Nile River - Anuket- GCT- 11/12/05

[dosperegrinos]

We are going on this trip and wondered if anyone else on this board will also be on this trip. Have been reading the other posting and we are pleased to see such a positive feed back. One week away and the excitement is building.:p

[LewiLewi]

Hi,

We are booked on the GCT Nile cruise in April'06; on the Stephanie. Has anyone heard about the safety of this trip? Please let us kknow how your Nov. trip went. Thanks

[unberwoob]

We are on this trip next November, also on the Stephanie. Friends went in September and loved it. They said security was not a problem as armed guards were ususally with them.

[dosperegrinos]

Egypt is the safest country in the Middle East. Their economy is so dependent on tourism that they have layers of security surrounding their visitors. There have been incidents in the past that involved the deaths of visitors by terrorists and tourism dried up immediately. It has now gotten back to being normal. So they are dilligent, otherwise we would not be going, we also will be paying attention to our surroundings. We believe it is relatively safe and after all - - if not now, when? If we wait for World Peace, could be a long wait.;)

[Robb]

We did this same trip on the Anuket with a 4 night stay in Cairo last November, actually over the Thanksgiving Holiday. It is one of the most memorable trips we have ever taken. I hope you have the pleasure of meeting Nabil, he was our tour guide and was absolutely the best. If you do meet him, give him a big hello from us-the two guys from Kentucky.

 

They also have a great bartender on the ship-wine list is short but did the trick for me. Cabin was very adequate and I really enjoyed sitting with the door open to the river watching the Nile flow by.

 

If you are staying at the Marriot in Cairo, you must treat yourself to a massage-only $15 and soooo good. I had three, almost worth another trip back just for the massage.

 

This has made me so envious now. I want to go back so much. Have fun and so everything you have a chance to do.

 

keep on cruising

Robb

[dosperegrinos]

Thank you for your input Robb. We are staying at the Marriott - looking forward to that. Such a lovely location, we are planning on enjoying time at the hotel as well as the touring. Reminds me of a set from an Agatha Christy novel with M. Periot holding court on a verandah. And then there's Egypt itself. The experience of finally seeing and touching on all this antiquity we've read so much about is mind expanding. Probably will not be sleeping much from this point on.

 

Diana

[JordanF]

We just signed up for December 2006! We will be on the Anuket. We are already looking forward to it, and hope to hear about other people's trips on these boards. Have a great time!

[dosperegrinos]

• • We are back from our trip to Egypt with a rave review. If you are booked on this trip, we hope you have the experiences we had. On a scale from 1-10 we are rating this a 10 plus :).
    

[dosperegrinos]

GCT was almost flawlessly organized from beginning to end. The Anuket was comfortable and got to feel like home. Our Tour Director for the Blue Bus group was Nabil Labib - they should clone him. The first part of the trip was traditional touring of the Museum, Pyramides etc, but very interestingly done. If you have been interested in Egyptology and have done reading, you will be better able to appreciate what you are seeing. The second part of the trip, on the Anuket, is mezmerizing. We would open our sliding glass door, pull up the chairs and watch the Land go by. Every bend in the River a painting. Regarding security, never did we ever encounter anything that was remotely a threat. The opposite was true, the Egyptian People are warm and gracious hosts.

 

It is a demanding trip in that there is a lot of walking over old (4,000 years) stone courtyards and walkways and there is the dryness of the Sahara. So build up your endurance before you go take good lotion and pack for whatever you feel you may need from the drug store. Yes you can get things there and the Tour Directors will help - really help -, but take your cold meds and things along that line. Hand towelets and antibacterial hand gels. A portable first aid kit in other words. We did and we were really happy we did. Yes, somewhere, someone had a cold and if you travel you know in a confined space it will spread. It did. Did it dampen our enthusiasm for this trip? No, but some people were not prepared and did not take precautions. We would go again if it were not so far. Seventeen hours of actual flight time from the West Coast. In closing ~~~~ GO!

 

Diana & Bill Routledge

[JordanF]

Diana & Bill:

 

Thanks for the review! Although we have over a year until we go, we are looking forward to it already. I am glad that your trip was so excellent. Also, thanks for the travel tips.

 

Jordan

[Sekhmet]

If you have been interested in Egyptology and have done reading, you will be better able to appreciate what you are seeing.

 

Diana & Bill Routledge

 

Note this well - it is the key to getting the best out of Egypt. As an alternative to books, look at www.touregypt.com Good to hear you enjoyed what is one of our favourite countries - we just returned from our seventh visit.

 

Other "remember to takes" include a small folding umbrella which can be invaluable for shade from the sun when sightseeing, plus ALWAYS remember to drink little and often (I mean water - other drinks and their frequency are a matter of personal choice!)

[Joyfredsblondecruiser]

Thank you everyone for all of the good sugestions. We will be on the May 7, sailing on the Stephanie with Grand Circle. Happy Sailing, Joy