dinner is again a buffet with a good selection of dishes that change every evening and consists of a choice 2 soups and a choice of several meat & fish dishes.
A couple at our table were vegetarian and they always found plenty to eat and always had a large and varied meal and never had any complaints.
Various breads, cheeses, salad items were also available and there were several sweets and also fruit on the buffet.
Lunch is very similar in style to dinner with a wide choice of varied items available and is served from 13:00, this may vary slightly when tours required it.
A couple of people were ill on board and blamed the food, HOWEVER they mentioned they had been ill before leaving home and coming on board. One of our new friends who is in the catering trade had a look in the kitchen and was very impressed, each chef has their own sealed and very clean work station so no problems there.
Drinks
You have a drinks choice of water, red / white & rose wines, and beer (Luxor), cola (regular and diet) all drinks are served by the (small) glass.
Tea (normal and a choice of herbal) and coffee can be obtained at various times during the day from the bar areas with biscuits and cakes at available at 11:00. and 17:00.
Bottled water is available at 10L.E from the bar, but be aware that if you buy it after midnight it jumps to 30L.E
Ship deck layout
Deck 4 consists of the main bar / lounge and an outside bar area, there is also a small fitness suite consisting of a bike, stepper and treadmill.
There is also massage room where you can get a massage at a very reasonable cost, my wife had a full body massage and facial lasting for over an hour at a cost of 180L.E.
The lounge area is where all the (corny) entertainment takes place in the evening, it is worth mentioning that this area can get very smoky and smelly with cigarette smoke as the windows dont open and there is not much air circulation.
As part of your AI there is a choice of local brand spirits available including whisky, vodka, gin etc.
There is a snooker table and (a very slow) internet connection located to the front of the boat past the bar.
The top sun deck (5) has a small cold plunge pool and also a very nice Hot Tub / Jacuzzi.
There is an ample amount of sun beds and also tables and chairs with cover provided by small gazebo style canopies. Fresh towels for the sun beds are available from the wooden box located near the stairs.
Just outside the dining room is a small shop that is an Aladdins cave selling all sorts of items with no hassle. You can buy films and memory cards for you camera and you can also get your pictures transferred on to cd if you require it for £5.
If you happen to have a birthday or are celebrating an occasion while on board the crew will have you up doing a song and dance.
The onboard camera man will be sticking his lens in your face several times during the cruise and the video is available to purchase at the end of the cruise.
Extras
There is a very efficient laundry service on board, just phone it through to reception or leave it in your room in the laundry bag provided and it will be returned bag to your room washed and ironed in a few hours. This service is once again very reasonable with the cost for each item as follows in Egyption L.E (approx sterling)
Gents-
Shirt = 5.20 (52p)
T Shirt = 3.70 (37p)
Trousers = 7.40 (74p)
Shorts = 4.70 (47p)
Ladies-
Blouse =5.20 (52p)
Dress = 12.60(1.26p)
Skirt = 7.40 (74p)
All extras are placed on your tab that gets settled at the end of the week.
Excursions
FC have a complete tour excursion program with all transport and an Egyptologist available for you to purchase at the following cost per person (£ Sterling)
Edfu = £20.00
Kom Ombo Temple = £15.00
Felucca sail boat = £12
Aswan tour = £40.00
(Philae Temple, high dam etc)
West Bank = £37.00
(inc Valley of Kings, Valley of Queens, Hatshepsut temple)
East Bank = £28.00
(Karnak & Luxor temples)
Or you can buy a complete package that includes all of the above for £120 (adult)
The MUST DO Abu Simbel trip from Aswan is an extra £67.00 by road or £120.00 by air.
You will receive warm towels and a lemon drink when you return back on board from your trips and are very nice and refreshing.
The extra hot air balloon trip in Luxor on Monday morning is an additional £70.00 per person. This trip is absolutely brilliant and well worth the money, however here is a great money saving tip that makes it even better.
When you return to Luxor on Saturday after your cruise go in to Luxor as soon as you can and go to Jolleys, which is located to the right of the Winter Palace and book the exact same trip for £35 per person.
You will be picked up and dropped back off at the boat and have a sail to the west bank with tea / coffee and cake, also a T shirt and the same balloon flight as those who book through FC.
Try to book this as soon as you can as the balloon trips sell out quickly for the Monday.
It is worth noting that the boat is moored a good bit out of Luxor so you will have to get a taxi to and from the boat in to Luxor, this will cost you no more than 25-30L.E, when you haggle with the driver make sure that you make it clear the price is in Egyptian pounds and is for your whole party not per person.
Tipping
At the end of the week you will be given 2 envelopes, 1 for the 2 Egyptologists and 1 for all the crew. The recommended gratuity is 20L.E per cabin per day for the 2 Egyptologist and 25L.E per cabin per day for the 72 crew ?
We gave much more to the crew as this gets split 72 ways and I thought the recommended amounts was rather unfair.
Conclusion
Overall we had a great time on board, the staff are excellent and very friendly and cant do enough for you.
The boat is perhaps a small bit tired in some places but you wont be put of by this as it is only in a couple of areas that you may notice this and the rest of the boat and staff more than make up for any short cummings and I wouldnt hesitate in recommending this boat to anybody.
Have a great cruise.
Graham
Well we are just back from a Nile Cruise onboard the First Choice boat which is called the MS Orchid which is owned & operated by Wings on behalf of First Choice.
THIS link will take you to their website for more info on the boat, ignore the section where it details the 3 or 4 night program as this no longer applies.
Arrival in Egypt
On the flight out to Egypt you will be given a landing card, to save time fill this in on the plane. For the entry visa we simply placed a £10 note (must be a Bank of England note) in each passport and went to the very last small bank on the left when you enter Luxor airport, we were given 25L.E back, very simple and quick.
After you have collected your luggage you will meet the FC rep inside the airport who will direct you outside to another FC rep who will give you a label for your case on which you write your accommodation (Orchid) and cabin number, be sure to have some small Egyptian money (5/10L.E or £1 coins as a last resort) to tip the baggage handler who puts your luggage on the coach.
The M/S Orchid
On arrival on the boat after your 20-25 minute transfer you are taken to the lounge and given a drink and a short talk by the FC rep and then groups of approximately 10 people at a time are taken to reception to be allocated their cabin, meanwhile your luggage should be delivered to your cabin.
The standard cabins are located on the lower deck with the superior cabins located on the 2nd and 3rd decks. The junior suites are located on the 2nd deck but after having had a look in them I am pleased that we were unable to book one, they are a bit larger than a standard / superior cabin with an additional window but other than that they are not that much different from other cabins and in my opinion not worth the extra cost.
The cabins all have a window with a view of the Nile or boat moored next you, you may / will end up moored beside another boat or with one moored beside you, so if you open your curtains you may be looking in to the cabin of another boat. This also means that you may have to walk through other boats to get to and from the shore, but this is no problem as they are moored against each other.
All cabins have either twin or double beds, a bathroom with a half size bath and a shower, a hairdryer is also provided in the bathroom.
The cabins also have an ample size wardrobe with plenty of hanging space and plenty of drawer space is also provided.
You also have a fridge and TV, I never tried the TV for any programs, I did use it to watch some of the video footage I had shot while on the trip.
In the superior cabins there is also a small table and chair, I am not sure if these are provided in the standard rooms, but we never used them anyway so not a problem if you dont have them.
All cabins have a safe provided free of charge which you program your own code in to.
The decor in the rooms is perhaps slightly tired and in need of a lick of paint but it is nothing to worry about or put you off in anyway.
The male cleaners do very good jobs of cleaning your room, and providing fresh towels that are made up in to different designs every day.
Dining on board
The Orchid has a dining room on the 3rd deck where all your breakfasts, lunch and dinner are taken on a buffet basis.
Breakfast is available from 08:00 to 09:30 and consists of a selection of fruit, yogurts, cereals, pastries, bread, jams, honey, cheese, cold meats, fruit juice etc.
Also available were some hot dishes including white beans (very nice & similar to baked beans) a form of Egyptian porridge, sausage, boiled eggs etc.
The made to order omelettes are very nice or you can just ask for a fried egg.
Dinner is served at 20:00 and is announced by a bellboy ringing a small bell on each deck and dress is very casual, casual trousers or jeans are fine.
The first night on board you will be shown to a table for 6 and this will be your table for the remainder of the cruise (I hope you like your other table companions).
Dinner is again a buffet with a good selection of dishes that change every evening and consists of a choice 2 soups and a choice of several meat & fish dishes.
A couple at our table were vegetarian and they always found plenty to eat and always had a large and varied meal and never had any complaints.
Various breads, cheeses, salad items were also available and there were several sweets and also fruit on the buffet.
Lunch is very similar in style to dinner with a wide choice of varied items available and is served from 13:00, this may vary slightly when tours required it.
A couple of people were ill on board and blamed the food, HOWEVER they mentioned they had been ill before leaving home and coming on board. One of our new friends who is in the catering trade had a look in the kitchen and was very impressed, each chef has their own sealed and very clean work station so no problems there.
