Candice

Can all of you who have cruised the Nile, please enlighten me of your experiences?<BR><BR>In particular, standard of ship, company, safety and security, especially when visiting sights.<BR><BR>Thank you.

marla

We just returned from Egypt on 8/9/02 and had a wonderful time. As part of our tour, we cruised on the nile for 3 days and the ship was very nice. The rooms were excelent and the food was really good. (Watch out for the fruit, dairy products, and any uncooked vegetables though). All of Egypt is extremely safe because they have tourist police posted at all the sites and the Eyptians are very friendly. My advice is to go and have a great time.

noeleen

I was on a weeks cruise in March of last year. The boat/ship was really nice and the food was good. Most importantly we did not get any tummy bugs. I took my 84 year old father with me and he enjoyed himself as well. I would say the standard of the ship, company, safety and security were extremly high and I would not hesitate to go back. Egypt is a facinating country and by taking a cruise you get to know a lot of your fellow travellers<BR>and you have the added bonus of having egyptoligists as guides on all the sights along the Nile which really makes a difference when you are getting the background to what you are looking at. Sitting on deck at night is extremely relaxing. The only negative part of the trip was coming home. You will not regret the journey.

kavey

Marla, Noleen<BR>Would you share the names of the boats you cruised on since I understand there can be a vast difference of standards across boats in the same ratings category.<BR>Many thanks.

noeleen

I was on the Nile Romance. I biiked my trip with Kuoni which is in the uk although I actually live in Ireland. There are 75 cabins on board. It is listed as 1st class but that does not mean it is to the same standard as cruise ships. Do not expect too much. Definately it would be superior to a standard boat on the Nile. There are many boats to choose from and I am sure you will get one to suit. I was well satisfied with the Nile Romance.

Dave

I am in the extreme minority who did not care for the cruise. We were on a very nice boat, good food, and so on. The thing I didn't like about it was going all that way to spend four days on a boat. True, we made a few stops of a couple hours each, but that leaves a few hours "seeing" things out of four days on the boat. Watching the Nile pass by is nice, but after one day I got bored with that aspect. <BR>(The boat part was also the least exciting thing about the three weeks in Turkey, so that shows you my bias.)<BR>Finally, I was not that wild about Egypt. Loved Syria, Turkey, and Lebannon, but thought that Egypt was too "monotone" compared to the others. Also, I thought that the Egyptians were the least friendly and most after the money of the four countries.

gail

We cruised on one of the 2 Oberoi boats 18 months ago. Cabins were large and each had 2 bathrooms since they had been converted - a wall removed to double size. Food was good. All the river boats I saw were about the same size and none had much in way of activities, etc. They are essentially floating hotels, many with a very small pool on upper deck, nice bar, dining room and that is about it. The best entertainment is watching the banks of the Nile - farmers, water buffalo, donkeys - and seeing farms that must have looked very similar 100 years ago. We were on tour, but others on same boat all had arranged/escorted side trips to historic sights. <BR><BR>While most Nile cruises last 3-4 days and travel between Aswan and Luxor, the actual sailing time is far less - the boat spends a lot of time docked, since the distance is not all that great. Going through the locks is an experience itself, as kids in rowboats paddle up to boats to sell stuff. They throw the item 3 decks up, you bargain, and then throw agreed-upon price down in a weighted film container. Worth buying something, even if you don't want it.

Kavey

Thanks for the feedback...<BR><BR

dolcevita

Although I enjoyed the cruise (Ramses 2), I felt I could be anywhere. The cabins were a welcome relief from the bakshish loving Egytians, and if you find poverty scenic, you'll love the views. By the way, have visited and loved Syria. MUCH more interesting than never-ending pharonic Egypt.<BR><BR>