Has anyone been on the MS Neptune on the Nile?

[buie]

Hi again,

 

Enjoying reading all the posts! I didn't bring a hair dryer to Africa last year and some places didn't have dryers. It wasn't bad though -- I just wore a hat. I think packing is going to be tricky for this one though. I think I'll be doing a little laundry. When we were in Africa, one lady burned up their converter by using a hair dryer and her husband couldn't charge his camera batteries! I think you guys have really thought it through though by getting curling irons with dual voltage. From reading all these posts, we upgraded from a C cabin to an A one as well. Wasn't really excited about looking right into the water.

 

We are so looking forward to this trip!

 

Steph

[slimsloany]

Still happy about the upgrade to Cat B and Gate 1's response to us. It reaffirms my feelings that we will be well cared for in Egypt.

As for the rest of the arrangements, my TA is fabulous and I have arranged travel with her for many years and will continue to. I had free roundtrip air to NYC (gotta love those bumps). My friend and I have gone back and forth about traveling the night before and staying at the airport. But we have decided to take an early morning flight the day of, with the possibility of arranging other flights if the weather doesn't cooperate.

As for our excursions, we are deciding on these soon and will decide whether to book ahead or wait until we are there. Not doing anything that I feel will require advance decisions. That is up in the air.

I spend a good deal of time researching and that is why this website is so appealing, we are all each other's research subjects.

As for clothing, again, not the fashionista, but I take my Chico's and blouses/tops to change things up and I have found that no one really notices if you are wearing the same thing you wore on Tuesday. They don't have to lug my suitcase, so I don't care. I used to take a lot of shoes but those suckers are heavy. I pick a color and stick with it. This trip is browns, so one pair of shoes to wear during the day, a pair of sandals for evening and flip flops. Again, if someone wants to look at my feet and say, "OMG, not those again!", I'm just not that interested.

I take things that make more sense to me. Camera with disposable batteries so I can use them and throw them away creating less weight. Baby wipes for many purposes. A good hat to shade my head and to cover up a bad hair day. Scarves to create a variety to my boring wardrobe. A journal to document my travels. Probably the one thing I will not leave at home is my pep-o-mint lifesavers...........gotta have my peppermints.

Later,

Suzie

[texancruzer]

So Steph........ 6 weeks from now we will be in NY and getting ready to head to Cairo....... I am getting really excited and it is still a ways off :o

 

I looked at flying in that day but we have to fly from Corpus to Houston to New York. No straight shots for us down here at the end of the road :(

 

It seems that every time we go to fly (in the last 12 years) we hit a glitch. No plane available (wonder how that happens) no crew available (again ??) weather problems - either where we are or where we are going, plane equipment problems (this one is the one that I really want to know about !) etc......

 

Our first trip to Europe we almost didnt get out of Corpus...... fog in Houston. When I started making a fuss to get on another flight - they accommodated us thus allowing us to make our connection to Paris. We were the last two on the plane and they even managed to get our luggage on !

 

Our last trip to Europe we got on the plane in Houston and sat for 1 hr and 15 minutes while they "assessed a problem" and then got off the plane - thereby missing our connection in Newark to Rome. They made other arrangements but we lost a whole day in Rome and would have missed the ship had it been the day of the sailing :eek:

 

I could go on and on with these ....... but this is why when flying a long distance or to catch a ship - we always fly in a day or two early. Much less stressful.

 

As for packing..... I am known to be a "wizard" when it comes to getting it all in AND staying under my 50 lbs...... 1 bag for me and 1 bag for dh both with wheels. We each have a carry on (dh has soft briefcase looking thing and I have a large travel purse) with cameras, charges, binoculars(small travel ones), phones, money, passorts, glasses, etc. I have been fortunate enough to have travelled quite a bit in the last 10-12 years that it has become easy.

 

As for excursions, we like to plan out our days (while in ports) and this trip was no different. My dh has been having fun going online and looking at places and asking "are we going there ?" "Are we going here?" This way we know when we are "going full charge" and when are "relax time" is. We did factor in some of that :D And it is all paid for !

[buie]

So Steph........ 6 weeks from now we will be in NY and getting ready to head to Cairo....... I am getting really excited and it is still a ways off :o

 

I looked at flying in that day but we have to fly from Corpus to Houston to New York. No straight shots for us down here at the end of the road :(

 

It seems that every time we go to fly (in the last 12 years) we hit a glitch. No plane available (wonder how that happens) no crew available (again ??) weather problems - either where we are or where we are going, plane equipment problems (this one is the one that I really want to know about !) etc......

 

Our first trip to Europe we almost didnt get out of Corpus...... fog in Houston. When I started making a fuss to get on another flight - they accommodated us thus allowing us to make our connection to Paris. We were the last two on the plane and they even managed to get our luggage on !

 

Our last trip to Europe we got on the plane in Houston and sat for 1 hr and 15 minutes while they "assessed a problem" and then got off the plane - thereby missing our connection in Newark to Rome. They made other arrangements but we lost a whole day in Rome and would have missed the ship had it been the day of the sailing :eek:

 

I could go on and on with these ....... but this is why when flying a long distance or to catch a ship - we always fly in a day or two early. Much less stressful.

