Feb 29, 2020
Great river cruise with Emo Tours! - On a recent 3-day visit to Egypt, we used Emo Tours for all our activities, and we took this delightful Nile dinner cruise on the last night. I had Googled online reviews of the different cruise ships because their prices differ. Based on reviews from different sources, we selected this particular cruise ship (the Crystal) because it had better reviews than the more expensive ships had.
The Emo drivers arrived promptly and were friendly as they drove to the dock. They escorted us to our table, very close to the performing area, and made sure we were settled at the table. An Emo representative was on board for the cruise to make sure everyone had a good time and there were no problems, a very thoughtful touch.
The all-you-can-eat dinner included a wide range of tasty options, including fish, chicken, and beef. There were several vegetables as well, salads, lentil soup, and breads. Food was kept hot in chaffing dishes on long tables, with guests serving themselves on both sides of each table, so the process was fast and efficient. There was an assortment of desserts as well, including small cakes, what looked like Jello, and puddings. Everything we ate tasted delicious.
After dinner, guests have time to to to the deck and admire the Cairo lights as the ship smoothly sailed up and down the Nile. It was a bit windy and chilly up there, so a coat or jacket would come in handy. When the show was about to start, an employee came on deck to notify guests.
The show was very entertaining, although the music was deafening. Several guests at different tables covered or plugged their ears and more than one got up and left due to the loud music. I've attended rock concerts that were quieter. The dancing was quite good, with two men and a lady (a belly dancer) performing together and separately. Then another gentleman performed a Tanoura dance, skillfully spinning for an unbelievably long time as his colorful garments swirled around.
Drinks are not included in the cruise, so regardless of what you drink (even water) you must pay for it. There are photographers on board who snap photos of guests with the dancers to sell. The photos are 5x7 or larger, look nice, and are not very expensive, but if you (like us) do not display framed photos throughout your home, the photographer gives a very sour expression when you decline to purchase his photo. It was almost like he took it personally.
Overall, the cruise offers safe, tasty food, scenic views of the Cairo lights, and enjoyable entertainment. Emo provides safe, reliable transportation and ensures guests are safe and enjoy themselves. We are very glad we booked all our Egyptian excursions and activities with Emo Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 24, 2019
Emo Tours Best Guide (Abdo) - My Egypt experience would have been vastly different had it not been for the kindness and thoughtfulness of my guide Abdo. Ended up spending more time chatting with him on the roof about the Egyptian culture and language than actually watching the show! Had the pleasure to have him as my guide to the train station as well, and went above and beyond what was required of himself to ensure I made it on the correct train safely. The sights of Egypt are something for certain, but the guides are what makes or breaks a place, and Abdo couldn’t have been better!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 15, 2019
Great excursion by Mohamed hamed! - Our cruise down the Nile was a very pleasant experience. Very fair value for what you receive. Our tour guide Mohamed was very personable and had great energy! He was so nice, I booked another excursion with him. Overall a very positive experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 15, 2019
Great guide - Mohamed Hamed was a wonderful guide. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. When our tour was done, he has lots of recommendations to make the rest of our holiday complete. I would highly recommend him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 29, 2017
Our fist night in Cairo we planned... - <p>Our fist night in Cairo we planned the Nile Crystal dinner cruise. Tonsi our guide met us promptly in the hotel lobby to escort us to the cruise. He was extremely personable and knowledgeable about local culture and history. Upon arriving at the dock Tonsi took some memorable photos of us and even escorted us onto the boat to his favorite table. The dinner cruise is a great way of getting initiated into Egyptian culture and food. The buffet was delicious and the belly dancer and Tanoura dancer were wonderful. Everyone couldn't have been nicer. After the boat docked Tonsi and our driver were waiting for us to drive us back to our hotel. Our first night couldn't have gone any smoother. We had so much fun and it was our pleasure getting to know Tonsi.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Apr 7, 2023
Too high price for what you get - We had problems in finding the guide and the driver despite we were at the meeting point. The dinner and the show were ok but the cruise was different from what we imagined. Not much overviews during the navigation. Too high the price for what you get.
Review provided by Viator
Apr 17, 2019
Entertainment excellent, rest of things horrible - Food horrible as me and my family developed diarrhea and guality of food was not good.environment was good and dance was excellent photographs were good rest of the entertainment was also very good
Review provided by Viator
Oct 15, 2021
Crystal Nile Cruise, worst experience ever. DON'T GO - Bad Experience.
Food is served cold.
Unprofessional staff.
Parking is expensive.
The tour is about one hour and half, not three hours as annouced.
Trip started at 8:30 pm ends before 10pm
Food is open buffet, but it is very limited.
Meat is served by one of staff to limit the quantity to each guest to minimum
Rice, macaroni , and other food are served cold.
I do not recommend it at all.
Until 8:30, they added new tables and got new seats from other guests' tables.
The space is limited, so guests were near each other.
No precautions for Corona virus at all.
Only, one toilet is available.
After half an hour, the toilet was dirty
After 10 min of the tour, the cruise stopped in middle of the river, then it returned back, and so on. So, the tour was so limitted.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 16, 2021
Terrible - I have done Nile Crystal before and this one was really not up to the standard of previous.
1. Entertainment was not the same and very low standard (no belly dancer & no guy who spins his skirt)
2. Only soft drinks available.
Now I understand that these changes were due to Ramadan but you still charged full price and there was no warning given on your web site.
Review provided by Viator