Voyages Jules Verne

Advantages: Some interesting destinations
Disadvantages: Expensive, and not concerned about customer satisfaction

...My husband and I travelled with Voyages Jules Verne (VJV) in June to Limone, on Lake Garda in Italy, a lovely resort, with fantastic scenery. We were not impressed with VJV and as well as completing their questionnaire when we left, I wrote a detailed letter outlining the issues which we had various aspects of the holiday. These included several problems with the supposedly 4-star hotel (probably would get 2 stars at most in the UK) - Butlins-style restaurant, mediocre food, no porters, 'tired' decor, English channels on TV not working, tiny single beds, no information, run on a shoestring.... We talked to the tour rep on one of the excursions and he said he'd passed on lots of complaints to the hotel and in fact the hotel had now 'banned' him, and it would probably not feature in VJV's brochure next year! There were other problems too...

anneh1957 08.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Voyages Jules Verne

Voyages Jules Verne - Eurostar Trip to Brussels

Advantages: Most things were done for you
Disadvantages: Had to find own way from Train station to Hotel

...We decided to do something special for my husband's birthday at the beginning of March and after due consideration decided to go to Brusssels for a long weekend via Eurostar. I had gone to the Destinations show in London in February and had ssen the Voyages Jules Verne stand and collected some brochures so we duly phoned them up and booked, up grading to 1st class seats ( an extra £85 each - return). We had no problems at all until we got to Brussels and then had to find our own way to our Hotel. As we had not been to the area before we took a cab (about 10 Euros). The hotel was excellent but unfortunately had been built when the area was more affluent than it is today. Having freshened up we decided to go and explore and found we were only about 10 minutes away from the Station but in the middle of the area where the asylum seekers...

Jaspacat 15.04.2003 · Read review
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Review of Voyages Jules Verne

My Jules Verne favorite

Advantages: Captivating, easy to read, imaginative
Disadvantages: Childish but what you would expect

......

neo1983 19.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne

A Royal Cruise fit for a Pharaoh,

Advantages: Treated like Royalty from Beginning to end.
Disadvantages: Bar prices are steep.

...SS Misr. The SS Misr was built in Preston Lancashire in 1918 originally for the Egyptian Royal Navy and bought by King Farouk of Egypt as a private cruiser which traversed the Nile. It is recorded that he had held his birthday celebrations aboard this boat. Since the building of the Aswan Dam it used to sail right up the Nile but now is only able to sail as far as Aswan. Misr means the Kingdom of Egypt. It fell into disrepair and was brought by travel line and fully restored to its current state in elegant and period style and is used exclusively by Voyages Jules Verne for tours of the Nile. Being a steam ship it rekindles memories of Agatha Christie?s death on the Nile. It offers elegant and tasteful luxury service and there are over 60 members of staff to 46 passengers. There were only 42 passengers on our cruise...

garymarsh86 25.09.2009 (26.09.2009) · Read review
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Review of SS. Misr Cruise, Voyages Jules Verne

Journey into the fire!!

Advantages: Interesting story
Disadvantages: Not exactly compelling at the start

...Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne is another book that you will find in my top-ten favourite reads. To be honest though when I first picked up the book I wasn't too sure about it and even after reading the first couple of chapters I still wasn't sure I was going to like it. But the more I read on the more I became hooked and eventually I fond it extremely difficult to put the book down. When Professor Lindenbrock discovers an ancient parchment bearing cryptogram maps that he believes will show him the way Dante took to the centre of the Earth he knows straight away that he must follow them. With his nephew Axel, who is the narrator of the novel, alongside him Lindenbrock travels to Iceland where he enlists the help of brutally strong guide Hans who is to aid them on their journey. The journey in questions begins...

