Nile River cruise review - Long!

I've tried to post this on the review section but it won't allow me that option. This is a very long review of an outstanding holiday. I have split it into sections to make it easier to read. The itinerary will be similar to other Nile cruises and the hints and tips will apply to most Nile cruises.

I have to start by saying that this holiday rates as one of the best ever. It had long been an ambition of mine to visit, in person, the great temples of Ancient Egypt. This desire was inspired by many years of teaching ‘Life in Ancient Egypt’ as a topic to successive classes of 8 and 9 year olds. The size, intricacy of design and the feats of engineering always fascinated me so, when I saw that ‘Thomson Holidays’ did a 7 night cruise along the River Nile which fitted in with our free time, I took the plunge and booked for my ‘Dear Husband’ (DH for future reference) who is a 60 year old teaching Assistant in a High School and myself, a 59 year old semi-retired Primary School Teacher. We consider ourselves to be fit, healthy and active with enquiring minds and a thirst for knowledge.

I did some initial research but found very little independent information on this type of holiday and even less on the boats used by the tour operators. We decided that the 5T option fitted our requirements best and, by booking on the internet, we got a good reduction.

I must compliment ‘Thomson’s’ on the slickness of the organisation of all aspect of the holiday. Everything happened on time and the whole thing ran like a well oiled machine. The only disappointing features were the lack of leg room in the economy section of the Thomson Airline aircraft and the extra costs to have in-flight meals (£12pp), seats together (£17), pre-bookable seat numbers(?) and excess luggage (10Kg for £49)

Outbound

We flew out from Birmingham at 9:00a.m and the smooth flight took 5 hours. We arrived at the modern airport in Luxor and were on the coach within ¾hour. The ride to the boat took about 20 minutes and we got our first taster of the contrasts of Egyptian life. We saw the lush, fertile land close to the river and the vast desert sand dunes just a short way from the city. There were modern buildings standing side by side with the traditional mud brick houses and the cars and busses swept past people riding donkeys or walking barefoot.

Weather:

The weather was wonderful for the whole week. It was hot (mid 30’s) and sunny every day and there was very low humidity which made it relatively pleasant to walk around. We did have one really windy day so the umbrellas on the sun deck had to be taken down. Early mornings were cool so a light jacket or thin jumper was useful especially when we did the balloon ride.

Our boat

The M/S Regency is fairly typical of the 200+ cruise boats that travel this southern stretch of the Nile. It was 5 decks high and pleasantly decorated and furnished although it would benefit from some refurbishment as some carpets and drapes were a little shabby.

Cabins:

There were 64 cabins. All had a large panoramic window, A/C with individual controller, en-suite bathroom with hairdryer, shaver plug, safety deposit box, TV with in-house video channels, music system and fridge. The beds were large and comfortable and the cabin was spacious.

The ship can carry 140 passengers and 85 crew members. The passengers included the Thomson group of approximately 50 British people with the rest being German and a few French.

Food:

The restaurant had set seating and we were on a table of 8. The nationality groups were seated together and fortunately, our table companions were fantastic company.

The meals were all buffet apart from the Gala night. We found the food to be plentiful and of a reasonable standard but it was the Egyptian version of familiar foods. For the main meals there was always a variety of soups and salads, followed by beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, potatoes and rice and several desserts plus fruit and cheese. There was also a speciality station where steak, duck, fish etc was cooked to order plus, on some nights, a pasta station. At breakfast the menu included cereal, fruit, cheese, breads, toast, jams, and some hot foods like frankfurters, cooked tomatoes and hash browns There was an ‘eggs and crepe’ station every morning as well.

Public rooms:

The top deck was a large open sundeck with umbrellas, sun beds and tables and chairs. The pool was small but welcoming on a very hot day. There was a plentiful supply of towels for use by the pool.

A few steps down from the sun deck was the shaded open deck where there was the bar with plenty of tables and chairs, the massage area and the walking and cycling machines. This was where ‘afternoon tea’ was served around 4:00p.m. each afternoon……… a most civilised pastime and, as we were usually sailing along the Nile, the scenery was wonderful too.

