Nile River Cruise Ships???

[murphysmum]

Hi!

 

I have a question. Is this the right section to post questions or thoughts about Nile Cruise Ships...or do the questions go into the "river cruise" section. I rarely see Nile mentioned in River Cruise section...perhaps reserved for European Cruises?...and very little here.

 

I'm asking because we took a cruise down the Nile this year on the Oberoi Philae. We LOVED the ship. We want to go back to Egypt next year and would book that ship in a heartbeat...but...I'm curious about what..if any...new ships have been built since then...and how they compare to the Philae.

 

I've done a lot of web searches and it seems like many of the "luxury" ships used by some of the upscale cruise companies/lines have no balconies. I can't imagine the Nile experience without being able to sit on the balcony at night and hear the sounds of the night and the gentle ripple of the river.

 

I'm making myself want to go back RIGHT NOW!!!

 

Thanks for any advice on where to look!

 

murphysmum;)

[cruisemom42]

I would think this is the right place. I'd definitely like to see more discussion on this as I'm also planning a trip to Egypt next year and there are so many cruisers out there (over 250 according to Lonely Planet)! A personal recommendation or review from others is always welcomed. In fact, your previous comments about the Oberoi Philae have put it in one of the top spots on my list.

 

Another cruiser I've read about that is supposed to be comparable is the Abercrombie & Kent Sun Boat III which carries only 36 passengers -- I like the idea of a smaller cruiser; also A&K have their own mooring docks, which is supposedly an advantage (??). We had a great experience with the A&K guides on our previous short trip to Cairo, which is another reason I like this option.

 

One that I'm very interested in is the M/S Sudan, which was originally built in 1885 as a Thomas Cook boat and was later owned by King Fouad. It was used as a set for the movie "Death on the Nile." It has been refurbished and has 23 suites and "character" according to Lonely Planet, but the drawback is -- no pool. Is that something really important on board? Can you comment?

 

The M/S Triton is supposed to be the "plushest" cruiser with an indoor and outdoor pool and only 20 rooms. Children under 7 are not accepted.

 

That's my list at the moment. I'd love to look at going on a restored Dahabiyya, but I think that's out of my budget!!

[MercedMike]

I really can't compare Nile ships. We have only been on the Oberoi Shehrayer with a Globus group and liked it very much. The way the ships dock is that several will tie up next to each other, and you walk through one after another to get to shore. We saw lots of lobbies that way. The Oberoi ship seemed to be a middle of the line. Some were smaller and shabbier, some grander and more elegant.

 

For those planning a trip, check out our review and pictures

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egyptmain.html

 

It really was the trip of a lifetime for us!

[murphysmum]

Hello!

 

I was so glad to see that others are also interested in the Nile cruises.

 

In reply to your comments/questions about other ships...We considered A&K's Sun Boat lll, but after looking at pictures and deck maps realized that there are no balconies (to me, essential on a Nile cruise) and it was quite contemporary...I wanted charm and sense of history. It is true that they have their own docks and this is VERY nice. But, the Oberoi Philae has their own dock at each stop as well. I was told (last year) that ONLY these two ships have their own docks.

 

Be careful not to confuse Oberoi Philae with Oberoi Shehera..something.. and it's sister ship (can't remember the name). The don't have their own docks and they are not, for some reason, on the main Oberoi site. I have heard they are very nice though and they looked very "atmospheric" on the river.

 

When we were there, the Sudan was cruising only Lake Nasser and I loved the association with Agatha Christie. It may now be doing the Nile. Shipmates on the Philae said it was very nice, but a bit run down and not nearly as nice as what they were experiencing on the Philae. I'd love to see pictures of the inside of the Sudan now, if you have a web site with interior pictures. About the pool question...We really enjoyed cooling off after a not day exploring temples. We did like the upper deck of the Philae as it offered a lot of shade and sun AND great service for cold drinks...or anything else you wanted. It was very appealing visually as well.

 

MS Triton...It's very sleek and contemporary looking, BUT has only windows and no balconies..that I can see. That would kill the whole deal for me.

 

I think that I'm now answering my own question...I'm going to book the Oberoi Philae again. I couldn't find the exact tour that I wanted (I really wanted old charm in the hotels as well.) so I booked the ship through the Oberoi web site (I think Oberoi.com). This will lead you to a map of the three Oberoi sites in Egypt. The pictures on the ship site are lovely and the ship actually looks even better. I booked the Mena Oberoi Hotel in Giza directly and the ship as well and was given exactly the room I wanted and the cabin on the ship as well. Will share other hotel experiences if you'd like to know.

 

I hope this has been helpful! One question...What is a Dahabiyya? I thought it was something to wear, but you're referring to it as a boat...I'd love more info.

 

Thanks so much....

