MS Monica
March 2010

Hello Barbara,

Back from our Nile cruise and thought I would leave you some feedback.

Firstly the ship would not take credit cards so we had to pay cash for our extra excursions (Abu Simbel) which left us short.  That was the only bad point.  Our guide, Mina, was excellent and stopped the coach at ATM's on several occasions for people so it was not a problem.

It was a fabulous holiday.

The staff on the MS Monica were so friendly and genuine and the whole holiday was brilliantly organised from start to finish.  Our visas's were sorted out so there was no queuing at the airport, etc.  The food on the ship was good and we did not have any timmy upsets and the weather of course was excellent.

I dont' know how they do it at that price.  It's unbelievable value for money and the Abu Simbel trip was on my 5oth birthday and they made a big fuss out of me on the ship that evening with a cake and a conga round the dining room!

Awesome.

John
March 2010

MS Fleurette May 2010

Dear Barbara and Colin,

Just to let you know that Val and my holiday on the Nile on the MS Fleurette was one of the most fantastic holidays I have ever experienced.  It is 28 years since I did a holiday in Egypt and although the temples are obviously the same, everything to do with toursim is 28 years up-dated along with the poorer end's lifestyle, (ie. still poor but vastly improved).

The staff of the Fleurette are wonderful, the guides all have degrees in Egyptology and made the trip both interesting and fun.  It took very little time for the 90 passengers to change from strangers to friends, an art that Ashraf (the ship's manager) and the guides obviously excel in.

The ship is reportedly not as "flash" as it's sister ship but I think often the atmosphere is sometimes lost on larger ships.

For future enquirers - We are two middle aged female travellers and this holiday was organised to the highest safety (although I never felt otherwise anyway) with the highest standards of friendliness and sightseeing. 

The food was excellent and although as I have said the ship was not the grandest - we were out so often that we did not feel that spending more was necessary.  It is advisable to take more Sterling than Egyptian pounds as trips/bar bills/visas and gratuities are better paid in Sterling and the rate of exchange is better there than in England.

I can fully recommend this holiday to anyone that wants to experience Egypt.

Sue Hawley & Valerie Lipscombe, May 2010

MS Stepanie Nile Cruise and Jolie Ville Hotel, Luxor, June 2010

I just wanted to drop a line to say how very, very pleased and impressed I was with my Nile cruise on the MS Stephanie.

The vessel, the food, the standard of accommodation and the boat was so very good and the staff went out of their way to make everyones trip extra enjoyable.  The organisation was superb and great consideration was given by all the staff to make the whole trip the best.

Both our guides on the excursions, Waheed and George, were so knowledgable and so helpful, making every excursion an adventure and a delight.

Peter Barnett gets singled out for his attention to detail and his constant involvement that everything was as it should be.  He was very efficient and friendly too, taking a personal interest in people and ensuring their holiday was the best it could be.

I then went on to a week at the Hotel Jolie Ville on Kings Island, Luxor and this too could not have been better.  Again the accommodation, the grounds, the location, the food and the staff were superb.  It was a peaceful hotel but with enough to do in the evenings so one did not get bored.  I especially liked the "sunset hour" when everyone watched the sun go down over the Nile whilst classical music played, the birds sung and in the distance one could hear people being called to prayer.  It was a delight.  I would certainly go back again.

My special thanks go to Barbara Maddocks who organised this for me and I have to say she was extremely efficient and so helpful.  I was impressed and will definitely use the company again.

Many thanks and regards,

Kathleen C.
June 2010"

Dear Barbara,

I just felt I must let you know what a wonderful cruise we enjoyed on the El Fostate. The staff, food and the boat itself were just as you described and we were made so welcome. Your advice regarding the "fancy dress" costumes saved us quite a few Egyptian pounds, and Trevor and I had such a great evening. Thanks for arranging such a wonderful trip. You were so helpful and patient I have recommended you to several of our friends. I will be in touch very soon to ask you to arrange our next "adventure".

Kind regards, Susan and Trevor Martin.

Hi Barbara

We have just returned from our holiday to Cairo and a Nile Cruise on the King Tut and wish to let you know that we had a wonderful time.

