I had always wanted to see Egypt and the Nile. A wonderful friend took me on this cruise for a special birthday. The sites were truly spectacular, especially the Pyramids of Gaza, the Valley of the Kings, and especially Abu Simbel. We had early departures for many of the tours off ship, but that was not a problem. We had to pay extra for the trip (involving a flight) to Abu Simbel - but it was truly worth it. To be on the Nile was truly spectacular and we loved every minute. The Tosca was a very nice ship, and the service was outstanding. There were only 62 on the cruise and we were divided into 3 bus groups. Be aware that this cruise involves several flights getting to destinations. You start off with a few days in Cairo. We stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel and it was amazing! We then were flown down to Luxor where we boarded the Tosca. Our tour guide Tirek was outstanding and certainly knew his Egyptian history! On reaching Aswan we were flown to see Abu Simbel for the day - well worth it. We found all of the tours excellent, loving each one. On returning to Luxor, we were flown back to Cairo for our visit to the Pyramids, and once again stayed at the fabulous Four Seasons Hotel. We had chosen to do the Jerusalem Extension at the end of the cruise, but, to be honest, it was not worth the price that we had to pay to do it. There were eight of us on this portion of the trip and our guide in Jerusalem was only adequate. As said, the cost was too high for this 5 day excursion and we didn't really leave the city at all, except to go to Bethlehem, which was another disappointment. HOWEVER, the Nile Cruise was outstanding and will always be remembered. Would I go back again? Definitely. Note the use of several adjectives several times throughout the review!