If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Cruise on the Nile
My wife and I are going to be in Egypt in late December. We would
like to take a cruise on the Nile, from Aswan to Luxor (or vice versa). We are trying to research cruise companies and not having much luck. All of the Lonely Planet recommended ones are brutally expensive (upwards of $200 per person per day) and the Let's Go is telling us just to wing it by showing up at the Corniche and hope for the best. Can anyone make any recommendations? We feel a little nervous just showing up, especially over Christmas/New Year's. We're usually budget travellers, but we don't want to feel unsafe - we don't want to risk water drawn straight from the Nile to shower in, but we also really don't need "Egyptian theme night" evening horror shows that we've seen advertised on some cruisers. In addition, one of the guide books mentions that there is a 2 week December shutdown at a lock at Esna - does anyone know when this happens in 2004? Thanks, Ian |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
My wife and I, in summer 1996, arranged for a 2-day cruise from Aswan to
Luxor after arriving in Aswan. We asked around for recommendations and everyone had one. We soon got very tired of everyone asking us where we were staying, what tours we were taking, and then telling us we should change to something they had that was a lot better. After we paid for our Abu Simbal tour, some details changed for the worse and we were told expenses had risen so we would have to pay more. Watch out. We made an internet booking for a $20/night double right on the Cornische, incl. breakfast. When we arrived they had no record of our reservation, even though I had the emailed printout. But it was an old rundown hotel, mostly empty, so no REAL problem. But REALLY budget!! One had to replace the toilet seat for each use, but the A/C worked well. Two blocks away we located a tourist office (after 2 days looking) where Hakim Hussein became our savior. He knew everything, stood to gain nothing for himself(?), and did all he promised us. He called a reliable captain whose boat was leaving when we wanted to go and had the captain send a couple fellows to pick us up at our hotel. They took us to look over/throughout the cruise boat, meet the captain, see "our" room, etc. It was exactly what we wanted. Mustafa, of Amigo tours, and captain of the "Nile Splendor", took us into his office to talk. When you run into good people there you will sigh relief. $80 per person for 2-day cruise all expenses incl except liquor. He described an optional half-day tour of the Valley of the Kings and Queens, etc., on the west bank across from Luxor. Sounded (and was) great. He apologized that he would have to charge us extra for it. . . $10 per person. Terrific two days on the Nile. Egypt in 1996 was very cheap but unexpectedly satisfying for us 56- year olds. You can't, even we couldn't, repeat our good adventure. But you will find one of your very own if you work at it a bit and are careful. BTW: Most useful words in Arabic are shuk-ran = thank you la = no (your first response to the thousands of hawkers) la AH! = (your next response) emphatic No! la, shukran . . . . . . la AH!!! ---Ken (So. California) |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
but we don't want to feel unsafe - we don't want to
risk water drawn straight from the Nile to shower in Do you really expect something else? Regards, John. Some people have taken pure bull****, and turned it into gold. (Neil Young - Greendale - Leave the Driving) |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Cruise ship contracts spout controversy !!! | steinbrenner | Cruises | 0 | October 8th, 2004 10:43 PM |
Royal Caribbean pricing policy updates? | [email protected] | Cruises | 13 | October 6th, 2004 12:49 AM |
Carnival Corp Profits Up Sharply! | Ray Goldenberg | Cruises | 0 | September 17th, 2004 02:50 PM |
HAL Extends Appreciation Program! | Ray Goldenberg | Cruises | 1 | November 11th, 2003 09:18 PM |
SCR Group Cruise Promotions - 09/18/2003 | Steve Hennessey | Cruises | 0 | September 19th, 2003 03:42 AM |