Well it’s been a rocky road from Nile Cruises 4u over the last week. Our hosting company decided that they were not going to support a particular web platform that Nile Cruise website was built on. Sadly they only notified us on the actual day that they were ceasing supporting that platform and so our website almost immediately ceased to function.

That meant we had to scramble around to find a good alternative hosting company that was suitable for us to swap the site to. This took a day or so and then we spent almost 8 days trying to move over the site and this Nile Cruises Blog. This sounds easy in theory but in practise is a nightmare. The things you think are going to be easy become difficult to achieve and the things you expect to be difficult become a nightmare. I think we are pretty much ok now but only time will tell if there is anything that still needs to be configured.

The say “what doesnt’ kill you makes you stronger”.

So if we take that adage at face value then I think we will be stronger for the awful experiences of the last 2 weeks. We have certainly learnt a few important lessons.

1) You cannot always depend on the “biggest” companies in any field. We were with one of the biggest hosting company’s in the world. They now sponsor football matches in this country. Yet thet let us down really badly and could have destroyed our website.

2) Make sure you “back-up” daily or as often as you can. Make sure that if the same thing happens again that you have all your files and content backed up so you at least can try and re-build your site.

3) Make sure you surround yourself with experts that you can call on to assist you with the things you cant’ do.

After that its’ just hard work and…luck.

What about 2012 and Nile Cruises?

Well, at the moment we have some great Nile Cruise Bargains available for January on ships such as the Grand Rose and Grand Preziosa but we also have a wonderful offer of 50% off the second person for the excellent 5 Star Viking Princess and the superb 5 Star Deluxe Royal Viking for selected dates throughout January to October 2012. If you call us on our Freephone 0808 1089 100 number we can tell you more about that superb offer.

So all it leaves now is for us to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from all of us at Nile Cruises 4u.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

I’ve just added the latest Special Offers to our Nile Cruise Bargains page and hopefully I’ll be blogging regularly as before. Sorry for any inconvenience caused over the last 10 days or so.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Apologies if you are trying to access the site. If you have any queries or need any help please call us on Freephone 0808 1089 100. Hopefully the site will be back very shortly.

Our other website www.kenyaholidays4u.co.uk has been hacked by a hacker in the Far East called Ickhy Conficker. I’ve no idea why he has done this and I am sure he has no idea what upset he is causing. He actually has a Facebook page and so I have messaged him asking if he would “un-hack” us. However I am not sure if he will.

What a lousy couple of days we are having!

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Prices are extremely competitive in November and we have some great prices in our Nile Cruise Bargains page including 50% off the second person sailing on the Viking Princess, the Royal Viking and the Alexander The Great on selected dates.

Plus we have some great prices on ships such as the 4 star Pioneer and the 5 Star Nile Style.

Barbara and I took a wonderful Nile Cruise on the excellent Royal Viking Nile cruise ship about 2 years ago and the weather was simply wonderful. We returned home on the 30th of November and the temperature was 80 degrees on the day we left.  We’d enjoyed 8 days of continuous sunshine but it hadnt’ been too hot when we were visiting the temples and ancient sites.

If you can get away now then please feel free to call either Barbara or myself, Colin, and we’ll look at all the possible options we can offer you.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

If you havent’ seen the offer then let me briefly tell you about it again:

If you book a Nile Cruise on either the Viking Princess, the Royal Viking, the Royal Ruby or the Alexander The Great then you will pay full price for the first person and get a 50% reduction for the second person.

That offer is for Nile cruises departing between September 2011 and October 2012 on the Royal Ruby and for Nile cruises departing bewteen October 2011 and October 2012 on the Viking Princess, Royal Viking and Alexander The Great Nile cruise ships.

After this Saturday if you book the same ships the prices revert back to the normal full price so if you are thinking of taking a Nile cruise late this year or during 2012 then it truly is a great opportunity to save a lot of money. For instance on the Alexander The Great you can save up to £1000 on certain departures.  That’s a lot of money.

So dont’ miss out. Please feel free to call either Barbara or Colin on Freephone 0808 1089 100 to talk, with no obligation, about this great Nile Cruise offer.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Our first impressions as you enter the elegant reception is that you are entering a boutique hotel. Smaller than the large, airy reception of a typical Nile cruise ship, the Alexander The Great feels much more like a luxury yacht. By “yacht” I mean the type of motor yacht that might be owned by a Roman Abramavitch or a Donald Trump.

The Alexander The Great is narrower in width and slightly smaller in length than a traditional Nile cruise ship but this only serves to strengthen the impression that you are aboard somebody’s luxury motor yacht.

