Anyone Recently Used Ramses Tours?

[Ocean Spirit]

We are going with a group of people on the over night tour.

Can anyone tell me if you have to pay cash or do they accept credit cards? I'm getting nervous about having lots of cash on me.

 

I really don't have a desire for a camel ride. Are there folks that offer getting on a camel for a photo?

 

Do I need to exchange some $$ to their pounds for minor shopping.

 

Any information will be helpful.

[Grannycb]

We are going with a group of people on the over night tour.

Can anyone tell me if you have to pay cash or do they accept credit cards? I'm getting nervous about having lots of cash on me.

 

I really don't have a desire for a camel ride. Are there folks that offer getting on a camel for a photo?

 

Do I need to exchange some $$ to their pounds for minor shopping.

 

Any information will be helpful.

 

We paid our guide in cash as soon as we got to the Ramses van. Like you, we didn't want to carry large sums of money around either. Tipping was at the end of the second day when we said our good-byes.

 

We took travelers cheques and cashed them on the ship. Money was carried around in a money belt while traveling and stored in the cabin safe once on the ship.

 

We didn't exchange any currency for Egypt, nor was it needed. Everywhere we went took USD.

 

There are plenty of camels you can photograph. Let your guide know you want photos with a camel.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2010 by Grannycb

[cruisemom42]

I really don't have a desire for a camel ride. Are there folks that offer getting on a camel for a photo?

 

Do I need to exchange some $$ to their pounds for minor shopping.

 

Any information will be helpful.

 

You are wise to beware of the camels. ;) If you don't want to ride one, there are many handlers who will be happy to let you stand next to their kneeling camel for a picture (of course, for a modest charge). Pick one that looks colorful -- some have a lot more tassels, colorful blankets, etc than others.

 

I'd caution you that the MOST difficult parts of a camel ride are when the camel actually gets to its feet in the beginning and then when it kneels down at the end. You have to hold on for dear life. So I wouldn't suggest actually getting ON the camel unless you want to go for a ride. (The ride itself is pretty easy!)

 

If you just plan to buy inexpensive souvenirs, you have no need to exchange money. Dollars are accepted, but don't expect them to have change. (In other words, bring a lot of singles.)

Edited November 8, 2010 by cruisemom42

[sanbmet]

We had a wonderful tour with Ramses while we were on the Oct 11th Navigator trip. They were so well organized and so informative!

 

Our guide knew that a number of us wanted pictures with or on a camel and he arranged it for the group. We didn't have to pay for the opportunity because he had worked it out with the camel "handlers".

 

As Cruisemom42 said....you do have to hold on...it's not a smooth ride up or down but there is a sort of saddle horn to hang onto.....make sure you grab it before the camel starts to stand up!!!

 

 

There were some questions about shopping on the thread....

 

We did make a quick stop at an Egyptian cotton shop and then another at a papyrus shop. The cotton shop wasn't exciting at all, but the papyrus shop was very nice. We got a quick demo of the process and then time to shop around. There were other souveniers available on the second floor of the building.

There are also a number of shopping stalls right at the port in Alexandria.....don't forget to bargain ....cut the offered price in half and then work from there.

[Ocean Spirit]

Thank you all....your information has been very helpful!

[wrk2cruz]

Hi

Have a question for those of you who stayed at Mena House...We are thinking of taking our laptop on shore but wondering if Mena House offers in room free internet access.

Thanks!!!!

[sanbmet]

Hi

Have a question for those of you who stayed at Mena House...We are thinking of taking our laptop on shore but wondering if Mena House offers in room free internet access.

Thanks!!!!

 

 

We didn't have our laptop but I'm pretty sure we saw a note that said that there was a charge.

[ShipsandDipper]

Hi

Have a question for those of you who stayed at Mena House...We are thinking of taking our laptop on shore but wondering if Mena House offers in room free internet access.

Thanks!!!!

 

 

There definitely was a charge. My husband wanted to use Internet but decided not to when he found out how much it was (I want to say he said it was something like $30, but I could be wrong about that).

[GreySkies]

One more note about the camels: There are stirrups on both sides! If you choose to ride and can reach, use them when the camel gets up.

