SMNYCruise

It’s been a tough few weeks in Cairo with protests and lockdowns. I hope things settle down soon. We decided to cancel our river cruise there and switch to Europe. Just not willing to take the risk that the trip will be suddenly cancelled or that the itinerary will be effected (as well as the flights). We were hoping for continued peace in the region but it’s not looking good.

Yesterday Lufthansa and British Airways abruptly suspended flights to Cairo. While the suspension is only for a week, it does concern me about the safety of travel to Egypt. Viking and Uniworld have almost sold out their 2020 river cruises to the region. If this suspension continues, it would be devastating to Egypt's tourism industry.

Personally, I would not pay for a visa or for a tour in Maputo. Fellow passengers, even those on organized ship tours, did not feel safe there. The shore excursion guide told me he had to intervene several times to assist passengers in getting away from aggressive vendors.