Drinks
You have a drinks choice of water, red / white & rose wines, and beer (Luxor), cola (regular and diet) all drinks are served by the (small) glass.
Tea (normal and a choice of herbal) and coffee can be obtained at various times during the day from the bar areas with biscuits and cakes at available at 11:00. and 17:00.
Bottled water is available at 10L.E from the bar, but be aware that if you buy it after midnight it jumps to 30L.E
Ship deck layout
Deck 4 consists of the main bar / lounge and an outside bar area, there is also a small fitness suite consisting of a bike, stepper and treadmill.
There is also massage room where you can get a massage at a very reasonable cost, my wife had a full body massage and facial lasting for over an hour at a cost of 180L.E.
The lounge area is where all the (corny) entertainment takes place in the evening, it is worth mentioning that this area can get very smoky and smelly with cigarette smoke as the windows dont open and there is not much air circulation.
As part of your AI there is a choice of local brand spirits available including whisky, vodka, gin etc.
There is a snooker table and (a very slow) internet connection located to the front of the boat past the bar.
The top sun deck (5) has a small cold plunge pool and also a very nice Hot Tub / Jacuzzi.
There is an ample amount of sun beds and also tables and chairs with cover provided by small gazebo style canopies. Fresh towels for the sun beds are available from the wooden box located near the stairs.
Just outside the dining room is a small shop that is an Aladdins cave selling all sorts of items with no hassle. You can buy films and memory cards for you camera and you can also get your pictures transferred on to cd if you require it for £5.
If you happen to have a birthday or are celebrating an occasion while on board the crew will have you up doing a song and dance.
The onboard camera man will be sticking his lens in your face several times during the cruise and the video is available to purchase at the end of the cruise.
Extras
There is a very efficient laundry service on board, just phone it through to reception or leave it in your room in the laundry bag provided and it will be returned bag to your room washed and ironed in a few hours. This service is once again very reasonable with the cost for each item as follows in Egyption L.E (approx sterling)
Gents-
Shirt = 5.20 (52p)
T Shirt = 3.70 (37p)
Trousers = 7.40 (74p)
Shorts = 4.70 (47p)
Ladies-
Blouse =5.20 (52p)
Dress = 12.60(1.26p)
Skirt = 7.40 (74p)
All extras are placed on your tab that gets settled at the end of the week.
Excursions
FC have a complete tour excursion program with all transport and an Egyptologist available for you to purchase at the following cost per person (£ Sterling)
Edfu = £20.00
Kom Ombo Temple = £15.00
Felucca sail boat = £12
Aswan tour = £40.00
(Philae Temple, high dam etc)
West Bank = £37.00
(inc Valley of Kings, Valley of Queens, Hatshepsut temple)
East Bank = £28.00
(Karnak & Luxor temples)
Or you can buy a complete package that includes all of the above for £120 (adult)
The MUST DO Abu Simbel trip from Aswan is an extra £67.00 by road or £120.00 by air.
You will receive warm towels and a lemon drink when you return back on board from your trips and are very nice and refreshing.
The extra hot air balloon trip in Luxor on Monday morning is an additional £70.00 per person. This trip is absolutely brilliant and well worth the money, however here is a great money saving tip that makes it even better.
When you return to Luxor on Saturday after your cruise go in to Luxor as soon as you can and go to Jolleys, which is located to the right of the Winter Palace and book the exact same trip for £35 per person.
You will be picked up and dropped back off at the boat and have a sail to the west bank with tea / coffee and cake, also a T shirt and the same balloon flight as those who book through FC.
Try to book this as soon as you can as the balloon trips sell out quickly for the Monday.
It is worth noting that the boat is moored a good bit out of Luxor so you will have to get a taxi to and from the boat in to Luxor, this will cost you no more than 25-30L.E, when you haggle with the driver make sure that you make it clear the price is in Egyptian pounds and is for your whole party not per person.
Tipping
At the end of the week you will be given 2 envelopes, 1 for the 2 Egyptologists and 1 for all the crew. The recommended gratuity is 20L.E per cabin per day for the 2 Egyptologist and 25L.E per cabin per day for the 72 crew ?
We gave much more to the crew as this gets split 72 ways and I thought the recommended amounts was rather unfair.
Conclusion
Overall we had a great time on board, the staff are excellent and very friendly and cant do enough for you.
The boat is perhaps a small bit tired in some places but you wont be put of by this as it is only in a couple of areas that you may notice this and the rest of the boat and staff more than make up for any short cummings and I wouldnt hesitate in recommending this boat to anybody.
Have a great cruise.
Graham
Ok
So I have been and returned unscathed having had a fantastic week on the Nephtis Oberoi Deluxe - Nile Cruiser
The boat is approx 15yrs old and in pretty good shape. Its 5* but in reality this is more 3* as we would know it. Its a pretty standard boat spread over a number of decks.
1. Lowest accommodaton deck (waterline)
2. Reception/entrance and accommodation
3. Restaurant and upper accommodtion deck
4. Shop/Lounge/bar/dancefloor leading out to 1/2 deck with beds tables and shade
5. Uppermost deck for sunbathing and small plunge pool approx 12ft square
Food - A little repetative with veal being on the menu in different guises on at least 4 of the 7 3 course meals. Breakfasts were the same and buffet lunches similar.
Breakfast: cereal, assorted croissants/breads, fresh fruit, omlette to order, fried eggs and generally some kind of hot sausage dish
Lunch/dinner alternated between a set 3 course meal or buffet depending on the ships programme.
3 course meal was soup, main meal and desert with different breads and generally a salad/dip available on the table
Buffet, salad, cheese, assorted breads, generally one of chips, mash, rice, pasta with a choice of two hot dishes and two hot veg either in a sauce or on their own. assorted deserts and pastries to 'die for'
All in all with the exception of some strange plates during the 3 course (Veal, peas, cauliflower and pasta - no sauce?) the food was good. Chefs were immaculate and all wore gloves at all times. Service was excellent.
No pharoahs revenge seen at anytime during th 70 ish passengers (low season). Trainee waiter salary was £15 a week but received bonuses (our tips? £15 per head on second day was requested which was distributed evenly throughout the crew) and tips if you wished at the end of the trip for good service
We had an upper room (3rd deck) with a double bed. Room was adequate (you only sleep there!) but I felt the shower room a little cramped. enough drawer/hanging space for 2 for a week (and my mrs does pack some stuff!)
I think double rooms are limited, the 'other' rooms I saw on the 1st and 2nd flloors were mostly made up of foldaway bunks so the rooms could be used by up to four persons.
Drinks
Egyptian wine £12 - 15 per bottle
Beer (local bottle) £2.20 for 500ml, Heineken was available £2.50 330ml can
Tins of coke, sprite etc £1.00 a tin
Water £1.00 1.5ltr bottle
All in all our bar bill was £100 for the week settled by credit card on the evening before our final day, and whilst we didnt go mad, certainly didnt go short... early starts most mornings though.
Trips were superb, we had the 'full package' and paid the extra for the Abu Simbal trip - not to be missed! even though its an early start and 3hr coach journey. Both tours guides were extremly good. Thanks Meesham and Waied - should you ever read this!
Entertainment was minimal.. belly dancer on final evening and a 'show' put on by the crew on two occasion which really consisted of some egyption dancing which led to the crew members getting the guests up butlins style for a dance. Another night we all dressed up for dinner in traditional Egyptian attire and had the guides having some fun playing games which consisted of us brits and the dutch that were on board making a fool of ourselves, but fun was had by all and there was no pressure to join in should you not want to. The 'clothes' can be bought anywhere including onboard. But we had some real fun before transitting the lock as small boats surrond the ship and throw clothes in bags from their boats to the upperdecks of the passing ships. If you like what you get, the bartering starts. Get the lowest price by haggling and throwing the gear back if you dont like what you hear, it will come back at at lower price... ;0)
People 'ashore' can be a pain with their continuous hassleing but they are fairly polite and do accept NO after about the 5th time and there is no way any of them would get agressive and touch you. So you shouldnt worry. They will try and sell you anything and starting prices are ridiculous! I wanted a 'cowboy hat' first price was £18 - got it for £2, also a book of the temples, started at £12 got it for £2. Barter stupidly and when you reach a figure they wont sell to you at you know that you have gone to low and start a little higher with the next person - dont worry there are enough of them! Of note there are police everywhere!
Tips:
Take £1 egyptian notes if you can - currency of the toilets! Also the smaller the better egyptian notes if you want to buy anything - its easier. £ notes along with Euros accepted everywhere.
£5 notes (and euro notes) are in demand as sellers like to change their £1 coins/Euros for notes as coins are not accepted in the banks
Generally its accepted that £1uk is = £10 egyptian although the exchange rate is about 11.5 to the pound
Definatly take antibacterial hand wash and use it frequently!
We took some 'dettol' wipes and had a once over of the cabin, not sure if it was needed but we felt better
Toilets at the temples: Paper was not able to be flushed and limited supply - take wet wipes..
