Presidential MS Nile Commodore

Presidential nile commodore is advertised as a 5 star cruise this bearly meets a 3 star rating. Brochure says wi fi available there is non. Every drop of water consumed has to be bough. Even for the purpose of teeth cleaning. Tea and coffee only available at breakfast and on 3 afternoons a week otherwise it is charged for at £2. 50 per 25cc cup tips are asked for from day one. £27 per person is demanded from day one and it is not made to look discretionary, more of an extra supplement. There are only 8 hair dryers available between around 200 people. Tombola is played at £4 a ticket for half dozen very cheap prizes where do the profits go?. All areas are tired and in need of upgrade. Everything is self service. Drinks are charged at a premium. It appears to me that this company is out to capitalise on their profits from the moment a passenger steps on board. I have been with a few cruise ship companies in my time and have experienced a lot of different ways to extract money from customers but this line is unique. Especially their methods used to make the customer feel that he/she is obliged to pay the £27 gratuity. 

MS Commador. After doing 3 nile cruises before this one, our previous experience was one of luxury with marble and brass. The organisation by tompson was first class in every respect. But on arriving at the boat we were dissapointed as the exterior looked dirty. On entering the boat it looked drab and dull, mainly because the interior is dark wood which makes it look dated. The cabin was adequate but also dark and dated. But as the trip proceeded we tended to overlook the presentation and enjoyed the food which was always hot and well presented, with the waiters being very helpful and very friendly. The cabin staff and bar staff were always helpful as well and after a couple of days could remember your favourite tipple. The rep Jacquie was on the ball and kept everyone fully informed. Everywhere on the boat was clean and tidy but always looked a little dark. Unfortunately Egypt seems to be in crisis with the locals giving far more hastle than in recent years. And with tourism dropping like a stone I can only see problems ahead for them.

We would return to this boat as we had a great time and met some great people.

My wife and I , celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on an excellent Thomson River Nile cruise , The Staff on the Boat were 1st class and very friendly, My advise to anyone going is to just go on the trips that go with the deal, we went to see the pyramids and had to wake at 3 3o am and coach to Luxor Airport , fly to Cairo then sit in traffic jams for hours only to be blinded by a sandstorm at the pyramids , we finally got back to the boat at 12 45 pm , a very long day away from a lovely boat all inclusive , the Rep was great and very friendly , the food was great and rooms were kept very clean, and a surprise dummy made up of towels every day for fun , the Egyptian guide Osama was excellent and knew his history very well , and was always willing to answer any questions, bar staff were very friendly, the weather was lovely and sun rise and set,s were out of this world,vally of the kings and all the Temple,s were amazing, I would go again and even stay on the boat for a week, its that good.

My family went on a nile cruise on the MS Commodore for the last week in November 2012 and it was the best thing we ever did. We found the staff friendly the ship spotless and the food amazing and would recommend this ship to everyone. The only problem was the difference in exchange rates making the drinks a little too expensive but if you change your money in Egypt (or buy duty free from the plane) the rates are good.All the staff went out of there way to be helpful and polite especially mi mi the head barman he was a friend to everyone and kept an eye on me when i was ill. We will be booking again next year as fun was had by all.

Myself and my wife booked a holiday with Longwoods who are supposedly one of the better company's for this type of holiday.

About two weeks after booking our holiday we received a telephone to say that our start day had changed from Monday to Wednesday and we were flying on a Thomson A/C.This did not bother us too much until we tried to book extra legroom we were told we would have to wait until 7 days of the flight ,we managed this after three expensive calls but were told we would have to book the return flight extra legroom whilst in Egypt,we were unable to do this.

We found out later that Thomson holiday makers were given priority even though we paid a substantle amout more than them.

We were picked up in a PNC minibus which ought to have been scrapped along with the coach we were transported in to places of interest.

The meals on the Commodore ,breakfast and lunch acceptable dinner was always cold and of very poor .We did not get what we paid for the Commodore is not 5i it is more like 2i.

I have just returned back from my fantastic holiday on the Commodore, the food was tasty and fresh everyday and the Staff which included the chefs , waiters and the cleaners were very very polite and pleasant , for what they do, they do not get paid nearly enough they really go out of their way to help you , we made sure when giving tips at the end of the cruise we left more than we were asked ,A massive thankyou to all the staff for making my holiday the best ive ever had , i will deffinately recommend the Commodore to all , WOW AN AMAZING EXSPERIANCE , Thanks Guys and i will see you all next year x

Had an absolutely fantastic time, we really didn't want to come home.

The thomson rep Mohammed was with out doubt, the best rep the wife and I have ever come across hard working constantly smiling, funny and helpful if he could he would have lifted the valley of the kings and brought it to the boat he probably tried when we weren't looking.