Also on deck 4 was the lounge which has plenty of comfortable seating, a bar, a TV and a small dance floor. Deck 3 was all cabin accommodation.

Deck 2 had cabins and the reception desk where the notice boards were located alongside a small seating area. Deck 4 had a small gift shop, some cabins and the restaurant.

Dress Code:

The dress code for the Nile cruises was daytime casual and for evenings, smart casual. Shorts were not permitted at dinner or for the captain's welcome cocktail reception. There was a Galabeya (Egyptian costume) party and the clothes could be bought on board or haggled for on shore

.

Entertainment on board:

We mostly made our own entertainmentbut were generally in bed early as we were up early for the morning visits. The Galabya party was great fun and the majority of the UK group got into the spirit of the occasion by dressing up. A few people from the other groups took part too. There were a few daft games followed by group photos which were later on sale for 15EP each. There was a ‘Whirling Dervish (amazing) and ‘Belly Dancer’ (poor) one evening after dinner.

Docking:

It is general practice for several cruise boats to moor parallel to each other as dockside space is limited. This means that usually it is necessary to walk through the reception areas of other boats to get on and off (you get chance to be a bit nosey!). It is vital that you make a note of the name of the boat nearest the quay as it is easy to get lost. It is also worth being aware that only the cabins facing the quay on the inside boat and the cabins facing the Nile on the outside boat have a view while you are docked. That came as a bit of a shock to us.

Nice touches:

· The hot towel and different herbal teas that were waiting for us when we returned from an excursion.

· The glass of fruit juice (rather weak by our standards) handed to us as we arrived at the restaurant for lunch and dinner.

Itinerary: This holiday was not for the faint hearted or someone who has no interest in the history of Ancient Egypt. The English speaking group was divided into 2 smaller groups of 24 and we each had an Egyptian guide who stayed with us for the week. Both Suzy and Rasha spoke fluent English and were extremely knowledgeable.

Our guide was Rasha and she named our group ‘Rasha’s Angels’, I thought this was a bit childish but it turned out to be a very useful aid for keeping us together during visits where there was a big crowd.

Day 1: Luxor and overnight in Luxor

This was flight, transfer and settling in day so, once we had unpacked and explored the boat………. a 10 minute job as it was relatively small…………..we had a walk along the Luxor promenade area. This is where we first encountered the very persistent and determined vendors. A firm ‘NO’ generally worked but it was an experience which might unnerve some people. We bought some water and then panicked because we couldn’t remember the name of the boat through which we had passed to get to the quay!!! We finally decided on one, through a process of elimination, which turned out to be the correct one but that was a very important lesson – always check the name of the boat nearest to the quay!!

We had dinner, met our dining companions for the first time and then retired to bed as it had been a very long and tiring day having been up at 4:00a.m.

Day 2: Luxor, Valley of the Kings, cruising to Edfu, Locks at Esna

This was the first of many days filled with exclamations of WOW! As we sat eating breakfast we could see a host of hot air balloons sailing majestically across the landscape on the other side of the river in the still, cloudless pale blue sky. I am ‘waxing lyrical’ because the sight is one of those that will remain in our memories forever and was only matched by our own flight …………. But more of that later.

Our group met in the lobby at 7:00a.m. equipped with shady hats, sunglasses, comfy shoes and water. We were soon through the 5 other boats and onto our tour bus. There was plenty of room to spread out as there were only 25 of us. We soon found out that the coach journeys are all relative short as all the temple and tomb sites were close to the edge of the Nile.

Our first stop was at the 2 statues known as the ‘Colossi of Memnon’ and they were colossal! This was where the ‘wows’ started along with the millions of ‘Not today, thanks’ to the ubiquitous street vendors.

A short ride later found us at the entrance to the visitors’ centre at the Valley of the Kings. This was modern with reasonable toilet facilities although, as everywhere in the world, there was a queue for the ladies’ facility!! Our entrance fees were included in the cost of the holiday so the guide distributed the tickets and we boarded the ‘truck-train’ for the short ride up to the entrance to the tomb site. Our entrance ticket allowed us visits to 3 out of the 9 tombs and we chose to pay 50EP (£5pp) to go into the tomb of Rameses 6th as well. The tombs were all very different:

• Visiting Tutmosis 3rd’s tomb involved climbing a steep set of stairs and then descending through a very narrow passageway which went steeply down into an inner chamber.
  
