Travel Extras
Testimonials
These are a selection of recent comments from our clients. For more testimonials click here.
To: Info
Subject: Nile Cruise
Dear Sir/Madam
My husband and I have just returned from a cruise on the Nile.16th Dec 09 to 23rd Dec 09 MS Monica. I would like to let you know we had an absolutely fantastic holiday. Our guides Walid and Amr were very professional, informative and friendly, nothing was a problem. In fact all the people that worked on the ship were excellent. the good work.
Kindest regards
Judy and Kevin Whiting
To: Info
Subject: Nile Cruise
Dear Sir / Madam
We have just returned from a Nile Cruise on the Ms MONICA.From 23/12/2009 until30/12/2009. May I say what a fantastic week we had, the staff aboard the Monica could not have been more attentive, they looked after our every need.
They were brilliant.But your team were incredible,in particular Walid El-Barbary,what a gentleman. He's Knowledge, he's manners, he's personality were second to none, he looked after our every need, he cared for us from the moment we joined the boat until the time we left, we just can't thank him enough for making our holiday so memorable. We were part of he's Pharaoh group and at the end of our holiday the whole group felt a genuine sadness that it had come to an end, such was the bond he had created in such a short space of time.
Although we thanked him before we left, could you please thank him again for everything he did and wish him,he's team and yourselves "A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR"
Yours Sincerely
Garry Cummings
Dear Mr McCallum,
My Fiancee and I have just returned from a Nile cruise on the above cruise ship
.
After reading both positive and negative posts on Tripadvisor I felt that I should write to you personally with my experiences as we feel all the negative posts are completely untrue.
Our holiday was booked with Orbital through Nile Cruises 4u (Barbara Maddocks) and the whole holiday was a complete success
.
All aspects of the trip that where dealt with by Orbital ran like clockwork which also includes all the relevant transfers. There was no searching for contacts at the airport, transport arrived at the time stated. Brilliant!
The 3 Egyptologists on board the the Monica Alaa Ezzat, Maged Habib and Amir Helmy where truly outstanding. We had dealings with all 3 during our time on board but most of our time was spent with Amir Helmy. Amir is very passionate about his subject and was really helpful and informative, he gave every excursion a personal touch, he really is an asset to your company. We could not thank him enough he made our holiday in Egypt very special.
We do intend on taking another cruise and will ensure that we use Orbital and hope that Amir will by available to guide us once again.
Thanks to everyone
Mr M Turner & Miss J Cooper who travelled with us on board Ms Monica during the cruise of 9th December 2009.
To: John McCallum
Subject: Nile cruise 9th to the 16th November 2009
I would like to drop you a line to say how much we have enjoyed our recent holiday, sailing down the Nile from Luxor to Aswan aboard the MS Stephanie with Orbital Travel, booked via Holiday Experts. I have been to Egypt before in 2007 on another Nile cruise ship, and recommended this type of holiday to our friends, who had joined us on this trip.
We were a little apprehensive wondering if this holiday would match our previous fantastic Nile Cruise experience in 2007. However we need not have worried. The MS Stephanie is a fine ship, very clean, with lovely rooms and of course opening windows which allow great views of day to day Egyptian life as you sail down the Nile.
We all received great service from all the staff on board ship, who were all extremely kind and made sure our every need was catered for. The food was excellent and varied throughout the trip.
I feel it is impotent to make particular reference to our Egyptian guide Amir, who was very professional and helpful, offering to help on any issue we were unsure of. I have had a long nterest in Ancient Egyptian history, and Amir's tours of the ancient sites were very informative, and interesting, and his inclusion of humour made the holiday even more memorable.
The barman Mohammed and restaurant waiter Ahmed, should also be congratulated on the impeccable service and courteous manner which made us all feel our every need was not a
problem.
Both myself and my friends would have no problem in recommending the MS Stephanie and Orbital travel to any traveller, and although this is my second Nile cruise, I don’t think it will be my last.
Thanks to both Orbital and the crew of the MS Stephanie for a fantastic time.
Kind Regards
Richard and Denise Hill
Dear Sir/Madam
We have just returned from three days spent in Cairo followed by seven days on the Nile cruise ship Stephanie, from 5th to 16th November.
We would like to compliment Orbital Travel on the superb organisation by your tour guides, who arranged a complicated set of tours with no hitches whatsoever and the staff on Stephanie who made the whole trip so enjoyable by being so friendly and helpful.In particular we must express our thanks to our tour guides, Amir Milake on the cruise and Hany Safwat in Cairo, who explained the history in such a clear, informative manner and whose great sense of humour made the trip so outstanding.
Many thanks Barry & Win Ross
Barry & Win travelled on Ms Stephanie during the 5th November 2009.
