Here's my review

Wasn't expecting too much from this part of our holiday....having stayed 9 days All Inclusive at at 5* hotel before arriving at the Serenade I knew on the following 7 days we were going to be dissatisfied in comparison and lets just say they didn't disappoint .
The transfer from Hurghada was meant to be 4 hours,we started at 8.30am and should have been on board by lunchtime however the journey took 6 hours,we missed lunch and were not offered anything until the evening meal which was 8pm....we did tell them this but they didn't seem to care.
On arrival we were taken down a dirt track to the mooring of the boat....not an impressive start to say the least....the mini bus pulled up and our bags were unloaded ...there were 8 of us on the mini bus and we were all totally confused as the boat we were parked next to wasn't our boat ...things became clear when some lads came and collected our bags....we were told to follow them.....walked through 2 boats moored in front of ours,neither of which appeared to be in service,there were cables,wires and various bits and pieces strewn everywhere....not to mention no lighting so it was difficult to find your way ,eventually though we were at our reception desk......the tour guide was waiting for us and we followed him up to the main lounge to fill in embarkation cards .He told us there would be a meeting the next day at 10am and then we were allocated our rooms..I had decided before coming that I was going to book my trips independently as I'd read the trips provided by the boat were really expensive ,so I told the guide we couldn't attend the meeting as I'd already booked a balloon trip and we wouldn't be back in time....his face was a picture....lets just say he wasn't best pleased....

So off to our room.....hmmmm the word cramped comes to mind....I've cruised a couple of times before so I know cabins are not the most spacious but this had way too much furniture in such a small space.We had single beds,the mattresses and pillows were hard and lumpy,the decor was tired and grimy,Towels and sheets were grey not white soft furnishings way to dark as was the furniture giving you an overall dark dingy feel to the room,the sliding wardrobe doors were broken so could only be moved together and not independently which was both noisy and difficult
There was a fridge, hair-dryer and free safe on the plus side and our cabin boy Ali worked really hard to keep the place clean and tidy .Nice big picture window with sliding doors that unfortunately once we opened them we couldn't close again so we had to call maintenance and we were told not to open them again for the duration of the trip.
The rest of the boat is in dire need of an upgrade,the lounge is dark and poky,not enough light,curtains and furnishings dismal and old fashioned. The pool deck is awful....way too many sunbeds squashed together with absolutely no room to move around.....only 4 umbrellas for the whole deck 2 of which my husband had to help to fix with Ali one morning as they were falling apart..The cushions on the loungers and the chairs are filthy , faded and sagging..
There is not enough light up there at night and no music what so ever day or night.

Food....well what can I say
Breakfast I struggled with and ended up having the same thing for the next 7 days...I don't do cooked breakfast early in the morning and as most days we had trips this meant having breakfast before 7am.So I lived on bread and jam,melon and the odd pastry....there is a chef doing eggs or omelettes for those that want them but there's not a lot to go with it,mainly peppers and tinned chicken sausages.
Lunch + Dinner is exactly the same there was a small selection of salads or soup to start....then a variety of cooked vegetables,fish or meat and rice....sometimes pasta and either mashed potato or wedges and rarely any chips followed by jelly,mousse,cakes and pastries.
The choice and standard of food was awful,many people were ill after eating the fish....I chose it on 2 occasions and both times I didn't attempt it as it was undercooked,I was practically vegetarian for a whole week,surviving on pasta rice and salad or veg.
No announcements were made to tell us where and when we were docking and no information leaflets were provided about the ports of call and what there was to see and do,there are life jackets in the wardrobes but at no point was there ever a safety drill of any sort.
This is by far the slowest boat on the Nile other boats that will still moored after we had left would whiz passed us and arrive at the destination hours before we did thus cutting our time on shore in half....I'm convinced this was done on purpose so that those of us booking trips independently would panic and cancel to re-book with them so that you were assured of a return on time.....many times the sailing time would change by an hour or even two so you never knew where you were......Every time we moored up at Edfu,Kom Ombo,Aswan and Esna we seemed to be miles from any civilisation and I swear this was done on purpose as well to keep you on the boat so that you'd spend more money with them and not out and about.
As I've previously mentioned I did all my trips through a local travel agent http://www.petraluxor.com/luxor.html.here's what we did
Day 1 stayed on boat
Day 2 Balloon ride followed by Colossus of Memnon,Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut temple with a visit to an Alabaster factory
Day 3 Karnak and Luxor Temples
Day 4 rested and stayed on board in the day visited Kom ombo temple at night
Day 5 Aswan dam and Philae temple
Day 6 onboard in the morning and Nubian Villiage in the afternoon
Day 7 packed and left

