Nile cruise on viking princess with discover egypt

[suron]

As I was having difficulty in finding the right place to post this I have written my review in this section. The boat was not listed anywhere, neither was the travel company. This review is about our trip to Egypt on a Nile Cruise from 8th to 15th Feb followed by two days in Cairo. I hope it will prove helpful to anyone planning a Nile Cruise.

 

My husband, myself and two friends have recently returned from a 7 day Nile Cruise and two days in Cairo. We booked through our travel agent with Discover Egypt and were on Viking Princess from 8th 15th Feb and in Cairo, staying at the Ramses Hilton from 15th -17th Feb.

Travel Arrangements – we flew from Heathrow to Luxor and Luxor to Cairo with Egyptair and from Cairo to Heathrow with Egyptair in conjunction with BMI Star Alliance. All flights were on time, the service could not be faulted, plenty of legroom and some of the best in-flight meals we have had. My husband is registered disabled and has mobility problems but thanks to the excellent arrangements made by Discover Egypt we had airport assistance throughout. He was also well looked after by the tour guides, crew members and fellow passengers during the holiday and although he found some of the trips tiring he was able to cope admirably.

On arrival at Luxor we were met by Viking Travel the local agents for Discover Egypt who obtained our visas for us (we paid our tour guide for these once on board - £12 each in UK Sterling – so there is no need to go to the hassle of trying to obtain your own visas prior to departure). We were taken by coach to the dock where we joined Viking Princess. Our luggage was in our cabin just 20 minutes later.

There were 90 passengers on board with a crew of 75. We were divided into three groups – Ramses, Isis and Pharaohs lead by Moyshen, Ahmed and Sayed our tour guides. They were so knowledgeable having studied Egyptology and they really gave informative talks on everything we saw throughout the week but we never felt overpowered by their talks. They made the history come alive and answered questions in simple language. They all had a wonderful sense of humour too which created a happy atmosphere for everyone

Viking Princess has recently undergone a refurbishment and the work has been very tastefully carried out. Everywhere was spotlessly clean. Our cabin on Lower Deck(105) was spacious and although we had sufficient hanging space we did feel it lacked drawer space. Our cabin steward was courteous, friendly, hard-working and very efficient. We would take bets each day as to what animal would be waiting in the cabin on our return from excursions. The cabin steward would create wonderful animals out of the towels and we were greeted by elephants, seals, scorpions, crocodiles and monkeys. The cabin steward delighted in seeing our reactions each day.

The DINING ROOM was very bright and cheery and it was good to see that the use of hand sanitizers on entry was strictly enforced. The LOUNGE BAR had comfortable seating all round and a good sized dance floor. The SUN DECK had ample sun beds and there were several gazebos with drop down sides to give shelter from the sun. Wicker furniture under complete cover was available at one end of the deck for those not wishing to be out in the sun at all. The pool was not large but adequate. However the water was very cold until one became accustomed to the temperature. Some ladies started a water aerobics session on a few days but surprisingly the four men who joined the first session did not participate again – they actually admitted it was too much like hard work!!

There was a GIFT SHOP which was run by a most obliging man. His prices were very reasonable and there was a good selection. It was possible to arrange a MASSAGE session on board and our friends did actually book this and were very impressed – very reasonable too with a Full Body Massage for 1 hour at £30 (charged to the on board account)

FOOD & DRINK - We could not fault the food – in fact we were spoilt for choice at every mealtime. It was well presented, piping hot and very satisfying. The desserts did little to help the waistline though! Celebration cakes were made for passengers celebrating birthdays/anniversaries and for Valentine’s Day the chef made a huge cake for all the passengers to share. Drinks tended to be pricey but no more than on other cruise ships. The Egyptian wines were very palatable. Whilst sailing, afternoon tea was served on the sun deck which was most welcome. Bar staff were very polite and we were not kept waiting for drinks to be served whether in the lounge or out on deck.

When arriving back from excursions each we would be greeted by smiling crew members who would be waiting in reception with warm towels to freshen up and glasses of mint/apple tea to quench our thirsts. Getting back on board was fun because on leaving the boat we could find ourselves having to pass through sometimes four or five other boats before reaching the quayside. On our return we would sometimes find our boat had suddenly moved up a place – obviously the boats are moving around all the time to get the best docking space but it was interesting to see what other boats looked like.

ENTERTAINMENT was arranged most evening. The Galabiya Party saw all passengers dressed in their Galabiyas (a kind of kaftan which many of us purchased in the market at Edfu, after much haggling with the traders. Some people bought theirs from the Gift Shop on board and prices were not that much more than in the market) The tour guides organised games and it was a chance for everyone to get to know each other and have fun. The Nubian dancers were quite entertaining; the Egyptian Style Treasure Hunt had everyone in fits of laughter as we scoured the boat looking for various items. The tour guides very diplomatically awarded each group the same number of points making us all winners. We had an entertaining evening with a Belly Dancer but the show was stolen by the Whirling Dervish whose act was brilliant. Games were then organised and four couples were chosen to create their version of a mummy using endless toilet rolls wrapped around their partners. Everyone joined in without being forced to – I think we were lucky to have such a great group of fellow passengers who all got on well together. Those who wanted to continue the party after the organised events were able to do so with a disco being available to late evening but with early morning starts I don’t think many people stayed up too late!