• The other free tombs (Rameses 3rd and 9th) were more straight forward walks along fairly high and wide passageways where it was possible to see the amazing carvings and tomb decorations although the colour had faded to almost nothing.
  
• The fee to go into the tomb of Rameses 6th was worth every penny as the paintings had retained their bright colours and the structure was huge.

It would have been a bonus to see some of the artefacts that had been found in some of the tombs but they are all in the Museums in Cairo or others around the world

The minds of the group members were working overtime to try to assimilate all the sights and information. We were all exclaiming about how it seems impossible to believe how ancient these places are and how they were created without the use of modern tools and equipment. This theme was returned to at every place we saw.

The visit to the Valley of the Kings lasted 2 hours and then ‘Rasha’s Angels’ were off to the alabaster factory. A very slick presentation and demonstration (all credit to the craftsmen for knowing their market – remarks like ‘cheap as chips’ and ‘Asda price’ kept the group laughing) was followed by ‘an opportunity to buy’ which my DH and I resisted without too much difficulty.

Another short coach journey took us to the Temple and Tomb of Queen Hatshepsut. Again, there was a brief ‘truck-train’ ride to the bottom of the steps to this 3 story building. To me this was the most visually beautiful of all the temples with its elegant arches and symmetrical design. I loved walking up the 2 long ramps and trying to imagine the people, walking in the ceremonial processions, that had trodden the same path way over 3,000 years before.

By the end of our time with Queen Hatshepsut my DH and I were ready to return to the boat for lunch and a rest so the 15 minute drive was in the air-conditioned coach was a welcome relief from the midday heat. It had been a long morning …….7:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. so, following lunch, we spent our afternoon dozing, playing scrabble and chatting to our new friends as the boat. The 4:00p.m. event of ‘afternoon tea’ became a familiar and welcome ritual each afternoon.

The boat sailed from Luxor at 6 o’clock in the evening and it was an amazing sight to see the sun setting over the desert as we slid silently past the tiny riverside villages and heard the call to prayer from the many minarets along the banks of the Nile. We stayed up long enough to see the boat enter the lock at Edfu before retiring, exhausted, to bed.

Day 2: Edfu, Kom Ombo and cruising to Aswan

After another r early call and early breakfast, Rasha’s Angels set off for the 5 minute drive to the Temple of Horus at Edfu. This is one of the best preserved Temples as it was buried under sand and silt for 1,500 years and the clearing process began in the 1840s. Everyone commented on the beauty of the wall carvings but wondered why so many had had the faces chiselled out. This, apparently happened when Egypt became a Christian country and the Christians destroyed the ‘pagan’ images.

We were back on the boat for 10:30a.m. and spent the next 5 hours sailing south along the Nile to Kom Ombo.

I think everyone was surprised by the simplicity of the lives led by those whose homes are along the river side. Almost all the homes are constructed from mud bricks. Hardly any buildings had glass in their windows and only some homes had completed rooves. We watched women washing their family’s clothes in the river using huge metal wash bowls, men ploughing the fields with wooden ploughs pulled by donkeys or oxen, people riding on donkeys or in donkey carts, men fishing and tending the fields with the same wooden tools as they have for centuries. The only incongruous sights were the satellite dishes on many houses and the man on his donkey chatting on his mobile phone. The scenes were straight out of ‘biblical times’ and the tranquillity and beauty of the countryside soothed us weary tourists as we drank yet another cup of afternoon tea.

Kom Ombo is a tiny village with a pretty quay and a temple in walking distance from the dock. By this time our group members were beginning to recognise the different parts of the temple and understand their significance. We spent an hour wandering through the halls and among the pillars before returning to the boat.

