Has anyone been on the MS Neptune on the Nile?

[nema]

We are leaving on March 10,2011 for Gate 1 15 Day tour of Egypt with the 7 day Nile cruise. Anyone on the same trip?

[texancruzer]

We are leaving on March 10,2011 for Gate 1 15 Day tour of Egypt with the 7 day Nile cruise. Anyone on the same trip?

 

Just did it in Oct/Nov. YOU ARE GONNA LOVE IT !!!!!!

[slimsloany]

nema,

hopefully you have been reading the rather lengthy thread on the upcoming trip to Egypt. i you haven't, boy are you in for a treat! This thread contains the best information you will ever get. I leave in 4 weeks and...........well, words are not enough to express how thankful i am for all of the good info.

Also check out the blog by SeaFun, it, too is full of invaluable info.

suzie

[cormike1]

Well, I'm beginning to think we have the curse of the mummy! Now, my travel partner's husband is having open heart surgery this coming Friday! She thinks he will be well enough to stay with their daughter and that she will be able to go. Communication will be key. Any suggestions about cell phones? She has an I-Phone and it is unlocked. Did anyone buy a SIM card in Egypt? If she goes (crossing fingers and toes) I'm thinking we need at least one phone or would you think we can count on internet cafes or the computer on the boat? We both bought travel insurance, so if she is not able to go, I will still go, but what a bummer!

Also, did any of the accomodations have power converters, or should we all take one for each room? 4 weeks and counting. Still waiting on my Gate 1 documents. Started test packing.

Oh, I forgot, United called and said that our early am flight on the day of departure, out of Columbus, Ohio is cancelled. Sheesh, now we have to fly out at 10:15 from Columbus, to Dulles and on to JFK. Nervous about that too. We now have an additional opportunity to go the night before and get in very late. I have to work the day we leave, may have to call the boss and beg for an additional day.

Sighing in Columbus,

Suzie

 

Gee Suzie not another couple of things to add to your worry!!! I hope everything is fine with your TP's husband. We booked our flight with our tour company and they fly you in the day/night before thank goodness. Although our flight is not direct and we fly from Toronto to Frankfurt and then to Cairo. Hopefully the weather will be okay in Europe then. This might sound stupid but I am not super knowledgeable about blogging, etc. How do I find Seafun's blog Suzie? 4 weeks to go and counting....whooohoooo

Corinne

[slimsloany]

Corinne,

I think you can just type SeaFun in the search and look at his blogs. Not sure.

Hey guys!!!! My TP has decided that we need to stay in NYC the day before. We now have a flight out of Columbus, the day before, a hotel for overnight and a flight out of NYC at the end of the trip!!! Wow, what a change in climate.

If my TP cannot go, I have checked and I am good since I got insurance and so did my friend. All is well, my friends, that ends well. I pray that, first of all, my friends health is restored, then that my trip goes without too many glitches.

Thanks for all of the positive thoughts! 4 weeks and counting...carefully.

Suzie

[jkw99]

Found this on a Trip Advisor link from the UK. Lots of good info on Visa, tipping , money etc.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294201-c83628/Cairo:Egypt:Visa.Money.Tipping.html

 

We leave in 3 weeks. Yikes!!!

 

JW:eek:

[Phoenix cruiser]

A sample of the 925 photos I took on our trip:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/azboeing/Egypt122010ForUpload#

[texancruzer]

Nice pics......only 925 tho? :rolleyes:

 

I think we took @ 2600 photos :eek: during our 15 day trip.

[Phoenix cruiser]

I brought a 4 Mb card with me as the primary storage. My Canon starts the photos remaining at 999 and it never dipped below that so I could have taken at least another 1000. I guess between taking in the sights through my own eyes and listening to our world class guide I fell down on my picture taking duty. The images will never leave my brain, though.

[cormike1]

What beautiful pictures....I loved the picture of the camels at Wadi-el-Simbu....the sand was so red...just a gorgeous picture!!! 4 weeks to go for DH and I and I am getting more excited now after looking at your pictures...hard to believe I am going to be there shortly taking the same!! I would love to see some more if it isn't too much of a bother or take too long to post them. Thanks alot.

Corinne

[Phoenix cruiser]

If pictures are worth 1000 words then being there is worth a million. Corrine, I don't want to upload 925 photos to picasa but I can send you a CD if you want. E-mail me at [EMAIL="brah66@aol.com"]brah66@aol.com[/EMAIL] and I will be happy to drop a CD in the mail this weekend.

[cormike1]

What a sweetheart you are for offering to do that. I sent you an e-mail. Thanks so much.

Corinne

[slimsloany]

Just over 3 weeks til lift off and so far so good. I've done a test pack and have my travel corner of the room filling up. Now on to camera prep. I looked at my storage cards and decided to buy a larger card. With that done, I have my prescription for my broad-spectrum antibiotic and the bactriban for up the nose. Here's a tip, if you suffer from jet sinusitis or you always get it in environments where the air is not so clean (Cairo), ask your doctor for some bactriban, an ointment that you put up your nose and helps to waylay the germs that can cause sinusitis. We use this for patients in the hospital before they go to surgery. Ask your doctor if it will help you. I'm so lucky that my doctor is an old high school friend and I can ask her! She doesn't always agree but at least she listens.
It is frickin' freezin' here in Ohio with temps below zero this morning. I'm curled up on the couch with my favorite TV shows (Hgtv and FoodNetwork) and my laptop.
Stay warm!
Suzie

[cormike1]

Hey Suzie,
I haven't got the suitcase out yet (the dog starts moping when I do that lol) but I have been planning my wardrobe. I have 2 memory cards for my camera that are supposed to hold about 1000 on each. I think that might be okay. I took about 1500 on our 2-week Russian river cruise. I did try to edit every day. I am curled up watching a Will and Grace marathon and am not going out today as like you in Ohio, we in Ontario are in a freeze zone right now and are also below zero!!! I think I will stay put today and dream of warm Egypt!!!

