Cruising the Nile in Style on a Luxury River Ship

Goway Travel groups booked on the 5-star Sonesta St. George combine a relaxing experience afloat with visits to the fabled archaeological sites of ancient Egypt

By Randy Mink, Senior Editor

For three blissful days in February, our Goway Travel group basked in luxury aboard the Sonesta St. George. Sailing on one of the fancier of the 170 overnight tourist ships that ply the Nile River in southern Egypt, we were treated like royalty amid elegant trappings reminiscent of an 18th century French palace. I doubt if the Egyptian pharaohs ever had it this good.

With a staff of 85 serving 100 or so passengers on a typical peak-season sailing—almost a 1:1 ratio—guests can expect plenty of pampering. We got special attention because the five-deck ship sailed about half full, with only 30 of her 57 cabins occupied. Normally, many winter sailings would be sold out, but, as boat manager Samir Ahdy lamented, cancellations rolled in after the October 7 attack on Israel that frightened travelers away from the region.

Prior to that tragic event and the war that followed, the ship was so booked up that it was hard to reserve cabins on your date of choice. (Actually, it was nice being on an uncrowded ship, and we felt the appreciative staff gave us some extra love.)

“Anyone who knows anything about Egypt knows there is nothing to worry about,” Ahdy said, pointing out that Cairo, the capital, is more than 600 miles away from the Gaza border and southern Egypt is even more removed from the conflict zone. “Life is more than normal here.”

Ahdy is worried about the coming peak season. Winter is the best time to visit Egypt, weather-wise, as summers are brutally hot. The ship, though, operates all year, even if only a few cabins are reserved.

Exploring Upper Egypt on the Sonesta St. George

Our three-night, northbound cruise from Aswan to Luxor included morning and afternoon excursions to temples, tombs and other archaeological sites. Toronto-based Goway Travel arranged for Ramy Sakhry, a certified Egyptologist, to accompany us ashore and interpret the wonders of antiquity that we had come to see. Another tour group onboard also had made their own land arrangements. For passengers who are not part of a tour, the Sonesta St. George provides a complete shore program.

Americans comprise about 40 percent of the ship’s clientele, with Canadians, Australians and Japanese also well represented.

On the first morning of the cruise, our Goway gang walked right from the gangway to the ruins of Kom Ombo Temple, just steps away from shore. For visits to Hatshepsut, Luxor and Karnak temples and royal tombs in Valley of the Kings, we went by bus from the dock. For Edfu Temple, we boarded two-passenger horse carriages for an eye-opening 10-minute ride through the dusty streets of Edfu. The driver even let me hold the reins for part of the clip-clopping jaunt.

We were in Upper Egypt, a term that refers to the country’s southern region, as the Nile flows north from its principal source, Lake Victoria in east-central Africa, to the Mediterranean Sea. The longest river in the world at 3,470 miles, the Nile has been Egypt’s great highway from time immemorial. The country relies on the river to create fertile land in an otherwise desert landscape.

Our nine-day Goway tour of Egypt started farther north on the Nile, in Cairo, from where we flew EgyptAir to Aswan. After the cruise it was back to Cairo by air from Luxor.

Some of my favorite moments of the cruise were spent watching the world go by on the breezy Sun Deck. Traveling along the palm-lined floodplain at a gentle speed of 13.5 mph, we saw cows grazing at water’s edge and farmers tending to fields of vegetables, wheat, sugar cane and banana trees. Some of the workers rode donkeys. Viewing the green ribbon of vegetation along either bank provided a welcome break from the history-heavy sightseeing on shore. Some of us indulged in the hot tub or swimming pool, while others snoozed in a cabana. We enjoyed sunny days in the 70s (Fahrenheit). It almost never rains in this part of Egypt.

Dining Delights on the Luxury River Ship

Food on the Sonesta St. George was outstanding and plentiful. On the Egyptian Buffet the second night, a cook deep-fried falafel on the spot. The hot, crispy balls of ground chickpeas, herbs and spices never tasted so good. And this was our chance to try koushari, the national dish and a popular street food consisting of lentils, rice, pasta, chickpeas and fried onions in tomato sauce.

There were 12 different sweet treats on the dessert table, 11 bread varieties on the bread table. Among the sticky Middle Eastern pastries were baklava and konafa, a traditional Arabic dessert made with thin layers of shredded phyllo pastry, sugar-based syrup and a creamy milk pudding. For the occasion, passengers donned turbans or showed off the embroidered Egyptian dresses and blouses they bought on shore or in the ship’s shop.

Under a canopy on the Sun Deck, an Indian-themed lunch smorgasbord featured beef shawarma, veal pie, fried fish and hamburgers as well as Indian dishes like potato-filled samosas, spicy green beans and chicken curry (murghi madras). The dessert table was loaded with goodies, including macarons, cheesecake and chocolate banana cake.

A lunch buffet in the dining room displayed a lamb carcass from which slivers of meat were grilled with rice, garlic and bits of liver for each guest. Breakfasts on board also were bountiful spreads—I counted 18 cheeses on the cheese and cold cuts table.

Two evenings we enjoyed a la carte meals with choices of entrees and appetizers. I started with kibbeh shami, or fried balls of spiced minced lamb with pine nuts, onions and bulgur wheat. My entree was pan-fried veal in a blue cheese sauce. Others in our Goway group chose the rice-stuffed grape leaves or chicken fatta, a bowl of roasted chicken cubes with rice and toasted bread in a velvety garlic and yogurt sauce.

Well-appointed Public Areas on the Nile Cruise Ship

After dinner in the Lounge Bar, we would gather for Egyptian-style entertainment. The first night featured a Nubian music and dance troupe; the dark-skinned Nubians are an ethnic group indigenous to southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Another night it was a belly dancing show.

The smaller Panorama Lounge, with green leather armchairs, blue marble tabletops and faux-wood paneling, has a clubby feel and can be used for lectures or small-group gatherings. Accented with crystal chandeliers, Ionic columns, a florid pink-burgundy carpet and plants in oversized brass pots, it’s also a place to relax over a good book or just enjoy a drink away from the crowd.

First impressions are important, and the ornate, marble-floored lobby is certainly a dazzler, with its huge chandelier, voluminous drapery and a staircase mural invoking romantic visions of France. A replica of a golden pharaonic throne, not unlike ones discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs, graces the staircase landing on the floor above, just outside the small spa and fitness center.

Spiffy Staterooms Abound with Amenities

The Sonesta St. George’s stylish staterooms are among the largest on the Nile. My faux wood-paneled, twin-bedded room featured a French balcony, a desk, table, floor lamp and two chairs, plus a television and a refrigerator stocked with drinks. A nice touch was the welcome basket with fresh fruit, chocolates and a small bottle of Egyptian wine. On the wall behind the beds were crystal-and-brass sconces and a hand-painted scene suggesting tranquil French country life in centuries past.

The bathroom, with teak vanity, floor and trim, had L’Occitane toiletries, towels embossed with hieroglyphics and a tub with Jacuzzi-like features. We used bottled water to brush our teeth, as the ship manager several times cautioned us not to drink the tap water.

The Sonesta St. George, built in 2006, continually refurbishes its facilities, replacing draperies, tablecloths and cushions well before the need arises. One of five Sonesta-branded ships on the Nile, she underwent her last major renovation in August 2023.

Seeing the splendors of ancient Egypt is a bucket-list experience, and a river-going magic carpet ride just adds to the aura of enchantment.

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Lead photo – The Sonesta St. George on the Nile. (Photo credit: Sonesta)

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