On the way back my DH bought his ‘galabaya’ (Egyptian costume) and hat for the Egyptian night. He haggled and got the 2 items for 55EP (£5.50). I bought mine in the boat’s boutique where there was less hassle, a large variety of styles and sizes and the chance to try them on. Mine cost 200EP including the beaded scarf and having the sleeves altered to make them shorter.

During the evening the boat sailed further south to Aswan while we enjoyed the ‘Captain’s Gala dinner’ and a dance and comedy show put on by the crew.

Day3: Aswan, Philae, Papyrus factory, Light and Sound show – overnight in Aswan

Today was a ‘lie in’ day as we did not leave the boat until 8:00a.m.! Our target temple was The Temple to Isis at Philae and involved a 15 minute drive through Aswan, quite a big and prosperous city, over the ‘English Dam (built in the early 1900s’) to a small dock area where the group boarded small boats to cross Lake Nasser to the Island of Philae. Being English and in the grip of our ‘Health and safety’ police even in Egypt – we were the only nationality wearing our bright orange life jackets that we brought with us from the boat! I suppose, in hindsight, it was a sensible thing to do but we felt really silly at the time. Fortunately we were able to leave them on the small boat while we explored the temple. The boatmen came round with jewellery, maps, scarves etc at very reasonable prices – I should have bought more from them.

This temple is one of the temples that were moved when Lake Nasser was created and I thought the island setting was beautiful with all the flowers and plants which softened the lines. Another plus point was the small ‘no hassle’ shopping area.

This visit was followed by a stop at a papyrus factory and many in our group bought items here. There were some beautiful artefacts and bargaining is a must but remember that the sales people are experts ……..

Our last call was another boat ride which took us around some of the granite islands in the River Nile where some of the wealthy people have homes. We also saw ‘Kitchener’s Island’ which is now the botanical gardens and these looked spectacular. Some of our group visited this area independently on their ‘morning off’.

Our afternoon followed its now familiar pattern of: doze, chat, scrabble, read and afternoon tea before we left to return to the Temple of Isis to see the ‘Light and Sound’ experience. The ride across the lake at night was wonderful as the stars were spectacular. I have to say that the show needs updating having experienced the advances in technology for these types of presentations available at Disney and western theme parks but it was still a beautiful and moving experience and, apparently, much more atmospheric than a similar one at Karnak.

Our Evening meal was an ‘Italian extravaganza’ (their words – not mine!) followed by a ‘Nubian show’ which we missed as we had a very early morning coming up.

Day 4: Aswan, Abu Simbel, cruising back to Luxor

The early morning call at 3:15a.m. came as a nasty shock but was necessary as we had booked the optional excursion to the Temple of Ramses 2nd at Abu Simbel. The price of £240 per couple included the Light and Sound show at Philae plus the flights, transfers and entrance fees to Abu Simbel.

A very bleary eyed group gathered at the reception at 5:00a.m. following a half hearted breakfast. We were issued with boarding passes at Aswan airport when we arrived after the 15 minute bus ride. The Boeing737 was full when it took off at 6:30 a.m. for the 30 minute trip over Lake Nasser to Abu Simbel. We got to the visitors’ centre at 7:45a.m. and, after collecting our tickets, Rasha led us along the pathway which encircled a huge hill. As we rounded the final corner a collective gasp of amazement could be heard as our eyes tried to take in the enormous size and exquisite beauty of the entrance to the Temple of Ramses 2nd and the only slightly smaller Temple to his

favourite wife, Queen Nefetari. Rasha spent a while explaining the history of the temples and the rescue operation before we had time to explore the temples on our own and, once again, a cacophony of ‘wows’ could be heard at every turn.

DH and I spent about an hour in the temples before returning to the visitors centre where there is a parade of shops (expensive and lots of hassle), a very poorly organised museum and not too pleasant toilets – use the ones at the airport or on the plane. The Egyptian government really do need to improve the facilities at their major attractions if they want to increase the number of visitors.

We were back on the boat by 11:30a.m. and really glad that we had made the effort to do the trip. The Regency started the long sail back to Luxor in the early afternoon and we now continued our well rehearsed afternoon activities although we spent a lot of time watching the ever changing scenery between dozing.

