Uniworld Egypt Oct 12 - 28

We just got back from this fabulous trip and, instead of adding to BillPizzaiolo's thread on this board, I decided to post my remarks separately.

You may wish to know that this was my first river cruise, although I have done over a dozen ocean cruises, mostly with Regent and the Paul Gauguin.

From what I've read here and elsewhere, and conversations with fellow passengers on this trip, this cruise is very different than any others that Uniworld does. That's because Egypt is very different. My few days in Istanbul and 1 day in Tunisia did not prepare me for how different Egypt is.

Before the revolution in 2011, tourism was something like 25% of Egypt's GDP. That is now almost zero, and the Egyptian people and government are really really anxious to get us back. For us, this was both good news and bad news. The good news was that nothing was crowded, our tour group had only 12 people (6 Canadians, 4 Americans, and 2 Australians) and the River Tosca, with a capacity of 70 passengers, had only us and a separate group of 5 Norwegians on board. We visited some sites where we were almost the only people there. The bad news is that the Egyptians are really hurting financially because of this, and it is impossible not to feel very very sorry for them.

Before discussing the trip any more perhaps I should mention something on a lot of folks' minds: security. The streets are full of armed police and soldiers, with many checkpoints. Security is also very high at all the places we visited, and often we had an armed guard on the bus with us. The government really really wants to make sure that nothing happens to us. Plus the Egyptian people are in general kind and honest, so none of the dangers of the streets of, say, Barcelona or Rio, are an issue. My greatest concern with my own safety was the traffic in Cairo: I sometimes would just close my eyes and trust our driver. So ... security is not an issue.

The tour includes 2 nights before the cruise and 2 nights after at the Four Seasons on the Nile in Cairo. Having room service lunch on our huge balcony overlooking the Nile and Cairo, with the great pyramids visible in the distance, is pretty special.

Flew to Luxor and got on the River Tosca for 7 days between the stays at the Four Seasons. I thought the ship was beautiful. The standard cabin was huge, on the order of a penthouse on Regent. With a capacity of only 70, there is only one dining room, one lounge, and one bar. The staff on the boat were spectacular, and it was great fun interacting with them.

I really liked the food on the boat. There were always many many choices, and many of those were locally sourced and prepared with an Egyptian sensibility for spicing. The spicing was too mild for my taste, but was too much for some of our fellow passengers, so I guess the chef got that about right. And there were always alternatives for folks who didn't want any middle Eastern flavours.

I should mention our fabulous guide/Egyptologist, Tarek. Knowledgeable, pleasant, funny, very hard working, in general a delight.

Now, finally (!), some remarks about the sites we visited. In general, words and photographs cannot convey how breathtaking they are, so I won't even try. Some highlights for me were the Temple of Luxor after dark, and the stepped Pyramid, with the bent pyramid and red pyramid in the distance in Sakara, outside Cairo. And, of course, the optional tour to Abu Simble: do not even think about not doing this tour!

I'll close with the only real issue I had with this trip: tipping. Baksheesh is deeply ingrained in Egyptian culture, and everybody tips everybody for everything. For example, when the Tosca was going through a lock I saw the captain hand some money to a deckhand, who then handed it to the guy on shore who was handling the lines (ropes). Perhaps related to this was the fact that, as opposed to Uniworld in Europe, the cruise was not all-inclusive. I found the constant tipping on shore and signing for a beer with lunch on the boat to be annoying.

But neither of these issues were a "deal breaker" for me. So if you're up for a real adventure in an exotic place visiting some of the most spectacular sites on the planet, you should consider this one.

Thanks so much for this. Yes, security concerns have held us back from booking, but I think we will for next fall or winter.

About tipping, who did you tip on shore and how much? Also tips for crew at the end of the cruise portion?

Was there free time in Cairo or at any stops around the Nile? If so, did you or any of your fellow travelers do any independent touring?

About tipping, who did you tip on shore and how much? Also tips for crew at the end of the cruise portion?

