River Tosca

Fantastic trip; would highly recommend!

October

Pros: Outstanding service; Super excursions; I felt very safe; highly knowledgeable guide

Cons: Ship was old (but, well maintained); very early starts for excursions (but necessary)

Recommended: Yes

This was a bucket list cruise for us, and it was well worth it! We took the 12-day trip. Initial impressions: Our cruise was definitely in the luxury category, and I felt it. Set your expectations for Egypt - it's dirty - filthy, actually - and trash is everywhere. Cairo is loud, congested, and hard to navigate on your own. The people are quite friendly. The poverty is astounding. Nothing is for free; they'll want a tip for everything from handing you toilet paper in the bathrooms to answering a question. The exchange rate was 16 Egyptian pounds to 1 US$. We exchanged $500 US dollars and didn't need that much. Get small bills for tips. We could have used US$ nearly everything. If I had a big roll of $1 bills, I would have been fine. The passengers were all older; I'm 59, and I think I was among the youngest. All passengers I chatted with were veteran travelers. The excursions were not easily handicap accessible. You have to navigate long-ish walks and steps and ramps and duck your head in many of the tombs and temples. There was a passenger in a wheelchair and another in a walker. The staff is very accommodating, but they were not able to go everywhere. Shout out to Uniworld - one of the passengers fell and broke her wrist. Uniworld took her/facilitated her trip to the hospital immediately. Greased the skids for her at the hospital, and she was treated, got a cast/meds to hold her until her return to the States, and rejoined the excursion in less than 1/2 day! The ship was clearly an older one, but it was very clean and well maintained. This was our first river cruise. The ship was smaller and more intimate. You could get to know the crew and the other passengers. Or, if you prefer, you still have space to maintain privacy. Our room was 215. One large sliding glass window/door (no balcony), and one smaller window. Two comfy chairs in which we spent time watching Egypt go by while sailing the Nile. Plenty of room in the closets and drawers. Bed was comfy - although we had two doubles pushed together into a king. Other river cruise veterans told us that the room was larger than most river cruise ships they'd been on. One sink in the bathroom; tub that was unusually narrow. Toilet and separate bidet. Separate shower with a rainforest shower head that was bolted directly into the ceiling. Barely enough room to turn around plus the lack of ability to redirect the shower head made for a difficult experience during showers. Lounge/bar area was where we gathered to get our instructions for the next day, talks on modern Egypt from our Egyptologist, and where the on-board entertainment occurred. There were local dancers/singers on two of the nights. They were very similar to each other, and somewhat entertaining. The staff performed a cute skit on our last day. The observation/sun deck was delightful. Tables under shade, if you want, lounge chairs in the sun, if you'd prefer. Pool looked very clean. Excellent place to lounge while watching the Nile go by. Dining room was nearly all open seating. There were a few tables with 2 or 4 seats, but nearly all were large round tables. Breakfast and lunch are buffet, dinner is plated with several starter, salad, entree, and dessert options. They're very accommodating and can get/make you just about anything. They offer you a mix of local and more generic foods. Food wasn't my favorite thing about the trip, but it was good. There are many river boats on the Nile, and just a few cities in which they dock for the night. They will dock next to each other, so your windows may be directly facing another ship just feet away. Our ship was never in the middle, but I saw some that were. The cruise line provided outstanding service! Uniworld reps met us/dropped us off at the airport at ungodly hours (4 am and 1 am), and literally walked us through the check in process, including helping us fill forms. I came down with a sinus infection after the first few days on the ship. One of the front desk staff went on shore for me to buy some OTC meds (out of his own pocket, I learned later). They also made me hot lemon with honey and proactively brought it to me at meals until I started to look/sound healthier. :) My hubby forgot his swim trunks, and they found him some on shore. The Egyptologist (Sameh!) was outstanding. He provided us with just the right information - it was a lot, and we were subject to info overload - at just the fight time. He could answer all kinds of questions, and when he couldn't, he'd find out and get back to us. He was available to bargain for us with vendors, if we needed, and would tell us how much we should pay for things. The excursions were all the ones that you would expect, plus a few more that I didn't expect. Early starts avoid the heat and crowds. Definitely go to Abu Simbel - it takes a 4:30 am departure, and an extra plane ride - but, it's worth it! We signed up for the pre- and post-activities in Cairo. We skipped the night light shows at Karnack and the Pyramids; read that they were a little hokey. Other passengers confirmed that when they returned. I would haven't felt comfortable wandering around Cairo without a guide. Never felt threatened; always safe. But, it's confusing, and the street vendors and shop owners can be extremely aggressive. We had armed guards with us, and sometimes police escorts for the bus rides. We were told that the police escorts were required by the US government; whatever the reason, it all contributed to much lower anxiety level on my part. In one unusual case, I was being crowded by some vendors. The armed guard was at my elbow the whole time. Mostly, if you say, "no, thank you," the vendors will back off. Loved this trip! So glad we did it, and would highly recommend the trip on the Tosca with Uniworld!

Splendors of Egypt and the Nile

April

Pros: LOVED our Egyptologist Hatem Abd Elaziz (Tommy). He 100% made this trip with his Knowledge and Enthusiasm. The itinerary was superb, and the rooms (both at the chosen hotels and the ship Tosca) were great (super large and comfortable))

Cons: The ship is a bit 'tired' and showed it. The wine flowed too freely at lunch and dinner, but one had to almost beg for a 2nd beer; meal service was not their forte. Other not included liquors were WAYYY too expensive ($27 for one scotch)

Recommended: No

Overall a great trip.

Egypt

January

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: No

Wow, what a trip!

March

Pros: Personalized Egyptologist, Ramadan, no crowds, personalized service

Cons: Food was too good, ate too much!

Recommended: Yes

Beautiful ship, great staff, fun parties, good food & large rooms. No crowds, felt safe. Large variety of activities including tours & lectures by Ramadan an Egyptologist who is the best guide I have ever had. He is informative, funny, efficient and sensitive to the people in the group. I can imagine cruising Egypt without him. The sites were great. Some we walked to from the ship. Security was with us but has been routinely for years. We felt safe. The people said Welcome and Glad you are here and waved to us. I went on a hot air balloon & held an alligator which I have never done. Went to a Papyrus factory where the make it like they have for thousands of years, high tea at fancy old hotel and so much more. Four Seasons was great!