Cosmos MS Adonis

never book with cosmos . i did 1 year prior to my holiday a hilton hotel an ms lady carol nile cruise 2 weeks before we are due to go they try to stick us on a older boat saying it better an wont charge any more then 2 days later say they dont deal with the hilton anymore an down grade us again to some hotel i dont know or heard of. call it look but my travel agent got me a better holiday and a better boat hence i cancelled this tinpot out fit straight away so my advice dont use cosmos

This holiday was booked in January 2006 for a cruise on MS Lady Mary but only when on the coach from Luxor airport were we informed that due to overbooking by Flash Tours, everyone on the coach, irrespective of how long ago they booked, would be on the MS Adonis. The lack of courtesy shown by Cosmos in the way we were informed of the change overshadowed the holiday. Speaking with other passengers it appeared that Cosmos were still taking bookings for the MS Lady Mary two weeks before departure. A formal complaint was made to Cosmos regarding this matter and the reply was that the fault lay with Flash Tours and it was in no way the fault of Cosmos!

Although we had a wonderful experience in Egypt (we went on to Hurghada for the second week) we couldn't help wondering why we were changed to a different cruise ship and not notified before we arrived there. We had booked 9 months previously and another couple had booked 10 days before for the MS Lady Mary, bookings were still being taken for the Lady Mary in Octobober

The response from Cosmos following my letter of complaint is a standardised patronising letter. This was advertised as a luxury distant dreams cruise. If the group of people with us had not made the most of it and hadn't got a sense of humour, it could have been our worst nightmare. I will not be using Cosmos again.

Great holiday with fantastic views whilst sailing down the Nile and the excursions were amazing. Would recommend this type of holiday but do your research and try to search for feedback on the number of cases of D&V illness.

Tour guides are very informative and entertaining. Market traders are a real pain and tourists must be firm with them.

We had originally selected the MS Lady Mary months before the cruise but on arrival we were informed that the boat had been changed to the MS Adonis with no explanation. Other group members were also not happy but given no other choices!

The MS Adonis wasn't moored in Luxor, and it was a good taxi ride away. The staff weren't at all helpful when asked if a cabin move due to noise was available. A blunt no was the answer, stating that the boat was full, when in fact we were waiting for more than 24 hours to pick another party up. The cabins at the forward end of the MS Adonis are quieter, although a certain amount of noise can't be helped due to some of the boats movements happening overnight. Various people we were sitting with at meals had visitors to their cabins when they were out. One such case was when the party came back from a trip, to find 6 to 8 people coming out of their cabin, with no apology or explanation. This happened on more than one occasion.

The food quality and variety was terrible. I can't recall anyone in the English party of my trip being happy with any of the food. The boat and cabin was kept clean and tidy, and the room attendant on our floor was great. The best part of the holiday were the people we shared the experience with; we all had a sense of humour, and believe me, we needed it.

The historical side of the trip was great, with the accompanied tours to the various sites, which are well worth booking up for. The main advice I can give from my experience is that if you do intend to embark on a Nile cruise, I would suggest that you confirm rigidly with the boat you're going on, where it moors up, and do research the vessel. There are lots of smashing boats to choose from, just make sure you don't pick the wrong one. If you are offered an alternative check it out, as it may not be all it seems, as some of our party found out. Or like the party I was with, you may remember your trip for all the wrong reasons. If any of my dining party are reading this...you're all stars, and a pleasure to have met.