Viking itself as a tour company, from start to finish, were easy to deal with, answered all correspondence on a timely manner especially leading up to our departure with all of our concerns regarding the war. We had booked on Viking’s Pharaohs and Pyramids tour of Egypt onboard their ship The Osiris. We had actually booked previously and then had to reschedule due to Covid, so we had made the booking well in advance. As you probably know, war broke out in the Gaza region – Egypt’s neighbour. Therefore, we had lots of questions and concerns leading up to our trip.
Viking Cruises are a luxury cruise tour company, they are not cheap, but in this instance, I feel, for our comfort, safety and peace of mind, it was well worth the cost.
Logistics
We were met by a Viking representative as we got off the plane and escorted through security, customs and baggage claim at the airport, and then straight into a waiting private minivan stocked with water. It was such a welcome and reassuring start to our tour. I can’t comment on the Cairo airport experience as we had the local escort to help us through any possible difficulties.
The hotels we stayed in Cairo were beautiful and had good security. The tour buses that took us to each destination were modern, clean and comfortable with toilets and security guards on board. Believe me, having a toilet on the bus was a godsend when you didn’t have any small change to use the public toilets. Each bus was assigned a friendly and very knowledgeable Egyptologist as our tour guide, as well as a group of guests, for the duration of the tour. With three buses, we never felt cramped, there were quite a few spare seats on each bus to spread out if you wanted.
The Ship
The stylish ship the Viking Osiris would be our home on the Nile. This ship was amazing! Not in an over-the-top gaudy way, but in a sleek, modern, Scandinavian chic way. It was light and airy, with large floor to ceiling windows for magnificent views of the Nile.
The top deck is a sun deck with comfortable lounges and rocking chairs. During the cruise, a bar is set up on the sun deck offering cocktails and some tunes to create a wonderful, relaxing holiday vibe.
Below the sun deck is the pool deck, which is obviously the home of the ship’s plunge pool. The pool is located right at the end of the ship, so you can cool off or dip your toes while enjoying fabulous views of the Nile as you cruise. The Pool deck is also where the Aquavit Terrace is located, which is a more casual dining option. The Aquavit Terrace offers the same menu as the restaurant on the deck below, but with some alfresco tables on offer. Be quick to nab these outdoor tables though, they are popular! The lounge and bar are also located on this deck. Each evening, the port talk (a run-down of the next day’s itinerary) and dinner menu review by the chef, are held in the lounge. Onboard entertainment and educational talks are also held here.
The next deck down is the Upper deck. Here you will find the main restaurant, a small shop (a much more pleasant buying experience than dealing with local vendors), and the concierge desk. The veranda suite cabins, and the Explorer suites are also located on this deck. The other two decks contain the remaining cabins. The floor plan of the ship shows the location of all of the places discussed.
Cabins
Our initial cabin was a veranda suite, which was lovely, but due to a mix up, the ship’s manager offered us an upgrade to the Explorer suite….ummm yes please!! It was amazing! Both options offered 2 rooms and a balcony. The explorer suite had a large lounge area as well as your own private sundeck. We invited our new friends over for some sundowner drinks on the private sundeck. It was wonderful! Top tip – when booking your cabin for this cruise (and can only comment on this particular cruise), for the best views, book a cabin on the starboard (right) side of the ship. Of course, both sides of the ship will have a view of the bank when docked at some point, but the starboard side had a higher percentage of river view when docked.
Facilities
One thing we did take advantage of is the free laundry service. Having travelled for a month before landing in Cairo, we had quite a bit of laundry that needed doing. How lovely the cabin crew were, delivering our clean laundry back to us by the end of the day and how lovely not having a mountain of dirty laundry to do when we got home! This leads me to the fabulous crew.
The Crew
I could not fault the crew, all were polite, friendly, sociable and above all, professional. We were greeted by name every day and nothing was too much trouble. Special shout out to the Cruise Director, Daniel, friendly and professional, who promptly sorted out a small confusion with our cabin. The chef greeted us every evening, discussed the nights menu and gave his personal recommendations. I doubt I would have tried half the dishes I did, if he hadn’t recommended them. Chef also hosted cooking demonstrations, teaching us to cook Falafel in several different ways. The very skilled captain of the ship sailed us through the Esna Lock without bumping the side at all! Apparently, when navigating the Nile, that is the sign of a great Captain!
The Guides
These gentlemen looked after their guests and made sure all our needs were met. They are all Egyptologists and are extremely knowledgeable. Viking’s catch phrase is that they are the ‘thinking person’s cruise company’, so they offer various opportunities to learn more about the places, the people and the culture of our tour destinations. They led special voluntary evenings in the lounge teaching us about such things as Hieroglyphs, the Arabic language and ancient medicine. At each shore excursion, our guides gave us a brief talk, pointed out and explained a few highlights, but then allowed us time to explore at our own pace. Most appreciated by me, was the tutorial they gave us on how to handle the local vendors (or their cousins, as they called them!) at each tourist destination. I honestly don’t think I would have known how to manage those situations without them!
Food
The food and beverages (during your meals only) were all included in your tour package. Depending on which cabin you have booked, for the Veranda and Explorer suites only, the beverages from your room are also included and are restocked each day. I have to say, the food was outstanding! As mentioned previously, Chef gave a menu talk each evening discussing what was on offer that night. Each day, for lunch and dinner, a new, well curated menu was presented, as well options on a classic menu, that did not change. Breakfast each morning was a combination of buffet style for your breakfast staples, as well as being able to order from the kitchen.
Entertainment
As for onboard entertainment, there was a pianist that played in the lounge on some evenings as well as a couple of special local cultural displays such as a whirling dervish and another dance troupe. It was enough without being too over the top. I loved the special Egyptian night, where everything from food, clothing and entertainment was themed around Egypt. We were given the opportunity to purchase a traditional Gallibaya from the markets that day – well that was an experience in itself! It was fun to see some guests and the crew getting into the spirit of the evening all dressed up.
Recommendation
If you are looking for a vacation that satisfies your need for comfort, style and safety and that opens up a whole wonder of sights to see and to learn about, then I can highly recommend Viking Cruises. Viking Osiris particularly, exceeded my expectations. We felt valued as a client, completely looked after from beginning to end and my life-long desire to see the fascinating ancient Egyptian treasures fulfilled in the best way possible. Thank you to all the crew for the holiday of a lifetime!