All arrangements made by Orbital travel were excellent with all their representatives being on time to meet us from our flights and escort us to our hotel, boat and airports.

Our guide Mohhamed was excellent and very, very informative.   The boat facilities and food were also very good and the book you sent us before we left was very very helpful indeed.

A big thank you to you and your company for an excellent holiday.

Stan & Wendy McGee - November 2006

Dear Barbara,

I've just spoken to you on the phone.  I cant' thank you enough for all you have done for David and Malcom concerning their holiday on the Nile Cruise.

He had a fantastic time.  His "dream come true".

I've got your number and will ring you next time we want a holiday.

Yours very sincerely,

Margaret Morgan

Dear Barbara,

Just a brief note to thank you for an excellent holiday.  All transfers were very smooth and efficient.  The boat, King Tut 1, was excellent with staff who could not be more friendly. 

The guide, Yehi, was superb and was passionate about the sites we saw.  We went on some of the optional excursions and they gave us a great insight to the people, history and nature of Egypt.  An excellent holiday which was good value.

Thanks,

JB

Hi Barbara,

Thank you so much for all your help and advice today.  You were brilliant.

David and I are really looking forward to our holiday and will happily recommend yourself and your company to our friends.

Many thanks and again we cant' thank you enough for all the hard work that you have done.

Take care,

K & D

Many thanks, Barbara, for your prompt assistance and proficient help.

Regards,

T

Well done to you, although it comes as no surprise, mine was a dream holiday thanks to the efficient and friendly people you arranged to take care of us.

Once again thank you for all the support you gave me.

Kind regards,

J

Hi Barbara,

I would just like to thank you for the time you took with the arrangements with our booking.  Everything went as arranged.  I know it is your job, but it felt like you cared.

Thanks again,

JY & D

Many, many thanks Barbara,

Talk to you for our next holiday requirements!

Thanks,

JB

Thanks Barbara so much for the help you have given us.

S & C Smith

Dear Barbara,

Thank you so much for your help with our arrangements.

P & C

Dear Barbara,

I would like to thank you for arranging our holiday to Egypt.  We had a fantastic time.  Thanks for your help.

I will not hesitate to contact you again when we decide on another holiday.

Yours sincerely,

P & S D

Barbara,

I thought I would just write to tell you that we are all back and had a wonderful time.  The agents in Egypt were more than helpful and all went very smoothly.  We booked a private guide for 2 days through them in Cairo and that was fantastic.  I dont' think we would have seen 10% of what we did without her.

The cruise was also very good and the food was excellent.  We managed to avoid "The Mummy's Tummy" till the last night when our son went down with it and had a horrible journey home.  I think that was probably as a result of him being more "cavalier" than the rest of us over the use of hand gels, etc, rather than a result of anything he consumed.

Thanks again and we hope to deal with you again in the future.

Mrs.S. Sloan - January 2007

From: Truusje Broekhoff - Netherlands

Cruised on the King Tut 1 - May 2007

Hi there,

I just wanted to take the opportunity to let you know what an absolutely fantastic time we had on our Nile Cruise. 

From the very start the service provided by Barbara on the telephone was superb and she even managed to organise our overnight train from Cairo to Luxor for us which was another weight off our back.

From the pick up at the train station to the drop-off back at the station we had a hassle-free, no-stress trip.

The King Tut 1 is wonderful with excellent cabins, wonderful food and the friendliest staff you have ever met.  Because we ate at the same tables every meal we got to know some of the other travellers well and will definitely stay in touch.

Our guide, John, made our trip.  He was so knowledgable, funny and patient!  He gave just the right amount of information and could answer all of our questions unlike some of the guides we had in Cairo, (we booked these ourselves on the Internet via another comapny).

All in all a marvellous trip that was relaxing, educational and entertaining.  Fabulously organised and defintely highly recommended in every way.

Thank you very much.

Hi Barbara,

Just a little note to say THANK YOU again for helping us have a holiday of a lifetime.  The Nile Cruise was just excellent (as you said it would be).  The service, the people, the trips were all wonderful and the trip to Cairo and then on to the Red Sea were all just fab too.  All the pickups at the airport went perfectly and we felt very well looked after.

