Egypt and tours

We will be traveling on the Royal Caribbean ship in Oct and have never been to Egypt. What do you recommend as must see and do and what should we avoid? We are hearing that a two day tour is the way to go. Should we book a hotel on our own or obtain a package with the tour company? Which tour companies do you recommend? We are two couples traveling together in our 40's and just turned 50's year old range. :o

The two day tour with the overnight in Cairo is the ONLY way to go. Our tour was an unbelievable experience. Our guide, Mohammad, was

> sensational.

> His knowledge was fantastic and was only exceeded by his personality.

> Nothing can go right all the time. I bring this up because we had

> one issue come

> up during the Nile dinner cruise. Mohammad handled it quickly, professional, and with class.

>

> We will definitely be using Ramses Tour when we come back to Egypt

> and can only hope we have Mohammad as our guide again.

>

Olá!

Nós somos um grupo de 10 pessoas oriundas dos Açores (Portugal) e chegámos na passada sexta-feira (April 9, 2010) de um cruzeiro de 13 dias ao Mediterrâneo Oriental, a bordo no espectacular Norwegian Jade. De todas as aventuras por que passámos, salientamos as excursões na Turquia e no Egipto.

Na Turquia reservámos uma excursão on-line, no site http://www.helloephesus.com/. Foi excelente, com um guia muito simpático que nos falou em espanhol, tudo sobre a Turquia, Efésus e a casa da Virgem Maria. Muito bom e recomendo.

No Egipto, também reservámos uma excursão no site http://www.ramsestours.com/. Combinámos previamente o pacote, que incluiu uma excursão de 2 dias com pernoita no Cairo num hotel de 5*. O nosso guia "Mimmo" foi espectacular, muito profissional, pois éramos um grupo de 10 pessoas e só duas entendiam inglês. Então o guia, que apenas dominava o inglês e italiano, contactou de imediato com outro guia que dominava o espanhol e assim pudemos percorrer todos os sitios combinados com narração em espanhol, para que todos entendessem.

Os guias foram sempre muito simpáticos, muito protectores, dotados de um grande conhecimento sobre o Egipto e sua História. Recomendo vivamente este operador, ramsestours, pois proporcionaram-nos uma viagem inesquecível de 2 dias ao Egipto, com muita segurança e sempre disponíveis para satisfazer as nossas pretensões.

Em ambos os casos, o preço oferecido pelos operadores (cerca de 1/3 do praticado pelas companhias de cruzeiro) compensam largamente a escolha.

Quanto ao cruzeiro, Norwegian Jade, apesar do navio não ser muito sofisticado em termos de espaços em comparação com outros mais recentes, posso dizer que a filosofia "freestyle cruising" da NCL é absolutamente fantástica, pois permite-nos ter uma grande liberdade para decidirmos fazer aquilo que quisermos, quando quisermos, ao contrário das outras companhias que nos limitam com horários rígidos. Penso que para quem gosta de cruzeiros, e ainda não experimentou a NCL, que o faça pois tenho a certeza que não se vai arrepender.

Google Translate:

'Hello!

We are a group of 10 people from the Azores (Portugal) and came in last Friday (April 9, 2010) of a 13-day cruise to the Eastern Mediterranean aboard the spectacular Norwegian Jade. Of all the adventures we have experienced, we choose the tours in Turkey and Egypt.

In Turkey we booked a tour online in the site http://www.helloephesus.com/ [/ url]. Was excellent with a very friendly guide who told us in Spanish, all over Turkey, Ephesus and the house of the Virgin Mary. Very good and recommend it.

In Egypt, also booked a tour on the site http://www.ramsestours.com/ [/ url]. We agreed to advance the package, which included a tour of 2 days with overnight stay in a hotel in Cairo on 5 *. Our guide "Mimmo" was amazing, very professional, as were a group of 10 people and only two understood English. Then the guide, who just dominated the English and Italian, immediately contacted with another guide who dominated the Spanish and so we could go all the sites combined with narration in Spanish, so everyone would understand.

The guides were always very friendly, very protective, having a great knowledge about Egypt and its history. I strongly recommend this operator ramsestours, because they provided us with an unforgettable trip to Egypt in 2 days with high security and always available to meet our demands.

In both cases, the price offered by the operators (about 1 / 3 of that charged by the cruise line) largely offset the choice.

