We have been on a number of Viking River cruises in Europe, and in China; always enjoying their quality and high standards. So when it looked like a relatively safe time to visit Egypt, we knew we were in for a great adventure and "bucket list" tour. Viking did an outstanding job from the arrival days in Cairo, by putting the 65 of us up in the Cairo Ritz located downtown on the Nile River; to our later visit to Abu Simbel. Most of us had been with Viking before, and really appreciated Akmed our tour guide and all the Viking support staff along the way. It was a bit different not having Viking ships and staffs for the Nile and Lake Nasser segments; but the tour and sites made up for them. The food and level of service on both ships was not to Viking standards; but overall we received a very acceptable quality with both. The really important point to mention, is that we felt very safe on the entire trip. We had a police officer on our buses, and security on the tours. Never did we fear for our safety. Viking did an outstanding job of "blending" the security staff in a way to make them almost part of the tours. Also, my wife and I walked about 5 blocks from our Cairo hotel to a local Egyptian restaurant for an authentic meal. We felt very safe, and enjoyed mixing in with the locals and enjoying a great meal! We also went out on our own later, and felt totally safe. The Egyptian people were very warm and friendly, even helping us with directions when we got lost. This Viking trip to Egypt is outstanding, and everything we could have hoped for!