So thank you again for helping us have such a great holiday.  We'll definitely call you again when we have saved up for the next one!

With much thanks and kind regards, Jenni

Jenni and Dan Jones
January 2009

Trip to Cairo and Royal Viking Nile Cruise

Thanks for the card asking about how Shelagh and I found the trip to Egypt which you arranged for us.  Sorry for the delay in replying but the day after I got back, I had to go to the frozen north of Norway which was a bit of a shock to my system after the heat of Luxor! 

So to our thoughts after the event:-

The tickets arrived from you in good time and with complete detail.

Check in and the flight was good although I have had better airline food.

We were quickly met at the airport in Cairo although it was midnight and the rep made the passage through visas and immigration painless.

The trip to the Sofitel Sphinx was good but the rep spoilt it for himself by putting us under pressure all the way to sign up at 1am for trips around Cairo.  The net result of this was that we booked nothing with him and were easily and more cheaply able to organise trips for ourselves.

The hotel and its restaurant were very good and the whole of Cairo we found completely fascinating and spend hours just standing and looking in amazement, as it is like nothing I have ever seen in world.  Dirty, dreadful but fascinating

The organisation of the pick up and flight to Luxor and on to the ship was flawless.

The ship and crew were perfect and the food good from a spotless galley.

All trips both within the package and as extras were good and the cruise excellent

Entertainment, although not something in which I would normally partake was good.

Pick up and return to Heathrow was once again flawless.

From the above you can see that we thought the whole thing was great!!

Thank you very much for setting it up for us and should we decide to do something organised rather than freelance in the future, you will be our first port of call

Well done and many thanks.

George Plant and Shelagh Biddlestone.

April 2009

Dear Barbara,

I wanted to thank you for all your help and advice in booking our recent 3 centre holiday to Egypt. Having established the type of cruise, hotel and resort we liked you quickly made specific recommendations. 

Your choice was spot on and surpassed our expectations.  the quality of accommodation and facilities on the Royal Viking defintely deserved it's category of 5 Star Plus and your promise of a double cabin was kept.  The inclusive guided trips were well organised and led by very knowledgable guides.  The choice of the Sofitel Le Sphinx in Cairo was perfect with our balcony view of The Pyramids and the excellent roof top restaurant with a truly special ambience.

As if that was not enough our 4 nights at The Movenpick Resort and Spa in El Gouna was fantastic.  It was a beautiful resort with wonderful facailities.  We tried the range of restaurants and were delighted with them all.

We loved it so much that we did not want to leave and are hoping to visit there again in the near future!!

Thanks again,

Elizabeth and Brian

Elizabeth J Arthur
August 2009

MS Stephanie

Hello Barbara and Colin,

I am pleased to say that we have had our experience through your company and have not stopped talking about it.

We flew from Heathrow, via Cairo, to Luxor on the 28th of September to join the MS Stephanie.

We had a marvellous experience and thoroughly enjoyed out time afloat and with our guides, Osama, Haggy and Hussein.

To highlight the holiday we transferred from Luxor to Cairo and stayed at The Mena House Oberoi Hotel.

AMAZING!  Best described as "tranquility amid chaos".

Until last year I had been employed in the travel industry for over 30 years and was very pleased with this holiday.

Regards,

John L. Barnard
MS Stephanie Nile Cruise Ship
November 2009

Grand Preziosa February 2010

Wow!

We booked this holiday with you having had to cancel the previous week booked with another company due to family illnes but what a difference it made.

Your professionalism, advice and information, together with the efforts you made on our behalf to secure a quiet upper deck cabin all suceeded in making this a superb holiday for us.

The service provided by all the staff on the MS Grand Preziosa was of the highest quality.  Food was excellent and whilst the boat was older than some in the Grand Cruises group, the staff and their whole attitude to ensuring our satisfaction was without doubt first class and excellent value for money.

Thank you for what turned out to be one of our very best holidays yet!

