We would avoid travel to Egypt

[icat2000]

I don't know what ports you are looking for but we are booked on the Norwegian Jade for 4/6/13 - 11 night Med and Holy Land Cruise out of Civitivecchia. It might be an option for you.

 

It goes to :

• Alanya ,Turkey
  
• Limassol, Cyprus
  
• Haifa, Israel
  
• Ashdod, Israel
  
• Port Said, Egypt
  
• Alexandria, Egypt
  

It has two sea days on the front and back.

This is the same cruise that I am taking except I'm going on the 16 November 2013. Looking forward to going back to Egypt. It be my third visit.

[vakamalua]

I certainly agree that cruise lines often alter their itineraries and have to do so enough ahead of time to make alternate arrangements. That has become frustrating for cruisers wishing to see the few ports in the mid-east that are reachable by cruise ship, especially if that is your primary reason for choosing the itinerary.

 

That is one reason that I heartily suggest you choose a land tour if want to really experinece Egypt, Jordan to other parts of the mid-east. In addition, the long distances that a cruise excursion has to travel and the brief time you have, for example, in Cairo or Petra is merely a small taste of those countries wonders and, I imagine, ends up being quite frustrating. Also, you are at the mercy of the ship's excursion subcontractors.

 

We did A&K's Jordan & Egypt tour in April and felt the time devoted to these two countries and our experiences were invaluable and that we never would have had on a cruise's brief excursions. In Jordan--Jerash, Mt. Nebo, Bethany, floating in the Dead Sea, as well as two nights in Petra; in Egypt--in addition to the Egyptian Museum and the pyramids, Islamic Cairo and the souk, then a trip to Abu Simbel (NOT to be missed!), and three days on the Nile including Aswan, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu and in Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and the Temples of Karnak and Luxor. All of this with guides who are at the top of their fields.

 

We never felt unsafe anywhere; in fact the local people were lovely and happy to talk to us about their lives and the political situation there. Our Egyptian guide was able to teach us the modern political history and sort out the current situation. A&K has full time, permanent employees on the ground and relationships with hotels which means they have instant access to information and can easily deal with any problems or a quick itinerary change.

 

There are places that we feel a ship's excursion is adequate to 'see' the sights; however, Egypt is definitely NOT one of them. Do yourself a favor and really experience this country. Book a land tour for the fall or winter (too hot til then anyway) and trust that the political situation will not cause any problems for tourists, no one in Egypt wants that.

[azevedan]

We were on the same tour in March, and I heartily echo everything vakamalua says.

Also, when debating whether to travel, consider, when reading news reports, what comes out of any large U.S. city.

[icat2000]

I agree that land tour is the way to see Egypt. I spent seven weeks in 2005 in Egypt and covered most of the country. I went back over Christmas and spent another three on land tour seeing Egypt and Jordan.

 

One of the main reasons why I booked this cruise because is it goes to Israel. The only country I didn't cover in my three months travelling in the Middle East and North Africa. I went everywhere else like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

[Jade13]

I don't know what ports you are looking for but we are booked on the Norwegian Jade for 4/6/13 - 11 night Med and Holy Land Cruise out of Civitivecchia. It might be an option for you.

 

 

It goes to :

• Alanya ,Turkey
  
• Limassol, Cyprus
  
• Haifa, Israel
  
• Ashdod, Israel
  
• Port Said, Egypt
  
• Alexandria, Egypt
  

It has two sea days on the front and back.

 

 

We travel on HAL, Celebrity, and Azamara as far as cruise ships (have also been on a ship with A&K, and also Silversea).

 

The issue is that we were just in Israel, Cyprus, and Turkey, so looking to make sure we get to Egypt.

[slidergirl]

Sounds like a great trip, slidergirl! Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if they changed the Wadi Rum part in the past few years, or did you guys (girls :D) request that specifically?