 

I didn't know there were stirrups on both sides and when the camel got up (I even told them I did NOT want to get up!), I ended up getting some abdominal muscles pulled as if someone had kicked me hard.

[nanci_dru]

Hi all,

 

My husband and I just got back from the Equinox cruise and used Ramses tours for a 2-day Alexandria tour. I've cut and pasted our review, which is on TripAdvisor, below.

 

In terms of tipping, we overheard a tourist ask our tour guide about a fair tip for a 2-day tour, and our guide said $80 (I'm assuming that was per couple). We ended up tipping I believe $100 to our guide and $60 to our driver. The total tour cost for us (not including the hotel or dinner cruise, just the base price) was $600. So perhaps we were a little high. However, I felt that since we were the only ones on the tour, if we'd had a full van, they would have gotten more in tips. Plus, our driver had a really rough day on the second day of our tour (everything was going wrong for him, and he remained really nice and professional), so we were feeling pretty badly for him!

 

Regarding dollars, they're accepted everywhere. You might want some small Egyptian change for tipping bathroom attendants, etc. but you can get this if you make a small purchase somewhere.

 

The Mena House, where we stayed, was great.

 

The camel ride was seriously scary! As someone mentioned, the scary part was when the camel stood up. But I'm glad we did it. There's an area by the pyramids that is sort of "camel central" with a lot of camels and people who lead them around...if you give them a few dollars, they will take pictures. These pictures are my favorite of the whole trip.

 

The Nile cruise was only so so. I'm glad we did it, just to have had the experience to be floating on the Nile, but that was about it. There were bellydancers and a band, and the food was pretty good. It got chilly at night. It wasn't super exciting.

 

Regarding shopping, we stopped at a papyrus place, perfume place, cotton shop, and "bazaar." The papyrus was rather affordable, starting at $10 and going upwards. Remember to bargain. One piece that was about $100 was offered to us for about $10 after we committed to buying something else. I didn't like the perfume place that well but we bought some...keep asking for smaller sized bottles. They do exist! The cotton place was just a store with t-shirts, socks, ties, polo shirts, etc. We didn't get anything there. The bazaar was a large store with different sections -- jewelry, souvenirs, etc. Again, you can bargain and offer about 1/2 of the marked price or less.

 

Anyway, here is my review. I would love to go back!

 

I can't say enough positive things about Ramses Tours (http://www.ramsestours.com). We were on a cruise and were in Alexandria for two days. At the very last minute, literally the day before we left for our cruise, I booked through Ramses. I was happy that they were able to accommodate my husband and me at such short notice. They corresponded with me very quickly and answered all my questions in advance. The quote for an entirely private tour for two people with a driver and guide and a stay in a five-star hotel was hundreds of dollars less than what the ship was charging for a similar tour on a large tour bus. (Having also done some ship sponsored tours on a bus, there is NO comparison.) We could have saved more money had additional people been on our tour, but we found a totally private tour to be the best way to travel and would highly recommend spending the additional money (not that much in the whole scheme of things) for a private tour.

 

Our driver was Kamel and our guide was Yassir. Both were friendly and professional. Yassir was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. They must work crazy hours, but they were always alert and ready to go when we arrived in port at 7:00 a.m. Yassir was great at explaining everything to us and taking us to the most important pieces in the Egyptian Museum, etc. and helping us prioritize our time. He would go into all the sites with us, buy the tickets, explain what we were looking at and why it was important, and give us a little time to look around on our own as well. It was all so worry-free for us. He knew a lot about Egyptian history and was a natural guide. Yassir also talked to us about life in Egypt today, etc., which was so informative.

 

The van that we had seated about 8 people but we were the only ones in it. It was a new van with TV screens and plenty of space. They even asked if we wanted to watch a movie in English. The van had sun roofs, air conditioning, etc. Bottled water was provided. I believe that the van also had a safe, though we didn't use it. Kamel was always with the van when we were not in it, and we left our bags there.

 

The great thing about a private tour was that we could customize the itinerary -- we cut short some of the shopping. Also, we were scheduled to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe and didn't want to eat there, so Yassir took us to an Egyptian restaurant.

