Egypt Travel Poll: Given the Unrest, Will You Go Back?

[Dan Askin]

Cruise lines and tour operators continue to tweak itineraries as the unrest in Egypt escalates, leaving travelers on edge during what is the peak season for Nile River cruises. (Read our latest report.)

We're curious: Given the current unrest in Egypt, will you return to the country or consider a cruise there in the future?

Vote in our poll, and share your comments.

[paul929207]

We are scheduled to spend a day in May in Safaga as part of an Ocean Princess cruise. I will definitely go on the cruise. When we get closer I will decide what to do that day, if we stop there.

[jocap]

Yes, no problems....but it would be a cruise from Sharm round the Red Sea again....mainly for the snorkelling. The Foreign Office doesn't seem worried about the Sinai peninsular, and people are still flying out for their holidays there. The Thomson ship which chugs slowly round the Red Sea weekly has had to change some of its itinerary from Egypt to Eilat, in Israel until the unrest is over, but Jordan is still on the list.
Jo.

[cruisemom42]

I love Egypt; have visited it four times already and will visit again, circumstances allowing.

If the State department lifts their warning, travel is considered safe. I'm not sure why anyone would hesitate at that point, assuming they wanted to go.

[Padraic]

My wife and I are boarding HAL's Amsterdam on the 25th of next month in Dubai and have scheduled stops in Safaga, Sharm el Sheik and Alexandria. (Also have a stop in Jordan.) We are hoping that things in that area will calm down. If not . . .I don't know.

[cruzeluver]

Egypt is on my bucket list, and the recent events have not changed that. I hope for a peaceful end to the problems they are facing.

[pris993]

We are booked on the Rotterdam which was scheduled to stop at Alexandria. We have been there twice before, so are waiting to see what happens with the cruise and the situation. If the unrest spreads to other countries, we will probably cancel the cruise. If the situations stays contained and the cruise line changes the ports we will probably go. Cruise is not til October, so way too early to tell.

[cruisin'tex]

Have been to Cairo and Alexandria (both) twice - would absolutely go again!

[dinek1]

Originally Posted by Dan Askin

Cruise lines and tour operators continue to tweak itineraries as the unrest in Egypt escalates, leaving travelers on edge during what is the peak season for Nile River cruises. (Read our latest report.)

We're curious: Given the current unrest in Egypt, will you return to the country or consider a cruise there in the future?

Vote in our poll, and share your comments.

We traveled to Egypt three times: in 1984, again this past August/September on a Grand Circle Travel tour, and 2 days as part of an NCL cruise. If given the opportunity, we'd go there again. People are very friendly, security is excellent for tourists, and there are many interesting sites to see.

[Sea&SkiCruiser]

We went on a Holy Land cruise in October and spent two full days in Egypt. Even before the unrest, we had decided that was enough for us. There are many more places on our bucket list.

[maryann ns]

I've been once and would like to go again some day. It is not at the top of my bucket list, but once things settle down I would not be afraid to go.

[dnh599]

We're still hoping to do the Thomson Spirit Red Sea starting 24th Feb. We were not planning to visit Cairo/Luxor having already spent time there. We do hope to travel inland to see a bit of desert, and swim during our week in Sharm. I'm taking Boot's factor 50 shark repellant.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were fortunate to have gone there many years ago -- would I go back -- not now.

[AACJ]

Never been, would love to go. Have to talk the wife into it first.

[pacaduli]

If I were booked on an ocean cruise, I would probably go, and leave the decision of stopping at each port to the cruiseline.

If, however, I were booked on a river cruise, that would be a different story. If you go to the "Ask a Cruise Question" forum, you will find a heated debate on this issue. My decision in this case would be to cancel that booking at this time. The reason is, that there is a whole world out there to see. I would not consciously make a choice to be placed in a compromising position, when the reason for a vacation is enjoyment. Certainly, having to change travel plans can be unpleasant and emotional, but I would rather travel to a place where I can ENJOY myself. Isn't that what vacations are all about?

For the travelers who are now stuck at a crowded airport (18,000 of them) trying to get out...well, my heart goes out to them. I can't imagine being put in that position. How scary!

As far as booking a river cruise in Egypt in the future? As of today, I have no plans for that. If asked back in December 2010, my answer would have been that I would definitely like to go there. Perusing the idea, I will wait until after the country elections in September 2011, to see what happens, and to see if the situation has come to a peaceful end. Until then, I consider the area too volatile.

It's all about weighing the risks versus the benefits....

Carol

[Mexfolkart]

We were booked to leave on 1/29 (Sat) and our trip was cancelled 1/28 730pm.We were already in NYC for our flight...we still want to go at some point and have rebooked our trip for next January..we would love to see Egypt. The companies we were booked with GCT and Delta have both been wonderful in getting us home and working with us.
Sherry

[mbleackl]

We were in Egypt for 2 short days last year and it just gave us a small taste of what the country has to offer tourists like us. We will go back again in the future once all the trouble has past. It was distressing to see the damage to artifacts in the Cairo museum. I feel sorry however for the general public there who have to endure poverty and harsh living conditions and who would benefit living in a real democracy. Lets all hope that this trouble will be over soon.

[oceanlovinmama]

NO! Luckily I was there in May and while it was breath taking to see the historical monuments and museums I had only read about till then, there was a lot of protests, strikes, graffiti, pick pocketing going on while I was there. There are too many other beautiful ports in the world to stop at to consider going back there after what is taking place. I feel sorry for the tour guides and citizens that are not part of this unrest, but I simply have crossed my next stop to Egypt in 2012, off my list.

[sealover155]

We are currently booked on a Celebrity Constellation Holy Land cruise in November. Having been to Egypt 20 years ago, we were anxious to return and to also visit Israel and Ephesus. This unrest has us concerned that the entire Middle East will be unstable in the near future. For the time being we are in a wait and see mode but it is unlikely we'll sail due to the possible substitution of ports we've already visited and have no desire to return.

We were caught in the Thai uprising 2 years ago in Bangkok, and were eventually evacuated to an old Vietnam era airport in southern Thailand and then to Singapore to await a flight home to California. That experience taught us the value of travel insurance and that in spite of our adventurous, carefree spirits, it's wise to be wise when travelling.

[jocap]

It sounds as though the usual 17 or so Thomson planes will be flying from all the airports in the UK/Ireland tomorrow as usual for the weekly cruise round the Red Sea....Apart from Sharm, the only other stop in Egypt will be Safaga, which is normally for Luxor, but will just be having trips to Hurgurda (the snorkelling at Paradise Beach there was OH's best ever).
There will be overnight stops as usual in Jordan, and in Israel instead of Sokhna.
Jo.