As for Cruise, Norwegian Jade, although the ship is not very sophisticated in terms of space compared to more recent ones, but I can say that philosophy "freestyle cruising" NCL is absolutely fantastic because it allows us to have greater freedom to decide do what we want when we want, unlike other companies that limit us with tight schedules. I think for those who enjoy cruises, and have not experienced the NCL, to do so because I am sure you will not regret.

Xenio Terra

We will be traveling on the Royal Caribbean ship in Oct and have never been to Egypt. What do you recommend as must see and do and what should we avoid? We are hearing that a two day tour is the way to go. Should we book a hotel on our own or obtain a package with the tour company? Which tour companies do you recommend? We are two couples traveling together in our 40's and just turned 50's year old range. :o

After tons of research here, I booked an overnight tour with Moustafa Egypt Tours. It cost less than the ship tour and because we had our own private van (plus driver and guide) we were always ahead of the larger tour busses. Moustafa worked with me ahead of time answering all my questions and adjusting our tour to suit exactly what we would enjoy. Have a great time!

Best,

Mia

I would definately book with a tour or the ships excursions. Egypt is one place you do not want to attempt to do on your own. Now that I have been there I would be more likely to take a private tour next time I go. I felt perfectly safe in Egypt. 95% of our cruises we have done 'on our own' but in Egypt we decided to go with the ship's excursion because of the 3 hr drives and we only had one day in port.

We returned exactly 1 week ago today from our wonderful 12 night Mediterranean cruise. We spent 2 days in Egypt. After MUCH research we decided to go with Ramses. They had great reviews on TA and Cruise Critic and their up front communication was wonderful. I had more questions for them than I had for any other tour operator just because of all the mixed reviews about Egypt. They answered promptly and eased any concerns we had. We are also on Cruise Critic. I posted on our thread to invite others to join us. So many people liked our iteneray that I ended up with a total of 6 groups of 10 people. 3 in Cairo and 3 in Alexandria. We chose to go back to the ship instead of doing an overnight.

Our first day was in Cairo. All 3 guides were waiting on us at the port as soon as we got off the ship. My groups guide Usama was AWESOME!!! It was a 3 hour drive to Cairo and he entertained us for at least 2 of those hours. He shared money, history, local customs and culture. The ride was entertaining and there was plenty to look at.

Our first stop was the Pyramids. They were MASSIVE. Much larger than I expected. Usama gave us the time we needed to explore and even played photographer for us when we needed. He also arranged for our kids to take camels rides which we requested. Since he took care of this for us we didn't have to bother with haggling. He told us how to say "no thank you" and therefore we not not really bothered by anyone trying to sell anything. We also got to see the Sphinx up close. A truely wonderful experience!!

Our next stop was the museum. On our way there we slowly crossed a couple of bridges so we were able to get some cool pics of the Nile. The museum was absolutely incredible. Usama had great knowledge of so many artifacts. His guided tour was great. We have a 7yo and a 14yo and we are thrilled that they got to have this experience. It was insanely crowded but Usama guided us through as quickly as possible.

We requested to stop at a place to order cartouches. We were able to pick them up at the end of the tour before we left to go back to Alexandria. They are beautiful. I highly reccomend this souvenir. Usama also took the time to go over each of them to make sure they were correct. We also had a chance to shop at a nearby bazaar. My daughter bought a pyramid here and we never felt pressured at all.

Our last stop was at a Papyrus Institute. We got to see a demonstration on making Papyrus. It was very cool to get to see this. We bought 5 paintings here. We did feel a bit more pressure here than we did anywhere else but we are very happy with our purchases.

On our way back to the ship we stopped to get something to eat. I do not remember the name of the restaurant but it was my favorite food of the whole trip!!!! It was an exhausting but incredible day.

Day 2 was Alexandria. I had no idea that it would be so beautiful. Once again, we had Usama. Again, he was wonderful. We had what he called a "soft" tour. We didn't get out of the van too much. This was just fine with us after the the previous day.

Our first stop was the Catacombs...oh WOW!!! This is a must see in Alexandria. We drove around a bit before our next stop by the sea. Soooo beautiful and a perfect opportunity for some great pictures. Again, Usama played photographer.

After driving around a little more we had the chance to stop in front of the library for some more pictures. Unfortunately, it was closed on this day. It was their Easter so we missed out on this stop. We were able to get some great pictures in front and behind the library. Maybe we will get to go in next time...

Our last stop was close to the Citadel. Wonderful photo opportunity!!! We walked a little way down by the sea. It was very crowded since it was a holiday for them. So glad we got to stop here though. Very beautiful!!