 

murphysmum;)

[cruisemom42]

Hi murphysmom, thanks for all the great info, I really am reaping the benefits of your research and experience! I hadn't really thought about the necessity of having a balcony, as I pictured myself enjoying the open top deck on these cruisers, but perhaps you're right. I am definitely used to having a balcony on cruise ships, so I would probably miss having one on a Nile cruise.

 

I have heard there are so many cruisers that there is currently a ban on launching any new ones. That probably answers your question as to newer boats being available.

 

You are thinking of a galabiyeh (robe), I think. A Dahabiyyah is the traditional large sailing boat used on the Nile (larger than a felucca but smaller than most cruisers; they carry anywhere from 4 to 16 people, I understand). Some have been restored and are in service and others are a "reproduction". Here is one that has been recommended:

 

www.nourelnil.com

 

I suspect these are best chartered by a compatible small group. They aren't cheap either! They aren't for everyone, but I think I'd really enjoy it.

[murphysmum]

Hi...

 

I'm glad the information was helpful. I, like you, always reserve a balcony cabin on ocean cruises. I like the feeling of fresh air...It was the same on the Nile...and, if it was very hot during the middle of the day, the Philae had excellent air conditioning. I enjoyed going out onto the balcony when I first woke up, having the door open and hearing the sounds of the river...sitting for a few minutes before dinner...and sleeping with the door open. I also took full advantage of the rooftop deck.

 

Thanks for the clarification about a dahabiyya....I did have it confused with the long robes. I looked at the web site and it does look like a great way to travel with a large group of friends...OR...to "double up" and take a "regular" Nile cruise and then their tour, which includes a few places others don't...and they don't seem to include Luxor...which we really enjoyed.

 

FYI...We choose the four day cruise our first time. At the end of the cruise, the ship was returning to Aswan with a few empty cabins. Had we been able to change our internal and international air and a few hotel reservations, we would have simply gone back the other way and enjoyed the ship for four more days. Next year we'll definitely do the six day cruise.

 

We also liked the international feel of the ship. We were the only two Americans. We had great ship mates from South Africa, the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany.

 

Thanks for the lovely interchange of ideas....

 

murphysmum...:rolleyes:

[Trece]

Murphysmom - As someone who just sailed on Oberoi Philae, can you tell me if there was a dress code? Also, where did you find the 2008 sail dates? And how large were the excursion groups off the ship?

 

We just returned from our third trip to Egypt, two river cruises (with tour groups) and just a day trip from Israel to Mt. Sinai. The balconies on Oberoi Philae intrigue me, and we too are thinking of going back next year, maybe a week on the Oberoi Philae and a week in Luxor, which is my favorite city! :) I think I'd feel comfortable now not being with a group the entire time, and some friends are interested as well.

 

Thanks!!

[murphysmum]

Hi!

 

I'm glad that you've enjoyed Egypt as much as we have. I also think you'll feel quite secure without a formal tour group. My husband and I went alone, hired drivers when necessary and did not feel we missed anything. We were able to pick exactly which hotels we wanted, the rooms, etc. It was quite easy to plan.

 

You asked about 2008 sale dates, excursions from the ship and dress codes.

 

I just checked the site www.Oberoi.com and they don't have 2008 listed yet. I would simply email or call (contacts listed on Philae site). I made our reservations directly with them and they were very gracious.

 

The Philae excursions were top notch. First of all, as I mentioned above, you don't have to crawl through other ships to get to the dock. They provide their own tour guides, who travel on the ship, for each site and they take groups of 8 to 10 on small air conditioned buses/vans. Our guide was very well-versed in Egyptian history and gave more than a cursory overview of what we were seeing. He also made it fun!

 

Dress code is very informal. The ship's passengers were well traveled and didn't fuss a lot about "appearances" or the latest fashion, but were "well put together" for daytime touring. In the evening, if we came home very late from a tour, we often went right to the dining room. If not, slacks or long skirt and a blouse for women, slacks and a short sleeved shirt for men. My husband had taken a sport jacket, but never needed to wear it.

 

They did have a black and white night, which, on most ships would be black tie. Most of us wore some version of white linen; no one really dressed up. There was an Egyptian night where 90% wore long robes (bought in port very inexpensively...or on ship); it was fun and the food was great.

 

If you have any more questions, I'd be glad to try to answer them. Going with a group of friends sounds like great fun!

 

Happy sailing!

 

murphysmum;)

[Trece]

Hi Murphysmom, Thanks for the complete and thorough reply. Interestingly, www.oberoi.com doesn't work for me or our friends. We can access the hotels & ship thru www.oberoihotels.com. I think we are receiving the same results, however, including no 2008 prices or dates. We're going to call.

