travelDep MS Stephanie - 5 Star Nile Cruise Ship Review

Overall Rating

Wonderful experience for anyone interested in ancient history and mythology.

None really except not enough sunbeds........!!

We travelled with Orbital Travel, flying with Monarch Airlines and staying on the travelDep MS Stephanie - 5 Star Nile Cruise Ship from 02.03.09 " 09.03.09.
The initial booking was made via the Internet. We thought we had booked with a small specialist company, but it seems that there are several similar companies all under the umbrella of the Co-op. So our booking confirmation came from Personal Travel Advisors, as part of Future Travel, as part of the Co-op. This made me a bit anxious, especially when we had not received our tickets five days before travelling. Eventually they arrived " plane tickets OK but boat tickets seemed to be just a photocopied sheet, three days before the due date! That was also the first time we knew we were travelling with Orbital Travel " had we known this in advance it may have been easier to book directly with them.
However, that was the only hiccup. The flight with Monarch was a bit cramped, but on time " extra legroom seats were available, but at a cost of £35 per person each way. On arrival at Luxor Airport, we were immediately met by reps from Orbital who arranged our Visas for a reasonable £12 sterling each and guided us to our boat by mini coach.
Tip - don ' t take a lot of Egyptian currency with you. I had time on arrival to change money at Luxor Airport and the exchange rate was a full Egyptian pound more to the pound Sterling. Also, you could probably last the entire week with sterling, dollars or euros as these are taken in most tourist areas. Small change is needed for public toilets, tips etc.
The MS Stephanie looked dull and dusty to me from the outside (no rain to wash off the dust), but inside was fine. The cabins are a good size with a decent sized bathroom and a safe to store valuables. The cabins have opening full length windows onto a balcony rail so you can lean out to watch the world go by. You are warned that the boats moor up alongside each other in Luxor and Aswan, so be prepared to spend a couple of days two feet away from the boat next door " this takes away much of the light and also you need to keep the curtains closed for privacy.
On board, the service was good, food in the restaurant was plentiful and of a good quality although not of gourmet standard in my opinion! We chose the all inclusive option which was a godsend as we were allowed unlimited bottles of water, tea, coffee, soft drinks, local beer and spirits between 11.30 am and 11.30 pm and wine with meals. Thus no money was required on board unless we ordered drinks outside these hours. This was unlikely as we were sightseeing most mornings and didn ' t stay up late because of the early starts.
Tip - Remember to obtain bottles of water in the evening for your trips next morning.
Some people suffered from the Pharaoh's Revenge, but I was lucky and did not. Be very careful to wash hands carefully and use hand gel and wet wipes before handling food. Dirty money notes are said to be a cause of transmitting tummy germs. I did not buy anything to eat or drink away from the boat except for a can of coke, which I wiped before I drank from it. Before entering the boat restaurant we were offered damp towels to clean our hands and these were also offered on return from some excursions.
Entertainment on board seems to be standard including an Egyptian fancy dress night, belly dancer, whirling dervish and Nubian singers and dancers. This was quite sufficient for us as we needed to get some sleep before our very early morning starts. On returning to our cabin we were greeted by towel sculptures of monkey, swans, donkey and crocodile.
On the sun deck, there was a clean plunge pool, sun beds, tables, chairs and a bar. The only complaint was that although there was a 'no bagging sun beds in advance' policy, it always seemed that the some had all the beds and others had to make do with the chairs..... perhaps the management should compromise and provide more beds.......
Tipping is expected as a way of life. Fortunately a lump sum of around £30 per person a week is taken during the cruise to obviate the need to give out individual tips each day. However, we did allow a further sum for our guide who was absolutely excellent.
There were around 40 British people out of 120 on the boat. We had two guides, both qualified Egyptologists, who took us round in groups of around 20 so it was easy to follow and listen to them. Our guide was was young, enthusiastic, passionate about his subject and very entertaining. Our guides also acted as our holiday reps so were on hand 24 hrs a day to help where necessary. For example, on arrival we had no safe in our cabin, but with our guide's help, one was fitted within half an hour,
I had wanted to see the ancient sites of Egypt for many years, but felt apprehensive about going there, with threats of terrorism - a small fatal explosion occurred in Cairo the week before we travelled - stories of being harassed everywhere by traders, and of course warnings of the dreaded stomach upsets. However, all my fears were allayed and replaced by awe and wonderment when we cruised the Nile, visited the ancient temples, and descended into the tombs at the Valley of the Kings. There was an air of magic about the place and the sites certainly lived up to expectations. It was even worth getting up at 2.45 am to travel across the Sahara desert to reach Abu Simbel! You need to see the architecture in person to appreciate the scale of it, and to look at the vibrant colours still existing in the wall paintings of the tombs. I have seen many pictures of Tutankhamun, but actually to stand in his tomb, was awe inspiring, although I feel his mummified remains should be replaced in the sarcophagus and not be displayed in a glass case..........
I thought it was a nuisance being pestered all the time by traders to buy goods and to give baksheesh, but we were in their country and thus governed by their standards. Tourism accounts for around 30% of the country ' s income and as such, our money is much needed. However, I ' m sure that some at least, would spend a lot more if they were allowed to browse and choose instead of being assailed by a dozen shop keepers at a time!
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of this holiday and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in ancient history and myth. However it is not a relaxing holiday as there are one or two trips each day and mainly early starts. I think the holiday was extremely good value for money and would go back again.

Members' Comments onsallyjones's Review

• PattieH on 2nd Sep 2009

  I found this review very helpful because... we are going on this trip in November 2009 so it was great to hear how successful it should be and picking up the tips given.

• alifaz on 5th Oct 2009

  I found this review very helpful because...it gave lots of invaluable info for 'first timers' like us! We are going on this boat on 19th Oct for my husbands 50th birthday treat and I'm now a lot more relaxed that I chose a great boat!

• Dad T on 26th Oct 2009

  I found this review very helpful because... a good insight in to all Richard going in Jan 2010

• slipper1 on 7th Nov 2009

  I found this review very helpful because...it dealt with just about everything I wanted to know.