This was an incredible tour. Ramses promised the tour of a lifetime and they truely delivered!!!! I cannot imagine ever touring Egypt with anyone else!!!! I will definitely use them again when I return to Egypt. Thank you Ramses!!!!!

Thanks so much for your information. We are staying over night in Cairo. I can't figure where to stay since we want to stay by the Nile. I'll keep searching.

Our cruise is almost a year and half away and I have wanted to see the Pyramids for years. I can hardly wait and reading all your experiences has made me even more impatient.

Thanks so much for your information. We are staying over night in Cairo. I can't figure where to stay since we want to stay by the Nile. I'll keep searching.

We had a wonderful overnight tour to Cairo arranged by our travel agent with Egyptian Express. They are a premium tour company that makes first class arrangements.

Our overnight was at the Nile Hilton. The Nile is just across the street and it was fun to walk over and board our felucca to " cruise" the Nile!

Check out our trip report and pictures at

http://bully4.us/holyland2.html

Have a GREAT cruise!

binky&jane

thanks so much for your post....we'll be sailing in a couple of months and I need to get my act together and book a tour guide...

binky&jane

Which excursion did you take from Ramses? I see several on their web site. What was the cost in comparison to a similar excursion offered by the cruise line?

binky&jane

 

Which excursion did you take from Ramses? I see several on their web site. What was the cost in comparison to a similar excursion offered by the cruise line?

We did the day trip to Cairo. We saw the Pyramids, the Museum, and shopping at the bazaar. Email Ramses and ask them to guide you on what fits best with your schedule. They are really great to work with. They will pretty much do it how you want. They were the most responsive and easiest to work with out of all of the ports we visited. I also recommend Alexandria. There was more there than I expected. :)

Karen

How much does that overnight package cost?

We didn't do an overnight so I am not sure how much it was. Sorry!!

Karen

Hi Everyone,

We will be cruising on the Celebrity Equinox in October and originally booked the ships' tour for an overnight in Cairo. After reading many favorable reviews on Ramses Tours and doing much research we decided to cancel the ship tour and book with Ramses.

They are offering us a comprehensive 2 day tour similar to Celebrity but with additional sites included and at a more reasonable cost. And this is a tour for just the 2 of us so we are looking forward to a very personal tour. So far Ramses has been very pleasant to work with and we can't wait for our visit to Egypt.

We booked an overnight with Hazem last year when we sailed the Equinox, We did a private tour of four people. Good driver (important) good guide, good itinerary. For all excursions - skip the shopping and lunches and get back to Alexandria port. The shoppes there have the same stuff as in Cairo.

We booked an overnight with Hazem last year when we sailed the Equinox, We did a private tour of four people. Good driver (important) good guide, good itinerary. For all excursions - skip the shopping and lunches and get back to Alexandria port. The shoppes there have the same stuff as in Cairo.

I really don't think there can be anything in Alexandria to compare to the Khan El Khalili Bazaar in Cairo! It is an absolutely wonderful place, whether you are actually shopping for something or just walking around looking at the amazing variety of goods for sale, and the amazing variety of people! We also had a great lunch there at Nahguib Mahfouz, famous for its kebabs, that was well worth the time it took. So I guess everybody has their own priorities. I would say allow time for lunch and the Bazaar rather than rushing back to Alex.

check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/holyland2.html

Have a GREAT cruise!

We also used Ramses tours in Egypt. We were a group of ten and did a one day tour of Cairo and a one day tour of Alexandria the next day. Ramses was fantastic: arrived on time and our guide was very professional and knowledgeable as well as very accomodating to our wishes. I can highly recommend this company to anyone looking for an alternative to the high prices of the cruise tours. (I am not being paid or given a discount to post this opinion, it's being done out of total satisfaction)

We returned exactly 1 week ago today from our wonderful 12 night Mediterranean cruise. We spent 2 days in Egypt. After MUCH research we decided to go with Ramses. They had great reviews on TA and Cruise Critic and their up front communication was wonderful. I had more questions for them than I had for any other tour operator just because of all the mixed reviews about Egypt. They answered promptly and eased any concerns we had. We are also on Cruise Critic. I posted on our thread to invite others to join us. So many people liked our iteneray that I ended up with a total of 6 groups of 10 people. 3 in Cairo and 3 in Alexandria. We chose to go back to the ship instead of doing an overnight.

