Need Opinions on Egypt - Been There?

[SteveS]

Go! We enjoyed our overnight visit to Cairo on our cruise. We enjoyed the sound and light and dinner-show cruise on the Nile. The pyramids are awesome. It was $500 a couple for everything.

[Carmic]

SteveS.............did you do a private excursion for $500 per couple? If so, who did you use?

 

Carol

[SteveS]

Here's my original post.

"Stay overnight!! The drive to Cairo is 3 hours. Our ship docked at noon and we used Nile Blue to see the Egyptian museum the pyramid light and sound show and take the dinner cruise on the Nile. Our hotel the Movenpic was wonderful across the road from the pyramids. In the morning was saw the pyramids,sphinx, rode a camel, and toured Cairo. We had lunch and returned to the ship. We were with two other couples that we met on Cruise Critic and it cost $600 per couple total. A most memorable trip.

 

The $300 per person is for everything as we never changed money, only the tip was extra and in dollars.

 

The extra $100 was for the dinner cruise,drinks, camel rides, etc. We used Nile Blue. Every on the board has had a positive review of them.

[sillysailor 1955]

For the benefit of anyone who might speed-read this and get a false impression, I'm sure you are referring to a trip on the Nile in Cairo, and not to a "proper" cruise in the South between Luxor and Aswan, where there is quite a bit to see :)

 

And to echo the posts of most, we have never felt unsafe in Egypt, and that covers eight one- and two-week vacations over the years.

 

maybe I spoke out of turn but the Nile "Cruise" we were on (booked through NCL) wasn't anything special, it was a lunch cruise which featured a Belly Dancer and believe me there was nothing to see off the side of the boat except dirty water (it looked like the East River in NYC). I just feel it took away time that we would have rather spent at the pyramids.

[Tesla]

Sadly, it's often the case that those who have never been there, or those who have never sailed that cruise line, or those who .... etc. etc. - are always those who "know the most", who "never visited there" or who "don't like whatever" are always the one who say the most negative things. Just human nature, I guess.....

 

With the exception of Cyprus and Israel, we have visited all the countries you have mentioned and without an exception, we would be the first to tell you that you would find your visit enjoyable. Just go with an open mind and be willing to make exceptions for cultural differences. So often, we Americans have the reputation of being intolerant of different standards in other countries and are vocal about it. Please be respectful of their historical places, of their religious requirements and of the fact that many of these countries are very old and have many exciting stories to tell...

 

As for being "safe", simply be aware of your surroundings, and exercise good judgment.

 

Enjoy yourselves!! :)

 

 

Egypt has always been one of my future destinations and reading the comments on this thread only make me want to book the trip sooner!

[paul929207]

Egypt has always been one of my future destinations and reading the comments on this thread only make me want to book the trip sooner!

We have been fortunate to travel to many of the world's greatest sites. So far, our tri to Egypt was the best. We spent two weeks there, along with a week in Isreal and a week in Jordan. As my wife says every day was a "WOW" day.

[smeyer418]

This really is a nice thread...

 

The first picture is the Nile at Luxor....(published in a California magazine)

 

before any one gets a copyright issue...it was my picture not theirs.

 

the second is the Nile at Cairo

[MercedMike]

I echo all that has been said about Egypt. GO!

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/holyland2.html

and also our longer trip at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egyptmain.html

 

The buses and vans going from the ship to Cairo travel in a caravan accompanied by Egyptian army jeeps. Our guide laughed at the whole thing and said that the president just want to create jobs for his nephews! The kids in the army jeep looked like they were about 17 years old. I think they were more dangerous waving their guns around than bandits would have been!

 

All of the tourist sites have Tourist Police everywhere in their white uniforms. But they seem to have plenty of time to pose for pictures and ask for "baksheesh" (tips).

 

At one site, while DW was shopping, a guy was trying real hard to sell me a hookah. But when he finally figured that I was not going to buy it, we struck up a conversation. He asked me, "What do Americans think of Muslims?" I replied, "Sadly, the only Muslim most Americans know is Osama Bin Laden." He spat on the ground and said, "Bah, he is not a Muslim!"

 

Egypt is no more, nor no less, unsafe than major tourist cities and sites around the world. Go and enjoy!!

 

HAVE A GREAT CRUISE!

[Benita]

We spent two weeks in Egypt last month. There are tourist police everywhere and metal detectors by every site. Interestingly, we set them off everywhere, but were just waved through. The people who looked Middle Eastern were searched. The people there seemed to be very happy to see us - when asked about how they felt about Americans, the standard answer was "cash cow". Out of curiosity, a few times we said we were Canadian, and the standard answer was "Canada Dry" and then they would try to sell us something.

[Cruzer Two]

My husband and I are looking at an 11-day Holy Land cruise in October '09. Itinerary is Cyprus; Haifa, Israel; Ashdod, Israel; Port Said, Egypt; Alexandria, Egypt; Rhodes, Greece; Kusadasi, Turkey; and Istanbul.

 

Whenever we tell people that we have two ports in Egypt they proceed to tell us that it's not safe and how they hate Americans there. If it wasn't safe, I don't think Royal Caribbean would go there, but really, how "bad" is it?

 

I've always wanted to go to Israel, Egypt, and Turkey. I'd hate to miss out on this cruise because of bad information.

 

We recently returned from a magnificent cruise from Dubai to Rome. The shore excursion from the port of Alexandria include the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, the Mosque of Mohammed Ali, and a Nile River Luncheon cruise. This was an absolutely wonderful adventure. Click on the following link for information on viewing a video of this excursion. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=20031408#post20031408

 

Ron aka CruzerTwo aka CruzerToo

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[hoosier726]

Egypt was the first country I visited outside of North America almost 30 years ago and I spent three weeks. It remains the most memorable of my travel experiences which now are many. Any advise I have would be very out of date but I am returning in Nov. with one day in Alexandria. Since my husband hasn't seen the pyramids we will make the trek to Giza. Enjoy Egypt on your cruise but return for a land trip. Luxor and Valley of the Kings are incredible.

 

ML

 

12/2008 Seabourn Legend Panama Canal

12/2007 Celebrity Millennium Spain and Transatlantic Westbound

10/2004 Chardonnay Provence

7/2001 Wilderness Discoverer Alaska

7/1999 A&K Chanterelle Burgundy

5/1998 Princess Dawn Princess Reposition Pacific NW

8/1996 QE2 Transatlantic Eastbound

7/1995 HAL Maasdam Baltic

4/1995 NCL West. Caribbean

3/1994 Star Clipper Windward Islands

3/1992 RCCL Song of America West. Caribbean

 

 

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness”—Mark Twain

[Cymro1953]

Hi Iszu,

Just got back on 13th June from RCI cruise to Eastern Med including Egypt.

About 80% of the passengers were North American. (I think they automatically assumed we were too).

 

It was fine, we docked in Alexandria and took the tour to Cairo to see Pyramids and Sphinx and Egyptian Museum.

 

Had no problem at all, the locals didn't care what nantionality you were as long as you had $ bills to spend.

All you hear around the main sights are hawkers shouting "One Dollar, one dollar".

Our guide told us it was safer to leave bags in coach (and it was too) but if you want a few cheap souveneirs take a few $ bills in your pocket. (Or Euros, that's all they want $ and Euros)

 

Unless you are going out anywhere in a bazaar on your own with small shops you won't need Egyptian Pounds.

 

Have a great time.

 

Berwyn