15 February 2011

The Pyramids and the Sphinx will, however, always remain a virtual magnet for travellers from all over the world and it’s only a matter of time before cruises return to this country.

Passengers who have already booked cruises for the spring and summer season would of course like to know exactly when this is going to happen. With the old President gone and the country apparently back on the way to stability, this will no doubt rather be sooner than later.

Most cruise lines are not prepared to commit themselves to a specific date for the return to Egypt at present. Many lines, including P&O Cruises, run Mediterranean and Red Sea Cruises which are supposed to call on Egyptian ports during the next few months. Then there are also the inland lines operating Nile Cruises.

Steve Born, vice president of marketing for Globus, which operates Avalon Waterways and its Nile River cruises, said that the company uses State Department Travel Advisories backed up by on-site validation. They plan to make announcements about future Egypt cruises a month in advance to allow customers to make proper arrangements.

In a recent survey the majority of respondents indicated that they are simply postponing their Egypt travel plans, not cancelling them. The moment the travel warning is removed from the State Department’s website, they will resume their travels to the land of the Pharaohs.