Travelmarvel Premium Cruise and Tours Anmeldelser 

Feedback on EGT11F - 11 Day Treasures of Egypt & The Nile 26/27 Commencing: 12 September 2026
Booking Reference: 1885848
The Boat
On first sight the boat is wonderful and the cabins are clean. The shower area is a big improvement on the Rhine boats. However having been on several cruises in Europe the first thing we tried to do was put our suitcases under the bed, but beneath the bed is solid, so we had to find space for them in the cabin. Next we tried to hang dresses and trousers in the wardrobe, but this is not possible as there is a shelf that prevents this (but is easily removeable).
We were told that this is the second cruise of the year with this boat. But clearly the boat was not ready as on the first day a lorry arrived and a group of men spent about 4 hours unloading furniture onto the boat.
The cabin had been refitted with new carpets and curtains, but the curtains had not been fitted correctly and would not fully close. One curtain was already coming loose.
Restaurant and Tea/Coffee
There was not a self-service tea/coffee station and we had to pay for these outside of meal times. This was rectified and tea/coffee was free throughout the day, but only when the lounge was open. So before leaving on our daily trips between 06.15- 08.00 the lounge was not open so we had to wait for our first hot drink of the day until we were in the restaurant.
The food was often luke-warm as all courses had been plated up before the restaurant opened. The self service dishes did not have any heating underneath to keep them hot. The variety of food at breakfast hardly changed from day to day.
Staff
Cleaning and bar staff were excellent, but the waiting staff were clearly not trained and service was very poor. It may be Egyptian culture to have a manager just standing and watching meal service, but we saw no evidence of the manager coaching the waiting staff. This was definitely NOT up to Travelmarvel or APT standards and needs urgent attention.
Egyptian experts
The 2 Egyptologists were excellent.
Cruise Director
The Cruise Director (Malik) needs a desk in the foyer as the only time we ever saw him was at the daily briefing. His preparation was non existent and every day we had to wait for him to get the microphone to work. The time we spent waiting over the 7 days we waited for over an hour. The 2 occasions we had onboard entertainment were not thought through properly. On one occasion we had a ‘party’ on deck at 2100 and the next day we were out at 06.15 also there was a dance group at 2200 in the evening. Most of the passengers were too tired and missed it. The best entertainment was organised and delivered by guests on board in the form of a quiz.
Enhance experiences
We booked 3 enhancements before we left home. Two of these were on the same day and ran back to back so we did not have time for dinner. Food was provided at 20.30 but at our age this is too late for us to eat so we missed the night market. Sales staff in your office should be provided with more information so they can offer better advice.
The experience we were most looking forward to was the High Tea at the Old Cataract Hotel. My wife and other ladies looked resplendent in their dresses ready for it. Once we arrived we were shown onto an outside terrace which was hardly wider than a walkway The sun was already creeping under the 5 small sun umbrellas meaning we would have to sit in 40+C temperatures most of us without any shade. The cream cakes were being served and left in the sun. Tea had already been poured into small glasses. Out of a group of about 40 only 6 stayed and had the food and the majority returned to the boat. The Cruise Director apparently raised this with head office but on the last day we were told we would not get a refund as the hotel had refused to refund to Travelmarvel. Given that we booked this enhancement before leaving England we believe our contract is with Travelmarvel and not with the hotel and hence we should be given a refund. The hotel produced two small air conditioning units which they claimed would drastically reduce the temperature. They made no difference whatsoever. It was also interesting that there were no other people sitting outside. Guests at the hotel were being served inside in the air conditioned rooms
In Summary
Most holiday makers on this trip have travelled with Travelmarvel or APT before and there was general discontentment with the trip as it was not up to the standards we expect from you. If there were any passengers who were having their first trip with the company, I doubt you will see them again. Having said that sights we saw and the insight from the Egyptologists made the trip worthwhile.

We took a tour called Reflections of the Rockies (without the Alaska Cruise). An excellent experience. Our Tour Director (Spencer) and drive (Ravi) were first class. Will definitely use this operator in the future.

Just returned from our 2nd cruise with TM from Budapest to Amsterdam along the Danube and Rhine. Despite telephone calls for information we were given just six days before the start to continue to travel despite low water levels. The sweetener was 50% off one of their selected cruises in 2027 but in 3rd class cabins and no flights included, for many that was non goer.
Regrettably due to water levels we had to travel on three ships during the journey. In effective we travelled more miles/kms in a coach than we did day light cruising, very disappointing. Most of the original venues were still visited, but some important ones missed.
Food in the evenings was to a good standard, but luncheons was generally buffet style with what I considered was recycled potatoes and veg from the previous evening.
All credit to our Cruise Leader Andrew who was very professional and kept almost everyone happy despite the many changes beyond his control and a flu bug that hit 95% of the travellers.
Regrettably we will not cruise with TM or APT again.
Better communications please for those who look forward to our annual big holiday only left in limbo until the last minute

I was not interested in the visit to the wolf/dog place. I didn't realise it was included on the itinerary as a place of interest. Breakfast was appalling in, i think, Whistler. We went to a restaurant a few minutes away from the hotel. I would not have stayed there if I was going independently. The whole meal tasted stale and of leftovers. I only tasted some and ate very little. I can't believe i paid good money for it. Where we stayed in the motels there were no locks on the doors. I asked to be moved to the main hotel on one occasion. Im not sure of the dates. I put in the date only because a date was necessary. Mary

Cruise director Ana Viden and the crew were all professional and approachable with a sense of humour.
However things could be improved by having a facility to dry things, otherwise a splendid holiday.

