Reviews

My husband and I have recently had a fabulous holiday with your organisation. All aspects of it were excellent: the hotel in Cairo, the 7 night Nile cruise and the hotel on the Red Sea. Cairo was a very interesting experience and the trip on the Nile was absolutely fabulous. The boat was comfortable, with excellent hygiene, good companionship at table, excellent food and standards of hygiene. Our guide, Egyptologist Sam, was all we could have hoped for – amusing, highly informative on all aspects of Egypt, both ancient and modern, and highly organised on all the excursions and visits to sites. We would not hesitate to commend him very highly. The hotel on the Red Sea was luxurious, very comfortable, and with excellent food. Restful after so many excursions.

The whole holiday was a truly unforgettable experience.

I booked with classic holidays on the MS Royal Esadora, and I cannot praise it highly enough. Despite a slight glitch at the beginning of the holiday, which was simply confusion in communication and easily put right, the holiday was everything I dreamed sbout and more.

The boat was spotlessly clean, the staff attentive and fabulous, the guides yousef and George were second to none, and the food and service fabulous. I was travelling alone and was made to feel like a queen all week. The trips, although early, were well managed, informative and mind blowing. I made lifelong friends and cannot wait to go again.

well where do I start – amazing, fantastic, a million thank yous.
my husband and I have just returned from a 10 day holiday, nile cruise and cairo stay. I have wanted to do this holiday for many years but due to the trouble that is reported have always been put off,
WELL 1ST LESSON, DONT LISEN TO THE NEWS
what an amazing holiday, from arriving at the airport it could not have been more organised, there was a team of guys telling us where to go, sorting out our visas and getting us stress free onto our boat – MS ROYAL ESADORA, our guide Youssef was outstanding, what he doesn’t know is not worth knowing. on arrival on the boat we checked in and pointed out our cases these were labelled and taken to our cabin, while we went to the lounge to have a drink and a quick beafing on what the next week would hold.
in our cabin was bottles of water, fruit and sandwiches waiting for us even in the early hours.
during our cruise we could not have been looked after better, the housekeeping could not have been better, arriving back each day to a different towel art, and on the day of our wedding anniversary the whole cabin was decorated with flower petals, towel arts decorations etc it was amazing, ALL staff front of house and in the back ground could not of been any better they treated us as very special people, nothing was to much trouble.
we booked AI with drinks package – food was buffet style every meal there was lots of different choices – made to order omlettles, pasta and salads made to order at lunch time, lots of fresh fruit cut up daily in front of you, every day there was a chicken, meat, fish, vegetables, salad,rice dishes, lots of different types of breads, desserts,
in the afternoon tea, cake, biscuits etc was served on the top deck, as long as you are prepared to give different foods a try you will really enjoy the food – small point take bigger size clothers to allow for your expanding wasit size.we were even presented with an anniversary cake which was a lovely surprise.
every day on arrive back on the boat our hands were sprayed and you were given a warm wet hand towel and well as a warm drink.
the tours included a large varity of different things, most were a early start but this allowed you to be back on the boat before it got to hot.
we were a group of 46 and this was split into 2 groups, which made it a lot easyer to keep together and hear all the information that we were given, I don’t understand posh words so the way details and information we told to us including small plays by the end of the holiday we felt like we know all about egypet and how they lived in the past and the present.
Youssef looked after us so well, I know its his job to deliver a service, but he went the extra mile, little things getting the entrance tickets, paying for the toilets so we didn’t have to find small change, taking us to the valley of the queens while every one was at the valley of the kings, starting at the back of the temples while everyone was at the front, or allowing the crowds to go first it all made for an excellent holiday.
during our trip I received a bite on my ankle Youssef arrange to get me some local insect gel and would not even take payment. he is a massive asset to the company.
recommended extra trips would be Abu Simbel by coach, the hot air balloon ride and Bird watching and Nubian farm.
take the time to either take a outfit for the party night or buy one on board, its a fun night to join in.
available to buy will be a selection of photos from the party night £10 and a dvd £20 from the whole holiday.
also a word of warning, eyget is very poor, expect to see people that don’t even have shoes to wear,but the people cannot be more friendly, they are so greatfully that you have come to there country, we NEVER FELT WORRIED OR FRIGHTENED AT ANY TIME, if you have a chance go to the pound shop before you go and take some pens, pencils and sweets to give out to everyone including the staff on the boat, they love this.
also take the time to enjoy the nile as it passes by, get up early and watch the sunrise and the sunset, its an amazing country to visit and an excellent company to use. I cannot speak highly enough, thank you for a holiday of a life time. don’t even think twice about going, just go you will love it.

