Has anyone spent the night in Cairo on 2day port visit?What about the police caravan

[HLester3]

I am trying to arrange a private tour of Cairo, since we will be traveling with our 5 year old twins. I was wondering how it would work, if we spent the night in Cairo, instead of driving 6 hours in one day back to Alexandria. We do not leave until 6:00 p.m. the next day, so I thought we could spend the night and not have to rush around so much.

 

How does this work getting back to the pier. Do they only have certain times that the police do the caravan? So they have to fit the tours in those times?

 

I guess I am just very confused about the police caravan and how that works.

 

Thanks, Heather

[simonv]

We spent three days in Cairo before embarking in Port Said. We had a car, driver and a guide. The drive from Cairo to Port Said is about two hours. We were in a private car, didn't have a police escort, and didn't feel the need for one. Once out of Cairo, it's all good freeway to Port Said, and I assume the same to Alexandria. Abercrombie & Kent seems to be the biggest operator in Egypt, and that's who did the land arrangements for us. Silversea, the cruise line we took, seemed to have used A&K for their precruise tours. I'm sure they can arrange it for you. I do need a driver in Egypt especially with a limitted time you have.

[twscott1961]

Hi Heather,

 

I'm thinking about the same thing for a cruise we are on in Sept. 2007. We will be in Alexandria, Egypt for 2 days. We arrive at 8:00 a.m. the first day, and leave the next day at 11:00 p.m. I think to see the Pryamids is about a 3 hour drive 1 way. I'm not crazy about staying off the ship for a night, but I think you will probably get to see more. Hopefully, someone will give some suggestions, who has done this off a cruise ship.

 

Tammy

[mauimaui]

I have not gone on the 2 night trip but have been to Egypt for 2 weeks Jan 04 and the police caravans are standard procedure. They are just for security and all travelers in cars or buses have them. Don't worry about it.

[slgjhg]

Hi Heather,

 

We did this in the fall of '04. I am trying to put the link from these boards about our groups experience. We did several different approaches and were all happy with the results of our planning. My husband and I were off the ship the longest, five nights total.

 

I hope this works,http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=61733, if you have other specific questions, I'd be happy to answer.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

[cadreamer]

My question is this - I have been told by a private tour operator that we will be in the caravan going form Alexandria to Cairo but not in one for the return trip. I would like to know if the ship's tours use the caravan both directions. My DH will feel most comfortable if we do it both ways and I am wondering if any tours use the caravan both ways. Thanks for any help.

[bubbachief]

Same questions plus do we need a visa if we are taking an independent tour.If so, does the tour company arrange or can we get them when we get off the ship? Thinking about De Castro. They have a overnight to Cairo quoted at around $150 per person with some extra fees for admittence to various sights. That seems reasonable and people have come back with good references. Anyone else used DeCastro? Will be on the NCL Jewel leaving Istanbul May 19th., anyone else?

[slgjhg]

Hi All,

 

I feel so invested in these boards, because I got the name of DeCastro from here. (the archives) They really pulled through for us, and many others on our ship doing totally different itineraries. I now know that others currently planning trips for this fall are also using them but giving no credit to the board or our groups research. This makes me very sad, as I feel that is a real take and not give back situation.

 

The reason these boards work is because of the giving with the learning.

 

Best to All,

 

Shannon

[jeana]

If you are planning an independent excursion let the purser's desk know several days in advance while onboard. Egypt requires a special visa for visitors that the cruise lines generally take care of on behalf of their passengers who book the ship's overnight excursions. They will do the same for you provided you advise them you will not be re-boarding until the next day. It's not a bad idea to advise them of your tour operator as well, so they have the info on file.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, just back from Alexandria/Cairo, aboard Oceania Nautica.

First: I think, if the ship is in port overnight (plus a day on either side) you should definitely consider staying in "town" meaning Cairo. It (the hotel) really capped the day for me, plus I had a great night's sleep and didn't have to spend three (more) desultory hours each way on the Desert Highway. It's the most BORING drive.

