Are you SURE you want to go to Egypt???

[trishs]

Trish- we're in the same situation. We reserved this cruise last year this time and it is way past cancellation time. We too wish O would cancel parts of the trip; it is 6 port days out of 14 we could potentially miss . I think we will probably stay on board all 6 days just to err on the side of caution. My problems, however, pale in comparison with the people of these countries in the Middle East. -c

 

I guess for now we wait and see. "O" may not make a decision till we are on the ship. I would think they would err on the side of caution when going into a port. We are a small ship so i think it's easier for them to make last min. decisions.

 

Thanks everyone for their input on this thread. It's been so quiet on the Middle East threads and it's nice to have some info.

[cruisemom42]

If not, I rest my case: IMHO, the Egyptian situation is relatively calm and presents no obvious danger to tourists.

 

The US government apparently doesn't agree with you, as there is still a travel warning (e.g., carries more weight than a travel advisory) that "warns US citizens to defer nonessential travel to Egypt." This is much stronger language, for example, than the alert for Israel, West Bank, and Gaza, where the wording merely "urges citizens to remain mindful of security factors" in Israel and West Bank (and avoid Gaza).

 

Granted the government is cautious. But clearly they foresee some greater risk now than at previous times to travelers in Egypt.

 

As you say, all we can do is decide if we can live with the relative risk of our decisions, based on the available info.

 

Edited to add: Please note, I'm not saying that you (or anyone else) shouldn't go; merely that I wouldn't agree the risks are the same for tourists now as they were last year, for example. I'm sure thousands of tourists will go to Egypt this year and will return without incident.

[havcamwiltravel]

The US government apparently doesn't agree with you, as there is still a travel warning (e.g., carries more weight than a travel advisory) that "warns US citizens to defer nonessential travel to Egypt." This is much stronger language, for example, than the alert for Israel, West Bank, and Gaza, where the wording merely "urges citizens to remain mindful of security factors" in Israel and West Bank (and avoid Gaza).

 

Granted the government is cautious. But clearly they foresee some greater risk now than at previous times to travelers in Egypt.

 

As you say, all we can do is decide if we can live with the relative risk of our decisions, based on the available info.

 

Edited to add: Please note, I'm not saying that you (or anyone else) shouldn't go; merely that I wouldn't agree the risks are the same for tourists now as they were last year, for example. I'm sure thousands of tourists will go to Egypt this year and will return without incident.

The Government of Canada has the same level of advisory: Citizens should avoid non-essential travel. And, yes, I would agree that there is some greater risk now than at previous times to travelers in Egypt. The government warns that they should avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, the Suez, the Sinai and Upper Egypt.

 

That being said, given that no tourists have been harmed since January, given that most cruisers will be visiting Lower Egypt, guided by professional tour guide companies, I'm still comfortable saying that Egypt can be considered relatively safe for tourists.

 

But you and the government are undeniably correct in saying that tourists need to be informed about the risks and vigilant.

[Jade13]

It looks like Azamara is about to cancel Egypt for the rest of the year. They canceled Egypt on three upcoming cruises but took a wait and see approach for October and November. As of this morning those cruises have either been pulled from their web site, or are showing as "SOLD OUT", which is what they do when they are making itinerary changes (or pulling for a charter).

[cruisemom42]

I also just heard on the news this morning that activists in Egypt are calling for another "million person" gathering in Tahrir Square on Friday and that the Army is opposed, saying people need to get back to work and wait for the September elections:

 

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134928357/egypts-college-campuses-rocked-with-unrest

 

Tahrir square has been the focus of most protests. It also happens to be adjacent to the Egyptian Museum (which is where the women protesters arrested last week were detained and tortured, an incongruous act to have taken place in a museum.....!)

 

The Army has not hesitated to break up demonstrations with tazers and cattle prods.

[greatam]

I also just heard on the news this morning that activists in Egypt are calling for another "million person" gathering in Tahrir Square on Friday and that the Army is opposed, saying people need to get back to work and wait for the September elections:

 

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134928357/egypts-college-campuses-rocked-with-unrest

 

Tahrir square has been the focus of most protests. It also happens to be adjacent to the Egyptian Museum (which is where the women protesters arrested last week were detained and tortured, an incongruous act to have taken place in a museum.....!)

 

The Army has not hesitated to break up demonstrations with tazers and cattle prods.

 

You precisely pointed out the instability and lack of security in the Middle East right now. Another protest, another protest, another protest. Another country on the brink, another country on the brink. And who is in charge??? Who knows???

