The holiday we recently spent on the “Royal Viking” was an immensely interesting and enjoyable experience.  The detailed information provided on the www.nile-cruises-4u.co.uk website gave us a very good idea of what to expect and it was extremely useful as we planned for the trip.

All the arrangements worked very well.  We flew down to London from Glasgow the day before our departure for Egypt; even the choice of airport (Gatwick) turned out to be correct, since the flights to Heathrow were cancelled due to snow (in London, not Glasgow!).  The EasyJet flight to Luxor from Gatwick passed relatively quickly as we had plenty of guide books to read on the way and our worries over the carrier were not at all founded.  Visa formalities were dealt with very efficiently by the representatives at the airport and we were soon transferred to the ship, ready to unpack in our cabin, and prepare for the evening meal.

The pattern of sightseeing trips was not too intense, but it could be much more demanding in the summer season when temperatures really climb.  Our tour guide conveyed a real passion for his subject and made the visits to the various monuments really fascinating.  We did not even mind getting a wake up call at 3 a.m. for the long trip by coach from Aswan to Abu Simbel.  The sight of the huge statues of Ramses II at the gate to the Temple was one of the most awesome experiences we have ever had – we equalled it to our ‘Petra’ moment.  Our guide was wonderful in many other ways – we had accidentally left some travel documents on the plane, and he did everything possible to smooth the way to allow us to travel home without any problems – Luxor to Bridge of Allan with only passports!!

On board, the staff were friendly, attentive and efficient, without being overly fussy.  The food was varied over the week and of very good quality. No one was ill!!

One particularly nice touch was the arrangement of towels into shapes of animals (and humans) on the bed each day.  It was clear from what the tour company staff said that they very much appreciated our visiting Egypt at a time of political difficulties there.

We were really impressed by the way all the many different departures were managed on the last day – no fuss just quiet efficiency – allowing us to make the most of our last few hours in the sun on the upper deck.

The only slight downside was the way that trips to the historic sights almost always involved running the gauntlet of street traders who wanted to sell you anything they could and were astonishingly persistent.  Our tour guide gave us some good advice as to how to avoid getting involved in unwanted transactions and this was generally very useful.

Apart from wishing to see all the wonderful sights in Upper Egypt, we had intended that the Nile Cruise would be a good way to sample a cruise holiday.  Neither of us regard ourselves as “cruise people”.  By the end of the trip we had become converted.  It is a real treat to have to unpack only once, instead of moving on from one hotel to the next. The ship acts as a calm haven to return to after exhausting shore trips.  It is good to meet fellow passengers and talk about the day’s experiences over a meal or a drink. We even enjoyed most of the evening entertainment provided – perhaps the biggest surprise of all!!

We will soon be  investigating the possibility of a river cruise for the autumn!

Nicholas and Margaret