Thread: cruise around the Red Sea?

Would you sign up for a cruise around the Red Sea? One globetrotting line is betting on it.

Europe-based Costa Cruises this week announced it will position two ships in Sharm-El-Sheik, Egypt next winter to offer seven-night voyages around the 200-mile-wide waterway.

The 820-passenger Costa Allegra and 776-passenger Costa Marina will depart from the Egyptian resort town every Monday and Thursday, respectively, and call at Adabiyah (Egypt), Safaga (Egypt), Aqaba (Jordan) and Eilhat (Israel) before returning to Sharm el-Sheik.

The unusual new routing will allow cruisers to visit the famed Egyptian ruins of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings (accessible via Safaga) and the equally legendary Jordanian ruins of Petra (accessible via Aqaba), among other historical and cultural attractions in the region.

The ships will spend three days in Sharm-El-Sheik, which is located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and known for diving, snorkeling and beaches.

Carnival-owned Costa and its German-focused sister line, Aida, have been at the forefront of the growing trend of Middle East cruising in recent years, adding the first regular Persian Gulf voyages (out of Dubai) three years ago. Costa began its fourth season of cruises out of Dubai in December with the arrival of the 2,260-passenger Costa Luminosa. A second Costa ship, the just-unveiled, 2,260-passenger Costa Deliziosa, will take up residence in Dubai later this month, and the 1,494-passenger Costa Europa also is visiting the region this winter on a series of one-way cruises between Italy and Dubai.

The sunny and warm waters of the Persian Gulf have proved a popular winter getaway for cruise fans from Europe, in particular, as well as Middle Easterners and smaller numbers of Americans, despite the waterway's location near several troubled countries including Iraq and Yemen. Unlike the nearby waters of the Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf is not known for pirate attacks on ships.

Source:News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com

Would you really sign up for this cruise in the Red Sea??

Do you think its a good move from Costa???

What I am wondering about is why they stop for 3 days in Sharm El Sheik???
There should be other interesting ports in this area or even stay overnight in Safaga for the Pramids etc.

While it's unlikely to be something we would ever do, I'd certainly be interested in hearing from others who take this cruise.

Not on my short list.

Not my long list either.

Originally Posted by *Lars*

Would you really sign up for this cruise in the Red Sea??

Do you think its a good move from Costa???

What I am wondering about is why they stop for 3 days in Sharm El Sheik???
There should be other interesting ports in this area or even stay overnight in Safaga for the Pramids etc.

Maybe for the same reason there is an overnight in St Petersburg, Russia. Many great sights to see, but great distances to travel to and from the ship.

it would not surprise me to see these cruises heavily discounted. sharm is mainly an all inclusive resort, allthough at the moment you can get return air tickets from £145, so there's not a lot of difference cost wise between this and pireus.

I would go! These would be among the few places in the Middle East where I would feel safe. There has been a terrorist bombing in Sharm El-Sheik, but there's been a couple in New York and London, and I would go to either place tomorrow.

Aqaba and Eilat are very close to each other, but I am still glad that the ship would go to both. This would make it possible to visit Petra! You would get off in one port, and overnight at Petra and come back to the other port. Doing this on a ship's excursion would be ideal, since they would probably have increased security.

If you saw the first Indiana Jones movie, you saw Petra.


I would like to hear more about this.

BTW Ken, I've been told the overnight stay in St. Petersburg is because the Russian government has an overnight stay as a requirement. It helps their economy, and it is good for the tourists too. I am surprised that other countries haven't done something similar.

Not my cup of tea. Lee

This part of the world is actually the one I would take a cruise too.
I would never book a land vacation to Egypt or Jordan etc.
For a cruise these places are perfect with one or two days in port.

How could we not be safe on a cruise ship??? How could we not be safe on the cruise company organized shore excursions???

If I was younger I would definitely consider this itinerary. It goes to ports I would not otherwise have the opportunity to visit in that part of the world.