“we felt the activities were slightly regimented. we seem to spend a lot of time walking up and down the tow- path for transport and getting on and off coaches but feel that we were really spoilt by the cabin crew, we love chugging up and down the river. Menu was a bit strange-roast turkey dinner for lunch !!”
Thank you Christopher for your 4 star review! We're glad you enjoyed the cabin crew and the opportunity to cruise up and down the river. We appreciate your feedback and are constantly looking to improve our service.
“Cabins clean and well,appointed. Food excellent and hot and cold drinks available at all times. Staff hard working , positive and freindly. Lovely atmosphere all the time. This was a thoroughly enjoyable cruise. I would,love to do.another.”
Thank you so much Ann for your 5 star rating! We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed all aspects of your cruise and would love to have you on board again!
“An amazing holiday aboard the Edward Elgar cruise for a week. Everything from start to finish is wonderfully organised and all inclusive. The Captain and Crew were all very friendly and helpful throughout the cruise. The Chef was always giving us lots of culinary delights at the mealtimes. I would highly recommend this type of holiday.”
Thank you so much for giving us a 5-star rating, Stuart! We are delighted to hear that you had an amazing holiday aboard the Edward Elgar cruise with us. We appreciate your kind words about our friendly crew, and the delicious meals. We are so happy that you enjoyed your experience with us on the river.
We hope to see you again!
Sincerely
EHC team
“The food was excellent. The all inclusive drinks were generous. The cabins are small, however we did find them comfortable. We always slept well. We had a starboard side cabin. At every mooring, we were against the bank, wall 🧱 or trees. Meaning that those passengers with a port side cabin always had river, city, pub or countryside views. This should have been shared a bit. The itinerary was changed. None of the passengers knew about it before boarding? We were supposed to go as far North as Bridgenorth. Which would have been a highlight for us. We only went as far as Stourport-on-Severn. There are only 5 crew. They all worked very hard, and made us feel welcome. Some of the so called excursions are a bit naff. At Upton-on-Severn the excursion was called "Visit the Pepper Pot" This was a pepper pot shaped church tower and dome. It housed a Tourist information centre? On some days there was no free time ashore.”
Thank you for your 4-star review Stephen! We appreciate your honest feedback and it's great to know that you found the food and drinks excellent and were comfortable in the cabins. Unfortunately, itinerary changes do sometimes occur but we are sorry to hear you missed out on seeing Bridgenorth on the Railway trip. Severn Valley Railway have decreased in volunteers so unfortunately the trip that was planned for your cruise could no longer go ahead.
We are glad you found the crew hard-working and welcoming!
We hope to see you again in the future,
Sincerely,
EHC team
“A wonderful relaxing journey on the river Severn. We were looked after extremely well by the captain and crew, with good food and drinks. The excursions were very interesting and efficiently organised every day. The cabins were compact but comfortable with en-suite toilets and showers. We enjoyed making friends with our fellow passengers and sharing their stories. I would thoroughly recommend this trip.”
Thank you Peter for your 5 star rating of English Holiday Cruises Ltd.! It is a pleasure to know that our experienced captain and crew paired with the good food and drinks provided a wonderful and relaxing journey on the River Severn.
The atmosphere between all the passengers sharing stories, really does make all the difference!
We hope to see you again!
“Since we've already left our comments on board, I would normally have resented and rejected a request for anything further. However, I will repeat myself for the sake of this unique company. We have now been twice on the Edward Elgar and enjoyed it immensely on both occasions. The crew were invariably considerate and helpful good-humoured; the facilities were amazing considering the limitations of the size of the boat; the new itinerary was very welcome and fascinating - and the organisation as impressive and admirable as before. In particular, we were impressed and touched by the kindness shown to my wife, who has some mobility problems. We have been singing your praises to all who have asked about our holiday on the Severn; some may even try it for themselves. If you ever devise yet another itinerary we will join you again - so long as Elisabeth can manage the stairs!
Thank you for everything.”
Thank you so much for your amazing review Malcolm! We are delighted that you have enjoyed your cruises on both occasions. Your loyalty and enthusiasm for our services is really appreciated, we are so glad that you have been able to share your experience with others and look forward to the possibility of seeing you yet again! Look out for our 2024 cruises as they have some exciting new itineraries planned!
Sincerely,
EHC team
“We had a great time, very relaxing and enjoyable.
Everyone on board was friendly, the staff helpful , food excellent and the daily outings well planned and interesting.
