“We had a wonderful trip on MV Edward Elgar. My husband and I enjoyed the trips in Gloucester, Upton upon Severn, Tewkesbury and Worcester. The guided walks and visit to Worcester Cathedral were very interesting. We felt very safe on board and the COVID-19 precautions were stringent. The captain and crew were exceptional and made us feel very welcome. Meals were first class and professionally presented. The wildlife along the canal and river was prolific and we saw kingfishers, herons, cormorants and many other birds. This was our first cruise and it excelled all our expectations.”
“Our cruise was a very enjoyable and relaxing cruise, despite all the restrictions caused by the Covid-19 virus. The actions taken by English Holidays made us feel quite safe throughout the cruise. We found the crew to be attentive, friendly, well mannered and efficient. The food was good and catered for my diabetic/coeliac diet very well. Only complaint was that there was no gluten-free beer in the bar! All in all a great experience.”
“We have just returned from a Severn Wonders Cruise on the Edward Elgar and had a wonderful time. Our holiday was fun and relaxing with just the right mix of cruising, on board activities and entertainment, and time off the boat for some interesting visits to places along the route. The Edward Elgar is comfortable and the new “pods” for each cabin in the lounge area are well thought out and felt safe while still letting us chat with our fellow passengers. It is clear a lot of thought and attention to detail has gone into all the arrangements on board to make sure everything works really well. Cabins are compact but had everything we needed. The menus were varied and the food provided by Miles was always really tasty and enjoyable. And the crew were all fantastic, friendly and helpful, ensuring we were well looked after throughout the week so thank you Steve, Miles, Louis, Dan and Jack.”
“You couldn't have felt safer.
Everything for your safety was thought of, if you forgot your mask you were very gently reminded and the whole experience was as friendly as you could expect under the circumstances!
Highly recommended!”
“We spent a most enjoyable week on board the "Edward Elgar" - the crew were most helpful, friendly and attentative and were led by a communicative Captain whose local knowledge enriched our tour. The chef was brilliant and consistantly provided excellent, tasty, "home" cooked and well presented meals. The Covid arrangements worked well and did not intrude much into the pleasant way of life on board - we could still chat to other guests across the lounge. Thank you English Holiday Cruises.”
“The Heart of England cruise that we recently took was a really great experience. It far exceeded expectations in this troubled time. The Covid-19 protocol changes made were well done and handled expertly. The crew were well trained and most attentive to every need. It was a shame that the family bubbles had to be in place which restricted a more intimate experience but we manged to have interesting and lively conversations with our fellow travellers at our segregated dinner tables without face masks. Up on the deck it was not a requirement to wear face masks and we felt comfortable with the social spacing arrangements and the beautiful weather whilst watching the scenery go by. It was punctuated by a daily game of deck quoits managed by our jack of all trades crewman Louis. The food was expertly prepared by our Chef Miles and was five star quality with great presentation and made on board with locally sourced ingredients. We often saw Miles walking off along the riverbank at times foraging for some of the days ingredients. It was obvious that his previous culinary experience was at some of the finest restaurants. It was enhanced by the copious amounts of libation on offer. Dan and Jack were our other crewmen acting mainly as stewards and quiz masters for the early evening entertainment complimented on a couple of nights by excellent live entertainers. The cabins were comfortable but a little small for two people trying to wash and dress in the mornings. The ventilation and cooling in the cabins was good with sanitiser provided inside and outside the cabins as required. Most mornings were spent sailing serenely along the river Severn and afternoons usually involved a tour to a local town or attraction after mooring up for the night. These tours were very well managed with social distancing employed at all times and informative local guides. As we sailed along we were regaled by commentary from our erstwhile captain Steve who was a submariner in a previous life. His knowledge of the local landmarks accompanied by his wit and humour was a breath of fresh air and at the end of the trip we left wanting more. Overall the experience was unforgettable made all the better by Captain Steve's leadership skills and the professionalism of his enthusiastic crew. We have no hesitation in awarding the Edward Elgar and crew a five star rating and highly recommend the company and experience”
“We were surprised and delighted that all your hard work enabled the holiday to go ahead. Steve and all the crew kept us safe, gave us delightful meals and plenty of laughs! The Covid preperations were superb. Thank you for a great week”
Thank you for your review, Bernice! It's important to keep laughing, and well-fed! We're glad you think our Covid precautions are suitable. See you again, we hope!
“A cruise on the Edward Elgar is a wonderful way to spend five days of your life during a pandemic. Skipper Steve and his team of lovely lads made the whole thing a very special experience. Cruising on this hotel boat is the ideal way of seeing this stretch of the River Severn and the excursions were all well planned and interesting. We were treated to a variety of superbly cooked meals - including a different breakfast every day - all served in our Covid safe 'pods' in the restaurant. Masks were worn in all public areas, temperatures taken daily and only we entered our cabins. Overall the anti-virus measures taken made us feel as safe on board this boat as we do in our own home.
