After the amazing day in Petra I assumed that every subsequent stop on our journey would pale in comparison, but I am happy to report that cruising through the Suez Canal was another unique and memorable experience.
It was an early start for many on board, based on notification from the Captain of Arcadia of our arrival at the entrance to the Suez Canal at 6 am. Other vessels waiting for permission to transit included general cargo, container, car and oil carriers and cruise ships.
It was close to 11am by the time the pilot was on board and we were on our way, third in a convoy led by a U.S. submarine and a destroyer, with a Russian helicopter circuiting above us all, the whole convoy receiving waves and cheers from the locals as we passed by.
Monuments and sights along the way included war and peace memorials, armed soldiers standing guard on both sides, and the uniquely named Shodada 25 January Bridge. Aida, a German cruise ship travelling behind us was dwarfed when passing underneath but it looked like a tight squeeze for Arcadia.
Arcadia travelled from the Gulf of Suez, Red Sea, to the Mediterranean, a transit which took just over ten hours at a steady 8 knots. For the majority of this time the seating areas inside were largely vacant in preference for all available external vantage points.
At best a cruise can only offer a small taste of life in other lands, necessitating a return visit by air in order to see and do more.
Cruising the Suez, however, is a uniquely maritime experience I feel blessed to have enjoyed.
