Heerlijke Luxe week op de Ms . Terramar,een klein schip ,dus aandacht voor elkaar (waren met z,n zessen aan boord, 2 engelse,2 duitsers ) Veel privacy! Het eten(a la carte) was zalig en afwisselend ,de bediening fantastisch. De jongens van de huishouding verschoonden de kamer (handdoeken, pedaalemmer) wel 3x op een dag ! Vooral ober Ali heeft ons hart gestolen !!! Iedereen was even vriendelijk en ... correct. We vierden ons 30 jarig Huwelijk op de boot en de bemanning verwenden ons met een heerlijke taart en....een versierde kamer (wat wil een mens nog meer?) We hadden onze eigen privegids omdat we de enige Nederlanders waren aan boord De excursies waren waanzinnig ,we hebben genoten omdat het zo,n fijne sfeer op het schip is . Een minpunt :ondanks alle luxe uitstraling kregen we toch op een van de laatste dagen diaree. Maar al met al is dit schip een echte aanrader vanwege het intieme/luxe karakter

Just returned from a truly magnificent holiday. It is very hard to find something new to say about the Terramar, I don't think I have read anything bad about the ship. From the Suites, staff,guide,food - everything is just fabulous. Difficult to pick highlights,we enjoyed Abu Simbel, we flew, and afternoon tea at the Old Cataract Hotel, Aswan. We can strongly recommend the MS Terramar in all aspects - just magic.

We were recommended this particular cruise boat by our well trusted travel agent at the Co-op Travel in Derby (Ben). We looked at some of the recent reviews that were all positive and felt that we were in for a treat.
I have to say that this holiday is going to take some beating. From the moment we were welcomed on board by the very friendly and helpful staff we felt at ease and comfortably relaxed.
The excursions were all well organised and the guide (known locally as 'Smile') was very informative, fun to be with and helpful in every way.
The whole crew made us feel very special and we understand that Thomas Cook also run cruises on this boat without the excursions so we plan to return within a couple of years and do our own thing when docked. I guarantee you will adore this charming boatalong with it's crew of the friendliest egyptians you are ever likely to meet.
Incidentally the food on board was excellent and with lot's of choice. Again, the staff were keen to please and they certainly never failed us.

We have just come back from the best holiday ever on the MS TERRAMAR.
The food,the service,the staff were excellent,nothing was too much trouble
for them,they were so attentive especially Yusef(Joseph),Mustaffa and all the other waiters in the dining room.My sister-in-law was vegeterian and they gave her the best choice of food she has ever had,thank you to the Head
Chef Lolo and all his staff.
The suites are large and kept spotlessly clean,with 2 towel changes per day,also some lovely towel art,thank you to the housekeeping staff.
Smile our guide made our trips out very enjoyable,and now we know more about the Ancient Egyptians.We came as strangers and left as friends,thank you to all.Love Susan,John,Cathy and David(LIVERPOOL)We booked with Thomas Cook...P.S.upgrade to all inclusive when you arrive if you like a drink,
ENJOY PEOPLE WE ARE SURE YOU WILL.

Booked via www.rivernilecruise.com

The MS Terramar is a charming, well kept Nile Cruise boat designed with an old fashioned feel and a dark wooden finish to the interior.

On arrival into Luxor we were met by a rep that explained the Visa process and requirements and helps us get it which saved us time and hassle avoiding standing in a long queue. We were then escorted personally to the Ms Terramar and guided through exactly what to expect and how the week was planned for us, including the optional excursions, which took the stress out of the whole situation.

When we went to our room we found it very spacious due to it being a suite; from what we saw we think that the lower deck suites are slightly larger and have a settee in the living area whereas the suites on the higher decks have sofa benches. The Suites are cleaned twice daily and the fridges in the room are stocked every day with bottles of water and beer.

The food in the restaurant was fantastic and we were served dishes such as smoked salmon, caviar, venison, and steak. The waiter service is also of a high standard and because the menu was a la carte everything was done for us which made us feel very special and worthy.

The staff on board were fantastic, they were polite and friendly and endeavour to meet your every requirement. Whilst on the sundeck we were waited on for drinks and our glasses were kept full whilst we were relaxing on board.

We went all inclusive which we believe saved us at least £100 per person on our final bill and the staff just cant give you enough so there was never any feeling of guilt when asking for and extra drink at anytime, night and day, in fact there were no time restrictions on when we could drink to because the bar closed at midnight but room service was available 24 hours a day.

The wake up call is around 6am for the excursions and the staff endeavour to have you back on the cruise by midday to avoid walking round at the hottest parts of the day.

