7 Nights Nile Cruise

Posted By : kate b
On the plus side-An incredible week, full of temples and magnificence,
but not to be underestimated in its gruelling schedule.
I’m 67 and with only one dodgy knee!
Think if I’d left it any longer and it would have been a trial rather than a pleasure and definitely glad we went at the cooler time of year.
The boat Ruby Nile 1 was as I expected, this is Africa so please lower your expectations of 5 star and you will be ok.
The food was lovely, I was very cautious at first and must admit I didn’t touch any salad the whole we
Our tour guide Abdallah was great, really helped make the trip, we were a small group of 12 and he gave us just enough information before leaving us to look around.
Talking to other people it seems not all were so lucky with guides going missing and not giving them enough time to see things.
The temples were very busy and you had to be savy avoiding people to get photos , but what a privilege to be there, just wish the tourists could be spread out a bit!
The downside is the diesel! Apparently 15 years ago a few boats traveled together-now it’s more like 40or 50. Our boat wasn’t to bad but some belched out fumes and diesel all the time-your snot turns black!!!!
Felt like a London smog of the’50’s!
If I had asthma or a chest condition I would have been seriously worried!
The steps down the quayside to the boats mostly don’t have handrails so my husband and stick were constantly needed-health and safety is non existent, our catch phrase became “Trip hazard!!”
3men of our group had various falls, trips and bumps.
The street vendors-I’d read all about the relentless nature of them, it’s out of our comprehension-our guide said , ignore them they aren’t offended, but boy is it tiresome-one glance and they are on you.
At Aswan dam where the vendors actually let you browse I looked, bartered and bought but everywhere else it was just to busy.
Oh the boys riding alongside the boat, throwing up goods got a sale off me-that was fun!
Be prepared to tip everyone, and have plenty of change for the loos, which are mostly really clean ( much better than some in UK or France)
We went with Travel o deal and I think we were very lucky with our boat, guide and itenery , we were moved one day back to start the cruise but other people had it changed loads. Some flew in to Hurghada to be told their cruise started the next day on a different boat than they thought, you really need a day or to to relax first as once you get on the boat it’s early morning trips-especially Abel Simble which they tell you leaves at 5am but turned out to be 4am! Adrenaline got me up at 3am and we saw the sunrise in the desert and managed to get there ahead of hundreds of others so saw first temple in relative peace-just a shame our travelling companions from another boat thought it was acceptable to talk loudly for the first 1 and a 1/4 hours of the trip when we could all have been dozing!
All in all, glad I’ve done it, watch Alice Roberts documentary as taster ( no crowds for her!and remember its Africa- not Austria!)
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Posted On : 2023-11-30 09:23:25

Posted By : lindawW6582NN
The hapi 5 nile cruise ship was a little bit in need of updating but the service and cruise along the nile was 5 stars the boat has since been upgraded and would recommend anyone to use this boat.. The tours were amazing though a little rushed at times. It's very hot in luxor and lots of people visiting and the horse and carts are used a lot for tourist but please only use one that has a fit healthy horse and just 2 person to a carriage and to not make the horses speed along the hot roads.. This is a lot of locals only source of income and it's a very poor country but so rich in history and most of the people are kind
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Posted On : 2023-10-24 05:05:01

