Cruising like Pharaohs

Visiting the ancient sites of Egypt is a trip of a lifetime. If ever there were a bucket list trip wish list, visiting Egypt has to feature on it.

To visit ancient Egyptian sites via a cruise down the Nile, well that is dialling a bucket list trip up to a whole other level. We just had this experience with Uniworld and we can’t rave about it enough.

We could write essays on the itinerary and the stories we heard from our group’s Egyptologist but an easy way to see what this itinerary looks like is to watch our YouTube episode, here!

Uniworld organisation = no hassles

Every group of 20 or so people is allocated a dedicated Egyptologist plus an air-conditioned coach and driver for the cruise week. Our Egyptologist was Hatem, a university lecturer who was an absolute fountain of knowledge about Egypt. Hatem shepherded us everywhere, organised admission tickets, told us how to navigate the market vendors, answered any question we had and told us a myriad of stories which brought the whole trip to life.

And you are given Whispers – an earpiece so that you can easily hear your Egyptologist no matter the crowds.

In short, Uniworld organises everything so that all you need to do is turn up at the coach at the appointed time and soak everything in hassle-free. Now that’s a holiday.

Our epic trip

The Uniworld trip we did was slightly different from the usual – we had slightly less time in Cairo but the time we did have was incredible. We stayed at the lavish Nile Ritz Carlton and spent our first afternoon there by the pool shaking off the jet lag.

We then had the most incredible day in Cairo at the Pyramids (including an optional camel ride!) and at the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). It was a jam-packed day and one we won’t soon (ever?) forget.

The next week was spent cruising the Nile. We sailed on the River Tosca. Uniworld also operates the S.S. Sphinx on the Nile and we had an opportunity to tour the Sphinx so we’ll talk a little about both.

River Tosca

The River Tosca is an all-suite ship where all suites are the same size other than two Royal Suites at the bow (front). All suites onboard have French balconies where the windows slide fully open. There is a maximum capacity of 82 guests and a staff-to-guest ratio of almost 1:1.

We had a Grand Suite. These range from 313 to 335 square feet (29.1 to 31.1 square metres). That translates to BIG.

Also big was the custom-made bed draped with the finest bed linens. There was beautiful fabric and braid on the walls, soft carpet, upholstered seating and an upholstered bedhead, heavy curtains (and sheers) plus a beautiful Art Deco-style mirror. The whole look and feel was elegant and opulent.

There was plenty of wardrobe and drawer space too plus a mini fridge and safe.

The ensuite was also large including the very first bathtub we have ever had on a cruise ship. Luxe touches included: plush towels, cozy robes plus his and her slippers.

Whilst our suite had a luxury European look and feel, the rest of the ship has a much more authentic Egyptian look. There’s a lobby, library, restaurant, 24/7 self-service coffee and tea station with cookies, lounge and bar, massage room, gym, gift shop and Sun Deck. The Sun Deck has a section of shaded seating plus rows of padded sun lounges, cabanas and a pool.

Can’t say we tried the gym (it was way too hot when we cruised) but we had a lovely massage one afternoon.

Other than our luxe and blissfully air-conditioned suite, the expansive Sun Deck (which takes up the whole top deck) was our favourite space onboard. We cruised in September and it was very hot (over 40 degrees Celsius during the day) so the pool was very popular! Sitting in the pool as you cruise the Nile is sublime. Yoga and Pilates classes on the Sun Deck were fave experiences and watching sunsets up there was unforgettable!

S.S. Sphinx

We had a quick tour of a few suites on the S.S. Sphinx and we had dinner there one night.

The S.S. Sphinx has 42 suites, all with French balconies. Suite sizes range from 233 sq ft (21.6 sq m) to 592 sq ft (55 sq m). Apart from the range of different-sized rooms, the main difference from the Tosca is the décor - it is less authentic Egyptian and more modern-looking with blonde wood and a paler colour scheme.

Just like the Tosca, there’s a lobby, restaurant, 24/7 self-service coffee and tea station, lounge and bar, massage room, gym, gift shop and top deck Sun Deck with shaded seating, rows of padded sun lounges, cabanas and a pool.

Onboard Dining

Breakfast and lunch are buffets but most dinners were à la carte menus of four courses – starter, soup, main course and dessert. The options changed each night but there were also daily favourites including: farmhouse free-range chicken breast, salmon and steak with vegetables or French fries. There were always vegetarian options.

The food was plentiful, tasty and ever-changing.

Drinks

There’s complimentary Egyptian wine, local beer, soft drinks, tea and coffee served during lunch and dinner onboard. Other drinks such as cocktails can be purchased.

Is this a once in a lifetime trip?

YES but we’re keen to go more than once and learn even more!

Tips on what to wear/what to pack:

• If you cruise in the warmer months, you need light, breathable clothes (linen or moisture-wicking fabric are ideal), sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.
• In any weather, you need comfortable shoes as, off the ship, the surfaces are often dusty and uneven.
• Dress onboard was casual although we did have a fun Egyptian party (Egyptian dress was available at markets or from the onboard ship and was optional anyway).
• Passengers changed for dinner into something a bit smarter (but still neat casual). To be frank, it was too hot to stay in the same sweaty, dusty clothes!
• Note - laundry (washing and/or pressing) is available onboard both ships for a small charge.

Other top tips:

• Neither ship has an elevator so you need to be able to manage stairs. There were often stairs where the ship docked and the stairs were often uneven.
• Egyptian local currency is the Egyptian pound. We also found US dollars to be welcome. Credit cards were widely accepted but not always accepted.

Funny fact:

On the River Tosca, we had 68 crew and 39 of them were called Mohammed!

What about the Uniworld extension to Jordan?

After the Egypt trip, we did the Uniworld extension to Jordan. Part of the tour is a flight from Cairo to Amman in Jordan. There, we were picked up by a driver and taken to the luxurious St Regis Amman. The next day, we met the driver and guide who would stay with us for the next few days.

Accommodation was top class – the St Regis Amman for two nights at the beginning and a night at the end, a luxury hotel in Aqaba and a luxury desert camp in Wadi Rum. A lot of meals were included and, if they were not included, we were always taken to a lovely restaurant.

The sights on this trip were incredible - highlights being the Roman city of Jerash, floating in the Dead Sea, a sunset jeep drive in Wadi Rum and Petra, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Both Wadi Rum and Petra are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming YouTube episode about this excursion to Jordan. We loved it!

Leonie and Andrew were guests of Uniworld on their Splendors of Egypt & The Nile itinerary. After this trip, they then did the Uniworld Jordan extension with support from Uniworld. If you would like to experience something similar, check out our Nile cruises here and call us to add on a pre- or post-cruise holiday.

You can follow Leonie and Andrew on Instagram and on YouTube.