Changes to the Egypt Itinerary

[AddictedtoTravel]

We are booked on the Egypt trip leaving in April of next year. I just received these itinerary changes. Any feedback? Are these good changes? I am a little annoyed about the trip ending in Sharm el-Sheikh and needing to add airfare from there to Cairo on our own, but am hoping the other changes are good ones?

Itinerary Adjustments:

• Cairo on Day 3
  • This day is now dedicated to further exploration into Ancient Egypt and now includes an unforgettable after-hours visit to Giza - home of the Great Pyramid and a VIP up-close experience at the Sphinx.
• Dinner on Day 8
  • Dinner this evening will now be at your leisure at one of the four available resort restaurants.
• Sharm el-Sheikh on Day 9
  • Our trip will now end in Sharm el-Sheikh, giving you more time to enjoy the amazing Coral Sea Sensatori Resort and beautiful Sharm el-Sheikh.
  • In the morning and early afternoon, you will have time on your own to explore the hotel.
  • In the late afternoon, our group will have the opportunity to enjoy an optional walking tour of Sharm el-Sheikh's old city and market. Even though it is only a few decades old, the area has an old-world feel. This market is a wonderful place to experience local culture in the City of Peace. Everything from saffron to cinnamon, hand-woven rugs, leather goods, jewelry, clothing, it's all available here. You may wander through the stalls or soak up the atmosphere in one of the many cafes or bars.
  • In the evening, you will be invited with your fellow Adventurers to join a colorful, private Bedouin-themed beachside dinner and bid each other farewell.
• Sharm el-Sheikh on Day 10
  • Your return flights at the end of the trip will need to be booked out of the Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) and not the Cairo International Airport (CAI).
  • Post-night resort stays will be available at the Coral Sea Sensatori Resort.

 

[abdgeek]

I’m on the December 2023 Egypt ABD and was also annoyed when I saw the email today. From what I could tell by looking at the 2022 itinerary online, they didn’t change much—except the final airport. Day 3 looks as if the order of events has been changed; Day 8 & 9–couldn't find a difference; Day 10 is the game changer with having to leave out of SSH airport and I’m not happy about it!! It definitely makes it more challenging for us to get home now since you have to connect through Cairo to do so instead of leaving straight from there. I checked the major airlines earlier today once I got the email to see what flights look like from SSH and it’s not good. I’m planning on flying back to Cairo, spending the night, and then flying out. It’s a major pain—maybe they’ll change it back by the time we travel ( I know they won’t, but one can hope). While the 2:00am flight is evil, if that’s what you gotta do that’s what you gotta do.

 

[sayhello]

When I look at the 2022 and 2023 itineraries, Day 9 was only a half-day on your own in Sharm el-Sheikh followed by lunch at the Resort, then you flew to Cairo in the afternoon and had the Farewell dinner at the Cairo hotel, then left from Cairo on Day 10. In this new version, you have a walking tour of Sharm el-Sheikh in the afternoon, then the farewell dinner at the Resort in Sharm el-Sheikh. Then leave from Sharm el-Sheikh on Day 10. I *heard* that people complained that Day 9 was too rushed. But who knows if that's really the reason?

They did this same thing on the Greece trip (although it was always that way, not a change). The tour ended on Crete, at the airport there, and you had to get yourself to Athens, since flying internationally out of Crete was not much of an option. I ended up spending an extra day in Athens (which I enjoyed) and then flew home the next morning.

Honestly, I think it sucks that they cut out an internal flight that you already paid for, and now have to pay extra for to get from Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo. I'd want a refund of the ticket price. But the chances of that happening are slim to none.

Sayhello

 

[Woodview]

Was the Price of the Flight From Sharm el -Sheikh to Cairo included in the Original itinerary ?

If Yes then a walking tour of Sharm el -Sheikf & a cheaper dinner cost would save a huge amount of

money AND Then Make You pay for the an extra flight

 

[mathgeek]

I posted in the other Egypt post, but I'll cut and paste here too...

