Blue Sky Travel Group, MS Terramar

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.

We traveled on the MS Terramar on 24th March 2010. The area and the guides were fantastic but illness spoiled the holiday. Our group of 10 had 3 people confined to their cabins for 2 days + due to stomach problems. Others were unwell, and have been treated since returning to the UK, including myself. Despite Thomas Cook assuring us that a medic was available on board no one ever appeared and the Doctor that finally attended had to be summoned from a local hospital. Hygiene seemed to be missing, a cleaner changed the toilet paper bin then made a cup of tea and squeezed the teabag with unwashed hands! (it did not get consumed) No antibacterial handwash was available on board and staff did not wear gloves when handling food. This is a lovely boat and the area is all I had hoped but let down by poor hygiene that caused illness.

The Terramar is spacious and friendly. The housekeeping staff were excellent, towel art twice a day, room always spotless.

The food was also excellent, both in choice and quality but was let down by the often cracked or chipped crockery and glassware.

There does appear to be a little scam going if you are not "all inclusive" where you are charged the same price for a glass of a soft drink(which may be a very small wine glass) as for a bottle that gives you 2 glasses.

Also, as full board you are entitled to a glass of wine and a bottle of water each per day included in your package but we only found this out the second day from our rep, who said "they are not very forthcoming on the Terramar". When we asked about this we had to argue our point but eventually it was agreed.

Having read a lot of reviews about Nile cruises, were were attracted to the MS Terramar because it is one of the smaller Nile cruisers with only 20 cabins and 60 staff(!)We booked through One-Small-Step who then arranged Blue Sky Travel in Egypt to look after our trip.We were not disappointed. Travelling just as a couple we were met on arrival at Luxor airport by a Blue Sky rep. and shepherded to the boat. The decor is atmospheric fin de siecle. Cleanliness was outstanding. The cabin was large and had been converted from two separate cabins. The dining room staff were most attentive; those with allergies can be catered for. The itinerary was well-thought-out and four of us had the benefit of a superb knowledgeable guide, graduate Hassan, when we visited the famous temples along the Nile. There were some early morning starts but we could see that this was entirely sensible given the crowds with which we would otherwise have to contend. It was a no hassle, no sweat, great holiday made absolutely enjoyable by the cabin staff, the bar staff and the whole of the crew. Throughly recommended, the good ship Terramar!

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.

Have to say the MS Terramar was superb from day one, Amir the tour guide can not do enough for you :) We booked it through www.expressbookers.com and there knowledge of the trip was 100% spot on and very useful, i would recommend this trip to anyone.

tried to book terramar in jan 09 for late feb 09 thru thomas cook to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.

told that terramar was not available but semiramis was.

we did not want semiramis so asked when next available dates were for terramar. July and nov was answer. Didn't fancy july as too hot then, so plumped for mid nov which coincided with my wifes birthday.

One week before hol due to start, we got letter from thomas cook saying "due to excessive demand for the terramar" they were transferring us to the semiramis and this would happen if they didn't hear from us.

Needless to say I contacted them and cancelled and should be getting a full refund, although now 3 weeks after have still not received it.

So it appears that thomas cook are happy to take your money under false pretences knowing full well that the terramar is already fully booked, then hope to transfer you at the last minute to their bigger, and obviously not full, inferior boat.

Moral of this story is "DON'T JUST BOOK IT, THOMAS CROOK IT!"