Nile cruises - Nilkreuzfahrten

who in Egypt If you want to relax and avoid the stress of frequently changing hotels, you can visit selected sights from a Nile cruise ship. Most ships now operate between Luxor and Aswan. Since 2012, however, cruises have been back to to Cairo possible. In addition to inexpensive mass offers, there are also several alternative travel options on historic boats and feluccas.

background

Egypt is from Nile it is the livelihood of the local population in an otherwise desert-like environment. The river has not only served as a water supplier since ancient times, it was also an important transport route.

Until the turn of the 20th century, the Nile was frequented by fishing boats, barges, passenger ships and ferries. With the advent of the railroad from 1854 and later of cars and trucks, however, the Nile lost its importance for the transport of materials and people.

For the early trips to Egypt in the 19th century, the Nile was one of the few opportunities to cover longer distances. Even for the journey from Alexandria to Cairo you needed a ship. And it was very tedious because you had to take care of everything such as B. the booking and repatriation of the boats, the supervision of the crew, the stocking with food and the control of vermin and rats.^[1]

So it was only logical that the first tour operator in Egypt, Thomas Cook & Son, already in 1869 rented two paddle steamers for tourist purposes in order to make cruises between Cairo and Aswan to offer - and thus became the inventor of cruise tourism. Thomas Cook had had his own fleet since 1885, of which two ships still survived, namely the S / S Sudan and the S / S Memnon.

In the period that followed, other competitors appeared on the stage of Egypt tourism: the Anglo-American Nile Navigation Company active in 1905/06 in the Hamburg-based Hamburg-American Company passed over and had six ships (including the Puritan and Mayflower). The third company to revive since 1906 was the US Express Nile Navigation Company with two ships, the Virginian and the America, the business. So many ships were already on the way that the battle for the customer was decided by the price of a tour.^[2]

This time of traveling the Nile, in which as a tourist you had both the necessary time and the necessary money, is impressive in Agatha Christies Detective novel "Death on the Nile“And the impressive film adaptation of this original from 1978 Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Peter Ustinov, David Niven and many more. described.

But things turned out differently at the turn of the 20th century. Even the Egyptian viceroy Muhammad ʿAli (1769–1849) wanted to build a railroad network in Egypt, but its construction was a rival project to that of Suez Canal viewed and was therefore put on hold for the time being. Only under his successor Abbas I. was the first railway connection from 1854 Alexandria to the governorate el-Buḥeira opened that two years later until after Cairo was extended. Since 1898 there was also a rail connection between Cairo and Aswan, the narrow-gauge connection between Luxor and Aswan was replaced in 1926 by a line with standard gauge.

In the years that followed, people mainly traveled by train or car - this enabled faster travel in particular. River cruises continued to operate, only now for audiences who enjoy the sweet idleness, that dolce far niente, prefers.

Until the 1990s, the preferred mode of transport for cultural tourists was bus and train. That was to change with the attacks on tourists in the mid-1990s. In order not to have to do without tourism and to be able to protect the tourists more effectively, the trip was again increasingly carried out with river cruise ships.

Little has changed in this to date, even if the situation has eased significantly. When today Egypt tourists leave the travel agency beaming with joy, it is not uncommon for them to have booked a combination of a Nile cruise followed by a beach holiday ...

Advantages and disadvantages at a glance

The trip by cruise ship is not difficult, you don't have to pack your suitcase all the time.

In most cases, the amenities of a club vacation such as “all inclusive” are offered.

They are inexpensive trips, with the exception of those on Dahabīyen or paddle steamers. During the New Year holidays and Easter, prices usually go up.

From the cruise ship you can watch what is happening in the bank area.

The sightseeing programs and their length as well as shore excursions must be based on the berth and travel times of the cruise ships.

The sightseeing of the destinations takes place with hundreds of tourists at the same time.

As with almost all guided tours, the visiting times for the individual monuments are too short for inquisitive tourists.

Nile cruises have degenerated into mass tourism.

Because of its advantages, Nile cruises are particularly popular with older travelers, while young people are less interested in this form of travel.

Cruise tourism on the Nile

Today around 300 two- to five-star cruise ships with 60 to 80 cabins in the order of magnitude operate mainly between Luxor and Aswan. The cruises are possible both upstream and downstream. The travel times are of course shorter downstream. There are cruise offers for both one-way and combined round trips.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism does not want to increase the number of ships any further, as this form of travel has now become mass tourism: the ships are often underutilized and the tough price war leads to savings that can affect the holiday.