Dont drink the water from the taps, dont even clean your teeth with the water - use bottled for everything. Coffee/tea onboard all made with bottled water. Not sure about the ice - we avoided it..
Well there is a lot more I can tell you and I have pics should anybody want some but i'll close for now.
PM me for any more info
Bon Voyage
So I have been and returned unscathed having had a fantastic week on the Nephtis Oberoi Deluxe - Nile Cruiser
The boat is approx 15yrs old and in pretty good shape. Its 5* but in reality this is more 3* as we would know it. Its a pretty standard boat spread over a number of decks.
1. Lowest accommodaton deck (waterline)
2. Reception/entrance and accommodation
3. Restaurant and upper accommodtion deck
4. Shop/Lounge/bar/dancefloor leading out to 1/2 deck with beds tables and shade
5. Uppermost deck for sunbathing and small plunge pool approx 12ft square
Food - A little repetative with veal being on the menu in different guises on at least 4 of the 7 3 course meals. Breakfasts were the same and buffet lunches similar.
Breakfast: cereal, assorted croissants/breads, fresh fruit, omlette to order, fried eggs and generally some kind of hot sausage dish
Lunch/dinner alternated between a set 3 course meal or buffet depending on the ships programme.
3 course meal was soup, main meal and desert with different breads and generally a salad/dip available on the table
Buffet, salad, cheese, assorted breads, generally one of chips, mash, rice, pasta with a choice of two hot dishes and two hot veg either in a sauce or on their own. assorted deserts and pastries to 'die for'
All in all with the exception of some strange plates during the 3 course (Veal, peas, cauliflower and pasta - no sauce?) the food was good. Chefs were immaculate and all wore gloves at all times. Service was excellent.
No pharoahs revenge seen at anytime during th 70 ish passengers (low season). Trainee waiter salary was £15 a week but received bonuses (our tips? £15 per head on second day was requested which was distributed evenly throughout the crew) and tips if you wished at the end of the trip for good service
We had an upper room (3rd deck) with a double bed. Room was adequate (you only sleep there!) but I felt the shower room a little cramped. enough drawer/hanging space for 2 for a week (and my mrs does pack some stuff!)
I think double rooms are limited, the 'other' rooms I saw on the 1st and 2nd flloors were mostly made up of foldaway bunks so the rooms could be used by up to four persons.
Drinks
Egyptian wine £12 - 15 per bottle
Beer (local bottle) £2.20 for 500ml, Heineken was available £2.50 330ml can
Tins of coke, sprite etc £1.00 a tin
Water £1.00 1.5ltr bottle
All in all our bar bill was £100 for the week settled by credit card on the evening before our final day, and whilst we didnt go mad, certainly didnt go short... early starts most mornings though.
Trips were superb, we had the 'full package' and paid the extra for the Abu Simbal trip - not to be missed! even though its an early start and 3hr coach journey. Both tours guides were extremly good. Thanks Meesham and Waied - should you ever read this!
Entertainment was minimal.. belly dancer on final evening and a 'show' put on by the crew on two occasion which really consisted of some egyption dancing which led to the crew members getting the guests up butlins style for a dance. Another night we all dressed up for dinner in traditional Egyptian attire and had the guides having some fun playing games which consisted of us brits and the dutch that were on board making a fool of ourselves, but fun was had by all and there was no pressure to join in should you not want to. The 'clothes' can be bought anywhere including onboard. But we had some real fun before transitting the lock as small boats surrond the ship and throw clothes in bags from their boats to the upperdecks of the passing ships. If you like what you get, the bartering starts. Get the lowest price by haggling and throwing the gear back if you dont like what you hear, it will come back at at lower price... ;0)
People 'ashore' can be a pain with their continuous hassleing but they are fairly polite and do accept NO after about the 5th time and there is no way any of them would get agressive and touch you. So you shouldnt worry. They will try and sell you anything and starting prices are ridiculous! I wanted a 'cowboy hat' first price was £18 - got it for £2, also a book of the temples, started at £12 got it for £2. Barter stupidly and when you reach a figure they wont sell to you at you know that you have gone to low and start a little higher with the next person - dont worry there are enough of them! Of note there are police everywhere!
Tips:
Take £1 egyptian notes if you can - currency of the toilets! Also the smaller the better egyptian notes if you want to buy anything - its easier. £ notes along with Euros accepted everywhere.
£5 notes (and euro notes) are in demand as sellers like to change their £1 coins/Euros for notes as coins are not accepted in the banks
Generally its accepted that £1uk is = £10 egyptian although the exchange rate is about 11.5 to the pound
Definatly take antibacterial hand wash and use it frequently!
We took some 'dettol' wipes and had a once over of the cabin, not sure if it was needed but we felt better
Toilets at the temples: Paper was not able to be flushed and limited supply - take wet wipes..
Dont drink the water from the taps, dont even clean your teeth with the water - use bottled for everything. Coffee/tea onboard all made with bottled water. Not sure about the ice - we avoided it..
Well there is a lot more I can tell you and I have pics should anybody want some but i'll close for now.
PM me for any more info
Bon Voyage
We just returned from Egypt to Cyprus in which we chose to add a 3 night Nile cruise into our itinerary. We flew from Larnaca to Cairo then changed flights to head straight up to Aswan (arriving just after midnight). We had a few nights in the Isis Corniche hotel and took our cruise on Friday 18th May.
We were on M/S Odyssey, one of 7 ships belonging to Presidential Nile Cruise company. The cabins were well equipped and included free safety deposit boxes and a mini-fridge/bar.
The food was exceptional with buffet meals for breakfast and lunch with dinner being waiter service. Drinks prices were reasonable (LE25 for Stella local beer and LE20 for a glass of white wine. Soft drinks were LE8.50 and tea/coffee at LE7.50).
Our cabin was attended 3 times daily with our towels being folded into differing shapes each day from Lotus flowers, to elephants and ducks.
The guide we had for our excursions was called Bassem and although he explained the history to the uninitiated amongst us - he was not boring at all. He used some of us as Egyptian gods and pharoes to describe how things happened - so it was amusing too.
We booked the holiday including flights, hotels & cruise totally independently from a tour operator and paid 60 US dollars (a little over £30) per person per night, which included all excursions and meals onboard ship.
All in all, it was excellent and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone else who is thinking of taking this trip.
They offer 3, 4 & 7 night cruise itineries.
Our excursions included - Aswan high dam, Philae temple, Edfu temple, Kom Ombo temple, Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsuts temple.
The 4 night cruise included Esna temple, Luxor & Karnak temples.
Enjoy
Regards
Cyprus100
We were on M/S Odyssey, one of 7 ships belonging to Presidential Nile Cruise company. The cabins were well equipped and included free safety deposit boxes and a mini-fridge/bar.
The food was exceptional with buffet meals for breakfast and lunch with dinner being waiter service. Drinks prices were reasonable (LE25 for Stella local beer and LE20 for a glass of white wine. Soft drinks were LE8.50 and tea/coffee at LE7.50).
Our cabin was attended 3 times daily with our towels being folded into differing shapes each day from Lotus flowers, to elephants and ducks.
The guide we had for our excursions was called Bassem and although he explained the history to the uninitiated amongst us - he was not boring at all. He used some of us as Egyptian gods and pharoes to describe how things happened - so it was amusing too.
We booked the holiday including flights, hotels & cruise totally independently from a tour operator and paid 60 US dollars (a little over £30) per person per night, which included all excursions and meals onboard ship.
All in all, it was excellent and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone else who is thinking of taking this trip.
They offer 3, 4 & 7 night cruise itineries.
Our excursions included - Aswan high dam, Philae temple, Edfu temple, Kom Ombo temple, Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsuts temple.
The 4 night cruise included Esna temple, Luxor & Karnak temples.
Enjoy
Regards
Cyprus100
I have just stayed on this boat and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Although some guests complained about the food, I thought it was of a good standard with a range of choice for each meal. Of course, if you go on a cruise in Egypt, the food is going to be somewhat different to that which you eat at home!
The staff made every effort to ensure that guests were comfortable and our guide was excellent. I would recommend this holiday to anyone!
The staff made every effort to ensure that guests were comfortable and our guide was excellent. I would recommend this holiday to anyone!
I was due to go on a NIle Cruise wiith First Choice last year but had to cancel at the last moment due to a serious illness. We made another attempt a few weeks ago. Be very very careful indeed when booking with First Choice. They operate TWO boats and it make a BIG difference which boat you are allocated to.
I have just(well on 3rd March) returned from a Nile Cruise with First Choice. Like many others FC do not let you know what ship you are booked onto until arrival at Luxor. After my experiences from the trip I would recommend that you do find out what ship-- it is important for a few reasons.
I will not go into which boat is better etc- I'll leave that to another day to discuss that
My wife and I were allocated the M/S Tulip on an AI basis. Both the Tulip and Orchid were moored up by each other in Luxor.
The Orchid left that evening for the lock at Esna and probably arrived early(very sensible indeed!) to be at the front of the queue to go through the lock.
