Hi doepsmc
its divers international based at CP and i think it would be ideal for beginners because they do shore dives straight off the jetty have a look at their website http://www.diversintl.com . booking before you go will save 15% and local tax. counting down now

no work tomorrow have a one day strike so going shopping.........

Hi Doepsmc, you can be assured that all Dive schools will welcome teens and beginners with welcome arms and credit card swipe machines, lol, so long as they are over 12 and healthy without asthma and able to carry the equipment on their backs etc. Trust me it's what they are about, teaching anyone who wants to learn to dive how to do it! I've down loads of diving in the Red Sea, qualified up to DiveMaster, it's got to be one of the greatest locations in the world. I then went home and did my Instructors course in cold and murky Plymouth sound and felt sad for every soul I certified, hehe; it wasn't that bad. But don't believe that if you learn to dive if the Red Sea you are qualified to dive in the UK waters: technically yes, but in really you need to take a local guide in the UK, very important indeed!

I'm due at the Crown Plaza at the 16th April and I can't wait for it, it's been nearly 10 years since I've been to the Red Sea and I can't wait to feel those lovely clear seas and awesome "Underwater Tropical Jungles" around me. It's just can't come soon enough.........

Thanks to you both for the info on diving/dive school.

Blasterboy
I hope you have a great hol at the Crowne Plaza, ten years is a long wait. Sounds like your going to really enjoy the diving.

Elaine
Good luck with the strike (and shopping ) can't have them messing about with the pensions or there will be no money for hols to Egypt when we retire.
Don't know if it's been answered before, apologies if it has, but is there internet access at the Crowne Plaza?

Hi doepsmc
just checked the home site for the CP and they say they have email/internet as part of their business services ~ must be available but maybe not an internet cafe i cant remember one last year.....

Blasterboy
myself and hubby are starting our holiday in the CP 20/4 couple of days later than last year, dont think i could wait 10yrs to return. you will see some changes in the area. see you there

Well we had a brilliant holiday at this great hotel, and I would like to thank all who contributed to this thread and helped us to make our decision.

A special thank you to Elaine28 (who I think is still out at the CP)and deeping vet, who answered loads of my questions.

Thanks Briar

Just to say I have put a review in the hotel section of the forum as the last one was in October 2005. (sorry for the typos in it I did it late at night )

Anybody who is booked or thinking of going I'm happy to answer questions in this thread.

thats a great report Doepsmc - did you stay A/I - didnt i read somewhere that they did that at a supplement . we stayed at hilton sharks bay for the 2 weeks before easter and had a great time - I still havnt booked our hotel for next year although i have booked flights. hubby and children want to go back to HSB but i want to look at the other options. the problem is the friends my teenagers made while there have already booked to go back the same time next year and obviously they want to see them again - also my hubby and the 2 eldest boys (15 and 13) are keen divers - they just did their advanced padi while there and obviously know they can trust the dive school at HSB. Did you try the diving at the crown plaza (sorry if youve already answered that somewhere) do you know how big an operation they are and what people thought of them??

ps. i see you live in Loughton - just up the road from us - we live in Woodford

lyn

Hi Lyn

To be quite honest we didn't do much whilst we were at the Crowne Plaza, we work hard and needed to chill.

Its a 5* hotel which Thomson give 4T's to, which I would say was about right. Its only B&B though so all the eating & drinking we did, we paid for. Also if you paid to upgrade to Half Board (they don't do AI) you would eat in the Buffet, where we had our breakfasts, and I'm not sure I would recommend this especially if you are going for 10 nights. (a bit boring and the food seemed a little hit and miss)

We went into Namma Bay a couple of times and I think a lot of Crowne Plaza guests go there to eat of an evening. The CV BBQ and the Italian restaurant at the CP are brilliant, but if the 5 of you ate 'a la carte' in these for 10 evenings the costs would be high.

We didn't dive but the CP has its own dive school, which seemed very popular, people were diving every day, they do shore diving there, which would be good for your boys and hubby.

You must have been at the HSB whilst we were at the CP. Did you put a review in the review bit? Only I'm looking for a hotel for next Easter and altough we don't mind going to the same resort twice ie Sharm, we like to try different accommodations. Nice to chat with a local.

thanks for thats doepsmc - We really need A/i so i think thats the CP out for us. no unfortuntely i didnt do a review of the HSB as there already seem to be loads and i didnt feel i could add anything extra. i really ought to tho so youve talked me into it .

oh dear looks like another day spend entirely on the internet. I need to concentrate on the Garden

lyn

Hi doepsmc
glad you had a fab time at the CP, our holiday was just what we needed and just chilled for the two weeks, doing what you liked.