It was our wedding anniversary and the people we booked the Ms Terramar with rivernilecruise.com informed the boat and on our anniversary we were given a cake and also the musicians on the boat played the wedding march - this made everything worthwhile and we felt like a "Million Dollars"

The guides are excellent and the groups on the excursions are smaller, we had 6 people in our group who were all English which made it more intimate and make the whole experience more personal.

Overall I can say on behalf of our group that we would have no hesitation in booking again and this was everything we were expecting and more.

We cruises the Nile on the MS Terramar from Oct. 29th to Oct 5th 2008. We had a great time thanks to our excellent guide. The weather was perfect, not to hot and not to cool. Mornings were cool but it warmed up quickly. By mid day the temperatures were in the mid 80's F.
The cabins were large with a sitting area with an LCD TV, a mini bar, table and chairs, and a couch which was not very comfortable. Adjacent to this was bedroom with a king size bed very firm but comfortable. Other than sleeping we spent very little time in the room. A typical day was touring temples in the morning and sitting on the top deck in the afternoon enjoying the cruise on the Nile.
The most disappointing part of the cruise was the food. The quality of the basic ingredients was below average as was the preparation. A few dishes were very good but these were few and far between. They served beef almost every night and it was not tender. The food on the buffet was not has hop has it should have been.
Other areas of where problems came up included prohibiting us from taking glasses from our cabin to the top deck, only having instant coffee at diner and then charging for it, their process of keeping track of your purchases on board was not as efficient as it could have been in that sometimes you were ask to sign for purchases that took place the day before or longer. There were some commutation problems in that the staff's knowledge of English was limited to key words. This however was a minor annoyance.
Overall the quality of the ship in my opinion was not five stars.

The MS Terramar was a fantastic boat to sail on and the excursions provided were fabulous (once you got over the 6 o'clock wake up times!). The staff were friendly, polite and nothing was too much trouble for them. Our guide was brilliant and funny, giving the right balance of information and free time to explore. The on board entertainment was limited but the traditional dancers/singers were good. The ball was entertaining and you do need to be prepared to take something with you or buy a costume on the boat ( I picked up something simple for £7) as the dress is traditional Egyptian. The food was amazing - don't expect to stick to any diet you were on, it was varied, tasty and plentiful. The presentation was excellent.
The rooms were a good size, very clean, serviced twice a day and every day we were surprised by a different towel sculpture from flowers to scorpions and hanging monkeys!
No money exchanges hands on the boat - you sign for drinks as you have them and pay at the end of the trip which is really good.
We did have to go on to one of the other boats a couple of times which made us appreciate the superior quality of the MS Terramar.
We only had 14 English and 2 German on the boat with 50 staff. This time of year is quieter due to the weather.
Talking about weather, in July it is extremely hot - take sun block, sunglasses and hats. Water is available on the coach for excursions at a very good price so drink lots!
I would highly recommend this boat and it is very worthwhile spending the extra money to give you the holiday of a lifetime.

7 night cruise on the 7th May 2008
General comments on the boat -
Extremely clean and well furnished - public areas
Same for the cabins - lower deck cabins are huge
Staff were always polite and attentive and nothing was too much trouble
Food was very good with plenty of choice
Had no problem with the drinks and no one ripped us off
Evening entertainment wasn't brilliant but what there was (especially the Galabya night) was fantastic with everyone joining in
The passengers - eleven English and thirteen German
We all had a great time together
Just a note about the m/s Semiramis
When we went onto this boat for our rep meeting we noticed the public areas were untidy and full of smoke
It was certainly worth booking the Terramar
The tour guide, was unbelievable
Not just with his knowledge of all things Egyptian but his sense of humour was amazing
Morning visits to the sites were early but it's what you would expect - we had temperatures reaching 125 degrees
They were extremely well organized and on time with air conditioned buses
Highlights were the trip by air to Abu Simbel and especially the hot air balloon ride at sunrise over the Valley of the Kings - if anyone does one trip it has to be this!
A truly memorable, exhilarating and magical holiday that ended too soon.
Anyone going in the next few weeks say hi to the barman. He's got my tie!