The Tulip for some unknown reason to me at the time left at 0615hrs the following morning. Thus arriving at Esna Lock about 10am at the back of a very long queue. We eventually went through the lock at 0630hrs the following morning. As a consequence of this all our excursions were out of synch so to speak. The Orchids excursions were as it was as shown on the FC website. The Tulip's should have been exactly the same!
What this actually meant, and the Egyptologist who takes over as FC Rep on the Tulip could not explain why, was that the last and main excursion to the Valley of the Kings etc was done on Monday morning the day of departure. Anyone who has done a Cruise will know that this can be a very tiring excursion. More importantly to me and many other FC passengers on board, we were then NOT able to do the balloon trip which so many of us were looking forward to.
On that Monday morning every FC passenger on the excursion(mostly all of us- about 40) were given a call at 0500am to leave at 6am. All our luggage had to be packed and left outside the cabin by 6am. Breakfast had to be had before 6am. We arrived back at the boat at 1230pm after being rushed along during the morning. Lunch was available then. About three cabins were put aside for all of us to share etc to wash/shower and change. All our luggage though was out in the reception area. To be fair that was well organised by the very good on-board staff. The bus came to take us to the airport at 3.30pm.
Nearly evryone was annoyed by having the West Bank trip on the last day. Many like myself were driving back home from Gatwick. The last day, as advertised on the FC website itinerary for the trip, was supposed to be relaxing-- rubbish! I was completely knackered driving home to Wales.
The FC Rep, who spent ALL her time on the Orchid was noticeable by her absence on the Tulip.
If anyone is booked on the Tulip I would suggest you make completely sure with FC when the boat leaves Luxor. If they cannot then on arrival at Luxor make a big fuss with the FC Rep abouit what time the boat will leave. It is very very important.
Spending more or less a whole day in the queue at Esna was not a nice experience. You could actually taste the diesel fumes inside the ship that built up.The other excursions were OK. My wife and I actually spent a few hours at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan watching the sun go down.
We are going back to Luxor later in the year under our own staem, so to speak. We are going to stay in an Egyptian style hotel on the West Bank away from the maddening crowds. It is so much nicer to stay on that side.
We visited Edfu Temple of the way to Aswan. When we reached Aswan a few of the passengers actually leave the boat. More groups are booked on the Tulip from Aswan to Luxor. Personally, that is where it all falls down. The Tulip is more interested in waiting for paying passengers than keeping to a schedule. I would not be surprised if that is why it always leaves Luxor very late. The orchid does not have that problem as it is fully booked the whole trip with FC passengers. That must be better.
The ship then stopped again at Edfu on the way back to Luxor for the new passengers to do the trip. More time lost here as well.
The entertainment, if one can call it that. Ok- it wasn't too bad on the way to Aswan but it is then duplicated for the new passengers on the way back. This is when it all fell very flat. The 2nd galabaya evening was a complete disaster as was the 'staff' show. The new passengers were Japanese and USA based Indians who had no 'get and go' for the evenings.
The plus sides of being on the Tulip. WE got to know nearly all the FC passengers(about 40 of us) very well indeed. We all went on the excursions together.
The food on the Tulip was in my opinion, very good indeed. I think most passengers agreed with this. The staff were absolutely excellent.
We were actually moored up against the Orchid at Luxor on our departure. I over heard some of their passengers, who were looking around the Tulip, saying that it appeared a better looking boat especially the bar area. I looked around the Orchid and did agree. having said that- it is the staff and fellow passengers that make it for me. AND of course -- the schedule.
I am sure the food and staff were equally as good on the orchid.
One really sour thing which was very distasteful. The Egyptologist who doubled up as a FC Rep on the Tulip, was 'on the make big style'. Future Tulip passengers NEED to be aware of this. He will NOT book you on any excursions unless you pay a supplement of £7 , that is UK £s, EACH-- not per couple or cabin but EACH. Apparently, according to him, it is for tipping the drivers. He said it would make it much easier for ourselves. Hi did not mention that it probably did not do him any harm either. He collected probably £UK 250plus!!!! just to tip the odd driver! Do me a favour!!!
I did see him from time to time slip the driver some money but it was no more that EL50. As 'Del Boy' would say-- 'He had a nice little earner'.
On our return to the UK my wife was admitted to hospital for 5 days with heatstroke and dehydration. The hectic schedule on the last two days , did, in my view, contribute to my wife's illness.
I have written a letter of complaint to First Choice highlighting all what I have pointed out above. I wonder if I will get a reply?
I have just(well on 3rd March) returned from a Nile Cruise with First Choice. Like many others FC do not let you know what ship you are booked onto until arrival at Luxor. After my experiences from the trip I would recommend that you do find out what ship-- it is important for a few reasons.
I will not go into which boat is better etc- I'll leave that to another day to discuss that
My wife and I were allocated the M/S Tulip on an AI basis. Both the Tulip and Orchid were moored up by each other in Luxor.
The Orchid left that evening for the lock at Esna and probably arrived early(very sensible indeed!) to be at the front of the queue to go through the lock.
The Tulip for some unknown reason to me at the time left at 0615hrs the following morning. Thus arriving at Esna Lock about 10am at the back of a very long queue. We eventually went through the lock at 0630hrs the following morning. As a consequence of this all our excursions were out of synch so to speak. The Orchids excursions were as it was as shown on the FC website. The Tulip's should have been exactly the same!
What this actually meant, and the Egyptologist who takes over as FC Rep on the Tulip could not explain why, was that the last and main excursion to the Valley of the Kings etc was done on Monday morning the day of departure. Anyone who has done a Cruise will know that this can be a very tiring excursion. More importantly to me and many other FC passengers on board, we were then NOT able to do the balloon trip which so many of us were looking forward to.
On that Monday morning every FC passenger on the excursion(mostly all of us- about 40) were given a call at 0500am to leave at 6am. All our luggage had to be packed and left outside the cabin by 6am. Breakfast had to be had before 6am. We arrived back at the boat at 1230pm after being rushed along during the morning. Lunch was available then. About three cabins were put aside for all of us to share etc to wash/shower and change. All our luggage though was out in the reception area. To be fair that was well organised by the very good on-board staff. The bus came to take us to the airport at 3.30pm.
Nearly evryone was annoyed by having the West Bank trip on the last day. Many like myself were driving back home from Gatwick. The last day, as advertised on the FC website itinerary for the trip, was supposed to be relaxing-- rubbish! I was completely knackered driving home to Wales.
The FC Rep, who spent ALL her time on the Orchid was noticeable by her absence on the Tulip.
If anyone is booked on the Tulip I would suggest you make completely sure with FC when the boat leaves Luxor. If they cannot then on arrival at Luxor make a big fuss with the FC Rep abouit what time the boat will leave. It is very very important.
Spending more or less a whole day in the queue at Esna was not a nice experience. You could actually taste the diesel fumes inside the ship that built up.The other excursions were OK. My wife and I actually spent a few hours at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan watching the sun go down.
We are going back to Luxor later in the year under our own staem, so to speak. We are going to stay in an Egyptian style hotel on the West Bank away from the maddening crowds. It is so much nicer to stay on that side.
We visited Edfu Temple of the way to Aswan. When we reached Aswan a few of the passengers actually leave the boat. More groups are booked on the Tulip from Aswan to Luxor. Personally, that is where it all falls down. The Tulip is more interested in waiting for paying passengers than keeping to a schedule. I would not be surprised if that is why it always leaves Luxor very late. The orchid does not have that problem as it is fully booked the whole trip with FC passengers. That must be better.
The ship then stopped again at Edfu on the way back to Luxor for the new passengers to do the trip. More time lost here as well.
The entertainment, if one can call it that. Ok- it wasn't too bad on the way to Aswan but it is then duplicated for the new passengers on the way back. This is when it all fell very flat. The 2nd galabaya evening was a complete disaster as was the 'staff' show. The new passengers were Japanese and USA based Indians who had no 'get and go' for the evenings.
The plus sides of being on the Tulip. WE got to know nearly all the FC passengers(about 40 of us) very well indeed. We all went on the excursions together.
The food on the Tulip was in my opinion, very good indeed. I think most passengers agreed with this. The staff were absolutely excellent.
We were actually moored up against the Orchid at Luxor on our departure. I over heard some of their passengers, who were looking around the Tulip, saying that it appeared a better looking boat especially the bar area. I looked around the Orchid and did agree. having said that- it is the staff and fellow passengers that make it for me. AND of course -- the schedule.
I am sure the food and staff were equally as good on the orchid.
One really sour thing which was very distasteful. The Egyptologist who doubled up as a FC Rep on the Tulip, was 'on the make big style'. Future Tulip passengers NEED to be aware of this. He will NOT book you on any excursions unless you pay a supplement of £7 , that is UK £s, EACH-- not per couple or cabin but EACH. Apparently, according to him, it is for tipping the drivers. He said it would make it much easier for ourselves. Hi did not mention that it probably did not do him any harm either. He collected probably £UK 250plus!!!! just to tip the odd driver! Do me a favour!!!
