Reviews of MS Orchid, Nile Cruises, Egypt

Jo & Danielle

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

jo bennett

Comments:

We have just returned from a weeks nile cruise,we went to celebrate my daughters 21st birhtday and had a fantastic time on board the MS Orchid. the staff on the boat made it a very special birthday for her, if anyone is celebrating anything they make you a cake with your name on and get you up dancing in the resturant. The boat was clean, food was excellent and staff couldn't do enough for you. All the trips are well organised you either go first thing in the morning or later in the day the Egyptologist guides where amazing with so much knowledge, funny and spoke excellent english I think the best trip was to the valley of the kings. We made some good friends. I would definately reccommend it.

dot parfitt

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

dotparfitt

Comments:

having had a wonderful time on the orchid ,ifound it unusual that you didnt have to sanatize your hands before going into the dining room,having done quite a few cruises this was the only one that didnt practice this procedur, a simple thing like this might deter a lot of tummy bugs.The cruise itself was very good ,the staff were lovely nothing was any trouble and they joined in every evening with the entertainment,because there is not too many on the ship everone seems to get involed esspecially the ejyptian night it was fantastic ,Carol our rep went out of her way to help you,well done to all for a lovely holiday.

mrs

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

LESLEYC

Comments:

The boat needed som TLC but the crew, rep were all fantastic. Small group of all British travellers. Trips were well organised with plenty of "own time" for photos and to explore on your own. We took pounds sterlin which we could easily exchange. Take plenty of pound coins as the Egyptions want paying for everything and are happy to take £1 coins or 10 Egyption pounds. (about the same £1)

If you have your photo taken even by the police they will still hold their hand out for money and who is going to argue with a man with a gun!!!

Great holiday the trips were not too long so still time to relax and sunbathe. But remember on this trip we had to pay for all trips on top.
6 excurtions for £120 per person.

One night is fancy dress so take your Egyption gear with you or you can purchase from the shop price from £5 upwards.

Food was good and plenty of it.

We booked a cruise and stay,...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss L Wright

Comments:

We booked a cruise and stay, which was 7 days in Sharm and a 7 day cruise. The cruise was the best part of the holiday. The food was very good and the entertainment was excellent as well, they really do get you involved and ensure you have a good time. On Friday evenings they have a galabaya party, where you can dress up as Egyptians, the majority of people did this and the evening was really good.

The best thing about this cruise was that you became friendly with everyone as you’re in a close environment and we found this made our holiday extra special. We even became friendly with the boat manager, Ahmed, he is brilliant. He advised us where to get good jewelry and we often played table tennis against him. If you think your good at table tennis, have a game with him!

The shop on the boat is fairly priced, however you will get a better deal if you use sterling rather than Egyptian pounds. You’re told that his prices are fixed, however I did manage to get him down on a bag! Have a go; he has a good sense of humor.



As for illness, yes a lot of people were ill including me and my fiancé but it wasn’t really bad we just had tummy upsets, which didn’t stop us doing anything. The only person who was very ill was an elderly asthmatic man who couldn’t stand the heat.

The shop on board sells tablets for £2, which really does help.

It’s not surprising people get ill, the food isn’t what were used to and you go from 55 degrees heat into an air conditioned room drinking cold drinks with ice!

By the way the ice is made using filtered water; our rep didn’t tell us this she told one person who she became friendly with who then informed us.



The excursions are excellent; we didn’t book the cruise package because all of the extras really do add up. We did the Valley of the Kings trip and Edfu temple. The Egyptologists were amazing, they know soo much and the way in which they convey the information makes it really interesting. The entry price for the temples were cheap and people were complaining that they paid a lot more to do that particular excursion, but they didn’t consider the extra cost of transfers and the Egyptologists, whom without you wouldn’t understand the true meaning of the temples.

It is very very hot on the excursions; it can be hard to enjoy it because you feel so tired and hot so wear a hat and drink lots of water.