This was the Egyptian Evening ond it was great fun seeing 95% of the Thomson group dressed up. I was amazed to see the variety of costumes and how much effort people had made. It was a shame that only about 10% of the other groups had chosen to join in. The buffet food was interesting and the ‘Wrap a Mummy’ and other competitions were a bit of fun too.

Day 5: Cruising to Luxor, Temples at Karnak and Luxor, late night sailing to Qena.

A FREE MORNING – what bliss! DH and I still got up quite early and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before finding a comfortable spot on deck to do ‘our thing’. We again spent time using the binoculars to spot interesting things on shore as we cruised along. The Regency docked in Luxor around noon and Rasha’s Angels left for the 15 minute drive through Luxor to the Great Temple at Karnak. This is an enormous site and it was very hot and crowded too. It really made us appreciate our early morning starts when it was cooler and less busy. We enjoyed seeing the huge columns and obelisks. Our next stop was the Temple of Luxor which is 10 minutes from Karnak and visible from our boat. DH counted 65 Nile cruisers moored along the river front and that was along just a short stretch of the waterfront. We were all getting a bit of ‘temple overload’ by this time so were glad to get back to our haven of tranquillity.

My DH and I decided to brave the street vendors and headed for the tourist Souk in the early evening. It was actually quite a nice street but the ‘hassle’ does get annoying. I bartered for jewellery (4 necklaces for 65EP), a football top (60 EP) and scarves (5 for 80EP) and got a reasonable deal on all but had to keep walking away before the traders came round to my way of thinking.

Day 6: Qena, Temple at Dendarah, cruising to Luxor

This was, in Rasha’s words, the LBT (Last Bloody Temple) and we were off the boat at 9:00a.m. The major talking point that morning was the appearance of a machine gun strapped to the back of the ship and 3 Egyptian soldiers to use it. All the 6 other boats in our convoy also had the same. Our busses travelled in procession with armed guards at the front and back – very unnerving!

The Temple of Hathor has some wonderfully preserved paintings which still retain much of their original colour and these made the temple worth the visit for me. We also enjoyed climbing the stairway to the roof and imagining the Pharaohs following the

statue of Hathor up the same passageway. This Temple gets far fewer visitors than most of the other sites but has a very clean and modern visitors’ centre – a lot of others could do with following the lead set here.

We whiled away another pleasant afternoon sailing sedately along the Nile back to Luxor for our final evening. I did most of my packing as we needed to be up early again the following morning for our hot air balloon ride.

Day 7: Luxor, Hot Air Balloon ride, homeward journey

It was difficult to believe that our final day had arrived when the wake-up call came at 4:00a.m. We were glad that we had our jumpers with us for it was very cool when we left the Regency at 4:55a.m. for the 5 minute walk to the ferry that took us over to the east bank.

By 6:00a.m. we had had our safety instructions from the balloon captain and done the drive from the ferry dock to the balloon in its field next to the temple of Ramses 2nd. It was then that the reality of the adventure hit me and the ride that had ‘seemed a good idea’ when I had booked it 2 months before, suddenly appeared to be my worst nightmare as my knees were shaking and my stomach was turning somersaults. I have to say, however, that, once in the basket, it was the most amazing ride that I have ever done. There was no sensation of movement, just a gentle murmur of voices exclaiming about the beauty of the scenery in the very early morning sunshine and the ‘whoosh’ of the gas as the pilot took us higher (2,200ft max). I will long remember the sight of 20 balloons making long shadows across the desert sand, drifting silently over the Tomb of Hatshepsut, the fertile fields, sleeping villages and the mounds of unexplored ancient monuments. All too soon we were down (in a rubbish dump!) and back on the Regency in time for breakfast at 7:30a.m.

I spent some time finishing my packing before DH and I headed off to have a lost stroll along the promenade. We had to vacate the room at 11a.m. so, once that was done, we joined our friends for our last goodbyes. Some were moving on to hotels for a final week while others were leaving at different times depending n their flight destinations. Our Birmingham group left after lunch at 1:30p.m. and had an uneventful return trip. We landed in the cold in Birmingham at 9:15p.m.

