Petra and the Nile

[sandbag7]

Would like to combine the two referenced sites; wouldn't mind including the Red Sea/Sharm el Shaikh. Anyone aware of a cruise of 15 days or less that visits these sites?

[TedC]

Seabourn and other upscale lines often have itineraries that include the areas you're interested in.

 

We recently returned from a great land trip that included South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and Jordan. Safaris in Kenya, and Petra and the magnificent ruins at Jarash - both in Jordan - were the highlights.

 

While it was one of the best trips we've been on, we did miss being able to return to the comfort of a ship and drink the water and have ICE! We also gained new appreciation of the convenience of only unpacking once on a cruise. (We were on a ship four days on the Nile).

 

But we also decided we couldn't have seen what we saw and done what we did on the relatively short times you have in various ports on a cruise. Some cruise lines do have overland and overnight excursions - but you pay dearly for them

 

Bottom line: We're very glad we took the wonderful land adventure; but the next five journeys we have booked are all on Holland America ships.

[suekay]

Thomson, the British budget line do a 7 night cruise out of Sharm el Sheikh calling at Aqaba (for Petra), Port Sokhna (for Cairo/Nile) and Safaga (Luxor/Nile). We did the cruise in April and can highly recommend the itinerary. It's worth putting up with the ship for the great itinerary, but don't go if "the ship is the destination" It's clean, the cabins are of a good size, the food is acceptable and the restaurant open 24/7, and the staff are friendly and hardworking - but it can't be compared to RCI, Princess etc

[Chez_22]

Thomson, the British budget line do a 7 night cruise out of Sharm el Sheikh calling at Aqaba (for Petra), Port Sokhna (for Cairo/Nile) and Safaga (Luxor/Nile). We did the cruise in April and can highly recommend the itinerary. It's worth putting up with the ship for the great itinerary, but don't go if "the ship is the destination" It's clean, the cabins are of a good size, the food is acceptable and the restaurant open 24/7, and the staff are friendly and hardworking - but it can't be compared to RCI, Princess etc

 

Hi,

I'm going on this cruise later in the year - November. In fact instead of the 7night cruise we're doing the 7 night itinery twice!! I felt as though it would be hard work trying to do everything in a week and I'd be more worn out when I got home than I would when I left!

Plus I've always wanted to go to Egypt and I dodn't want to miss out on any of the trips!

I booked mine directly from the Thomson website and got a great deal (£719 each!); the ship may not be as beautiful as some others, but for me Thomson's ships are nice enough, the staff are lovely and I'm going for the sites, not the ship. I'm hoping to only use the ship for eating and sleeping really!!

Cheryl

xx

[patlanta]

I'm looking at this itinerary on the Discovery World Cruises/MV Discovery. The specific one is Nov 8, 2006, embarking in Petra (and staying an additional day) and then being in Sharm-El-Sheikh on the 10th, Luxor on the 11th and 12th, Port Suez on the 13th and transiting th Suez Canal on the 14th, with disembarkation in Alexandria on the 15th.

 

The stumbling block is that they have no excursions or costs listed on their Web site and I don't want to have to make private arrangements.

 

Also, they say their currency on board is different on Summer cruises and Winter cruises but I haven't found their definition of the seasons.

 

Sure wish the cruiseline would post more information.

[snoopyontrinity]

Hi Patlanta!

I agree totally. My husband and I are booked on MV Discovery's 06 November Wonders of Antiquity Cruise from Aqaba to Barcelona via Egypt and Libya.

It cost and arm and a leg and we can find out nothing about shore excursions. We have been told they will be posted on their website a couple of weeks before departure but prices are 'TBA'. Not good enough, I'm afraid.

This is an expensive cruise and worth nothing if we cannot see the sights we booked it for. We have actually been in touch with a couple of independant tour operators and will have to book with them if Discovery World Cruises continues to ignore our emails.