Egypt 2011 ***IMPORTANT UPDATE 2/4/11 Post # 190***

[skc76]

Just to let skc76 know that we have booked for the April 7 night trip with our 6 yr old daughter. We are hoping there are other children her age and from what I can gather from my discussion with the ABD rep there is at least one other child in the same age range. Given the number of people who have indicated they have booked and the number of children that have been identified I would think the ratio of adults to children would remain fairly constant as the trip fills up. Therefore, I am assuming that there will be a good number of other children as well.

etc48

ETC48 are you still planning on going on the trip? After this recent bombing we are seriously considering switching to another ABD destination. We contacted ABD and the numbers they quoted us a few months ago have gone down, so some people are cancelling. It's only 34% booked as of today. If you guys aren't going, we'll probably switch to a different trip.

 

[etc48]

Yes we are still planning to go. I suspect that the numbers will drop with the deadline for final payment due.

We have talked about it quite a bit. Our feeling is that there has been a history of violence in many centers including New York city and we would not hesitate to visit there anytime. We don't live in the US and don't want to sound insensitive to the history the US has lived through since 2001. We were in Rome when the earthquake hit Italy a few years ago and were rattled by that being our first experience with earthquakes. But that won't stop us from going back.

When all is said and done we are still planning to go. Hopefully others will to.

 

[Pakey]

My husband and I went to Egypt about 6 weeks ago and I felt very safe there. In fact, I felt safer there than I felt in any one of the European countries I have visited.

There are 750 licensed tour operators there. Tourism is about 75% of the economy in the country. The majority of the country realizes how important the tourists are and treat them like gold. The people are so friendly, most spoke English, the American dollar was accepted everywhere.

Violence can happen anywhere, we've had our share of it here in the US. I would not hesitate to return to Egypt.

 

[dtraveler]

I'm trying to convince my family to do this trip! we will most likely book for christmas 2012 if they continue it....kids will be 15, 19, 21, 23,
we all want to go!

 

[liebeyena]

I will do this trip in this christmas with my lover .

 

[etc48]

Skc76, our travel agent called to say Disney had been in touch to get updated info from us. Our agent was very impressed and confident that, based on what the rep said, things are full steam ahead for the April trip.
We remain committed and looking forward to the adventure. Glad others seem to be as well.

 

[disneyholic family]

considering what hillary clinton just did to egypt, i wouldn't be making any plans on visiting there if i were you...

things are not good.....not good at all....

 

[corky441]

News from that region is not good

I would be very apprehensive of traveling there in the near future. I'm sure ABD has their hands full at the moment

 

[Praise2Him]

Yes, I don't watch the news - what's going on???

 

[sayhello]

ETA: Deleted my question.

Sorry, my bad. No political discussions on the DISboards, please.

Sayhello

 

[disneyholic family]

anyway, i was very surprised when ABD decided to have a tour in egypt...
it's a very difficult place to truly secure your group...pretty much impossible...

 

[sayhello]

Hey, I'm sorry here. I just wanted a clarification, but I realize now that my question may turn this into a political debate, and that's not allowed by the DISboards guidelines. So, again, I apologize, but ask that we stop any discussion of the politics of the US policies and actions in regards to Egypt. Feel free to discuss the impacts of the situation in Egypt on the ABD, but please leave the political issues out.

Again, I realize I was just as guilty as anyone, but I'm asking this to be the end of it so I don't have to start deleting posts or close this thread.

Sayhello

 

[carpenta]

considering what hillary clinton just did to egypt, i wouldn't be making any plans on visiting there if i were you...

things are not good.....not good at all....

Plus the "wiki leaks" info contributes to ignite that tinderbox....Having traveled to Tunisia with DCL you could feel a sense of unrest and hopelessness. The U.S.A. and our support of the current political juntas would make any western "visitor" a scapegoat for reprisal IMHO. I pray the situation calms down but as history has shown it does not look good......plus don't forget about the middle aged Nostradomas (sp?) has predicted...and the Mayans......

 

[tufbuf]

There were other periods of unrest in the city. Other than the number of tourist declining during that period, it went on since tourism is one of the main industry in the city. I don't know what ABD will decide. The first tour is about 3 months away, I guess they are monitoring the situation as I am too.

It's really sad how things are turning up, first they cancel the Mazatlan stop in the Mexican Riviera (I don't mind the additional Cabo stop though) and now there is a chance ABD might pull out Egypt, I guess if things don't clear up... we just have to wait and see and hope for the best.

 

[sayhello]

Plus the "wiki leaks" info contributes to ignite that tinderbox....Having traveled to Tunisia with DCL you could feel a sense of unrest and hopelessness. The U.S.A. and our support of the current political juntas would make any western "visitor" a scapegoat for reprisal IMHO. I pray the situation calms down but as history has shown it does not look good......plus don't forget about the middle aged Nostradomas (sp?) has predicted...and the Mayans......