Final thoughts:

This was one of our most amazing holidays ever. It was hard work but the sights, sounds and the company made it a truly wonderful experience.

Thanks for your review! I'm glad you had a good time, and it was interesting to "compare and contrast" your trip with mine. Egypt is a wonderful place to visit! :)

thank you so much--my initial planning has begun

Your wonderful review brought back memories of our similar trip in Feb. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced Egypt just how amazing it is. Thank you so much.

Soccerref - this review was incredibly helpful to me and I made notes as I read it!! We are planning a Dahabiyyah cruise with Bales from Luxor to Aswan for next Feb. and will of course be visiting all the places you mentioned. Thank you SO much for taking so much trouble to share this info.

And if anyone from CC is reading this -- can we not have separate "folders" or whatever you call them for the river cruises?

Soccerref,

Thank you so much for the review. I really enjoyed it. It is a shame that there are so few Nile River cruise reviews to read. Since we are doing one in September, I enjoy everything I can find on Egypt.

And if anyone from CC is reading this -- can we not have separate "folders" or whatever you call them for the river cruises?

There is a separate River Cruise board under Special Interest Cruising. Here is a link. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=191

Hi, I enjoyed reading your review because we just got back from a very similar trip this week-end. We were in Cairo for 6 days and stayed at the Marriott and then we were on a Nile River Cruise for 7 days. We were with Grand Circle Tours and the Anuket is the name of the ship we were on and GCT owns the ship. Our trip was form 4/12 - 4/26. It took a few days to get over jet lag but now I am downloading pictures and remembering the many incredible things that we saw. It was hotter on the Nile cruise when we were there. The day we visited the "Valley of the Kings" it was 112 degrees....they said it was unseasonably hot that day. Cairo and Alexandria were cooler. Even though the trip was grueling at times with several very early wake up calls in the mornings it was well worth it and Egypt is truly a unique destination that you have to experience to truly understand!

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip! Any chance we'll be seeing a few more observations about it, or some of your pictures anywhere?

Inquiring minds, you know ... :D

You did such a good job with your review and the above review is so complete that I don't know if I can add that much. I do regret that I didn't take advantage of the hot air balloon ride because the people that did from our group really enjoyed it and had perfect weather conditions. I had about talked myself into it and at JFK I met a lady that had just gotten back from Egypt and she told the story of some passengers on her tour that had a bad landing with a hot air balloon and had broken arms, etc. This made me decide that I would wait to take my hot air balloon ride closer to home!

There were so many wonderful things we saw on this trip but I think my favorite part was the interaction with the Egyptian people....especially the children (not the vendors....they were relentless but fun some of the time!).

My first encounter was at the Library in Alexandria when I spotted some teenage girls in very colorful attire...from head to toe with scarves on their heads. They looked so stylish and I wanted to take a picture but thought I would ask them if they cared. To my surprise before I got a chance they asked if they could take a picture of me! They wanted to be in it with me and this happened to me several times on the trip. Maybe they think it's good luck to have a picture made with an American. This also gave them the opportunity to practice their English with me so that may have been part of the reason for them asking.

I also loved when we visited a school in the town of Quena when we were on the Nile Cruise. The children made us feel so welcome and so glad that we were there. Something we did that I didn't see mentioned on either review was in the city of Quena. It is a beautiful town which takes pride in being one of the cleanest cities in Egypt. We toured the town one night in tram parade that took us through the streets of the city where people were lined up and waving and smiling to make us feel welcome....then we were treated to a reception and folkloric dancing...complete with complimentary refreshments. It was a heart-warming welcome that I will always remember.

I also loved cruising the Nile and hearing the echos..."Welcome, Welcome!" from children waving while they were swimming or playing on the banks as our ship passed by.

Their simple life styles were evident as we watched people riding donkeys and working in the fields without modern tools. We saw the women washing clothes in the Nile. It was like a time warp and I loved seeing all of this as much as any palace, temple or royal tomb.

I'll let you know if I post any pictures. Also, I am working on a slideshow production that hopefully will tell the story of the trip. I'll narrow the 2000 pictures I took down to about 100 pictures so it will be about 10 minutes long. It can be sent by email so I'll let you know when I get it finished and you can send me your email.