Our guide Dahliah, without wishing to sound ridiculous also was the very best you could possibly hope for, from the way she calmly and beautifully brought the history to life with her beautifully flowing english you could not ask for more. She even took us out to dinner in luxor to her favourite resteraunt to try what locals really eat, and it was fantastic amazing flavours and wow it was shockingly cheap!

The Commodore staff were brilliant polite and kind to nothing was too much hassel the food was exellent and the cabins was spacious and clean and the towel aranging has to be seen to be believed.

We have had a lot of what you would describe as "Holidays of a lifetime",

but this one really did justice to that description from the friendlyness of the staff through to the astonishing history you couldn't ask for more.

I have just returned from a holiday in Egypt where we spent the first week aboard the Nile Commodore. What a fantastic holiday! The minute you step onboard you feel like you have jumped straight into an Agatha Christie book. The boat was spotlessly clean and each and every member of staff went out of their way to make sure we had a fantastic time.

Although your days start very early (!) I can honestly say that this is the best holiday I have ever had. Being a bit of an Egyptian history nerd I was really looking forward to the guided tours and they definitely did not disappoint. Our guide, Romany, was knowledgeable, interesting and very entertaining! He made the subject come alive - which is not an easy task at 7.30 in the morning when half your group are still asleep. A special mention also to the other guides Bishoy, Onzie and especially Joseph who accompanied us on a drive through the desert at 4.30 am to see Abu Simbel!

The food onboard the Commodore was also excellent and I challenge anyone to say that they couldn't find something they liked. The buffets were especially popular because of the variety on offer.

Although the entertainment is fairly low key I don't think I've laughed so much for a long time. The galabeiya party was definitely the highlight - mostly due to the fact that everyone joined in and the guides all kept us entertained throughout the evening. Sam at the gift shop will advise you what to wear on the evening and make sure you look the part.

Don't be put off going to Egypt - everyone should go at least once. The people are amazing and the sights are absolutely breathtaking. Also, don't worry about the tipping, which I know does put some people off. Just remember that these people are trying to make a living at a very difficult time and the tip values are very small to us but mean an awful lot to them. If you do the cruise your guide will protect you from the worst of the sellers and advise you where to buy your souvenirs and how much you should tip etc.

If you do this type of cruise, go with an open mind and be prepared to join in and make as many friends as possible onboard. I never thought I would bellydance in front of a room full of people but I did! The atmosphere onboard was fantastic. A holiday to remember. Thanks Commodore!

We have just returned form the PNC Commodore cruise although it was a last minute booking accomodation and staff were excellent. The egyptologists on board were very knowledgable and entertaining and brought history to life. We went full board but were offered All Inclusive when we arrived which we did not think was very good value at a further £115 per person for the week. by not doing this we had extra money to spen d on the extra trip we wanted to do to Abu Simbel. The only problem with PNC is where they dock which is quite a way out of town and need a taxi to get in when docked in Luxor. We found the Thomson rep Siobhan to be very helpful and polite she was not intrusive but was always around if you needed her to answer a question. Maybe people that complained about her should think about how they actually speak to people considering she had a full compliment of guestd she did very well. One thing we did find strange was the lack of fish dishes on the menu it would have been nice to have a change from meat but having said that the standard of food was excellent. We had a cabin on the lower deck but did not have any problems with the noise or sleeping ast night it was always clean and well kept by the cabin steward. I did feel that the masseur may have had more customers if the prices were a bit lower as they were the same as I would pay in England for the same thing. Overall though a thorughly enjoyable holiday

My sister and I chose this cruise as a celebration for our dads 80th and wanted it to be special. It most definitely was from the moment we stepped on board our fantastic holiday began. Rooms were spotless and tidy, fresh towels twice a day, clean bedding always. Every member of staff without exception could not do enough for us and made us all feel special all the time.Food was fresh and tasty and plentiful no one was ill due to everything being prepared using bottled water.

Egyptologists Onsi and Bashoy (Michael) were the most knowledgable people we have ever met, they knew everything you could ever need to know (blew our minds) they had a fantastic sense of humour to match, we will never forget them. Dad especially loved the banter we couldn't have asked for a better Birthday for him.

Pool area was always clean and fresh sunbed towels available, what better way to relax, watching life on the Nile as we sailed along. Massage was an added bonus. Bar staff always remembered our names and drinks, we were all inclusive and definetly worth doing.

Remember to ask for a room away from the engine and on level 2 or 3. The Thomson rep was unfriendly and rude and was a talking point with a lot of the guests,but don't let this put you off! We met some wonderful people on board who we will keep in touch with.

I know we are not used to tipping BUT the staff on board deserve every penny,they work very hard to make your holiday special.

Very sad to leave but will hopefully return and do it all again!!!!!