A cruise ship usually consists of the upper, middle and lower deck. The lower deck is the closest to the water surface. Below is the base deck with the cabins for the crew. As usual with all river cruise ships, there are only outside cabins. The cabins are mostly the same, only the view is different. The higher the altitude, the better the view and the higher the prices. The distance between the cabins and the engine room in the stern of the ship is also important for booking, as the noise level depends on this. Since energy is constantly required, the diesel engines are not switched off.

The cruise ships are usually hotel ships, which are also rated in a comparable way to hotels. They also have facilities similar to hotels on land such as swimming pools, bars, gyms, restaurants, nightclubs, and shows with belly dancers or folklore performances. The pool or pools are usually located on the deck, the loungers on the upper deck. The furnishing of the ships is functional and does not reach the level that can be offered on sea cruise ships.

The evaluation with the Egyptian five-star system defines the minimum room sizes, their equipment and the necessary public facilities. However, the quality range is wide within a category as well as on land. Obviously there is a reason that four-star status is given as the minimum for a cruise ship. The cabins on three- to five-star ships are equipped with air conditioning and an indoor bathroom.

The anchorages are usually not sufficient for the large number of ships. It can happen that several ships are moored next to each other, so that the travelers are confronted with additional noise and increased exhaust fumes. Landing sites outside of Luxor and Aswan have recently also been approached.

Unfortunately, large or well-known providers and the 5-star status are no guarantees for quality. Of course, most tour operators pay attention to their image and reputation, but they still have to survive in the face of tough competition. So it can happen that ships are overbooked or are under renovation - just like on land.

Surely it would be nice if someone could provide you with plans (where are the cabins, the engine room, the restaurants, the nightclubs and discos) when choosing the right ship. You will probably be glad sometimes if you are at least instructed about the number of cabins and the possibility of opening the window. Most tour operators only buy contingents so that a choice of the cabin is not possible. If so, have the booked cabin confirmed!

It is not uncommon for travelers to choose “all-inclusive” offers because additional offers such as drinks can quickly turn into the money.

In particular, the cleaning staff are not necessarily among the best-paid employees on the ships. So it is quite common for them to make small sculptures like swans or ships with the towels in order to get an extra reward with this courtesy (baksheesh) to work out. With a tip right at the beginning, you can also motivate you to do a more thorough room cleaning.

Descriptions for individual hotel ships are relatively rare and hardly manageable given the number of ships.

In the List of cruise ships get a rough overview of the size and classification of the cruise ships operating on the Nile.

Travel time

You can travel on the Nile all year round. The main travel season is October to April.

Twice a year the water level of the Nile is lowered so that the channels fed by the Nile can be cleaned. The Esna lock cannot be passed during this time. This happens in the first half of December and two weeks in June.

Booking of trips

Most tourists book Nile cruises before they start their journey. The travel prices are often cheaper than booking on site.

Booking is also possible on site. Both hotels and travel agencies offer cruises here. One possibility is also to negotiate directly with the managers of the cruise ships and to get a cheaper offer, which promises success especially with underutilized ships.

The cost of one night for a double cabin is on the order of $ 60 on a three-star ship and about $ 80 on a five-star ship. The prices for Dahabīyen or paddle steamers are higher (see below).

Routes

If you look in travel guides from the first decades of the 20th century, there were Nile cruises from Cairo until after Aswan and offered back. They lasted about three weeks. Such offers are no longer available these days.

There are no trips in the Nile Delta due to a lack of travel destinations. The Qatar tract near Aswan and the two modern dams prevent uninterrupted travel from Luxor to Abu Simbel. The dams at Asyūṭ and Esna have locks and can therefore be passed.

Most of the trips are between Luxor and Aswan. The offers on Lake Nasser are significantly less.

Cairo - Luxor

This approximately 700-kilometer route is one of the classic routes, but has been closed since the attacks in the 1990s. Since autumn 2012, such ship journeys have been possible again. The journey takes about eight to ten days.

The ships go in el-Ma'ādī, a suburb in the south of Cairo off, and hold in Beni Suef. From Cairo or by land from Cairo to Beni Suef are common attractions in Cairo, the Gīza pyramid complex, the museum in the area of ​​ancient Memphis with the colossal statue of Ramses ’II and the cemetery of Saqqara visited. From Beni Suef you can get to the pyramids of Meidūm, Hawara and Dahshūr.