Wonderful trip, so well organised in every way. Fantastic staff on the boat.

There were 49 people in our group and some of us felt this was too many. It did not feel very intimate and the majority of guests had already been on an east coast tour and had bonded and made friendships. We were a very small group of British tourists in a majority Australian group.
Our Canadian guide Gillian was excellent and provided so much local knowledge and information and Richard the bus driver did an excellent job.
Many of us thought the Mike Wiegele Resort was the best overnight accommodation of all and we saw a black bear there.
We did not have to handle our luggage at all and this was a great help.
The visit to Butchart Gardens was one of the highlights and the group dinner we had there on the final night was the best meal we had on the whole trip.
The only real complaint I had was that we spent too little time at Yamnuska Wolf Dog sanctuary- our first port of call. Visiting Yamnuska was the sole reason I chose this tour over any others and it was very disappointing to get one hour total there. The guide was keen to give already well fed people extra time for lunch and then to see out door sights which were not time sensitive and could be seen at any time during our 2 night stay in Banff.

We had a fantastic time on the Princess Eleganza touring the Adriatic coast, the staff couldn’t do enough to make our trip special, our cruise director Karen is a very special person who goes above and beyond, a special mention to Rose as the ship was absolutely spotless. Our only criticism was that the cabins are starting to look a bit tired and could do with some modernisation.
Food was good, and had a local theme which was nice. Some nights it was planned to dine off ship, which was also a nice idea and gave a variety to the meals and a chance to get to know the area.
Each location we docked in was stunning, and any tour that took place was very interesting and informative.
It was fantastic, I’d just love to do it all again!

Excellent cruise. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Ship was good. Also food and cabin. Tours were enjoyable. Might have done with a wee bit more time in some of the places.
All in all a very enjoyable holiday

A lovely ship. Excellent crew. Tour director Patricia was great.
We appreciated the provision of tables for 2 in the dining room as we usually prefer a quiet meal.

Such a chilled out relaxing experience.
Amazing service. The staff are so considerate.
The Douro is very different as a holiday. The scenery is spectacular.
Our cabin was fantastic. Loved watching the landscape go by.

Excellent itinerary with well located hotels and superb service from both our tour director and coach driver. Included meals, tours and options were all much appreciated. Fabulous trip from start to finish.

The crew was fantastic!!! Every need we had was met instantly. Roland, the Restaurant Manager, was particularly memorable. He provided a level of service that was outstanding and was the main reason we had such a good time!!!

APT is now our go to for European river cruising. We've travelled from Amsterdam to Budapest and vice versa, and now a fabulous trip on the Douro. Wonderful food, great excursions off the ship. Great organisation and exceptionally efficient organisation. Service onboard is friendly and professional at every turn. A special shout out to cruise director Artur. Always upbeat, beyond helpful and relentlessly hard working. And, importantly, great fun. A real credit to the company and I look forward to travelling with Artur, and APT again in the future.

Our cruise was from Broome to Darwin. There were problems with the cruise that the company were not responsible for - having to board the ship by zodiac in a very large swell and an outbreak of a gastric virus. But, the ship needed a bit of TLC. A lot of the guests complained , as we did, that the air conditioning did not work well. The room controller did not seem to work at all. Also, the toilet and sink got blocked, and the beds were far from comfortable. While the food was good, it was served far too quickly at dinner. When one course was finished the next would be served right away. Not a pleasant dining experience. Having said that, the staff and crew were great and the lectures were very interesting. On the whole, not worth what we paid.

THIS WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF THIS SORT OF CRUISE - WE WERE SO IMPRESSED BY THE FOOD (especially) THE CREW SO HELPFUL - HOW THEY MANAGE TO GET US ALL ON AND OFF SO WELL ORGANISED - WE SHALL REPEAT THE EXPERIENCE

A well organised trip visiting some interesting places. There was clearly a timetable and we were all transported efficiently. The director and the crew were all very approachable, knowledgable and friendly. The mix of passengers was great and good fun.

No hand rail at the pool as I and many other have mobility problems also twice at lunch the choice was risotto that tasted like rice pudding next day the choice was vegetable curry chicken curry or prawn curry the majority of the seating in the lounge was uncomfortable I ask at breakfast for poached eggs and was told they did not do them only fried but surprise next morning poached eggs which I am afraid were cold rooms were OK dinner at night in the main were good except for the Portuguese barbecue dreadful

The tour was fabulous. We loved every destination. Our tour guide, John Fitzgerald, was very friendly, professional, organised and informative. We were a large group but it was managed very well. Don, our driver was very safety conscious and his welcome smile was a great start to the early mornings!
Our only criticism is that there wasn’t enough time to enjoy each destination. For example we could have had an extra couple of days in Banff to fully appreciate the area and all it had to offer. Extra time in Jasper and Vancouver would also have been appreciated.

The boat was a sailing luxurious home. Staff, good, entertainment and bus connections with experience drivers all was amazing, polite and so welcoming and professional- thank you for a wonderful holiday ❤️❤️