Red Sea (Egypt) closed (covid-19 confined)

[Ministryofgiraffes]

What's the best way to go about this? Can you wander the docks at Hurghada and ask who has space for sailings? Do most 6/7 day boats leave on Friday/Saturday?

We're considering a trip Nov/Dec but no real idea about who we'd sail with thus far. I like the idea of leaving it to the last minute, but given this will be our first holiday for almost 12 months there's a lot of pressure to make sure it's an awesome break!

I’ll actually create a list of all the direct reservation emails with the boats I know. I would just send a group email to all of them on the day before you want to board asking who has a spot. Forget about liveaboard.com or padi travel. You are never going to get the responses you need or accurate info in the time you need it. I am basically now on WhatsApp with most of the boat reservation teams. If there is a vacancy on a boat, you basically need no notice. I’ve been sitting in the bar in Port Ghalib at 6pm and booked on a boat that is going out that day...

probably best to do it the day before or the morning you fly at a push so you know if you need to get to port Ghalib or not...also which marina in hurghadha etc. I would say that it’s unlikely that you are going to be left high and dry and worst case scenario you can just beeline to the breakers at soma bay and shore dive

edit** one thing I would add. I can’t guarantee some boats won’t charge credit card processing fees (although I have never had this issue) liveaboard.com don’t charge credit card fees.

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

As you mentioned the Breakers... They are now offering a "Home Office Package": You book one room and can get a second room for free as your "Home Office".
What a temptation....

 

[chillyinCanada]

As you mentioned the Breakers... They are now offering a "Home Office Package": You book one room and can get a second room for free as your "Home Office".
What a temptation....

Yes, if there are two of you but who needs two rooms, if you are only one person? Interesting indeed. Perhaps I'll move there.

 

[Adr1an]

That's our story, and I'm sticking with it (especially when I will miss Passover with the family to be there in March/April).

The thing is that you could actually plan to visit on Passover some very impressive temples in Egypt that may very well have been built by slaves bought from the Middle East, including Jewish slaves. ( Karnak, Luxor, Hatshepsut). These were either built or vastly enlarged at a time when Egypt controlled pretty much all of today's Israel, Palestine and Lebanon and waged victorious wars there.
On the other hand Khufu, Khafra and Menkaure barely controlled Sinai (some sort of loose sovereignty over the Berber tribes) so it's hard to imagine how they could acquire relevant numbers of Jewish slaves.

Of course, everyone is free to believe whatever stories they want, but some stories at least have a chance to be true...

 

[Adr1an]

As you mentioned the Breakers... They are now offering a "Home Office Package": You book one room and can get a second room for free as your "Home Office".
What a temptation....

On the current market I doubt they are going to find many takers at 1200$ per week per seaview room with half board.

This is a general problem with many hotels in Egypt, they don't put up realistic special offers online, despite the fact that in these special circumstances one cannot realistically expect people to show up/call internationally and start haggling.

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

[...] 1200$ per week per seaview room with half board.[...]

Where did you get that from?
I made a quick search and came out with 660 EUR (770 USD), 2 pax, seaview, half board.

 

[Adr1an]

On a certain booking site that uses cookies and user account to inflate prices . It's a matter of dates selected, I'm getting 757 for 8-15 October but 1190$ for 22 to 29 October. It must be the locals driving the price up because of the 29th October holiday. But 2-9 November is also close to 1000$.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

I have never paid more than 56 euro a night half board (breakfast/dinner) for breakers as a single in a double room. Did you look on the site/email them directly? Always go direct,...ALWAYS.

doubt it’s locals, it’s not really a joint for locals. I’ve never met an Egyptian guest there and non Egyptian locals prefer the luxury of the spa etc in the 5* hotels next door.

 

[Adr1an]

Rooms | The Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge

As I said, I'm sure if calling to their reservation manager it is possible to get substantially better rates, it's just unrealistic that they expect people to do that in relevant numbers.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Email to their booking email etc works too

also for ref, it’s a good joint for photogs. They don’t have a camera room, but the golf wagons they have to drive you to the end of the dock and back again when you are done means you don’t have to lug big nauticam etc housings around,

very big rinse tanks and hoses available as well.