Would I do a Nile cruise again...yes in a heartbeat...would I recommend the Serenade.....not in a million years

Sorry to hear your cruiseboat wasn't up to expectations Tangobunny. I think there must be huge variations of standards on the boats. I took a Nile Cruise on the MS Hamees last November which was really luxurious, spacious cabins with good sized bathrooms (even big enough for a bath) excellent varied food,well furnished public rooms and lots of sunbeds with large umbrellas on the roomy sun deck. No complaints by me whatsoever.
We did tie up a fair way out of town at Luxor but within walking distance of sites in other areas. I booked with VJV and would recommend the cruise. Our tour guide did say there is a new law in place which very few tour companies are obeying that says that the boats are no longer allowed to tie up in the towns, don't know if that is true he could have said it because there were some complaints that there was nothing to do where the boat was moored.
Anyone looking for something a little different after a Nile Cruise might consider a Lake Nasser cruise from Aswan, there are only a few boats on the lake. We called at a different island/temple complex everyday and the overwater approach to Abu Simbel was really something, we moored up at the side of the temples and were able to wander round with the place to ourselves after all the day tours had departed.

Hi Lorraine (Tangobunny)

Here's the link to my review: http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/serenade-nile-cruise-boat-t156847.html

We spent 7 nights on a Monarch Nile Cruise on board the MS Lady Carol at the end of March 2013. Here follows an account of our trip:

The Journey

We flew out from Gatwick South Terminal to Luxor with Monarch, with a flying time of 5 hrs on the outbound leg and 5½ hrs on the return flight. Our outgoing flight was subject to minor delays but we were actually slightly early on the way back. We had decided not to pay for the in-flight meals at £15 each so we were surprised to be given them anyway. They only included a small main course and pudding though so we were glad we had bought some extra food at the airports. There was no in-flight entertainment. The plane we flew on was an Airbus A330 we were able to get seats in row 25 in both directions which was great as there are only 2 seats each side of the aisle which meant we didnt have anyone else next to us. When we arrived at Luxor, we had already been warned that we were likely to be approached by men in the arrival hall, offering to sort out our visa for us, or telling us we could pay on our transfer bus. We ignored them all and went straight to the bank counters on the left where we got our visa for the correct $15 each and also changed £30 in Egyptian pounds.

The Weather

We had specifically chosen to go at the end of March to coincide with the Easter Bank Holidays, but also so the weather would be warm, but not too hot. In actual fact it was pretty hot the whole time we were there, with the temperature reaching 39c on the last 3 days. Next time, we would go a bit earlier in March so wead still get a decent amount of daylight without quite so much heat. It was still snowing when we left the UK though so we were just happy Egypt was warm! It did get a bit chilly up on deck in the evening though so I did end up using my travelling fleece a few times.

Money

As we were going all inclusive and had managed to borrow galabeyahs from some friends, I really wasnt sure how much money we were going to need. As mentioned above, we changed £30 into Egyptian pounds at the airport but we actually ended up spending less than £10 (we used up the rest on a trip booking). Our guide, Shereen, would help us change large notes into small notes/coins where possible there was no currency exchange on the boat though. We bought a few souvenirs and spent the rest on toilet trips at the sites (nearly all the sites have toilets) and some food at the airport on the way home. We were asked to pay £10 each into the main tip kitty at the beginning of the week and then a further £20 each at the end of the week, split between the guide and boat crew. We felt this was very reasonable given the level of service we had so added a little extra. You can pay for the extra trips in Egyptian pounds, sterling or by credit/debit card, costs as at March 2013 were as follows:

Aswan City Tour £20
Nubian Experience £15
Abu Simbel by road £75 (by air option was not available but would have cost £195)
Camel ride £15
Karnak Sound & Light £22

The Boat MS Lady Carol (http://www.flash-international.net/carol/index.htm)