 

They are calling the protests in the Middle East "days of rage" (reminiscent of the 1970's Vietnam War protests???). They are scheduled for this weekend in quite a few countries (Kuwait included-no shopping this Sunday in Kuwait City). There is also talk over here about continuing protests in Bahrain and now Qatar. Yemen is in the throes of total anarchy, Libya is a mess and you have the American Al Queda guy (Al-Awaki-sp?) blasting on Al Jezeera and Al Arabiya about every 15 minutes inciting the protests with the underlying backing of Al Queda/Hezbollah/Hamas.

 

I am sure the total instability is the reason the US Military has banned R & R in Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan. Those were always the 4-5 day getaway places for those working in the war zones to escape to and let off a little steam. Lots of trips to Bangkok being planned.

[myotis]

Myotis, I have to agree. Of course, it's easier to say that having been to the wonderful sites in Egypt several times. I think it would be harder to take a stand if I had yet to visit them. It is a tough situation! At least there is nothing to be lost in my country by speaking out and expressing an opinion. And after reading some of the horrible stories of the last few weeks, I am resolved to find some avenue for doing just that. (I don't think the right place is here....:o.)

 

After visiting Syria (a country increasingly aligned with Iran) last fall and getting a taste of how women are treated there (I wouldn't even call them second class citizens, maybe fifth class.....), I thought to myself how wonderful it was that countries like Egypt were more "enlightened". Now I'm not sure that they are not headed in the same general direction.

 

Cruisemom42: I always enjoy reading and learning from your posts for which I thank you. My reason for stating my views on the treatment of women in Egypt and other countries here is that I feel these forums are followed closely by those offering tourist services and perhaps it will influence them to push for changes because it impacts the bottom line: $$

[Jade13]

It looks like Azamara is about to cancel Egypt for the rest of the year. They canceled Egypt on three upcoming cruises but took a wait and see approach for October and November. As of this morning those cruises have either been pulled from their web site, or are showing as "SOLD OUT", which is what they do when they are making itinerary changes (or pulling for a charter).

 

Azamara has now officially pulled out of Egypt for the rest of the year. This was posted by an official representative of the company who posts on the Azamara Cruise Critic message board. They still have not announced the replacement ports pending confirmation from some of the port authorities.

[cruisemom42]

Cruisemom42: I always enjoy reading and learning from your posts for which I thank you. My reason for stating my views on the treatment of women in Egypt and other countries here is that I feel these forums are followed closely by those offering tourist services and perhaps it will influence them to push for changes because it impacts the bottom line: $$

 

Thanks; I didn't mean to imply that it was improper to raise the issue here. I just intended to say that I also want to do more and that I hope to find an appropriate outlet to do so.

[trbasso]

I want to thank those with experience and information about the Middle East, and for sharing it so we can decide if the risk is too great. We are on a cruise, and they have already removed Egypt from the itinerary, but we have 4 days in Israel. I know there was a bombing in Israel last week. I'm under the impression that Israel is not at the same level of risk as Egypt. Does anyone have information about Israel?

[happy trailer]

I want to thank those with experience and information about the Middle East, and for sharing it so we can decide if the risk is too great. We are on a cruise, and they have already removed Egypt from the itinerary, but we have 4 days in Israel. I know there was a bombing in Israel last week. I'm under the impression that Israel is not at the same level of risk as Egypt. Does anyone have information about Israel?

 

I can tell you that my husband and I have spent the past few evenings enjoying walking all over the city (there is a food festival going on in the Old City), and I spent almost all day today running errands, shopping, and walking around the new city. [i traveled by bus, btw.] everyone calm, and going about their lives as usual, but I will say that we are all also back on our own personal alert levels- noticing any packages that don't seem to have an owner, etc. The general thought is that the wonderful years of quiet we had been living left us all a bit lax re personal alertness, and the terrorists took advantage of that. In that sense, you might say we are actually in a way safer now...

 

Wow! 4 days in Israel- how wonderful! You will have a chance to see and experience so much!

[trishs]

I can tell you that my husband and I have spent the past few evenings enjoying walking all over the city (there is a food festival going on in the Old City), and I spent almost all day today running errands, shopping, and walking around the new city. [i traveled by bus, btw.] everyone calm, and going about their lives as usual, but I will say that we are all also back on our own personal alert levels- noticing any packages that don't seem to have an owner, etc. The general thought is that the wonderful years of quiet we had been living left us all a bit lax re personal alertness, and the terrorists took advantage of that. In that sense, you might say we are actually in a way safer now...