The journey continues from Beni Suef to el-Minyā. The city is the starting point for the Gaufürsten burial ground of Beni Hasan from the Middle Kingdom and to the capital of Egypt under Akhenaten in Tell el-āAmārna with its official graves, the royal tomb and the remains of temples, palaces and settlements. The remaining distance from the shore to el-ʿAmārna is covered by cars. On the opposite west bank are el-Ashmunein and the cemetery of Tūna el-Gebel Destinations.

It goes on over Manfalūṭ to Asyūṭwhere a lock is passed. The stay can be used to see the city and its immediate surroundings.

over Girgā and the lock of Nagʿ Ḥammādī will be next el-Balyanā driven, which is used as a starting point for a visit to the temple of Sethos ’I of Abydos serves. The onward journey leads to Qinā. From here you can get to the Temple of Hathor Dendera.

Then you continue the journey Luxor away.

Luxor - Aswan

Almost all cruise offers concern precisely this part of the Nile. Almost 300 ships operate on this approximately 210-kilometer route. The trips are offered in both directions and last three to five days. These cruises usually come with extended stays in Luxor and Aswan combined.

First you steer Esna and passes the local lock. The lay time at the Esna lock is only 15 minutes. The souvenir sale on the ship, known from earlier times, is now hardly possible.

In Esna, mostly only the Khnum temple is visited. Usually one then returns to the ship for Edfu to continue. If the time of day permits, one could make a detour in Esna and return to the ship in Edfu. In front of the gates of Edfu you can still see the archaeological site of el-Kāb visit. In Edfu, of course, a visit to the Temple of Horus is on the agenda.

On the way to Kom Ombo smaller ships like Dahabīyen could still be in Gebel it-Silsila Land to visit the Temple of the Haremhab and the rock chapels. However, this goal is usually left out. However, the archaeological sites are located in the immediate vicinity of the shore, so that you can at least see them while driving past.

After visiting the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris from Kom Ombo, the journey continues to Aswan.

Cruise on Lake Nasser

A cruise on the Lake Nasser is currently the only way to visit all sites, mostly temples, along Lake Nasser. It is not possible to travel by car, as the convoys that are still required are only there Abu Simbel drive.

These cruises over a distance of approximately 300 kilometers can also be operated in both directions and last five to seven days. The number of ships in service here is currently seven and should never exceed ten in the future. The ships include the Eugenie, the Kasr Ibrim, the Nubian Sea, the new) Prince Abbas, the Queen of Abu Simbel, the Tania and the Jaz Omar Elkhayam.

These mostly smaller cruise ships are driven by sight, not overnight. This sometimes gives the opportunity, if you are not late, to experience a small light show at the temples.

From Aswan you first take the bus to the landing stage behind the new high dam. After a short distance you reach New Kalabshawhere the Mandulis Temple of Kalabsha, the Temple of Ramses ’II of Beit el-Wālī and the kiosk of Qirtasi were rebuilt.

Then it goes on to New Subūʿ, where today the temple of Ramses ’II. and Speos Amenophis’ III. of Wādi es-Subūʿ, the Thoth temple of ed-Dakka and the temple of el-Maharraqa are located.

The onward journey leads to New Amādā. This is the current location of the temple of Amada, the temple of ed-Derr and the rock tomb of Pennūt from the defunct Aniba.

In the further you pass the island Qaṣr Ibrīmwhich unfortunately you are not allowed to enter.

The climax is certain New Abu Simbel, where the offset rock temples Ramses ’II and his wife Nofretiri (Nefertari) are.

Alternative ships

The cruise ships are mostly newbuildings with a large number of cabins. This also enables offers for the smaller budget.

The masses of tourists are not for everyone. That is why there are definitely interesting alternatives.

When traveling with a felucca or dahabīya you are often dependent on your own negotiating skills and should perhaps take a friend or acquaintance with you. Recently, however, there have also been trips with Dahabīyen in the catalogs of Egypt travel specialists.

When negotiating, you shouldn't just think about the price and the journey time. Also talk about your plans and travel destinations, about the type, scope and quality of the food, about compensation for culpable behavior, about taking a rowboat with you in the event of a dahabīya if you need it to go to the shore.

Never give your passports to either the captain or the agent. Copies of your passports are enough!

In the event of a dispute due to non-compliance with the contractual conditions, you should contact the tourist information office, which will then contact the tourist police and report them there.

