Cunard Tours for Luxor

[alibabacruisers]

Hi, we will be on QE later this year and will be going to Luxor.  We have been waiting so long to be able to go there and finally this year!  The list of shore excursions is not out yet, so would anyone have a copy of the shore excursion list for Luxor that they would be willing to share?  I would appreciate it!  Thank you in advance!

[lissie]

We did this in October. 

 

The ship goes to Safaga - this is about a 4 hour drive from Luxor. So there are a number of different excursions - but only one that goes to Luxor - we left at just after 6am and returned about 9pm. It's about 4 hours each way - the stops are Karnak Temple in Luxor itself, lunch at a Nile hotel and then time at the Valley of the Kings. The actual tombs vary by what's open (the authorities rotate them). You have to pay extra to go to Tutankhamen's tomb - and most said it wasn't worth the queue (we didn't bother).  

 

Cunard will push hard to get you to buy overpriced glass bottled water - but the tour operator will give you cold water on the bus (on demand) - we took our own bottles as well. They also provide snacks on the bus so we skipped breakfast. 

 

Its VERY hot and dry - the Valley of the Kings has  golf buggies which saves you some walking - but you  will still need to walk in and out of the tombs - which have many stairs and are well over 37C /100F even when outside it was probably only low 30s. Karnak has more shade because of the structures. 

 

Don't be the mug that pays US$4 for an EGP4 t-shirt - plenty were. 

 

The excursions should be out about now - have you logged onto the website? It was the only tour we paid for before the cruise and we paid around this time of the year for October. 

 

[SailingCableBeach]

Thanks for this information lissie

I am also on the same cruise and very interested in this shore excursion 

[lissie]

Some photos I took - Karnak temple - in Luxor

 

Valley of the Kings - golf carts and tombs 

[Solent Richard]

Good morning Barbara.

 

You aren't restricted to Cunard's excursions though of course there is that 'peace of mind' that you know you will get back in time and 'not miss the boat'.

 

There are many operators that provided excursions from Safaga to Luxor...

 

 

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We opted for a private tour with the aspiration of seeing a little more. It was a good choice particularly as, at the time, all excursions, private and ship's, departed Safaga at the same time under police escort.

 

I wrote a review of our day on my cruise blog, here's the link...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/12/03/one-way-to-do-luxor-from-safaga/

 

There is a link on the blog to the company we used. On arrival at Luxor the local guide, an Egyptologist,  joined us and he was excellent.

 

A couple of photographs...

 

 

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[alibabacruisers]

Thank you so much Lissie and Richard!  

 

Lissie, I check almost daily for the shore excursions to come out, and they are still not out yet.  Do you have a list or picture of the Cunard excursions for Safaga and Luxor?  

 

Sailingcablebeach, I am glad to see someone else on this cruise.  The roll call is almost nonexistent with very little activity.

 

Thank you Richard for the link to your blog!  Loved the info and pictures!  Was that a one day tour?

 

 

[lissie]

49 minutes ago, alibabacruisers said:

Thank you so much Lissie and Richard!  

 

Lissie, I check almost daily for the shore excursions to come out, and they are still not out yet.  Do you have a list or picture of the Cunard excursions for Safaga and Luxor?  

 

Sailingcablebeach, I am glad to see someone else on this cruise.  The roll call is almost nonexistent with very little activity.

 

Thank you Richard for the link to your blog!  Loved the info and pictures!  Was that a one day tour?

 

 

Are you looking in the cruise planner? I dont have a picture because you can only log in to cunard com when you have an upcoming booking - not afterwards!  I paid no attention of the alternatives to Luxor - but they were the usual lie on the beach, jeep safari that sort of thing.  

[alibabacruisers]

I am logging into my booking and going under "Book Shore Experiences".  This is what comes up:

 

Please bear with us while we add the final touches to your Shore Experiences.

Our team of destination experts is currently finalising the Shore Experiences for this destination, so you can enjoy the very latest and best options available in this port. Please check back with us soon for availability.

[paulco]

I think I did the Cunard tour. Twas great. Do it!!

[lissie]

3 hours ago, alibabacruisers said:

I am logging into my booking and going under "Book Shore Experiences".  This is what comes up:

 

Please bear with us while we add the final touches to your Shore Experiences.

Our team of destination experts is currently finalising the Shore Experiences for this destination, so you can enjoy the very latest and best options available in this port. Please check back with us soon for availability.

Ah well give them some time then - I don't think it booked out from memory anyways even though about 1500 people did the trip - they had a LOT of buses 

[Solent Richard]

12 hours ago, alibabacruisers said:

Thank you so much Lissie and Richard!  

 

Lissie, I check almost daily for the shore excursions to come out, and they are still not out yet.  Do you have a list or picture of the Cunard excursions for Safaga and Luxor?  

 

Sailingcablebeach, I am glad to see someone else on this cruise.  The roll call is almost nonexistent with very little activity.

 

Thank you Richard for the link to your blog!  Loved the info and pictures!  Was that a one day tour?

 

 

Yes.

[SailingCableBeach]

Hi alibabacruisers

Yes it’s nice to meet someone else from our cruise

Luxor is the only essential shore excursion on the cruise for me and thanks Solent Richard I will have a read of your blog. I’ve already enjoyed your Oman and Port Elizabeth port excursions.

I’m very excited about the cruise!

Perhaps the Roll Call will become more active as we get closer to the sailing date

See you on board

Jane

 

 

[alibabacruisers]

Hi Jane,

 

I agree that Luxor is the essential shore excursion!  We are excited too!  Are you doing Barcelona to Perth or other?

Thanks Richard, for your blogs and Jane has just reminded me to go have a look at your other excursions as well.

 

[Eli_6]

What ship/date is this cruise?  Is it part of the world cruise? I have been shopping various lines for a cruise to Egypt and have not seen much except Celebrity and MSC.

[bluemarble]

58 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

What ship/date is this cruise?  Is it part of the world cruise? I have been shopping various lines for a cruise to Egypt and have not seen much except Celebrity and MSC.

 

QE calls at Safaga on November 5 this year. It's part of her repositioning cruise from Barcelona to Australia prior to starting her 2023/24 Australia/New Zealand season. It can be booked as a 20-night Barcelona-Singapore cruise (Oct 30-Nov 19, 2023), a 28-night Barcelona-Fremantle cruise (Oct 30-Nov 27, 2023) or a 34-night Barcelona-Melbourne cruise (Oct 30-Dec 3, 2023). Or you can start from Barcelona on Oct 23, adding a 7-night Barcelona-Barcelona segment to the same booking.

[SailingCableBeach]

I had a look at the roll call for the Barcelona to Australia cruise and it is very quiet.

Hopefully the shore excursions will be listed soon including Luxor. I don’t think I am brave enough to do a one day private Luxor tour.