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The S.S. Sphinx offers two gourmet dining venues, massage room, swimming pool, 26 gorgeously appointed suites and 16 stunning French balcony staterooms, not to mention, sweeping views of the longest river in the world. This Super Ship offers an immersive onboard experience, with bespoke décor by local artisans and materials sourced regionally -such as fine Egyptian cottons, marble and hand-carved blonde wood-to highlight Egyptian craftsmanship while minimising our carbon footprint.
Capturing the essence of the Great Sphinx of Giza, S.S. Sphinx will steer you to numerous bucket-list destinations, filling you with endless wonder and intrigue as you sail past manmade marvels, wonders of the world and ancient temple complexes
In this review of our Nile river cruise I provided some travel tips and a day by itinerary review. Travel tips Choose a cruise line that will take care of you from arrival to departure. Cairo is a difficult city to visit on your own. This is not a walking city. You will need to negotiate taxi fares everywhere you go. The airports are also much different than other countries and can be confusing. Uniworld will meet you upon arrival, take you through customs, baggage, and then transport you to your hotel. They will do the same when you depart at the end of the tour. There are many companies that offer Nile river cruises. Uniworld and Viking are two of the top rated companies. When shopping for a cruise please compare the number of meals and tours included in the cost. Also pay attention to the number of days you actually cruise on the Nile. All of the tours involve several days of hotel stays in Cairo. Uniworld provides 7 nights on the ship and 4 nights in a Cairo hotel. Bring US dollars for shopping. You don’t need Egyptian pounds. Every tour stop has a shopping bazar and the stores all take US dollars or credit cards at the nicer stores. Bring a lot of $1 and 5$ bills to buy souvenirs. The smaller items cost a dollar to five dollars and you will not get change for larger bills. The locals are not physically aggressive but multiple people will constantly come up to you to sell you items when in the bazar. Keep in mind that you should bargain for a lower price. You should be able to get most items for at least 20% less than the asking price. Start low and meet at the price you want to pay. Walk away if you can’t get the price you want. The large stores you visit will have set prices. Your tour guide will tell you if the prices are set. In the bazar if you are not interested just keep walking and ignore them or tell them no thanks. It is easier if you are with a group. The weather can be a major issue for this cruise. Temperatures can easily exceed 100 degrees fahrenheit during the summer months. Temperatures were cooler than normal during our trip, ranging from 40-50 degrees fahrenheit at night to 60-75 degrees during the day. A visa is required to visit Egypt. You can get the visa ahead of time by applying at visa2egypt.gov.eg. The cost is $25 and you must enter the country within 90 days after date of issue. Alternatively, you can pay for it when you arrive at the airport. The Uniworld representative will show you where to get it and it only takes a few minutes. The water is unsafe to drink for people from the USA and Europe. Drinking local water, eating fresh fruits and vegetables in local restaurants, and using ice in drinks may cause severe diarrhea in most people. Even in the major hotels and on the ship you cannot drink the tap water. However, bottled water is provided free of charge. Uniworld had bottled water in the state rooms on the ship, the ship dining room and the tour buses. The food at the major hotels and on the ship are cleaned with filtered water so you can eat the fruits and vegetables there. Carry tissues with you for the bathroom. Very few bathrooms have toilet paper. You have to pay for the bathroom, 10-20 Egyptian pounds (33-66 cents), and the attendant will give you only a couple of sheets. Your tour guide will pay for the bathrooms unless you are off on your own. The tour guide will also tell you which are the best bathrooms to use. Also there is a toilet on the tour bus that is clean if needed. Make sure you bring a converter to charge your electronic devices. Egypt and the cruise ship use 220 volts. Hotel Information In Cairo, Uniworld guests stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza or at the Nile Ritz-Carlton. We stayed at the Four Seasons which in my opinion is a five star hotel. Upon arrival you have to check-in and provide a credit card for extra costs and are given your reserved room key. Then you go to your luggage at the entrance and provide your room number to the porter who will take your bags to your room. There are several restaurants in the hotel. Breakfast is included in the tour cost but you are responsible for lunch and dinner when not on the ship. Be aware that dinner at the hotel is expensive and can easily exceed $100 for two people. The guest rooms are large and very comfortable. There are two ATM machines in the hotel if you want to get Egyptian Pounds. The food in the restaurants is excellent. You can request a free late check-out if needed. This is the most secure hotel I have ever stayed in. All vehicles entering the property are checked by a bomb sniffing dog. There is a scan machine at the entrance that you must put your bags