We have a Nile river cruise booked for early next year, and we have some flexibility on the date. Has anybody been to Egypt in January/February? How was the weather?
And anything else about touring in Egypt, the Nile, or anything else you might want to add.
I read your first line as “Nile river curse.” I’ve seen too many Mummy movies!
My mind went to Agatha Christie.
Yep. Check the passenger manifest, and if there are any Belgian detectives going to be aboard, take the next boat.
If there’s a side trip to see antiquities and monuments, DON’T GO.
You know the OP is going to go no matter what we say — he’s in de nile.
The recent “Death on the Nile” film is beautifully done, and I would love to have done such a cruise back then.
A couple of my friends go to Egypt for the Pyramids and such every few years. They said to be aware of hucksters, fake artifacts, and to carry what they called a “decoy wallet”- which is not a decoy so much, but just another wallet with small bills to avoid digging out the real wallet for small purchases and baksheesh.
I was just on an expedition type cruise to somewhere else. The expedition leader on my cruise also leads Nile cruises for the same company. He’ll be there next month for 3 months.
He gave a presentation to the passengers on my ship about what their Nile cruise consists of. Yes it was a sales pitch, but this was the horse talking, not the horse seller. Sounded fantastic. He’s 40-ish, travels the world leading tours, and was unconcerned about the security or pickpocket situation in Egypt. He’s been pickpocketed in Rome & Paris, and worried now and again in a few other cities & countries, but never had any security worries in Egypt.
FWIW I tend to believe him; not the kind of guy to push BS. Beyond that I have no useful advice. I’ll be following this thread myself and if I decide to go, I’ll let you all know.
I would think that’s the point of the cruise.
I always keep only “small bills” in my pocket. Usually enough cash for a couple of days’ expected purchases. If i need to have more cash on me (usually not, most places take cards) i keep it in a money belt, or in the hotel if i trust the hotel.
I don’t carry wads of cash in the US, either. Why would i? And it’s just awkward to pull out a wallet stuffed with cash.
Perhaps, but I would strongly advise against going with some local guy who is not part of the cruise crew. Once out of sight of prying eyes, you’ll likely be parted with your money, either willingly or forcefully. I speak from experience, as I lived in Egypt for a number of months and made many trips to the pyramids and did one local cruise up to Luxor.
Also, if a local tries to hand you something to look at, don’t take it. He won’t take it back and will demand payment for it. And while you’re arguing with him, his accomplice will pick your pocket.
I just was teasing . In ‘Death on the Nile’, someone tried to kill someone by knocking a big boulder off a big statue.
Very harrowing. 
Heck yeah I’d cruise the Nile, if there was definitely AC in the state rooms.
I lived in Egypt for three years but it was a while back - 2004 to 2007. @Chefguy gives good advice. Also, literally everyone I know who ever did a Nile cruise managed to get food poisoning. Not sure how you avoid that, exactly but be careful about what you eat and maybe skip anything raw.
Egypt can be an exhausting place for women, especially foreigners who don’t veil. Dress conservatively and don’t be surprised if you get unwanted attention from local men, including the occasional grope.
I don’t carry cash at all. No mad money, no emergency money. I haven’t for more than 10 years.
I was there in about 1986 when the new embassy was being built. The resident Seabee there took us out to dinner and I was surprised that he ordered and ate a tossed salad. He was absent from work the next few days and when he came back he said that he’d had one of those awful bugs. I told him that I thought it was common advice not to eat raw vegetables and he said - and I quote - “I didn’t; I just had a salad”. Ummmm. . . 
Sure, and that’s fine also. But according to them, if it looks like a wallet, then the decoy will be pickpocketed.
Good points.
In the USA, but this is Egypt. Small purchases and baksheesh are done with small bills.
That’s good advise everywhere there are tourists. I’ve seen that dance many times.
I’m thinking i might be old enough for it to be less exhausting.
My parents visited Egypt many years ago. They didn’t eat anything raw, and they didn’t catch any stomach bugs. My mother said they had gorgeous, mouth watering strawberries, and other produce. She talked to expats who said that everyone eventually eats the produce, and then they are sick for a while, and eventually develop immunity. She also said she went to a bunch of dinner parties with locals, and all the mothers were talking about their kids’ stomach aches. In the US, mother’s talk about their kids’ colds all winter. In Egypt, it’s stomach bugs.
My wife and I are taking a Viking cruise on the Nile in December, with a four-day stop in Istanbul before, also provided by Viking. I was originally reluctant to go to Egypt because of security concerns (this was before the war in Iran), but once I learned that Viking keeps passengers in a security “bubble” – all excursions are included, most at no additional charge – I agreed. Also, we had a credit with Viking that a) had to be used by a certain date and b) significantly reduced the cost of this very expensive trip.
In all other places we’ve done cruises or traveled, we’ve booked some independent tours and done a lot of exploring on our own, but in Egypt we’ll be happy to stay in Viking’s bubble.
We also are on a Viking tour. Report back on how it went!
You might be surprised - seems like all foreign women regardless of age, weight, or general attractiveness report at least the occasional grope.
With one exception: ME. I was uniquely scary, apparently. In three and a half years, I was inappropriately touched/approached exactly two times, despite doing quite a bit of walking around on my own, on a nearly daily basis (I lived within walking distance of my office). This was unheard of among all my friends, who were regularly harassed. My joke was that my features must have been the exact opposite of whatever Egyptian standards of beauty are.
Another theory that has been suggested to me is that somehow my posture/expression gave off “fuck with me and I’ll kill you” vibes. Could be.