Tyler is EXCELLENT. Embodiment of true customer service. I have recommended to my friends and I will keep coming back to you. Thank you for your exceptional service.
Thanks Damian and team
Nathan and Malcolm were fantastic. Hotel in great location and super efficient and helpful
Very helpful and supportive throughout the process
The only person I deal with is Aidan Pinder at DialAFlight. Aidan is professional, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. I always receive a call just before a flight to wish me a safe journey, which is a nice touch. Once I threw a hissy fit about a hotel I was staying at, so sent an email to Aidan to complain which he answered and offered advice even though he was on holiday himself….so simply the best!
It is always a pleasure to deal with DialAFlight. We have been a client for many years. Keep up the good work.
Hotel was excellent but too full of children...not your fault but it might help you inform other future clients.
Samuel was excellent and everything was as arranged
Great service
Such a great experience. I will definitely be booking with DialAFlight again.
Problem with recent EasyJet booking. Luggage not booked. Otherwise excellent service.
Well done Lloyd and Chloe, great service. Will use you again.
Many thanks Tristan, everything went well as always, will be in touch for my trip
Best thing about the company is the staff
Thanks again to Roy Copeland for arranging our holiday and my son’s return flights to New Zealand.
Kennedy spot on as usual!
Only one hiccup with the return transfer which Francis sorted out immediately.
It makes life so much easier just contacting DialAFlight and getting everything organised for you!
All went as planned although cannot blame your company for airport delays or lack of anything to eat on the plane. DialAFlight’s instant telephone response with human being is always most appreciated.
All arrangements went smoothly - thank you Jamal.
We were caught by the Saturday chaos at Heathrow which meant a 5 - 6 hour wait at Marseille before they sent a Jumbo out to take two loads home. Have just recommended you to a nephew!
Automatic car needs to be given as an option
Your performance was wonderful and as promised. However I have resolved to NEVER fly into Malaga again. Most inefficient in the Assistance department. The couple I was with were so delayed that their plane left without them. I only caught my plane because a friend who knew I should be on that plane made a big fuss and demanded to know where I was. (I was still waiting in assistance.) Hotel owner is now taking this up with the airport.
All too easy and cheerful
Theo was fabulous with helping us to book our Iceland trip
Calvin did good!
Sean you're a star. All my requirements for a perfect tailormade break. Transfers. Ideal Hotel. Everything I wanted you supplied.
Been using DialAFlight for over 15 years and recommend you to all. You always make it easy and have good prices when needed. Thank you Gino for all your help.
Usual professional and dedicated personal service.
An extremely caring and very professional service. The staff are always available within seconds to offer advice and assistance.
There I was, sailing around the Aegean on a super-yacht... and there wasn't an oligarch in sight.
Crystal Cruises' new Esprit is one of the new generation of smaller cruise ships, and it was the perfect home for a tour of the beautiful Greek islands, the Holy Land and the Jordanian port city of Aqaba.
The Esprit was recently christened in the Seychelles with a bottle of champagne (Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut 2004 since you ask), and its 31 suites are spread over two floors.
There are no balconies - it's a yacht, remember - but each suite comes with lovely picture windows.
It felt like I had been invited to a house party - albeit one held at sea - rather than a cruise, and there was a sense of immediacy and familiarity that is not readily apparent on larger ships. It really does feel like you've checked into a fabulous floating boutique hotel.
Boarding in the Greek port of Piraeus, I walked up the gangplank to a champagne reception.
Crystal really does know how to make guests feel welcome. My butler Clarke showed me to my stateroom, unpacked for me, and before long we were sailing towards the party island of Mykonos.
WELCOME COCKTAILS
That evening Esprit's director Harry Ter Horst arranged for the yacht's small crew to meet the guests. It broke the ice and friendships were made over some truly shipshape cocktails. Dinner was also superb. Fine dining at sea is a wonderful experience and the wines were carefully matched. Best of all, it was all included in the price.
Most sommeliers can't wait to show off their knowledge and end up boring you towards a wine you didn't really want, but Ramon made choosing one a pleasure. Still, I decided the time wasn't right to order a £4,300 bottle of Chateau le Pin.
The first night at sea always takes some getting used to: the hum of the engines and the slight rolling of a smaller ship. The stabilisers aren't quite as good as those on bigger vessels but the stateroom technology is certainly better. There were iPads to make in-room dining and communications more passenger-friendly.
As an experienced cruiser, the most important elements for me during a trip are the quality of the food and choice of excursions.
Louisa Kierman was in charge of the tours and she chose the destinations wisely. 'I prefer working on a yacht because everything is far more personal,' she said. 'You get to know people and they aren't just buddies on boats - we feel as though we are welcoming guests into our family.'
One of her excursions during our tour of the Aegean was to Santorini - perhaps my favourite destination. The skies were blue and the whitewashed houses in towns such as Oia sparkled in the sunshine. And if you visit out of the peak summer season, as we did, the crowds have gone and you feel as though you have the island to yourself.
THE HOLY LAND
All of our guides were good but in the Holy Land they were outstanding. One, Barak, was a major in the Israeli army and he helped bring familiar stories from the Bible to life. As for the food, after a week I didn't think the chef, Rainer Buss, could prepare a better dinner, but he did - a sublime lobster with hot butter sauce, and sea bass with asparagus risotto. Everything was Michelin standard.
Crystal Esprit is sleek and nimble, with a shallow draught of less than 15ft. And because of her relatively small size it means a new array of harbours can be accessed, allowing visits to exclusive marinas, hidden coves, and secluded islands where the docking infrastructure - so critical for big ships - doesn't exist.
SUMMER ROUTES
Crystal Esprit sails the Adriatic through the summer, with seven-night cruises between Athens and Dubrovnik, and Dubrovnik and Venice. Included are all meals and drinks, butler service, marina and water-sports activities, a choice of complimentary shore excursions and gratuities.
The only problem is that spending a week on board the elegant and luxurious Esprit spoils you for life.
First published in the Mail on Sunday - April 2017
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