When was your Med cruise? I was there in May, and didn't feel any sort of unrest or hopelessness. It's amazing that things there could have gone south that much in so short a time. Or maybe I just didn't go to an area that was having an issue?

Sayhello

 

[Danibelle]

anyway, i was very surprised when ABD decided to have a tour in egypt...
it's a very difficult place to truly secure your group...pretty much impossible...

I was warned away from travel to Egypt in the 1980's by an Army officer who was stationed there for a year. There have been attacks on tourists and I would not take my family there.

 

[sayhello]

There were other periods of unrest in the city. Other than the number of tourist declining during that period, it went on since tourism is one of the main industry in the city. I don't know what ABD will decide. The first tour is about 3 months away, I guess they are monitoring the situation as I am too.

It's really sad how things are turning up, first they cancel the Mazatlan stop in the Mexican Riviera (I don't mind the additional Cabo stop though) and now there is a chance ABD might pull out Egypt, I guess if things don't clear up... we just have to wait and see and hope for the best.

I really hope ABD doesn't have to pull out of Egypt. While I wasn't interested in going back to that area any time soon, I know a lot of people are really looking forward to this trip. It would be a shame if it came down to that.

Sayhello

 

[Pakey]

Does anyone know what the other large tour operators who have been in Egypt for years are doing? We went with Lindblad/Nat Geo, but Tauck, Abercrombie, etc are all there and have been for years and would have tours currently there (unless they have cancelled but I have read nothing). With 750 tour operators there and the bulk of them catering to American tourists, I'd think there'd be some news of it.

I'm really glad I got to go 2 months ago.

 

[carpenta]

When was your Med cruise? I was there in May, and didn't feel any sort of unrest or hopelessness. It's amazing that things there could have gone south that much in so short a time. Or maybe I just didn't go to an area that was having an issue?

Sayhello

We were there in June and toured Tunis. When you see large numbers of middle aged men sitting on corners smoking cigarettes and street sweepers with brooms worn to the nubs and a push cart tied together with ropes and two different wobbly tires you get the sense of society that has a unemployment problem. Constantly followed by a large crowd trying to sell us what ever they had for any amount we would say. Some on a DCL sponsored excursion demanded to be returned to the ship immediately in the middle of the tour because of the harassment of his family. Granted it was a feeling looking into the eyes of locals as well as speaking at the bazzar that I had. Today shows the problems that massive underemployment can have on a society and pray we pick up in our country.

 

[LSmith]

Does anyone know what the other large tour operators who have been in Egypt for years are doing? We went with Lindblad/Nat Geo, but Tauck, Abercrombie, etc are all there and have been for years and would have tours currently there (unless they have cancelled but I have read nothing). With 750 tour operators there and the bulk of them catering to American tourists, I'd think there'd be some news of it.

I'm really glad I got to go 2 months ago.

My family of 5 went last month (not with ABD). We have done lots of travelling and I did tons of research for this trip. We did a two day tour with a reputable tour operator (along with approx 100 others, 30 per bus), stayed at Le Meridien Pyramids but I have to say we were nervous the entire time.

We were coming from a cruise ship and docked in Alexandria so we bussed it to Cairo overnight which was three hours each way. The highways are absolutely terrible and I was sure we were going to hit either a pedestrian (who were constantly trying to dodge traffic on the highway and streets) or us hitting or being hit by another vehicle. The driving truly is insane although our bus driver was doing his best. A few days after we left Egypt a tour bus was in an accident killing 8 tourists. This is when I also found out that in November 2010 there were another 8 tourists killed in a bus crash. Glad I didn't know that while I was there. I was already stressed!

That said I am glad we went but in hindsight I'm not sure it was the best decision to take my kids. While they thought the pyramids were cool the extreme poverty that we saw everywhere (Cairo and Alexandria), the extreme filth and garbage and the horrible state of some of the animals, not to mention some other things we witnessed at the pyramids which I won't mention here makes me second guess my choice of bringing them. At least the younger two who are tweens.

The Egyptian people are some of the kindest people we've met. The hagglers did not bother us. We knew they were going to be there and you can't blame them for their tactics. If I was poor and trying to feed my family I'm sure I would act the same way.

There is talk of a lot of security and how the government is so keen on keeping tourists safe but quite frankly although the police are a dime a dozen you get the feeling that most of them are merely security guards with guns. Many of our group had these "police officers" demand money from them for pictures and such. Obviously they aren't paid well and I doubt if they are trained well considering the state of their country.

In light of what is going on right now I am very curious to whether or not the cruise ships will be docking there. Knowing what I know now there is no way I would take the risk of having my family there while there are these kind of protests going on.

These are just my thoughts and opinions. Like I said I am glad we got to go.