monsoon99

Can someone please explain how the Nile cruise excursions work? Are the sites close to the Nile or are you taken there by bus? Does the 5 star cruise line provide guides for the guests and if so why do people talk about taking along your own guide. If you take your own guide where does he stay on the boat? We paid an exorbitant sum for our own stay so how much would that cost? If you don't take your guide on the boat, do you meet the guide at the different sites? We are going on a three day cruise - Aswan to luxor on teh Sonesta Nile Goddess, we have seen an itinerary but there are no such details. If somone has done the cruise with or without a private guide, I'd like to hear from you. Thanks.

MissGreen

Hi Monsoon. I took my guide along on the cruise with me as the ship docks at various sights and temples and your guide gets you to the temple (in some instances a car met us and we drove the short distance for at least one it is only walking distance).

No idea what taking a guide costs... I didnt ask for a breakdown but I am sure the guides are sleeping in a different type of room. My guide did get a regular room like me as the boat was not full but he initially was talking about 'crew quarters" when i asked him where he would stay.\

Not sure if the boat has its own guide. From my experience you really need to go with a guide to to fully appreciate the magnificence of what you are seeing.

Egypt was one place where I found "going it alone" made things a lot more expensive. Not sure if you've paid yet but maybe you could enquire about the price of a pre-packaged tour to see if you can get a guide to go with you at a similar rate or even cheaper.

My guide in Aswan & Luxor was fabulous... Aamer from Lady Egypt Tours. He even hosted the Galabaya night and said he did so just to make sure that my hubbie and I had a fabulous time as nobody else was willing to do it. (I would of thought the boat would of organised the host) He wanted to make sure "his queen" as he called me had a great time! lol

Hope that helps a little.

sandi

When we visited, we had a private guide/vehicle/driver in Cairo for a few days, but once we headed down to Aswan/Luxor for our cruise, we used the guide provided by the boat. While there were a few groups on our boat that had their own guide/s, the guides provided by the boat, speaking different languages, took out a few guests depending on which suited their communications best.

Our English speaking guide had a group of about 10-15 (many of Italians and French joined with us)... and once we stopped at any port along the route, the sites/temples were right there or a short carriage ride (which were provided).

We never felt rushed or for that matter "crowded" - guide was patient, listened for questions, provided answers - found it to be ideal and weren't limited to how long we could stay but for having to be back at boat before it left to next stop.

The boats do have a set schedule for arrival/departures regardless whether you're with your own guide or use the one boat provides.

I'd have your tour operator advise details or contact Sonesta direct to inquire how they handle the touring while on the cruise.

monsoon99

Thank you Missgreen and Sandi. This definitely sheds more light on the subject. Missgreen was your guide Aamer, the same as Aamer Ibrahim. [email protected]. I have recently communicated with him and found his written English really hard to understand. Did he speak English well? If not the same person, can you share his details. We are a well traveled family but I agree that in Egypt guides are necessary. We have guides in Cairo but not in Aswan and Luxor as we are not staying there long enough. I am leaning towards taking a guide with us on the cruise depending on cost feasability but again we are not the type to need detailed historical data and if our cruise guides are as good as Sandi's we will be fine.

MissGreen

Monsoon. Aamer's English is excellent in person. Yes he might make the odd mistake or need you to repeat something now and again as English is his second language (I believe he also speaks German).

I have been chatting with him on msn and facebook since we returned and yes his written English has a few errors but I know exactly what he means.

I did come across one guide who we would not recommend because we felt he did not understand us but I feel very confident with Aamer.

That is his correct addy.

MissGreen

Aamer also volunteers his time to act as a translator for an Egyptian Charity which is nice. Nice to see that someone helping his fellow countryman.

sandi

Our guide in Cairo had a very good command of English, but on occasion his pronounciation didn't hit our ears for clear understanding. Solution - he always carried a small pad on which he'd write the word/phrase; amazing how good the spelling and once we saw what he said, we were good to go.

Our Nile cruise boat guide had outstanding English language skills... no problems, even for the Italians and French!

MissGreen

Hamdi our guide in Cairo would often say he's trying to learn a bit more "Aussie slang" and would look up Australian sayings on his iphone and try and use them. A favourite he liked was "A over T". He didn't quite understand that one and we had to give him examples such as... "as I walked around the pyramids I tripped on a rock and went A over T"!!!

BeniciaChris

We too had our guide on our cruise-Mohamed-I am diging thrugh my notes to find his E-mail. He was excellent in English-lived in Aswan & had a sister in Luxor-I think Elizabeth & her husband Dick used him also. He was knowledgable-spoke wonderful English & had our back. A few instances where we needed it. He was with us in Aswan-AbuSimbel & the Nile Cruise. I wish my daugter wasn't married I would have brought him home. Chris

monsoon99

thanks for confirming the address on Aamer, Missgreen. I will contact him for more details. Benicia - if you find Mohamed's contact information I would appreciate it, in case Aamer is no longer available. Thanks all.

TravellerB

I think Sonesta provide sightseeing tours include car & guide
You can check with them

MyriamC

We were on a group tour (30 pax) and had our own guides: two Egyptologists that spoke very decent English and French (we are Belgians) very well. They arranged everything for us, they also stayed with us on the ship.