De Castro Tours - Cairo

[Tipsy252]

I have just recieved a quote from the above company for an independant shore excursion in Cairo. I have emailed a number of companies and De Castro seems not only to be the best quote, but also the most professional and has a very quick response time to my queries.

Question: Has anyone else used them? Were they professional, knowledgable, good english, time keeping, etc.? What did you think of the tour guide and service in general, good or bad?

I would like to know as we have to book soon.

Many thanks for any replies.

[gerena]

Tipsy--

 

Search for DeCasto and you will find lots of info about them. I'm in the same "boat" looking for tours. I have a bit more time than you, however.

[kdowneymd]

We used DeCastro last summer and had a very poor experience. Our pre-cruise on-line experience with them was fine, the tour itself was the problem. I wrote an extensive review of our problems july/august 2007 on this page. Others had a good experience but there are others besides us who also had difficulty on a subsequent cruise who were quite positive about them pre-cruise and then not so enthusiastic

[kdowneymd]

We used DeCastro last summer and had a very poor experience. Our pre-cruise on-line experience with them was fine, the tour itself was the problem. I wrote an extensive review of our problems july/august 2007 on this page. Others had a good experience but there are others besides us who also had difficulty on a subsequent cruise who were quite positive about them pre-cruise and then not so enthusiastic

[patw]

We used them in several places during our Egypt trip last February (2007). They were excellent, professional. We always had a driver and a guide. I can recommend them highly.

We plan to use them again while we are on a cruise in 2009 when we stop in Egypt.

 

Pat

[des1rees]

We are using DeCastro for a very extensive tour in April. My in-laws used them in December and were very impressed. Good price, very professional, and Soliman has amazing patience, based on the numerous times I have emailed him and his replies. Will post a detailed review once I return.

 

D.

[lahore]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=687569&page=2

 

See my reflections on their tour in Cairo above. The more I think about it the more I think that Suliman is efficient, but if I used them again I would book a car with no 'tour guide' - she was just a pushy little sales lady whose only interest was in making money from kickbacks from stores. Our time at the Khan al Khalili was the best in the day and she couldn't wait to get us out of there before we actually bought something that wouldn't give her a commission.

[lahore]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=687569&page=2

 

See my reflections on their tour in Cairo above. The more I think about it the more I think that Suliman is efficient, but if I used them again I would book a car with no 'tour guide' - she was just a pushy little sales lady whose only interest was in making money from kickbacks from stores. Our time at the Khan al Khalili was the best in the day and she couldn't wait to get us out of there before we actually bought something that wouldn't give her a commission.

[lindaann]

I have just recieved a quote from the above company for an independant shore excursion in Cairo. I have emailed a number of companies and De Castro seems not only to be the best quote, but also the most professional and has a very quick response time to my queries.

Question: Has anyone else used them? Were they professional, knowledgable, good english, time keeping, etc.? What did you think of the tour guide and service in general, good or bad?

I would like to know as we have to book soon.

Many thanks for any replies.

 

 

We used De Castro Tours in June/07 for a 2 day tour of Cairo and the pyramids. I have nothing but good things to say about them. Very well organized, professional, friendly and eager to please. Our tour guide Dalia was terrific. She was friendly and knowledgeable with a good command of English. Anything we asked of them, they did it.

 

......Stan

[beth555]

I booked a tour w/Decastro for 3 of us in March. Does anyone know if you can avoid the carpet school and papyrus shop that I they take you to. I rather spend the time at the pyramids and I heard that some people almost miss there ship due to other passengers shopping. I understand we leave in a convoy to Cario. Do we also return that way? I certainly don't want to worry about missing the ship

[kdowneymd]

Please see my review from last summer. We made it very clear from the minute we left Alexandria we did not want to go to the papyrus institute or anywhere else and our van still pulled up to it. We had to tellour guide we would not go in and she still pushed us until it was clear we would not go. After that it was very unpleasant, she too, couldn't wait for us to leave Khan el Khalili. In fact she left and re-joined us. I would avoid them