 

Our first day was in Cairo. All 3 guides were waiting on us at the port as soon as we got off the ship. My groups guide Usama was AWESOME!!! It was a 3 hour drive to Cairo and he entertained us for at least 2 of those hours. He shared money, history, local customs and culture. The ride was entertaining and there was plenty to look at.

 

Our first stop was the Pyramids. They were MASSIVE. Much larger than I expected. Usama gave us the time we needed to explore and even played photographer for us when we needed. He also arranged for our kids to take camels rides which we requested. Since he took care of this for us we didn't have to bother with haggling. He told us how to say "no thank you" and therefore we not not really bothered by anyone trying to sell anything. We also got to see the Sphinx up close. A truely wonderful experience!!

 

Our next stop was the museum. On our way there we slowly crossed a couple of bridges so we were able to get some cool pics of the Nile. The museum was absolutely incredible. Usama had great knowledge of so many artifacts. His guided tour was great. We have a 7yo and a 14yo and we are thrilled that they got to have this experience. It was insanely crowded but Usama guided us through as quickly as possible.

 

We requested to stop at a place to order cartouches. We were able to pick them up at the end of the tour before we left to go back to Alexandria. They are beautiful. I highly reccomend this souvenir. Usama also took the time to go over each of them to make sure they were correct. We also had a chance to shop at a nearby bazaar. My daughter bought a pyramid here and we never felt pressured at all.

 

Our last stop was at a Papyrus Institute. We got to see a demonstration on making Papyrus. It was very cool to get to see this. We bought 5 paintings here. We did feel a bit more pressure here than we did anywhere else but we are very happy with our purchases.

 

On our way back to the ship we stopped to get something to eat. I do not remember the name of the restaurant but it was my favorite food of the whole trip!!!! It was an exhausting but incredible day.

 

Day 2 was Alexandria. I had no idea that it would be so beautiful. Once again, we had Usama. Again, he was wonderful. We had what he called a "soft" tour. We didn't get out of the van too much. This was just fine with us after the the previous day.

 

Our first stop was the Catacombs...oh WOW!!! This is a must see in Alexandria. We drove around a bit before our next stop by the sea. Soooo beautiful and a perfect opportunity for some great pictures. Again, Usama played photographer.

 

After driving around a little more we had the chance to stop in front of the library for some more pictures. Unfortunately, it was closed on this day. It was their Easter so we missed out on this stop. We were able to get some great pictures in front and behind the library. Maybe we will get to go in next time...

 

Our last stop was close to the Citadel. Wonderful photo opportunity!!! We walked a little way down by the sea. It was very crowded since it was a holiday for them. So glad we got to stop here though. Very beautiful!!

 

This was an incredible tour. Ramses promised the tour of a lifetime and they truely delivered!!!! I cannot imagine ever touring Egypt with anyone else!!!! I will definitely use them again when I return to Egypt. Thank you Ramses!!!!!

I would consider a visit to the Red and Bent pyramids...it made for a very early start on our second day, and added to the cost a bit, but was very worthwhile

These two pyramids are located in a remote desert location, with no crowds to speak of. Very different experience from Giza.

We used Nile Blue and were satisfied with the guide and driver.

We did an overnight tour to Cairo with Ramses last November and, just as they promised, we DID have a tour of a lifetime!! We have traveled all over the world and have to say that Egypt was one of the most fascinating places we have visited. George was easy to work with and quick to reply when we contacted him. Our guide, Karim, was so wonderful and energetic and kept us moving so that we ended up seeing twice as much as those on the ship's tours for a substantially less price. Sometimes the email address for Ramses on their website is hard to get through, and the best email to reach them is ramsestours@gmail.com Contact them and tell them what you want to see and do, and they will customize the tour to fit your needs and give you a great deal. We would love to go back to Egypt again, and would definitely use Ramses again when we return. We were so glad we decided to do the private tour because we saw so much more. Never felt unsafe; felt very comfortable the entire time. Karim and the driver took very good care of us. We had an amazing time and Ramses did live up to their promise of a tour of a lifetime!! :p Highly recommend them.

We are considering an overnight with Moustafa. If anyone has done one with him would love to know what hotel was used.

The two day tour with the overnight in Cairo is the ONLY way to go. Our tour was an unbelievable experience. Our guide, Mohammad, was

> sensational.

> His knowledge was fantastic and was only exceeded by his personality.