 

Our first tour was with Gate 1 in 1999. It wasn't too long after the murders at Hatshepsut and our group consisted of eight or nine people! This spoiled us big time! We were on one of the Sonesta ships and loved it, it had huge rooms & was basically empty. We did have to go thru other ships on occasion, but we actually kindof liked it as we were exposed to some of the other ships. We also shopped at their gift shops!

 

This time we were with Overseas Adventure Travel and they have their own ship, River Hathor. All the passengers were OAT passengers, 14 in our group and 16 in another, and one time we think we recall passengers from another ship going thru ours but we never went thru anyone else's. We had the same guide from the moment we stepped off the plane to the moment we got on to return home and we LOVE her; in fact, we are still in touch.

 

I think all the ships have the galabeya night! The interesting thing is that DH and I each have two, one each from Morocco and one each from Egypt. DH brought his Moroccan one, simply because it was easier to reach in the closet. The Egyptian crew immediately knew it was not an Egyptian galabeya, isn't that amazing? It was the weave of the fabric, they said.

 

Our guide told us about those "houseboats" you rent, I didn't recall the name of them, the dahabiyyas? I would LOVE to do something like that with a group of people who had been to Egypt before & knew what to expect. You sound like a perfect candidate! I'll have to check out that website.

 

Thanks for the information, I'm sure I'll have more questions if we decide to go. Do you have a specific date/time in mind for yourselves??

[PollyPenguin]

Thanks for starting this thread. A group of us are planning for a Nile cruise in 2009 or 2010 and I'm already starting to research. We've looked at the National Geographic tour mostly because of the educational focus of the trip. I just this week started looking for other options (price being a consideration) and have found several to do more research on:

Uniworld

Grand Circle Travel (GCT)

Insight Vacations

Homeric Tours (mostly focus on Greece but have some Nile options)

 

If anyone has feedback on any of these, I'd love to hear it. And I'll keep researching, too.

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for starting this thread. A group of us are planning for a Nile cruise in 2009 or 2010 and I'm already starting to research. We've looked at the National Geographic tour mostly because of the educational focus of the trip. I just this week started looking for other options (price being a consideration) and have found several to do more research on:

Uniworld

Grand Circle Travel (GCT)

Insight Vacations

Homeric Tours (mostly focus on Greece but have some Nile options)

 

If anyone has feedback on any of these, I'd love to hear it. And I'll keep researching, too.

 

 

I don't have experience with any of these groups, but you may also want to look at Travelearn. They work with a lot of universities for charter tours but also do a great tour of Egypt. They have small groups (I think 15 or 20 max) and have special lectures on all things Egyptian, including the opportunity to meet with Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Egyptian minister of antiquities (he's the one you always see on TV whenever there's a new discovery, etc). I have been debating doing one of their tours or traveling on my own to Egypt.

 

Their website is http://www.travelearn.com

[Strawberry]

We have booked a November Egypt tour/Nile cruise with Amadeus and I have posted a few times trying to find someone who has been to Egypt with Amadeus -- is there any one out there with any experience with this cruise? So far not much luck with this question. Thanks!

[murphysmum]

Hi!

 

Yes, the houseboats looked interesting to me as well. Cruisemom42 listed a website for one of those (above on this thread) and it looks really nice.

 

Because the itinerary is atypical and visits a lot of places that typically get missed, I can see combining this with another Nile cruise..back to back.

 

We're thinking that we'll go back in the late fall of 2008. We've got three fairly major cruises planned between now and then and that's the first real time we have. I know that we'll want to do the Philae again, but would be interested in this has well. I couldn't find anything on the website about schedules or pricing. I'm going to do a little more research into it.

 

Bye for now...

 

murphysmum;) (Janed)

[Trece]

Trying to decide between Sonesta Moon Goddess and Oberoi Philae. They appear to be very similar at least in regards to cabin size, number of passengers, and itinerary, but Moon Goddess is a lot less expensive (not inexpensive, just less than Oberoi). Murphysmom has been a big help in telling us the size of the tour groups off the Philae, but we're having difficulty determining the size of the tour groups off any Sonesta ship, but specifically the Moon Goddess. It makes a difference to us which ship we pick because we don't want to be touring the sites with the entire ship contingent, if that happens to be Sonesta's policy. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Murphysmom, We obtained Philae's itinerary & pricing for 2008 by e-mailing Oberoi so that information is definitely available. Unfortunately we will sailing in February or maybe we could have met! I like Philae's itinerary marginally better because it doesn't crowd Valley of Kings & Queens & Karnak & Luxor all on the same day as Moon Goddess does, but we are going to stay some extra nights in Luxor at the end of the cruise so we can repeat anything we want to, and the price differential is enough to make us give thumbs up to MG at the moment. May change if I don't like the answer to the question I posed!!