MI9to5 04.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne

Went down like a lead balloon

Advantages: Only young girl who was helpful, but I bet she's gone by now
Disadvantages: Dismissive and uncaring

...I haven't actually been on a holiday arranged by Voyages Jules Verne, but because of the grief they caused a member of my family, I have had major dealings with them as a group. My sister suddenly lost her husband to a brain haemorrage at the age of 44, leaving her with two boys to look after. Feeling the need for some peace and quiet, she booked herself one of their holidays that they offer around the Italian Lakes and Gardens, booking with a single room supplement of £150. A few months later and before she left for the holiday, she found that a passing acquaintance was also going on the same tour, the same week. When she and this older lady arrived at the hotel, they were separated from the main group with another couple (brother & sister), and told that there was no single rooms available, and were given keys to their new...

Salgirl 12.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Voyages Jules Verne

Mixed feelings

Advantages: Interesting holidays, often with a theme
Disadvantages: Not totally honest practice with respect to excursions

...Voyages Jules Verne (VJV) caters for people who want something other than a simple beach holiday. Its programme includes tours of ancient sites, journeys catering for those with an interest in geology, astronomy, botany and photography, walking tours, holidays by train, and trips focusing on music, art, or food and wine. Full details can be found at http://www.vjv.co.uk/. VJV will also arrange personalised itineraries for individualist travellers who want to do their own thing but also want to avoid the hassle of organising it all. Many of the tours can be booked online at the VJV web site. The prices of VJV packages vary from the highly reasonable to the highly expensive, so most people will be able to find something to suit their taste and their budget. I booked with VJV for a week in Luxor, Egypt, including excursions to...

tehuti 19.04.2001 (06.04.2001) · Read review
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Review of Voyages Jules Verne

New look Disney meets Jules Verne

Advantages: Excellent Animation
Disadvantages: Predictable story

...sequences were superb and the story moved along at pace. The problem for me came with the central part of the film once the expedition gets to Atlantis. We spend quite some time concentrating on the relationship between Kadi and Milo which fell a bit flat for me and the design and animation sequences in the city weren't up to the high standards of the early underwater sequences. The whole film slows down and stutters at this point, it was only when the 'baddies' get into the action that the pace picks up again for a wonderful finale. The historical setting of the story and the style of the artwork used gives it a 'Jules's Verne' feel that fits very well with the tale of exploration and adventure. In the fact the story is loose pastiche of '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea' and 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth'. Obviously one of the main...

Mauri 15.11.2001 · Read review
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Review of Atlantis - The Lost Empire (Animated) (DVD)

Everything's better & a lot wetter Under the Sea

Advantages: Amazingly vivid descriptions of underwater life, Captain Nemo's intriguing character
Disadvantages: Unabridged version overloaded with detail at times

...of a novel! On the other hand, I defy anyone to read this book without learning something they didn't know before! (Verne himself does admit to the extensively detailed nature of the book in one of Arronax's concluding statements: "It is perfectly accurate. Not a fact has been omitted, not a detail exagerrated. It is the faithful account of an incredible expedition in an element as yet inaccessible to man, but which progress will, no doubt, one day reveal to him." In line with that last sentence, Verne's incredible imagination and ability to extract the most relevant aspects of what to him was modern or speculative technology produced not only a great book but also a template for scientists to follow. Indeed, it is said that almost every aspect of Verne's view of underwater life has been made a reality, and that no-one has influenced submarine...

CaptainDisaster 12.09.2005 · Read review
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Review of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea - Jules Verne

A Capital Read Not Capital Punishment.

Advantages: Interesting, innovative, well-written and fantastically suitable characters.
Disadvantages: Slightly thin plot and not the best of endings.

...When told by my English teacher that the only way to improve my English was to read some challenging, acclaimed, classic novels I was a little dubious. The first names that sprang to mind were Austen, Dickens, Tolstoy etc. and I concede I still haven’t tried reading any of these. Looking on my parents’ bookcase my eye was caught by four ancient-looking hardback volumes of Jules Verne novels, particularly “Around The World In Eight Days” and “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea” of which I had seen the films. Not wanting to read a novel to which I knew the basic plot I was left with a choice between “A Journey To The Centre Of The Earth” and “A Mysterious Island”. This opinion category pretty much reveals which one I chose. However I did not expect it to be particularly...

timmyotoole 18.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of A Mysterious Island - Jules Verne