My favorite memory (I stayed at the five star Conrad Hilton, on the par of Marriott etc) was sitting on my balcony that evening, after a full day of sightseeing and a late dinner. I wanted a glass of wine and the only thing in the minibar was an Egyptian cabernet (okay, so I worked for a winery in Sonoma, but I'm not a snob, LOL). I unscrewed the top, poured it into the room service glass, went out onto the balcony, which overlooked the Nile. You couldn't see much but the city lights but you could definitely smell the city smell and here the city noises, honking and such, and it was magic.

Also enjoyed my morning coffee out there, next day; you could see more (but not much more as it was pretty hazy). My tour guide returned to pick me up at 9 a.m. for the museum and the pyramids.

I say -- stay the night. Pick a comfortable hotel. Bring only a change of underwear and a t-shirt to sleep in. I felt like I'd absorbed the city a lot more than if I had ventured in only to return to the ship and then had to get up at the crack 'o dawn to go back. It's like this: who travels to Washington, DC on a cruise ship, forgoes that city, gets in a car and drives to NYC for the day, and then heads back. CRAZY.

Did I see everything? No way. Like NYC, it would take a lot of visits to get a feel for the place, if that....

Do want to say that some new friends I met onboard stayed at hotels in Giza, to be close to the pyramids. I don't know -- maybe I'm a city girl at heart but that seemed a bit like staying in the suburbs. They never got any real experience of Cairo and that's as important for today as the pyramids were for yesterday.

 

Happy to answer any questions. I"m writing a port profile for Cruise Critic -- but it won't likely launch until early in January. If that :cool:

Carolyn

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor

Cruise Critic

[Hlitner]

There are no police caravans on the Alexandria to Cairo road, although I guess a few tours still use some kind of escort. That road (and that section of Egypt) is very safe. Caravans are still used when traveling some of the roads outside of Luxor.

 

Hank

[snoopyontrinity]

Hi Heather

We were in Alexandria a fortnight ago on a cruiseship. We organised a day trip through DeCastro Tours whom we couldn't speak too highly of. We wished we had stayed overnight because we really like Cairo but the drive was shorter than we expected and only took a bit over 2 hours. The police caravan is no longer required between Alexandria and Cairo.

Vic

[cruisemom42]

I was on the Golden Princess Nov. 10 sailing to Egypt (Port Said one day, Alex the next). We did the ship's 2 day tour and spent the night at the Conrad Hilton. Through no one's fault we had a delayed start to the day, so thank goodness we were staying in town. Some of the other tours that day (we all headed in to Cairo in a 130-bus convoy that was like nothing I've ever experienced) must have been very rushed in order to get back to the ship that night. As it was, we didn't check into our room at the Hilton until after 10pm that evening!

 

I highly recommend doing the stay in Cairo. For the record, we also had a convoy with police escort from Cairo back to Alex the next evening.

 

(And I didn't find the drive from Port Said to Cairo boring in the least. I couldn't believe the sight of the huge tankers and other ships in the Suez canal cutting right through farmland where workers were using water buffalo and donkeys; not even a broken-down tractor to be seen.)

[slgjhg]

Heather,

 

Did you take the trip and what did you do?

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

[Cabana Girl]

Bubbachief,

 

We just booked the Jewel's May 19th cruise and immediately booked the overnight excursion in Alexandria. We have never been to Egypt and just felt safer with the ship's offering. We also have so much to research and plan for the embark and debark ports that we just booked the Egypt excursion.

[lilybud]

We are set up for a pricey overnight to Cairo when the Insignia stops at Alexandria on the 9/13th cruise. Anyone ever hear of them. ? I think our hotel is pretty good, & do all the usual stuff. If anyone has experienced their services, please let me know?

