I have heard good & bad about cruises on the Nile....Like it's just a ditch or it's so romantic...
What are real people experiences?

Like it's just a ditch? the Nile? Seriously? (We didn't do a Nile cruise, but we have many lovely views of the river...it's far from "just a ditch").

The Nile is a very wide slow moving and beautiful river. We took a seven day cruise and were never bored. It was one of the major highlights of the trip. It is an excellent way to observe rural life in Egypt and it also takes you to fabulous destinations! If some one told you it was " just a ditch " you should immediately stop taking their advice !

I think you're confusing the Nile River with the Suez Canal. In reality, the Suez is a ditch that is intended to move ship traffic - nothing more. It's green on one shore (west, toward the Nile) and barren desert on the other shore (the Sinai). The Nile is completely different. We've been on both the Suez and the Nile, and as 12Oaks says, the Nile is a beautiful, lush river - Egypt's historical bread basket. Its shores are lined with the iconic sites from Egyptian antiquity.

I was also thinking the Suez Canal as "just a ditch" certainly not The Nile, yes "the bread basket" of Egypt.

I'm not a "cruise" person, but opted for the Nile, as it's not all that deep, you can easily see both shores (not wide at all), and the boats are flat bottom, most with less than 100 cabins. I loved it.

do you mean a felluca or cruise? i did a private felluca ride on the Nile and the thick smog that hung over the city and the dark waters and motionless current made for a boring experience. it was a windless day, so just bad luck. Our felluca driver was a 70- year-old weathered, tiny man who obviously needed the money to support his son, so we tipped him very, very well. He was lovely and happy and made the ride fun. I'm sure a full cruise will be much more interesting.

Wait a second, lionlove, it sounds like you're talking about a ride on the river <i>in Cairo</i> -- that's hardly comparable to a Nile cruise!

einram, Casual Cairo is an American who lives in Cairo. Grcxx is an American who lived in Cairo for four years. Enough said.

hhmmmmmm.....I've been in and out (mostly out) for the past few days getting my oldest son settled at college.

Did I miss something interesting?????????

Grcxx3:

No... you have not missed anything <b> because </b> I just came on this thread now

And we are SOOOO glad to have you!!!!

Aahhh , Gee, Thanks ( blush , blush )

You are such and O

Good Night

If no breeze, let alone wind, that feluca ain't going anywhere. And yes, Cairo is overcast with smog.

When were were docked on the Nile at Luxor, a windless day, the felucas were just dead in the water. Only the current moved them some and many kept bumping into the side of our boat.

Feluca ain't the same as a Nile cruise which boats actually have engines. even restaurants, shops, bathrooms and a/c, unlike the "loo-less" feluca!

Kind of like the Grand Canyon being just a hole in the ground...

an hour in a feluca is plenty... 1/2 hour on a camel is plenty..

Never heard or read the Nile ever compared to a Ditch !!

Who would ever say anything as silly as that !!

Some people do not know what a feluca is... in simple language ,it is a little "sail boat".

Yep you got that right john61.... one hour and 1/2 hour like you said is plenty !

jwgibbs7475:

if you are planning to go to Egypt, look in a nice Travel brochure that has colorful pictures...then you will see that the Nile is far from being a "ditch"

<B>Insight Tours </B>
has a nice colourful brochure with about 7-8 different combination tours for Egypt.

Better still get 2-3 different brochures and compared them for pictures and quality of tours.

Like sandi said , if there is no wind the feluca is not moving.... so you have to stand up and blow <b> hard </b> against the sail .

<<sf7307 on Aug 21, 10 at 3:27am
einram, Casual Cairo is an American who lives in Cairo. Grcxx is an American who lived in Cairo for four years. Enough said.>>

I'm confused like Crcxx is. What happened that prompted this? Methinks something got deleted. What?

I missed what was said too,

JWGibbs, If the Nile Cruise was just a boat on a ditch then millions of people every year wouldnt travel on it. A Nile Cruise can be anything you want it to be, a relaxing holiday, a lovely way to see Egypt, a fun experience, a chance to try out a river boat, a way to meet other people. What it isnt is a trawler on a ditch,

There are boats that are basic and boats that are the ultimate luxury. Depends on what you want and what your budget is. But definately a great experience.

Scotsgirl

Yes I was wondering abouth this "out of the blue " comment also !

Hi Debbie and scotsgirl.....okay,okay you too Grcxx3

Honestly, I don't remember the particular comment, but it was something that made me think the poster thought she knew better than you two, especially as to the attitudes of the locals.