I would definitely recommend .”
Thank you so much, Janet, for your excellent rating of English Holiday Cruises. We are so glad you had a relaxing and enjoyable time and thankyou for recommending us! We do try to offer a range of excursions so we're pleased you found them to your liking.
We hope to see you on the river again!
“Great ship.good car safety garage. Nice cabin.all the crew were hard working, pleasant and very helpful. Food was top class and nicely presented. On shore excursions varied and well planned..”
“A lovely holiday on the Severn River aboard Edward Elgar.
The boat was well adapted,very comfortable and spacious main deck and upper deck.
Cabins were small but functional and manageable.
The staff were fantastic,nothing was too much trouble and they were all so friendly,cheerful and efficient,all worked very hard with a smile at all times.
The meals were varied, generous and very well prepared and served. Bar service also excellent. The cook needs a special mention as he produced lovely meals.and cakes for teatime!
Definitely a 5 star holiday.
There really was nothing that could be improved on.”
“Coming from Canada I wasn't sure what to expect. This cruise exceeded every hope I had. The crew of Stu, Taylor and Katie were outstanding! Stuart our chef created wonderful meals, especially appreciated by me as I am gluten free. And our captain Mat guided the boat expertly, especially through the narrowest of locks! Thanks to Jay for putting together such a wonderful experience.”
“We had a great cruise. The staff were exceptional and made the cruise very memorable. They joined in with us all on many occasions and made us all feel that nothing was too much trouble - and that they enjoyed what was going on and that we were important to them. That is probably more important to us than excursions and food. Although the food was very good and the meals well thought out. We would have liked a little more time at some of the destinations to do "our own thing". The train journey was a little too long. The boat was very comfortable; the saloon and dining area worked very well together and everyone felt included. The top deck gave a very good view of the countryside as we cruised along the River Severn. We would certainly recommend this cruise”
“Had a brilliant cruise, culminating in watching Coronation and a great meal and wine tasting.Crew superb and nothing too much trouble.Great impromptu games/quiz night.Really lucky with the weather that help enhance the enjoyment.”
“A most enjoyable break on the Edward Elgar with great staff who went above and beyond, where nothing was too much trouble. We particularly enjoyed the tours to Berkley Castle, Slimbridge and Woodchester Mansion and the meal and wine tasting in the Boathouse. We would recommend this break to others.”
“The combination of the very comfortable Edward Elgar and it’s “no problem” crew resulted in an interesting and memorable week. Highly recommended...”
“A lovely cruise, staff are magnificent!! Nothing too much trouble and always with a smile on their faces. Accommodation small but perfectly adequate. Food excellent in quantity and quality and the boat is spotless. Excursions were varied and well organised. Only problem we experienced were the directions to the boathouse. Clearer signage would definitely assist. Can’t wait to go again.”
“Good itinerary, very nice comfortable boat, well-appointed cabins, brilliant crew who worked so well as a team to make our trip so enjoyable, very good, well-presented and varied food. Couldn't be faulted. We shall recommend to friends.”
“We have river cruised in Europe many times and in no way am I trying to make a direct comparison. In Europe the ships take around 130 guests and so I appreciate everything can be done at a different level.
Having said this, I feel some very small and simple changes would put the Edward Elgar into a different league. I got the impression that the company is trying to provide a reasonably high standard of service.
Firstly the delightful staff need very simple additional training. For example: drinks need to be served in the correct glass. The announcement that drinks would be available in the bar 15 minutes before the meal was much too late. By the time some guests were served, we were being called to the table. As an all inclusive holiday, some knowledge of wine and spirits should be taken as given. It is going to sound very petty but any chance of presenting a more up market holiday was immediately lost with the provision of the cheapest and lowest quality of napkins. They were of a quality served in Costa Coffee.
There are very good material imitation disposables available. The napkins provided really were unforgivable. Would napkin rings numbered 1, 1a and so on to 11a with a cloth napkin for the week be an idea?
For this type of holiday,food is quite an important consideration. It was not good. In fact on the first night, much was inedible. Frying and poaching eggs should be a basic ability.
I appreciate using the boat House was a recent experience and will require some practice.
Let me say, I and my friends had a most enjoyable time. I don't want my comments to be negative and as a small business would very much like to see it grow and to be something to recommend. Our frustration was that any changes need not be big. Very small changes would make a remarkable difference.
We all said, we would delight in a short period of staff training.
Very best wishes for a successful future.
Yours
Robert Williams”
