First Choice - M.S Tulip

What a fabulous holiday we had and we would recommend it to anyone.

Our tour Rep Gabriel was the most lovely man we have every met, he took the time to sit with all of us and play in the pool and bring drinks for everyone, he was funny and always had a smile on his face. He was there all day everyday and you could even approach him late at night should you need him.

You get a list of words that you may need when you have your first meeting, these are very helpful, but the word for No is La.

On our first week we sailed up the Nile on MS Tulip as our original boat the Orchid was in dock being refurbished.

We didn't know anyone, but that is easily remedied by the fact that the staff put you on a table and that is the table you sit at for all you meal times, hence new friends.

2 ladies on board our cruise were celiac and the chef catered for them very well, nothing was too much trouble for him.

You cannot describe the sheer luxury of sailing up the nile. It was the most beautiful experience ever. The water is not dirty, there are no crocs, just people going about their daily lives, kids swimming, laughing.

We went on all the tours and though some were expensive, they were well worth it, My personal favourites were Philea Temple and the Valley of the Kings. You can choose as many or as few tours as you want to, there is no pressure for you to go on any if you didn't want to. Most of the tours were all together for £148.00 pp. That does not include Abu Simble which was £99.00, this included a sound and light show at Philea Temple. A lot of people have different opinions about Abu Simble as to whether the 3 hour coach ride and the cost was worth it. I think personally for the amount of time you are there it is ok but could be cheaper, It is a fantastic place, beware, however of the armed police, they ask you to have a picture taken with them then ask for money. Just say you have no money, also take toilet roll with you when you go as there is none in the toilets. Also we showed them our own loo roll and just walked in, you shouldn't have to pay every time you need the loo, as you have paid the entrance fee. You do get to see a mirage and an amazing sunrise.

There was also an optional hot air balloon ride which had been reduced to £75, I hate heights but my husband went on it and said it was amazing even though he had been in one before.

All in all the one price tours (£148) are well worth it. We did so much that first week, saw Karnak, Luxor, Philea, Edfu, Kom Ombo Temples, Learned so much of the history from our Egyptologist Yasser who was a fantastic and very enthusiastic tour guide, we saw Valley of the Kings and King Tutankhamun is a very big must. Valley of the Queens, Hetshepsuits Temple, Aswan Dam, the unfinished obelisk, A fantastic once in a lifetime experience. Although we did all the tours there was still plenty of time to sunbathe and go in the pool, which, as it was very hot when we went, was lovely.

If you don't want to go on the tours there is the option of going about the town, yes you get mobbed but you just say La in a very strong voice and more often than not they will leave you alone. They are just trying to make a living, and yes its annoying because on all your tours there are the run of shops and you have to sometimes run the gauntlet, but don't let that spoil it for you, it is an amazing experience.

The food is very nice on board, more or less the meals consisted of meat, chicken, fish. They do cook it in varying ways and it is nice, if you have any dietry requirements tell your rep and he will sort it for you. The salads are washed with mineral water and the ice cubes are made from mineral water.The drinks are limited too but whatever you drink they put plenty of alcohol in the glasses, and the beer (lager)is very nice. You get given a smmall bottle of water for your trips out and a large bottle is placed on your table at mealtimes, we took it in turns to take the botle from the table to our rooms, but you can ask for another bottkle whiole you are in the dining room. On deck it is given by the glass.

There is a gala dinner where they want you to dress like an Egyptian, the outfits are very cheap off the guy in the shop on board so you don't need to haggle in town. If you buy any silver jewellery off him make sure you ask to see the 925 silver mark as I have a necklace that isnt, so just be wary.

The staff on board are vey friendly Ahmed, Khalif and TaHa were our personal favourites but all of them were very polite, everyone had a smile from the deckhands to the caterers and bar staff, and they all worked very, very hard. Every day we had a different towel arrangement on our beds. If you are celebrating any special occasion, just tell the rep and they organise a cake and they bring out the drum all the staff join in and they take you for a conga round the dining room, it was fun.

The rooms are lovely and clean the ensuite bathroom the same, The luxurious marble and granite floors and stairs are absolutely gorgeous, they are constantly cleaned, the pool and deck area spotless too.