> Nothing can go right all the time. I bring this up because we had

> one issue come

> up during the Nile dinner cruise. Mohammad handled it quickly, professional, and with class.

>

> We will definitely be using Ramses Tour when we come back to Egypt

> and can only hope we have Mohammad as our guide again.

>

Good Morning, we will be doing the 2 day Ramses tour as well. Which one did you do? tour 1 or 2. Trying to decide if We should stay in Cairo 2nd day for Egyptian Museum or go back to Alexandria for library etc.

thanks for any input.

We are considering an overnight with Moustafa. If anyone has done one with him would love to know what hotel was used.

I can very enthusiastically recommend Moustafa. We did an overnight with him on the 1/3/10 NCL Jade cruise and we couldn't have been more thrilled with every part of the tour. The hotel was Le Meredian, though I believe he has others he uses depending on the client's needs (I think he excels at creating a tour specific to what you want).

From the time we stepped of the ship, we were treated like VIPs by Moustafa's team, and we were greeted like we were family by Moustafa himself at Le Meredian.

Let me know if you have any questions - I'm happy to answer. You can also find a detailed and glowing recommendation for Moustafa by another passenger on our ship (many of us used him) if you look under Cruise Reviews for the NCL Jade 1/3/10.

Best,

Mia

I can very enthusiastically recommend Moustafa. We did an overnight with him on the 1/3/10 NCL Jade cruise and we couldn't have been more thrilled with every part of the tour. The hotel was Le Meredian' date=' though I believe he has others he uses depending on the client's needs (I think he excels at creating a tour specific to what you want).

 

From the time we stepped of the ship, we were treated like VIPs by Moustafa's team, and we were greeted like we were family by Moustafa himself at Le Meredian.

 

Let me know if you have any questions - I'm happy to answer. You can also find a detailed and glowing recommendation for Moustafa by another passenger on our ship (many of us used him) if you look under Cruise Reviews for the NCL Jade 1/3/10.

 

Best,

Mia[/quote']

 

Thank you! I've stayed in a Le Meridian and they are lovely. Sounds great.

 

I was just concerned about the quality of the hotel because his price is so cheap. (We are a party of 12). It is less than a third of what Princess is asking and that's taking into account that we eliminated some of the Princess stuff

Thank you! I've stayed in a Le Meridian and they are lovely. Sounds great.

 

I was just concerned about the quality of the hotel because his price is so cheap. (We are a party of 12). It is less than a third of what Princess is asking and that's taking into account that we eliminated some of the Princess stuff

It's a shame how much the cruise lines overcharge for tours in many ports. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read how much HAL is charging for their two-day tour in Israel with an overnight in Jerusalem. For the same price, I could hire a private guide for one person and stay in a hotel at least as nice if not nicer!

Prices in Egypt are cheaper than many other countries. I have to believe that most cruise lines prey on the fears of passengers who are less experienced and are afraid to book tours on their own, so they charge whatever they like.

To speak to your particular question, although I haven't used the company in question, I've read enough positive reviews over the past two years to feel confident that they should be able to provide a quality experience, as will several others mentioned frequently on these boards.

It's a shame how much the cruise lines overcharge for tours in many ports. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read how much HAL is charging for their two-day tour in Israel with an overnight in Jerusalem. For the same price, I could hire a private guide for one person and stay in a hotel at least as nice if not nicer!

 

Prices in Egypt are cheaper than many other countries. I have to believe that most cruise lines prey on the fears of passengers who are less experienced and are afraid to book tours on their own, so they charge whatever they like.

 

To speak to your particular question, although I haven't used the company in question, I've read enough positive reviews over the past two years to feel confident that they should be able to provide a quality experience, as will several others mentioned frequently on these boards.

I completely agree with Cynthia - and I was one who almost paid the very high prices for cruise excursions in Egypt and Turkey because I thought it was the safest way to go. Thankfully, I did my research here and it's amazing that you can pay SO much less for a much more personal tour. So you actually pay less and you don't have to be on the large busses at the mercy of the overall timeline and itinerary - and cruiseline-chosen shopping stops. My tour with Moustafa was worth much more than we paid - besides our guide and driver, there are greeters at the port and the hotel, and another when we went to the Sound & Light show - it's really a smooth running operation - but I'm sure all the tour operators have to be competitive, unlike the cruiseline which knows it's going to fill their busses no matter what they charge because most people find it the easiest and most secure (though even as a woman alone with children, I felt completely secure everywhere in Egypt and Turkey).

Best,

Mia