 

I guess we'll have to save the houseboats for our NEXT trip! How about 2010? :D

 

PollyPenguin, Be sure to check out OAT, which is the smaller arm of GCT. Their group size is much smaller & more is included in the base price vs. being optional. We intersected with the GCT groups a few times & their tours (to me) are mammoth.

[murphysmum]

Hi!

 

I'm glad that you've (almost) settled on a ship. You're not getting replies to the question about Moon Goddess ship tours (small or large). Why don't you ask this on a new post...It may be getting lost here.

 

I'm a little curious too about how the other ships handle their site tours. We did see a lot of huge buses in parking areas, but I'm not sure where they were from.

 

Thanks for the information on the Oberoi 2008 schedule. I've emailed them and requested it.

 

I still think the very small ships look great...2010 IS a possbility.

 

Would love to know what you decide to do. I did see the Moon Goddess on the Nile and she looks like a beautiful ship.

 

Warmest,

 

murphysmum (Janed);)

[Trece]

To Murphysmom - I put it as a separate question on the River Cruises forum but have had no luck there either. Since there had been a lot of hits on this thread I thought I'd link my question to yours here but that doesn't seem to be working either. :( I'll give it another day or so and then post it separately here. I'm beginning to think Nile cruisers are not a very talkative bunch! We HAVE posed the question to Sonesta itself but haven't received a response from them.

 

I'm serious about 2010! We love Egypt and that would be such a cool way to experience it. And I think it really has to be done with people who are familiar with Egypt & comfortable there.

 

Thanks for all your help and I'll keep you posted and you do the same! :D

[suzieque]

I am also interested in a Nile ACruise. Anyone use Lindblad? I will also check out the Oberoi site. What time of year do you recommend?

Suzie

[bUU]

I really can't compare Nile ships. We have only been on the Oberoi Shehrayer with a Globus group and liked it very much.

What a trip, wasn't it? We did that same tour, and the same cruise, back in 2001. (We've got hundreds of photos and our travel journals on our website http://brianandrobbie.com/offwegotoegypt/.)

It really was the trip of a lifetime for us!

Us too!

[loosygoosy]

Murphysmom:

We are also planning an Egypt & The Nile cruise tour. We are planning for mid to late September 2008. We are also looking at adding on an African Safari (Kenya) since we are already in the vicinity.

Right now I am looking at www.nubiannilecruises.com (African Pharoah -18 day) and I am also looking at Go Ahead Tours. They have 2 separate packages [sep. 5 (12 days Africa) and Sep 18 (13 days Cairo & Nile cruise] that I am trying to combine for the least amount of money as possible. We would prefer the longer nile cruises (7+ days).

E-mail me at loose_goose7755@yahoo.ca and perhaps we can exchange information. The trip is to celebrate my 50th (in May).

[ptes]

Hi,

 

I'm asking because we took a cruise down the Nile this year on the Oberoi Philae. We LOVED the ship. We want to go back to Egypt next year and would book that ship in a heartbeat...but...I'm curious about what..if any...new ships have been built since then...and how they compare to the Philae.

 

how can I get more information on the cruise you took? Is there a web site?

[Manny's mom]

Check out Isram tours. We did their Egypt with the Nile cruise. The tour director/Egyptologist was amazing!

[murphysmum]

Hello...

 

RE: Oberoi Philae....We booked our cruise directly through the cruise line. Web site is: www.oberoihotels.com Just go to "select hotel" and then to to Oberoi Philae/Reservations. We stayed at the Mena Oberoi for a few days before embarking in Aswan and they called to confirm our reservations, although it probably wasn't necessary.

 

We booked only four days, wished we'd booked seven as the ship was so lovely and the cruise quite port intensive. We're going back and will plan seven days next time.

 

Happy sailing!

 

murphysmum;)

[MercedMike]

Hi,

 

 

how can I get more information on the cruise you took? Is there a web site?

 

Our cruise was slightly different ... we were on Oberoi Shehrayer.

 

Check out

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egyptmain.html

for our report and pictures.

 

It was the trip of a lifetime!

[harvwald]

Hi, I hope this will help the person who is trying to decide between the Oberoi and Sonesta cruises. I sailed on the Sonesta Star Goddess this year. Fabulous boat. All suites, balcony, beautiful bath with tub, lovely sitting room as well as bedroom. Spacious top deck and nice public areas. Good food, including buffet breakfast and lunch and waiter service at dinner with 3 choices in each category. Wonderful service. Intimate feeling. I did not take their tours so cannot comment on that, as I was part of Seven Wonders tour, which had our own Egyptologist and tour guide who conducted us. Sorry to not be able to give feedback on this. Would be glad to answer any questions I can.

[JordanF]

We spent two weeks in Egypt with Grand Circle Travel last December. This included a one week Nile River cruise. It was an awesome trip! I posted a review on the River Cruises Board--here is the link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=466130&highlight=jordanf