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

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)

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)