If you’re in a couple and you would like a picture taken of you both ask an English person. We asked a tourist policeman and once he had taken the photo he followed us around demanding money. We only gave him a pound but to save hassle it’s easier to ask someone who won’t demand money!



When the boat was docked at Aswan we went into the market, really good, well worth getting out and looking around the different places when your docked. Everything is cheaper on the markets and you get to see some real culture.

Yes you do get hassled, some shops even say 'no hassle' on the door then they hassle you! To begin with we didn’t want to appear rude and we spoke to them when they spoke to us, but we found that we were taken into some real shit shops and they didn’t shut up until you bought something. In the end we found that ignoring them was much better. It seemed really rude to ignore people who are talking to you but it saves so much hassle.



We did the hot air balloon, which was an additional excursion charged at £70pp or £65pp if you’re booking for 2 people. This was absolutely amazing and well worth the money. You have to get up at 4am for this but I can’t recommend it enough. We watched the sunrise from the hot air balloon and the views are breath taking. You really do get to see Egypt in a unique way. We even saw people sleeping in their homes from the hot air balloon, as the majority of people do not have roofs on their homes.



We were told that if we wanted to sit together on the flight back home we had to pay £7pp and they recommended we did as 80% of people had been disappointed in the past. If you've pre-booked this at home with first choice make sure it covers both ways! I’m not sure if it would be cheaper to do this at our end, I personally have never had to do this before.



If you’re celebrating something on the cruise like a birthday and the staff know about it they will make you a cake and get you up dancing in the restaurant! Very good fun.

The laundry service on the boat is very good as well, very cheap.



Overall we didn’t have any problems with this cruise, the boat isn’t luxury but the staff is very friendly and helpful and they really do, do their best to ensure you have a lovely holiday. The boat has everything you need, it isn’t scruffy but as I said it isn’t luxury. I think your holiday is what you make it and if you chose to moan about silly things like that the decor isn’t up to standard then that up to you. The most important factors to me were that the boat was clean and the staff nice and helpful and I couldn’t ask for more of this.

Good holiday. The transfers from...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss G

Comments:

Good holiday. The transfers from the airport to M/S Orchid were done well. The boat itself was good. Some areas could do with updating but it serves its purpose. Plenty of rooms, seating etc. All staff and tour guides were very polite and friendly. One thing to watch out for is first choice will tell you the on board shop is priced well - don't fall for this, it is very expensive, almost anything you can buy in this shop you can buy off board for a fraction of the price!

One thing to keep an eye on is the food on the ship. It is all tasty good quality food (a mixture of pastas, beef, fish, chicken), however we did notice that on sometimes the food was left out too long and exposed before serving (i.e. 3 hours!).

Almost everyone onboard was ill at somestage. Some more serious than others. There is medicine onboard charged at £2. If you miss the trips due to illness you are only entitled a full refund if you have a doctors note otherwise they will give you 50% back.

All the excursions were excellent but you will be charges seperate for these - £120 for the Cruise Package & £67 for Abu Simbel. They are worth the cost but they don't make these prices clear until you board the ship. The ship accepts sterling, dollars, euros, egyptian and credit cards. Luxor airport also accepts these methods. Even the locals will accept foreign currency including pound coins.

The dress code on board is casual. On the evenings you are required to cover up but not dress up. Off board the ship you can get away with almost anything - Shorts, skirts, t-shirts, strappy tops - No one cares. However you are not allowed to walk around topless or with only a bikini top etc.

One main point that First Choice never told us about was that you have to leave your passports in reception throughout the holiday. We were informed of this once we were on our coach being tranferred to the ship. Everyone was slightly annoyed we werent informed of this before the holiday so be warned! - It is recommened you take a copy of your passport as ID just incase.

Would I go again - no, not with first choice, there was too many hidden details that I feel they should have told us about before we arrived in Egypt. (We didn't even know what boat we were on until we arrived!! Even after calling customer services!)

But overall the holiday was really good - would recommend it to anyone! Gorgeous weather, nice food, relaxing days and mind blowing excursions.