The evening entertainment is ok, and doesn't last for long but we made our own entertainment and sat on the deck ( no smoking inside the boat) plus it was too nice to sit in the bar area. There is so much activity in the towns where the boat docks it is amazing, it comes to life, children and adults sit and play on the grassed areas at 11pm at night till the early hours of the morning. Do not think though that the noise keeps you awake it doesn't. We were on the first deck not far from the engine and could only hear it when we opened the window, nor was there any smell of diesel.

The downside is that the rep asks you at the first meeting to give a tip at the end of your cruise and tells you how much they expect each person to give, we thought that was a bit cheeky but said from the onset that we would put in whatever we wanted.. At the end of your cruise there will be 2 envelopes left in your room, one for the tour guide and one for the staff. You put in what you want to, we did. They say about £10 per person (that's not the number of staff), but we thought we had paid enough for the holiday and tours so we put 100 Egyptian in each envelope, but that would be up to you. Also you will be expected to tip the driver of your coaches but we only did on the longer journeys. Then it was just 20 Egyptian, but if you don't want to just say shukran, which is thank you in Arabic.

Please don't go for a ride in the horse and carriages the horses look so unhappy and are very thin, they don't really treat their animals like we do here, its not nice.

The friends we made on board will be in our memories for a very long time, in fact we are in touch with some of them and especially (Angie and Billy who we feel we have known forever).

Whilst we were waiting for the otheres to come back from the balloon ride, we went and asked could we look at the Orchid as it was nearing the end of the refurb. How gorgeous was it, the rooms and the floors were really luxurious, so if you are looking at the old pics of the rooms, they are far more modern now since they have been done up

This is the best holiday we have ever had, we want to go again and will do in the next couple of years, but this was an experience we would not have missed for the world. 100% recommend this holiday.

our first time on a cruise,must speak as i find,the crew was fantastic,could not do enough for you,from the time you board the boat till the time you left,the boat was spotless,cabin cleaned everyday with fresh towels,food,not a lot to say,quality good,varity average,but enjoyable,entertainment,less than average,last nite on boat no entertainment,had to make our own which the all the crew joined in and loved,value for money,up to you how you want to enjoy it.would i book again and recommend it,yes.

the staff was so friendly, they would do any thing to make you happy, food is not that variable but it it is of good quality, room is clean and comfortable but the cruise could be better if just it provides more facilities. Our guide Waleed was very nice. I and my husband enjoyed our time and felt so comfortable

staff were excellent as usuall,friendly all the time,couldnt fault them.

As before when we went we had no rep,she was on the orchid as before,the other rep stayed in luxor,we were the overspill boat and took on 100 chinese and american tourists half way through our trip which held us up and made us late for luxor,exactly the same as our previous trip on the tulip,huge complaints made then but nothing done.the rep when we did see her kept things back and seemed uninterested,overall lucky to do a cruise but expect the unexpected.the orchid which we have also travelled on was problem free,as the so called rep always travals on this boat.

We had a great time we paid for a deluxe cabin but beware they are the same size as the superior cabins but with a kingsize bed and an old dvd player which is not worth the extra £3 p.n. The trips were amazing.

Wonderfull staff, overall very good experience, food was excellent something for everybody and if there was nothing you liked the chef would cook chips on request! Chef was cooking fresh omelettes and pasta. Some people got the bug but it only lasted generally 24hrs and tablets were available on board and the chef would cook plain rice whilst you were recovering. The tours were amazing and the Egyptologist knew his stuff. The cabins were a good size. Wonderful holiday, would go again, staff really made us welcome. Bathroom needed a revamp, in general the whole boat is in need of some tender loving care, it is due a complete refit within the next 2 years. The first choice rep was generally unavailable all week which is disappointing as you expect a rep when you book a package holiday. Entertainment was very poor but so much to see from top deck, most evening spent enjoying the very warm evenings with a drink in our hand.

The worse part of the First Choice Tulip Cruise was that we had upset tummies, fever, and sickness, when we approached the rep he said it was just the usual travel bug,

It was pointed out that our sister ship that we travelled down with had only a couple of cases tummie bug.

We said we wanted a doctor bringing abroad he said we would have to pay for him after a lengthy discussion a doctor was brought aboard at First Choices expense.

he prescribed pills and administered injections the the most poorly of us

I have been ill for two weeks now since getting home, my own doctor said I have an infection of the bladder I am still on antibiotics

We are awaiting some test results from here in England so the case is still on going