Uniworld's brochure recommends some amounts for tipping. This was almost $200 US for our guide/Egyptologist and about the same for the ship's crew. Other amounts, such as for our various bus drivers, people who met us at the airport, etc. we had to do some guessing, although in some cases our guide/Egyptologist offered advice. Said guide/Egyptologist was constantly handing out money to various people on our tours: the amounts and to whom were sort of a mystery.

Go armed with a large quantity of US one-dollar bills. It is surprisingly hard to find Egyptian pounds in small denominations, and $1 US is about right for visiting a toilet, etc. We took about 20 dollar bills and it wasn't enough.

Was there free time in Cairo or at any stops around the Nile? If so, did you or any of your fellow travelers do any independent touring?

There was free time, but none of our group of 12 ever used it.

For the cruise portion, we typically had a tour in the morning and another late afternoon or early evening. So downtime was during the afternoons, and most enjoyed it at the pool on the upper deck or with a nap or ... This was in part because between Luxor and Aswan it was really hot in the afternoon, like 40 C or 105 F. This was a bit unusual for this time of year, and we have friends who visited Luxor a few years ago and were chilly.

The Four Seasons, for the two full days we were there, there were tours in the morning but the afternoons were free. I suspect if we had had another free day or afternoon we would have ventured out to a market or perhaps Tahir Square, but neither we nor any of our group did so.

I thought the pacing of the tours was about perfect. Any more would have been too much, and any less would have been too much free time. But, like Baby Bear's porridge, Uniworld got this "just right."

I agree about the pacing. One member of our group said she wished there had been more opportunities for local activities, like visiting markets, but I thought the mix was very good. Luxor market apparently was terrific, and people were left there to shop for about an hour (I didn't go.) But I believe that people are there to see the antiquities, mainly. We did visit a Nubian village and have a boat ride through a nature preserve on the river, which pleased me greatly (I'm a bit of a birder.) But too many trips like this would mean fewer temples and tombs, let's face it.

And I personally loved the downtime on the boat between activities. Frankly, in the south it was just too hot for "free time" to make much sense.

I agree about the pacing. One member of our group said she wished there had been more opportunities for local activities, like visiting markets, but I thought the mix was very good. Luxor market apparently was terrific, and people were left there to shop for about an hour (I didn't go.) But I believe that people are there to see the antiquities, mainly. We did visit a Nubian village and have a boat ride through a nature preserve on the river, which pleased me greatly (I'm a bit of a birder.) But too many trips like this would mean fewer temples and tombs, let's face it.

 

And I personally loved the downtime on the boat between activities. Frankly, in the south it was just too hot for "free time" to make much sense.

Interesting, when we went we were told that in the "warmer" months, the tours would frequently begin around 6 a.m. and end by 10, when everyone would be back on board due to the heat. DH worked with an Egyptian, who didn't advise, he ordered us to go in January or February for the best weather and he was absolutely right. We didn't venture out on our own at all in Cairo....first of all it was impossible to cross the street....and, for personal reasons, I no longer feel comfortable in crowded places like that. I did most of my shopping in Luxor where it was less crowded and there was a mini-mall set up along the embarcadero where I bought some lovely perfume bottles and had an offer of marriage!!! I was with two other women and we all received proposals while being escorted back to our ship....it was a trip highlight :D. We also visited a Nubian village and the Nubian museum, which was not on the itinerary, but Maged, our Egyptologist guide, set up a visit for a small group and wound up hiring a bus because most of us wanted to go. It was wonderful.

Thank you for the responses. On our Danube trip I often was out and about during our free time, and I tend to do the same thing in Vietnam and Cambodia, although I will be much less familiar with my surroundings. I'm wondering if I would also feel the need to do that in Egypt, or if the heat/political climate/personal safety would change my mind.

I'm wondering if I would also feel the need to [go out] in Egypt, or if the heat/political climate/personal safety would change my mind.

The heat depends on when you go. Last week Cairo was lovely, but Luxor and Aswan were unusually hot for the time of year (40C ~ 105F in the afternoons).

The political climate is not an issue I think. What most Egyptians really want is stability, and at the moment overwhelmingly seem to feel at el-Sisi is their best chance at achieving it.