We have been on this cruise...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Feb 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr D CALCUTT

Comments:

We have been on this cruise twice - first in Feb 2006 and again in Feb 2007.



In2006 we went on some excursions, 2007 we just vegetated on the boat.



The boat his not the best or indeed the fastest BUT it is clean, the food on our cruises was superb and the Egyptian red wine, Obelisk by name, was A1.



I have added this comment at this late date because we are going again in December this year.



Value for money with or without the excursions this cruise must be FIRST CLASS.

had a most fantastic time I was...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Feb 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs

Comments:

had a most fantastic time I was on the boat last week. Food was excellent, egyptologist Islam was very knowledgable and approachable also good fun, the crew could not do enough for you, the onboard shop is small but like an aladin's cave, the crew provide good fun and entertainment at night

Our first surprise was that we...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr M.C. Wheeler

Comments:

Our first surprise was that we were under the impression that all the excursions were included in the price with the exception of the trip to Abu Simbel, courtesy of First Choice not being clear about that in their brochure (although I believe their new brochure has now been amended), so we were hit with an additional bill of £504 on our arrival to do the tours and balloon ride.



Next surprise, at our welcome meeting, another hidden extra not mentioned in their brochure: Tipping is non-compulsory, our rep explained. However, we recommend (and we will collect from you), an additional £7 pp for the coach drivers, plus £20 per cabin for the tour guides, plus £25 per cabin for the crew. Making a total of £59 per cabin of two people.



Next surprise, tummy trouble! By my best estimate 75 percent of passengers were ill, one seriously enough to require medical attention on board. We arrived Monday, Tuesday evening I was ill and I stayed ill: in fact I remained ill for ten days after returning home. We were a party of four and three of us were still ill well after our return home. When talking to the rep. she amazingly seemed to think only about four people were ill on the ship – deniability!? Were so many people ill back home, it would have been headline news. Oddly enough, if only four people were ill, why were so many demanding their money back for trips they had been unable to attend due to illness?



Ok, so besides the above, which shouldn’t be taken lightly, the excursions were good and worth it, though the schedule can be a bit daunting with 4am starts. The real down side is the fact that if you are ill with tummy troubles every excursion will become marred by the fact that you are unable to totally relax and enjoy your visits. You finish up making a note of where the loos are as soon as you arrive anywhere. Visiting filthy port-a-cabin type loos sadly becomes as much a part of your holiday experience as the wonderful sites.



Besides the tummy trouble, I cannot fault the excursions. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate on his subject. We arrived at most of the temples and sites before the rush really started and the temperature became uncomfortable, thus the early starts.



The staff on board MS Orchid were very friendly and pleasant, and went out of their way to be helpful. The comfortable cabins were cleaned daily, and the cabin cleaners are extremely pleasant. The food, worrying since so many were ill, but varied. The boat gift shop is expensive, but isn’t that always the case with a captive audience? Evening entertainment is fairly repetitive and the standard First Choice, done on as mean a budget as possible, variety.



If you have a video camera, don’t be tempted by the home video on offer, of either your holiday or your balloon trip. The quality is poor. If you don’t have a camera of your own, make friends with someone who does and ask them if they wouldn’t mind letting you have a copy of theirs. Seriously, the quality is sure to be far superior.



The balloon trip is an experience not to be missed and well worth the early rise to take. The views are stunningly breathtaking and the trip is not in the least bit daunting. A friend who joined us for the balloon trip was worried because of a fear of heights, once on board she loved it, so don’t be deterred.



Money: You don't need Egyptian pounds, UK sterling is excepted everywhere and in some cases the preferred currency of choice.



Summary: I have a great video and have seen some truly awesome and historic sites. The ultimate test comes in asking myself one single question, ‘Would I go again?’ Not a cat in hell’s chance, not even if they gave me the holiday for free! I’ve seen the sites, which were fantastic, but nothing on earth could entice me to return and run the risk of catching such an awful bug again. Added to that were the unexpected, and hidden costs that all in all made the holiday far more expensive than we ever expected.