Input on Alexandria, Egypt Shore Excursions

[rpv2sail]

I'm considering booking the 'Caravans in the Sand' shore excursion when my ship stops in Alexandria. If anyone has been on it I would appreciate your feedback. There are two others that go into Cario--I think one is call Medieval Cario and the other Pyramids & the River Nile.

 

Thanks,

Pam

[IMNiles]

I'm considering booking the 'Caravans in the Sand' shore excursion when my ship stops in Alexandria. If anyone has been on it I would appreciate your feedback. There are two others that go into Cario--I think one is call Medieval Cario and the other Pyramids & the River Nile.

 

Thanks,

Pam

 

I took this excursion in 2007 when I was sailing on Legend of the Seas (RCCL) - I'm pretty sure the =X= excursion is the same. Here's what I posted last time somebody asked:

 

We stopped in Alexandria in May, and took the "caravans in the sands" ship tour. Normally I'm a "private tour" kinda guy, but knowing how far away Cairo was I wanted to be sure that the ship wouldn't leave without us if there was a problem. We were off the ship very early, and as you noted rode in a caravan of busses on the long trip to Cairo. From time to time, the guide would narrate about what we were seeing, or about Egypt in general. There was a restroom on the bus, and water was provided. The Visas were all handled by the ship without our intervention.

 

Everything we saw, with the exception of the final "papyrus institute" fluff shopping stop, was great. My only regret is that there was so much packed into the day that we were really rushed from place to place. We were on a very tight schedule and had to really keep moving to stay to it. In hindsight, I would drop one or two sights to get more time at the others. The desert caravan and camel ride was actually a lot of fun (we got a bit jostled in the caravan, but it was entertaining), and the meal at the "country club" was surprisingly good.

 

The weather was brutally hot. Except during the caravan and camel ride, the busses were always running and available if you wanted to cool off.

 

We got back to the ship very late (long after early dinner), but the dining room was kind enough to accommodate our late arrival (we had late dinner, but were late even to that) - we were stinky, dirty and sweaty so we showered and changed before heading down and they were very accommodating.

 

All in all I'd say the tour was fantastic, with the caveat that I think we tried to do too much in one day. I never worried at all about being a "target" as there were busses of tourists everywhere, and the major sights were literally bursting at the seams with people so it's not like we stood out (quite the opposite, it was sometimes hard to find our bus in the sea of other busses).

 

The worst part about the trip was not the travel, but the EXTREME aggressiveness of the trinket vendors. For people not accustomed to being literally constantly bombarded with offers to buy, it can be off-putting. The vendors will literally hound you and follow you, some going so far as to actually put products in your hands (I had one fellow rest something on my crossed arms) and then chase you down for payment. Any offer of assistance (photos, directions, information - anything), no matter how genuine appearing, will result in a demand for payment later. One member of our group was actually barred from exiting the sphinx by men demanding money (they got out without paying but it was frightening for them). I understand that these people are very poor and just trying to make a living, and in fact I got some fantastic trinkets from them (far better prices than the papyrus "institute"/store), but forewarned is forearmed.

 

Would I do it again? Absolutely, though I might choose a tour with fewer stops. I was exhausted by the end of the day.

 

Other people have already commented on their private tour experiences so I won't go into that. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time no matter what you choose.

 

I also participated in this thread on the topic:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=787884

[rpv2sail]

Hi IMNiles,

Thank you for your reply and for pointing me in the direction of the other posts regarding the Caravans in the Sands excursion. I'm taking a Athens to Singapore cruise on Azamara and there just isn't much activity on the Azamara boards, which is why I tried Celebrity. I never thought to look under Ports of Call.

 

I really enjoyed your pictures, I saw several shots I'd like to duplicate, which will give me time to just look and enjoy, as you suggest.

Thanks again,

Pam