We were actually booked on the MS Magic 1 but were told on arrival that we had been upgraded to the MS Lady Carol. I had been half expecting that our boat would be changed anyway so it didnt bother me. It took about half an hour to transfer us from Luxor airport to the docking area and we set sail for Aswan immediately. As soon as we arrived on board we fell in love with the boat. The reception area was very impressive, the bar and restaurant were lovely and we loved spending time up on the sundeck. Our cabin (410) was a very good size with twin beds, a picture window, decent air conditioning, lots of storage space, a mini fridge and a pretty good bathroom. It was a bit tired round the edges but other than that we had no complaints. Towels, pool towels, a bathrobe and slippers were provided. I had asked for a high floor cabin so was delighted to be given one on the top deck. We were also lucky enough to be on the side of the ship that wasnt moored up against any other boats so we always had a nice view out of our cabin. It was so nice just watching the world drift by! I was worried that the vibrations from the boat would make it difficult to sleep but we were so tired after all the sightseeing that we had no trouble sleeping.

We were staying on an all-inclusive basis so were given breakfast, lunch and dinner every day in the restaurant, with occasional extra food whilst sailing, such as tea and biscuits or little pizzas. The food was excellent with plenty of choice at every meal and I think its fair to say we all put on weight while we were there. It was the all-inclusive drinks that we really made the most of though I think we were getting though at least 3 litres of bottled water each every day, never mind all the soft drinks, beer and wine that we were also drinking. I would definitely go all-inclusive again if we go back as it just makes things really easy. Out of all the Brits on board, I was the only one who got an upset stomach, but I had been having some stomach problems before the holiday so I am pretty sure it was nothing to do with the food. Shereen got me some of the local antibiotics and I was fine the next day. Its a good idea to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you so you can use it at regular intervals.

There was a galabeyah night on board one night which most of the Brits dressed up for. We had borrowed outfits from friends but you could buy them on board for as little as £5 or try your hand bartering with one of the stall holders whilst on trips. There was entertainment in the bar most nights but it generally wasnt that good so we did spend several nights sat up on deck. The Whirling Dervish guy was excellent though! Nobody really dressed up for dinner I had taken some skirts but ended up wearing linen trousers most evenings.

We absolutely loved everything about the Lady Carol but I think the thing we will remember most about this boat was the staff. From the reception staff, to the bar & restaurant staff and the cleaners, everyone was consistently friendly and helpful. Special mention should go to the cabin boys who came up with the most hilarious and inventive towel sculptures we have ever seen.

The Tour

We were lucky enough to have Shereen as our tour guide for the week and she was absolutely brilliant and really made the history of Egypt come alive. We also loved the way she dealt with anyone who got in her way grown men were quaking in their boots at her disapproval! We pretty much followed the standard Nile cruise itinerary - here is a day-by-day summary of some of the things we got up to:

Day 1 We were supposed to visit Edfu Temple but were told that visits had been stopped for safety reasons due to a dispute with the caleche drivers. We sailed for most of the day, arriving at Kom Ombo just before sunset. It was really nice to view the temple from the water as we arrived. Its not a big temple but we spent over an hour there, including a brief visit to the newly opened crocodile mummification museum. We then set sail for Aswan, arriving the next morning.

Day 2 We left the boat at 7am and headed straight for Philae Temple which meant we were one of the first groups to arrive there. I particularly enjoyed the boat trip over to the islands astounding to think they had to reconstruct the entire site when the dams were built. It was interesting to see the dams themselves too but I could have done without the trip to the perfume shop on the way back. In the afternoon we had a felucca trip to the Botanical Gardens on Kitchner Island which was lovely. Some of the group carried on to the Nubian Experience tour afterwards.

Day 3 Most of the group chose to go on the Abu Simbel trip which involved a 2:45 wake-up call and 8 hrs on a coach. Although we were very interested in seeing Abu Simbel, we didnt want to tire ourselves out too much on our first trip to Egypt so chose not to go and had a lovely relaxing time sat on the sun deck instead. In the afternoon, some of our group also did the Aswan City tour before we set sail back to Luxor.

Day 4 We made a brief visit to Esna temple mid-morning, to make up for missing Edfu temple on Day 1. The guidebooks suggested it wasnt worth seeing but we found it quite interesting to see the coloured friezes that were in the process of being restored. Afterwards we passed through the Esna lock which was an interesting experience in itself, nevermind the fact that we were also being literally bombarded by souvenir sellers. We arrived back at Luxor just before sunset.