I did see him from time to time slip the driver some money but it was no more that EL50. As 'Del Boy' would say-- 'He had a nice little earner'.
On our return to the UK my wife was admitted to hospital for 5 days with heatstroke and dehydration. The hectic schedule on the last two days , did, in my view, contribute to my wife's illness.
I have written a letter of complaint to First Choice highlighting all what I have pointed out above. I wonder if I will get a reply?
just returned from this boat. We booked through fast track holidays and the tour operator was med hotels
Rooms
the room was a descent size for this type of boat. Very clean, it was a triple room with one bed being a bunk. i thought this was a good idea as it meant the extra bed did not take up too much room. I was a bit close to the ceiling though and had to be careful not to bang my head in a morning. We were three woman and managed to hang up all our clothes in the wardrobe so space was ok. The cabin boy changed towels and bedding daily. there was a television and radio but the weather was beautiful so neither were used
Communal areas
Ill start with the sundeck. this was on two floors, the pool was on the bottom where there was also seating and the bar lounge and there were steps on each side up to the sunbathing areas. The only gripe was that there were not enough sun loungers for all the passengers and the french passengers got up at the crack of dawn to put towels on leaving none for the englisg passengers. But if you did manage to get a bed it was lovely up there. By the pool there was also some gym equiptment but only seemed the kids used it. The bar lounge was tastefully decorated and comfortable and the staff were lovely and friendly.
Food
No complaints at all about the food, buffet style usually a choice of rice potatoes veg 2 types of meat or fish and a pasta dish cooked by the chef. Beatiful desserts and they made me a beautiful cake for my birthday. Breakfast was the usual breads and pastries, salads and cheeses omlettes or fried eggs, juice cereal and coffee and tea so a good choice.
we booked this trip without trips as we took the trips last year and wanted to do some of the optional ones instead. we did the hot air balloon which was fantastic it was £70 and i do know it is available in luxor for half the price, however, the morning we went some other passengers had booked with jollies, ours went but theirs didnt after having got up at four when they got there they were told it was too windy, yet we went on ours at the same time. We did Abu simbel which i thoroughly recommend and cairo for the day by plane, which in hindsight, 2 days would have been better as i felt we were rushed, particularly in the museum where i would have loved to spend more time.
the tips.....seems to be everyones gripe......but they asked for £10 for the crew and £5 for the guide which I thought reasonable, they do work hard. we paid this at the end of the week. Also at the end of the week the bar bill was settled, there were no problems here and i did notice that every time we signed the receipt there was a line through itso nothing else could be added and it was exactly what it should have been i checked the dockets.
The guide on the boat was very informative and friendly and mixed with the passengers, which was nice.
Rooms
the room was a descent size for this type of boat. Very clean, it was a triple room with one bed being a bunk. i thought this was a good idea as it meant the extra bed did not take up too much room. I was a bit close to the ceiling though and had to be careful not to bang my head in a morning. We were three woman and managed to hang up all our clothes in the wardrobe so space was ok. The cabin boy changed towels and bedding daily. there was a television and radio but the weather was beautiful so neither were used
Communal areas
Ill start with the sundeck. this was on two floors, the pool was on the bottom where there was also seating and the bar lounge and there were steps on each side up to the sunbathing areas. The only gripe was that there were not enough sun loungers for all the passengers and the french passengers got up at the crack of dawn to put towels on leaving none for the englisg passengers. But if you did manage to get a bed it was lovely up there. By the pool there was also some gym equiptment but only seemed the kids used it. The bar lounge was tastefully decorated and comfortable and the staff were lovely and friendly.
Food
No complaints at all about the food, buffet style usually a choice of rice potatoes veg 2 types of meat or fish and a pasta dish cooked by the chef. Beatiful desserts and they made me a beautiful cake for my birthday. Breakfast was the usual breads and pastries, salads and cheeses omlettes or fried eggs, juice cereal and coffee and tea so a good choice.
we booked this trip without trips as we took the trips last year and wanted to do some of the optional ones instead. we did the hot air balloon which was fantastic it was £70 and i do know it is available in luxor for half the price, however, the morning we went some other passengers had booked with jollies, ours went but theirs didnt after having got up at four when they got there they were told it was too windy, yet we went on ours at the same time. We did Abu simbel which i thoroughly recommend and cairo for the day by plane, which in hindsight, 2 days would have been better as i felt we were rushed, particularly in the museum where i would have loved to spend more time.
the tips.....seems to be everyones gripe......but they asked for £10 for the crew and £5 for the guide which I thought reasonable, they do work hard. we paid this at the end of the week. Also at the end of the week the bar bill was settled, there were no problems here and i did notice that every time we signed the receipt there was a line through itso nothing else could be added and it was exactly what it should have been i checked the dockets.
The guide on the boat was very informative and friendly and mixed with the passengers, which was nice.
First Choice
Brief Review
Food
Superb. A great selection - bit not for the pie and chips crowd. We had a bucketload of moaning fools on our boat lamenting the loss of chips 7 days a week. If you are that obsessed with McDonalds and Pizza Hut, stay at home!!
Accommodation
A bit tatty/dated but to be expected. Clean and perfectly adequate.
Excursions
Superb - but we had Islam, the pro. Go with Islam... if you end up with Sam *change groups*!!!
We had Sam for the Abu Simbel excursion and he was useless.
Service
All friendly, proud people who will see to your every need.
Drinks
Better than at our hotel (Conrad). Beer often cool but other drinks often warm. This is mostly done to prevent you getting tummy upsets - cold drinks in extremely hot climate = illness.
All in all a trip of a lifetime... but take anything the reos say with a pinch of salt!
Brief Review
Food
Superb. A great selection - bit not for the pie and chips crowd. We had a bucketload of moaning fools on our boat lamenting the loss of chips 7 days a week. If you are that obsessed with McDonalds and Pizza Hut, stay at home!!
Accommodation
A bit tatty/dated but to be expected. Clean and perfectly adequate.
Excursions
Superb - but we had Islam, the pro. Go with Islam... if you end up with Sam *change groups*!!!
We had Sam for the Abu Simbel excursion and he was useless.
Service
All friendly, proud people who will see to your every need.
Drinks
Better than at our hotel (Conrad). Beer often cool but other drinks often warm. This is mostly done to prevent you getting tummy upsets - cold drinks in extremely hot climate = illness.
All in all a trip of a lifetime... but take anything the reos say with a pinch of salt!
Hi again
Well we are just back (Feb 2009) from our second Nile Cruise onboard the First Choice boat the MS Orchid which is owned & operated by Coral Sea, part of the Wings Group on behalf of TUI / First Choice.
It is worth noting that First Choice also operate cruises on the MS Tulip & Jasmin which follow a slightly different itinerary in as much as that they stay for 2 days in Luxor and do the East & West bank excursions prior to starting their cruise, however guests on the Tulip / Jasmin still get all the same tours and excursions.
The Ms Orchid is operated on an All Inclusive basis with British guests only, the Tulip / Jasmin operate on a mixed board basis, with some guest on AI and others on Full Board, the Tulip / Jasmin also have mixed nationality guests on board.
http://www.wingsegypt.com/en/cruises/index.asp.htm will take you to their website for more info on the boat, ignore the section where it details the 3 or 4 night program as this no longer applies.
Arrival in Egypt
On the flight out to Egypt you will be given an entry visa landing card, to save time fill this in on the plane. For the entry visa we simply placed £15 (must be Bank of England notes) in each passport and take this along with your entry visa to one of the small banks on the left just as you enter the airport you MUST do this BEFORE going to passport control.
We (again) went to the very last small bank at the far end as you enter and we were given change back so the visa actually cost us £10.22 each, however some of the passengers going to the other banks were not given any change from their £15.00. The whole process is very simple and quick and hassle free, (You can change money at these banks if you require any Egyptian currency, or use one of the ATMs in the airport).
From this point just proceed through immigration and then on to collect your luggage.
Meeting your tour company representative
After you have collected your luggage you will meet the tour company rep just OUTSIDE the airport who will give you a label for your case on which you write your accommodation (Orchid or Tulip/Jasmin), you will then be directed to your coach.
A word of caution here, if you give your luggage to anybody to take it to the coach you will be expected to give them and all the rest of the porters who suddenly appear a tip, just take the case to the coach yourself and WATCH it being put on the coach.
The MS Orchid
The transfer from Luxor airport to the Coral Sea berth will only take 25-30 minutes, on your arrival at the boat (unlike our past trip there was no welcome drink or refreshing hot towel) you are taken upstairs past reception to the lounge to fill in the form you will have been given, complete the form and make your way to reception to be allocated your cabin, in our case a Superior Cabin.
There are approximately 61 cabins on board the boat. Standard cabins are located on the lower deck with the superior cabins located on the 2nd and 3rd decks. The junior suites are located on the 2nd deck, they are a bit larger than a standard / superior cabin with an additional window but other than that they are not that much different from other cabins and in my opinion not really worth the extra cost.
