Nile Cruise

[Critique999]

Hi

We did a (standard) Nile cruise 10 years ago and very much enjoyed it.  Having done more than 20 ocean cruises looking back at that Nile cruise it left us with a lot of good memories.  We like to do it again and take on some of the tours we missed first time round.  I don't recall which boat we were on but it was pretty 'basic' and I learned back then that all the boats have a 5 star rating.  We'd like to do it again on a 'better' boat with a better room, better food (and better wine) but searching on google it's sooooooo difficult to sort the wheat out from the chaff.  The prices vary massively and I know form our last experience that it's not a simple matter of 'you get what you pay for.'

 

So I am looking for recommendations December, January or February - clean, luxury, balcony of suite all inclusive trips with decent food and drink at a fair price - name that boat?  

[jklc123]

Uniworld SS Sphinx. New for 2020. We had a fabulous time on their former ship, the Tosca.

[Mrs. Claypool]

Another vote for Uniworld . We are on the Tosca right now and I couldn’t be more impressed with the ship, the food, and the service. 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Mrs. Claypool
Misspelling.

[Critique999]

Thanks for the replies . . . .  from what I can see Uniworld looks like it's about £750 per couple per day, does that equate to any kind of value for money for what they provide?

[franski]

We are going in January - booked with a tour group, travelling on a Movenpick boat (the MS Sunray).   I will be able to report back when we return - but that may not be soon enough for you.

 

Fran

[AF-1]

so if you do a Nile cruise do you fly to Cairo and pick up the boat there or down south in Aswan?

[fred111]

I vote for Uniworld also.  We were with them on the Nile November 2018 and it was absolutely outstanding.  Great staff, super Egyptologist, unbelievable vacation.

[jklc123]

Uniworld, and other companies, start and end with a few days in Cairo, followed by a flight to Luxor to start the cruise to Aswan and back to Luxor,, with different  stops along the way.
 

There is at least one other company that has a longer cruise from Cairo to Aswan. Perhaps someone will chime in with the name of the company.

 

11 hours ago, AF-1 said:

so if you do a Nile cruise do you fly to Cairo and pick up the boat there or down south in Aswan?

[jklc123]

On 11/4/2019 at 7:05 AM, Critique999 said:

Thanks for the replies . . . .  from what I can see Uniworld looks like it's about £750 per couple per day, does that equate to any kind of value for money for what they provide?

Uniworld is pricey, for sure, but the value is there: first rate service, excursions, ships and food.

[franski]

On 11/5/2019 at 9:49 PM, jklc123 said:

Uniworld, and other companies, start and end with a few days in Cairo, followed by a flight to Luxor to start the cruise to Aswan and back to Luxor,, with different  stops along the way.
 

There is at least one other company that has a longer cruise from Cairo to Aswan. Perhaps someone will chime in with the name of the company.

 

Some companies do a 7 night cruise (Luxor - Aswan - Luxor) - and some do a 4 night cruise (Luxor - Aswan --> fly back to Cairo). The cruise may or may not include a trip to Abu Simbel.  But, often is it available at an extra cost. 

We did lots of research into the options - and decided we wanted a 7 night cruise.  We had pretty much decided on Uniworld, but they had not confirmed their extensions for 2020 - and, by the time they did - the basic cruise price really jumped. We figured we would be waiting for a sale - but then found a small company that would give us the Nile/Cairo - plus Israel & Jordan - for what we were looking at before Uniworld raised their prices. 

 

We leave in about 2 months...  VERY excited.

 

Fran