Day 3 - we had the VIP access to the Sphinx, but the after hours to Giza would be neat.

Sharm el-Sheikh - unpopular opinion...
We flew through Cairo on the way from Luxor to Sharm. I personally would've been fine ending the trip there. The trip to Sharm seemed like a lot of work for really one excursion to snorkel the Red Sea. We got to the resort late b/c of the long layover in Cairo, and really only had a day and a half there before heading back to Cairo. The resort was beautiful, and I walked around a bit, and it was nice to have a relaxing morning to sleep in and reorganize my suitcase for the trip home. But I really enjoyed the excursions we did to the ancient sites, and this just felt a bit out of context after basically 5 and a half days of touring such wonderful historical locations.

I'd be annoyed about ending the trip in Sharm. But I had something similar with my Australia trip - we started in Cairns and ended in Hobart, Tasmania, and my flights took me through bigger cities to get to these more out of the way locations. I think this has been changed a bit since they now at least end in Sydney (and don't even do Tasmania anymore).

When I look at the 2022 and 2023 itineraries, Day 9 was only a half-day on your own in Sharm el-Sheikh followed by lunch at the Resort, then you flew to Cairo in the afternoon and had the Farewell dinner at the Cairo hotel, then left from Cairo on Day 10. In this new version, you have a walking tour of Sharm el-Sheikh in the afternoon, then the farewell dinner at the Resort in Sharm el-Sheikh. Then leave from Sharm el-Sheikh on Day 10. I *heard* that people complained that Day 9 was too rushed. But who knows if that's really the reason?

They did this same thing on the Greece trip (although it was always that way, not a change). The tour ended on Crete, at the airport there, and you had to get yourself to Athens, since flying internationally out of Crete was not much of an option. I ended up spending an extra day in Athens (which I enjoyed) and then flew home the next morning.

Honestly, I think it sucks that they cut out an internal flight that you already paid for, and now have to pay extra for to get from Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo. I'd want a refund of the ticket price. But the chances of that happening are slim to none.

Sayhello

I'd agree that day 9 was a bit rushed once we got going after lunch with the flight and checking in to the hotel in Cairo for one night, but I also didn't do much in the morning other than wander around the resort and reorganize my suitcase for the trip home. But it was nice to be in Cairo for the farewell dinner back where we started. The view of Cairo and the Nile was beautiful from the viewing area at the top of the hotel.

 

[sayhello]

Sharm el-Sheikh - unpopular opinion...
We flew through Cairo on the way from Luxor to Sharm. I personally would've been fine ending the trip there. The trip to Sharm seemed like a lot of work for really one excursion to snorkel the Red Sea. We got to the resort late b/c of the long layover in Cairo, and really only had a day and a half there before heading back to Cairo. The resort was beautiful, and I walked around a bit, and it was nice to have a relaxing morning to sleep in and reorganize my suitcase for the trip home. But I really enjoyed the excursions we did to the ancient sites, and this just felt a bit out of context after basically 5 and a half days of touring such wonderful historical locations.

Honestly? The time in Sharm-el-Sheikh was one of the reasons I wasn't too interested in this tour (among other things). It seemed like a real waste of over 2 days of the trip, and not something that interested me.

Sayhello

 

[mathgeek]

Honestly? The time in Sharm-el-Sheikh was one of the reasons I wasn't too interested in this tour (among other things). It seemed like a real waste of over 2 days of the trip, and not something that interested me.

Sayhello

I totally agree. But this was my first venture back in to international travel after covid, and I really wanted to do Egypt, and I wanted to do it safely with ABD. I figured I've snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef and swam in the Med with ABD and plan to snorkel in the Galapagos, so why not snorkel in the Red Sea too.

It was kind of a let down after all of the amazing sites we saw before that, especially since the morning of the day we went to Sharm was my favorite of the whole trip with the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's Temple before we left Luxor.

