Nile Cruise, any last minute tips or advice?

[nipersvest]

and would recent events worry you about travel to Egypt?

Am keeping an eye on the advice, says safe at the moment, trying not to get anxious (hard though given how horrid it is for those involved).

Anyway, anyone else done one of these cruises? Any advice offered is much appreciated!

Its a long time ago but yes I did one and it was fab. Truly a special place to visit, my top tips;
Early nights - days are long, hot and busy and you start early to avoid the major heat and crowds.
Carry water everywhere - no shade at most of the temples
Be careful agreeing for any guide, guard to take a photo of you, carry anything etc unless you're prepared to tip!
If you go on a luxor tour be prepared for seeing extreme poverty and mistreated animals.
Do the hot air balloon over valley of the Kings if you get the chance.
Try to spend time on deck just watching life on the river banks - its really eye opening.

I loved it and wouldn't hesitate to go again. I would travel to Egypt now. I work for a travel business and we are one if the more cautious ones, and our Egypt programme is going ahead as planned at the moment.

Pack as light as possible. No one will notice if you wear the same outfit more than once. Pack for comfort first and foremost (river cruises typically have a very relaxed dress code), and choose outfits that can easily be mixed and matched. Take comfortable shoes for exploring, and a smarter pair for dining. You can always take advantage of the laundry service in order to cut back on the number of items you take.
Read up on your destinations ahead of time to make the most of what precious time you have at each port.

Did one years ago and it was amazing. There was an on board Egyptologist who explained all the history as we went round the temples. Back then people took pencils and notebooks for the local children, don't know if that is still a thing?

Loved it so much, I've been twice. Also combined trips with Cairo, Luxor, Lake Aswan cruise, Abu Simbel.
There's no shade when sight-seeing, so be prepared.
Tipping the crew is usually included in the price, or an amount is suggested to give to your guide for distribution. Tip the Tour Guide/Egyptologist separately.
No need to pack light, luggage allowance is generous. It's very hot, so you'll not want to keep sweaty clothes on all day, or re-wear them.
Enjoy, it's a fascinating country.

Thank you! Looking forward to going but still keeping one eye on travel advice!

Do not eat the salad. Only drink bottled water.

If you get the chance, go to the Sound and Light show at the Karnak Temple, it’s truly worth it.
Only eat cooked food.
Try to get some small value notes for tips, and tip everyone! In Egypt they usually tip first as a guarantee of good service, rather than a thank you for it! If you can’t get Egyptian pounds, they’ll also be very happy with dollars, British pounds or Euros. Have a wonderful time.
I've heard that the Egyptians really don’t want to get involved in the current Middle East crisis, and can’t afford to either.

When you get off the boat, you will get hassled by people trying to sell you stuff. Just don't make eye contact and politely repeat No thank you over and over again, they'll quickly realise you mean it and move on to the next tourist. Don't let it put you off getting off the boat, a wander around Aswan was great.

We went earlier this year and had a great time. The hot air balloon was one of my highlights.

On YouTube there is a guy called TipsForTravellers who posts only about cruises. He has one about Nile River cruises. Worth watching as he shows the good and the bad and gives good advice.

Only eat deep fried food and canned drinks or you'll be as sick as a dog.

Nonsense.
Hygiene standards on the boats are very high, same as in good hotels.

Everyone gets sick in Egypt

Take Imodium

I did one when u was 19 22 years ago! 🫣. It was really good. Only thing to mention was when we went to the temples and ruins i got told off as the flash went off on my camera and a guy tried to take it off me. Also another random man said he wanted to show me something but I remembered a story the guide told us about English tourists being taken hostage and shot there a few years previously and I said no thank you and hurried off to find our group.