This cruise was jam packed with activities -most notably the ancient treasures of Egypt in the form of tombs, temples, and pyramids. The first few days was spent in Cairo at a very nice hotel. Travel around the city was in a superior motor coach. As with any trip like this you spend a significant amount of time traveling to and from sites which was made bearable by having an excellent tour guide who was born/raised in Cairo and could provide lots of information about life in Egypt as well as in depth info on history of the sites. For a midwestern American getting used to the food was a little challenging for me - but not my husband -he tried everything. Traveling to Luxor to board the ship was an eye opener as well every flight around Egypt and even leaving Cairo. Redundant security but then you never felt at risk. Even on the planes and the buses there was armed security (although very discreetly so). At no point did I feel fearful - except maybe in the markets which was every day - could not avoid them. Hawkers were somewhat aggressive and "personal space" was lost on them. HOWEVER - in the end I found it to be part of the fun - bartering and dickering over prices. And the reality is your money goes far in Egypt and afterall they are just trying to make a living. The ship was lovely - our stateroom was excellent. The service was A1 and the chef really put out great food. Oddly enough he was a master at soups - which you would think would be the last thing you would want to eat in a 100 degree plus climate but no so. My only grievance if you could call it that was lack of snacks/beverages that one could just grab and take back to the room. Sometimes late in evening I would just want a little something to nibble on besides the cookies at the coffee bar - they were designed for dipping or at least I thought so. As for the temples, tombs, etc. - one could hardly be disappointed. What an incredible civilization and to think that all this was being built 2500 to 4500 years ago. Do I have a favorite? They were all spectacular but the Temple of Khnum at Esna was so peaceful and the columns still had much color and were all different. Also unique in that it is only partially excavated and is in a "pit" in the middle of the market area. So the town loomed above. Wish the new museum at Giza would have been open but can imagine it will be beyond words when it is complete. We also enjoyed the "non" antiquities tours - the dams at Aswan and understanding their importance, the carpet school, the papyrus store with demonstrations on how papyrus is/was made, the camel ride at Giza, the market at Khan El Khalili, and the Nubian Village tour (after a wonderful motor boat ride thru the cataracts). Only down side for me was seeing the crocodiles at the home we visited. A big hit with most of my fellow passengers but I felt how they were kept (most unnatrual) was really cruel and inhuman. The other thing that was a shock was the number of feral dogs and cats - especially Cairo. There doesn't seem to be any effort to neuter them and their life is a hard one - always looking for food, plagued with mange, etc. Some have been vaccinated so safe to be near and it is so hot and they are so malnourished they are not aggressive. One has to ask if they take the time to vaccinate them then why not neuter them? Obviously a question better asked of Egyptian authorities then Viking. There are enormous construction projects going on all over and the new museum cost many millions - maybe billions- so there should be some resource available for animal control one would think. All in all the trip was a "bucket list" one and I would encourage anyone who can find the time and resources to sign up -last week in August might not be best time but I have to say I did not find the heat impossible to deal with. By the way - advice future travelers that there will be an Egyptian night on the ship so you can secure a proper outfit -didn't have much notice for that. Finally I have to give a shout out to our tour guide - Mohamed. He made the trip both interesting, educational, and fun. He was extremely helpful and above all he has the patience of a saint. Can not be easy to corral 20-30 mostly senior travelers and keep them on point. He clearly loves his country and is enthusiastic about sharing its many riches.