Top Cruise Ships in Cairo

By Kashif Raza Sen.

Philae
It is designed to look like a Mississippi paddle steamer, but no luxury is spared on this boat managed by Oberoi Hotels. The 58 cabins and suites all have their own balconies and are catered to by a butler service.

Sun Boat III & IV

These are two beautiful vessels operated by Abercrombie & Kent, one of the leading tour agencies specializing in Egypt. Boat III takes just 36 passengers, while Boat IV carries 80 passengers. Facilities and service on both boats are top-class and include an onboard Egyptologist.


MS Semiramis

Thomas Cook & Sons were the first people to start Nile cruising as a commercial concern in the 1870s. The modern-day incarnation of the company offers competitively priced packages. The MS Semiramis is one of the most comfortable of the cruise ships with 66 cabins and full facilities.

Radamis I & II

These two large boats are operated by the Mvenpick group. Slightly cheaper than the smaller cruise ships, their facilities are nevertheless five-star, and there are options of four-day, five-day and eight-day packages.

SS Misr & SS Karim

The steamer SS Misr was built in 1918 and was used by King Farouk, while the smaller SS Karim is even older and was also formerly used by royalty. Both boats are charming, especially the SS Karim, which has the ambience of a floating gentleman's club. The boats are leased to the high-end travel company Voyage Jules Verne.

SS Kasr Ibrim & Eugenie

The alternative to a Nile cruise is a Lake Nasser cruise. These were the first two boats on the lake and remain the best. Both are grand, belle poque-style ships with spacious cabins and luxurious amenities such as a steam bath on the Eugenie.

Sudan

One of the most exclusive vessels on the Nile, the Sudan was built in the late 19th century and used by King Fouad I of Egypt and Sudan, and during the filming of the film version of Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. It has just 22 cabins, each with a small balcony.

Assouan, Al-Nil, Meroe & Malouka

All four of these boats, operated by Nour El Nil, are dahabiyyas - replicas of the old-style sailboats that ferried 19th-century passengers up the Nile. They all carry only 16-20 passengers in languorous luxury, taking six days to sail from Luxor to Aswan.

MS Tania

One of the less expensive cruise ships that sails Lake Nasser between Aswan and Abu Simbel is this elegant vessel with 28 cabins, which is operated by local Egyptian travel company Travco.

Star Goddess

The Sonesta Collection of Hotels, Resorts and Cruises operates five Nile cruisers, including the standard Moon Goddess, and Sun Goddess. The Star Goddess is the most exclusive ship and has 33 suites named after composers, each with its own terrace and full-size bathtub.

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