Egypt was on top of our bucket list and we wanted to get the most out of the experience. I will admit that I was a little apprehensive about going to Egypt and of course all our friends thought we were crazy. I am so glad we went! We had sailed with Uniworld a couple years ago in Europe and were so impressed with the ship & the staff, we decided to book with them to go to Egypt.
The Uniworld package was very reasonable and inclusive with the exception of alcohol drinks, tips and two optional tours - Hot Air Balloon and the excursion to Abu Simbel. We spent two nights in Cairo at the Four Seasons and then flew down to Luxor to meet the River Tosca. The ship was very nice, I thought the food was excellent and the staff could not have been nicer. We had an official Egyptologist, Akram, travel with us everywhere we went along with a body guard. Akram was a wonderful guide and we all enjoyed traveling with him.
The whole time we were in Egypt, I felt very safe and well protected. My feeling was the body guard was there more to make us feel secure rather than for the protection. The Egyptians take security very seriously, much more than the USA. You have to go through a few security lines to get into anything. We did do the optional excursion to Abu Simbel (this is a must), it was phenomenal. I went on the Hot Air Balloon ride in the wee hours of the morning be the Valley of the Kings. This I would recommend as well. Here is my recommendation - go now before the crowds come back! Consider the River Tosca, I was genuinely sad when we departed.
When we looked at the price comparison between the standard cabin and the Presidential Suite, we felt there was not a huge difference in cost so we splurged. We did see the regular cabins and they were very nice and spacious. The Presidential Suite was great and very roomy with a separate bedroom & a small balcony, it was worth the extra. Do take the even number cabins so you look out over the Nile rather the boat beside you.