I've just returned today from a one week Nile cruise on the MS Stephanie booked via Holiday Experts.I would just like to congratulate your company on giving excellent service throughout. Our nominated guide/Egyptologist, Amir was both very informative as well as humorous. He made our trip much more than just a holiday.
The staff on the boat were also very friendly and welcoming with a couple that stood out as exceptional, Mohammed (21 year old barman) and Ahmed (18 year old dining room waiter). Many others made our experience such a pleasure, not least the ones who made the funny shaped creatures from towels in our rooms.
The whole trip, from landing in Luxor was just fantastic. I and my 3 colleagues will not hesitate in recommending Orbital for similar excursions in the future. It was such a pleasure to have seen so many enthusiastic people, intent on giving us a good time. You have certainly built a first class team.Feel free to include me in 'email marketing' about other holidays that you do.
Thanks again,
Keith Holman,
Mr Holman travelled with us on 9th November 2009 on Ms Stephanie
Dear Orbital Travel
We have just returned from a 1 week cruise on MS Stephanie, booked through future Travel. I was wanting to say we had an excellent time and was really impressed with every aspect.
Having never taken such a holiday before we didnt really know what to expect, but I will certainly be recommending your cruise to friends.
The boat and crew were outstanding. I would also like to make a special mention for our fabulous tour guide, Amir. Nothing was too much trouble for him, his services often went over what I would have expected. He was also so passionate and knowledgeable about his culture and history which made every excursion very special. I cannot praise him enough.
Many thanks for making this special holiday one never to forget.
Yours sincerely
Mr & Mrs Whittick who travelled with us during October 2009
Subject: Nile Cruise
My wife and I have just spent aweek on a nile cruise on the MS Monica, we would just like to say how much we enjoyed our holiday and thank Orbital Travel for a fantastic hoiday.
All the staff were great a special thanks to our tour guide Amir, who made our week so special he is so honest and helpfull and nothing was too much trouble.
We would certainley pass you on to our freinds after having such a great time .
Mr. & MRS. T Leivers who travelled with us on Ms Monica on the 16th September 2009.
Sent: 18 September 2009 16:32
To: Info
Subject: Nile cruise 7-14th Sept 2009
Dear Sirs,
On having just returned from our Nile cruise on the MS Stephanie i thought i would write and thank you for a wonderful holiday. It is the first time my wife and i have been on a Nile cruise and we did so with some trepidation after reading some rather negative comments from travel forum sites.
We thought the standards of service, quality of food and the cleanliness of the cruise ship were excellent.Our tour guide Sam, was a credit to your company. He was very organised, polite and extremely witty. His knowledge of the subject matter was incredible and he is very passionate about the history of his country. His presentation of the guided tour was both articulate and interesting - his knowledge of the English language exceptional.
We enjoyed all the tours immensely - even with the early starts, which are essential to escape the heat of the midday sun!
We certainly did not enjoy the harrassment of the street sellers whilst visiting the sites. This was a comment echoed by nearly everyone on board. We feel if Egypt is to prosper as a tourist attraction, this is one element their Government will have to address if they wish to encourage more European people to visit. Europeans will certainly spend money whilst abroad but they like to chose how to do it. They would rather browse and look at things rather than be pestered and harrassed in the streets. This is not meant to be a criticism of the services you have provided but constructive critisism for your tourism industry to ensure that people are not put off from returning to Egypt again.
We really enjoyed the entertainment on board and in particular the Egyptian night. Everybody joined in with the fun and dressed up in appropiate Egyptian dress. It was a huge success. We also enjoyed all the other shows, particularly the Nubian folk show.
We met and enjoyed the company of some wonderful people on board who, like us, were having a marvellous holiday.
All in all a wonderful experience and we would have no hesitation in recommending your company to friends considering a trip to Egypt.
Kind regards
Mr and Mrs A + S Gilmour
Subject: Nile Cruise Ms Stephane.
We have just returned having cruised on the Stephanie from 7th - 14th September 2009, this must rate as the best holiday we have had in years, thanks to your fantastic organising skills.
Our complete holiday was arranged through Your Travel, but the transfers to and from the Nile, and the cruise & excursions were Orbital, everything happened the way we were told it would.
The Stephanie was brilliant, the staff couldn't do enough for you, meeting us on our return from hot excursions with cold flannels and cool drinks.Our guide, Amro, was the one who really made the difference, he must be about the nicest person we've ever met whilst on our travels to other countries, his knowlege about ancient Egypt is unquestionable, his committment to his task undeniable, his expanations on Egyptology and his considerations for his "groups" wellbeing in the hot sun was, without doubt the most professional
we have come across, a true gentleman.