ITINERARY

Our first excursion on DAY 2 took us to the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memmon – all wonderful with each having something special of its own to offer . DAY 3 was an early start to the Temple at Edfu after which we had free time which gave some of us the chance to haggle in the market for our kaftans ready for the Galabiya Party. In the afternoon we sailed to Komombo and visited the temple there at dusk which was amazing to. DAY 4 we arrived in Aswan and another early start saw us setting off to the Unfinished Obelisk, the Temple of Philae and the High Dam. We again marvelled at all the sights and wondered if things could be any better. On the way back to the boat we called in to the Papyrus Institute where we learned how the paper and scrolls were made and were able to make some lovely purchases, some inscribed with our names in hieroglyphics.ere weHeH After lunch some of us took an optional extra tour to the Nubian Village. We travelled by motor boat and here safety was of paramount importance with everyone being made to wear a life jacket. The crew kept us entertained on the journey with songs and dances. Some took a camel ride to the centre of the village but most of us walked. This was something of a culture shock – it was very primitive and many of us were upset at seeing little children as young as three years old begging and witnessing the awful conditions in the village. Several of us tried to convince ourselves that this was not their true living environment (just set up for the tourists) but no-one would confirm or deny this one way or the other. I think everyone was glad to get back to Viking Princess but it was an experience nevertheless. The Nubian Dancers that evening added more doubt as to the authenticity of the village we had seen earlier. DAY 5 – This was probably the highlight of the holiday. We got up at 3 a.m.(!!) in readiness for our trip to Abu Simbel. As we left the boat we were all given a breakfast box which contained rolls, cheese, crisps, croissants, fruit and a bottle of water. We boarded the coach which then joined a convoy of some 40 coaches after taking our own armed guard on board. As we drove the three hours through the desert we watched the sun rise and could feel the anticipation grow as we neared our destination. Nothing could have prepared us for the sights . The temples were massive and it was hard to imagine the time, effort and skill that went into them. We had plenty of free time here to take in the wonder of it all. We returned to Viking Princess for lunch and afterwards met in reception for the Felucca trip to Kitchener Island – life jackets were again the order of the day. We had the same crew as on the motor boat and it was fun and laughter all the way. The gardens were interesting and gave us shelter from the heat of the day. We then set sail for Edfu where we stayed overnight. On DAY 6 we sailed towards Luxor and around midday had the thrill of sailing through Esna Lock. It is an impressive sight and watching the boat manoeuvre its way through the lock was amazing. On arrival in Luxor we visited the Luxor Temple – another great sight which was illuminated during our visit in the late afternoon/early evening. On DAY 7 we visited Karnak Temple. After Abu Simbel this was perhaps the most impressive. It covers a huge area and there is so much to take in. We had lots of time here to explore at our leisure after our guide had given us some background information. In the afternoon our husbands decided to visit Luxor Museum but we ladies decided to take life easy and relax on board.

We left Viking Princess early the next day for our flight to Cairo. We chose to stay at a hotel (Ramses Hilton)nearer the Museum as opposed to one near the Pyramids and we definitely feel we made the right choice. Cairo is a manic city, noisy, traffic is chaotic both day and night and it is somewhat dirty . Our hotel was great though with the restaurants serving good food at reasonable prices (I thoroughly enjoyed my Steak Pie in the Sherlock Holmes Pub and the Set Price Buffet in the Cafeteria Bar was good value). We found some reasonably priced souvenirs in the hotel gift shop. We were on a B & B basis and the Buffet Breakfasts were excellent although the dining room was a little disorganised. On arrival we met the local agent , Ahmed, who arranged our sight-seeing tours We opted for a full day excursion to the Giza Plateau and the Cairo Museum for a half day at a cost of £50 and £30 respectively. The full day’s tour left the hotel at 8.45 a.m and we joined our guide Lamy with a group of people who had been on Royal Viking (another Discover Egypt’s boat about which we heard good reports by the way). At the Pyramids we opted for a pony and trap ride (extra cost) to enable us to get closer to the Pyramids. We thoroughly enjoyed this and our driver took some great photos of us with the pyramids in the background. We then visited the Sphinx – awesome. Lunch was included on this tour and it was most enjoyable – local dips followed by chicken/beef with rice and vegetables and fresh fruit. After lunch we visited the Saqqara Pyramid. All the sights were fantastic but we felt a little uneasy on this part of the trip because of the constant harassment from some of the camel herders, site staff and even the tourism police! We were constantly approached and asked to buy things, or asked for money to take photos with them, their camels etc. You needed to be very firm and say NO until they gave up.