Posted By : P485VMmarias
We’ve just got back from a 7 night Nile cruise which we booked through classic holidays. We were very wary of the whole thing given that we’d never been on a cruise before and usually book our holidays independently.
We were relieved to find that classic holidays were most efficient, all comms and transfers ran on time and without any problems. First worry over.
Second concern was sharing a boat with people we didn’t know.All our fellow travellers ( around 30 from classic holidays) were wonderful, like minded people . We were able to enjoy the tour experience with other people who had the same interests.
Third concern was the dinner arrangements.All was well there. We ate around a small collection of tables designated to our tour group and it was all vary informal . You could sit where you liked each meal time and chat to fellow guests .The buffet ( this was also worrying me ) turned out to be a good option.Given the amount very early starts, delayed returns from sightseeing trips and very tired passengers at the end of an evening, waiter service would have been just too much .
The boat was very clean and well looked after. Our room was immaculate and a decent size with lovely French doors opening onto a Juliet balcony. Rooms were cleaned daily .
The sun deck was just too hot to spend much time on,maybe a few more sunshades would have helped there. We did have a drink or two up there in the evening though .
What made our Nile cruise a true success was our guide Marco who works as an independent guide . He was truly amazing with his enthusiasm and knowledge of Egypt. What we noticed was how he was able to read the room so to speak. He was aware of the severe heat, and people with mobility issues etc. He had the ability to work around issues effortlessly which allowed our whole group to enjoy the experience. On one occasion he switched itineraries so we were visiting temples on a much quieter day, arranged a coach transfer so we could arrive at another temple before closing time ( Esne lock can cause boat delays) he allowed us free time and always did his best to give us his guide info in the shade . Small things make a big impact. We will be forever grateful for his consideration. One last thing, while having tea at the Old Cateract hotel he arranged for us to have a tour of Agatha Christie’s suite. This was a true highlight.
All optional excursions were sold so well by Marco that we booked them all. They were truly fabulous. Abu simbel, ballooning , Philae temple by night and high tea in Aswan. Book them all if you go, worth every penny .
I thought this cruise offered good value for money, even with the optional ext it worked out a great way to see so much of Egypt while cruising along the beautiful Nile.
There is one thing which is a little bit of a shame though.
The options of international wine brands were pretty poor as was the lack of any drinks being served cold . There should be no instance where a drink is not served chilled . Because of this we purchase hardly any alcohol and our total bill for two people over seven nights was £109!! This include coffee and soft drinks . Cannot award 5* because of this . Don’t book the upgrade drinks package . Get your refrigerator sorted,stock up on some half decent bottles of vino and you will make a killing at the bar !!
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Posted On : 2023-09-18 10:35:11

Posted By : geoffdowle
My wife and I had 3 nights in Cairo and a 7 day Nile cruise. The cruise on the MS Esadora was alright apart from the food. The brochure said it was 5-star standard but they must have meant Egyptian standard. The food was always the same, beef, chicken and rice with some sauted potatoes. The majority of the time the food was cold and the potatoes were often very hard. Orbital travel and Classic holidays were amazing with their organisation and using the reps they used were fantastic. Ahmed and Ayman (I think that's what his name was) were truly extremely knowledgeable, friendly and personable - a great choice of reps to employ. The early morning trips and amount of walking involved was immense and even I began to struggle at the end but it was all worth it, even the early morning balloon ride was exhilarating. Over all a brilliant experience. The service all round on the boat was good.
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Posted On : 2023-05-23 06:01:55

Posted By : JDTAReview
Adel Guided us on Excursions really well and the Ship was Beautiful.
We were picked up from Luxor Airport by our amazing guide Adel, of Orbital tours and taken to MS Royal Princess. This is a small cruise ship, (less than 70 cabins), decorated very grandly with an impressive central staircase. As we had arrived very late, there was a large selection of rolls and fruit waiting for us in our cabin. The cabin was spacious and well equipped with a decent shower room, comfortable double bed with side tables, a dressing table, wardrobe, a small table and 2 armchairs (facing a large Juliet balcony). In fact it was a mini suite with top quality, dark wooden furnishings. Towels were often displayed on our bed in various amusing shapes too.One of our favourite things was to look out from the floor to ceiling Juliet windows at the bank and passing ships as we sailed along. One of our least favourite - but which cannot be avoided and is totally understandable- was the times when we were moored up between other similar cruise ships. On those occasions we could not see out of our balcony windows at all. The only view was the side of the ship beside us. However, this was a small price to pay for the wonderful things were were taken to see. The food on the ship was of good quality, with an excellent salad selection and a good variety of meals and desserts. Always a delicious soup and plenty of bread and fruit too. Sadly, the pre-prepared 'hot' meals were barely warm. However, there was always one freshly cooked, hot item available, just inside the door of the restaurant - this could be hot meat, hot fish or even pizzas. Drinks were readily available and reasonably price both in the restaurant, at the lounge bar and on the sun deck, where afternoon tea and cake was also served free of charge daily. It should also be mentioned that a large bottle of water was provided to each of us every evening. There was some very good evening entertainment provided too but it had to be said that, with the early starts, we were usually too tired to go along to it, All the ship's staff were polite, respectful, friendly and helpful. We were fortunate enough to be part of a small group, 8 in total, under the excellent care of our Orbital Excursions Guide, Adel. This extremely caring, personable and very knowledgeable man organised our excursions. He ensured we were both well informed and very safe. Adel was also a great deal of fun and made our holiday experience very special, not least his use of fun English phrases, of which he had learned many, e.g. after warning us of uneven steps etc, he would say, 'brace yourself Rodney!', and on completion of a successful excursion 'Bob's you uncle.' But Adel was more than a well organised guide who took care of us, he was also able to give us a great deal of in depth information about the places we went to see. He had personal experience of the excavations and discoveries in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens too and was able to show us areas that tourists don't normally have access to. We will always be extremely grateful for the opportunity to have been guided by him. He went above and beyond for us on many occasions and made our holiday truly memorable. Our fellow travellers in the Orbital group were a very friendly, easy going, interesting, eclectic mix and we were fortunate enough to have a couple who had frequented Egypt many times,(brothers- -in law, Oliver and Gordon). Oliver knew a great deal about Egypt and spoke fluent Arabic, which added an extra dimension to our trips, and Gordon was a great deal of fun, frequently making us laugh out loud. We hold a special place in our hearts for them both. So, we would highly recommend going on a 7 night Nile Cruise with Orbital (booked via Classic Holidays) on the MS Royal Princess, especially in the cooler times of the year. It will be the experience of a lifetime - especially if you are guided by Adel.
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Posted On : 2023-03-25 14:27:26