The cabins all have a window with a view of the Nile or boat moored next you, note you will end up moored beside another boat or with one moored beside you, so if you open your curtains you may be looking in to the cabin of another boat. This also means that you may have to walk through other boats to get to and from the shore, but this is no problem as they are moored against each other and if you want you can go and take a look in the shop on the other boats.
All cabins have either twin or double beds (not common), a bathroom with a half size bath and a shower above, a hairdryer is also provided in the bathroom along with shampoo and shower gel.
The cabins also have an ample size wardrobe with plenty of hanging space and plenty of drawer space is also provided.
You also have a fridge and TV, I never tried the TV for any programs so cant tell you what channels you will receive if any.
In the superior cabins there is also a small table and chair, I am not sure if these are provided in the standard rooms, but we never used them anyway so not a problem if you dont have them.
All cabins have a safety deposit box provided free of charge which you program your own code in to.
The decor in the rooms has now been redone as part of the refit that the Orchid received last year, 2008.
The actual refit has been very low key, a freshening up of the wallpaper and some new carpeting in the bedrooms and also a fresh lick of paint in other areas and new covers on chairs.
The male cleaners do very good jobs of cleaning your room, and providing fresh towels that are made up in to different designs every day.
Must just mention one point about the towels, they are no longer white and have turned a slightly greyish colour which a lot of people were moaning about, but the towels are cleaned and replaced every day.
Dining on board
The Orchid has a dining room on the 3rd deck where all your breakfasts, lunch and dinners are taken on a buffet basis.
Breakfast is available from 08:00 to 09:30 and consists of a selection of fruit, yogurts, cereals, pastries, bread, jams, honey, cheese, cold meats, fruit juice etc.
Also available were some hot dishes including a form of Egyptian porridge, sausage, boiled eggs etc.
The made to order omelettes are very nice or you can just ask for a fried egg.
Dinner is served at 20:00 and is announced by a bellboy ringing a small bell on each deck.
The first night on board you will be shown to a table for 4 or 6 and this will be your table for the remainder of the cruise (I hope you like your other table companions).
Dinner is again a buffet with a good selection of dishes that change every evening and consists of a choice 2 soups and a choice of several meat & fish dishes.
There were several vegetarians on board and they still found plenty to eat and always had a large and varied meal and never had any complaints.
Various breads, cheeses, salad items were also available and there were several sweets and also fruit on the buffet.
There is a Gala dinner one night where it is all waiter service and you will have to order your meal the day before.
Bottled water is provided on the tables and if you require more just ask.
Lunch is very similar in style to dinner with a wide choice of varied items available and is served from 13:00, this may vary slightly when a particular excursion requires it.
The style of food has changed slightly over the last 2 years and is now more based on the British style of food and not so much local Egyptian.
The dress code is very informal, casual shorts during the day and either long trousers or smart shorts for evening dinner.
Drinks
You have a drinks choice of, water (poured from bottle), red / white & rose wines, and beer (Luxor), cola (regular and diet) and diluting fruit juice all drinks are served by the (small) glass.
Locally produced Whisky? hmmm, Vodka, Gin, Brandy etc are all also available.
Tea (normal and a choice of herbal if you ask for it) and coffee can be obtained at various times during the day from the bar area with biscuits and cakes available at 17:00.
There are no elevenses now, you used to get tea / coffee & biscuits served on deck at 11:00 but that is now no longer the case.
Bottled water is available at 15L.E from the bar, but be aware that if you buy it after midnight the price increases.
A small bottle of water is provided to those going out on excursions booked via the rep.
Ship deck layout
Deck 4 consists of the main bar / lounge and an outside bar area, there is also a small fitness suite consisting of a bike, stepper and treadmill.
There is also massage room where you can get a massage at a very reasonable cost, my wife had a full body massage and facial lasting for over an hour at a cost of 200L.E.
A small sauna (local charge) is also situated in this area.
The lounge area is where all the (corny) entertainment takes place in the evening and to be honest the entertainment was very poor compared to our previous cruise.
I must just mention that the boat is (allegedly) now non-smoking in all the public areas and you can only smoke in your cabin or on one of the open deck areas.
I say allegedly as there is one particular manager who still walks about smoking (trying to hide it behind his back) and also the staff smoke within the shop.
There is a snooker table and (a very slow) internet connection located to the front of the boat past the bar.
The top sun deck (5) has a small plunge pool that is not heated and very cold and also a very nice Hot Tub / Jacuzzi.
There is an ample amount of sun beds and also tables and chairs with cover provided by small gazebo style canopies. Fresh towels for the sun beds are available from the wooden box located near the stairs.
Just outside the dining room is a small shop that is an Aladdins cave selling all sorts of items with no hassle. You can also get your pictures transferred on to cd if you require it for about £6.
If you happen to have a birthday or are celebrating an occasion while on board the crew will have you up doing a song and dance.
The onboard camera man will be sticking his lens in your face several times during the cruise and the video is available to purchase at the end of the cruise.
Extras
There is a very efficient laundry service on board, just phone it through to reception or leave it in your room in the laundry bag provided and it will be returned bag to your room washed and ironed in a few hours. This cost of this service has increased considerably over the last 2 years but is still reasonable with the cost for each item as follows in Egyptian L.E (approx sterling)
Gents
Shirt = 8.00 (1.00p)
T Shirt = 4.00 (50p)
Trousers = 12.00 (1.50)
Shorts = 4.00 (50p)
Ladies
Blouse =8.00 (1.00p)
Dress = 20(2.50p)
Skirt = 16 (2.00p)
All extras are placed on your tab that gets settled at the end of the week.
Excursions
Paying for your excursions can be done via a MasterCard, Visa credit/debit card which is then converted in to $US or by cash in Sterling or even Euros.
First Choice have a complete tour excursion program with all transport and a fully qualified Egyptologist available for you to purchase at the following cost per person (£ Sterling)
Edfu = £24.00
Kom Ombo Temple = £15.00
Felucca sail boat = £12
Aswan tour = £50.00
(inc Philae Temple, high dam etc)
West Bank = £45.00
(inc Valley of Kings, Valley of Queens, Hatshepsut temple)
East Bank = £34.00
(Karnak & Luxor temples)
Or you can buy a complete package that includes all of the above for £148 (adult)
Also available-
Philae Sound & Light show £24
Camel ride in Luxor £14
Karnak Sound and Light Show £22
The MUST DO Abu Simbel trip from Aswan is an extra £75.00 by road or £140.00 by air.
It is possible to go in to Aswan and just arrange a Taxi to take you to Abu Simbel and if you share with 4 it works out quite cheaply, 2 couples did this from the boat.
The extra hot air balloon trip in Luxor on Monday morning is an additional £90.00 per person (they did have an offer on at £135 per couple). This trip is absolutely fantastic and well worth the money, however here is a great money saving tip that makes it even better.
NOTE this ONLY applies when following the Ms Orchid itinerary and you arrive back in Luxor on the Friday.
When you return to Luxor after your cruise go in to Luxor as soon as you can and go to Jolleys (or one of the other small travel agents located there), and book the exact same trip for about £35 per person, payable in L.E or by card.
You will be picked up at the boat then taken for a short sail to the west bank with tea / coffee and cake, then taken for your balloon flight and finally taken back and dropped off at the boat.
This is exactly the same trip as those who book it through First Choice, the only difference is the saving that you make.
Try to book this as soon as you can as the balloon trips sell out quickly for the Monday.
Jolleys is located to the right of the Sofitel Winter Palace hotel in Luxor.
More Jolleys Prices all in Egyptian Pounds (£)
West Bank 300LE (£38)
East Bank 210LE (£27)
Camel Ride 45LE (£5.80)
Karnak Sound & Light 130LE (£16.80)
REMEMBER you can also Haggle on the price at Jolleys
If you are staying for a second week in Luxor it might be worth booking your excursions locally rather than through the rep.
Currency
You can obtain Egyptian currency (L.E) at the airport when you obtain the entry visa at the small banks, or alternatively you can exchange Sterling in the shop on board and the exchange rate is comparable with a bank.
If you are out on an excursion and want an ATM just ask the rep/guide and they will stop at one for you no problem.
Tipping
At the end of the week you will be given 2 plain envelopes, one for the 2 Egyptologists and one for all the crew.
The recommended gratuity is mentioned and this should be used as a guide, give whatever you want or think is deserved, we gave much more to the crew as this gets split 72 ways compared to the Egyptologist which is split twice.
The amount of complaints about tipping from guests was unbelievable, you remain anonymous when you hand over your envelope so GIVE WHAT YOU WANT! End of story.
Various Points & tips worth noting
The Coral Sea berth is located outside Luxor so you wont have the opportunity to just walk off the boat and explore Luxor, you will have to take a Taxi from the gate in to Luxor and this will cost you 30-35 L.E (about £2)
If taking a taxi anywhere you MUST haggle over the price and agree it before you get in, ensure that you have agreed the price in Egyptian L.E or Sterling and that it is for everybody in your party and not per person.