The food and comfort onboard the Stephanie was first class, and it does deserve the 5 star status.We can certainly recommend Orbital travel and the M/s Stephanie, and will be be doing so to all our friends and family.If possible, can you pass on our thanks and best wishes to all the staff & crew on the Stephanie, and of course to Amro, for whom during Ramadan, it must have been a very difficult job to do.
We will go back to the Nile sometime in the future, but wonder if there are longer cruises Available on the Stephanie, or if you have any plans to do cruises to the north of Luxor.
Thanks again for everything.
Philip & Audrey Di Sotto
Phillip and Audrey travelled with us on Ms Stephanie 7th September 2009.
Subject: Nile Cruise Ms Monica 10th - 17th June 2009.
We have just returned from a Nile Cruise on the MS Monica, and wanted to let you know how fantastic the guide was, and we hope that you will pass this information on to your colleagues at your offices in Luxor.
Our guide was Magred (think that is how you spell it, we called him Magic!). We must say, that he made our holiday, his knowledge about Egypt and his attention to his guests was exceptional. Nothing was too much trouble. He is a credit to your Company.
At the airport we spoke to other holiday makers who had been on other cruise ships and were not happy with their guide. We had no complaints, we were on the MS Monica from 10th to 17th June, and could not have wished for more.
Please pass on our thanks and we will certainly be recommending your company to others.
Regards
Daren and Michelle Grainger,
Subject: Nile Cruise 30th March 2009.
For many years I had a dream of sailing down the Nile like Cleopatra. I finally did it and want to recommend it to everyone. From John at Orbital Travel, who helped me with every concern as a single traveler, to Waheed the wonderful guide for our excursions, it was fabulous.
There was a reason I had never done a cruise. My idea of being in a building on water didn’t interest me, but the MS Stephanie is a great size with only 60 or so guest rooms. The ship was immaculate (much better than most I saw on the river), the food was good (3 meals a day – not the 24/7 feeding frenzy), and the other passengers were delightful. One recommendation is that you do the all-inclusive, as it will be much more expensive to buy bottled water and drinks..and you need a lot of water if you sunbathe. The excursions were timed perfectly for the heat, from the temples to the tombs to the felucca sail, it was everything I ever dreamed it would be.
After a morning climbing ruins and a healthy lunch, sometimes I would go to my cabin, open the sliding glass door, and let the breezes of the Nile waft over me lulling me into a deep nap, as the scenes of Egyptian palms and sand rolled by. It is smooth sailing indeed!
The staff on the boat were all lovely, very good senses of humor. If you are considering this trip, stop. Just do it! Memories are made of this!
Patti Dahlstrom MS Stephanie (the boat to be on) March 30th-April 6th
Subject: Nile Cruise 6th April 2009
Dear Sir/Madam,
My wife and I, and our daughter and son in law have just returned from a Nile cruise, on "MS Stephanie"and would like to thank you for a wonderful holiday on a lovely boat, everything about the holiday lived up to our expectations and more, your staff, and all personnel were absolutely wonderful, and could not do enough for us.
Although all your staff were excellent, we would like to mention our "Egyptologist", Rafike, what a lovely man, apart from the fact that he was so very knowledgeable and made our excursions come alive, he was an absolute gentleman throughout our whole trip, his caring and understanding nature was wonderful, and his understanding of everyone's personal issues made it an even more enjoyable trip, so many thanks to you and your team on the Stephanie.
Our Regards,
Carol & Clive Stearn
Tracey & Ian Bates
Dear Jane,
I would just like to email you to say what a fantastic holiday we had last week. The Orbital Representatives were brilliant at the airport, both on arrival and departure and made life very easy for us.
I would also like to make a special comment regarding our Egyptologist, Rafik. He was excellent - so helpful, polite and attentive to every detail and nothing was too much trouble for him. He certainly made a huge difference to the enjoyment of the holiday.
We would certainly use your services again and will recommend this trip and your company to family and friends in the future.
Kind regards
Karen McCrory
The holiday itself wa superb with the accommodation, itinieary and staff all being superb.
The food was varied and of good quality and tha all inclusive option worked well and is the sensible option because the drink prices in Egypt can be expensive.
Our Tour Guide and Egyptologist was called Walid and he was superb with everything in the day to day events and we had nothing to worry about from the start to the end of the holiday.
Although we had early starts on most of the excursions we appreciated that it was necessary due to the temperatures, even in March, and we found that we also had spare time at the end of the day to relax etc.
Thanks again and we will be only too happy to reccommend your company to our friends and family.
Alan and Sharon Stone .
Who travelled on board Ms Stephanie 23rd March 2009.
My wife and I would like to thank yourselves and Holiday Experts for our recent Nile cruise on Ms Stephanie. The ship was immaculate with good food. The only complaint we had was the condition of the towels provided in the cabin, which were worn and not pristine white.