Peter & Adrienne
February 2010

Radamis II and Cairo Trip
December 2

We had a great time in Egypt.  It is a fascinating place and all that is said about the amazing sights is true!  Our complicated itinerary worked remarkably smoothly - we heard stories of problems.  Monarch was good.  The Radimus II was excellent.  Very clean and tidy and we got our upper deck cabin and (they said) an upgrade to a bigger cabin though they all looked nice.  The staff were all very motivated, helpful and friendly and they had excellent chefs.  Food was great and I ate everything and was fine.  They put on a really great New Year's Eve party and made a huge effort.  Again we heard others talk of awful boats when we were back at the airport.

Our guide on the cruise was quite good, he usually worked for one of the UK specialist tour companies.  He was a bit brief compared with some we listened in on but overall a nice guy.  The big advantage of a ship versus a more romantic felucca or dahabiyya is the fantastic views from the top deck as you go along the river.  I suppose as it was not a complete package our tour had an amazing mix of people: one New Zealand and one Japanese couple from London, American family, South African couple, Indian family.  So that was a bonus.  We had to do our own thing the last Monday (when we had the day to ourselves in Luxor) and that worked fine.  We left our luggage at the Luxor train station which is a good travel tip for anyone doing the same as us - as there is nothing at the airport.  The day we left the boat we could leave our luggage there all day as we did not leave till 10pm but the ship was there overnight.

As we arrived so late in Cairo we decided to sleep in and take a taxi in to do the museum on our own.  It was nice to be able to potter about the museum rather than being whisked around from exhibit to exhibit by a guide.  We also went at lunchtime which was a nice quiet time to see the Tutankhamun section which of course is amazing.  I dont' think the new museum will be have such a nice old-fashioned atmosphere as the existing one though no doubt it will be better for the exhibits.  We hired a car + guide in Cairo - the same company that did the pick up - to do the Pyramids and Memphis (that was a better price locally than we expected from your info) and that worked really well.  The lunch was delicious local food - it was out near the Memphis/Saqqara area and although much frequented by big groups was excellent.

I think the only thing we did not like is the constant "baksheesh" and the hassle in the markets.  Mostly it was friendly hassle but we came across one very aggressive guy outside the Le Merdien Hotel in Giza which was not very pleasant.

So everything was great!  Many thanks for putting the itinerary together for us.

Nino and Reg,
Ireland
January 2010

MS Monica

Thanks for the "Welcome Home" card we received today.  Yes we had a great time.  We took loads of photos and video but nothing captures the experience.

I dont' know how one does that: perhaps repeat it all again!

I am amazed at how critical people can be.  If I had read reviews about the MS Monica before we went out there I would have been extremely dubious about going.  I think some English people are just professional complainers.

I couldnt' agree with a lot of what I read subsequent to the trip.

I have been to English hotels which didnt' meet the Monica's standards!

Obviously the conditions people live in (we werent' keen on the Luxor horse and carriage trip) are somewhat basic to say the least which should discourage people from complaining about minor things on the cruise. 

We valued your recommendations and suggestions.

One disappointment though; we bought an alabaster vase at the "guranteed" factory outlet, probably at an inflated price, only to find on our return it had a small hole in the side of it.  I wonder whether the item was swapped in a moment we werent' paying attention.  But that we shall have to put down to experience.

Otherwise we really enjoyed the cruise and the excursions.

Peter & Barbara

MS Monica
December 2009

Royal Viking
March 2010

Hi,

Sorry not to have contacted you sooner but we have had a lot to catch up with since arriving home late Monday night.

The holiday was excellent, starting with the service from yourself.  Everything you told us was accurate.  I would recommend the ship to anyone.

The cabin was spacious and comfortable.  The crew were helpful and friendly and the food was very good.  Attention to hygene was thorough and we did not suffer from any stomach complaints.

The tours were excellent.  We have seen pictures of the various sites but to see them in real life is something else!  The guides were knowledgable and helpful.  It was also great to relax on the deck in the warm sunshine and watch the banks of the Nile.

The whole holiday was very well organised and we didnt' have to worry about a thing.  The only thing that could be improved was larger seats on the Monarch flight.

John & Deanne
March 2010