 

The only minor glitch was that the confirmation was for one hotel and Yassir said we were in a different (nicer) hotel instead, with no additional charge. I had wanted the other hotel, and so Yassir was able to get this rectified.

 

The experience was like no other. It was truly wonderful and we are so grateful to Ramses for an unforgettable experience. I would highly recommend them -- so much better than a cruise line tour!

[nanci_dru]

Sorry, just wanted to add some additional thoughts on our trip...

 

We paid in cash at the very end of our trip. I was really nervous carrying this sort of cash around and in hindsight we should have paid when we got on the tour, but we were a little concerned in case we hated the tour, something went wrong, etc.

 

From reading other reviews here on CC, it seems that the big issues come down to the other people on the tour and the guide. Keeping the tour small can at least solve the issue of others on the tour. We did a tour with Celebrity in Israel and it was so hard being on a bus with 45 people after having our private tour. And there is nothing you can do about obnoxious people on the tour! :) We lucked out in that our driver and guide were truly amazing.

[Mzhelen]

Just remember to have your GUIDE negotiate the camel ride or photo! And make sure to do it in the area where there are lots of camels. There are horror stories of people negotiating on their own, getting up on the camel, then the owner telling you to pay a huge increase in order to get down off the camel! They are tall animals so jumping down is not a good idea - our guide told us about one woman who did and broke her pelvis and spent a month in a Cairo hospital.

 

The guides all know the camel owners, and I'm sure they get some kind of a "finder's fee" but at least you know your guide will be looking out for you to prevent you from getting hurt or ripped off.

[sawsea27]

this review is written by sawsea27@hotmail.com, if you need information please contact me.

 

we have just returned from a back to back cruise...on the first part we did egypt overnight for 2 days with ramses...it was an incredible experience...what made it incredible is the high standarts of this company....they do everything possible to make sure that you are getting a very well organized and well executed experience...none of this would be possible without an excellent guide..and we had one of the best...Mimo....I cannot say enough wonderful things about him......in fact when our son will be going to egypt, I will trust Mimo with his care...

 

I absolutely recommend this company for any visit to Egypt. They take what is a difficult emerging country and make it into a "jewel on the nile".

 

I will be recommending Ramses to many of my friends and acquaintances.

We did many tours on this vacation. None came close to the experience we had with Ramses and our guide Mimo.

[dprice70]

We did an overnight tour with Ramses in October out of Alexandria. We were a party of 4 adults in a large van. The center seats were turned to be consoles to hold our water and cameras. Our guide was Karim and he was the best guide we had the entire B2B trip. He was very funny and really knew Eqypt. Karim must know every camera made as he was able to use all our cameras and take great photos for us.

 

A small group makes it so much easier to see everything. Karim was able to take us to the Museum the first day as he heard it was not too busy and he knew most of the tours were going the next morning. We chatted with his fiancee each day and learned about buying apartments in Alexandria. Karim suprised us with small gifts throughout the trip and made us feel very safe. He would get our tickets to each place as we were getting out of the van and take us right by the lines. He also was able to help us fend off the vendors that were everywhere once we were done shopping.

 

The driver was fabulous and always managed to find the back roads to keep us moving. One large bus from the ship got stuck in heavy traffic and lost almost 2 hours of touring time. He always got us close to the entrances and helped each of us off the van.

 

On the first day we had lunch by the pyramids. It was amazing to be chatting and eating lunch, then to look up at the Giza pyramids! We stayed at Mena House but there was a mix-up as the hotel was oversold so we did not get our pyramid view room. Ramses tried to fix it for us but ended up keeping us at the hotel and reduced our tour price. The light show at the pyramids is cheesy but with all the information Karim had told us we were able to put the history together and enjoy the show.

 

We will ask for Karim next time we are in Egypt.

[stuttgart]

I generally ask the tour operator for specific tipping info. I got this response directly from Ramses:

 

As for tipping kitty, it is really up to your satisfaction, and how much you appreciate the service. Average of 8-10% of the tour price (that is a suggestion guide)

 

 

I just booked two days tour with Ramses Tour for the month of April 2011. Is this 8 – 10% tip for the both driver and guide or just for the guide? I booked a private tour just for two of us. I like to know more about other people, you come across when you are there like washroom boy (cleaner), bell boy etc. How much should you give them?

[TooManyShoes]

I just booked two days tour with Ramses Tour for the month of April 2011. Is this 8 – 10% tip for the both driver and guide or just for the guide? I booked a private tour just for two of us. I like to know more about other people, you come across when you are there like washroom boy (cleaner), bell boy etc. How much should you give them?

 

We were just on the 11/23 sailing on Brilliance of the Seas and did the 2 day Ramses Tour to Cairo from Alexandria. Ask for "Mimmo" to be your tour guide - he was excellent! We had one other couple with us and for the 4 of us, it was the perfect amount of people in the van and cut the cost a little bit. We tipped both the driver and the guide separately. The cost of the tour was US $260 pp so we tipped the guide $55 and tipped the driver $20 - he really earned it - the traffic was horrendous. We tipped the bellman at the hotel $5.00. US dollars or Euros are OK - no need for Egyptian money. We ALWAYS had to tip the restroom people (take your own toilet paper) - they will be in your face for a tip - 1 euro each time was sufficient. No problem - I'm sure they need the money - the poverty there is mind boggling. Enjoy your trip - it truly was an amazing place.

[UKBayern]

We did an overnight tour with Ramses in October out of Alexandria. We were a party of 4 adults in a large van. The center seats were turned to be consoles to hold our water and cameras. Our guide was Karim and he was the best guide we had the entire B2B trip. He was very funny and really knew Eqypt. Karim must know every camera made as he was able to use all our cameras and take great photos for us.

 

A small group makes it so much easier to see everything. Karim was able to take us to the Museum the first day as he heard it was not too busy and he knew most of the tours were going the next morning. We chatted with his fiancee each day and learned about buying apartments in Alexandria. Karim suprised us with small gifts throughout the trip and made us feel very safe. He would get our tickets to each place as we were getting out of the van and take us right by the lines. He also was able to help us fend off the vendors that were everywhere once we were done shopping.

 

The driver was fabulous and always managed to find the back roads to keep us moving. One large bus from the ship got stuck in heavy traffic and lost almost 2 hours of touring time. He always got us close to the entrances and helped each of us off the van.

 

We will ask for Karim next time we are in Egypt.

 

Same experience here, only our guide was Eman, a tiny girl, but with a big heart and a fountain of knowledge. She also got us to the top of the lines, fended off vendors and getting us little presents from the shops on our tour.

 

US dollars or Euros are OK - no need for Egyptian money. We ALWAYS had to tip the restroom people (take your own toilet paper) - they will be in your face for a tip - 1 euro each time was sufficient.

 

Our guide had a pocket full of Egyptian change, which she handed out every time somebody needed the restroom. In Egypt, you pay the attendant first and they will then hand you the toiletpaper, no need to bring your own.

 

When paying in dollar or Euro, you have to accept that often a waiter or shop keeper will argue he does not have any change - the perks of not changing money....

[aguamel]

Just returned from tour of Egypt/ Cairo/Giza/ Memphis while on cruise. We too had Ramses and guide Karim. Can't praise him enough. Not only did he give us a tour of a lifetime, but helped me settle a VISA dispute once we arrived home.

[CalliGirl]

We have been receiving conflicting information regarding obtaining a visa in Alexandria. We are sailing with MSC. We have been told both that we would have to arrange our own visa if we have not booked our excursion with the cruise line.....and that we will get a stamp from Egyptian immigration on the ship regardless of our tour schedule. We plan to book the pyramids and felluca tour with Ramses. Any info on personal experience with this would be appreciated.

[Turtles06]

We have been receiving conflicting information regarding obtaining a visa in Alexandria. We are sailing with MSC. We have been told both that we would have to arrange our own visa if we have not booked our excursion with the cruise line.....and that we will get a stamp from Egyptian immigration on the ship regardless of our tour schedule. We plan to book the pyramids and felluca tour with Ramses. Any info on personal experience with this would be appreciated.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1320264

[michelle6057]

My father and I had an overnight Ramses Tour in November 2010 and we would both book with them in the future. As a seasoned traveler I have come to expect that not everything on vacation will go as planned (some of my best stories are a result of this). This tour was no different but...

our tour guide, Mohamed was amazing!! He was punctual, attentive, knowledgeable, polite, helpful, honest and patient.

Ramses Tours was a great value.

[tiyana4]

Here is our review of Ramses' Overnight Tour:

 

 

After a number of very disappointing emails just weeks prior to departing for our cruise, I have to say that Ramses came through for our group of 12 people. We initially booked in spring 2010, and later added a few more people in August. All seemed to be going well until two weeks prior to departure when I (the group leader) received an urgent email stating there were no rooms available to our group at either the Oberoi Mena House or the Le Meridien. Imagine my disappointment and frustration. We were offered other hotels (Sheraton and Marriott) but I decided to hold out for the original hotels agreed upon at booking. Unfortunately, it appeared that Oberoi Mena House hotel overbooked leaving Ramses’ hands tied, but Le Meridien was able to accommodate everyone in our group.

 

We arrived at the port just before 7 AM as scheduled. The ship was not cleared until 7:20 AM. There were only one or two port officials checking for visas (no fault of Ramses) which caused delays exiting the ship. Once off the ship, Ramses was there waiting for us with signs and had numerous groups booked for private tours (probably 1/4 - 1/3 of the ship, if not more). Due to fog, we were unable to leave the port until 9:30 AM. Again, this was no fault of Ramses. Port officials made the decision to delay departures for the safety of the passengers; including those on ship sponsored tours. Upon leaving the port, we picked up our guide, Mohammed. We later discovered that it was also Election Day, which caused further traffic delays, but eventually we made it to Cairo.

 

Day 1

We drove the 3+ hours to Cairo. We stopped at a rest stop halfway to Cairo. There are bathrooms available (fees apply) and a bakery and drink counter. If your trip is delayed, this is a good place to get something to eat to tie you over until lunch which may be as late as 2 pm depending on your itinerary. The tour guide adjusted the schedule to make up for the time lost at the beginning of Day 1. I thought this was a great idea as it allowed us to see everything on our itinerary, just in reverse.

 

We then moved on to our first site, the Citadel and the Mosque of the Muhammad Ali. Removal of shoes is required upon entering the mosque, or you can purchase shoe coverings for $1 or $2 each set. We went inside the mosque and were given the history and insight on the culture. Outside the mosque, there is an amazing panoramic view of the city’s skyline. The vendors here are very pushy and will impose on you while you attempt to take photos. After the mosque and Citadel, we had lunch at a restaurant right on the Nile River. This was followed by a leisurely Nile River cruise. This mode of transportation was surreal and totally unexpected. We rejoined our driver and visited the Egyptian Museum. I wished for more time here but as the museum closed early, we saw the highlights and were left to explore on our own, prior to going to the gift shop. The Egyptian Museum is a treasure not to be missed.

 

We left the museum and drove directly to the Light & Sound show at the pyramids in Giza. It was a mad dash to cover the distance, but our driver got us there just as the 6:30 show began. It gets chilly in the desert, so if you are cold natured you may want to take a jacket. The show lasted roughly 20-25 minutes. DD and I enjoyed the show and thought it was something you should experience once. It’s very similar to the light show given at Chichen Itza with the pyramids there. We were then taken to our hotel for the evening. It took some time to get us checked in, but the rooms were nicely laid out and well worth it.

 

Le Meridien hotel was wonderful and many in our group had balconies and pyramid view rooms. The bathrooms were luxurious (unique shower), the breakfast was very well laid out, the view from the room was great, and the poolside bar looked inviting. DD and I wanted a local dining experience so we ate in the lovely courtyard at Felfela (watch out for the stray cats though). We spent less than $40 for two dinners, dessert, and drinks. Others in our group ate at either Mena House, the Tex Mex restaurant onsite, or the restaurant bar. We then retired for the evening.

 

Day 2

We arose in time to have a delicious breakfast in the elegant dining room at the hotel. There was a nice selection of breakfast items but we had to rush in order to be ready by 7:30 when our guide and driver arrived at the hotel to pick us up. We began our day in Memphis visiting the statues of Ramses and a smaller version of the Sphinx. We were literally among the first to arrive. It didn’t take long to get through this site. There are a few souvenir stands here. After this visit, off we went to Sakkara to see the step pyramids. There are vendors here as well. We left Sakkara and headed to Giza. Finally….the pyramids.

 

We stopped at the Great Pyramid first and climbed up the first section to take photos. We then went to the site near the camel rides where we could take photos of all the pyramids in a row. We took numerous photos thanks to our guide. Camel rides followed this (thoroughly enjoyable) before moving on to the Sphinx. The vendors here are downright rude! They will follow you around harassing you even after telling them you don’t want to buy anything. My advice, buy your souvenirs before you get here or be prepared!!! This was a major turnoff for those in our group.

 

We stopped for a leisurely lunch in the city. The restaurant was a nice outdoor restaurant where they cooked fresh bread and whole, rotisserie-style chickens right there for all to see. They literally served half chickens along with a wide variety of side dishes. After dining, we briefly stopped at a souvenir store before heading back to Alexandria.

 

Our last stop was the library in Alexandria. We had enough time to photograph the exterior of the library, take a few snapshots of the Mediterranean, group photos along the waterfront, and watch the sun partially set over the Mediterranean. What an adventure! I’m sure there are some details I missed, but our days went by in a whirlwind.

 

Disappointments:

· Bottled water on our bus/van was not free. The driver charged $1 per bottle, resulting in only one or two people purchasing it. Based on the details of our itinerary, we were expecting the water to be complimentary.

 

· The 3-hour travel trip to/from Cairo was not in a convoy with security as promised. We only had our driver and tour guide, no armed guard accompanied us. We also traveled on the highway unescorted. To the driver’s credit, he got us there and back safely although the traffic was hair raising!

 

· There was very limited shopping on the itinerary we chose because we preferred to see more of the sites. We did stop at a commercial store but there wasn’t much here that held our interest. If you want to shop, I suggest building a bazaar/shopping stop into your itinerary and skipping the stop here. My group would have appreciated a bazaar much more. Thankfully, the ship excursions were late returning to the port and the bazaar at the pier allowed us to do all the shopping we needed. Due to harassment by vendors at the sites, we didn’t get to do much shopping. Vendors in the Caribbean can’t hold a candle to these aggressive vendors.

 

Pleasant Surprises

·As promised, the Egyptologist was very informative and his English was very good. He was

also very personable and I felt that he truly bonded with our group.

 

·Our guide, Mohammed, took multiple photos for everyone in our group and individual

photos as well.

 

·Our guide arranged for the camel handlers to take our photos while riding. We were

apprehensive about relinquishing our camera equipment but the handlers took fantastic

photos and DD and I tipped them 20 LE each (I later learned $1 USD would have sufficed).

In looking at my collection of photos later, the handler earned every penny.

 

 

Summary

Overall, Ramses did a fantastic job given the amount of people who opted for private tours from the ship. Aside from the three things mentioned, I have nothing but positive things to say. While these things did not have a negative impact on our trip, I just wish we had known beforehand. I highly recommend Ramses and Mohammed, if he is available. He has a great sense of humor and our group just loved him! We received a quality tour at a great rate. It was definitely worth every penny!

[Deckhandoug]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review, it is really informative and it is helping me plan my trip.

 

Doug

[tiyana4]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review, it is really informative and it is helping me plan my trip.

 

Doug

 

Thanks, Doug.

 

I am not much for posting reviews, but this was such an important visit for us (top ten on our bucket list) that I wanted to share our great experience.

[Deckhandoug]

Thanks, Doug.

 

I am not much for posting reviews, but this was such an important visit for us (top ten on our bucket list) that I wanted to share our great experience.

 

It's so exciting planning this cruise!:)

 

Can you tell me, which tour number did you take?