A concierge told somebody in Cairo that is is perfectly safe to walk anywhere in the city except when trying to cross the street. That matches my impressions: both drivers and pedestrians are totally insane. In Luxor and Aswan traffic is less of an issue, so it would be even easier to get out on your own.

Yes, security concerns have held us back from booking, but I think we will for next fall or winter

Our group was 12 out of a possible 70. This week it was cancelled, and next week it is 5. If I were at Uniworld corporate I would be looking at those and similar numbers and wondering if the attempt to get back into Egypt were a failure, and if so should they pull the plug.

All of which is to say that if folks, like jklc123, are seriously considering booking this, they should make their intentions known to their travel agent or Uniworld directly. Otherwise, it may not be there when you want it.

That would be a shame. I'm fortunate to have visited and/or toured a number of places around the world, and this is the one that I would most hate to have missed. Of course, "your mileage may vary."

... I'm wondering if I would also feel the need to do that in Egypt, or if the heat/political climate/personal safety would change my mind.

For me, it would only be the heat. And personal safety in the sense of being a pedestrian in crazy traffic (mainly in Cairo, not the south). I had no sense, anywhere of being personally threatened. And crimes like pickpocketing or theft are quite rare compared to cities in Europe. Women seem to be treated with respect, in a paternalistic manner, although I did feel like I stood out as a blonde--twice at Giza I was asked to be in someone's selfie shot--once by a Chinese tourist (woman), and once by an Egyptian woman, there with her family (who were very friendly, by the way.) In fact, the Egyptian people were universally lovely, something I must emphasize.

A concierge told somebody in Cairo that is is perfectly safe to walk anywhere in the city except when trying to cross the street. That matches my impressions: both drivers and pedestrians are totally insane. In Luxor and Aswan traffic is less of an issue, so it would be even easier to get out on your own.

That matches our experience. We wandered around Cairo a few times on our own during free time, and went to dinner with another couple independently one evening. Never felt unsafe or had an issue. We did have to cross the streets though. A little like that video game Frogger!

I don't think we went out on our own in Aswan but that's because we were probably more busy than unable. We did leave our tour group in Luxor one day so we could visit the museum of mummification independently. Then we walked back to the boat, along the Corniche on our own. Other than trying to be sold a felucca ride every 10 seconds, not unpleasant.

I agree with you that the Egyptian people were lovely. One of my former residents is from Egypt and his father still lived in Cairo at the time. He had his father meet us in our hotel one day to take us to the market. That was an adventure, but in a great way. :)

I absolutely agree that if you're at all thinking about this trip, book it. We did this with A&K but Uniworld sounds very similar. You may not have another chance to see these sights when they are so empty, and your tourism dollars will help the people of Egypt so much. Go...it's so worth the trip.

Wendy and David, thanks for taking us along.

Our group was 12 out of a possible 70. This week it was cancelled, and next week it is 5. If I were at Uniworld corporate I would be looking at those and similar numbers and wondering if the attempt to get back into Egypt were a failure, and if so should they pull the plug.

 

All of which is to say that if folks, like jklc123, are seriously considering booking this, they should make their intentions known to their travel agent or Uniworld directly. Otherwise, it may not be there when you want it.

 

That would be a shame. I'm fortunate to have visited and/or toured a number of places around the world, and this is the one that I would most hate to have missed. Of course, "your mileage may vary."

DH has been emailing a Uniworld representative. Disconcerting to hear about the cancellation and only 5 for next cruise. We will be monitoring this closely, to be sure.

DH has been emailing a Uniworld representative. Disconcerting to hear about the cancellation and only 5 for next cruise. We will be monitoring this closely, to be sure.

Not sure if the actually cancelled the week after ours, if if they just never booked it. I did hear from someone on board right now that they had been under the impression earlier that the ship was quite full. And I could have the dates wrong--at some point I'm sure she will post.

Not sure if the actually cancelled the week after ours, if if they just never booked it. I did hear from someone on board right now that they had been under the impression earlier that the ship was quite full. And I could have the dates wrong--at some point I'm sure she will post.

Turns out my friend clarky, from Australia, doesn't board until next Monday. So we'll see if she reports-in and tells us how many are on their sailing.