[smeyer418]

This is not specifically about De Castro but how the tour guides make money in Egypt. I took my own private tours while in Egypt. They didn't stop at the Papyrus or Carpet place but I also didn't pick out which one charged the least amount. When you do that the tour company doesn't pay the tour guide much expecting them to get paid when you go in and purchase things at stores. When they do that the normal commission is in the 30% range(the prices reflect this and the store is happy to pay it figuiring you would never have come in without the tour guide). So if you don't want to stop there you should tell the tour company and be willing to pay a fair amount to the guides in lieu there of. This is the way it works in Egypt and other places for that matter, if you don't like it you can work around it but if you get the lowest price and don't pay your guide they won't be happy...nor would you be.

[lahore]

Beth 555 - yes you can avoid it, but it causes a lot of bad feeling as kdowneymd says. Please refer to my posting via the link earlier on this thread for a story of our recent experience.

 

Smeyer you and i seem to be crossing swords lately, but what is it specifically about my post and those from other people here that makes you think that we looked for the cheapest price and therefore didn't deserve to get what we had agreed upon with the company in writing before we left? You speak as though everyone on this board is inexperienced and stupid. I for one have travelled a very great deal in the developing world and know very well about commissions and tour guides; it's a usual, extremely irritating practice. When I negotiate a fair price with a company and pay a good deal in US dollars I expect to get taken where I have agreed in writing to go, and not to get taken where I don't want to go. This practice is common in Asia, but Asian people are not as pushy as the tour guides in Egypt. The original poster asked for people's opinions and if this practice is more common and more pushy in Egypt, and with this company specifically, then they deserve to be forewarned.

[smeyer418]

...

 

Smeyer you and i seem to be crossing swords lately, but what is it specifically about my post and those from other people here that makes you think that we looked for the cheapest price and therefore didn't deserve to get what we had agreed upon with the company in writing before we left? You speak as though everyone on this board is inexperienced and stupid. I for one have travelled a very great deal in the developing world and know very well about commissions and tour guides; it's a usual, extremely irritating practice. When I negotiate a fair price with a company and pay a good deal in US dollars I expect to get taken where I have agreed in writing to go, and not to get taken where I don't want to go. This practice is common in Asia, but Asian people are not as pushy as the tour guides in Egypt. The original poster asked for people's opinions and if this practice is more common and more pushy in Egypt, and with this company specifically, then they deserve to be forewarned.

 

First why do you think this was aimed at you? It wasn't but you obviously have your paranoia is up.

This practice is common in middle eastern countries too. My post warned people about how the guides themselves are paid. Even if you negotiate the price with the tour company this doesn't translate into how the tour guide him/her self is paid. They may assume even though you negotiated with them that the normal practice of taking people to stores will get the tour guide pay who may in fact receive NOTHING from the tour company. I assumed nothing about people on the board. I gave information that obviously set you off somehow. You assumed people knew this. So get off your high horse and stop being so rude. While it may be an annoying and irritating practice it is how it is done there which not every one is aware of. Did you know how much the commissions were?

[Karkies25]

For anyone who has taken the 2-day tour with DeCastro, is it recommended to tip and if so, how much? Do you tip the driver and the guide?

 

Do you tip on the 2nd day when they drop you back at the ship? or do you consider the tip built into the tour price?

 

I am a bit clueless on this one, so any help/advice is appreciated.

 

Happy Travels!

[smeyer418]

For anyone who has taken the 2-day tour with DeCastro, is it recommended to tip and if so, how much? Do you tip the driver and the guide?

 

Do you tip on the 2nd day when they drop you back at the ship? or do you consider the tip built into the tour price?

 

I am a bit clueless on this one, so any help/advice is appreciated.

 

Happy Travels!

 

http://www.gate1travel.com/egypt-travel/Egypt-travel-tips.htm#tippi

 

Its been a couple of hours and I know I am not one who has taken an DeCastro tour but here are some general Egyptian tipping guidelines(they are from gate 1). Unless it specifically says tipping is included it probably isn't.

