Nile Cruises in Egypt are officially categorized to 3 Stars, 4 Stars, 4
Stars+, 5 Stars and 5 Stars+. But This is NOT a good way to measure the
quality of the Cruise. You can find two Nile Cruises with the same
Official Rating but with great differences between them. That's why we did
not relay on the Official Rating when we categorized the Nile Cruises.
In our own categories we ask some questions before we Rate the Nile cruise
such as:
How Old is the Cruise?
When it was renovated?
Is it maintained regularly?
Is the Cruise has a Good Management?
etc..
So it is very critical when you select a Nile Cruise and you have to ask
before you book which cruise you are going to take.
You can Notice that there is a Difference in Price between Nile Cruises in
the Same Category. For Example you can find a Deluxe Nile Cruise with the
Rate of 75 US$ Per Person Per Night and another Deluxe one with the Rate
of 90 US$ Per Person Per Night in the Same Period of the Year.
The price that you pay is the result of Different
Factors such as:
Cruise Brand Name:
If the Nile Cruise is managed by an International Hotels Chain, you have
to know that you pay extra money for the Brand Name. For Example Cruises
Managed by Sonesta, Abercrombie, Oberoi or TUI
are more expensive than other similar Nile Cruises managed by local
operators.
Cruise Shape and Decoration:
Normally if the Nile Cruise is well decorated and maintained in a good
shape make people always want it as a first choice. This make a large
demand on the Cruise which result to raise its price. Also Newly Built
Nile Cruises are more expensive than Old Nile Cruises.
Cabins Size:
In Egypt there are restrictions on the maximum size of a Nile
Cruise. This is due because the Nile Cruise must fit to Esna Lock on the
Nile and if it is larger than the Lock Gate it will never pass the Lock.
So as the Size of the Cruise has a limit, the space is divided on the
number of cabins. For Example if the space is 300 Square Meters per Deck
and the Deck has 20 Cabins so the Cabin size will be 15 Square Meter. If
the Cruise decide to make only 10 Cabins Per Deck, the Cabin Size will be
30 Square Meter. As the Golden Rule Says "NOTHING IS FREE", Clients
will pay the price of the two cabins not only one. They have to pay for
the extra space.
Chartered
Cruises:
Some of Nile Cruises are Fully or partially chartered to Tour Operators.
However if the Tour Operator didn't fill all the cabins at a certain
Period, the Cruise Management sell the Empty Cabins to Individuals but
with a relatively high prices in order not to compete with their Tour
Operator.
Meals Included:
Most of Nile Cruises are on Full Board Basis. A very Few ones are on All
Inclusive Basis. The Difference between Full Board and All Inclusive is
that in All Inclusive Basis all Beverages and Local Alcoholics are
included in the price but in Full Board you pay for Beverages as an Extra.
Tours Included:
Although we sell Nile Cruises without Sightseeing in order to give the
clients the choice if they want to do the Tours with our company, do it by
themselves or Not to do it at all. However there are some Nile Cruises
that Sightseeing's are Compulsory at the Price even if you don't want to
do it.
So When you choose a Nile Cruise don't look only for Price but also you
have to see all other Factors that affect this price.
You can reach Luxor by several ways. From Cairo you can take the
Train and By Domestic Flight (Recommended). From Hurghada you can reach Luxor
by Bus or Private Car. Also you can reach Luxor by Domestic Flights From Sharm
El Sheikh.
Nile Cruises Start From Aswan:
You can reach Aswan by Train and Domestic Flight From Cairo and by Bus From
Hurghada (Not Recommended).
Every Nile Cruise has it own Schedule. Normally Programs are as Follows:
Every
Number of Nights
Program
Frequency
Saturday
4 Nights / 5 Days
Luxor / Aswan
Frequent
Monday
4 Nights / 5 Days
Luxor / Aswan
Frequent
Tuesday
4 Nights / 5 Days
Luxor / Aswan
Very Rare (Expensive)
Thursday
4 Nights / 5 Days
Luxor / Aswan
Rare (Expensive)
Friday
3 Nights / 4 Days
Aswan / Luxor
Frequent
Saturday
3 Nights / 4 Days
Aswan / Luxor
Very Rare (Expensive)
Monday
3 Nights / 4 Days
Aswan / Luxor
Rare (Expensive)
Wednesday
3 Nights / 4 Days
Aswan / Luxor
Frequent
However Nile Cruises can change its Starting Day at any time without Notice
according to their contracts with Tour Operators. Also the Nile Cruise can be
Fully chartered to a Tour Operator during the requested Date. So when you book
a Nile Cruise we have to check about their current starting Day and
availability before paying any Money. That's why there is No Online Instant
Nile Cruise Booking on the Net.