I had the most amazing time on the Nile cruise. The whole package was great value for money. The sights were awesome and the crew

Fantastic

Just returned from 7 day tour on MS Esadora. All the staff work very hard to make the trip enjoyable and succeeded.

It is a perfect holiday in three parts part one is very early alarm call. Breakfast and off for the culture, part two is lunch and sunbathing on the top deck of the boat, with part three being dinner and entertainment.

Fantastic

We’ve just returned from a 7 day Nile cruise on MS Esadora and 7 days in Hurghada. The Nile cruise was excellent in every way. Our guide Adel was first class. He was a very likeable guy and very knowledgable and very passion about his subject. With heinsight, I would have done Cairo for 2/3 nights and then a Red Sea resort for 5 days. I wished we had seen the Pyramids.

My partner and I have had many foreign holidays but we both agreed that this was the best we ever. The staff were friendly and attentive and went out their way to make us feel comfortable. Our waiter, Meena was a delightful young man as was the barman Tito who always remembered our favourite tipple, and our cabin boy Micheal delighted us with his towel sculptures. I hope that if the opportunity arises that you will give their employers this feedback. The standard of hygiene on the boat was very high and we enjoyed the food which was good and plenty of choice.

Special mention should also be made of our guide, Romany Ayoub. His professionalism ensured that every trip we made ran like clockwork. He was highly organised, transport was always there ready for us and tickets quickly purchased to give us access to sites. His knowledge of Egyptology surpassed our expectations. He was able to tell us in detail the stories behind each temple, in perfect English, and on two occasions he got members of our party to act out the stories in mini plays. This was great fun and very inspirational. He knew the highlights of each site and was able to lead us to them and explain their importance and this must only have been possible with a great deal of preparation from him, which of course we never saw. We were astonished by his ability to read hieroglyphics and the fact that all this information was at his fingertips – not once did we see him refer to notes.

The Egyptian night was very entertaining and Romany joined the party and encouraged everyone to join in, as he did on our felucca trip at Aswan where we all sang Nubian songs. Lots of the party had individually asked him questions about Egyptian politics and life in general so he arranged a special meeting one morning so that we could have an open question session with him. It was these thoughtful extras which made him such an exceptional guide. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he was always the same – buoyant, pleasant and cheerful whether it was six in the morning or ten thirty at night. It was clear that he really enjoyed his job and I consider that we were extremely fortunate to have him as our guide. I cannot recommend him too highly and hope that you will be able to offer future customers the opportunity for Romany to be their guide.

My mother and I had a wonderful time. We would highly recommend this trip. The cruise ship was to a very high standard and all the staff onboard were always very polite and friendly, this includes our Tour Guide Big George who were also very polite, informative and always willing to answer our queries.

We thoroughly enjoyed it all! – the temples, the weather, the culture and the lazy days cruising the Nile.

Egypt is another world and we fell in love with it!!!!!!

We were a party of five on our first Nile cruise and we had a wonderful time. The accommodation, food and service was all first class. The ship’s staff did everything with a smile and kind word ( and lots of fun with the sculptured towels!). The two local guides, Amro and Adel opened our eyes to the fantastic history of the Gods and Pharaohs of Egypt, with tireless energy and enthusiasm, and your manager, discretely managed the whole programme. He clearly doesn’t need much sleep?

Prior to leaving the UK, like many people, I was concerned about travel. But I need not have worried and, with Peter and the guides always chaperoning us, we all felt completely at ease at all times and had a huge amount of fun.

Until this trip, I had absolutely no interest whatsoever, in doing a cruise but this holiday has completely won me over! A great combination of culture, company and relaxation while cruising through this beautiful, Biblical, landscape. Something I will happily recommend, and do again. The Valleys of The Kings, and Queens, The Temple of Abu Simbel? Who would miss these trips?

Our thanks and congratulations to all involved.

I would like to thank you and your company on behalf of myself and my wife for the wonderful time we had on our Nile Cruise.

All of your staff who looked after us where wonderful, nothing was to much trouble and they all seemed like old friends.