This is not so much a review as a 'thank you' letter to all concerned in giving us such an enjoyable few days during this worrying time.”
Rosalind.
Thank you for your kind words especially:
"Overall the anit-virus measures taken made us feel as safe on board this boat as we do in our own home."
Pre Covid, we always used to claim the Elgar is your "Home from home", and we're glad to see you think we can still make that claim!
“An excellent 5 days gliding from town to town, past wonderful scenery inhabited by swans, geese, ducks, herons, kingfishers and many more. Where the water is so still it gives mirror like reflections of all about. Enjoyed great food served by an attentive crew. Would thoroughly recommend it.”
“We have been on a few European Cruises and were keen to try an English one. We booked our trip in October 2019 and decided on the Severn Wonders Cruise with the Admiral option. We likes the idea of an overnight stay at a Gloucester hotel and the lunch prior to boarding the Edward Elgar.
With the arrival of COVID-19 we wondered whether the cruise would take place- therefore we were delighted to receive confirmation that it would be going ahead. The new arrangements were clearly explained to us. We were happy and impressed with the various precautions they had put in place to ensure our safety and enjoyment of the cruise.
The crew were extremely helpful and the chef did amazing job providing great meals throughout the week.
We found the cruise very restful and at the end we felt we had been away longer than a week.
We would certainly recommend this cruise.
Thanks to the crew Capt. Steve, Louis, Miles, Dan and Jack.”
David, thank you for your review, and we are glad to have been able to go ahead with the cruise! Feeling rested whilst all this is going on isn't easy, so we take that as a big compliment. Thank you!
“A relaxing and safe cruise. The skipper and crew did all they could to make it a success and the food was uncomplicated but very tasty with splendid ingredients, a wonder concocted in the the small galley by the talented chef.”
“Excellent anti covid procedures. Crew always cheerful with an enthusiasm that is now rare, however two characters were outstanding, the Captain and the Chef. The chef produced some amazing meals from quite a small galley and he was working on his own. The evenings were a delight of light hearted entertainment largely generated by the Captain and an enthusiastic set of passengers.”
“Everything about our recent cruise was five star! The food was excellent (hold on to your Chef at all costs!!), the service impeccable; the crew could not have been more helpful and pleasant. The anti-Covid measures taken on board were really complete, and yet, somehow, not intrusive at all. We felt safe at all times. All in all, we have just had a wonderful, restful and super holiday. Diet starts today!”
Dear Peter,
Thank you for your very kind review. We have worked really hard to make sure we have a Covid secure boat without being too intrusive, and it seems that investment is working to keep passengers like you out on the water enjoying themselves. Thanks again!
“Who needs the Rhine or Danube when we have the Severn!! We had an excellent trip- one wet afternoon and a problem with a lock south of Worcester which the crew dealt with very well were the only minor issues. The adjustments made for Covid were spot-on . My only comment is that I felt that the crew should have more pro-active in insisting that passengers complied with the mask rules. The reduced numbers and the oneway system worked well, As you would expect on a boat of this size the cabins were on the small side but perfectly adequate- the wet room was fine.
The crew were always helpful and nothing was too much trouble.
One of the abiding memories of the trip was the food both in terms of the variety and quality- well done chef. A great variety of non-alcoholic still drinks would have been appreciated.
A great package”
Hi David,
Thank you for your comments and we're glad you enjoyed yourself! Every so often, something happens on the river that is beyond our control (like a tree falling and cutting power to the lock which is what happened on your trip) but I'm glad we made suitable alternative arrangements without having to disrupt your holiday too much! If you want excitement, just add water! Also, the crew are happy to take requests to stock additional drinks, a shop isn't usually too far away:)
“So comfortable, so friendly, with superb food. Lots of attention from the crew, nothing too much trouble. The Covid 19 precautions were comforting - the screens between tables were protective without preventing interaction with occupants of other tables in the lounge area. We thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment provided by the crew - the deck quoits and the quizzes - not to mention the Bingo!! The weather was challenging but the tours were possible due to the provision of coach transport. Everything perfect!!”
Linda, we've been missing our usual live entertainers but now the government are allowing distanced performances again we will be welcoming them back. Trouble is, we can't get Skip to put down the mic!
“As a single traveler, I was very well looked after and my dietary requirements were cheerfully catered for - nothing seemed to be too much.
There was a good relationship between the crew members and I particularly liked Skip's sense of humour.
The Covid requirements were carried out efficiently - got used to the mask-wearing but thankful to remove it.”
Thank you for your review, Hilary. Perhaps we can organise a ceremonial "no mask" cruise when this is over. We look forward to it! Until then, thank you for being a considerate customer and doing your part to keep everyone safe.