 

Those of us in the group did not request that specifically. Now, whether or not Susan (the owner) had requested it, I don't know. It was fun, though. We drove around a lot, stopped at some dunes where there were some rock petroglyphs. I was walking around and found one gentleman and his camel on the other side of the rock outcroppings. He was talking on his cell phone!!! We had lunch at one of the camps - very decent food. There were some nice and spicy offerings that hit the spot. The camp would have been a fun place to spend the night!!

[boomerchick]

Have booked the Celebrity Solstice in late October....love the itinerary and the price is great but after reading some of the comments am concerned that Egyptian ports may be pulled at the last minute....hoping things will settle down after upcoming elections...

[greatam]

Have booked the Celebrity Solstice in late October....love the itinerary and the price is great but after reading some of the comments am concerned that Egyptian ports may be pulled at the last minute....hoping things will settle down after upcoming elections...

 

The Egyptian Supreme Court just dissolved the lower house of the Parliament yesterday AND declared the recent elections ILLEGAL. The Military has taken control.

 

I sure wouldn't be counting on any stability in Egypt in the next 6 months.

 

Here's a CNN report-written for Western consumption so as not to alarm anyone.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/14/world/meast/egypt-ruling/index.html

 

But start reading the Middle East news wires and you will see that total chaos is just around the corner.

 

Don't count on your ship stopping in Egypt.

[boomerchick]

Thanks....you're probably right...I could wait a while but things seem to be going from bad to worse in Egypt and I sure don't want to go all that way to see the pyramids and then miss out!....hope cruiseline has the ethics to cancel ports far enough in advance to allow cancellation without penalties...

[boomerchick]

Thanks....you're probably right...I could wait a while but things seem to be going from bad to worse in Egypt and I sure don't want to go all that way to see the pyramids and then miss out!....hope cruiseline has the ethics to cancel ports far enough in advance to allow cancellation without penalties...

[JohnoClark]

Crystal cancelled their Egypt stops (October Cruise) a few months ago.

[icat2000]

The Egyptian Supreme Court just dissolved the lower house of the Parliament yesterday AND declared the recent elections ILLEGAL. The Military has taken control.

 

I sure wouldn't be counting on any stability in Egypt in the next 6 months.

 

Here's a CNN report-written for Western consumption so as not to alarm anyone.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/14/world/meast/egypt-ruling/index.html

 

But start reading the Middle East news wires and you will see that total chaos is just around the corner.

 

Don't count on your ship stopping in Egypt.

Who knows what going to happen. Its the same with Greece and the upcoming elections this week. That place could go pear shaped too.

 

Last year I followed the Lonely Planet forums on Egypt before my trip in December 201/January 2012 and read about people who were actually on the ground travelling rather than necessarily buying into hyped up media reports.

 

Take out good travel insurance if your worried about your cruise being cancelled.

[buggins0402]

The Egyptian Supreme Court just dissolved the lower house of the Parliament yesterday AND declared the recent elections ILLEGAL. The Military has taken control.

 

I sure wouldn't be counting on any stability in Egypt in the next 6 months.

 

Here's a CNN report-written for Western consumption so as not to alarm anyone.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/14/world/meast/egypt-ruling/index.html

 

But start reading the Middle East news wires and you will see that total chaos is just around the corner.

 

Don't count on your ship stopping in Egypt.

 

Saw that this a.m and thought oh oh. Will be watching the aftermath of the elections here as much as Greece - have a Holy Lands/Egypt planned. Put it this way .... even if the perfect frequent flyer tickets came up today, I'm going to hold off booking the flights for a while.

[greatam]

Who knows what going to happen. Its the same with Greece and the upcoming elections this week. That place could go pear shaped too.

 

Last year I followed the Lonely Planet forums on Egypt before my trip in December 201/January 2012 and read about people who were actually on the ground travelling rather than necessarily buying into hyped up media reports.

 

Take out good travel insurance if your worried about your cruise being cancelled.

 

GREECE????

 

Not anyplace close to the same situation. Greece is primarily a monetary/economic situation in relation to banks, defaults on government debt and how much in "freebies" the citizens get. The citizens are upset about the austerity programs being implemented because it will mean less freebies from the government. They will have to provide more for themselves and that leaves the lower classes at a distinct disadvantage. There is not inbred HATE for Westerners/Western ways.