 

I also like you, find this at best disconcerting. hope this helps....

[CruiseOs]

For anyone who has taken the 2-day tour with DeCastro, is it recommended to tip and if so, how much? Do you tip the driver and the guide?

 

Do you tip on the 2nd day when they drop you back at the ship? or do you consider the tip built into the tour price?

 

I am a bit clueless on this one, so any help/advice is appreciated.

 

Happy Travels!

Hi Karkies. If you have booked this tour in Egypt will you please tell us in the 5/20/08 Roll Call how to join your group? I've been trying to get this info but no one has posted for a couple of weeks but me. Thank you.

CruisOs

[beth555]

I chose De Castro because of many of the reviews on this board. Like many individuals we tip all our tour guides and drivers. As far as the stops I wouldn't really mind but I have heard that some individuals almost missed their ship because other people in their van took so long. Also if that was part of the tour I do think it should have been listed in the itinerary so we know exactly what we are paying for and where we are going.

[lindaann]

For anyone who has taken the 2-day tour with DeCastro, is it recommended to tip and if so, how much? Do you tip the driver and the guide?

 

Do you tip on the 2nd day when they drop you back at the ship? or do you consider the tip built into the tour price?

 

I am a bit clueless on this one, so any help/advice is appreciated.

 

Happy Travels!

 

 

We took a two day tour with DeCastro in June 2007. We were travelling on the Royal Princess. We tipped our guide, our driver, even the Tourist Police officer who was with us the entire time. We tipped at the end of the tour as you would expect. Egypt is an extremely poor country and I suspect we would be shocked if we actually knew how little these people are paid. We tipped generously, but, to tell you the truth I can't remember how much we gave each one. In my experience the tipping of tour guides and drivers is customary all over the world. Egypt is no different. Our guide and driver worked their tails off to please us. They deserved to be tipped.

 

...........Stan

[lahore]

First why do you think this was aimed at you?

 

I thought it was at least partially aimed at me about because your post followed one from myself and two others, in other words it seemed to be in response. It then went on to say how you didn't pick the cheapest, but when a tour does they go to commission-paying stores to make up the difference via guide commissions. The clear inference is that those who get taken to commission paying stores much have picked a cheap fare and therefore, blah blah blah.. an 'if, then' agrument which was unfounded.

 

The De Castro tour was actually the most expensive of my entire trip. And by far the worst.

 

I was not rude, ever, nor do I consider that I was on a 'high horse, but whatever... I took you to task on your comment, plain and simple. If you can't handle a little conflict, don't make inflamatory statements.

[smeyer418]

actually what I said was if you are taking the lowest cost one consider the fact that the cutting of cost will probably take place at the guide level and be guided accordingly as to how you deal with the guide. I specifically said this wasn't aimed at deCastro. You are the one you can't stand when someone disagrees with you.

If you disagree stay with the point not

"You speak as though everyone on this board is inexperienced and stupid."

both a rude and condescending comment.

 

The guide is told we can't pay you but of course you will get commissions or tips. So if you are cutting back on one at least be fair on the other.

 

and by the way

"This practice is common in Asia, but Asian people are not as pushy as the tour guides in Egypt."

 

is a racial or ethnic stereotype which may or may not be true. Asia covers a lot of ground and not all Asians are alike.

[Karkies25]

Do you think $20 pp for the guide and $10 pp for the driver would be appropriate?

 

Thanks

[smeyer418]

Do you think $20 pp for the guide and $10 pp for the driver would be appropriate?

 

Thanks

Tipping is a very individual thing. For a two day trip IMO its reasonable. Its what Gate 1 suggested as reasonable as well.

[WeBeGone]

We went with Nile Blue last Nov and will be with them again in just 14 days. Absolutely loved everything about Hazem and Nile Blue.

[lahore]

Tipping: we paid our driver the larger tip in Egypt, because the traffic was horrendous and he definitely had the harder job of the day and made his best efforts to get us where we want to go. We gave him USD $20 from memory.