The cruising is done during both day and night so you may be berthed at one location for a day or two. On the Ms Orchid you set sail on the first night and sail through the night on the first night, after that you will sail during the day and spend 2 nights in Aswan and 2 nights at the end of the cruise in Luxor. The other boats will be slightly different.
The onboard Tour Reps and Egyptologists are not always going to be the same as they get rotated so it is hard to comment on what they will be like at any particular time, but our rep, Rachel was outstanding and couldnt have been more friendly or helpful.
If going on the Abu Simbel trip take the pillow from your room and have a good sleep on the coach.
Paying for excursions can be done via a VISA credit/debit card which was then converted in to $US or by cash in Sterling or Egyptian L.E.
Take some antibacterial wipes or hand gel and use it every time that you touch or come in contact with the Egyptian money or even after you shake a hand (no offense but the traders touch the money all the time).
If you have room for a small travel kettle I would advise that you take it for an early morning cuppa.
Sockets are the 2 pin European style so remember an adaptor.
On your last day you have to vacate your cabin by 10:00 AM, there are some cabins made available for you until it is time to leave the boat.
Departure times vary depending on your next location i.e. going home, staying a further week in Luxor or heading to the Red Sea.
Important if going on excursions take a small amount of toilet roll / tissue with you as you may (will) get charged for the privilege of 2 pieces if using a toilet at one of the monuments / temples.
Conclusion
Overall we again a great time onboard, the staff are excellent and very friendly and cant do enough for you.
Although recently the Ms Orchid has had a refit the boat is perhaps still a small bit tired in some places and not 5* but dont be put off by this as it is only in a couple of areas that you may notice this and the rest of the boat and staff more than make up for any short cummings and I still wouldnt hesitate in recommending this boat or cruise to anybody.
Have a great cruise.
Graham
Well we are just back (Feb 2009) from our second Nile Cruise onboard the First Choice boat the MS Orchid which is owned & operated by Coral Sea, part of the Wings Group on behalf of TUI / First Choice.
It is worth noting that First Choice also operate cruises on the MS Tulip & Jasmin which follow a slightly different itinerary in as much as that they stay for 2 days in Luxor and do the East & West bank excursions prior to starting their cruise, however guests on the Tulip / Jasmin still get all the same tours and excursions.
The Ms Orchid is operated on an All Inclusive basis with British guests only, the Tulip / Jasmin operate on a mixed board basis, with some guest on AI and others on Full Board, the Tulip / Jasmin also have mixed nationality guests on board.
http://www.wingsegypt.com/en/cruises/index.asp.htm will take you to their website for more info on the boat, ignore the section where it details the 3 or 4 night program as this no longer applies.
Arrival in Egypt
On the flight out to Egypt you will be given an entry visa landing card, to save time fill this in on the plane. For the entry visa we simply placed £15 (must be Bank of England notes) in each passport and take this along with your entry visa to one of the small banks on the left just as you enter the airport you MUST do this BEFORE going to passport control.
We (again) went to the very last small bank at the far end as you enter and we were given change back so the visa actually cost us £10.22 each, however some of the passengers going to the other banks were not given any change from their £15.00. The whole process is very simple and quick and hassle free, (You can change money at these banks if you require any Egyptian currency, or use one of the ATMs in the airport).
From this point just proceed through immigration and then on to collect your luggage.
Meeting your tour company representative
After you have collected your luggage you will meet the tour company rep just OUTSIDE the airport who will give you a label for your case on which you write your accommodation (Orchid or Tulip/Jasmin), you will then be directed to your coach.
A word of caution here, if you give your luggage to anybody to take it to the coach you will be expected to give them and all the rest of the porters who suddenly appear a tip, just take the case to the coach yourself and WATCH it being put on the coach.
The MS Orchid
The transfer from Luxor airport to the Coral Sea berth will only take 25-30 minutes, on your arrival at the boat (unlike our past trip there was no welcome drink or refreshing hot towel) you are taken upstairs past reception to the lounge to fill in the form you will have been given, complete the form and make your way to reception to be allocated your cabin, in our case a Superior Cabin.
There are approximately 61 cabins on board the boat. Standard cabins are located on the lower deck with the superior cabins located on the 2nd and 3rd decks. The junior suites are located on the 2nd deck, they are a bit larger than a standard / superior cabin with an additional window but other than that they are not that much different from other cabins and in my opinion not really worth the extra cost.
The cabins all have a window with a view of the Nile or boat moored next you, note you will end up moored beside another boat or with one moored beside you, so if you open your curtains you may be looking in to the cabin of another boat. This also means that you may have to walk through other boats to get to and from the shore, but this is no problem as they are moored against each other and if you want you can go and take a look in the shop on the other boats.
All cabins have either twin or double beds (not common), a bathroom with a half size bath and a shower above, a hairdryer is also provided in the bathroom along with shampoo and shower gel.
The cabins also have an ample size wardrobe with plenty of hanging space and plenty of drawer space is also provided.
You also have a fridge and TV, I never tried the TV for any programs so cant tell you what channels you will receive if any.
In the superior cabins there is also a small table and chair, I am not sure if these are provided in the standard rooms, but we never used them anyway so not a problem if you dont have them.
All cabins have a safety deposit box provided free of charge which you program your own code in to.
The decor in the rooms has now been redone as part of the refit that the Orchid received last year, 2008.
The actual refit has been very low key, a freshening up of the wallpaper and some new carpeting in the bedrooms and also a fresh lick of paint in other areas and new covers on chairs.
The male cleaners do very good jobs of cleaning your room, and providing fresh towels that are made up in to different designs every day.
Must just mention one point about the towels, they are no longer white and have turned a slightly greyish colour which a lot of people were moaning about, but the towels are cleaned and replaced every day.
Dining on board
The Orchid has a dining room on the 3rd deck where all your breakfasts, lunch and dinners are taken on a buffet basis.
Breakfast is available from 08:00 to 09:30 and consists of a selection of fruit, yogurts, cereals, pastries, bread, jams, honey, cheese, cold meats, fruit juice etc.
Also available were some hot dishes including a form of Egyptian porridge, sausage, boiled eggs etc.
The made to order omelettes are very nice or you can just ask for a fried egg.
Dinner is served at 20:00 and is announced by a bellboy ringing a small bell on each deck.
The first night on board you will be shown to a table for 4 or 6 and this will be your table for the remainder of the cruise (I hope you like your other table companions).
Dinner is again a buffet with a good selection of dishes that change every evening and consists of a choice 2 soups and a choice of several meat & fish dishes.
There were several vegetarians on board and they still found plenty to eat and always had a large and varied meal and never had any complaints.
Various breads, cheeses, salad items were also available and there were several sweets and also fruit on the buffet.
There is a Gala dinner one night where it is all waiter service and you will have to order your meal the day before.
Bottled water is provided on the tables and if you require more just ask.
Lunch is very similar in style to dinner with a wide choice of varied items available and is served from 13:00, this may vary slightly when a particular excursion requires it.
The style of food has changed slightly over the last 2 years and is now more based on the British style of food and not so much local Egyptian.
The dress code is very informal, casual shorts during the day and either long trousers or smart shorts for evening dinner.
Drinks
You have a drinks choice of, water (poured from bottle), red / white & rose wines, and beer (Luxor), cola (regular and diet) and diluting fruit juice all drinks are served by the (small) glass.
Locally produced Whisky? hmmm, Vodka, Gin, Brandy etc are all also available.
Tea (normal and a choice of herbal if you ask for it) and coffee can be obtained at various times during the day from the bar area with biscuits and cakes available at 17:00.
There are no elevenses now, you used to get tea / coffee & biscuits served on deck at 11:00 but that is now no longer the case.
Bottled water is available at 15L.E from the bar, but be aware that if you buy it after midnight the price increases.
A small bottle of water is provided to those going out on excursions booked via the rep.
Ship deck layout
Deck 4 consists of the main bar / lounge and an outside bar area, there is also a small fitness suite consisting of a bike, stepper and treadmill.
There is also massage room where you can get a massage at a very reasonable cost, my wife had a full body massage and facial lasting for over an hour at a cost of 200L.E.
A small sauna (local charge) is also situated in this area.
The lounge area is where all the (corny) entertainment takes place in the evening and to be honest the entertainment was very poor compared to our previous cruise.
I must just mention that the boat is (allegedly) now non-smoking in all the public areas and you can only smoke in your cabin or on one of the open deck areas.
I say allegedly as there is one particular manager who still walks about smoking (trying to hide it behind his back) and also the staff smoke within the shop.
There is a snooker table and (a very slow) internet connection located to the front of the boat past the bar.
The top sun deck (5) has a small plunge pool that is not heated and very cold and also a very nice Hot Tub / Jacuzzi.
There is an ample amount of sun beds and also tables and chairs with cover provided by small gazebo style canopies. Fresh towels for the sun beds are available from the wooden box located near the stairs.
Just outside the dining room is a small shop that is an Aladdins cave selling all sorts of items with no hassle. You can also get your pictures transferred on to cd if you require it for about £6.
If you happen to have a birthday or are celebrating an occasion while on board the crew will have you up doing a song and dance.
