What is a Nile Cruise boat like?

Having been asked on a number of occasions, "what is a Nile Cruise boat like?" I thought it would be good idea to explain it in some detail.

Firstly in general most Nile Cruise boats will have 5 decks some older boats are only 4 decks but all built in the last 15 or so years will be 5 decks.

The height, width and length of most boats is as follows:

Height - 11 metres

Width - 14 metres

Length - 70-75 metres

The boats cant be any higher due to some low bridges that the boats must pass under and they cant be any wider due to the locks at Esna that the boats must pass through. Though in general all boats are between 70-75 metres, several much longer boats have been built that are upto 120 meters.

DECK 1 (or lower deck) Where the main restaurant will be along with engine room, crew quarters and sometimes upto 6 guest cabins. One of the main complaints with older boats where there were more cabins on the deck 1 was from the smell of diesel and fumes from the engines. Most Nile Cruise boat meals are taken as open buffet with themed nights and main choices to suit most diets. A few of the more deluxe boats will serve dinner as a la carte and also several may have a separate smaller restaurant

DECK 2 (or reception deck) Lobby, guest cabins and sometimes the lounge bar. If the lounge bar is not on this deck then the guest cabins are either side of the lobby area. On many of the boats the lobby area is quite large and open plan with a mezzanine floor possibly over 3 decks giving the appearance of a hotel lobby.

DECK 3 Guest cabins and normally several shops which will generally be a bazaar type and also a jewellery shop.

DECK 4 Guest cabins and the lounge bar. The bar will be situated at the front of the boat possibly with a separate reading or quiet area with panoramic windows at the front. The lounge bar will have a small disco area which will be used for the nightly shows which will include, belly dance show, arabic show and galabayia party (this is basically just a disco where guests dress up in local arabic clothing which they have either hired or bought). Also on some boats there may be a small gym room or sauna or massage room.

DECK 5 (sun deck) Will have a swimming pool, area for sun loungers, separate covered area with tables and chairs and possibly a bar or serving area for afternoon tea. Although the sun loungers are tempting with temperatures of over 40 degrees for the summer months, the shaded area tends to be the most crowded. Sun towels are provided by each boat and are cleaned each night.

CABINS - Will be between 16-22 sq metres. Bathroom will have a shower and sometimes a bathtub. Cabin will have large double wardrobe, small vanity table, 1 or 2 chairs next to window sometimes with a small table, and the windows will normally be fully opening with balcony railing. There will be a TV which will show films during sailing time and local TV channels when docked, small mini fridge and all will have air-conditioning. Furnishings and style will be similar to the theme of the boat. Cabins will be cleaned daily.

So in general facilities and service will be similar to that of a hotel, hence the termed used by some for Nile Cruises as "floating hotel".

LUXOR NEWS

Luxor is a city in transition with the local government embarking on a huge plan of development to improve a number of features of the city not just from a tourists point of view but also for the local population.

Many buildings around the tourist sites have been destroyed to open up access and the view. Renovation of the avenue of Sphinx's from Luxor temple continues and a number of new international chain brand hotels are starting to be built in Luxor.

For tourists familiar with Luxor who have not visited in the last six months there have been two important developments.

Firstly part of the corniche road running along the Nile from Luxor to Karnak Temple has been closed and is being destroyed. This is part of a larger plan to make the whole of the corniche area pedestrian only and lowered to the level of the Nile.

The main effect now is that a number of Cruise boats that used to moor along this part of the corniche have had to move and are now docking further down in Luxor or at the new docking area some 7kms south of Luxor close to the bridge crossing to the West Bank. A short video is attached showing boats moored outside of Luxor at one of the new docks.

For boats that are still docking in Luxor, good sites are at a premium and at one point I viewed 10 boats lined up side by side which would make for a pretty long walk! For the boats moored outside of Luxor, the locations are obviously quieter but you have to take a transfer if you wish to come back in for the bazaars or tourist attractions.

I was told that the plan is for all boats to be mooring outside of Luxor within the year.

The second and far more attractive development is that the West Bank is now lit at night with an array of lights that really do showcase the whole site.

Although the photo does not do it justice at least it gives an idea of the view. Therefore those staying in a Nile facing hotel room or lucky enough to be on boat with views of the West Bank will be able to enjoy this new spectacle.

Off to Egypt

Off to Egypt this afternoon to sort everything out for the winter. Am having a private inspection of the brand new deluxe boat MS Farah in Cairo tomorrow before it sails to Luxor for its maiden cruise which I am excited about.

While I am in Luxor I will be shooting some video of each of the Atp Travel boats to post onto the website as well as some of the tourist attractions.

To be honest though its never nice to leave the family - although my wife says its better when Im not around - the thought of some hot sunny weather is very appealing

easy jet flights to Luxor

Easyjets announcement of its new route to Luxor commencing from the 3rd November is great news for travellers looking for a Nile Cruise or other type of holiday to Luxor. This will provide serious competition to the Charter airlines and tour operators and will enable tourist to save £100's of pounds on holidays.

Here at Atp Travel we look forward to helping clients make those savings. As an example, a Nile cruise on the popular RA II would have previously been in the region of £800.00. But now it would be possible to enjoy the same holiday for around £600.00 travelling this October.

Hello and welcome

Welcome to the first Atp Travel blog.

No this is not the wife trying to entertain me after a hard day at the office but a belly dancer on what is called a Nile Dinner Cruise, more of which another time.

This is just an introduction to my company and what we do which is - Selling Nile Cruise and Tour Holidays to Egypt.

Having worked in the Egyptian Tourism industry for over 10 years I first set up Atp Travel in January 2007 as a wholesale company selling to UK Travel Companies. However whilst this has been quite successful I have seen that becoming a fully fledged and bonded UK Tour Operator gives me and my Egyptian partners more scope for selling our products.

To start with we are offering 6 different Nile Cruise boats and a selection of what we call Classical Tours which take in the major tourist destinations and include all the major attractions. Unlike many companies our tours include sightseeing and entrance fees on all tours. We will however tailor make any itinerary that is requested.

What makes us different ? In general I believe we will pretty much always be cheaper than our competition for like for like Tours or Nile Cruises. Also being smaller means less overheads and working directly with our Egypt partners gives us the ability to obtain better rates.

So with the winter season only 2 months away which is the best time to take a Cruise or Tour now is the perfect time to start planning that holiday to Egypt.