Special thanks must go to George Magdy our tour guide. His organisation of our excursions to the various historical sights and other points of interest was excellent. His knowledge and information about Egypt was extensive and easy to follow with just the right balance to keep us interested.

He gave us good advice regarding local trades people so we were able to avoid any unpleasant confrontations.

This made our holiday experience pleasant and relaxed, just what we had hoped for.
Please pass on our thanks to George.

Overall I would not hesitate in recommending your company and especially your Nile Cruise.

To celebrate my 60th birthday my sweetheart, Harry secretly organised a Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan and back again.

He could not have chosen a more wonderful holiday. I knew very little about Egypt (past and present) beforehand, but now I know so much about this beautiful country and its warm, friendly people. I can’t wait to return.

This was far from a slow resort holiday. Everyday was full of new experiences. But the smooth organisation of the tour manager, the professional hospitality and steady, silent , every present river achieved the perfect balance of rest and interest.

Excursions were varied but all was beautifully explained and made accessible by our Egyptian Egyptologist and guide. He made sure we learnt about the present strengths and challenges of Egypt as well as it history and past triumphs and treasures. He kept us well entertained, combining the skills of teacher, performer and shepherd!

We have just returned from a fabulous week aboard the Monica, the staff on board were first class and could not have been more helpful or accommodating. Special thanks to PETER BARNET who was so helpful and an excellent ambassador for your Company. The trips were amazing and so well organised, we never thought we would be up at 3.a.m. to visit Abu Simble, but were raring to go. Saw the sun rise over the Sahara Desert – just amazing, running out of adjectives to describe one of our best ever holidays, many thanks.

From Derek and Julie Makewell
Broxbourne, Herts.

Myself and my mum have just got back from a Nile cruise and stay. Just wanted to say how fantastic the holiday was, our Egyptologist was Marco and he was fab, the cruise although busy with the excursions which were very informative was very relaxing and just what we expected. We have some lovely memories and we will definitely tell everyone we know that it is a holiday that must be done. Keep up the great work and hope to join you again soon

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for a fantastic holiday which exceeded our expectations. Particular thanks should also go to Maged (Magic) who was a brilliant guide who’s knowledge was exceptional which made the trips to the sites both enjoyable and enlightening.

Please also congratulate all of your staff from the cleaning services, the restuarant and bar services who made so much effect which was sincerely appreciated. And finally, a big thank you to you who clearly managed our holiday in a friendly and professional way. We have already suggested to our friends that they should without doubt take a Nile Cruise.

Good Luck for the future and many thanks.

Just a brief note to say how much we enjoyed our recent Nile cruise. The organisation was perfect. Everything ran like clockwork. Peter and our 2 guides Sam & Ayman were superb. We are spreading the word that Egypt is safe to go.

We recently returned from a seven-day holiday on the MS Royal Esadora and thoroughly enjoyed it. We are writing this review to counter balance some of the negative reports that we read concerning Egypt as a holiday destination. It concerned us so much that up until the last minute we were considering cancelling the holiday and losing our money. How pleased we are that we didn’t.

We have never been on a Nile cruise before so were not sure what to expect. The ship was clean, more than acceptable, and with a good size cabin (number 405). I’m not sure what the situation was concerning lower decks and towards the back of the boat but certainly noise and smells were not something that we experienced. Neither did we hear any other passengers complaining about it.

We found the staff to be polite, helpful and friendly. There was a tipping system recommended by Classic Holidays in which we participated (I wish they had just added it to the price of the holiday) so there was no need for anybody to do more than just that. However such was the courtesy and service that we received that everybody on our table tipped the wine waiter as, I believe, they did with the cabin boy and bar staff.

The food was acceptable with a salad bar, freshly cooked pasta, hot buffet and a large choice of deserts at both lunch and dinner. Very few dishes were repeated although with the limited number of ingredients available some were variants of some that we had seen previously. The food never ran out and as soon as a dish got near to empty it was replaced with fresh one.

We debated whether to take the all-inclusive drinks package and upon reflection are pleased that we did. You need to manage your supplies of bottled water so that you always have something to take out with you on visits but that is hardly difficult provided you ask for a couple bottles of water at breakfast, lunch and dinner. We thought it a bit pointless that nothing is included on the all-inclusive package between breakfast and 11:30 as you are normally out on trips during those hours. It really isn’t that much of a problem. Wine is only served in the restaurant but as you are allowed to take it to your room and/or the bar with a little bit of planning and a fridge you can overcome this limitation.

