Once I arrived in Luxor and joined the organized tour, I was insulated from most of the shenanigans and tourist shams (though one might argue I paid into the biggest of them all -- a prepackaged Nile cruise).
I ended up having a great time on the cruise. My room was very nice, there was plenty of food, I hung out with some friendly Americans and Koreans, and didn't have to worry about how to get from point A to B.
The temples were often overwhelming in their grandeur and scale, while the passing Nile Valley offered wonderful scenery in between.