 

As for packing..... I am known to be a "wizard" when it comes to getting it all in AND staying under my 50 lbs...... 1 bag for me and 1 bag for dh both with wheels. We each have a carry on (dh has soft briefcase looking thing and I have a large travel purse) with cameras, charges, binoculars(small travel ones), phones, money, passorts, glasses, etc. I have been fortunate enough to have travelled quite a bit in the last 10-12 years that it has become easy.

 

As for excursions, we like to plan out our days (while in ports) and this trip was no different. My dh has been having fun going online and looking at places and asking "are we going there ?" "Are we going here?" This way we know when we are "going full charge" and when are "relax time" is. We did factor in some of that :D And it is all paid for !

 

We are getting so excited too! We've been watching that Chasing Mummies show on tv. I know it's totally drama drama, but we love seeing the sites. They showed Sakkara and we were so thrilled since we'll be seeing it too. We're heading in a day early as well and staying near Times Square. A friend of ours recommending the Beacon hotel so we booked that. We've never been to NYC other than a connector flight, so we wanted to stay near a lot of things to make the most of our 24 hours there. We get in around 3 on the 27th. If you haven't checked out the Chasing Mummies, it's worth a once over. We fast forward through all the drama though . . . .

[texancruzer]

We are getting so excited too! We've been watching that Chasing Mummies show on tv. I know it's totally drama drama, but we love seeing the sites. They showed Sakkara and we were so thrilled since we'll be seeing it too. We're heading in a day early as well and staying near Times Square. A friend of ours recommending the Beacon hotel so we booked that. We've never been to NYC other than a connector flight, so we wanted to stay near a lot of things to make the most of our 24 hours there. We get in around 3 on the 27th. If you haven't checked out the Chasing Mummies, it's worth a once over. We fast forward through all the drama though . . . .

 

We have also been watching it. True drama..... but have heard he is a real character.

 

We get in the 27th @ 5:30 pm to La Guardia. We are staying at the Grand Hyatt right next door to Grand Central Station. We have stayed here before and love the location. We walked all over from there - including to Times Square ! Which is not far. We love NY...... lots to see and do. We had 6 nights and did so much - had to come home and rest :rolleyes: Tried to talk dh into an 8:30 broadway show - but he said it would be too hectic. Probably.

 

Was told by TA to allow 3 hours for check-in at JFK for our flight to Cairo. We plan to head to airport 2:30-2:45 so have asked for late check-out. If we can't get late check-out will go ahead and check-out and see if they will store our luggage so we can go have some fun in the morning. Maybe head to the diamond district ???? ;) Ha - I wish. Got a beautiful diamond ring there last trip.....

 

Hope we get assigned to the same bus and can do some of the tours together....... we will take pics of you guys and you take pics of us :D

[alaggie]

Hello, fellow Gate-1 adventurers.

 

Has anyone heard anything about the Iberotel Hotel and Casino in Cairo? That is where we will be spending our last day of the tour. Actually, DH and I will be there almost 2 days since our flight does not leave until 11:20 pm on Thursday night. I read some awful reviews on Trip Advisor and was wandering if it would be worth it to go outside Gate 1 and change hotels. I know we'll probably be exhausted by the end of our tour and will just want a place to sleep, but some of the reviews were really, really awful.

Thanks for any input.

Diana

[texancruzer]

Hello, fellow Gate-1 adventurers.

 

Has anyone heard anything about the Iberotel Hotel and Casino in Cairo? That is where we will be spending our last day of the tour. Actually, DH and I will be there almost 2 days since our flight does not leave until 11:20 pm on Thursday night. I read some awful reviews on Trip Advisor and was wandering if it would be worth it to go outside Gate 1 and change hotels. I know we'll probably be exhausted by the end of our tour and will just want a place to sleep, but some of the reviews were really, really awful.

Thanks for any input.

Diana

 

I think they pretty much use this hotel since it is close to the airport and provides convenient access since our plane takes off at 10:15 am. That means we have to be at airport @ 8:00 am(or earlier) and with traffic in Cairo it makes an easier morning. To be honest, I didnt even read reviews. Guess it might be a good idea. We will only be there one night.....but I still want clean and safe. Thanks for the heads up.

 

6 weeks from now we are spending our first night in Cairo !!!!! Geez, I'm not counting down or anything ;)

[drpatch]

Has anyone else registered with the govt (ours)? We read in a couple different areas that it was a good idea so I went ahead and did it awhile ago. Had to give dates, hotels, etc. They say that in case there is an "event", they'll know where to reach us, etc. In all our travels to foreign countries these past 30 years, we've never felt the need, but it seemed like a good idea this time. We've already received two "warnings" via e-mail. This one today also included the address for our Embassy in Cairo and the business hours phone number and after-hours phone number. If anyone is interested in that info, let me know and I can post it. :) In case anyone is interested in checking it out, the website is: https://travelregistration.state.gov Nancy P.