Thanks for those observations :) I knew you'd have something new and different to add.

I'm jealous of your parade in Quena (I LOVE the way you can (almost) spell names however you want, and it's understood!

You're right, hearing the children calling "Welcome!" in cities and along the Nile was definitely a goose bumps moment.

And I greatly look forward to seeing your photo show when you get it done! :D

I'm at tomr@premier1.net Heck, I'd love to see any and all of everyone's photos! :)

Thanks for the great review and tips. My husband and I are off on Monday 12th May for a week doing the same itenary (pretty much) on the Sonesta St George and really looking forward to it.

Once we get back I will put up a review as well.

Thanks again!

TRaveler50, you were on the Anuket, which is the boat my mom and I will be on in Feb. Can you tell me a little more about it? The cabins? The public rooms?

Thanks!

Sure...be glad to! The cabins were a very nice size for a small ship...surprisingly I think a little bit larger than large cruise ship cabins...more the size of some hotel rooms..of course the bathroom is still pretty small. Each cabin has a full window sort of like a patio door for the outside wall and you can even open this if you want to but there is not a balcony to step out on...just a railing. I opened our windows a few times to take some pictures but otherwise we kept them closed because we needed the air conditioning. Someone had given me a hint that the cabins on all 3 floors were the very same size and that they couldn't see paying $200 more for Deck 2 or 3. She recommended staying on the main floor where the reception desk is. So that's what I booked and we were very pleased with the location. You only had to go down one deck to the dining room and if you wanted to go back to your room after breakfast before an outing it was very convenient. The only advantage to the upper deck is that it is on the same deck as the lounge area which is used for programs, gatherings, etc. Also you only had to climb up one deck to go up to the very top of the ship. So there were pros and cons for each deck but personally I liked being more convenient to the dining room and saving the $400 to use for the options excursions or something! So really each deck has it's pros and cons I guess but the cabins are exactly alike.

I think February will a good time of the year for you to go because it was getting pretty warm on our cruise. I think even a few weeks earlier would have been better. They did say it was unseasonably warm the day we went to the Valley of the Kings when it was 112 degrees. I think it normally does not get that hot until summer. The final day in Cairo was very nice and I think in the 70's or 80's ....very welcome retreat after a hot week! The first week in Cairo and Alexandria it was not that hot either.

I would highly recommend the Abu Simbel optional excursion because it was really the highlight of the trip despite the fact that you have to get up very, very early and then you are back on board the ship before noon. You have to be sure and reserve this a few months before you leave because it requires a plane reservation. Some people regretted missing that because they didn't reserve ahead and there is not a way to do it after you get there. The other excursions can only be booked AFTER you get to Egypt. We also enjoyed the train ride to Alexandria for a day trip.

I'll let you know when I finish my slideshow and I will email it to you if you want me to. It'll probably be ready in a week or two. It was a wonderful trip even though it was grueling at time because of the early wake up calls. But at least you do have time in the afternoons to rest if you take advantage of it.

Be glad to answer any other questions!....~K

Traveler50,

I would like a copy of the slideshow too, if you don't mind.

Thanks for the info!

Would love to see the slideshow! My e-mail addi is tennsauerkraut@yahoo.com.

ONe other question: some people on the boards have said that they would have preferred an extra day in Cairo rather than travel to Alexandria. What is your opinion? And why yes or no?

THanks for being such a wonderful resource!

traveler50,

I guess I should give you my email address. It is mpreisman@comcast.net .

ONe other question: some people on the boards have said that they would have preferred an extra day in Cairo rather than travel to Alexandria. What is your opinion? And why yes or no?

We enjoyed the excursion to Alexandria and we are glad we did it because we had not been there before. I always enjoy train rides and it was quite interesting that they practically shut the whole train station down for the 3 bus loads of GCT travelers. You would have thought we were diplomats or something with all of the secrurity...we even had our own entrance. It was a beautiful day when we were there and Alexandris is much prettier & cleaner than Cairo and of course it is a port town so on the Mediterrean so very scenic. We rode a bus back and so it was a long day but we enjoyed it. If we had stayed in Cairo I doubt we would have ventured out on our own because we would not have had the security that was provided to us with a GCT sponsored activity.

