Transiting Suez Canal

[1965]

We hope to take the Regal, Rome to Dubai, Oct., 2020. There are 2 days for transiting the Suez Canal. Can someone who's done this tell about the experience. We're very excited at the prospect, & wondering what to expect. Thank you!!

[paul929207]

Hot and dry weather. The east side is barren, while the west has lots of irrigation and therefore vegetation. 

 

Most of the canal is not wide enough for two ships to pass. Ships coming from the Med pull over for several hours to let those from the Red Sea pass.

[Aus Traveller]

The transit takes about 16 hours, but the southbound convoy as you will be going, usually waits a while in Great Bitter Lake while the northbound convoy passes.

[1965]

Will the transit allow me to say, technically, I've been to Egypt? 

[compozer]

following - we are booked for next November

 

[SeaDog-46]

Above replies are now incorrect since the additional 2-way sections were completed in 2015.

I did 15 transits of the Suez Canal prior to 2000 & the recent Nov. 2018 transit on Sapphire Princess.

Regal will anchor off Port Said late on arrival day as on your itininary.

In the early hours of the next day they will weigh anchor & proceed to the Canal entrance channel to pick up the Port Said sea pilot. There are 3 entrances from the Med. sea.  Ships are allocated a number & enter in order.

In Port Said the pilots will change & first canal pilot will take you to Ismailia just north of the lakes.

By dawn you should be approaching the canal suspension bridge.

We had cool weather & smoke haze until the lakes.  On the port / left / eastern side it is the Sinai Desert.  For some reason many onboard thought it was Saudi Arabia!!

Speed is restricted to reduce damage to the canal banks.  We were clear of Suez by 16:00 that day.

[1965]

Sea dog 46-thank you for your photos & your great info!

[paul929207]

1 hour ago, 1965 said:

Will the transit allow me to say, technically, I've been to Egypt? 

You will be in Egypt most (all?) of the way. Land on both sides will be Egyptian

[1965]

26 minutes ago, paul929207 said:

You will be in Egypt most (all?) of the way. Land on both sides will be Egyptian

YAY!

[Grandma Cruising]

We’ve done this transit three times and love it. It’s very interesting. The guards posted along the canal love to wave at the cruise ships - they must get very bored.

if you like sunbathing it’s great - hot & sunny. We sit up on the top deck on the ship (Azamara all 3 times) and sunbath and watch the scenery. The other great thing is that you can do some wonderful tours from ports in this itinerary. We’ve done a 2 day tour to Luxor & the Valley of the Kings from Safaga and a 1 day tour to Petra from Aqaba.

The Luxor Tour was a private tour with Your Egypt Tours and was fantastic value for money ($160 a head for 2 days including all entries, 5 star hotel overnight & all meals).

Both were fantastic experiences.

[1965]

Host Grandma - Thank you for the info & your wonderful photos. ♡

[tillys mom]

Hi 1965, we will also be on the Regal October 2020. Haven’t gotten around to the roll call yet because of our 2019 British Isles cruise. Wish Princess had the Luxor tour Host Grandma mentioned, but it will be fun to cruise through Egypt this way. 

Tillys mom (Virginia)

[Grandma Cruising]

2 minutes ago, tillys mom said:

Hi 1965, we will also be on the Regal October 2020. Haven’t gotten around to the roll call yet because of our 2019 British Isles cruise. Wish Princess had the Luxor tour Host Grandma mentioned, but it will be fun to cruise through Egypt this way. 

Tillys mom (Virginia)

The tour we did was not through our cruise line, it was through a company called Your Egypt Tours who were excellent.  They get brilliant reviews on Trip Advisor and did a wonderful job for us.

[tillys mom]

Host Grandma, did your cruise ship have a 2 day stop somewhere (Safaga) for you to leave for the tour and return? Would love to sail on the Nile to Luxor.

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, tillys mom said:

Host Grandma, did your cruise ship have a 2 day stop somewhere (Safaga) for you to leave for the tour and return? Would love to sail on the Nile to Luxor.

Yes, we were at Safaga for  one and a half days. We left the ship at about 12 noon and drove to Luxor in a minibus. It’s a long drive - about 3 hours. When we got there we went to the Luxor temple & Karnak temple then went on a felucca on the Nile. That evening we went to the Sight & Sound show at Karnak ( we paid extra for that). The next day we went to the Valley of the Kings and saw three tombs (included in the price) and also paid extra to see Tutenkhamen’s & Seti’s tombs. Then we went to see the Colossi of Memnon & Queen Hatsheput’s temple. We had lunch then drove back to Safaga. It was very reasonable - I think about £160 each which included staying in a 5 star hotel.

Your Egypt Tours also offer 1 day tours, but it’s hard work with the 3 hour drive each way.

[tillys mom]

We did a 7 night Egypt tour several years ago which included time in Cairo for pyramids, Sphinx, etc then flight to Aswan with river boat back to Luxor. Wonderful! Would love to do it again