 

Egypt is in the process of changing from a Western leaning government to a very closed, Islamist ruled society, very much like Iran. Sharia law will be the law of the land if the Muslim Brotherhood comes out on top of this fight. The Coptic Christians, who have been in Egypt forever, will be run out or slaughtered. What little bit of women's rights Egyptian women now have will be rapidly abolished to adhere to Sharia.

 

Posters on Lonely Planet are primarily in their 20's-early 30's. Traveling light, with mainly backpacks. They are very mobile, able to congregate with their own rapidly and are much more willing to take risks than the average tourist, especially cruise tourists. They are much more willing (and able) to pack 8 in a car, ride in the back of a pickup or take a not so nice bus someplace. While those posting on Lonely Planet have valuable on the ground info, their style of traveling is NOT something most 50+ somethings are going to do.

 

I have spent extensive time in the last 5 years working in the Middle East. If the US Military and those working for US government contractors are strictly forbidden from going to Egypt except on official business, that says a lot. The restrictions encompass the fact that even if there are no overt threats to all tourists, the underlying atmosphere and the volatility in Egypt with a large dose of hate of Westerners and Western ways means the situation could erupt at any time and no tour guide is going to protect you. Stable government in the Middle East, be it monarch or a dictator, protect all.

 

As I have posted before, what are you going to do if you are in Cairo, your ship is in Port Said and the situation blows up in your face??? The road is blocked, people are rioting and you are essentially STUCK. Backpackers might be willing to go back to Cairo and wait it out. They might be willing to jam 10 people in a pickup and go to another town, even get out of the country overland. Cruise tourists-the majority would be totally freaking out with not a clue what to do. Very few cruisers have "taken a flyer", left home with $500 in their pockets, a backpack and an optimistic attitude that they can and will survive what comes their way, through sheer wits alone.

 

Food for thought.

[chaz2010]

Or we could just wait to see what happens in the elections and not scare everyone with the worst case scenario.

 

The media (especially BBC) are biased towards the protestors in Tahrir Square. There are just as many people (if not more) who supported the Mubarak regime, but they are not shown on the news. In my opinion, this is because the reporters want to "be a part of something", ala East Europe in the late 80s or Beijing in the early 90s, and are rooting for chaos so they can roll film and make their name.

 

I agree that it would be worse if Muslin Brotherhood Candidate wins, at least in the long term. But there will be short term consequences if Mubarak-ally candidate wins. But either way, there is also hope for some sort of stability once the election is over and hopefully the results are legally satisfying to most Egyptians.

 

Until then we wil hope for the best for our cruise there in November, and not worry what may or may not happen here, in Greece or elsewhere. We have no control over it.

 

If all else fails, we could all just go to Disneyworld and have a great fake vacation with no worries (Although Disneyworld is the only palce I have been to where I have had my wallet stolen!)

 

Good luck to all the Egyptians and Greeks with their elections, and best wishes for all of us with upcoming cruises to the region.

[buggins0402]

Or we could just wait to see what happens in the elections and not scare everyone with the worst case scenario.

 

The media (especially BBC) are biased towards the protestors in Tahrir Square. There are just as many people (if not more) who supported the Mubarak regime, but they are not shown on the news. In my opinion, this is because the reporters want to "be a part of something", ala East Europe in the late 80s or Beijing in the early 90s, and are rooting for chaos so they can roll film and make their name.

 

I agree that it would be worse if Muslin Brotherhood Candidate wins, at least in the long term. But there will be short term consequences if Mubarak-ally candidate wins. But either way, there is also hope for some sort of stability once the election is over and hopefully the results are legally satisfying to most Egyptians.

 

Until then we wil hope for the best for our cruise there in November, and not worry what may or may not happen here, in Greece or elsewhere. We have no control over it.