[texancruzer]

Sounds like both of you are doing the best thing right now - staying warm!

It also sounds like you are in the "getting close" mode and I am so excited for you both.

Suzie: HGTV rocks ! :)

[Quilting Queen]

Thanks Suzie for the info about nasal and sinus infection. I will check with my DR at next appt. Will you fill before leaving home or are you waiting until you get to Egypt?

I feel sorry for you people in the freezing parts of the world. I just got back from a week in LA, CA area with wonderful warm weather in the 70's, but I was stuck inside most days for classes. Got home and here in our area of AZ it should be in the upper 70's daytime and 50's night time. Since we are permanent AZ residents now it is still hard to get used to the summers in the 110-120 F temps.

Thinking about what to pack to keep luggage weight down, but our trip is not until the end of March. I still have plenty of time to fill a guest room with clothes and stuff before making the final decissions.

Norine

[slimsloany]

Corinne, Norine and Tex,
Will and Grace rocks, as does HGTV. My husband isn't going on this trip and the suitcase is causing issues in the puter room. Too bad, he had his chance to go.
Norine, I am watching the temps in Cairo and 68 may not sound warm to you, but when it is 13 during the day here, it sounds pretty good to me.
Suzie

[cormike1]

Well a month today we fly to Cairo to start our 3-week Egyptian adventure! I am getting excited. I think I am going to go and buy the "neck pillows" for DH and I. I have heard they are great for keeping your head from falling over and creating that wonderful kink that I always end of getting on a long flight. I would love to be able to sleep a couple of hours through the night as we fly at 10 PM so it would be nice. Any thoughts on these? For all the years we have travelled, I keep looking at them but never purchasing them. What do you think? Should I or shouldn't I.

[buie]

[quote name='cormike1']Well a month today we fly to Cairo to start our 3-week Egyptian adventure! I am getting excited. I think I am going to go and buy the "neck pillows" for DH and I. I have heard they are great for keeping your head from falling over and creating that wonderful kink that I always end of getting on a long flight. I would love to be able to sleep a couple of hours through the night as we fly at 10 PM so it would be nice. Any thoughts on these? For all the years we have travelled, I keep looking at them but never purchasing them. What do you think? Should I or shouldn't I.[/quote]

We use them. I like the blow up ones since they pack down small. You can blow them up to the size and hardness you like. The ones that are more pillow like do not pack down small for trips that there are weight requirements on luggage and such. We bought those at either Walmart or Target.

Steph

[texancruzer]

Yep, I have one of both. But I like the blow up one best as it deflates and takes up less room. The one I have is really soft material (like a snuggie). Of course, even with a pillow I cannot sleep on planes :(

Steph, when do you leave for Galapagos ? Wish we were going. We are both so ready for another trip. I guess I shouldnt complain, as I am leaving for my girls cruise in just a bit over 5 weeks. Mike and I are also going to Florida to visit our friends in Vero Beach in April. Just don't compare to Egypt or Europe etc.... tho. Spoiled I guess :D

[buie]

[quote name='texancruzer']Yep, I have one of both. But I like the blow up one best as it deflates and takes up less room. The one I have is really soft material (like a snuggie). Of course, even with a pillow I cannot sleep on planes :(

Steph, when do you leave for Galapagos ? Wish we were going. We are both so ready for another trip. I guess I shouldnt complain, as I am leaving for my girls cruise in just a bit over 5 weeks. Mike and I are also going to Florida to visit our friends in Vero Beach in April. Just don't compare to Egypt or Europe etc.... tho. Spoiled I guess :D[/quote]

We leave for Miami 3 weeks from today and fly to Quito 3 weeks from Friday. Can't wait! Miss you guys!

[texancruzer]

[quote name='buie']We leave for Miami 3 weeks from today and fly to Quito 3 weeks from Friday. Can't wait! Miss you guys![/quote]

Lots and lots of pics are in order !!!!! Can't wait to see them ......
We also need to look at Tahiti for next spring !!!!! Never too early to start planning :D

[Quilting Queen]

I hope the Egypt riots end soon so things can get back to normal. I know the people of Egypt are unhappy with the 30 year government.

The workers receive very low wages, but I don't know what control any government has over private employer wages. It would be nice if they were paid a living wage even if most workers are unskilled. Even the college educated people have problems finding decent jobs.

Norine

[slimsloany]

Uh, what else can happen in the planning of this trip?

:eek:

First it was H1N1, I was OK with that, now it is civil war!!! Besides the other issues I have had with fellow travelers having to back out because of health issues, the mummy's curse seems to be following me. I'm calling my TA today and seeing if any warnings have been issued for travel to Egypt. So many ?????'s and I leave 3 weeks from today.

:confused:

suzie

[texancruzer]

Suzie, check this out.

[URL]http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1108.html[/URL]

State Dept. has no alerts or warnings for Egypt as of today. The demonstrations yesterday were scheduled ones and for the most part they knew what areas they would take place in. They did say to avoid those areas.

There is also an area where you can register to have any alerts or warnings for any countries you are traveling to automatically sent to you via email. We signed up for it before our trip to Egypt. And will do so for any future trips. Nice to know what is going on ahead of time.

Hope this helps calm any fears. Also your guide will not take you into any area that is unsafe......and they will probably know even more than the State Dept. ;)