 

Many thanks,

Lilybud

[jojo78]

Hi all

We were in Alexandria 2 years ago on a cruiseship. our overnight was organised through travel agent and they was honest, delivers more than he promises, courteous, professional, eager to serve, immaculate cars, guides in sit and tie, and the least expensive I have found.

[lilybud]

Hi JoJo - did your overnight Cairo trip happen to be the same TA as I mentioned in my question--perchance?

 

Many thanx,

[lilybud]

Always grateful for new leads, and merci a Belgique!

 

lilybud

[GYale]

cruisemom42, Hi! We are on the Royal Princess in June with stops at Port Said one day and Alexandria the next. It will be me, my wife, and one of our teenage daughters. Thinking of arranging an overnight in Cairo with a private tour guide. Can you share some of your experiences and let us know the mst sees for the 2 days. Thanks. I can also be reached at lagmy@aol.com.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi. I was on Oceania Nautica last fall for an overnight at Alexandria and booked a guide and driver through the shore excursion desk. Had an afternoon/evening in Cairo (stayed at the Conrad Hilton on the Nile, very nice, again booked through the guide), then was picked up by same two guys the next morning. We did a quick tour of Alexandria the first day (loved it, want to go back) then the long ride to Cairo, then city stuff (like the bazaar) that night.

On the second day went to the museum then to the Pyramids, had time for a nice lunch at the hotel across, and then headed back to Alexandria. It was a lovely day and it wasn't too rushed at all (though of course 2 days is nowhere near close to what you need for Cairo!

One observation: when the other passengers returned en masse to the ship that second day...they looked exhausted and, frankly, cranky....

Oh and we did not need a police escort.

Carolyn

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor

Cruise Critic

 

cruisemom42, Hi! We are on the Royal Princess in June with stops at Port Said one day and Alexandria the next. It will be me, my wife, and one of our teenage daughters. Thinking of arranging an overnight in Cairo with a private tour guide. Can you share some of your experiences and let us know the mst sees for the 2 days. Thanks. I can also be reached at lagmy@aol.com.

[cruisemom42]

cruisemom42, Hi! We are on the Royal Princess in June with stops at Port Said one day and Alexandria the next. It will be me, my wife, and one of our teenage daughters. Thinking of arranging an overnight in Cairo with a private tour guide. Can you share some of your experiences and let us know the mst sees for the 2 days. Thanks. I can also be reached at lagmy@aol.com.

 

I'm so sorry, I didn't see your post until today. I'll answer anyway because maybe it will help someone else...

 

For me, the problem is that everything was a "must see." I did not feel that we had nearly enough time in the Cairo Museum, nor in the Khan el Khalili bazaar, where the sights are just amazing. Forget about shopping there, the souvenirs are just average, but you will bring home the best pictures. We did the sound and light show at the Pyramids, which was okay but a bit touristy. I enjoyed going back the next day and seeing the pyramids and Sphinx during the day much more. I wish we'd had time to see the Solar Barque (the magnificent large boat found buried near one of the pyramids and nearly intact).

 

The Nile breakfast cruise was also great -- although we didn't really get out of the environs of Cairo, we did see a few fishermen out with their traditional nets. The early morning mist on the Nile is very atmospheric as well, with the minarets rising up on the river banks.

 

The citadel of Saladin and nearby mosque were fine, but not my main area of interest (ancient Egypt). I could've skipped them, although our guide was terrific and did a great job of explaining certain Muslim beliefs and traditions to our group.

 

We also saw the step pyramids (older than the great pyramid) -- another must see and another place where we barely had enough time do justice to the site.

 

For those who like to shop, there are some good buys. Rugs and jewelry from Egypt are duty free (for US citizens, anyway) and the prices are good. Bargaining is expected but was never aggressive.

 

To make a long story short, I was already in love with Egypt before going there, and even more so after this short trip. I'm planning a return trip next February that will just include Egypt (Luxor, Cairo, Abu Simbel and a Nile cruise).