through every time you enter the hotel. There are multiple security guards on the property. The Ship The SS Sphinx is the newest of the two Uniworld ships that cruise the Nile river. It was launched in 2021 and has 42 state rooms on three decks. There is a large dining room, large lounge, small exercise room, massage facility with an excellent masseuse, jewelry store and a roof top sundeck and pool (unheated). The beautiful Egyptian décor has marble, hand carved wood and beautiful light fixtures and decorations. All meals are served in the dining room and times are coordinated with the tours so no meals will be missed. We stayed in a grand suite in the middle of the ship, starboard side. My research said that you should avoid the back of the ship due to noise and potential fumes. We never noticed either during the cruise. The starboard (right) side is more likely to give you a river view when docked. We had one stop where 3 ships were docked side by side and we had to walk through a ship to get on land. There were only 2 nights when we had a ship docked next to our room. The room is very large with lavish Egyptian décor with a large bathroom. All the rooms have a french balcony that we enjoyed while cruising. There is a refrigerator and safe in the room. There are always 3-4 bottles of water in the room for your use. You can download the app for the ship that provides the daily activities for each day and the restaurant menu. You can also request to have a paper copy of the program delivered to your room each day. Due to concern with the Israeli conflict the ship was only half full with only 45 passengers on our cruise. The service was the best of any cruise we have been on. Our room was serviced twice daily and every night there was a little gift on each pillow. In the restaurant the wait staff immediately refilled drinks and cleared plates without having to ask. The chef is always present to answer questions about the local cuisine. The food is some of the best we have had cruising. There are breakfast and lunch buffets and dinner from a menu. Beer and wine are available during lunch and dinner. There is a wide variety of western and Egyptian food to choose from at each meal and there is a vegetarian option at each meal. While sailing there is afternoon tea on the pool deck and a happy hour with the free drink of the day. There is also a coffee room where you can get coffee and tea with cookies 24 hours per day. This cruise is operated by Spring Tours. Previous reviews have commented that the service is not as good as other Uniworld cruises. I have to disagree. The staff and service on the ship were excellent. The food quality was excellent with a wide variety of choices. The tour guides were highly knowledgeable and did an excellent job. Cruise Issues Egypt has the most security measures of any country I have ever visited. I felt absolutely safe during our entire trip. You have to go through 2-3 screening stations with scan machines at every airport. This includes being patted down 100% of the time at each station. At each tourist stop you will have to have any bags with you scanned. There are random checkpoints on the roads where the bus stops and provides information. You will pass by security checkpoints that are manned by armed soldiers. On two occasions we had an armed escort for our buses. At the hotel and some of the tourist sites there are bomb sniffing dogs that check all vehicles. There are included excursions every day of the cruise. However, if you wish to see more you will need to purchase optional excursions. If you don’t purchase these you will have more free time on the ship. The extra excursions will cost from $40 to $395 per person per excursion. Upon arrival at the hotel the first day there will be a meeting where Uniworld will try and sell you all of the extra excursions. They will take cash (US dollars, Euros, Egyptian Pounds) or credit card for payment. See my itinerary for excursion reviews. All the cruise lines offer excursions this same way. Itinerary Day 1: January 28, Cairo The Uniworld representative met us at the airport before customs. He showed everyone where to get the visa stamp if you did not already have your visa. He then accompanied us through customs and took us to get our luggage. When everyone had their luggage, he took us to the bus to the hotel. One couple was missing luggage and he took them to file a lost luggage report. Due to heavy traffic, it took about one hour to get to the Four Seasons Hotel. Check-in was quick and our bags arrived to the room within 15 minutes. The rest of the evening was free and dinner was on your own at the hotel that has four restaurants. We ate at the Zitouni restaurant that serves Egyptian cuisine. Day 2: January 28, Cairo The included buffet breakfast was from 6:45-7:45. We then had a briefing about the optional excursions and met our Egyptologist Wael. He was excellent, providing detailed information at each tourist site as well as providing information about current Egyptian life. His primary attention was the safety and comfort of all the guests. He always made sure the group stayed together and took frequent head counts to ensure no one was missing. We all were given headsets so we could easily hear him. The cruise guests were divided into two groups each with their own bus. We were assigned to the same bus every day. The bus was air conditioned and had a bathroom. There was plenty