Posted By : Chris P
We had a brilliant guide called Elia from Orbital travel who I would highly recommend. No only was he extremely knowledgeable but he assessed his audience to make sure he was not boring us or if we wanted any other information. He showed he was kind and caring and wanted everyone to enjoy the experience. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble.

The trips were good, the food was good and the cabins clean. Would have liked more covid procedures in place as although there was hand sanitiser outside the restaurant, it was not enforced at all, the restaurant staff did not all wear masks (some did and some did not) and we both caught covid, so believe it was from the ship.
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Posted On : 2022-05-22 11:35:50

Posted By : YoungAngelaC
Arrived in Luxor from Hurghada ( 5 hours by coach). Boarded MV Jamilla a river cruise boat. Looked wonderful and greeted by Mohammed from Meeting point tours. He was amazing, so knowledgeable and nothing too much trouble however small . Cabin was nice with all the necessities and very clean, serviced daily sometimes twice with towels.
Restaurant was buffet style with variety of foods to suit all nationalities and tastes. Nice bar with room for entertainment. Upper deck with bar, covered area to sit without sun, pool and sun beds. Tea served every afternoon, and drinks served any time.
Massage facility on board, recommended to unwind. Tranquil seven days from Luxor to Aswan and return to Luxor, stopping at key places where one could get off and browse at leisure or take a tour or even two. Went to Karnak, from Luxor, Edfu , Komombo, Aswan? Saw oldest temple in Esna on return plus a souk. Went to valley of the Kings, had a felluka sailing experience in Aswan and visited high and low dams. All this and still felt relaxed. Last night moored in Luxor, so took trip by taxi to Winter palace for afternoon tea. Great end to a wonderful holiday.
Highly recommended. Just a couple of pointers, refrain from eating salad items washed in 💦 as May cause gippy tum, and only drink water from a sealed bottle. Maybe arm yourself with Imodium in case, but hey ho, we get bad tummies at home too!
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Posted On : 2019-12-30 06:39:15

Posted By : boots666
Just back from 7 night cruise on MS Nile Ruby had a fantastic time. Food was great especially Chefs omelettes and waffles for breakfast. Cabin 414 was kept clean and the guy sorry not able to spell his name who cleaned our cabin was very talented with the art of towel folding - crocs, swans, elephant etc. I would highly recommend and wish to thank all the staff who helped to make our cruise a very magical memory hope to return one day. Floating up the Nile was an experience I will never forget and for all the right reasons.

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Posted On : 2018-10-27 14:09:39

Posted By : Louise C
7 night Nile Cruise taken in September 2018. Our berth was comfortable, clean and on the middle deck of the boat. The food was very good and the staff very pleasant and helpful. You do need to be aware that, although sold as a 7 night cruise, you spend two nights moored in Aswan and another two nights moored in Luxor on your return to port. So in effect you are only cruising for 3 days. Whilst moored the cruise boats are all stacked next to each other, this means that you have no view from your room and cannot open your window due to the closeness of another vessel. It really isn't necessary to pay extra for a middle or top floor room. The MS Royal Ruby is an older boat and could do with being updated. All mealtimes are scheduled around the daily sightseeing tours, including breakfast which on one day was as early as 6.15-7.15, we found this quite irritating as there was no later provision for guests who were not leaving the boat. We had to check the notice board daily for breakfast and lunch times.
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Posted On : 2018-10-15 05:32:43