Day 5 A 5:45am start so we could get to the Valley of the Kings at 6am when it opened. This meant that we had the entire Valley to ourselves for nearly an hour, which was amazing. It was also a very hot day so it was nice to visit things before the temperature got too hot. We went into 3 tombs, all of which were excellent. The only annoyance was that the guards kept on trying to show us things for tips, whereas we were quite happy just taking it all in. This was the only site we went to where you couldnt take photos but there are postcards and a DVD available to buy if youd like a permanent reminder. Afterwards we went to an alabaster shop, which included an entertaining demonstration but we could have done without the hard sell at the end. We then went to Queen Hatshepsuts temple which is really impressive but it was extremely hot and I wasnt feeling very well so I dont think we really did it justice. We also visited the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to the boat.

Day 6 Another early start for our visit to Karnak Temple (7:30am) which was the first site we had been to that was heaving with tourists. We could see why though it is such an amazing site and we could certainly have spent longer there. Afterwards we made a brief stop at a gold shop where one of our group accidentally shoplifted a bracelet before heading to Luxor temple. It was really hot and crowded here too so the short visit was a relief to be honest. That evening we were back at Karnak again, this time for the Sound and Light show. It was lovely to see the temple at night but the Sound and Light show wasnt very good the lights were ok but the commentary was rubbish and clearly hadnt been updated since the 1970s. The tickets themselves cost £10 but we were charged an extra £12 on top for transport which seemed excessive. We definitely wouldnt do that trip again.

Day 7 This would normally have been the time to do the balloon trip but these had been cancelled following the previous months accident. All the other nationalities had already left the boat so we had the run of the entire place. It was lovely just sitting up on the sundeck and soaking up some final rays before the minibus arrived to take us to the airport after lunch. We were really sorry to go as the holiday had been so good (and because it was still freezing back in the UK).

Overall, this was one of the best holidays we have ever been on we loved Egypt and really took to river cruising. From our point of view, it was a great time to go because all the sites were so quiet, but we were still shocked to hear that this was because the Egyptian Tourist industry is down by 95% since the revolution happened (there were only 21 people in our group, despite us travelling over Easter). It also made us understand why the sellers pestered us so much though it actually was nowhere near as bad as we were expecting. We absolutely loved the sailing part of the cruise and would have been happy to have sailed every day, especially since the moorings in Aswan and Luxor were quite a way out of town. We will definitely go back possibly to do the same cruise again, if not then we might do a Lake Nasser or Cairo to Luxor cruise instead.

Enjoyed your report Corrinne, I did a similar tour in Nov,2011 and followed it up by a four day Lake Nasser
Cruise which I think you would enjoy. It's such a pity that there has been such a drop in tourism over the last couple of years, our Nile boat normally carried 134passengers but during our tour just had 36, great for us but for the staff who rely on tips to pad their wages quite disastrous. Hopefully things will improve.

It sounds as though you had a great trip.

Corrinne, did you travel with Thomson's by any chance?

(Edit)
Actually, now I see you say a Monarch cruise..... It was the reference to the temple at Edfu and the caleche's that caught my attention as I'm aware Thomson were not allowing their passengers to visit Edfu because they claim the caleche's were unsafe.

My understanding is the the local authorities insist cruise passengers use the local transport.... which generally means caleches rather than tour buses.

When we were there at the end of August last year we took a caleche around the city and up to the temple for a photo shoot and some shopping but chose not to do the temple as we'd done it twice in the past. We were travelling independently and did all our own excursions and local tours.

I saw the price you quoted for Karnak sound & light show which seems way excessive!

We arranged our own tours around Luxor and 6 people in an air-conditioned minibus for a half day to do the West Bank cost us 100 LE (Egyptian Pounds) and we paid the same for a half day in Aswan too, buying all our tour tickets independently.

The cruise boat we were on were charging £125 per person (sterling) for the "light" excursion package. (What you did but doesn't include Karnak and Luxor temples).

Yet, 2 people in our group ended up travelling on borrowed funds because of a hiccup before we left.

They did the whole kit and kaboodle on EUR 400 (less than 350 GBP) which included:
Drinks and food at Larnaca (Cyprus airport) and in Cairo, Visa entry fees and food at Luxor before flying back to Cyprus via Cairo.
All transfers (private air-conditioned minibus) from the airport to our hotel for 2 nights and back to the airport from the boat at El Watania Dock.
All excursions and transport to: West Bank (3 tombs) at Valley of the Kings, Howard Carter House admission, Balloon Flight. In Aswan, High Dam, Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk. En route: Kom Ombo, caleche's around to the shops, city/town and Edfu temple photo stop, we walked to Esna temple from the boat.
All drinks on the boat and food and drink for 2 nights at El Luxor Hotel before we embarked our boat.