 

Wow! 4 days in Israel- how wonderful! You will have a chance to see and experience so much!

 

Thanks for your post. That's wonderful to know. We will be there in end of April for 3 days and it's the most important stop for us. We are praying everything stays calm and safe for you.

Trish

[havcamwiltravel]

Thanks for your post. That's wonderful to know. We will be there in end of April for 3 days and it's the most important stop for us. We are praying everything stays calm and safe for you.

Trish

What Ruth points out is something very good to take note of, and that is that the Middle-East countries can all be equally dangerous at any moment in time especially if one is unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at that moment. Israel was THE most dangerous place to be for anyone near that explosion, but how many people were near that explosion? Very few when one considers the population nearby.

 

In the past few months in Egypt it can be easily said that it has been a very dangerous place if you are an Egyptian protester at a demonstration. Can it be said that it has been dangerous for tourists? No. The numbers don't lie.

 

Can it be said that it Israel is a dangerous place for tourists? Ruth has ably pointed out that it is not and I agree with her.

 

When asking if it's dangerous to travel in either Egypt or Israel, it all comes down to how comfortable you are to be in the proximity of places where violence has happened.

 

If you are a person who lets the travel advisories determine where you go, I'll challenge you to take a look at all the places where our governments warn us not to go. You'll be surprised to see places like Mexico, the Dominican Republic, most of South America and Africa and a good deal of Asia. If you base your choices on the advisories ... you may never leave home.;)

[Deckhandoug]

Updated US travel warning

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5347.html

 

Sounds like earlier private reports may have been poster hysteria

[happy trailer]

What Ruth points out is something very good to take note of, and that is that the Middle-East countries can all be equally dangerous at any moment in time especially if one is unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at that moment. Israel was THE most dangerous place to be for anyone near that explosion, but how many people were near that explosion? Very few when one considers the population nearby.

 

In the past few months in Egypt it can be easily said that it has been a very dangerous place if you are an Egyptian protester at a demonstration. Can it be said that it has been dangerous for tourists? No. The numbers don't lie.

 

Can it be said that it Israel is a dangerous place for tourists? Ruth has ably pointed out that it is not and I agree with her.

 

When asking if it's dangerous to travel in either Egypt or Israel, it all comes down to how comfortable you are to be in the proximity of places where violence has happened.

 

If you are a person who lets the travel advisories determine where you go, I'll challenge you to take a look at all the places where our governments warn us not to go. You'll be surprised to see places like Mexico, the Dominican Republic, most of South America and Africa and a good deal of Asia. If you base your choices on the advisories ... you may never leave home.;)

 

Well... the advisories are there for a reason, so it is a good idea to at least take note of them. While I admit that there have been many times that we have been frustrated to find that travel advisories have been posted for Israel, we also never chide someone for deciding that don't feel comfortable either visiting Israel altogether, or a particular area within Israel.

 

Personally, we are still putting off any travel to Egypt for now; we are even somewhat hesitant about going to Jordan- we have close friends there we were hoping to visit next month, but, while they say that they don't feel in any sort of danger, they are also not telling us that we should have no concerns about planning a visit.

 

No one in my husband's industry is traveling to either Egypt or Jordan at this time- while my husband's business travel to both countries has all but tapered off over the past year (he used to be in Jordan one or two days a week, and made several week long trips to Egypt during the year), until all the recent unrest in Egypt et al, there were many people within the industry who were still traveling between the countries regularly.

 

Please keep in mind that numbers don't tell the entire story.

 

What I believe that GreatAm has been trying to point out is that, travel advisories not withstanding, any country that is in a state of flux, especially strong (and sometimes violent) political flux, and even more especially when the military and/or religious leaders are involved- and both are involved in Egypt- than no one's safety can be guaranteed.

 

Even more to the point, I really do think that one of GreatAm's points that she has been stressing that many likely believe sounded somewhat overboard is actually very good advice that should be taken very seriously, especially for independent travelers, but also for anyone visiting any area of continuing unrest, however mild or involving only 'locals':

 

Make sure you have an INDEPENDENT evacuation back up plan. That means: 1. Do NOT leave your passport on the ship if at all possible. If traveling independently, carry your own passport (not a copy) with you at all times. 2. Have, in your possession in a secure place, a credit card with a large available balance. 3. Always have with you the phone numbers of your travel agent, the local American consulate or embassy, your airline, your credit card company, and your insurance agency (both travel and medical). 4. If you have any medical conditions, have a card with them listed (I have a MedicAlert card and necklace with me at all times). Also try to have at least 2 days worth of medication with you (a tiny plastic bag makes that easy), and if you have been recently hospitalized, a copy of that report as well.

