First, do not book this cruise ! I rated it a 2 star only because the wonders of Egypt were so impressive that when I was off the ship I was able to marvel at and enjoy what I was seeing. Our guide was knowledgeable and I learned a lot. That said, the onboard experience was a disaster! The ship is not new as the cruise company would have you believe. It is an old ship that has been somewhat renovated but the decor remains tired looking and has the warmth of an old motel ! The food was very mediocre! There was no outdoor dining and guests had to sit at large tables inside the dining room for all meals. I have traveled on several other cruise lines and this was the first time there has not been any ship board lectures or programs to enhance what I was seeing. There is no nighttime entertainment of any type .If I could have rated this area a 0 I would have.

It is notable that there are no women employed on this ship with the exception of the hairdresser. This ship could use a “ woman’s touch” with everything from decor , food and day to day running of the ship. It is also notable that our day time guide was also our overall cruise director and he wore too many hats to be able to provide the assistance and direction you would expect on a tour of Egypt. In closing, I would like to add that although this was our first cruise with AMA waterways, several of the other passengers had sailed with them many times. They all commented that this was the worst experience they have had and were all very disappointed in the overall trip. I would suggest AMA waterways take this particular itinerary off their list until they can offer a better product !