The staff were all very friendly and polite and very honest. My wife lost her gold necklace with diamond pendant on it on the evening of the Egyption night where we all dressed up. Later that evening after we reported the loss ,one of the staff found the necklace without the diamond pendant on it and handed it to reception.
Two days later after we had given up hope on anyone finding or handing in the diamond pendant, we were asked to go to reception by our cabin steward as he had found the diamond whilst cleaning in the main lounge bar where the entertainment took place. In this day and age, with the world as it is, we cannot thank them enough for their honesty, particulary as the value of the item was probably more than they earn in a year.
We would also like to inform you of how well Marco our tour guide, organised our trips and how knowledgable and informative he was , along with his ability to be humourous and keep the British group, who had never met each other before the cruise, all together, everyone said it was one of the best holiday experiences they have had.
Perhaps you would be good enough to forward a copy of this to Holiday Experts Ltd.
Mr and Mrs Ray and Jill Heathman.
Travelled on board Ms Stephanie during 23rd February 2009.
To everyone at Orbital travelI just had to write in to say a big thank you for your organisations management of one of the best holidays in my life.
After cancelling due to Excel going bust then re booking and a change of boat at the last minute I thought I was going to regret booking this holiday. I can honestly say my family and I had the best time ever and we have travelled on many holidays. The boat was clean and the service was impeccable. The food was excellent and none of my family were ill. Peter the rep was knowledgeable and helpful when needed which was not often. Amal our Egyptologist was unbelievable in the knowledge that she had about Egypt and she was able to answer the most unusual questions. The tours were well organised and brilliant and I went on every one!!! I was knackered by the end of the holiday!!
I have been and will be recommending your company to all my friends and colleagues and will travel with your company again to re do a Nile cruise
Thank you from my family and I.
Regards Stephanie Johnson.
Stephanie travelled with us during December 2008
Apologies for not sending this email earlier but since we returned from our wonderful holiday in Egypt our feet don’t seem to have touched the ground.
The holiday you arranged for us was indeed wonderful; far better than we ever imagined. It was made so good because of the great organisation that Orbital has in Egypt. Everything went like clockwork- if somebody said that they would meet us at a certain time it was always with punctuality, even in Cairo with the traffic problem!
The Egyptologists were both good and John, who was with us throughout the Nile cruise was exceptional. Even though he called for early starts it paid dividends as we were always among the first to arrive at the various temples which, particularly at Abu Simbel, meant we had the place to ourselves.
Many thanks for arranging our holiday which turned out to be an experience of a lifetime.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and all your colleagues.
Best wishes.
John Doyle.
Mr Doyle's holiday was our Classical tour program (Cairo and Nile cruise) during November 2008.
Everything has been perfect. The tours and information given by the guide were amazing - the food and waiters were excellent and all the staff have been friendly and helful. We would not have changed anything and have had the experence of a lifetime. Thank you!
Client Thompson who travelled on board King Tut III on the 8th September 2008
This is one of the best holiday's I have had been on. I have travelled the world but the ease at which everthing was organised was excellent a big thanks to the guide for his knowledge. I will come back.
Margaret Willis travelled with us on the 8th September on King Tut III
To: Info
Subject: Nile Cruise
Good Afternoon I am writing to congratulate you on providing the best holiday we have had. We had the pleasure of being aboard the M/V Stephanie on week commencing 25th January 2010. Not having been on a Nile Cruise before I was a little apprehensive on what to expect, but having boarded the ship it became obvious that little was left without prior thought and consideration.
From the cleanliness, to the food and the politeness of the crew - all proved to be of an excellent standard.The excursions themselves were so enjoyable and the hours flew by! I enjoy taking photographs and having a little time given at the end of each tour was really appreciated. (Picture of sunrise from Stephanie attached)
In particular, our guide, Emed, was brilliant!!! Well done on finding such a treasure!He is sooo good!!I did hear that some others on the cruise had made complaints, about the food, and I feel this is so unfair that I have to contact you.
Peter, (I’m sorry, don’t know his last name) was a super host, a very affable friendly guy, and I’m sure that nothing untoward would escape his attention. (And I hope he finds his supply chain of Branson pickle!)
I’ve never written to a holiday company before, but I can’t have people complain about M/s Stephanie when all is as it should be – and more. We had a second week at the Hotel Isis, Luxor, which was really nice but not to the standard of your ship. Hence delay in writing to you.
I hope that you pass on our thanks to those concerned – it’s easy to moan and complain, but not many pass out plaudits when they are really deserved – the best things usually just get taken for granted. And that is a bit unfair.....So thanks again for a brill holiday!! I loved it!!!!!
Kind regards and best wishes to all
Kay Simpson