Hi lynwestie
the dive shop at the CP is divers international and is a very well run centre, my hubby is a diver and dived with them this year and last. he did a package this year booked from the UK which saved 20% on the price and no local tax charges, so was quite a saving. I myself only snorkel but went on the boat trips with him, we did two local dive site boat trips, one to tiran, and one to ras mohammad, with a choice of at least two and sometimes 3 dives per trip - you need 3 divers interested in the third dive to go in. They also bus people in from other hotels to do shore dives from the CP, hubby did a few of these as well. Because the Crowne Plaza is situated on the Far Garden Reef there are numerous boats anchored up every day with divers and snorkellers off the boats - the great thing about staying at the hotel is you dont need the boat trips its all on your doorstep as they say.....

elaine

Hi Elaine

So glad you had a nice holiday, we really enjoyed ourselves. The Crowne Plaza is a great hotel, we would like to go back to Sharm next April and even though we have never been back to the same hotel twice would seriously consider this one again, depending on what offers were available at the time.

We spent a fair bit of money on food at the CP as there are 4 of us and we really liked the Italian Restaurant and the CV BBQ, and we were all tempted by the Movenpick Ice Cream carts more than a few times!!! So I might be tempted away if I could get a good AI deal, but if it was just me and my OH I would go back to the CP.

Thanks again for all your great advice before we went. I did put a (rather long ) review up as there hadn't been one for 6 months.

I've just read your review, I can't believe the reason for no eggs at brekkie was bird flu.

yep bird flu i thought it was a little far fetched!!!!! just wanted to save on staff..... the sister hotel the intercontinental was serving eggs...... as were most other hotels in sharm.... never mind we made do!!!!!!!!!! we are looking to return after our french trip in august maybe around october if i see any good deals while looking i will PM you
elaine

Cheers Elaine

I probably wont book an April holiday till next Jan/Feb. It's extra to our main summer one and we need to be sure the budget can take it.

I do a lot of web searchs and I think it will be hard to beat the Portland Price for the Crowne Plaza, without doing a DIY. For this one 4 flights were coming out at more than I paid for the whole holiday anyway!

Also I had in-flight meals and travelled on the free transfer. The transfer wasn't long, and it was in a new air conditioned coach with a rep who did a welcome to Egypt speech and gave out various bits of info. We were the last drop off & it still only took 45mins. I enjoyed looking at the other hotels en route and realising the CP was IMHO the nicest

If I see any good prices I'll also post on here or pm you.
A third visit in your case, what a good recommendation for this hotel.

The dive school at the Crowne Plaza are laid back and very nice. But be warned, your must watch your depth.

In Egypt things are a bit more laid back and instructors will think nothing of taking you beyond your certified depth (for example if your qualited Open water diver, 18meters).

I went to 22m on my first dive with divers international and at one point the instructor left me behind!

I tried a different well known dive school who had dives planned to 24m for Open water divers.

In the end i went back and dived again with Divers international, who i must say were very good. But i has to emphasise that the dive was on my terms, to my abilities and not theirs.

Hope this helps

We are booked to go to the Crowne in August. We originally booked to go to the Hauza but they then told us they had overbooked so we had to find an alternative. After reading the reviews and deciding to change to the Crowne, I think they done us a favour. Although it has cost a bit more and we were AI and now HB the Crowne doesn't have the mixed reviews that the Hauza had

Can anyone tell me the depth of the water around the jettys please?

Hope they have started serving eggs again for breakfast

Can anyone tell me how much the drinks are?

Thanks

Depth of water varies from around 300mm (although you can't paddle because of the coral) to around 6 metres. It isn't gradual though just one big drop! Have a dive to see it at its best.

Price of drinks was about the same as UK last year, about £3.00 for a bottle of Sakara.

It is a nice hotel not a five star by any means but very nice all the same.

Hi Carrie

By the time we left at the end of April they did have some eggs at breakfast, but they were only boiled/hardboiled (they were painted, but I dont know why). There must have been loads cos one Russian guy next to me had about 12 on his plate one morning amongst loads of other stuff.

We were only B&B, so not sure what HB will be like. Must say that the food was plentyful at breakfast, all sorts really as I think they tried to cater to all tastes.

I'm sure some people were eating to 'stock up' for the rest of the day from the amounts they took. They probably thought we were the weird ones with our bowl of cereal and cup of coffee.

I'm sure you will enjoy this hotel. The grounds are really spacious the pools lovely, and the rooms great, plus the weather will be boiling. Also you can get in and out of Namma quickly. Enjoy.

Thanks. doepsmc did you find snorkling of the jetties ok? I mean is it easy to slip in the sea without my 11 year old being out of her depth? Basically can you stand up in the water or are you not allowed because of the Coral? It would be a shame if she wasn't able to snorkal without it being too deep as I gather there isn't much of a beach at this hotel.

Is there a courtesy bus to Naama Bay from the Crowne.

Really looking forward to it now after having been messed around and all the reviews looking good.

Did anyone do the quad biking from this hotel?
Cheers