“Excellent staff from Sam, Conrad - felt safe in his hands at all times, Chef Joe who worked tirelessly and produced excellent meals, Victoria super excellent, very hard working with a wonderful manner at all times, new boy Dan with his courteous manner, great fun and seeming pleasure to be onboard.
The Cleanliness onboard was fine.
Our reservations are the toilet facilities in the cabin - if ours had gone wrong, which we know a number did, we would have left the vessel almost immediately ending our holiday as there was no public toilet facility elsewhere onboard and at our age, particularly through the night a toilet facility is an essential requirement.. We would not risk repeating this holiday on the Edward Elgar.
We also felt the last day was a complete waste of our time being bussed to Cheltenham - a pretty village in the Cotswolds or back to Gloucester would have been much preferred. A Guided Tour would have helped to familiarise us. The Cathedral was closed and the Wilson Gallery only oartially open with two tours already in the very small gallery which was open.
Brian and Helen Hedley - Cabin 3”
“Severn Vale Discovery Cruise.
Even before the start of the cruise, I was impressed with the details received regarding the cruise, when to arrive and where to park, all communication was clear and timely.
It was obvious that English Holiday Cruises did not want all 22 people to arrive at the same time and hence an advised arrival time was given. We arrived as requested at 11:30. We entered the boathouse and were greeted by Sam and offered drinks. By 12:30 everyone had arrived and we sat down for lunch. After lunch we were introduced to the captain and his crew and the chef and then asked to board the boat where we found that our cases were already in our cabin. We then set sail on the first part of the cruise.
An excellent 3-course dinner was served at 6:30 by which time we were getting to know the other travellers and the crew. After dinner the captain told us what to expect the following day and all the details were written up on a white board for reference.
All week long, the food was prepared by Keith, who is an excellent chef, and although it was a set menu, if there was something that you didn’t like, he would endeavour to provide an alternative. The visits to places were all good, the Diglis Island and Fish-Pass was interesting and the guides at Gloucester docks and Worcester Cathedral were particularly good with their knowledge and presentations. Trevor, who talked to us at the Fox’s Kiln Gin distillery was very knowledgeable and personable and the gin was tasty too!
Evening entertainment varied and we had an excellent keyboard player on one evening and two fun quizzes on others.
Captain Conrad, his 1st mate George and the two stewardesses, Vicky and Kacey worked tirelessly to provide an exceptional experience. All were helpful, polite and willing to resolve any queries. We all got on well together, the weather was good which made for a super holiday. Many thanks to all concerned.”
Thank you so much for your fantastic review, Douglas! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience on the Severn Vale Discovery Cruise. It’s wonderful to know that our communication and planning made a positive impression right from the start. We're glad you found the food and excursions to be excellent and that our dedicated crew, including Captain Conrad and the rest of the team, contributed to your memorable holiday. We hope to see you on board again for another amazing journey in the future!
“We really enjoyed this trip, of course good weather helped, but Edward Elgar is a comfortable boat, albeit the cabins are inevitably small and the bathrooms even more so. The crew under the excellent Captain Conrad were all great, nothing was too much. The food was fabulous, tasty, varied and very well cooked.
Places visited were all as advertised, interesting and made for a very complete itinerary. From seeing a salmon in the fish pass to lusting over Morgan cars: all good.
We took the add-on pre cruise package. On the hottest day of the year air conditioning would have been good, the fan offered hardly moved the air. The view from our room which was restricted had a alleyway beneath the (restricted opening ) window that hadn’t seen a broom for a long time, disgusting. And the hotel ran out of bacon for breakfast: no more needs to be said. The Premier Inn would have been better and cheaper. We look back on this holiday fondly, we enjoyed the company of our fellow passengers, and the overall comfort and relaxation on the whole trip.”
“We really enjoyed our week aboard the Edward Elgar. We were also very lucky and had great weather all week. The service from the crew was excellent and the food was very good. The included trips were all very enjoyable, though few of us though the afternoon in Cheltenham was a bit too long.
Obviously on a vessel this size the cabins are going to be very small, and they ARE very small.
You need to be very organised within the cabin. However, the toilet and shower room were fine, and the shower was always hot and powerful. Perhaps extra shelving or cupboards on the wall in the cabins would help with storage.
I'd happily recommend that people took this tour as I feel they would enjoy it.”
“There were two things that the organisers had no control over namely the weather and the affability of the other passengers. I'm pleased to say that my wife and I found ourselves very lucky on both counts.
As for what the crew and admin staff were responsible for things could not have been better. In addition to their efficiency in running the boat the crew went out of their way to attend to all the passengers individual requirements. Their teamwork was obvious.”
“Boat needs new towels and new carpet in cabins. Well organised except for last day when bridge was closed and the boat moved on without us and road closures.”
“Absolutely fabulous week...I cannot rate this holiday high enough.
The cabins, although small are perfectly adequate, very clean and have everyting you need.
The saloon and dining area is spacious and comfortable. The food was excellent, and great care is taken to ensure that everyones tastes are catered for.
The crew could not have been any more accommodating, polite, and always helpful.
The Itinary was excellent and flexible.
We will be booking again.”
“The service, food and crew were all great. Small cabins in hot weather, with sealed porthole, made for poor sleep! The itinerary was ideal, but circumstances beyond crew control caused some changes. eg Worcester cathedral closed due to a wedding, Cheltenham visit made impossible due to boat being trapped between two failed bridges with no mooring available, until a business works wharf consented. The coach trip went instead from there to Painswick Rococco Gardens but there was a road closure and the driver made an unwise shortcut, resulting in visit lasting 1 hour & tea shop closed as we arrived!
Coach returned to departure point to find boat had moved on. Another lot of country lanes to find the boat. Bridge closures meant Saturday evening meal and Sunday departure breakfast were on the boat (probably more comfortable than in the boathouse). All in a weeks holiday! Congratulations to all at English Holiday Cruises.”