The onboard camera man will be sticking his lens in your face several times during the cruise and the video is available to purchase at the end of the cruise.
Extras
There is a very efficient laundry service on board, just phone it through to reception or leave it in your room in the laundry bag provided and it will be returned bag to your room washed and ironed in a few hours. This cost of this service has increased considerably over the last 2 years but is still reasonable with the cost for each item as follows in Egyptian L.E (approx sterling)
Gents
Shirt = 8.00 (1.00p)
T Shirt = 4.00 (50p)
Trousers = 12.00 (1.50)
Shorts = 4.00 (50p)
Ladies
Blouse =8.00 (1.00p)
Dress = 20(2.50p)
Skirt = 16 (2.00p)
All extras are placed on your tab that gets settled at the end of the week.
Excursions
Paying for your excursions can be done via a MasterCard, Visa credit/debit card which is then converted in to $US or by cash in Sterling or even Euros.
First Choice have a complete tour excursion program with all transport and a fully qualified Egyptologist available for you to purchase at the following cost per person (£ Sterling)
Edfu = £24.00
Kom Ombo Temple = £15.00
Felucca sail boat = £12
Aswan tour = £50.00
(inc Philae Temple, high dam etc)
West Bank = £45.00
(inc Valley of Kings, Valley of Queens, Hatshepsut temple)
East Bank = £34.00
(Karnak & Luxor temples)
Or you can buy a complete package that includes all of the above for £148 (adult)
Also available-
Philae Sound & Light show £24
Camel ride in Luxor £14
Karnak Sound and Light Show £22
The MUST DO Abu Simbel trip from Aswan is an extra £75.00 by road or £140.00 by air.
It is possible to go in to Aswan and just arrange a Taxi to take you to Abu Simbel and if you share with 4 it works out quite cheaply, 2 couples did this from the boat.
The extra hot air balloon trip in Luxor on Monday morning is an additional £90.00 per person (they did have an offer on at £135 per couple). This trip is absolutely fantastic and well worth the money, however here is a great money saving tip that makes it even better.
NOTE this ONLY applies when following the Ms Orchid itinerary and you arrive back in Luxor on the Friday.
When you return to Luxor after your cruise go in to Luxor as soon as you can and go to Jolleys (or one of the other small travel agents located there), and book the exact same trip for about £35 per person, payable in L.E or by card.
You will be picked up at the boat then taken for a short sail to the west bank with tea / coffee and cake, then taken for your balloon flight and finally taken back and dropped off at the boat.
This is exactly the same trip as those who book it through First Choice, the only difference is the saving that you make.
Try to book this as soon as you can as the balloon trips sell out quickly for the Monday.
Jolleys is located to the right of the Sofitel Winter Palace hotel in Luxor.
More Jolleys Prices all in Egyptian Pounds (£)
West Bank 300LE (£38)
East Bank 210LE (£27)
Camel Ride 45LE (£5.80)
Karnak Sound & Light 130LE (£16.80)
REMEMBER you can also Haggle on the price at Jolleys
If you are staying for a second week in Luxor it might be worth booking your excursions locally rather than through the rep.
Currency
You can obtain Egyptian currency (L.E) at the airport when you obtain the entry visa at the small banks, or alternatively you can exchange Sterling in the shop on board and the exchange rate is comparable with a bank.
If you are out on an excursion and want an ATM just ask the rep/guide and they will stop at one for you no problem.
Tipping
At the end of the week you will be given 2 plain envelopes, one for the 2 Egyptologists and one for all the crew.
The recommended gratuity is mentioned and this should be used as a guide, give whatever you want or think is deserved, we gave much more to the crew as this gets split 72 ways compared to the Egyptologist which is split twice.
The amount of complaints about tipping from guests was unbelievable, you remain anonymous when you hand over your envelope so GIVE WHAT YOU WANT! End of story.
Various Points & tips worth noting
The Coral Sea berth is located outside Luxor so you wont have the opportunity to just walk off the boat and explore Luxor, you will have to take a Taxi from the gate in to Luxor and this will cost you 30-35 L.E (about £2)
If taking a taxi anywhere you MUST haggle over the price and agree it before you get in, ensure that you have agreed the price in Egyptian L.E or Sterling and that it is for everybody in your party and not per person.
The cruising is done during both day and night so you may be berthed at one location for a day or two. On the Ms Orchid you set sail on the first night and sail through the night on the first night, after that you will sail during the day and spend 2 nights in Aswan and 2 nights at the end of the cruise in Luxor. The other boats will be slightly different.
The onboard Tour Reps and Egyptologists are not always going to be the same as they get rotated so it is hard to comment on what they will be like at any particular time, but our rep, Rachel was outstanding and couldnt have been more friendly or helpful.
If going on the Abu Simbel trip take the pillow from your room and have a good sleep on the coach.
Paying for excursions can be done via a VISA credit/debit card which was then converted in to $US or by cash in Sterling or Egyptian L.E.
Take some antibacterial wipes or hand gel and use it every time that you touch or come in contact with the Egyptian money or even after you shake a hand (no offense but the traders touch the money all the time).
If you have room for a small travel kettle I would advise that you take it for an early morning cuppa.
Sockets are the 2 pin European style so remember an adaptor.
On your last day you have to vacate your cabin by 10:00 AM, there are some cabins made available for you until it is time to leave the boat.
Departure times vary depending on your next location i.e. going home, staying a further week in Luxor or heading to the Red Sea.
Important if going on excursions take a small amount of toilet roll / tissue with you as you may (will) get charged for the privilege of 2 pieces if using a toilet at one of the monuments / temples.
Conclusion
Overall we again a great time onboard, the staff are excellent and very friendly and cant do enough for you.
Although recently the Ms Orchid has had a refit the boat is perhaps still a small bit tired in some places and not 5* but dont be put off by this as it is only in a couple of areas that you may notice this and the rest of the boat and staff more than make up for any short cummings and I still wouldnt hesitate in recommending this boat or cruise to anybody.
Have a great cruise.
Graham
Well right place or not here we go.
My Partner and i just came back from the M/S Stephanie after 7 Nights on the Nile Cruise, we joined it at Luxor, first off we Flew from Edinburgh to Heathrow. with BM 20kilo good service, we booked through Co-operative Travel but on the Boat it will be called Orbital Travel.
The group organizer that we had for the Crocodiles was called H for short on legs he was not and superfit
First Trip, Valley of the Kings next morning, Valley of the Queens then back to the boat for lunch. need a sleep :sun2.
Full sliding door great if left open to catch the breeze or closed with the A/C great, but the sliding doors give you a good view of the river bank for taking photographs, i have both still and movie but there is a Video man who is on board called Niko, he will film any visits that you want to go on.
The worst trip you will have is to Abu-Simbel it is a 3.15am morning call to have Coffee and Tea to drive across the Sahara Desert to get a quick snap of the sunrise and when you get to Abu-Simbel, you can have your coffee and Tea and Sandwiches, And yes you can go and have a look at the Temple of RA11 and his Love Nefretarry, but ( NO) you can get pictures of the inside from whom ever is running the trip at reasonable costs only a pity they will not let you know beforehand.
Tonight is Egyptian Night
My Partner and i just came back from the M/S Stephanie after 7 Nights on the Nile Cruise, we joined it at Luxor, first off we Flew from Edinburgh to Heathrow. with BM 20kilo good service, we booked through Co-operative Travel but on the Boat it will be called Orbital Travel.
The group organizer that we had for the Crocodiles was called H for short on legs he was not and superfit
First Trip, Valley of the Kings next morning, Valley of the Queens then back to the boat for lunch. need a sleep :sun2.
Full sliding door great if left open to catch the breeze or closed with the A/C great, but the sliding doors give you a good view of the river bank for taking photographs, i have both still and movie but there is a Video man who is on board called Niko, he will film any visits that you want to go on.
The worst trip you will have is to Abu-Simbel it is a 3.15am morning call to have Coffee and Tea to drive across the Sahara Desert to get a quick snap of the sunrise and when you get to Abu-Simbel, you can have your coffee and Tea and Sandwiches, And yes you can go and have a look at the Temple of RA11 and his Love Nefretarry, but ( NO) you can get pictures of the inside from whom ever is running the trip at reasonable costs only a pity they will not let you know beforehand.
Tonight is Egyptian Night
M/S Serenade Nile cruise boat review that I added was moved to this section by Kiltman one of the moderators:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/serenade-nile-cruise-boat-t156847.html
We arranged all our own excursions with a local agent (used him in 2010 too) before arriving in Egypt and we paid less than half of the costs displayed on the boat and or cruise website.
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/serenade-nile-cruise-boat-t156847.html
We arranged all our own excursions with a local agent (used him in 2010 too) before arriving in Egypt and we paid less than half of the costs displayed on the boat and or cruise website.
M/S Serenade Nile cruise boat review that I added was moved to this section by Kiltman one of the moderators:
Hi Cyprus, your review hasn't been moved and is in the general Egypt forum where it was originally posted, would you like it moved in to this Nile Cruise Review section?Graham
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