Safaga/Luxor tour help needed

[MHF]

I attempted to book Ss private car service for my November 2023 cruise which stops in Safaga so that I go to Luxor without the tour bus/lunch:  said car service is waitlisted.  Questions:

1.  What are chances it will be un-waitlisted early enough that I can plan what I want to do?  I'm on SilverSpirit if that makes a difference.  I booked Luxor Temples thru Ss as a back up.

 

2.  Anyone (Terry in Ohio? WesW?) recommend a tour company instead?  I'm picking on Wes because Jorge in Portugal was fabulous!  And I've emailed Terry's pick for Petra.

 

We actually have 2 days but Luxor tours are only offered on the first day.  I think we leave too early on the 2nd day to make it feasible.

 

Thanks,

Missy in Maryland (who should be packing for Alaska but is procrastinating)

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

Missy, you may want to email the shore concierge to inquire whether they will be adding Luxor Temple excursions on the second day.  I had to do this for our upcoming Grand Voyage Africa/Arabia on the Spirit that begins Jan 2024.  Silversea had not loaded excursions for three of the days.  We too are spending two days in Sagafa and the Luxor Temples are offered on both days with a 5:00pm departure on the second day.  I'm sure they will adjust the departure time to accommodate guests who are on the Luxor excursions.  Their email is shoreconcierge at silversea dot com.

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

To follow up, I also inquired with my Silversea Rep, so I'm not 100% sure who was ultimately responsible for loading all the excursions in my.silversea.  Good luck in whatever direction you decide to take.

[dawntrdr]

I query whether the "waitlisting" of private drivers is actually a security, not availability, issue.  When we were in Safaga in 2019, our SS tour to Luxor was on a bus which included an armed security guard.  The guard was dressed in an elegant blue suit and carried a large automatic weapon.  He did not accompany us when we got off the bus (there are metal detectors to enter every site and hotel), but backed up the driver at the many security checkpoint stops that exist on the way to Luxor.

[TLCOhio]

15 hours ago, MHF said:

I attempted to book Ss private car service for my November 2023 cruise which stops in Safaga so that I go to Luxor without the tour bus/lunch:  said car service is waitlisted.  Anyone (Terry in Ohio? WesW?) recommend a tour company instead?

Missy in Maryland (who should be packing for Alaska but is procrastinating)

 

Hi, Missy!  Appreciate the follow-up and mention.  Yes, happy to be helpful.  

 

Per Ron/RLK on a Cruise Critic posting, we worked with and used “Love Egypt Tours”.  You can see their website at: www.loveegypttours.net

Or, when we made our late 2018 arrangements, we contact them at: 

loveegypttours@hotmail.com

They still get high ratings on TripAdvisor and our experience was very good.  

 

Things worked super well for us at Luxor, staying overnight at the Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor.  Many, many pictures and added details can be seen below through my live/blog from that wonderful trip.  

 

Agree that security is an interesting and changing challenge in this part of the world.  It is a long distance from the port to Luxor and back.  To do it "ALL" in just one day is nearly "Mission: Impossible".  Staying overnight in Luxor allowed us to do it well and maximize our amazing experiences.  

 

Need more info, background?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

PS: Get packing for Alaska!!  Lots to enjoy there.  What are doing either pre- and/or post-cruise?

 

From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,165 views.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

53 minutes ago, dawntrdr said:

I query whether the "waitlisting" of private drivers is actually a security, not availability, issue.  When we were in Safaga in 2019, our SS tour to Luxor was on a bus which included an armed security guard.  The guard was dressed in an elegant blue suit and carried a large automatic weapon.  He did not accompany us when we got off the bus (there are metal detectors to enter every site and hotel), but backed up the driver at the many security checkpoint stops that exist on the way to Luxor.

Thanks for the heads up dawntrdr.  I wondered how much extra security we would see provided to us in this part of the world.  

[nowornever]

If I remember correctly (big if), on a Safraga stop on the Shadow in 2007, the bus to & from Luxor had, in addition to armed security, a back up bus just in case of break-down. (I think there was a convoy?) I'm not sure I would feel comfortable taking this trip with anyone other than an "official" Silversea tour. If you decide to go with someone else, be sure you make clear what the back-up plan will be to get you back to the ship in case of unforeseen circumstances.  It's a hard day trip so give it a lot of thought. 

[pf778c]

On 9/5/2022 at 10:28 PM, MHF said:

2.  Anyone (Terry in Ohio? WesW?) recommend a tour company instead?

Missy,

 

We were originally going to take Silversea's overland tour in Egypt a few years ago, until they cancelled the days in Cairo.  I ended up booking a private tour through "Tours with Locals" with a fabulous guide, Meland, very knowledgeable and personable, who arranged private roundtrip transportation from the pier to Luxor where we visited multiple tombs at the Valley of the Kings, the tombs of the artisans who built those tombs, the Temple of Karnak, a lovely cruise down the Nile, and a fabulous lunch at a local restaurant along the Nile (highlight was sharing my very delicious fish with the two resident felines, who only allowed me a few bites).  No regrets (except I should have ordered more fish!).

 

[zqtchas]

When touring there many years ago with SS we had armed guards escorting us in convoys everywhere.  Even in Djibouti where I wasn’t aware of until a merchant reached out to touch me while we were bargaining. He was in plain clothes and swooped out and pushed the merchant away.

Have seen tours with locals in action in Tokyo. The couple who hired her were very pleased with her, she even gave us a bit of help.

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

2 hours ago, zqtchas said:

He was in plain clothes and swooped out and pushed the merchant away.

That sounds like secret service protection.

[MsCrystalina]

On a recent Uniworld Nile cruise, we had police escort car for the 2 tour buses along with one   behind the buses. A well-dressed security guard was on each bus and with us during the tours.  My transport car to/from the airport in Cairo had a driver and a security guard who met me before baggage claim.

There was one couple who chose to have a private car guide in Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel and included driver plus a guard.   Would expect same from Safaga to Luxor- is at least 3 hour drive  with guard outposts along the road. 

[MHF]

More help needed!  The Terry-in-Ohio recommended tour guide in Israel has apparently gone out of business because of Covid.  We have 3 days there in October and I may never get back so would prefer a private tour rather than ship's excursions.  I checked the CC Ports page and did find 1 company with good recommendations and have emailed them. Other recommendations welcome!

 

Boarding the Dawn with cousin in 25 days but working on this mammoth undertaking, too.

 

Missy in Maryland

 

PS. Alaska was wonderful!  Did a B2b so got TWO days in Glacier Bay!  The National Park lady said she'd never seen a ship get so close to the glaciers.  Did an Island Wings float plane tour and found a mama bear teaching her cub how to fish.