Touring Cairo and the Nile

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Touring Cairo and the Nile: Frequently-Asked Questions about The Nile in Style

Journey down the Nile on our own luxurious ship. See the wonders of Egypt which have fascinated travelers for centuries. Tour Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel on this incredible voyage through history.

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Contents:

• What are the tour prices based on ss Karim cabin selection?
  
• What are the costs of the additional 2013 tour options?
  
• What are the key dates of the November 2013 Nile in Style tour?
  
• What kind of weather should I expect?
  
• What is the boat, the ss Karim, like?
  
• Can you describe the staterooms on the boat?
  
• Where are the crew members from, and what are meals like on the ship?
  

What are the tour prices based on ss Karim cabin selection?
These are the 2013 tour prices based on the ss Karim accommodations selected:

Staterooms No. 1, 2 or 14: each with private balcony and one large bed:
Two friends sharing, per person$6,748
Single occupancy $7,798

Staterooms No. 3, 5, 11 or 12: each with one large bed:
Two friends sharing, per person $5,998
Single occupancy $7,198

Staterooms No. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 15: each with two twin beds:
Two guests sharing, per person $5,998
Single occupancy $7,198

Staterooms No. 4 or 16: each with one large bed, for single occupancy * $6,998

What are the costs of the additional 2013 tour options?
Pre-Tour One-Day Sakkara Extension including one additional night at Mena House Oberoi Hotel and a half-day excursion to the rarely-visited Red, Bent and Sakkara Pyramids:
$275 per person in double occupancy; $430 in single occupancy Half-Day Abu Simbel Excursion including flight from Aswan and guided tour:
$290 per person (subject to change based on airfares)

One-Week Extension to Siwa and Alexandria
Double occupancy, per person $2100
Single $2600

What are the key dates of the November 2013 Nile in Style tour?
Please note that Day 1 of the itinerary, Saturday, November 23, 2013, is the arrival day in Cairo. The actual dates are:

Nov. 22, 2013: North American travelers depart from home (or start one day earlier if joining the pre-tour extension to the Bent, Red and Sakkara Pyramids).

Nov. 23-Dec 4: Main Tour, including two nights in Giza, one week on the ss Karim, and two nights in downtown Cairo. Our farewell dinner is the night of Dec. 3 in Cairo, allowing flights anytime on Dec. 4 or later.

Dec 4-11: Siwa & Alexandria Extension, with the night of Dec. 10 near the Cairo Airport.

What kind of weather should I expect?
The weather in Egypt in the early and late winter is generally sunny; and temperatures in Cairo range from a maximum of 80° Fahrenheit during the day to a minimum of 50° at night. Cold waves occasionally blow across the sea from Europe, but they tend to be short-lived.

The daytime temperature in Upper Egypt is usually about ten degrees higher, without any humidity, but nights are often quite cold. Rain is most exceptional in Cairo, and virtually none falls in Aswan, Abu Simbel and other areas south of Luxor.

What is the boat, the ss Karim, like?
The ss Karim is of a type developed in the 19th Century to accommodate fastidious early travelers to Egypt. Built in Scotland in 1917 for Egypt's King Fuad, and later used by King Farouk and Presidents Nasser and Sadat, it has been stylishly refurbished, and now combines the grandeur of its distinguished past with all the comforts of today, including air-conditioning throughout (but not heat), and compact but modern bathrooms in each cabin.

Our ship is 151 feet long and 33 feet wide, with a draft of 5 feet. All the modern technical installations - radar, water-purifying equipment, etc. - are in accordance with the regulations of the US Bureau of Shipping, and during the ship's restoration all walls and ceilings were fire-proofed and sound-proofed.

We are hesitant to describe anything as being luxurious, but the ss Karim's public rooms and staterooms unquestionably qualify for this accolade as befitting the style of its day. The ship is not merely comfortable; rather, its gracious ambience enables us truly to cruise the Nile in style.

The lounge resembles that of a traditional British men's club, with its upholstered settees and armchairs, and an elegant bar. The dining room, too, is superbly appointed, with seating at tables for four and six persons.

The ship boasts three spacious, open decks. The shaded deck is furnished with cane chairs and tables where afternoon tea is served. The two sun decks are ideal for enjoying the views of the passing riverbanks and village activities, and feature large lounge chairs, a cool-water Jacuzzi, and even a treadmill. Please note that we do not allow smoking in any interior space while our groups are on the ss Karim, but there are outside decks where smoking is permitted.

Here is a link to the deck plan of the SS Karim.

Can you describe the staterooms on the boat?
The fifteen staterooms are exceptionally large for a river ship. Average dimensions are 10 feet by 14 feet with 8-foot ceilings. Each features private bath and shower, one or two wide picture windows with heavy wood shutters, double or twin beds, armchairs, a dressing table and a hanging closet designed for an age when travelers took along cabin trunks. Three of the roomiest staterooms lead onto private balconies in the bow and stern of the ship.

Where are the crew members from, and what are meals like on the ship?
The ship's highly professional crew members are all Egyptian, with most being from Luxor, Aswan or the villages in between. Most of them speak some English, and are anxious to demonstrate traditional Egyptian hospitality to guests.

Breakfast and luncheon are buffet-style. Afternoon tea with pastries (a relic of the British influence on Egypt) is served on deck by uniformed waiters, to the accompaniment of 1920's music. Dinner has a different theme every evening, from the Captain's Welcome Dinner to the 1920's evening to the Nubian night, when some of our group don their new Egyptian finery.

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