Egypt/Nile Cruises

[Baileygirls]

Hi, Apologies if this is posted incorrectly. I have been looking for information on CC about Nile cruises but can't seem to find a sub-forum.

 

I would like to book a family cruise for 2013. We are 2 adults and 3 children who will be 12-16 years old then.

Could anyone share information about their experiences perhaps, or who to book with, when to go etc. Do they all have set excursions, has anyone taken kids/teenagers?

 

I am starting to research now but would appreciate any input.

 

Thanks x

[paul929207]

There is a River Cruises section to these boards, you might check there.

 

When to go: Check the weather for the places you will be. Most Nile cruises are between Luxor and Aswan. Others go on Lake Nasser. These places are hot in the spring. We were there in March and highs were about 35C. It can get to 45C or 50C.

[Essiesmom]

As Paul said, there is a River Cruises forum...It is located under Special Interest Cruising. EM

[soccerref]

Below is a copy of the review I did after our 2008 Nile cruise. Obviously, some things may have changed but you will get the general idea. It is long but may be of help to you.

 

We absolutely loved our trip and would do it again if there were still not so many places on my wish list that I would like to visit!!!

 

Nile Cruise – M/S Regency – Thomson 5T

26th March to 2nd April 2008

 

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.

 

 

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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

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Entertainment on board:

We mostly made our own entertainment but 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.

 

 

 

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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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

Nile Cruise – Hints and Tips - M/S Regency – Thomson 5T

26th March to 2nd April 2008

 

 

• Recommended tips

1. Crew - 300 Egyptian Pounds total = £30

2. Guide - 150 Egyptian Pounds total = £15

3. bus drivers – 5 or 10 EP per couple depending on the length of the journey = 50p or £1

 

• Piriteze tablets for bite relief.

• Use ‘1 application’ sun protection

• Use strong insect repellent – surprised at how few flies though.

• Be prepared for very early mornings

• A loud travel alarm is handy although they will give you an early morning call.

• Take antiseptic wipes

• Take toilet paper for visits – I took 2 flat packs from Tesco and put sheets into a small plastic wallet (59p from Partners) which slipped easily into my bag. Andrex also make mini pocket toilet rolls. They sell them inn Tesco.

• Currency notes are often very dirty.

• Easy to mistake the value of Currency notes.

• A fan, sun hat, sun glasses, umbrella and something to cover the back of your neck,

• Comfortable walking shoes – sites are often rocky and uneven

• Be prepared to bargain – have a price in mind and don’t go above, walk off as they will come after you if …….

• Galabaya night – can purchase clothes on board or at bazaars on shore – pay no more than 50 EP for costume with hat

• Balloon ride was £135 per couple

• Abu Simbel + Philae light and Sound excursions were £249 per couple

• Philae Light and Sound was much better than Karnak Light and Sound

• Buy the large 6litre bottles of water from the supermarket (15 EP) and decant into smaller bottles – there was a fridge in the cabin. I'm glad that I'd packed my small rubber funnel.

• Nice touch was the hot towels and herb tea when returning from the trips

• Afternoon tea and cake(?!) at 4:00ish each day.

• The boats generally dock 4 or 5 side by side so you walk through the other boats to get off – make sure you remember the name of the ship nearest the dock side as there are many groups of boats docked.

• Most of the docked time there will be no view from your cabin window.

• The temples are generally a 15-30 minute coach ride from the ship.

• All the boats had a machine gun mounted on the back and 3 armed guards to man it on the trip between Luxor and Denderah (Qena)

• Weather was sunny and in the 90’s Fahrenheit every day. Early mornings and evenings were coolish so needed light jacket

• Take notes as it is very easy to forget where you have been and what temple you visited.

• Take a small torch as some of the tomb entrances are very dark.

• Take a 4 gang plug extension cable as sockets are limited on board

[Baileygirls]

Paul and EM, thank you for taking the time to reply. I will post on the river cruise forum.

 

Soccerref... WOW! Thank you so much for your review. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. I can see how it can be exhausting with so much to see in such a short time but it sounds wonderful. Your tips are also very useful, thank you!

[marco]

Yes, go to the river cruise forum, but we did an Egypt/Nile trip through Grand Circle Travel 4 or so years ago and it was outstanding! We stayed 4 days in Cairo, then the river cruise. All tours, sightseeing, meals (not all while in Cairo) were included. While in Cairo, dining on your own was extremely reasonable. The guides were outstanding!! In fact, after some tours, I was expecting 3 college credits. It does get hot! We went in Jan/Feb and a couple of the tours we did very early in the AM, as our guide said it gets too hot in the afternoon to do what we did later in the day.

[paul929207]

Yes, go to the river cruise forum, but we did an Egypt/Nile trip through Grand Circle Travel 4 or so years ago and it was outstanding! We stayed 4 days in Cairo, then the river cruise. All tours, sightseeing, meals (not all while in Cairo) were included. While in Cairo, dining on your own was extremely reasonable. The guides were outstanding!! In fact, after some tours, I was expecting 3 college credits. It does get hot! We went in Jan/Feb and a couple of the tours we did very early in the AM, as our guide said it gets too hot in the afternoon to do what we did later in the day.

OP is from the UK. Grand Circle will only take passengers with a US address.

[gottagocit]

Hi, Apologies if this is posted incorrectly. I have been looking for information on CC about Nile cruises but can't seem to find a sub-forum.

 

I would like to book a family cruise for 2013. We are 2 adults and 3 children who will be 12-16 years old then.

Could anyone share information about their experiences perhaps, or who to book with, when to go etc. Do they all have set excursions, has anyone taken kids/teenagers?

 

I am starting to research now but would appreciate any input.

 

Thanks x

 

 

We booked an entirely private 28 day tour of Egypt and Jordan with a tour company out of San Franciso that specialized in Egypt travel and it included a 6 day nile cruise on the MS Monaco and we loved it. Our guide was onboard with us from Luxor to Aswan and arranged each excurion including transportation when needed.

 

Can't give the company name here due to board rules but you can easily find it or others with a bit of searching online.

[new salt]

Lots of good information above and it all depends on the budget available; I would however suggest a stay in Cairo and environs and at least a couple of days in Luxor before the Nile cruise, and then take the Lake Nasser cruise to Abu Simbal, which is truly wonderful. The whole business is tiring so a few days at Sharm El Sheikh for beach R&R is a good idea if time allows. Egypt is really worth going as far up market as you can afford but is also a truly astonishing and memorable experience.

[irish cailin]

dont forget to set aside a FULL day for the museum at Cairo!! I only allowed half day, and came away disappointed i didnt get to see everything. I went in February, and the weather was just right!

[irish cailin]

oh ..... and whatever you do, opt for internal flights instead of the trains(to/from cairo!)

 

We were expecting something along the lines of the "orient express", what we got was closer to the "calcutta express"!!!