Cruises from Egypt and Saudi Arabia - everything you need to know!

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Cruises from Egypt and Saudi Arabia - everything you need to know!08.11.2022 21:14

In 2022, the cruise company MSC Cruises launched a super popular route on the MSC Splendida 5 * liner.

The route includes such ports as: Safaga, Egypt - Aqaba (Petra), Jordan - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Yanbu, Saudi Arabia - Ain Sokhna, Egypt

It is possible to book cruises for 3, 4 and 7 nights.

Cruise start ports: Safaga, Egypt; Ain Sokhna, Egypt; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

But there were a lot of questions about this cruise that the cruise company did not provide clear answers to. Still…

Below is everything you need to know before booking a Red Sea cruise:

1. >>>Security protocol. Be sure to read the MSC Cruises safety protocols, especially the Red Sea 2022/2023 section

2. Visa features:

If you are booking a cruise from the port of Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

- Visa of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - an electronic visa is opened (for 1 year). More details about the visa >>> at the link:

- Egypt visa - you need to open an online multivisa. Processing time from 9 days.

- Jordan visa - no visa required. Upon arrival in Jordan, you will be stamped in your passport (Must have a blank page)

If you are booking a cruise from the ports of Egypt

- Visa of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) - an electronic visa is opened (for 1 year). More details about the visa >>> at the link. Or

- Transit visa of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - an electronic visa valid for 48 hours. A visa is issued in advance, but is issued 2 days before arrival at the port of Saudi Arabia.

- It is also possible not to open a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia visa if you do not plan to go to port.

- Egypt visa - you need to open two visas. One upon arrival in Egypt and the other upon arrival in Egypt on a cruise ship. This is due to the fact that Egypt issues single entry visas.

- Jordan visa - no visa required. Upon arrival in Jordan, you will be stamped in your passport (Must have a blank page)

3. Excursions. We recommend ordering in advance. The number of buses is limited due to the small number of licensed guides in KSA. Be sure to pay attention to the features of excursions in KSA in the description of excursions. Some of the excursions will be carried out with translation (when recruiting the required number of tourists), some will be exclusively in English.

- Petra

- AlUla (air!!!)

- Medina

– Jeddah

- Mecca

- Cairo

Consultation on any issues

4. While staying in KSA ports, alcohol will not be served on board.

5. Landing time at MSC SPLENDIDA:

- in the port of Ain Sokhna Saturday: from 10:00 to 15:30 (counters close at 16:00)

- in the port of Safaga Sunday: from 12:00 to 17:30 (counters close at 18:00)

- in the port of Jeddah Wednesday: from 12:00 to 16:30 (counters close at 17:00)

6. Transfers in Egypt. See prices below (price adjustments are possible).

The cost of transfers in Egypt for sea cruises

Route

Private transfer

(1-6 on)

Group transfer

OW, gross per car, USD OW, gross per person, USD

Cairo (airport/hotel*) – Ain Sokhna** 170 50

Ain Sokhna (hotel) – Ain Sokhna** (port) 70 -

Cairo (airport/hotel) - Safaga 295 80

Hotel Makadi - Safaga 90 35

Hurghada (airport/hotel*) – Safaga 90 35

* group transfer from the hotel (any) is confirmed at the indicated cost with a minimum of 4 people.

** transfer to the port of Ain Sokhna also includes a shuttle bus from the checkpoint to the pier (it is possible to change the car at the checkpoint)