If It’s Monday or Tuesday, It Must Be Egypt

Our cruise started on a Saturday from Piraeus, Greece. We arrived at Alexandria, Egypt on Monday for an overnight stay so guests had the opportunity for long day or overnight trips to Cairo, as well as exploring Alexandria.

This was our itinerary on the Oosterdam last month, placing us in Alexandria Monday-Tuesday August 11-12, 2025.

In 2001, this was our itinerary on the Royal Olympic Voyager every week May-September.  

Yes, I was in Alexandria, Egypt on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

When you repeat the same itinerary every week, how you choose to explore a port is different than if you think you are only visiting some place once.  So, while I escorted tours to Cairo a few times, Alexandria was usually a time to get caught up on Wi-Fi at McDonalds (this was the era of no shipboard Wi-Fi) and wander.  We saw The Mummy in an Egyptian movie theatre in English, with Egyptian subtitles.

I usually walked into town with my tall, male friend Greg. And in Alexandria, I kept my head covered.  We marveled at the amount of Disney knock-off merch we saw, and decided we would open the next magic kingdom there. I performed a couple of Marilyn Monroe numbers that contract, so it was fun to find “my” shop.

That Tuesday, Greg and I did our usual routine.  He still had more emails to catch up on, and I wanted to get some Egyptian pounds as my whole family was going to come sail the following Saturday.  I felt comfortable walking back to the ship on my own, so off I went.  I stopped at a pay phone to call my New York City roommate as it was her birthday. I couldn’t get through and thought ”those darn Egyptian pay phones!” It never occurred to me that it was the NY end of the line that was the problem.

When I got back to the ship, the security guard said he was really glad I was back and did I know where Greg was. I explained and started to head to my cabin.  

He said “The World Trade Center has been bombed.”

“Ha ha, very funny, yeah right” I replied.

Inside my cabin, I turned on the tv to There’s Something About Mary as it was on the ship’s Tuesday tv movie. I hopped in the shower to wash away the dust.  The phone rang, and I don’t remember who called, but they insisted I turn on the news. 

And then it felt real.  

We were getting a European news channel, so I am pretty sure I saw some raw footage that would not have been seen on American televisions, until they took the news signal off the tv and I saw no footage. I was in Italy in September 2006 so I didn't see any footage on the five-year anniversary either. I don't remember when I first did see coverage after those initial hours.

I remember the priest onboard performing mass and offering counseling. 

I remember decisions had to be made about whether or not we would continue to do the American-NY section of our around the world show (we didn’t).

I remember our guests being stranded after that cruise.

I remember reaching my parents the next day when I was able to call home from Rhodes. They asked me to stay on the ship and not go ashore for the rest of the week.  They said “You know we are not coming.” I said “Of course.”

I remember a message from one of my favorite college professors on my answering service saying that my outgoing message about not being in NY was one of the best things he had heard. 

I remember an Irish crew member saying to me “Now you know how we feel. Welcome to our world.”

I remember, when I did go ashore again, Turkish citizens saying they were so sorry.

I remember arriving in NYC at the end of my contract three weeks later, and even though I lived at the very other end of Manhattan, the smell of the air.

I remember friends saying that I needed to go see it and that I shouldn’t go alone.  But no one wanted to go with me.  I finally did a year later after my next contract.

In no way does my experience come close to the horror of being in NYC at that time, but Alexandria, New York and 911 are inextricably connected in my mind.

2006 was my first time back and it was emotional, but I went into Cairo with the cast and friends and we had a good visit. (I'd already ridden a camel and was happy to be on a horse.)

2013 I did not get off the ship. 2019 we did an amazing two-week trip throughout Egypt (not including Alexandria).

So this past August, being there on a Monday/Tuesday and on the 11th (albeit August) it all hit me more than I expected.  I was grateful for the opportunity to pause and reflect before a busy, hot, two days.

Monday I escorted a full day trip to Cairo whose sole purpose was to visit the new, soft-opened Grand Egyptian Museum.  This is a stunning, well designed and executed museum.  A must see.  Such a contrast the the old Egyptian Museum, but a good reminder that it, too, had been state of the art when it was built.

Tuesday I escorted the full day trip exploring Alexandria as I was pretty sure I had never seen the historical (mostly Greco-Roman) sites.  I had never gotten to see the new Library of Alexandria - also stunning with great museum collections.  Another must see. 

Riding on the bus I was able to ID our old McDonalds and movie theatre… 

Small world connection:  My good friend Emily was the singer that replaced me on that contract. She and I have remained good friends over the years and the one who connected me with the Medora Musical for summer of 2021.  Turns out the architects of the Alexandria Library are also the architects for the new Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora. My photos don't do these libraries justice, but the above links to Snøhetta sure do.

I also had the time to do something I usually don’t have the opportunity to do - take the watercolor class onboard.  Our theme was the Pyramids.

I look forward to being back again this October.

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This has been a long post, so I am going to skip the wellness roundup.  I will say lots of walking, lots of trying to make healthy choices while enjoying the company of friends and family.  

That’s it for now. Bon Voyage & Bon Appétit!