 

[something creepy and very personal: When traveling abroad, I always have all of the above with me at all times. In Israel, I always carry with me: ID (instead of my passport I have my National Identity Card with me, which citizens are required to carry at all time by law), some extra money, my MedicAlert info as mentioned above, 2 days worth of medicine, and my latest hospital report. Why? Well, the easy answer is because I have a heart condition which has unexpectedly landed me in the emergency room, and from there I learned what I needed to have on hand at all times. But the more important reason is very sad- because in the 10 years I've lived here, I've lived through waves of bombings, 2 wars, and an unexpected intifada, and I want to make sure I can be identified and treated quickly and correctly.... I moved here during August 2001. The world changed quickly right away, and unfortunately we've all learned that anything can happen anywhere, not just in Israel..]

 

Tourists who happened to be in Egypt at the beginning of the uprising have harrowing tales of trying to get out of the country, and how ill equipped Egypt was to help them.

 

DO NOT- I can't stress this enough- DO NOT rely on the thought that your local friendly tour guide will know how to help you! For one thing, no matter how friendly and how nice a person, and how badly they need the tourism business, his or her focus will be on their own safety and the safety of their loved ones. Your safety will be at best a secondary issue for them. And- in most cases, they will not have any 'magic keys' or protection to speed up your evacuation. You must have the monetary means to endure a protracted stay in the country- for food, lodging, extra fees to change your flight, etc. This can be add up to a substantial sum- you need to have a credit card with at least $5000 available.

 

Sound ridiculous? I have friends who were on the Brilliance of the Seas 'December Disaster' cruise - the one that got caught in a storm as they approached Alexandria, resulting in a great deal of damage to the ship, as well as many passenger injuries. One of my friends was injured during that storm, but she didn't realize the extent of her injury until she was caught in that infamous British snowstorm while she was on her way home. Her connecting flight out of London was canceled, British Airways was of little help, and she wound up stranded in a remote country resort for over a week, in need of medical care. She wound up charging several thousand dollars on her credit card to pay for medical help, lodging, meals, clothing (her suitcase also got lost in the storm), transportation, phone calls, and internet. She's still working to get full reimbursement. She says thank goodness she always travels with a 'back up' credit card for emergencies.

(Note: even with travel insurance, you often will have to pay your expenses, and then file claims for reimbursement once you get home.)

 

Sorry to be so long winded!

 

I'm not telling not to go to Egypt- I can't wait to go myself (I kept making plans to visit at various times last year, but something or another always got in the way, and for me, Cairo is a short hop, so I kept figuring I could always go another time...). But sometimes I get a shiver when I read posts that sound so disconnected from the reality of this region- it's all good to say that you want to visit to help boost the economy of a poor country, but it's precisely because the country is poor that they aren't in a position to help visitors who are in need of protection. You need to be aware that your safety will be your own responsibility, and that is a responsibility that you need to take seriously. Plan for it even more carefully than you plan for your detailed shore excursion.

 

Yes- visit exciting, exotic places even when they are listed in government travel advisories. But do so with eyes wide open, specific research, and a full emergency plan.

[havcamwiltravel]

Tourists who happened to be in Egypt at the beginning of the uprising have harrowing tales of trying to get out of the country, and how ill equipped Egypt was to help them.

 

DO NOT- I can't stress this enough- DO NOT rely on the thought that your local friendly tour guide will know how to help you! For one thing, no matter how friendly and how nice a person, and how badly they need the tourism business, his or her focus will be on their own safety and the safety of their loved ones. Your safety will be at best a secondary issue for them. And- in most cases, they will not have any 'magic keys' or protection to speed up your evacuation. You must have the monetary means to endure a protracted stay in the country- for food, lodging, extra fees to change your flight, etc. This can be add up to a substantial sum- you need to have a credit card with at least $5000 available.

 

Yes- visit exciting, exotic places even when they are listed in government travel advisories. But do so with eyes wide open, specific research, and a full emergency plan.

All good advice.

 

Having an escape plan can be equally important to being informed of the dangers before traveling there.