From the minute we stepped onto the the Terramar we knew it would be something special. Our arrival was around 7.30pm and we were immediately shown into the dining room, whilst our bags were taken to our cabin.
General observations -
The cabin on the lower deck was spacious, clean, comfortable with two huge windows. Change of bed linen daily - towels twice daily - it makes a big difference. The bathroom was small but the shower was amazing - continuous hot water whatever the time of day.
The staff were extremely friendly and polite and we certainly didn't see any pushy staff asking for money.
The service at meal times was fast and efficient. Most meals were buffet style and there was always a good choice.
We went on the 7th May 2008 for one week and the guide was brillaint. This guy knew everything there was to know about Egypt and even more. He was funny, he was friendly and he made everyone feel at home. He well deserved his tip at the end of the cruise, as did the rest of the staff.
The guys who came into our cabin whilst we were at dinner to do their thing with the towels etc. just wanted to be praised for their efforts. One night, we opened the door to see a monkey hanging from the ceiling, made out of towels and a pair of my sunglasses!
The trips were organised like clockwork. You only had to step off the boat and the bus was there, fully air conditioned with bottles of water.
There were 13 English and 11 Germans so it wasn't a full ship as there is 20 cabins. It was spacious with plenty of room on the upper deck for lounging on the beds or sitting in the shade.
The entertainment was OK. The Galabya night had everyone up and mixing and it was an absolute riot! Most of the time we would sit on the top deck chatting into the early hours of the morning.
We included the two extra trips which were the flight to Abu Simbel and the Hot Air Balloon - both amazing. There has been some criticism about early starts on these cruises but believe me it's worth it. When you are out in the heat of the day and temperatures reached upwards to 120 degress you can understand. We were always back on board before mid day, ready for lunch and sunbathing round the pool. The Hot Air Balloon trip had us up and off at 4am but when you get to the site and see the balloons already for take off, it's a sight you'll never forget. As for sailing over the Valley of the Kings at sunrise it has to be probably the most awe-inspiring experience we've had on holiday.
A truly magical place is Egypt and one we will visit again.
If you want to book a Nile cruise book the M/S Terramar. It's more intimate than the bigger cruise ships.
We have to mention the barman/waiter. It was a priviledge to have met him. He was funny and friendly.
It was so hard to say goodbye to all the friends we made on the boat.

The boat was very nice, clean and we had a huge cabin on the lower deck. The sun deck was really nice with 2 large undercover sitting areas and plenty of sundecks (undercover and in the sun). The food was plentiful and enough courses if you didn't like something. We could not fault the boat and standard at all and I think it was one of the best boats. It made it more peaceful with just 20 cabins and a smaller amount of people and this was definitely a plus when it came to the tours.
There were a few negatives though. We found it hard to change money into small notes but there wasn't a problem doing this when we advised we would not buy something unless we were able to get change.
I ordered glasses of wine for a few nights and the measures were getting less and less and I only received half a glass on a few occasions. I then bought a bottle and kept this in the fridge in the cabin, and this rectified the problem.
As it was full board on the boat you had to sign for drinks and it wasn't always straight after you ordered it. If you even paused to look at the bill the staff would become aggressive and demand you sign it. Make sure you keep a record of what you have bought. When checking out they tried to overcharge us and weren't too happy when my husband made them go through all the bills and it turns out we were right.
The Galabaya ball was a really good laugh but there was a lot of pressure to buy costumes. As there is not much time to buy one off the boat we had to pay £32 for 2 costumes. Mine was really expensive as I am very small and we had left to late to get it taken up. We did haggle him down in price but we were sworn to secrecy as we had paid less than other guests. The photographer on this night hounded us to death to pose for photos and in the end gave in. Then we were hounded to buy the photos that were not very good quality and we didn't buy (which they did not like).
The evening entertainment for the other nights was ok, nothing brilliant and I found that you couldn't relax because you were constantly dragged up to be part of it. If you like Pontins you will like this.
There was also a man videoing the evenings which was fine but at one point he was on the top deck filming us as we were relaxing, which is out of order, and wouldn't have been too happy if I had been in my bikini. Then there was a video evening when you could purchase the DVD but we did not go. The 6 guests that did go felt obliged to buy one at £15.
If I had read these points I don't think it would have put me off going but I would have been more prepared. Their perception of you is that you are rich and make if obvious they want your money and not as friendly if they don't get it.
We did a twin centre to the Sheriton Soma Bay and the contrast in attitudes was unbelievable and did not make it obvious they wanted your money. It was a different world. They were very grateful for any tips. Maybe this is because it is an International chain hotel and not a local company.
The tour guide was very good and he was worth a big tip at the end. I don't mind tipping at all, as we do in England, but I just felt that they have become greedy on the Terramar.
I did still really enjoy the trip and what we saw, the tour guide and the standard of the boat outweighed the negatives. But if you are aware of these things then they can maybe be avoided. (like buying a bottle of wine, instead of a glass).