Ride on a felucca

The feluccas (Arabic:فلوكة‎, Falūka) are the traditional sailing ships of the Egyptians. In addition to the sail, they can also be rowed. Usually the journey is downstream.

Such a journey can last anywhere from a few hours to several days. Multi-day trips with the felucca are offered from Aswan and Edfu. You can take a short trip from Aswan to the so-called banana island.

A trip with a felucca lasting several days is certainly a little adventure and comparable to a camping holiday. But you can enjoy the landscape much more intensely and land almost anywhere. And it's inexpensive too.

Trips from Aswan to Kom Ombo, Edfu and Esna take two, three or four days. There are no trips beyond Esna. Often the journey does not end immediately in Edfu or Esna, but in villages up to 30 kilometers away. The onward journey then takes place in minibuses. After sunset, feluccas are not allowed to travel on the Nile.

There are no cabins or even air conditioning. People sleep on the deck at night. The boat driver is also the cook on trips lasting several days.

Apart from short trips, feluccas cannot already be booked through tour operators. Rather, this has to be done on site. You can get support from hotels who, for a brokerage fee, select suitable boats and skippers - these are usually Nubians. If you want to organize the trip yourself, you can talk to the skipper in a café, discuss details and have the felucca demonstrated on a local trip. Insist that you want to ride this felucca, not a replacement.

Up to six people can travel on a felucca. Women should always travel with men. Also agree that later no further guests will be taken on the felucca. Travel to Kom Ombo costs around LE 250 and to Edfu / Esna around LE 500. Do not pay the total amount right at the beginning.

Before you start your journey, check that there is space for your luggage, blankets, a camping stove with a filled petrol can, lamps and cutlery. You have to bring your own life jackets, sleeping bags, mineral water, water disinfection tablets, soap, head and sun and mosquito repellants.

The meals are typically Egyptian: Fūl (broad beans), flatbread, cheese, salad, rice and tea. But you can also negotiate that you want to bring your own food.

There are no toilets on the feluccas either. Waste and excrement must be burned or buried.

Ride on a Dahabīya

Dahabīyen are smaller two-masted sailing ships about 40 meters long, which nowadays sometimes have their own engine. If they are still sailing ships, they are not infrequently pulled by other ships. Dahabīyen are significantly smaller than the mass steamers - they can be compared more with houseboats - and have around ten cabins on one deck. The entrances to the cabins are mostly on the sides of the ship, less often in the middle. Above that there is a large, open and covered lounge area with tables and loungers. There is also a salon, but there are no swimming pools. If these ships have their own marine diesel, this is turned off at night. But then there is no electricity either.

The type of ship is not new. It has been around since the 18th century. Such sailing ships served as pleasure ships for high-ranking personalities, sultans and the royal family. The name "the Golden" or the "Golden [boat]" (Arabic:ذهبية‎, Dhahabīya) comes from its original gold-colored painting, which is probably a reference to the Pharaonic era. As early as the 19th century, Dahabīyen were used for tourist purposes, as can be seen from travel reports from that time.^[3] With the establishment of steamships and thus package tourism on the Nile by Thomas Cook, however, they were initially replaced by modern steamships for a few decades, not least because of the downtime in calm conditions.^[4] In the meantime there are some new buildings for tourist purposes to which the name has been transferred.

With the exception of the ships Merit, Le Rois and Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya, Dahabīyen may only operate between Aswan and Esna. The onward journey to or from Luxor is carried out by bus.

The prices for a cruise are around 1000 to 2000 euros per person. Dahabīyen can usually also be chartered completely.

The organizer Nour El Nile with offices in Paris and Luxor has four Dahabīyen. These are 37 feet long Assouan with six cabins and two suites for 16 passengers that are 45 meters long El Nile with eight cabins and two suites for 20 passengers that are 52 meters long Meroe with ten cabins and two suites for 20 passengers as well as the 39 meter long Malouka with six cabins and two suites for 16 passengers.

The organizer Belle Epoque Travel Bureau in Cairo, Maadi, maintains the boats El Bey, El Hanem, Zahra, Nesma, Amber and Musk, which are each 38 meters long and offer space for twelve passengers.

over Nubian Nile Cruises the yacht, which was rebuilt in 2001 Royal Cleopatra book that is 19 meters long and can accommodate six passengers. A seven-day trip costs approximately $ 2,000 per traveler.