 

[Marthasor]

I think it's in incredibly bad form to include an internal flight and then take it away after people have booked and have non-refundable deposits down. As PP mentioned, ABD has now decreased their costs for the trip while charging the same price for those that have already booked. I understand we all sign forms which state we know ABD has the right to change the itinerary, but to change it to the point that you increase guest costs is just in really bad taste, IMHO. Our last ABD had many pre-trip glitches (yes, the guides and the actual trip eventually made up for them), but it's stuff like this that really makes me hesitant to book with them again.

 

[mathgeek]

I think it's in incredibly bad form to include an internal flight and then take it away after people have booked and have non-refundable deposits down. As PP mentioned, ABD has now decreased their costs for the trip while charging the same price for those that have already booked. I understand we all sign forms which state we know ABD has the right to change the itinerary, but to change it to the point that you increase guest costs is just in really bad taste, IMHO. Our last ABD had many pre-trip glitches (yes, the guides and the actual trip eventually made up for them), but it's stuff like this that really makes me hesitant to book with them again.

Agreed. It's one thing to make the change for the next season, but to change it on trips people already have booked is in bad form.

Maybe people provided feedback who wanted more time in Sharm, so by ending there they can add on post days there. I was not one of those people, but maybe? It is a beautiful resort, but it really changed the focus of the trip in my opinion from visiting amazing historical landmarks to "let's have some fun at the beach" time.

 

[Rapunzellover]

Someone needs to tell ABD that Tauck would refund the internal flight money. They always refund if the price of the provided trip ends up being lower than the original itinerary.

For example, I did a floatplane flightseeing in NOLA, and the group before us couldn't go due to weather. When I asked what happens then, the guide said they would refund the 150$ a person or so for the flight.

Another example: when I had to leave at 4am for my outgoing flight, I asked about the provided breakfast and if there'd be a breakfast box or something. The hotel couldn't provide that so I was literally given an envelope with $20 as a refund for the breakfast I'd miss.

Little things like this matter so much.

 

[sayhello]

Someone needs to tell ABD that Tauck would refund the internal flight money. They always refund if the price of the provided trip ends up being lower than the original itinerary.

For example, I did a floatplane flightseeing in NOLA, and the group before us couldn't go due to weather. When I asked what happens then, the guide said they would refund the 150$ a person or so for the flight.

Another example: when I had to leave at 4am for my outgoing flight, I asked about the provided breakfast and if there'd be a breakfast box or something. The hotel couldn't provide that so I was literally given an envelope with $20 as a refund for the breakfast I'd miss.

Little things like this matter so much.

Wow! They really do matter!

Sayhello

 

[calypso726]

When I look at the 2022 and 2023 itineraries, Day 9 was only a half-day on your own in Sharm el-Sheikh followed by lunch at the Resort, then you flew to Cairo in the afternoon and had the Farewell dinner at the Cairo hotel, then left from Cairo on Day 10. In this new version, you have a walking tour of Sharm el-Sheikh in the afternoon, then the farewell dinner at the Resort in Sharm el-Sheikh. Then leave from Sharm el-Sheikh on Day 10. I *heard* that people complained that Day 9 was too rushed. But who knows if that's really the reason?

They did this same thing on the Greece trip (although it was always that way, not a change). The tour ended on Crete, at the airport there, and you had to get yourself to Athens, since flying internationally out of Crete was not much of an option. I ended up spending an extra day in Athens (which I enjoyed) and then flew home the next morning.

Honestly, I think it sucks that they cut out an internal flight that you already paid for, and now have to pay extra for to get from Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo. I'd want a refund of the ticket price. But the chances of that happening are slim to none.

Sayhello

I got the email too. I am glad my trip isn't until January of 2024 so the flights have not been booked yet. I also heard that some felt they wanted more time at Sharm el-Sheikh. Egypt is the first ABD we have booked since the Japan ABD in 2019.

