MS Magic Hotel Review

Overall Rating

Overall we would certainly say this was an excellent trip and represented good value for money. We certainly would recommend it to friends and family. Hopefully the following points will help you; I've certainly included things we wish we had known before we went.
While Luxor airport on arrival is chaotic a rep will quickly make themselves obvious. Once they do, get to them and they will sort your entry visa which you pay for only when on the transfer coach, £12 in sterling or $15US.
Tipping is a pain but the rep method of paying 3x£10 (rep organises it) is very good so at least you do not need to worry on the boat or when on 'escorted' trips. On one of your first trips you are taken to a bank where you can get money and the exchange rate is very good (close to 9 EGP to 1 GBP as opposed to 8 in the UK). Best to hand over GBP cash. You can also get small denomination EGP; hang on to any small notes for tips like going to the loo! It is a good idea to bring cheap pens and sweets for giving to the few children who deserve it. A few 50p or £1 coins are also helpful for any early tips before you get small denomination EGP.
We found sleeping on the boat fine but it is noisier towards the back and on deck 1 compared to 3 or 4. Not something to really worry about though.
Most tables in the dining room are for 6 so we ended up as one of three couples. You then dine with them for the whole trip. The couples we were with were excellent fun and the whole group seemed pretty good but this could be a problem if you are not so lucky! Might be worth chatting to as many others as you can before your first meal, getting your group together and going in on time. A bell is rung to indicate the dining room is open. However, it is part of the fun to see who you end up with!
The boat has 70 cabins so 140 max people. We were mainly 40+ age group but a few younger couples and plenty retirees! Very few children, just two families with young teens. It certainly is not a trip for children and most teens would likely find the trips 'boring'!
The cabins are a good size and there is plenty of hot water in the shower. There is a free digital safe and plenty of storage space. The TV only works in port although there is a channel connected to a camera on the front of the boat so you can see forwards even when in bed!
Be aware that the extra optional trips are quoted in GBP but this is then turned into EGP by the rep at a rate of 9 to 1 and if you pay with a credit card there is then 2% added and your credit card company will turn the EGP back to GBP at a lower rate! Ours, Abbey Zero, gave a very good rate of 8.96 and does not make any other charges either, even for cash withdrawals!
Of the extra trips the Karnak sound & light was poor plus the cost of £22pp for a £11 ticket and coach ride of 5 minutes was a rip-off! We really did enjoy the quad bikes, camel ride and hot air balloon. The Aswan city trip had mixed reviews and certainly meant being exposed to the constant and at times, intimidating, 'hagglers'!
Abu Simbel is awesome and probably worth £130 to fly, (£70 coach, 3 hours each way!) although the 'cost price' will be way below this! It does mean a 2.30am wake up but it is quite something to be back on the boat eating breakfast at 9.30am after having done it!
The trips that are part of the package are very good and the Egyptologists mainly excellent (1 of the 3 on our boat was not) and it is certainly worth getting up early for the trips to have a cooler time outside and be back with plenty of the day left. The Luxor area trips include fantastic temples/tombs. Many trips do finish with a visit to a 'shop' to try to get you to part with your money! Alabaster, gold/jewellery, perfume etc. Some are interesting but be prepared to say a firm 'no thank you'!
The Egyptian Dress evening was fun and the galabeyas on sale on the boat are as good and cheap as anywhere else. £5/£10 gets you all you need, including a hat! If you want haggle free shopping for souvenirs try Gaddis next to the Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor.
On your final day the hot air balloon was early, 5.00am, so you are back for breakfast. I wouldn't do the optional trip to the Valley of the Queens as I was 'templed out' and it gave time for packing, enjoying a final sunbathe etc. You get lunch and the all-inclusive is very fairly kept running until about half an hour before your coach takes you to the airport.
The all-inclusive is pretty good value and they certainly make sure there are loads of bottles of cold water. The glasses are small and you do have to return to the bar often but there is a good range of drinks, albeit local with the exception of Coke and they did have the diet variety too. Watch the measures - a G&T is mainly G, I actually poured my own! There is a very odd thing of often being asked to sign for food and drink even though you are all-inclusive. We often signed but equally often did not; crucially there was no bill to pay at the end. All inclusive ends at 11.45pm each night but most people are in bed getting sleep for the next early start by then!
Towels are provided, including for the swimming pool, so don't take any like we did! We were told that they are pretty hot on the 20kg luggage although we were just over 21kg on the way home and nothing was said.
The food was excellent and loads of it. There was little 'Nile tummy' that we heard of and the very few who did suffer will have got it from off the boat. There is a tour of the boat that includes the kitchens which were spotless! The dirty banknotes are likely 'carriers' so a bottle of 'hand wash' is probably sensible.
There are loads of sunbeds and they really do not allow 'bagging' them. The sun deck really is very nice with lots of space, tables etc and a decent bar. There is no smoking on the boat except on the sun deck. The small swimming pool is good and certainly helps you to cool off. It was high 30s while we there in mid-October.
Luxor airport is modern and not too badly priced. The duty free alcohol did not seem cheap (got a much better deal on Bombay Sapphire in Tesco!) but cigarettes were very cheap indeed.