Finding the Right Egyptian Cruise

There are several steps involved in finding the right Egyptian cruise. First, you'll want to do a couple of things - talk to a travel agent to discuss ports you want to visit, or research yourself online. Then, you need to set a budget which will determine the cruise line and duration of the cruise. The peak season is costlier and the value season is the least expensive. The "shoulder" season - a couple of weeks before and after the peak season will offer savings.

Contact your travel agent, or, if you don't have one, one stop by and pick up some brochures about Egypt Cruises at a travel agency near your work or home. If you use a travel agent, they'll check group space and may get you a lower rate if they can "place" your cruise with a large group. You may also get extra amenities this way - shipboard credit, a cocktail party, free photos, etc. Always ask for something extra, a travel agent might be able to get you some shipboard credit, or another amenity at no additional cost.

Do some research by either going through the brochures you've picked up, or by going online. Google some keywords - "Egyptian Cruises," Egyptian ports," "cruises to Egypt," "Mediterranean cruises" and similar phrases. Then visit these sites and cruise line sites and browse for information about the ports that interest you.

Read through the brochures and the online websites thinking about what you'd like to do on your Egyptian cruise - enjoy late night clubs and dancing, shop 'til you drop, gamble in the ship's casino and/or snorkel and dive at some of the ports, etc. Are you single and wanting to meet other singles? Do you want a gay cruise? Interested in fine wines or country music? Are kids traveling with you & if so, is there a good children's program on board? This will all help determine the cruise line(s) you should book with.

Determine your budget for your Egyptian cruise. Once you've decided what ports you'd like to visit, it's time to set a loose budget.

Consider which cruise line(s) to choose from based on your budget, an itinerary you like and your available travel dates. NCL, Norwegian Cruise Line, is almost always the least expensive but Carnival, Royal Caribbean and others might have specials almost as good. HAL and Celebrity might be a bit more but they claim "no additional tipping" is necessary so that saves some money. Silversea, Seabourne and Radisson are more expensive lines but include wine and some other adult beverages. Crystal is the most expensive cruise line but it includes extras which get added on to your tab with the other lines. They usually have the oldest passengers of all the cruise ships due to the higher cost. European lines also sail this area - MSC and Costa are two of them. These ships are usually smaller, allow cigarette smoking, have less food choices and entertainment and amenities that the "American" style lines. There will also be a lot more Europeans on board and less English will be spoken among the passengers. Remember to add the cost of your airfare to your disembarkation port and the port you'll end your cruise at.

Take your budget and your list of ports to your travel agency or go online to some online agencies and look for Middle East cruise line itineraries. As you match up your desired ports with the ships and dates you want to travel, your list of cruises will get shorter. See how your budget fits and eliminate lines that are too expensive. Keep in mind, the listed costs usually do not include taxes and port charges. On most lines you'll also pay for sodas, adult beverages, ice cream and other items.

Determine the best port for you to depart from. Try to pick a port you would enjoy spending an extra day or two in taking in the local sites.

Consider the activities you're interested in. The crowds on Carnival are usually younger with more partying. HAL and Celebrity often have a slightly older crowd onboard. Longer cruises seem to attract older passengers. NCL offers "freestyle" cruising where you dine whenever you like but you won't meet fellow passengers and make friends with them because you won't eat with the same people every night. (Eating with the same group most nights is something I really enjoy.) Read through and book some of your shore excursions as soon as you receive your cruise docs. These fill up quickly and might be gone if you wait until after you've begun your cruise.

Book your cruise now that you've made your choice. You're ready to book your cruise either through a travel agent or with an online agency (site). You'll put a deposit down, give them billing information plus full names, addresses, etc. for each passenger. You'll get a date when payment in full is required and they'll send cruise documents out to you a few weeks before your departure. Book a "guarantee" instead of a specific stateroom. If the ship isn't full, you'll be upgraded one to several categories above the stateroom guarantee but you will never go "below" the category guaranteed.