It scares me when I see tour operators charging way over the top because they know that first time visitors are wary.

But what irks me more is they frighten their holidaymakers into doing all the trips with them and herding them like sheep everywhere and taking them to places where they get "back handers" at the perfume factories, alabaster factories and gold/papyrus factories....

We love Egypt but sadly some tour operators are milking the Arab Spring to their advantage and since our very first visit to Cairo in 1992, we've not done any tour operator excursions in and around Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel....

We've did leave a few minibuses for dead on our trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel but - that's another story!

@Judith - we are definitely interested in doing a Lake Nasser cruise at some point so I may be asking you for some advice on that in the future.

@cyprus - yes, we did go with Monarch as they were much cheaper that the others and also one of only a few cruises with a Monday start date. The reason given for missing out Edfu was that, as you mention, the tour companies use coaches rather than the caleches but there had been an incident recently where the caleche drivers had tried to set fire to one of the coaches. Don't know how true this was but the German tourists didn't visit Edfu either - the handful of Italians on the boat did do it though but I have no idea how things went. The majority of our excursions were actually included in the holiday price so there was no need for us to look at booking things via local agents but I did feel the optional excursions looked expensive - but this is no different to anywhere else we've been though to be honest. There were certainly no scare tactics employed to stop you doing your own thing - our guide Shereen was very happy to explain to people how to get to things like the local markets or museums and also what sort of harassment to expect at whilst you were out. I did find the perfume shops etc rather annoying but there was generally not too much hard sell and they did generally have nice toilets but next time I would try and avoid them if we could. We may have ended up paying over the odds for our 'included' excursions but we felt we had got a good deal overall, and certainly an excellent guide so we didn't feel 'ripped off'. Shame that they no longer appear to be running this particular tour though as we definitely want to do it again!

Excellent report Corinne and I am delighted to hear you had such a good holiday

We have done similar cruises and stayed in Luxor several times and have to say that it is a fantastic destination and experiance.

Graham

Nile cruises are a popular way to see the sights and history of Egypt while enjoying the luxurious amenities of a floating hotel.
The experience of a Nile cruise begins with boarding the ship at one of the major embarkation points, such as Luxor or Aswan. You'll sail down the famous river from there, taking in the breathtaking views of the surrounding desert and ancient ruins. Each day, the ship will dock at a different location, allowing passengers to disembark and explore the nearby sights. These might include temples, tombs, other historical sites, local markets, and villages.
One of the highlights of Nile cruises and stay is the chance to visit the Valley of the Kings, home to the tombs of Pharaohs such as Tutankhamun and Ramses II. Other popular stops might include the Temple of Karnak, the Temple of Isis at Philae, and the Temple of Horus at Edfu.
The ships are usually modern and well-appointed, with amenities such as swimming pools, restaurants, and comfortable cabins. Many also offer spa services and other leisure activities, such as yoga classes or onboard entertainment.
Overall, a Nile cruise is a great way to experience the history and culture of Egypt in style. Whether you're an avid history buff or just looking for a relaxing vacation, a Nile cruise will surely provide a memorable experience.

Hello there! It seems like there was a bit of confusion regarding your previous post about Nile cruises. No worries, let's address your concerns and ensure that the necessary information reaches those who have booked to go on the same boat in the upcoming weeks.

If I understand correctly, you would like to provide feedback and inform others about the docking location at El Watania, which is situated next to the New Luxor Bridge, approximately a 25-minute drive from Luxor town. This information can be crucial for those who are traveling independently and may need to make plans on how to reach their desired destinations or arrange for transportation.

To ensure that your message reaches the relevant individuals, please feel free to share the link or any additional details about the docking location here. By doing so, it will become the most recent post in the thread, allowing those who have booked on the same boat to see and take note of the information.
Remember, sharing your experiences and insights can be immensely helpful for fellow travelers, especially when it comes to navigating unfamiliar locations or making informed decisions. Your contribution will be appreciated by those who are embarking on similar Nile cruises in the near future.
If you have any further questions or if there's anything else you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to let us know at Great Travel advisor. Happy travels and I hope your rocking sensation subsides soon!