11-night Splendors of Egypt and the Nile Cruise/Land Package

1. Splendors of Egypt and the Nile

   

   April 2019 Egypt

   PROS: LOVED our Egyptologist Hatem Abd Elaziz (Tommy). He 100% made this trip with his Knowledge and Enthusiasm. The itinerary was superb, and the rooms (both at the chosen hotels and the ship Tosca) were great (super large and comfortable))

   CONS: The ship is a bit 'tired' and showed it. The wine flowed too freely at lunch and dinner, but one had to almost beg for a 2nd beer; meal service was not their forte. Other not included liquors were WAYYY too expensive ($27 for one scotch)

   RECOMMENDED: No

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2. Fantastic trip; would highly recommend!

   

   October 2019 Egypt

   PROS: Outstanding service; Super excursions; I felt very safe; highly knowledgeable guide

   CONS: Ship was old (but, well maintained); very early starts for excursions (but necessary)

   RECOMMENDED: Yes

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3. Egypt

   

   January 2019

   RECOMMENDED: Yes

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   This is my client's experience. He took the time to write this up, so I wanted to share.

   The River Tosca is a beautiful ship. 40 staterooms which are very large each with a huge bathroom with a tub and separate shower. The bar is beautifully appointed, deep hardwood trim and floors. The dining room is very comfortable and there is a library with two computer stations and gift shop. The fitness center, however, is pretty worthless one tread machine and one bike. But we had ample exercise walking each exhibit. The sun deck is very nice, lots of very comfortable chairs, lounge chairs a pool (but not heated), bar and card tables. Ample shade is provided. Wifi on the ship was always available albeit a bit slow.

    

   One of the realities of Egypt is that Sugar is a significant export crop. Unfortunately, in January the crop is harvested by “burning” the plants. The result is that the air smelled like a “campfire” the entire time. This was definitely a drawback and might be a health hazard to those with asthma. You just need to be aware and prepare yourself accordingly.

    

   I think Uniworld “owns” the river as we had prime docking location at each port and never had to “walk through” another ship to reach the dock!

    

   The crew members are some of the finest I have encountered. Friendly, service oriented genuinely considerate to ensure you are comfortable. I would rank the service consistent with the staff on the Paul Gaughan in Tahiti. By the end of the first day they knew your name, your preferred cocktail and food.

    

   On our tour, we had 61 guests. We were divided into two groups, each assigned a tour guide. Our tour guide, Hani Kamona, was absolutely fantastic! He holds a PhD in Egypt history and really made the exhibits fascinating! He was the best tour guide I have experienced. He was knowledgeable, caring and a genuine person. Our group thought he was the best ever!! Our guides had the tickets for each and every exhibit reserved and purchased in advance so we NEVER had to wait in a line!! Further, they had a lot of “tip money” so we could use the rest rooms at each site as they require a few Egyptian pounds for their use.

    

   Each group had their own Mercedes class coach bus. The driver was excellent. He always had ample cold water and snacks on the bus. He was our driver for the entire trip. He drove the bus from Cairo to Luxor to join us when we embarked on the ship and followed us all the way to Aswan! The bus was very comfortable which is a necessity since every exhibit except one (Temple of Kom Obo), is accessible only by bus from each port. The WiFi on the bus worked very well!

    

   Security was very tight on the bus and each exhibit. We had an armed guard on each bus and he accompanied us on every tour! So, Uniworld means business when it comes to security. The same on the ship. Several security personnel and local security personnel stationed on the ship and on the dock to ensure only authorized personnel approached the ship. After a while you get use to the security presence which is everywhere!! I never felt unsafe while on the ship, bus or tours.

    

   Itinerary: There are so many sites and exhibits to see in Egypt it is mind-boggling! However, the selection of sites on this cruise was excellent! My favorite site was the Valley of the Kings. Simply amazing! The preservation of the tombs and the colors on the walls were incredible! My least favorite was the Citadel and Mohammad Ali Mosque on the first day.

    

   There are four additional excursions which require an additional fee. These are: 1. A flight to Abu Simbel to visit Ramses II temple which was relocated due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 70s. Amazing and definitely worth getting up at 3:00 am to catch a plane to Abu Simbel!! 2. A dinner cruise (my return flight precluded my ability to select this tour). 3. Sound and light show at Karnak Temple 4. Coptic Christian church tour.

    

   I only opted for the Abu Simbel excursion. Don’t miss it! It is worth the extra fare!! The airfare arrangements from Cairo to Luxor (and Luxor to Abu Simbel if you take that excursion) were handled very well. While security is tight (two separate security screenings to get to the gate), the line moved fine and there were no issues. Again, Uniworld did a great job handling these transfers!

    

   Egypt is a very poor country and the relatively new democracy is trying to reinvigorate the tourism industry, battle terrorist elements and improve the quality of life for its citizens. These are huge goals and a lot of time and money are required to achieve these goals. They really need tourists to help them explore additional sites and discover new tombs to maintain an edge in tourism. While we were there, we saw numerous digs being conducted and leaned of new toms being discovered. One of the discoveries may lead to the identification of the tomb of Queen Neferari, Ramses II favorite wife. Also, the new Cairo Museum is scheduled to open in 2020. We could see the museum from the Great Pyramid. The museum is huge and looks absolutely stunning, even from a distance. Worth a trip back just to experience the new museum!

    

   I would rate the experience as follows (out of 10): Hotel 9 River Tosca ship 9 River Tosca Crew 10 River Tosca food 8 Exhibits 10 Egyptologist 10 Overall experience 9.5 out of 10

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4. Wow, what a trip!

   

   March 2016 Cruise of the monuments and sites of Egypt

   PROS: Personalized Egyptologist, Ramadan, no crowds, personalized service

   CONS: Food was too good, ate too much!

   RECOMMENDED: Yes

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