It would have been fun to go to the Bazaar again that we went to on the Spritual Cairo optional tour but when you see the traffic you understand how hard it is to get around the city. You can waste hours caught in traffic jams even if you are in a taxi. Now if you only had a couple of days in Cairo it might be a different choice but since we had 5 days in Cairo I was glad we had the opportunity to go to Alexandria.

You do have a 6th day in Cairo on the last day after you fly back for one night from Luxor after the completion of the Nile Cruise. What we found out is that you really don't have much time that final day because by the time you get to Cairo and check into your hotel it is at least noon and then at 5:00 PM GCT has a farewell reception for everyone (of course you could miss that). You have to get up the next morning early for your flight home so you feel like you need to go to bed at a decent time for your early wake up call. Even with a 10:00 flight you have to be there 3 hours early AND allow for traffic so I think we left the hotel that morning by 6:46 AM and had a wake up call at 4:30 AM to allow time for breakfast. Like I said a few of the early mornings were pretty tough on this trip...but it was worth it and I understand why they had to do that.

Thanks to everyone for the email addresses and I will try to complete the slideshow in a few days!...~K

Oh, I intended to say that I am sure you will probably be staying at the Marriott like we did since this is a GCT. It is the prettiest Marriott that we have ever stayed in and it actually used to be a Palace. That have built some additonal towers with rooms but the lobby and public rooms still reflect the elegant palace influence...very nice and the breakfast buffets were great and worth getting up at 4:30 AM so you don't miss it! Most trips I have been on if you have to get up early they just give you a boxed breakfast but at this Marriot...even that early they had a full service breakfast.

Travel 50

Been sending everyone an email trying to get on your slideshow list.

We are going on GCT Egypt tour in August. Enjoyed your comment

and made several notes.

Thanks

We are just beginning to plan a visit to Egypt, so your informative review is wonderful. One question I have for you is whether or not you were permitted to take photographs in the tombs at the Valley of the Kings. - Sure hope so!

The signs say no photographs in the tombs but I saw people slip the "guards" some money to take photos. It's actually so crowed and low light that the postcards you can buy for a buck are better than any photos you could take.

We are just beginning to plan a visit to Egypt, so your informative review is wonderful. One question I have for you is whether or not you were permitted to take photographs in the tombs at the Valley of the Kings. - Sure hope so!

On the day we were there, a guy right behind me was trying to sneak some photos and he got dressed down pretty well by the guards. They were definitely not taking bribes that day. He was almost led out by the scruff of his neck, they were so angry.

In addition, I find it sad that guards can be bribed when it is clearly not in the best interest of preserving these very ancient monuments and artifacts to allow photos. So please, even IF a guard approaches you and hints that he will turn a blind eye, PLEASE do the right thing and respect the reasons why the signs are there in the first place.

Travel 50

 

Been sending everyone an email trying to get on your slideshow list.

We are going on GCT Egypt tour in August. Enjoyed your comment

and made several notes.

 

Thanks

Thanks, I just now saw this message. I just finished up the slideshow so will be sending it out probably tomorrow by email. It took longer than I had thought to complete it. I ended up making a Part I (Cairo) & Part II (The Nile Cruise) to make each one not as long for viewing. I condensed each part to about 100 photos. Be sure and have your sound on because that makes it much more entertaining!

Once I send the email it is easy for the next person to forward it on to someone else. There will be instructions to download a free viewer and then you have to download the show within 10 days but I can always send it again if needed. It will come as a "PhotoParade" so you will know it is a legitimate email.

CruiseMom42:

On the day we were there, a guy right behind me was trying to sneak some photos and he got dressed down pretty well by the guards. They were definitely not taking bribes that day. He was almost led out by the scruff of his neck, they were so angry

When we were there the end of April we saw someone get their camera card taken away because they were taking pictures. Our tour guide had warned us that they will do that. I guess it depends on who's "guarding the temple" that day!