 

I will argue though, that anecdotal reports from Egypt in January and February, both in the news and from our traveling friends, seem to be in conflict with what you say. What I read (and heard, first hand from travelers) was that Egypt's tour guides, hotel staff and airport staff were exceptionally helpful during the revolution. It was certainly difficult to get out of Egypt when everyone was scrambling to get out on jets that weren't flying but according to many reports, the Egyptian people did their utmost to help the stranded tourists. Relying on your tour guide is likely to be the ONLY thing you can do at first and most reports in this forum and others show a high degree of professionalism in the industry in Egypt.

[trishs]

I am not allowed to go into Syria or Iran. Syria may be coming apart at the seams but the government will crack down hard. I have no inside info nor do I have any need to know.

 

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42293485

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/27/us-syria-idUSTRE72N2MC20110327

 

If the violence continues, I would doubt the cruise goes to Syria, particularly in light of the army being stationed in ports.

 

Just curious-do you have trip insurance (NOT issued by the cruise line)? A LOT of policies have provisions which would allow canceling due to terrorism/war provisions. Just a thought.

Thanks,

We don't have trip insurance. We have lots of other great stops so we will enjoy it.

We start in Rome and end in Athens. Thanks for all your info

[Karennella]

We were booked on HAL to have two days in Egypt in September. It has now been changed to other ports and to be honest I hope it stays changed. The first stage of the elections has been scheduled for September which may cause more unrest.

People we know were in Egypt when the trouble was at its worst on a guided tour. The group ended up split into two; their half fortunately got out and continued on to South Africa whereas the other group spent several days in a hotel, unable to get to the airport, and were apparently charged $1000 a night for the accomodation. They did not compete their tour and apparently neither their travel company nor insurance providors are accepting liability at this stage.

We now hope to go to Egypt for longer when it is more stable.

[happy trailer]

No, I'm not telling people not to go to Egypt...

 

Just posting this for information

 

From today's local paper here:

 

Muslim Brotherhood advocates Egyptian modesty police

 

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=215050

[Zambini]

Jane's, which provides about 45% of the intel our company uses, has 600 people in the USA and 4500 in locations all over the world. I also have to hire private contractors to guard my safety at various locations. You can be darn sure the private security companies-Triple Canopy, Titan, Aegis and XE-are the best of the best with extensive intel coming in from all over the world. Most of the private security companies working in the Middle East are former special ops type of organizations often headed by former Army Generals and Colonels.

 

Stratfor is sometimes considered the "shadow CIA". Their intel comes from a large variety of sources, not the least of which are private people on the ground in foreign countries.

 

Maybe I should read TripAdvisor and abandon other methods. THAT should keep me safe. I really wonder how a normal average tourist would react if the road back to the cruise ship is blocked by militants. Or an RPG or sniper fire erupts close to a tour group. I can see some lady screaming about missing her spa appointment and wanting compensation. No thank you, I will follow the contingency plans set forth to get myself out of any country hopefully safely and in one piece. What kind of contingency plan does YOUR tour guide/cruise ship group have to get YOU safely out of harms way for an unexpected incident in today's environment? Does anyone ever ask???

 

 

 

 

If I can keep 750,000 pounds of food safe moving through war zones month after month and have been able to keep myself safe during my trips into the Middle East, obviously my methods are working. I am certainly going to rely on "those in the know" about ALL contingencies rather than a tour guide who expertise is most likely limited to their immediate area.

 

Having served for more than 20 years, I am very skeptical of "those in the know", they weren't much help in Grenada, when common tourist maps were better than what was provided by govco. We really didn't get a heads up on the collapse of the Soviet Union or the wall coming down either. Really caught us off guard on 9/11...pretty big events in my opinion...no heads up to us in the field.

 

How about the WTC, Oklahoma city and Olympic park in Atlanta, none of those had a heads up by "intelligence".

 

Underwear, shoes etc, where was intel?

 

I know a lot of guys that were in blackwater and other assorted "intel" and "security" agencies, if you want to pay for security and intelligence reports, they will gladly take your money and send you reports.

 

Just like the weatherman; partly cloudy with a chance of rain covers all the bases, possible terrorist attacks fills out the report and has a chance of being true.

 

As you report your alarmist info, Governments around the world are actually lowering their advisories.

 

The point being, failures of intelligence agencies are legion, I have seen it first hand.

