Got our car from Airport Cars to Gatwick 8.30am Saturday, arriving at Gatwick about 10am to check in for a 1pm flight. Once we had shown our tickets and passports and checked in our luggage we then went through airport security. I grabbed more of the little plastic bags than I really needed to put my liquids in my hand luggage in and put nearly everything in one except a small bottle of roll-on deodorant that had 50ml (less than the allowance) printed on the back. So of course my bag had to be put aside and I had to wait while an attendant went down my bag to find the offending container, take it away to check it was safe to take on the plane and then give back. Had something to eat at Apostrophe. Had a nice fresh and tasty sandwich on fresh bread and a glass of home made lemonade with a glass of water. One of the first places I've ate anywhere in a while where the food was worth the price. Looked around the shops then went to our gate to board the plane. Flight was with Monarch airlines. I managed to get the window seat Ewan the seat in the middle. The flight was predicted to arrive at Sharm El Shake for about 6.30pm so not a long haul flight, so no TV in the back of the chair in front like on previous trips with Thomas Cook to Mexico, Mauritius and New York. Also forgot headphone adaptor and Monarch charge extra to buy headphones so you can listen to the in flight movie (if you can see it from your seat). Whether we were supposed to get a in flight meal on the way out and the cabin crew missed us don't know. But the price for two gin and tonics and a couple of beers and a cheese sandwich came to about £20. A coffee about £2.30. When we were nearing the end of our flight we were handed visa cards to fill out before going through passport control, where why had to fill out our name, passport number, hotel accommodation (the Hilton Sharm Dreams), flight number and which airport we had come from.
Once we got off the plane, claimed our luggage, found our transfer bus (organised through Red Sea Holidays) and got to the hotel (one of the first hotels on the transfer route) tipped the driver £50 Eygptian pounds (we were unable to change up to lower dominations but £50 was still about £5 English quid) checked in at the main reception found a bellboy to take our luggage to our room it was about 8pm, so in time for dinner. We arrived in the middle of Earth Hour so Ewan was not very impressed. The receptionist assured us the electrics were fine and I actually thought the candles everywhere were quite romantic. On arriving at our room the kettle didn't work and the mini-bar wasn't included this time (unlike the time we went to Mexico) and with the advice from various friends and relatives not to eat salad/ice-cream or drink the water, I quickly reported the kettle was not working and it was instantly replaced with a new one! (I was also a little dehydrated from drinking too much gin on the plane so I was enormously grateful for a chance to have something purify water in). I also discovered later that they had put a large bottle of water in the fridge/mini-bar that we could help ourselves to free of charge.
We ate in the same dining area for breakfast/lunch and dinner every day as the only other restaurant you could book under the inclusive deal was the Lebonese, which you had to book up a day in advance. The Mexican and the other restaurant were charged extra. Also there was two menus in the bars 'an inclusive one' and an more extensive non-inclusive one'.
Every day was more or less the same set up just slightly different options for breakfast than lunch and dinner.
For dinner the first night I enjoyed a starter of soup and a roll, then pasta and a nice cream cake. Trying to feast your eyes according to you belly with a buffet is a little tricky, but I was fairly disciplined. The cakes and pastries though were amazing. Also if you come to breakfast for 6.30am when the restaurant first opens you can get a newspaper with you breakfast, but if you come later than 8.30am they are all gone.
Also enjoyed smoking lots of Shisha through Shisha pipes at an extra charge of 15 Eygptian pounds a pipe. We smoked a strawberry, peach and cherry flavour.
Overall the holiday was very good but if you were a 'non-inclusive' customer you would probably get a more enthusiastic service from the bar staff.
Cheap Holidays to Sharm el Sheikh | Co-operative Travel
Holiday booked through Chelmsford Star Co-op, Market Road, Chelmsford.