 

If all else fails, we could all just go to Disneyworld and have a great fake vacation with no worries (Although Disneyworld is the only palce I have been to where I have had my wallet stolen!)

 

Good luck to all the Egyptians and Greeks with their elections, and best wishes for all of us with upcoming cruises to the region.

 

If things escalate, the cruise lines will change itineraries. Personally I could live with tweeks that end up excluding Egypt, perhaps adding a day in Israel to our itinerary. Already have mentally prepared that both could be eliminated and end up cruising Greek Islands, if either place flares up at last minute. Also, not buying trip insurance until final payment, to allow greater flexibility. I'm kind of planning every contingency - including interesting trips from Rome (been there done that) in case cruise gets cancelled after I've bought airfare.

 

Seems that all eyes are looking at the Greek elections this weekend, where the bigger story might be in Egypt.

[chaz2010]

Buggins:

I doubt an entire cruise would be cancelled by the carrier. Just a replacement port or extra day at sea to replace whatever port they pulled out of. Best wishes for your cruise!

[buggins0402]

Buggins:

I doubt an entire cruise would be cancelled by the carrier. Just a replacement port or extra day at sea to replace whatever port they pulled out of. Best wishes for your cruise!

 

Actually, that did happen last year with the NCL Jade. They drydocked it a while, cancelling Holy Lands before sending it to the Canary Islands instead for the winter (both Israel and Egypt were having difficulties).

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2011/05/norwegian-cruise-line-jade-eastern-mediterranean-egypt-cancelled/170245/1

But agree, the most likely scenario would be a change in itinerary. Note - a flight to Rome doesn't help for a Canary Island cruise - hence just thinking about alternatives from Rome if the same thing happens this year, after we've already booked flights.

[Zukini]

Buggins:

I doubt an entire cruise would be cancelled by the carrier. Just a replacement port or extra day at sea to replace whatever port they pulled out of. Best wishes for your cruise!

 

To give you an idea of how they work around, for the Star Princess last year (May 2011) our original itinerary was Rome-Sea-Sea-Alexandria-Alexandria-Sea-Khios-Istanbul-Kusadasi-Athens-Sea-Naples-Rome.

 

In February we were notified that Egypt was off the table, and the itinerary was revised to:

Rome-Livorno-Sea-Malta-Sea-Khios-Istanbul-Istanbul-Kusadasi-Athens-Sea-Naples-Rome.

 

Ultimately, about four weeks before sailing, they reinstated the original itinerary.

[epixx]

Here's another report of American tourists and their tourguide kidnapped in Egypt:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/15/world/meast/egypt-americans-kidnapped/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[rwadam]

Here's another report of American tourists and their tourguide kidnapped in Egypt:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/15/world/meast/egypt-americans-kidnapped/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

 

The State Department has for some time cautioned Americans about visiting the Sinai, which is where this took place. Here's what their web site says:

 

"U.S. citizens who plan to visit the Sinai in spite of the persistent threat of terrorist attacks should exercise great caution. Travelers should remain alert to their surroundings and are reminded that crowded tourist areas have been the target of terrorist activities. Travelers should use caution when visiting destination resorts and hotels without significant physical setback and security procedures. U.S. citizens are encouraged to visit the U.S. Embassy in Cairo website for the most up-to-date security information."

[elizabethforman65]

Yes, cruise lines will occasionally change itineraries where the safety of the passengers is involved. I believe recently some changed their itineraries regarding Athens when there was unrest.

[dabear]

We also were on the NCL Jade last year and at the last minute (Friday night ) before our expected arrival on Sunday in Egypt, the captain cancelled the port and diverted the ship to Istanbul.

[stickey614]

RCL Mariner of the Seas Oct9-20, 2012.

 

My wife has been wanting me to book this cruise but I'm still unsure.

[stickey614]

It seems many of the posts below indicate no recent problems in the area.

 

US Department of Travel August 10, 2012 post about Gaza and West Bank mentioned borders of Egypt and the seacoast..... can't help to be a little concern given the recent social unrest.

 

Any opinions?