Deluxe Nile cruises

What a deluxe Nile cruise offers

Our deluxe class sits between the luxury ships and the standard ships. It is not a budget option. Every deluxe ship we offer lists the things many travelers want on a Nile cruise: a swimming pool, a main restaurant serving buffet meals, and more than one type of cabin, suites included. Most also list a sun deck with loungers, a lounge or bar, and fitness equipment, and many list a massage room.

What you will find less often is the extra layer of the luxury class: full spas, à la carte restaurants, balcony cabins, or libraries. For many travelers that is a fair trade, because most of the day on a Nile cruise is spent ashore at the temples.

Examples from the deluxe fleet

A few deluxe ships and what their own pages list:

• Concerto Plus: a pool on the sun deck, massage and spa treatment rooms, and a library and reading corner.
• Iberotel Crown Emperor: a pool with sun loungers, a massage room, a large sun deck with bar service, and an evening lounge.
• Jaz Crown Prince: an upper-deck pool, a sun terrace, a buffet restaurant, and a massage area.
• Nile Serenity: a pool on the sun deck, massage rooms, and Wi-Fi in public areas.
• Blue Shadow: a pool with sun loungers, a massage room, and a lounge bar with an evening disco.

The full list of deluxe ships is on this page. Each ship's own page shows its cabins, dining, facilities and programs.

A day on board a deluxe ship

The day follows the program of your cruise. Mornings start early, often with breakfast before 7:30 AM, so you reach the temples before the heat. You are usually back on board for lunch, and the afternoon brings either a second visit or a few hours of sailing, which is the time to use the pool and the sun deck.

Evenings are relaxed: dinner in the main restaurant, then the lounge or the deck. Many deluxe ships list evening entertainment on their pages, such as music or folklore shows. Because the ships are large, there is usually a quiet corner if you want one.

Programs and dates

The deluxe ships sail all three programs we offer: the 4-night Luxor to Aswan cruise, the 3-night Aswan to Luxor cruise, and the 7-night round trip from Luxor. Each ship's page shows the programs it sails.

The typical program notes that the order of visits and the timings can change with the ship, the Esna lock queue, and the departure day. Your planner confirms the exact program of your ship with your quote.

Deluxe, luxury or standard

If wellness facilities, à la carte dining, or a balcony are important to you, compare our luxury Nile cruises. If you want the simplest classic cruise, see our standard Nile cruises. And if you would rather sail on a small boat with only a few cabins, our dahabiya page explains how that differs.

Cabins on a deluxe ship

Every deluxe ship we offer lists more than one type of cabin on its own page, and all of them include suites. Most Nile ships have cabins with large windows facing the river rather than balconies, and none of the deluxe ships lists balcony cabins, so if a balcony is important to you, look at the luxury class.

Within the class, the cabin you choose can matter as much as the ship. Ask your planner to compare the cabin types that are free on your dates.

Who a deluxe cruise suits

A deluxe ship suits many first-time visitors to Egypt. It gives you a comfortable cabin, full board, and a pool for the hot afternoons, on the same programs as the luxury ships. Families like the pool and the buffet, groups of friends like the lounge and the evening program, and couples like having a sun deck to watch the river from.

If you want spa facilities, à la carte dining, or simply a quieter, more polished ship, compare the luxury class. If you want the simplest ship, look at the standard class.

Planning around the cruise

A deluxe cruise is usually one part of a longer trip. The 4-night cruise from Luxor to Aswan fits a plan that reaches Luxor from Cairo and leaves from Aswan, often after Abu Simbel; the 3-night cruise from Aswan to Luxor fits the reverse. Our Nile cruise plus Cairo page shows both, with sample plans from 7 to 16 days.

Asking for a quote

Pick the deluxe ships you like, or simply tell us your dates and how many are traveling, and request a quote. A planner replies within 24 hours with the ships and cabins free on your dates and what is included. The same quote can cover hotels, Cairo, and day trips such as Abu Simbel.