Ship’s manager Sherif explained to us that there are only 32 suites on the Alexander and that each one is individually decorated and no two suites are the same. He also told us there is a staff to guest ratio of 1:1.

Sherif showed us around two of the suites which were designed with a luxurious but minimalist feel. All guests are provided with robes, slippers and top of the range toiletries and drinking water is freely provided. With luxurious bedding and elegant bathrooms the suites look cool, stylish and very comfortable.

There are also two “panoramic suites” at the front of the ship that each have their own private balconies that must be wonderful when the ship is cruising along the Nile.

A nice added touch amongst many others is that the bartenders will polish your sunglasses while you are on the sundeck. Little things that leave a big impression.

The restaurant, which is a-la-carte and with waiter service feels more like a top notch London restaurant with individual tables for two and for four. However Sherif explained that the majority of meals are served outside on the sundeck to enjoy the unique views and atmosphere of the Nile whilst dining.

An example of such a unique dining experience he gave was enjoying dinner whilst the Alexander The Great is berthed in front of Edfu Temple which is beautifully illuminated at night. Such unique dining experiences would cost a fortune if enjoyed in front of world famous landmarks in capital cities such as London, Paris or New York.

There is a small gym and steam room and spa area for those of us who like to keep in trim whilst enjoying the excesses of a cruise and there is a full programme of evening entertainment to be enjoyed.

Sherif also explained that the Alexander The Great has it’s own private moorings at each port of call to ensure such uninterrupted dining situations and also avoiding the need to more up besides other Nile cruise ships.

The elegant lounge features luxurious seating and access to the ship’s Wi-Fi. Sherif explained that to cater for guests who do like to rise early they provide access to the coffee and tea making machines in the lounge. Real coffee by the way. Complimentary tea and coffee is available after all meals too.

A Digital Sound and Vision (DSV) is available in the lounge bar where guests can choose from several thousand different songs to listen or dance to their favourites.

In case you forget your glasses reading glasses are available in the restaurant to allow you to read the menu. Another thoughtful little touch.

The small plunge pool and outdoor jaccuzzi are heated and set in elegant surroundings on the two tier sun deck and I can only imagine how nice it must be to be relaxing in the jaccuzzi whilst the Alexander The Great cruises slowly down the Nile.

The Alexander The Great cruise is a 6 night cruise that departs from Luxor on a Tuesday. So guests who normally arrive from the UK on a Monday will stay for the first night at the famous and very elegant Old Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor.

Sherif then explained to us that sailing from Luxor a day after all the other Nile cruise ships have departed means that guests are then enjoying visits to The Valley of the Kings and other highlights without the crowds and their visits can be much more relaxed and taken at their own tempo. What a great idea.

Although the cost of a Nile cruise on the Alexander The Great is obviously more expensive I honestly feel that you would be enjoying a true “luxury Nile cruise“.

As with all thing in life “you get what you pay for” and if you choose to cruise on the Alexander The Great you are probably going to enjoy a cruise on the top Nile cruise ship available at that price. In fact I would go so far as to say that apart from the very, very expensive Oberoi Zahra, currently the most expensive Nile cruise ship afloat, then you will be cruising on the most unique and luxurious Nile cruise ship available at a much more affordable price.

More importantly you will enjoy an unforgettable travel experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Barbara and I have already added a Nile cruise aboard the Alexander The Great to our “bucket list”.

Over the next few days I’ll be adding photographs that we took during our visit and hopefully you will be able to see what a beautiful ship the Alexander The Great really is.

If you’d like to know more about Alexander The Great Nile cruises or talk to us about availability and prices please call either Barbara or myself on our dedicated Freephone number 0808 1089 100 or on 01704 833197.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

However our client has now booked a cruise on another Nile cruise ship that is actually sailing.  Here is the email we received today:

“Dear Colin,
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I hope you are well and your business is not suffering too badly because of the situation in Egypt. We are now in Luxor, still celebrating Mubarak’s resignation. Now is a fantastic time to visit – there are almost no tourists, and today we were the only visitors to the Valley of the Kings! Moreover, it seems like we are going on a Nile cruise after all (insha’allah) – the ship is called The Nile Crown, it’s not as cool as Monica, but still nice – it is set to sail sometime in the next three days. They are now trying to sell more cabins (only about 10 or 11 sold so far), so we are keeping our fingers crossed. I do hope that you will be able to resume cruises shortly”.

We are hoping that flights will be resumed very shortly and our clients can enjoy a truly memorable holiday and of course help the Egyptian people restore the damage done to their economy.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide