The Nile River is the longest river in the world and flows from lower Egypt in the Mediterranean through Egypt, the great Sahara Desert, and into the Sudan. We will focus on Egypt and the wonderful cities created in ancient times during the times and ruling of the great Pharaohs.
Our Nile Cruise began in Luxor. It is really the Capital of the ancient cities with Karnak Temple, The Luxor City Temple, the Avenue of the Sphinxes, an amazing museum, The Valley of the Kings, Queens, Nobles, Queen Hatsepshut's Temple, The Colossus of Menmon, and so much more. It is a place that having two days stay (normal for a 7-day Nile Cruise), is just not enough. The visitor only touches on the history and antiquities of this major area of importance.
The history of Egypt is told rather matter of factly by guides of Islamic background who do not elaborate on details that are not in line with today's religion. Guides of other religions will likely focus on the details of ancient life in more detail making the civilizations of old seem less barbaric and more advanced. It is unique to hear different perspectives based on the guides personal insight. By the way, this is no different than any other travel experience or guide. Experience shared with the guest is largely based on the guides own input!
I must confess that Luxor is overwhelming but incredibly exciting. Not only does it offer great sightseeing and history but it sits along the busy banks of the Nile which is quite verdant, filled with gorgeous palms, plantings, flowers, and the amazing city of Luxor. This city offers great shopping, restaurants (not of US standard), and so much more.
A night visit to the Karnak Temple for the Sound & Light Show is a must see.
My favorite was the Valley of the Kings-but more on that tomorrow....
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A Nile Cruise-How Do I Select My Boat?
A Nile Cruise is absolutely the BEST way to see the historic and important sights of Egypt. Choices range from 3,4 or 7 days and sail from Luxor or Aswan. Luxor is generally a less expensive flight and a nice place to start your Nile adventure. Your stops shouls include: Luxor, Aswan, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and an excursion to Abu Simbel near the bottom of Upper Egypt.
There are nearly 400 boats plying these waters and a choice might be hard at a glance... Whatever you do, DO NOT pick a 4-star rated boat. It will be below standard and less than Motel 6 variety. You must pick at least a 5-star Standard boat which includes these fine boats equated to a standard Shearton Hotel- Emilio Travel’s Domina Prestige, Aurora, Sherry, and the Diamond. If you want a leap forward, pick a 5-star Deluxe boat which equates to a Hyatt, Marriott, or Intercontinental Hotel and includes these fine boats-Amarco 1, Radamis I and II, all of the Travcotel and Jaz Cruises boats, Sun Bay, and Sonesta Sun goddess. The highest category is 5-star Premium/Luxury which is the elite class of boats equating to Four Seasons and includes these fine boats-Abercrombie& Kent Sun Boat III and IV, Oberoi Zahra, Sonesta Star Goddess, and the Sonesta St. George.
My personal pick would be to stay in the 5-star deluxe category to esnure a perfect expereince and afforadable one for most. My personal favorite in this clas is the Amarco 1. It is the only boat that borders into the luxury class, offers a served dinner, has elevator lifts, and has accommodations for handicapped guests. It is priced more afforadably than osme luxury boats but has all the amenities. It also has won-BEST NILE BOAT for a number of years and was completely refurbished form top to bottom in September of 2008.
Going back to the experience though-one must keep in mind that most boats offer limited menus, buffet service for meals, have instant coffee, expect slower than normal service, being tied up with a number of other boats, sometimes a dusty boat-it's hard to keep them clean since it does not rain and there is always deisel fuel odors from other boats floating around outside. A Deluxe boat eliminates many of these issues but a knowledgeable agent can make the Nile experience GREAT for you if they know and have been on this cruise.
Regardless, this is an incredible, relaxed way to see Egypt. It is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of shopping, sightseeing, and a beautiful trip to take. The Nile region is absolutely beautiful. You can check out my pictures at www.CruiseCenter.Smugmug.com
Most boats have their Egyptologist/guides travel along with the guests to give more insight to guests informally on the boat and help planning any optional tours whch might include, hot-air ballooning in Luxor, A tour to a Nubian Villiage, a visit to the Valley of the Queens or Nobles, etc.. Also, when picking a boat, select one that was built in the last few years or recently refurbished or rebuilt to ensure top quality. The older and less refurbished the boat, the less likely it is you are going to be happy...
The other factor to keep in mind is that most beverages are not included. You will pay for coffee, juice, bottled water, and all alcoholic drinks during non-meal hours. This is standard practice in Egypt. Alcohol is quite expnesive too with drinks ranging $10-$20 USD depending on the grade of alcohol. The quality of bar service is also sketchy. This is an Islamic country where the government really disuades the consumption of alcohol, makes it expensive so the common Egyptioan will not consume, and also pricing keeps many tourists from purchasing. Egyptian alcohol is not very good but their beer is tasty. You may bring your own alcohol on the Nile boats and consume in your stateroom, however, you must purchase this at the arrival duty free airport shop at the Cairo International Airport and bring it in your packed suitcase.... That's a lot of extra work!!!
You are also limited in your luggage allowance to send through a total of 44 pounds via Egyptair's standard inra-Egypt flights. This sounds imposing but it is actually easy to do since you wearl light layers throughout the trip. You will want to save some room for exciting Egyptian souvenirs...
Tommorrow, I will cover the sights of the other ports of call-stay tuned!
There are nearly 400 boats plying these waters and a choice might be hard at a glance... Whatever you do, DO NOT pick a 4-star rated boat. It will be below standard and less than Motel 6 variety. You must pick at least a 5-star Standard boat which includes these fine boats equated to a standard Shearton Hotel- Emilio Travel’s Domina Prestige, Aurora, Sherry, and the Diamond. If you want a leap forward, pick a 5-star Deluxe boat which equates to a Hyatt, Marriott, or Intercontinental Hotel and includes these fine boats-Amarco 1, Radamis I and II, all of the Travcotel and Jaz Cruises boats, Sun Bay, and Sonesta Sun goddess. The highest category is 5-star Premium/Luxury which is the elite class of boats equating to Four Seasons and includes these fine boats-Abercrombie& Kent Sun Boat III and IV, Oberoi Zahra, Sonesta Star Goddess, and the Sonesta St. George.
My personal pick would be to stay in the 5-star deluxe category to esnure a perfect expereince and afforadable one for most. My personal favorite in this clas is the Amarco 1. It is the only boat that borders into the luxury class, offers a served dinner, has elevator lifts, and has accommodations for handicapped guests. It is priced more afforadably than osme luxury boats but has all the amenities. It also has won-BEST NILE BOAT for a number of years and was completely refurbished form top to bottom in September of 2008.
Going back to the experience though-one must keep in mind that most boats offer limited menus, buffet service for meals, have instant coffee, expect slower than normal service, being tied up with a number of other boats, sometimes a dusty boat-it's hard to keep them clean since it does not rain and there is always deisel fuel odors from other boats floating around outside. A Deluxe boat eliminates many of these issues but a knowledgeable agent can make the Nile experience GREAT for you if they know and have been on this cruise.
Regardless, this is an incredible, relaxed way to see Egypt. It is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of shopping, sightseeing, and a beautiful trip to take. The Nile region is absolutely beautiful. You can check out my pictures at www.CruiseCenter.Smugmug.com
Most boats have their Egyptologist/guides travel along with the guests to give more insight to guests informally on the boat and help planning any optional tours whch might include, hot-air ballooning in Luxor, A tour to a Nubian Villiage, a visit to the Valley of the Queens or Nobles, etc.. Also, when picking a boat, select one that was built in the last few years or recently refurbished or rebuilt to ensure top quality. The older and less refurbished the boat, the less likely it is you are going to be happy...
The other factor to keep in mind is that most beverages are not included. You will pay for coffee, juice, bottled water, and all alcoholic drinks during non-meal hours. This is standard practice in Egypt. Alcohol is quite expnesive too with drinks ranging $10-$20 USD depending on the grade of alcohol. The quality of bar service is also sketchy. This is an Islamic country where the government really disuades the consumption of alcohol, makes it expensive so the common Egyptioan will not consume, and also pricing keeps many tourists from purchasing. Egyptian alcohol is not very good but their beer is tasty. You may bring your own alcohol on the Nile boats and consume in your stateroom, however, you must purchase this at the arrival duty free airport shop at the Cairo International Airport and bring it in your packed suitcase.... That's a lot of extra work!!!
You are also limited in your luggage allowance to send through a total of 44 pounds via Egyptair's standard inra-Egypt flights. This sounds imposing but it is actually easy to do since you wearl light layers throughout the trip. You will want to save some room for exciting Egyptian souvenirs...
Tommorrow, I will cover the sights of the other ports of call-stay tuned!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Off To Luxor & The Nile...
After 4 days in busy Cairo, it was a welcomereleif to fly to Luxor to board our Nile Cruise Boat. I will go into the Nile Cruise Boats later and tell you how to pick one...It's actually easy as the choices for high quality are few!
More on that later...
As most US tourists arrive in Egypt at alexandria or Port Said, their choices for sightseeing are limited to a day or two only with Cairo, the Primids at Giza (on the outskirts of this massive city), and the great Egyptian Museaum in the heart of Cairo being their only choice for seeing Egypt. This is a shame as the true beauty of this land is found deep into the heart of Egypt and found along the Wotld's longest river, The Nile!
Most Nile cruise programs begin in Aswan or Luxor. The choices are 3,4 or 7 days for the most part. I sugeest a minimum of 4 days, however, prefer 7 to really give the traveler a chance for some neede relaxation and the opportunity to absorb all the history, culture, and sightseeing one will take in.
Our flight to Luxor left on Egypt Air from the new and gorgeous Terminal 5 in Cairo. It was a quick 45 minute flight on a very clean 2 by 2 seat airliner that was clean, comfortable, and exceeded expectation. Once we landed in the barren sesert of Luxor, it was a quick 20 minute motorcoach ride to our Nile Boat found just outside historic Luxor. The city is lines with palms, bouganvilla, flowers, and is quite clean compared to Cairo. The Nile creates a fertile region around it with much verdant farm land, beauiful plam trees, and villiages. It is quite attractive and the stark reality of the barren rich gold sand of the Great Sahara Desert is always just beyond reach of this river oasis. The city of Luxor is know as one of the former kingdoms of the Great Pharohs. The Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple are two of the most remarkable sights to see. I personally thought the massive Karnak Temple with its massive carved columns and obelisks was an engineering feat beyond imagination. The Luxor museum is worth a vist, and shopping for the famed Egptian historical items of Papyrus, Gold, Perfume, and Alabaster are highlights in the tourist rich city. Visiting Luxor is like taking a step back in time. You feel a more relaxed atmosphere among the people. They are farmers, operators of smaller business, and in general leave you to feel that they are an era (or two) away from the lifestyle of Cairo. Taxis are ancient. My rides to local markets usually took place in non aircoditioned 27+ year old Peugot station wagons-LOL! Roadside transportation of produce and materials is by cart, donkey or camel...
The main city of Luxor is found on the East Bank of the Nile. It is here where most cruise boat companies tie up their boats. It is common for 4-6 boats to tie together which allows you to see how the "other half" live. It is sometimes confusing as you don't know your own boat until you arive in your own boat lobby and boats chnge position frequently making the changes to new boats docking against you an ever changing scenario. The issue of privacy also becaomes interesting when your boat is sandwiched between two other boats wherein your picture window or french balcony becomes a window to window view of another boats guest stateroom...
The Tourist Police are evident in Luxor with armed guard stops everywhere. The Nile Boat docks are also found in private cluster enclaves where the area is also heavily guarded for guest security. I found Luxort to be charming, safe, somewhat relaxed and highly recommend the night time Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple along with the coveted West Bank tours to the incomparable Valley of the Kings, Queens, Nobles, Queen Hatsepshut's Temple, The colussus of Menmon, and More... I wil cover these exceptional tours on our return visit to Luxor at the end of our Nile Cruise as these were the sights that blew my mind...
Now, I have joined my Nile Cruise Boat. The Emilio Cruise-Domina Prestige. This five star-standard boat is one of the cleanest, most modern, offers some of the largest cabins, and top notch facilities of any boat on the Nile. It is only 5-years old and kept in good shape by its proud owners. The Domina Prestige has won more Gold Standard awards for its kitchen cleanliness than almost any other boat. As a matter of fact, it only needs one more Gold Standard Award to acheive the pinnacle Award-Platinum. There is only one other boat EVER to acheive that coveted title. The next blog will cover the Nile Cruise experience and we will continue on to more ports-of-call along the Nile with our Egyptologist guides and exciting Egypt experience...
More on that later...
As most US tourists arrive in Egypt at alexandria or Port Said, their choices for sightseeing are limited to a day or two only with Cairo, the Primids at Giza (on the outskirts of this massive city), and the great Egyptian Museaum in the heart of Cairo being their only choice for seeing Egypt. This is a shame as the true beauty of this land is found deep into the heart of Egypt and found along the Wotld's longest river, The Nile!
Most Nile cruise programs begin in Aswan or Luxor. The choices are 3,4 or 7 days for the most part. I sugeest a minimum of 4 days, however, prefer 7 to really give the traveler a chance for some neede relaxation and the opportunity to absorb all the history, culture, and sightseeing one will take in.
Our flight to Luxor left on Egypt Air from the new and gorgeous Terminal 5 in Cairo. It was a quick 45 minute flight on a very clean 2 by 2 seat airliner that was clean, comfortable, and exceeded expectation. Once we landed in the barren sesert of Luxor, it was a quick 20 minute motorcoach ride to our Nile Boat found just outside historic Luxor. The city is lines with palms, bouganvilla, flowers, and is quite clean compared to Cairo. The Nile creates a fertile region around it with much verdant farm land, beauiful plam trees, and villiages. It is quite attractive and the stark reality of the barren rich gold sand of the Great Sahara Desert is always just beyond reach of this river oasis. The city of Luxor is know as one of the former kingdoms of the Great Pharohs. The Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple are two of the most remarkable sights to see. I personally thought the massive Karnak Temple with its massive carved columns and obelisks was an engineering feat beyond imagination. The Luxor museum is worth a vist, and shopping for the famed Egptian historical items of Papyrus, Gold, Perfume, and Alabaster are highlights in the tourist rich city. Visiting Luxor is like taking a step back in time. You feel a more relaxed atmosphere among the people. They are farmers, operators of smaller business, and in general leave you to feel that they are an era (or two) away from the lifestyle of Cairo. Taxis are ancient. My rides to local markets usually took place in non aircoditioned 27+ year old Peugot station wagons-LOL! Roadside transportation of produce and materials is by cart, donkey or camel...
The main city of Luxor is found on the East Bank of the Nile. It is here where most cruise boat companies tie up their boats. It is common for 4-6 boats to tie together which allows you to see how the "other half" live. It is sometimes confusing as you don't know your own boat until you arive in your own boat lobby and boats chnge position frequently making the changes to new boats docking against you an ever changing scenario. The issue of privacy also becaomes interesting when your boat is sandwiched between two other boats wherein your picture window or french balcony becomes a window to window view of another boats guest stateroom...
The Tourist Police are evident in Luxor with armed guard stops everywhere. The Nile Boat docks are also found in private cluster enclaves where the area is also heavily guarded for guest security. I found Luxort to be charming, safe, somewhat relaxed and highly recommend the night time Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple along with the coveted West Bank tours to the incomparable Valley of the Kings, Queens, Nobles, Queen Hatsepshut's Temple, The colussus of Menmon, and More... I wil cover these exceptional tours on our return visit to Luxor at the end of our Nile Cruise as these were the sights that blew my mind...
Now, I have joined my Nile Cruise Boat. The Emilio Cruise-Domina Prestige. This five star-standard boat is one of the cleanest, most modern, offers some of the largest cabins, and top notch facilities of any boat on the Nile. It is only 5-years old and kept in good shape by its proud owners. The Domina Prestige has won more Gold Standard awards for its kitchen cleanliness than almost any other boat. As a matter of fact, it only needs one more Gold Standard Award to acheive the pinnacle Award-Platinum. There is only one other boat EVER to acheive that coveted title. The next blog will cover the Nile Cruise experience and we will continue on to more ports-of-call along the Nile with our Egyptologist guides and exciting Egypt experience...
Monday, June 15, 2009
My June Tour To Egypt-amazing!
It has been a few weeks since my last blog but I have returned from a nile cruisetour to Egypt. I must admit that it was one of the most exciting trips I have taken in years.
Egypt is one of the few destinations filled with artifacts and a history going back more than 5000 BC. It is an exciting, rugged, harsh, hot, congested, but magical place.
I have only been to Egypt on three prior visits but this was my most comprehensive and complete to date. I am going to break this blog into sections to ensure I can cover the main components which are Cairo and The Pyramids, Luxor and The Nile Cruise, and the Nile Cruise Boat experience...
So let's start with Cairo...
After arriving in a 12:40am on my British airways flight from London, I was very happy to find my transportation and local guide standing beyond the medical screening area (checking for H1N1 Flu) holding a sign and handing me my Egyptian Visa stamp to clear Egyptian customs. It was a seamless process. He took us to baggage claim and within a half an hour, we are off in our heavily air conditioned mini-van towards our hotel in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo. We were booked a the 5-star Sofitel Le Sphinx Hotel just less than half a mile from the Great Pyramids. Our ride took nearly an hour in modest traffic and I was surprised that the streets were quite busy as it was Friday and the Egyptian weekend. We arrived about 2:30am and off to bed it was. The Sofitel is one of the better resort hotels at Giza. There are only three for American Tourist consideration. They are the Movenpick, Le Meredien, and the Sofitel. These are the 4-5 Star quality. The other hotel property option across the roadway from the Great Pyramids is the historic and luxury hotel called The Oberoi Mena House. To have a more luxurious option, one must go to a high luxury hotel deep in the noise and congestion of Cairo and does not offer the same convenience to the Great Pyramids.
The Sofitel was just fine although it felt like a throwback to the 70's with a few 21st century twists of decor thrown in for updating. It would not qualify for a 5-star hotel in the US (I give it a 4-star rating myself) but had a lovely pool area with attractive and beautifully landscaped grounds. My room had excellent and very comfortable European style bedding and great A/C. I was happy! While it is not advised to drink the tap water anywhere in Egypt, the Sofitel cleans and purifies its water three times before sending to a guest room. I used bottled water for brushing my teeth and drinking only. The hotel offered daily full buffet breakfast which was more European in style and filled with Egyptian specialties. I was really hoping for the Sofitel European touch, however, this property and its chefs are all Egyptian making the food closer to home than the Sofitel European standard. The food was adequate and plentiful in offering. The coffee was quite good. The Italian Restaurant seemed to please most of the guests and I thought it was just okay. A few of us ventured over to the Oberoi Mena House to its Indian venue called Mogul where the cuisine and service exceeded expectation. It was also quite pricey at $70 USD per guest including a nice wine-high for Egypt but not the US or Europe...It was worth every penny.
The next day our group of 44 was divided into two very nice motorcoaches where our two exceptional Egyptologists, both named Mohammed, would take us to deep into the congested, dirty city of Cairo-home to nearly 20 million inhabitants. Nearly 90% of the population are Islamic Muslims and practice the traditional robe and head covering for woman. The other 10% of the population are Christian and other religions. Cairo has thousands of Mosques and feels like a city torn on the edge of the 21st Century meeting the old world of 1000 years past. It is amazing and a cultural kaleidoscope. We won't even go into old Egyptian history as that is something beyond anything that exists today. We visited the ancient Citadel overseeing the city on a very clear day, the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (not the boxer), and then into the city for the Egyptian Museum-one of the BEST in World. This is the home to most of King Tut's Tomb artifacts and the great Egyptian history. It is a visit that is necessary but overwhelming. We had a short lunch on a Nile Boat and a visit to the ancient Bazaar of Khan El Khalili for some bargaining and shopping old world style, and then back the to Sofitel to beat the afternoon heat and a short rest before we took off for an evening trip to see the famed Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza.
The next day we were off early to see the ancient sites of Memphis, Saqqara. It was an amazing day and the Step Pyramid of King Zozer at Sakarra was the highlight for me. The weather in Cairo was hot with temperatures up to 96 degrees during the day but cooler at night down as low as 71 degrees. Later in the afternoon after lunch we had an afternoon visit to the great Pyramids at Giza where the group had a chance to ride camels in the barren desert. We had free time to walk around the great Pyramid of Cheops and then down to the Sphinx sitting at the foot of Cairo and the desert. It is amazing to see how the Egyptians have expanded the city deep into the desert. The land for about 80 kilometers around the Great Pyramids is protected desert to ensure that the area and tombs of this area are not built on. This is one of the Great Wonders of the World and worth a visit. No matter how many times one has been to Egypt, the Great Pyramids never seem to stop amazing even the most jaded of traveler. After this hot afternoon event, we headed back to the hotel to shower and freshen up for our dinner cruise down the Nile River complete with Belly Dancing and Whirling Dervishes...
Many of our guests who were first time visitors to Egypt were shocked at the prices for alcohol. As one must know, it is forbidden for Muslims to consume alcohol. The Egyptian government makes it difficult to bring alcohol into the country and thus, it is VERY pricey. A standard cocktail can cost up to $20 USD!
After our evening dinner cruise, we headed back through Cairo's horrid traffic where the streets, shops, and restaurants were filled with many of this cities 20 million inhabitants. It was amazing though to have both coaches have a police escort back to our hotel making the ride a bit faster than it could have been.... Also, most tour groups and motorcoaches will always have an armed escort on the bus accompanying the group traveling to ensure their safety. After all, there have been a number of terror related incidents and Egypt is doing its best to protect its millions of annual visitors and chief contributor to its economy. I must tell you that I felt safe at all times and the people of Cairo and Egypt were friendly and never made me feel uneasy. I am. however, glad to know we had the added protection at all times.
PART 2 is coming Next with a trip to Luxor and The Nile Cruise....
Egypt is one of the few destinations filled with artifacts and a history going back more than 5000 BC. It is an exciting, rugged, harsh, hot, congested, but magical place.
I have only been to Egypt on three prior visits but this was my most comprehensive and complete to date. I am going to break this blog into sections to ensure I can cover the main components which are Cairo and The Pyramids, Luxor and The Nile Cruise, and the Nile Cruise Boat experience...
So let's start with Cairo...
After arriving in a 12:40am on my British airways flight from London, I was very happy to find my transportation and local guide standing beyond the medical screening area (checking for H1N1 Flu) holding a sign and handing me my Egyptian Visa stamp to clear Egyptian customs. It was a seamless process. He took us to baggage claim and within a half an hour, we are off in our heavily air conditioned mini-van towards our hotel in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo. We were booked a the 5-star Sofitel Le Sphinx Hotel just less than half a mile from the Great Pyramids. Our ride took nearly an hour in modest traffic and I was surprised that the streets were quite busy as it was Friday and the Egyptian weekend. We arrived about 2:30am and off to bed it was. The Sofitel is one of the better resort hotels at Giza. There are only three for American Tourist consideration. They are the Movenpick, Le Meredien, and the Sofitel. These are the 4-5 Star quality. The other hotel property option across the roadway from the Great Pyramids is the historic and luxury hotel called The Oberoi Mena House. To have a more luxurious option, one must go to a high luxury hotel deep in the noise and congestion of Cairo and does not offer the same convenience to the Great Pyramids.
The Sofitel was just fine although it felt like a throwback to the 70's with a few 21st century twists of decor thrown in for updating. It would not qualify for a 5-star hotel in the US (I give it a 4-star rating myself) but had a lovely pool area with attractive and beautifully landscaped grounds. My room had excellent and very comfortable European style bedding and great A/C. I was happy! While it is not advised to drink the tap water anywhere in Egypt, the Sofitel cleans and purifies its water three times before sending to a guest room. I used bottled water for brushing my teeth and drinking only. The hotel offered daily full buffet breakfast which was more European in style and filled with Egyptian specialties. I was really hoping for the Sofitel European touch, however, this property and its chefs are all Egyptian making the food closer to home than the Sofitel European standard. The food was adequate and plentiful in offering. The coffee was quite good. The Italian Restaurant seemed to please most of the guests and I thought it was just okay. A few of us ventured over to the Oberoi Mena House to its Indian venue called Mogul where the cuisine and service exceeded expectation. It was also quite pricey at $70 USD per guest including a nice wine-high for Egypt but not the US or Europe...It was worth every penny.
The next day our group of 44 was divided into two very nice motorcoaches where our two exceptional Egyptologists, both named Mohammed, would take us to deep into the congested, dirty city of Cairo-home to nearly 20 million inhabitants. Nearly 90% of the population are Islamic Muslims and practice the traditional robe and head covering for woman. The other 10% of the population are Christian and other religions. Cairo has thousands of Mosques and feels like a city torn on the edge of the 21st Century meeting the old world of 1000 years past. It is amazing and a cultural kaleidoscope. We won't even go into old Egyptian history as that is something beyond anything that exists today. We visited the ancient Citadel overseeing the city on a very clear day, the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (not the boxer), and then into the city for the Egyptian Museum-one of the BEST in World. This is the home to most of King Tut's Tomb artifacts and the great Egyptian history. It is a visit that is necessary but overwhelming. We had a short lunch on a Nile Boat and a visit to the ancient Bazaar of Khan El Khalili for some bargaining and shopping old world style, and then back the to Sofitel to beat the afternoon heat and a short rest before we took off for an evening trip to see the famed Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza.
The next day we were off early to see the ancient sites of Memphis, Saqqara. It was an amazing day and the Step Pyramid of King Zozer at Sakarra was the highlight for me. The weather in Cairo was hot with temperatures up to 96 degrees during the day but cooler at night down as low as 71 degrees. Later in the afternoon after lunch we had an afternoon visit to the great Pyramids at Giza where the group had a chance to ride camels in the barren desert. We had free time to walk around the great Pyramid of Cheops and then down to the Sphinx sitting at the foot of Cairo and the desert. It is amazing to see how the Egyptians have expanded the city deep into the desert. The land for about 80 kilometers around the Great Pyramids is protected desert to ensure that the area and tombs of this area are not built on. This is one of the Great Wonders of the World and worth a visit. No matter how many times one has been to Egypt, the Great Pyramids never seem to stop amazing even the most jaded of traveler. After this hot afternoon event, we headed back to the hotel to shower and freshen up for our dinner cruise down the Nile River complete with Belly Dancing and Whirling Dervishes...
Many of our guests who were first time visitors to Egypt were shocked at the prices for alcohol. As one must know, it is forbidden for Muslims to consume alcohol. The Egyptian government makes it difficult to bring alcohol into the country and thus, it is VERY pricey. A standard cocktail can cost up to $20 USD!
After our evening dinner cruise, we headed back through Cairo's horrid traffic where the streets, shops, and restaurants were filled with many of this cities 20 million inhabitants. It was amazing though to have both coaches have a police escort back to our hotel making the ride a bit faster than it could have been.... Also, most tour groups and motorcoaches will always have an armed escort on the bus accompanying the group traveling to ensure their safety. After all, there have been a number of terror related incidents and Egypt is doing its best to protect its millions of annual visitors and chief contributor to its economy. I must tell you that I felt safe at all times and the people of Cairo and Egypt were friendly and never made me feel uneasy. I am. however, glad to know we had the added protection at all times.
PART 2 is coming Next with a trip to Luxor and The Nile Cruise....
Friday, May 22, 2009
What Is The Difference?
As many cruise lines slash fares to keep passengers vacationing at sea, it has become more and more confusing to determine the brand differentiation especially for the first time cruiser. While there are plenty out there who say "A Cruise Is A Cruise", I do not prescribe to that nor does the individual cruise line that has spent billions of dollars on branding and building specific types of ships that cater to different types of lifestyles, needs, and vacationers.
I did a cruise show this week and was horrified to find the number of brand samplers who have cruised the gambit from Carnival to Holland America and could not really determine what their own niche was nor did they feel they had proper advice on qulifying experiences to better enhance their vacation.
The cruise industry executives repeatedly tell me that there is a trend among internet purchasers of cruises to just buy cheap. This means in many cases the vacationer has no real guidance to qualifying their experience or finding the right choice. While some of you might say, I know what I want and can figure it out negates the true experience of an experince unbiased travel professional who has a career learning the ins and outs of the cuise busines and really understands the individual brands to help the guest make the right vacation, destination, and cabin choice for his vacation. By the way, the advise is usually FREE and much better than an online biased opinion or a direct cruise line booking who has one single agenda-sell that brand only.
I am going to talk about three large ship categories today. They are the Contemporary (mass market), Premium (upper market), and Luxury (high end), large ship experience and the lcruise lines in-order of quality (my opinion).
I will cover the nuances, strengths, and weakneses of each so here goes!
Contemporary-Mass Market Cruise Lines
Carnival-The Fun Ships
Strengths- affordable, relaible, excellent food, service, and entertainment, very good Camp Carnival for kids, always fun and vibrant with great live music onboard and fun casinos
Weaknesses- caters to a party crowd with many smokers especially on shorter cruise itnieraries, fleet is not consistent and has many older ships (Fantasy Class),
Best Ships To Sail On: Conquest Class or Spirit Class and the NEW Carnival Dream
Rating: 3-4 Stars
NCL-Freestyle Cruising
Strengths- Freestyle dining with many alternative fee based options, incredible suites and penthouses, spotlessly clean ships, fun atmosphere, chic Vegas style decor, and affordable
Weaknesses- service can be spotty, some of the older ships have tiny cabins and awkward layouts, entertainment varies from ship to ship.
Best Ships To Sail On: The Jewel Class and the New Norwegian Epic
Rating: 3-4 Stars
Princess- The Love Boat
Strengths- overall decor is consistent throughout the fleet, large ships with varied entertainment programs, affordable long cruise itineraries, food in alternative venues is excellent, Movies Under The Stars
Weaknesses: spotty service and food, some older ships need refurbishment, used to be a premium cruise line but lowered itself to compete directly against Royal Caribbean creating massive ships with up to 3600 passengers.
Best Ships To Sail On:The Coral or Island Princess and the smaller Princess ships (ex: Rennaissance Class)
Rating: 4 Stars
Royal Caribbean-The Nation of Why Nots
Strengths- excellent ship design, architecture, and layout, incredible facilities and array of cabins, best contemporary branding giving the impression of upscale for the mas market, excellent childrens programs, past passenger program, and untouched exciting onboard cruise atmosphere..Caters to all age groups
Weaknesses- some older ships are worn and tired, food is inconsistent ship to ship, company management is very arrogant and elitist-sorry!
Best Ships: Voyager and Freedom Class, and NEW Oasis of the Seas
Rating: 4-Stars
Premium- Upper Market Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises-Starring You
Strengths-gorgeous marine architecture, contemporary style, innovative cuisine, personal service, lots of fine attention to detail, constant refinement of product
Weaknesses-older ships are worn, brand gets confused often with parent company Royal Caribbean, and prices are often too low for quality product offered
Caters To: a more mature crowd 57+
Best Ships: Solstice Class and Millennium Class
Rating: 4-5 Stars
Holland America Line-A Signature of Excellence
Strengths- reinventing a traditional company into a relevant leader, warm and gracious service, excellent food, spacious cabins, well appointed, decorated, and quality enrichment programs like Culinary Arts At Sea, Onboard Lectures, Microsoft Digital Workshop,
Weaknesses- older ships needs refurbishment but works are underway, ships are too low key at night, entertainment is spotty, sometimes language with Asian staff can be a barrier, and prices are too low for quality given driving in a lesser caliber crowd at times. This causes the brand to suffer from differentiation.
Caters To: a more mature crowd 60+
Rating: 4-5 Stars
Luxury Cruise Lines (The Ultimate Experience for the Sophisticated Traveler)
Regent Seven Seas-Luxury Goes Exploring
Strengths- large ships catering to only 500-700 passengers in all-suites, all inclusiveness, open seating, elegant atmosphere, multiple dining options, casual country club dress code, high crew to passenger ratio, attempt to deliver a most personal guest experience. Equates to a Four Seasons Hotel and is expensive.
Weaknesses-service is sometimes spotty, ships seem like a ghost town at night due to large public areas and few passengers, and entertainment is VERY low-key
Caters to: 65+ and affluent to wealthy
Best Ships: ALL three are superb!
Rating: 5-stars
Crystal Cruises-The World's Best Cruise Line
Strengths- overall winner of top luxury awards in the entire travel industry for more than 15 years, superb food and service, large ships catering to well dressed crowd, exceptional alternative dining venues, the BEST enrichment program of any cruise line, excellent entertainment options, ships are spotlessly clean, very high crew to guest ratio. Equates to For Seasons/Ritz Carlton crowd and is expensive.
Weaknesses- standard cabins are smaller than competition, two seating’s for dinner, some itineraries are redundant to high number of repeat guests but this is due to it being only a two ship operation.
Best Ships: All-there are two and they are excellent
Rating: 5-6 Stars
I did a cruise show this week and was horrified to find the number of brand samplers who have cruised the gambit from Carnival to Holland America and could not really determine what their own niche was nor did they feel they had proper advice on qulifying experiences to better enhance their vacation.
The cruise industry executives repeatedly tell me that there is a trend among internet purchasers of cruises to just buy cheap. This means in many cases the vacationer has no real guidance to qualifying their experience or finding the right choice. While some of you might say, I know what I want and can figure it out negates the true experience of an experince unbiased travel professional who has a career learning the ins and outs of the cuise busines and really understands the individual brands to help the guest make the right vacation, destination, and cabin choice for his vacation. By the way, the advise is usually FREE and much better than an online biased opinion or a direct cruise line booking who has one single agenda-sell that brand only.
I am going to talk about three large ship categories today. They are the Contemporary (mass market), Premium (upper market), and Luxury (high end), large ship experience and the lcruise lines in-order of quality (my opinion).
I will cover the nuances, strengths, and weakneses of each so here goes!
Contemporary-Mass Market Cruise Lines
Carnival-The Fun Ships
Strengths- affordable, relaible, excellent food, service, and entertainment, very good Camp Carnival for kids, always fun and vibrant with great live music onboard and fun casinos
Weaknesses- caters to a party crowd with many smokers especially on shorter cruise itnieraries, fleet is not consistent and has many older ships (Fantasy Class),
Best Ships To Sail On: Conquest Class or Spirit Class and the NEW Carnival Dream
Rating: 3-4 Stars
NCL-Freestyle Cruising
Strengths- Freestyle dining with many alternative fee based options, incredible suites and penthouses, spotlessly clean ships, fun atmosphere, chic Vegas style decor, and affordable
Weaknesses- service can be spotty, some of the older ships have tiny cabins and awkward layouts, entertainment varies from ship to ship.
Best Ships To Sail On: The Jewel Class and the New Norwegian Epic
Rating: 3-4 Stars
Princess- The Love Boat
Strengths- overall decor is consistent throughout the fleet, large ships with varied entertainment programs, affordable long cruise itineraries, food in alternative venues is excellent, Movies Under The Stars
Weaknesses: spotty service and food, some older ships need refurbishment, used to be a premium cruise line but lowered itself to compete directly against Royal Caribbean creating massive ships with up to 3600 passengers.
Best Ships To Sail On:The Coral or Island Princess and the smaller Princess ships (ex: Rennaissance Class)
Rating: 4 Stars
Royal Caribbean-The Nation of Why Nots
Strengths- excellent ship design, architecture, and layout, incredible facilities and array of cabins, best contemporary branding giving the impression of upscale for the mas market, excellent childrens programs, past passenger program, and untouched exciting onboard cruise atmosphere..Caters to all age groups
Weaknesses- some older ships are worn and tired, food is inconsistent ship to ship, company management is very arrogant and elitist-sorry!
Best Ships: Voyager and Freedom Class, and NEW Oasis of the Seas
Rating: 4-Stars
Premium- Upper Market Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises-Starring You
Strengths-gorgeous marine architecture, contemporary style, innovative cuisine, personal service, lots of fine attention to detail, constant refinement of product
Weaknesses-older ships are worn, brand gets confused often with parent company Royal Caribbean, and prices are often too low for quality product offered
Caters To: a more mature crowd 57+
Best Ships: Solstice Class and Millennium Class
Rating: 4-5 Stars
Holland America Line-A Signature of Excellence
Strengths- reinventing a traditional company into a relevant leader, warm and gracious service, excellent food, spacious cabins, well appointed, decorated, and quality enrichment programs like Culinary Arts At Sea, Onboard Lectures, Microsoft Digital Workshop,
Weaknesses- older ships needs refurbishment but works are underway, ships are too low key at night, entertainment is spotty, sometimes language with Asian staff can be a barrier, and prices are too low for quality given driving in a lesser caliber crowd at times. This causes the brand to suffer from differentiation.
Caters To: a more mature crowd 60+
Rating: 4-5 Stars
Luxury Cruise Lines (The Ultimate Experience for the Sophisticated Traveler)
Regent Seven Seas-Luxury Goes Exploring
Strengths- large ships catering to only 500-700 passengers in all-suites, all inclusiveness, open seating, elegant atmosphere, multiple dining options, casual country club dress code, high crew to passenger ratio, attempt to deliver a most personal guest experience. Equates to a Four Seasons Hotel and is expensive.
Weaknesses-service is sometimes spotty, ships seem like a ghost town at night due to large public areas and few passengers, and entertainment is VERY low-key
Caters to: 65+ and affluent to wealthy
Best Ships: ALL three are superb!
Rating: 5-stars
Crystal Cruises-The World's Best Cruise Line
Strengths- overall winner of top luxury awards in the entire travel industry for more than 15 years, superb food and service, large ships catering to well dressed crowd, exceptional alternative dining venues, the BEST enrichment program of any cruise line, excellent entertainment options, ships are spotlessly clean, very high crew to guest ratio. Equates to For Seasons/Ritz Carlton crowd and is expensive.
Weaknesses- standard cabins are smaller than competition, two seating’s for dinner, some itineraries are redundant to high number of repeat guests but this is due to it being only a two ship operation.
Best Ships: All-there are two and they are excellent
Rating: 5-6 Stars
Monday, May 11, 2009
I Went to Mexico During The Swine Flu...
It was perfectly fine. I flew to Cancun to head down to the Riviera Maya, a newlt developed stretch of beach with upscale resorts about 20 miles South of Cancun. The noticeable difference was lack of tourists and an empty flight from Houston. Nobody on my plane wore a mask but I did see hand sanitizer. I left in the height of the flu pandemic as the news got worse on a daily basis from the WHO, the news from Mexico became less intense with far fewer deaths and cases than were initally reported. The disparity of reporting was so off the wall, I did not trut anytihng being said. The lack of cases in the US also caused me to wonder if this was really all that bad...
So, Bravely off to Mexico we went to samply the new luxury resort-Banyan Tree at Maykoba. This new resort is the first by the Asian chain of smal all villa resorts built in North America. Acapulco is opening soon... The Banyan Tree is Thai run and designed with only 132 villas ranfing from 1150-3000 square feet each. Each villa has a courtyard with a private pool and is situated on a natural mangrove offering a truly unique setting. This is not a typical resort. You get to your villa by boat, electic cart, or personal use bicycle. The resort is spread over a huge area and is part of a 600 acre larger resort that currently include a much larger Fairmount property, a Rosewood Resort, and a a World Class golf course. It is set in a dense natural jungle with mangroves teaming with wildlife and all resorts have beachfront access with swimming pools, restaurants, beach clubs, and glorious poweder sand beached no longer found in Cancun to the North!
The resort as all in the area had less than 10% occupancy. I was told tourism died overnight throughout Mexico with the closing of all bars, clubs, and most restaurants. The US government request for non-essential visits to Mexico did not help. There was alos not one confirmed case of swine in the Yucatan. The cruise ships, tourists, and everyone else stayed home... This recent flu event has caused catostrophic economic impact Worldwide as commerce slowed or stoped in many places across the globe due to the media fear created over false information.
So, all of this aside, I enjoyed the most glamerous resort with personl service, gourmet food incuding a fabulous Thai Restaurant sitting on a mangrove with crocodiles-ooh!, A stunning beach club for sunning, excellent shrimp tacos, a fantastic Thia spa with gorgeous Thai attendants, bicycle rides from my villa to the beach, walks along the beach at sunrise and sunset, naps in the pavilion next to the private plunge pool, and more gourmet dining-enough to satisfy the most discriminating palate. All in all it was a perfect 10 for a resort stay and NO SWINE FLU!
I encourage travelers to make the trek back and support Mexico whose economy has come to a halt. Go to their safe and hospitable resorts, stay away from those border towns though... PErhaps take a Summer cruise to the Yucatan to experience the beauty of Mexico's beaches and Mayan culture...
It was a wonderful stay for 5 days during a World Crisis....
So, Bravely off to Mexico we went to samply the new luxury resort-Banyan Tree at Maykoba. This new resort is the first by the Asian chain of smal all villa resorts built in North America. Acapulco is opening soon... The Banyan Tree is Thai run and designed with only 132 villas ranfing from 1150-3000 square feet each. Each villa has a courtyard with a private pool and is situated on a natural mangrove offering a truly unique setting. This is not a typical resort. You get to your villa by boat, electic cart, or personal use bicycle. The resort is spread over a huge area and is part of a 600 acre larger resort that currently include a much larger Fairmount property, a Rosewood Resort, and a a World Class golf course. It is set in a dense natural jungle with mangroves teaming with wildlife and all resorts have beachfront access with swimming pools, restaurants, beach clubs, and glorious poweder sand beached no longer found in Cancun to the North!
The resort as all in the area had less than 10% occupancy. I was told tourism died overnight throughout Mexico with the closing of all bars, clubs, and most restaurants. The US government request for non-essential visits to Mexico did not help. There was alos not one confirmed case of swine in the Yucatan. The cruise ships, tourists, and everyone else stayed home... This recent flu event has caused catostrophic economic impact Worldwide as commerce slowed or stoped in many places across the globe due to the media fear created over false information.
So, all of this aside, I enjoyed the most glamerous resort with personl service, gourmet food incuding a fabulous Thai Restaurant sitting on a mangrove with crocodiles-ooh!, A stunning beach club for sunning, excellent shrimp tacos, a fantastic Thia spa with gorgeous Thai attendants, bicycle rides from my villa to the beach, walks along the beach at sunrise and sunset, naps in the pavilion next to the private plunge pool, and more gourmet dining-enough to satisfy the most discriminating palate. All in all it was a perfect 10 for a resort stay and NO SWINE FLU!
I encourage travelers to make the trek back and support Mexico whose economy has come to a halt. Go to their safe and hospitable resorts, stay away from those border towns though... PErhaps take a Summer cruise to the Yucatan to experience the beauty of Mexico's beaches and Mayan culture...
It was a wonderful stay for 5 days during a World Crisis....
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Alaska-Is the Cruise Industry Coming To A Slow End
2009 will prove to be the worst year for sales and revenues for the once incredibly popular Alaska cruise and tour business. While this is shocking, the reason is obvious. The great citizens of Alaska voted a per passenger head tax into existence two years ago with give intent to improve the ports, roadways, and infrastructure for tourism, however, that has not come to fruition. What has happened is that the cruise lines have incurred a huge tax burden which has cost them on the operating side and also have passed on a significant cost to the traveler. A 7-day Alaska cruise has taxes and government fees nearly twice that of any other destination. After a full year of this exorbitant taxing, business has slowed to a crawl... Cruise lines have had to drop prices to an all time low making an Alaska cruise less expensive than virtually ANY Summer Caribbean cruise. The demand is equally soft on the ever popular cruise tour (land and sea) portion of the cruise business too. The taxes have had such an impact on sales and revenues that all cruise lines with the exception of NCL have pulled a ship out of the market for 2010. It is expected that in 2011, capacity will be again reduced due to this pending tax crisis. I don't blame the cruise lines or the consumer for holding back. When shopping for cruises today, everyone is looking at the bottom line. When taxes are so disproportionate to other destinations, the decision for the guest to decide on other places to cruise or travel becomes easier. Oh, don't forget that reduced capacity creates business downturn for the Alaska ports-of-call, local business, tour excursion operators, and major ports like Seattle and Vancouver... Shame on Alaska for its greed and non-use of the taken tourist tax funds...
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