[texancruzer]

We also registered a while back. And yes we received an "alert" today. It was for the Gulf of Aqaba area - so no concern to us. We too have never felt the need for "registering" where we are going but dh liked the idea.

[Mississippi1]

Good mornin' all! DH and I are leaving this morning for New Orleans, where we will board our cruise ship in the morning for a week to the Bahamas. I wanted to pop in and wish some of you happy travels next week.

 

To drpatch and Carlisleboy:

 

Bon voyage!!!! I hope your journey into Egypt is everything you expected, and more! Have a safe trip, and be ready to be bombarded with about a thousand questions when you return!

 

Cindy

[texancruzer]

Bon Voyage to you.......

 

Hopefully Mother Nature will be nice and storms will stay away. Seems that Africa is creating an assembly line of them this year.......one right after the other. But (fingers crossed) they all seem to be staying away from land.

[drpatch]

Hope you have calm seas and sunny skies. Can't believe that next week at this time we'll be in Cairo!! This week will go quickly, I'm sure.

[texancruzer]

We are floating away here (Corpus Christi) .......remnants of Hurricane Karl have had us with Flash flood warnings, torndado warnings and buckets and buckets of rain.......no let up in sight. Storm surge has high tides waaaay up - over the bottom deck out in our canal. Police are not responding to cars stranded by high water unless a rescue is needed. Better than the actual hurricane coming thru I guess.

[Carlisleboy]

We are floating away here (Corpus Christi) .......remnants of Hurricane Karl have had us with Flash flood warnings, torndado warnings and buckets and buckets of rain.......no let up in sight. Storm surge has high tides waaaay up - over the bottom deck out in our canal. Police are not responding to cars stranded by high water unless a rescue is needed. Better than the actual hurricane coming thru I guess.

 

Be Safe!! Lots of pictures for you by next week!

[texancruzer]

Be Safe!! Lots of pictures for you by next week!

 

We will be waiting - patiently !

[texancruzer]

It is still raining here !!!!!! Flooded streets etc. all over town. We are lucky here in that on the island all the streets drain right into the canals.... flooding is minimal. But in town it is a mess.

 

Guess some of us have (or will very soon) left....... safe travels and take lots of pictures :D

[drpatch]

It's Indian summer here in WI. Even have my top down (on my car, that is ;) ). In the 70's again, after a couple of cool weeks. Leaves are turning quickly and started falling. The peak will probably be over by the time we get back. Can't believe that in two days we'll be in NYC waiting for the time to come to board our plane to Egypt. Have been packed for a few days and if we've forgotten anything, we probably won't need it or can buy it there. :D

[slimsloany]

drpatch,

Have a great time!!!! Don't forget us obsessive travel researchers back here on cruisecritic. We will await your reports patiently.

Blessings to you.

Suzie

[L10man]

The wife and I plus our good friends are booked on the December 9th trip, really looking forward to it. For those leaving tomorrow, hope you have plenty of sun block. It looks like it's going to be warm. Looking foward to your reports when you get home. Safe trip.

Ron

[texancruzer]

drpatch: safe travels !

 

L10man: Welcome to our little group.. Are you taking the Gate 1 tour in December ? or another tour company ?

 

5 weeks more for us.......

 

found a really neat website earlier - check this out

http://cairogizadailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html

this is a woman living in Cairo who is a photographer....she is journaling her life there with one picture a day...... pretty neat.

[L10man]

Taking the Gate 1 tour. Starting to get all our stuff together. Been all over the world (except Egypt) but mostly on business. This will be the first tour that I've been on since 1964. It will be different.

Ron

[texancruzer]

We have traveled quite a bit too....but this is our first "tour" also.

 

I guess the one thing I really liked about Gate 1 was that you could add as many (or as few) extra excursions as you liked. Of course we added almost all of them :eek: I think we still have a few bits of free time tucked in there somewhere..........

 

We are headed outta town for a 3 day weekend getaway. Havent been out of the city limits since Spring Break trip to Costa Rica...... taking my MIL/FIL to Horseshoe Bay resort in Marble Falls for some golf, lake time and good food !

[texancruzer]

Funny, one of the first things that came to mind this morning when I woke up - was Carlisleboy and drpatch are in Cairo !!!!!!

 

It never ceases to amaze me how an upcoming trip can become all-consuming ;)

[L10man]

We don't take too many overnight trips, except when visiting son or daughter. Otherwise it's mostly day trips, to the beach or some interesting little town that we can snoop around on bikes. Of course wherever we go there has to be a restaurant. They don't call in $100 hamburger run for nothing. As far as spending time on this upcoming trip, it seems like I spend and hour or two everynight looking on the web for stuff. Glad I found this place.

Ron

[dawcruiser]

We don't take too many overnight trips, except when visiting son or daughter. Otherwise it's mostly day trips, to the beach or some interesting little town that we can snoop around on bikes. Of course wherever we go there has to be a restaurant. They don't call in $100 hamburger run for nothing. As far as spending time on this upcoming trip, it seems like I spend and hour or two everynight looking on the web for stuff. Glad I found this place.

Ron

 

Are you sure yyou will have internet access? On our ship we only had internet access in the front lobby.

 

Don