The Frenchman Didier Caille is the owner of the Dahabīya, which was built in 1889 and is 30 meters long Vivant Denon for six people he can access his website from October to April www.dahabeya.net rented. The weekly price is around 5,500 euros.

over Travel in style two historical dahabīyen can be booked. On the one hand, this is the one built around 1835 Zarafa for 18 passengers who were originally owned by the Sultan Hussein Kamil (1853-1917) found. The costs for a cabin are approx. € 4,000 (the whole ship approx. € 30,000) per week. The second is the one built in 1835 Dongola for ten passengers in five cabins (also over Orientaltours.de bookable, an 8-day trip costs between 420 and 800 euros per person).

The one built in 1910 and 23 meters long Neferu-ra has three cabins and a suite can be over Museum-tours.com book. Three-, five-, or seven-day cruises cost approximately $ 800, $ 1,000, and $ 1,300 per passenger, respectively.

The ship Merit Dahabeya (http://meritdahabiya.com) was built in 2009, renovated in summer 2018 and has 10 luxury cabins, free WiFi internet, an open-air jacuzzi and goes all the way to Luxor. Trips with the Merit Dahabeya can be booked with the Cologne tour operator dahabtours (Merit dahabeya travel offers at dahabtours).

Ride on a paddle steamer

Who like in the film "Death on the Nile“Wants to travel, you will also find it here. Some of the old paddle steamers are still in operation - at least after an extensive restoration. The cabins are on one or one and a half decks and their entrances are on the sides of the ship.

The S / S Sudan is the most popular paddle wheel steamer. The side paddle steamer was built by Bow McLachlan & Co in Paisley, Scotland in 1921 (the wrong year of construction is often given as 1885) and restored in 2001. The machines have been replaced several times over the entire period. The steamer has 23 cabins, five of which are suites. The prices for a trip are between 700 and 3,000 euros. The trips are made through the French travel agency Voyageurs du Monde, which also owns the above website, but also through the German travel agency Stern Tours Berlin offered.

The S / S Memnon is the best-known paddle wheel steamer, but is currently not in operation. The film recordings of the 1978 "Death on the Nile" were made on it; in the film the steamer was called S / S Karnak. The steamer was probably built in the first decade of the 20th century, around 1904, and is now part of the company Seti Firstwhich has been restoring the steamer for several years and equipping it with new furniture. The side paddle steamer is 72 m long and 11.10 m wide. He has 24 cabins.

The S / S Karim is a double stern wheel steamer and was built in 1917 by Lytham Shipbuilding Engineering Co Ltd. built in the UK. The steamer was originally intended for river navigation in Iraq by the British Army and was brought to Egypt by them after the First World War. Later it was owned by the Egyptian king Fuʾād I. and his son Faruqwho used him as a royal yacht. The steamer was restored in 1991, is 45.8 m long and has 15 cabins, including three suites, for 30 people. Travel by steamer will be over Spring Tours Egypt offered.

The S / S Misr is a side paddle steamer built near Preston in Great Britain in 1918. The steamer is 63 m long, 13 m wide and has 24 cabins, 8 of which are suites, for 46 passengers. The operator of the steamer is the British company Voyages Jules Verne.

Another historic paddle steamer, today's one Time Machine or previous Mahasen has survived. The paddle steamer, built in 1906, is now converted into a Chinese restaurant "Nile Beijing“Near the Nile island Roda in Cairo operated.

In the meantime there are also two new buildings: On the one hand there is the 74 m long one built in 1993 MS Eugénie with 52 cabins and the 79 m long side wheel ship built in 1997 MS Kasr Ibrim with 65 cabins. The last two ships operate on the Lake Nasser and with their three decks are significantly larger than their predecessors.

Disabled-friendly travel

Almost all cruise lines are Not handicapped accessible. But there are already first attempts to do justice to these travelers. For example, the ship has Amarco I via four wheelchair-accessible cabins with a connecting door to a normal cabin for accompanying persons and via an elevator between the individual decks.

literature

• Baedeker, Karl: Egypt and the Sûdan: Handbook for Travelers. Leipzig: Baedeker, 1928 (8th edition), Pp. 205-208.

Web links

• Egypt, Paddle Steamer Resources (Foundation for Paddle Steamers Worldwide)
• Egypt, Schaufelraddampfer.de (Franz Neumeier)
• Nilkreuzfahrtschiff.com

Individual evidence