 

Most people traveling in the middle east are safe, obviously their methods are working too;)

 

The rise of the Muslim brotherhood is definitely bad for these countries:(

[havcamwiltravel]

Having served for more than 20 years, I am very skeptical of "those in the know", they weren't much help in Grenada, when common tourist maps were better than what was provided by govco. We really didn't get a heads up on the collapse of the Soviet Union or the wall coming down either. Really caught us off guard on 9/11...pretty big events in my opinion...no heads up to us in the field.

 

How about the WTC, Oklahoma city and Olympic park in Atlanta, none of those had a heads up by "intelligence".

 

Underwear, shoes etc, where was intel?

 

I know a lot of guys that were in blackwater and other assorted "intel" and "security" agencies, if you want to pay for security and intelligence reports, they will gladly take your money and send you reports.

 

Just like the weatherman; partly cloudy with a chance of rain covers all the bases, possible terrorist attacks fills out the report and has a chance of being true.

 

As you report your alarmist info, Governments around the world are actually lowering their advisories.

 

The point being, failures of intelligence agencies are legion, I have seen it first hand.

 

Most people traveling in the middle east are safe, obviously their methods are working too;)

 

The rise of the Muslim brotherhood is definitely bad for these countries:(

I couldn't agree more, Zambini, with every point you make. The people of Egypt will decide how Egypt will be and now that the reform process has begun, Egyptians will proudly welcome the world back to Egypt.

 

I have no crystal ball and cannot know whether the Muslim Brotherhood will exert much influence or slowly fade away but I do know that the Egyptian people are an open society that welcomes the world to come visit. I do not believe, nor is there any evidence to show that will change in the foreseeable future.

[Deckhandoug]

I couldn't agree more, Zambini, with every point you make. The people of Egypt will decide how Egypt will be and now that the reform process has begun, Egyptians will proudly welcome the world back to Egypt.

 

I have no crystal ball and cannot know whether the Muslim Brotherhood will exert much influence or slowly fade away but I do know that the Egyptian people are an open society that welcomes the world to come visit. I do not believe, nor is there any evidence to show that will change in the foreseeable future.

 

The last tourists that were killed in Egypt that I can find were 8 killed in December 2010 in a Bus accident.

 

The last terrorist attack fatality was feb 2009, 1 killed, twenty wounded.

 

We've had that many killed in my metro area this week in car accidents, plus assorted murders.

 

It is suggested that someone untangle their panties.

[4774Papa]

The last tourists that were killed in Egypt that I can find were 8 killed in December 2010 in a Bus accident.

 

The last terrorist attack fatality was feb 2009, 1 killed, twenty wounded.

 

We've had that many killed in my metro area this week in car accidents, plus assorted murders.

 

It is suggested that someone untangle their panties.

 

I remember a terror attack on a bus full of Swiss and German tourist at the Toomb of Queen Hatshepsut (near Luxor). I had been there some years before on my nile cruise.

Sure, such an attack is possible, but if it happens, you are just unlucky enought to be there when it happens. Tourists go there every day. Still, there are times to be prudent.

Things have improved recently, and we booked a Holy Land cruise with NCL for Feb 2012 that includes Israel and Egypt. If Egypt is blocked they will port in Istanbul, which isn't so bad.

The risk of auto accidents is high there, that is why I prefer to be on a bus rather than a car. The people drive like maniacs.

[manoftheworld]

I remember a terror attack on a bus full of Swiss and German tourist at the Toomb of Queen Hatshepsut (near Luxor). I had been there some years before on my nile cruise.

Sure, such an attack is possible, but if it happens, you are just unlucky enought to be there when it happens. Tourists go there every day. Still, there are times to be prudent.

Things have improved recently, and we booked a Holy Land cruise with NCL for Feb 2012 that includes Israel and Egypt. If Egypt is blocked they will port in Istanbul, which isn't so bad.

The risk of auto accidents is high there, that is why I prefer to be on a bus rather than a car. The people drive like maniacs.

 

i guess after the overthrown of Mubarak, Egypt will not be thrown in the hands of terror again. democracy is the best shield against terror. some Islamist might resort to the parlement and convince the people with their views. targeting the tourists in Egypt came to an end. the egyptian people are friendly and we all have seen the bloodless revolution and how 5000 years of history was a witness to their civilized way of cleaning the square after the revolution. it was amazing.

[Deckhandoug]

Holland America's ms Prinsendam is scheduled to be in the Cairo ports of Alexandria and Port Said on April 19th and 20th respectfully.

 

I don't think they would put these port calls back on schedule if it wasn't safe.

 

I guess we can all wait until then and see the results for ourselves.