The trips out and the visits to the temples were amazing and our guide Safwat was very knowledgeable and bought them all to life.

Prior to going to Egypt we were concerned about the street sellers who hassle you whenever you get off the bus or go through a market. Provided that you do not get engaged in conversation with them and firmly say “no thank you” and keep moving they soon disappear. In fact some of them are quite amusing with expressions such as “cheaper than Asda”.

If you get the opportunity to take the evening horse carriage ride in Luxor do it. How the driver (Del boy) managed to get through the streets in the old market without killing somebody is still a source of amazement.

Towards the end of the holiday we even had sympathy for the boys who try to take your bag at Luxor airport. Although we declined their offer upon reflection perhaps we shouldn’t have. There is no benefits system in Egypt and these people are desperate and are prepared to work. To be at the airport in the early hours of the morning in the hope of carrying a tourist’s bag to earn a pound is no more than I would do in similar circumstance. Upon reflection even if we had given £20 in tips to people who were trying to earn a crust it would have made no difference to us but probably would have to them.

In conclusion Egypt is a wonderful place and we had a fantastic holiday. It might be too soon to go back next year but we certainly would consider it in the future.

We have just finished a fabulous holiday organised by yourselves. We did the 3 nights in Cairo and then 7 nights on ms Stephanie. We had never been on a holiday like this so were a bit unsure what to expect. The whole holiday was an amazing experience from start to finish. I mean it does help to be in a country like Egypt ( I fell in love with the place). What I found to most amazing was how organised all the transfers and excursions were, every thing went off with out a hitch. There were people arriving and departing at different times through our holiday but every body seemed not to miss out on a thing.

So thank you for a fabulous holiday and yes we would travel with your company again.

We really can’t express how good a time we had. Whether it was the table friends we made, the food, the trips, or what, I don’t know, but we’ll remember it fondly for a long long time.

Oh and not forgetting the excellent service (and extensive knowledge) of our guide Romany (I’m still quoting his way of teaching us Egyptian! – [Nef-fer-TAR-ree])

I am writing to say how much my partner & I enjoyed the recent trip that you arranged for us – a Nile Cruise & a few days in Cairo. Everything was so well organised & went really smoothly.

I had to phone your office before the trip to clarify some details & the staff were friendly & helpful.

The transfers were easy, the staff on the boat & in the hotel were fantastic – a particular thanks to our wonderful Egyptologist – Marco. He was both very interesting & helpful. If you are able to contact the company that employs him please pass on our thanks.

Also, in Cairo you had booked 2 trips for us & again we’d like to praise our guide, Romani. His professional knowledge as an Egyptologist was amazing & he was very informative about Egypt in the present time too. We learned so much & will remember the holiday for a long time.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for an unforgettable holiday.

We were impressed from the moment we walked into the airport terminal at Luxor. Met by your representatives, we were looked after superbly from that moment on. I would like to draw your attention particularly, to our tour guide, Elia who really made the sights come to life and told us so much of interest, about both ancient and modern Egypt. As a teacher myself, I think he did an excellent job and could not have done anything to make our stay more enjoyable.

The boat was beautiful, the food excellent and I would encourage anyone to go on this holiday. I only hope I can repeat the experience myself one day.

My wife and I joined friends, who were on their third cruise, and we had the best time.

Organisation was excellent, accommodation was first class and our guide – Elia Boctor – was caring, entertaining and full of knowledge of the wonders of ancient Egypt. He was also able to provide us with sufficient information on each of the sites and was careful not to overload us with too much detail.

The crew and staff were delightful and full of fun and all the ingredients made for a relaxed and throughly enjoyable trip.

Good afternoon

I have just returned from a cruise on the Nile Vision and wanted to compliment you on the superb organisation of my holiday. How Peter (our tour manager) and Elia (our tour guide) managed such clockwork precision I have no idea … quite remarkable really! Organisation aside, Elia was a wonderful guide. He was utterly charming and made the whole holiday very special indeed. We live in a world where “service” has lost its place to price (or rather lack of). To deliver excellent service at a competitive price is … well priceless … thank you! Congratulations on running such an excellent organisation.

Best wishes, Guy Wrench