- Viking will resume Egypt river cruises on March 12.
- They had previously announced cancellations through to the end of March but have now reversed this decision.
- But Avalon Waterways has cancelled the Egypt river cruises in March and April.
Update: March 17: As conflict continues in the Middle East, questions have been raised over whether travel can continue as normal in Egypt, including hugely popular river cruises down the Nile.
American travel agencies have reported many customers cancelling their trips despite the fact that neither Australia nor the USA has Egypt on their do not travel list.
The US State Department did put out a tweet advising citizens inside Egypt to leave the country due to the war.
This ambiguity and the uncertainty of the conflict and possible expansion have led not only to customers being unsure of whether to travel or not, but also different river cruise lines applying different policies.
While most river cruises will continue as normal, some lines, such as Avalon Waterways, have cancelled all Egypt activities for the month of March.
For a quick update, here’s where the major lines stand on Egypt.
Avalon Waterways
- All Egypt river cruises for March and April are cancelled, as well as all tours in Egypt, Jordan, Dubai and Qatar.
Viking
- Despite a previous decision to cancel, Viking is now operating as normal on the Nile.
Tauck
- Combined itineraries that visit both Egypt and Jordan have been cancelled, by Egypt-only river cruises will continue running as normal.
Uniworld
- Egypt river cruises will run as normal, but Jordan land extensions have been cancelled.
If you’re sailing with a line that is still going to Egypt, but you’re worried or unsure over what you need to know, here are a few of your key questions answered.
Will insurance still cover my trip to Egypt?
Yes! As Egypt has not been placed on the Do Not Travel list, your insurance will cover you as normal. However, if interruptions were to arise as a direct result on the ongoing conflict, it’s possible your insurer wouldn’t cover for your disruptions or cancellations that are directly a result of the war. It’s best to closely read your insurance policy and/or talk to your insurer, so you can know exactly what you’re covered for.
Is Egypt part of the Middle East conflict?
Until this moment Egypt has faced no direct strikes and officials have stated they are more concerned with managing economic problems than the possibility of strikes from Iran.
How can I fly to Egypt without going through the Middle East?
Flight routes to Egypt are complicated for Australians given that transit through the Middle East is not currently impossible. Other possible routes include going through China with China Eastern or China Southern, going through Indonesia with Qantas + Egypt Air, going through Malaysia and Turkey with Turkish Airlines or taking any route to Europe and continuing from there. Read more here.
What if I want to cancel?
While lines aren’t necessarily cancelling, several has stated they’ll accept cancellations for guests who no longer want to travel during this time, and offer credits for future sailings. If you want to cancel, contact your cruise line as soon as possible.
What is Australia’s official travel warning for Egypt?
Smart Traveller says to “Exercise a high degree of caution’ for travel to Egypt, a common warning that applies to many popular tourist destinations like Thailand and Mexico. This was already Egypt’s travel status before the attacks from the USA began.
The warning reads: “Retaliatory strikes are occurring in the Middle East region following military strikes on Iran. Military conflict in the region is causing airspace closures, flight cancellations and other travel disruptions. Prioritise your safety, monitor events and follow local advice.”
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March 9: Viking has gone back its previous decision of cancellations and will now continue to run Egypt river cruises as normal. While travel advice for Egypt hasn’t changed, other cruise lines like Amawaterways and Uniworld never announced cancellations, and after a ‘reassessment’, Viking will continue sailings as well.
Viking said in a statement: “The official travel advisories have now been clarified and the current advisory for Egypt remains the same as it was prior to the start of the recent conflict.
“Our global operations team remains in close contact with relevant authorities and security advisors, and we will continue to assess developments as they unfold. If conditions change, we are fully prepared to respond swiftly and appropriately.”
March 4: Prominent river cruise lines such as Viking have begun cancelling their Nile River sailings through to the end of March. However, other lines such as AmaWaterways and Uniworld are going to continue to sail.
The Nile is an extremely popular river cruise destination which has been growing rapidly, and is currently in peak season. However, with the USA issuing a direct travel warning advising citizens to leave Egypt and the conflict between the USA and Israel with Iran looking set to continue for at least weeks, major river cruise lines are pulling the plug on the next few weeks’ worth of Egypt cruises.
Viking has paused over 40 voyages, cancelling Egypt sailings until the end of March.
Until now, AmaWaterways says it will continue operations as normal in Egypt.
“AmaWaterways continues to closely monitor the situation in the region and remains focused on ensuring the safety and comfort of our guests and crew at all times. Our operations in Egypt remain supported and stable. Guests currently in destination have expressed a strong desire to continue their journey, and our March 5 and March 7 Nile River cruises will proceed as planned.
“At this time, all other Nile River cruises embarking throughout March will continue as scheduled. All guests and travel advisors with March reservations have been contacted to ensure they have the most up-to-date information and assistance.”
However, AmaWaterways did note that any guests with a March reservation who prefer to change their booking to another date can do so without incurring an extra charge.
AmaWaterways has cancelled its Jordan and Dubai pre- and post-cruise programs through to the end of March.
Uniworld has said it will continue both its tours in Jordan and river cruises on the Nile for the time being.
“Due to recent military activity in Iran, airspace over Jordan is temporarily closed, potentially impacting flights for guests booked on the March 2nd Jordan pre-cruise extension. To check the status of your flight, please contact the airline.
“For guests who are currently in Amman, or have not experienced flight cancellations, we will operate the Jordan extension as usual. Tours in Jordan are operating as normal.
“Please note that our Splendors of Egypt & the Nile program will operate as usual. Our team in Egypt is standing by to welcome our guests to Cairo on March 7th. No changes to the program are expected for the group that is currently there, nor for our upcoming departures.”
If you have a cruise booked on any of these lines, make sure to continue checking with your cruise line for any updates, that you have a safe flight path organised that doesn’t stop in the Middle East and that you refer to your government’s relevant travel safety authority for the latest information.
Avalon Waterways, part of the Globus family of brands which has one ship on the Nile River, also said it was “closely monitoring the evolving situation” and had made the “proactive decision” to cancel March departures to Qatar, Jordan, Dubai and Egypt “out of an abundance of caution”.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Guests and travel advisors on affected departures are being contacted directly and personally.
“Impacted travellers are being offered flexible options, including the opportunity to rebook to a future departure or receive a full refund.”