 

[sayhello]

I got the email too. I am glad my trip isn't until January of 2024 so the flights have not been booked yet. I also heard that some felt they wanted more time at Sharm el-Sheikh. Egypt is the first ABD we have booked since the Japan ABD in 2019.

I'm glad for you, too! So you didn't have a trip planned/cancelled by the pandemic? That's so lucky for you! (Who ever thought that would be something I'd say?) But to not have to get involved in all of that mess....

Sayhello

 

[calypso726]

I'm glad for you, too! So you didn't have a trip planned/cancelled by the pandemic? That's so lucky for you! (Who ever thought that would be something I'd say?) But to not have to get involved in all of that mess....

Sayhello

Not with ABD thank goodness. I had a number of "Adventures by Calypso" travel hacked trips that I had put together with points and miles that were cancelled.

 

[sayhello]

Not with ABD thank goodness. I had a number of "Adventures by Calypso" travel hacked trips that I had put together with points and miles that were cancelled.

Did you at least get your points and miles back?

Sayhello

 

[CaliKris]

Someone needs to tell ABD that Tauck would refund the internal flight money. They always refund if the price of the provided trip ends up being lower than the original itinerary.

For example, I did a floatplane flightseeing in NOLA, and the group before us couldn't go due to weather. When I asked what happens then, the guide said they would refund the 150$ a person or so for the flight.

Another example: when I had to leave at 4am for my outgoing flight, I asked about the provided breakfast and if there'd be a breakfast box or something. The hotel couldn't provide that so I was literally given an envelope with $20 as a refund for the breakfast I'd miss.

Little things like this matter so much.

Bingo! Exactly why we have switched to Tauck.

I have noticed that on many of the ABD itineraries you are left in a city with a small airport.

On every Tauck trip we have taken, they make sure to end the tour in a city with a major international airport. Our last trip to East Africa with them, they flew us to Nairobi and had a day room for everyone until their flight.

We are booking Japan with Tauck for this very reason. The Yen is not doing well against the dollar and Tauck will refund you the difference if the trip ends up being less expensive.

I sure hope someone from ABD reads these boards! No one likes to feel ripped off!

 

[calypso726]

Did you at least get your points and miles back?

Sayhello

Oh yes. It took some time with some of the airlines and hotels and Chase. But I got every point, mile and dollar back. After the great cancellation of 2020, when I started traveling again, I vowed not to book anything that would take more than 2 phone calls to cancel and get refunded LOL

 

[pjacobi]

Sharm el-Sheikh is the "Cancun" for eastern Europeans. If you want a beach resort vacation, Cancun is much short distance for those on this side of the globe.

Choose your Egypt tour group wisely. For those interested in a more educational tour of Egypt there are better options.


-Paul

 

[Rapunzellover]

Bingo! Exactly why we have switched to Tauck.

I have noticed that on many of the ABD itineraries you are left in a city with a small airport.

On every Tauck trip we have taken, they make sure to end the tour in a city with a major international airport. Our last trip to East Africa with them, they flew us to Nairobi and had a day room for everyone until their flight.

We are booking Japan with Tauck for this very reason. The Yen is not doing well against the dollar and Tauck will refund you the difference if the trip ends up being less expensive.

I sure hope someone from ABD reads these boards! No one likes to feel ripped off!

Another note: Tauck's airport pick up and drop off is kinda more seamless than ABD, in my limited experience. My NOLA Tauck trip, I was arriving around 5:30 in the morning, but my plane actually got in at 4:50 (a miracle!). I was so afraid there'd be nobody there for me, as I had no way to let anyone know I'd be early. But the driver was there and ready to go.

 

[Raya]

Choose your Egypt tour group wisely. For those interested in a more educational tour of Egypt there are better options.
-Paul

Hey Paul, are you okay with posting those options? Or sending them to me in a message? I've been planning on Egypt 2023 with ABD for years, and now I'm clueless on better choices. (Maybe Tauck? Viking River Cruises? Amawaterways???)