The final tour was to the Cairo Museum. This is a massive building and one could spend two days there and still not see everything. Our guide Lamy took us round and showed us the main attractions which linked up with all we had seen throughout the week during the Nile Cruise. The treasures of Tutankhamen were amazing. We were fortunate enough to actually be in the Museum on 17th February when the World Press Conference was being held to announce the latest findings on King Tut and the atmosphere was buzzing. We left the hotel early afternoon for our return flight. We left Cairo with the temperature in the mid 30 degrees C and drove home from Heathrow in a snow storm!!

GENERAL TIPS & OBSERVATIONS

Only drink bottled water. Be sure to have a hat, plenty of sunscreen (the temperatures were unusually high for February most days reaching 32degree C and it was getting hotter as we left). Wear strong comfortable shoes/trainers as there is a lot of walking and in some parts on very uneven ground.

Be sure to carry toilet paper and hand sanitizer gel. The Egyptian money is tattered and dirty so be sure to wash hands after handling it. We did not find the toilets a problem – all those we visited were cleaner than we had been let to expect. We didn’t pay to use the toilets on any visit either – just walked in and out!

Don’t have large denominations of currency visible – the local traders will even eye up your wallet if they get the chance then pester you to pay a higher price. Get a fixed sum in your mind and don’t be swayed – persistence will usually win.

Postcards in the gift shop on the boat were 1 Egyptian Pound each so don’t pay any more ashore. Look carefully at the packs of cards you will be offered – some of them have very little relevance to the sights you see. Far better to choose individual views. If you are offered a DVD with the sights of Egypt on it (we got ours from the Tour Guide in Cairo) then would recommend you buy it. It contains some wonderful photos with brief descriptions too. Some places do not allow you to take photos so this is a good way of retaining the memories. Very good value at EP75

Make sure you have plenty of English money, Dollars and Euros are also accepted. We used a Santander Zero Card for withdrawing money from the ATM – this card makes no charge for withdrawals and there is no charge for converting purchases from EP to UK Sterling. Cards can be arranged in any Abbey branch while you wait.

TIPPING – Our guides outlined this to us at the welcome meeting. We gave the guide the tips for the coach drivers and porters which was £7 per couple. It was recommended that tips for all staff on board should be £24 per cabin which we left in an envelope at Reception on departure. We gave the tour guide £50 which was well deserved. Purchases on board (drinks, massages etc) are signed for and charged to your on-board account which is settled prior to departure. Payment can be made in cash or by credit card (a charge is made if this option is taken though).

Optional Excursions – The Nubian Village by Motor Boat cost £12 and a Camel Ride once there was an extra £5 extra. Abu Simbel by Coach was £65 By Air it was £165 (some people did fly there but only because they were on the shorter cruise and were flying to Cairo in the afternoon so were short of time). The Sound & Light Show was £23 (good reports of this were heard) and the Hot Air Balloon ride was £90 (those who did this were delighted by this experience). These are booked through the tour guides and payment is made to them in cash (UKSterling, Euros, Dollars or Egyptian Pounds)

Don’t expect to be able to take bottles of water on the flight from Cairo. They will confiscate any liquids at the Gate where you go through yet another security check. We made the mistake of buying some water for on the plane from the Duty Free Shop and at EP9 there was no way we were going to just hand it over at the Gate so we drank it in front of the security guards!

This was a wonderful holiday and we cannot thank Discover Egypt enough for the excellent arrangements throughout. We would certainly recommend this company and we will treasure the memories for many years to come.

[shoshona2]

Hi Suron,

 

Thanks for posting your review. So glad I found it.

 

Sheila

[drewlin]

Thank you for this review as we are thinking about doing a Nile cruise next January and this has been very helpful.

[southwestie]

Thank you so much for this wonderful, detailed review of the ship and your trip, we are in the precess of booking the same ship, we were woried how good it might be, this has reassured us.

 

rob:)

[alaggie]

Thank you so much for the interesting and informative review. I had not been able to find much information about the Discover Egypt tour company until I found your review. We are planning to take a Nile cruise and tour in November and appreciate your helpful information.

[Gonzo8359]

Excellent review.

 

Thank you :D

[dcr20854]

Thanks very much for this excellent review and the good advice that it provides. We leave on Thursday for a Viking trip to Egypt and this is very helpful for us.

 

We have been to Russia and China with Viking and liked the trips very much. We like the size of the Viking boats (250 people) more than being one of thousands on a giant ocean liner. And with river cruising you don't have days at sea.

 

We also like the cuisine of Viking ships--I'd describe it as well-prepared European style cooking. At each meal there's a nice choice of entree and the food is well prepared.

 

dave