of bottled water on the bus and also fresh fruit every day. Both buses traveled together to each excursion site. Our first stop was the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Wael gave us a guided tour of the most important artifacts and then we had free time to explore on our own. This museum has an extensive collection of artifacts, but the three rooms dedicated to King Tut were the highlight of this stop. We then traveled to the Citadel of Salah al-Din and the Alabaster Mosque. The citadel located on a hill at the eastern end of Cairo was the home of Egypt’s rulers for over 700 years. It is a massive complex that provides great views of Cairo. We went into the Alabaster Mosque located inside the citadel. It has an amazing interior façade with beautiful large hanging lamps. After the citadel one bus returned to the hotel and one bus continued on to the optional excursion to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). I believe the cost for this was $40 per person. It is a new museum that shows the chronological history of Egypt from ancient times until the present. It also has the Royal Mummies Gallery that displays the mummies of 17 Egyptian kings and 3 queens, most of which were originally found in the Valley of the Kings. The preservation and details are truly amazing. I recommend this optional excursion. You will not see mummies like this anywhere else. Day 3: January 29, fly to Luxor, cruise to Dendra This was an early start with a 5AM wake-up call; luggage outside the door by 5:15; breakfast at 5:30 with bus departure for the airport at 6AM. The Uniworld staff brought us through the airport as a single group skipping long lines at check-in. The flight to Luxor on a regional jet was about 45 minutes. Upon arrival in Luxor the bags were loaded on the buses and we went directly to the Temple of Karnak. This is an amazing temple that was buried under the sand for a thousand years. One of the most impressive areas of the temple is the Great Hypostyle Hall that contains 134 huge sandstone columns in the shape of papyrus stalks. From the temple we went to the ship. Check-in was very efficient and our bags were waiting in our room. We had a lunch buffet in the restaurant and 4PM tea time on the sun deck. There was a welcome reception to meet the crew. There is also a briefing before dinner every night to discuss the next day itinerary. Dinner was a “local experience” of Egyptian cuisine. The ship departed about 8PM and sailed to our next stop Dendra. There were no evening activities but everyone was tired from the long day and retired early. Day 4: January 30, Dendra, cruise to Luxor After an excellent buffet breakfast, we departed the ship at 7AM and took the bus to the Temple of Hathor. This is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt and it is dedicated to the goddess of love and beauty. I was amazed to see the amount of color remaining on the walls and ceiling. One of the highlights is a bas-relief of Cleopatra with her son Caesarion. We returned to the ship about 10:30 and set sail for Luxor. There was “a sail away party” on the sundeck that was unimpressive. There was a table set up with a few snacks, sparkling wine, juice, and coffee. There was no music or entertainment. Very few people attended. We arrived in Luxor mid-afternoon and took our bus to the Temple of Luxor near sunset. The Temple of Luxor is a place of massive proportions with two enormous statues of Ramses II at the entrance. We went near sunset to see the temple illuminated at night which was beautiful. Day 5: January 31, Luxor, cruise to Kom Ombo There was an optional hot air balloon ride that would take you to our first tour stop. Those participating had to leave the ship by 5AM. We saw at least 20 hot air balloons that each held about 20-30 people. The first included excursion for the day was the Colossi of Memnon. Buffet breakfast was from 5:45-6:45AM then we boarded the bus. The Colossi of Memnon are two gigantic statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that are 60 feet tall. We spent about 10-15 minutes there. We then were taken to an alabaster store where we were shown how alabaster items are made by hand. We also learned how to tell hand made items from machine made. Egyptian alabaster dates back to ancient times. There were many beautiful items for purchase, most of which were expensive. We then continued on to the Temple of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s rare female pharaohs. The temple is made of limestone and it is built into the side of a cliff. There are 2 large sphinxes at the start of the stairs and 11 huge statues at the entrance. Our next stop was one of the most famous sites in the world-the Valley of the Kings where at least 63 tombs have been found to date. Our entry ticket gave us access to three tombs plus the tomb of King Tut. We visited the tombs of Ramses I, III, IV in addition to King Tut. I was surprised to see how large the passage ways were. All the walls and ceilings were covered with hieroglyphics. There were amazing colors still remaining in the tomb of Ramses III. We also saw the mummified body of King Tut in his tomb. We paid the guard a couple of dollars to take photos. Although there were many tour buses there it did not seem crowded inside the tombs. After the Valley of the Kings the group was divided on two buses. One bus returned to the ship for lunch and free time. Our bus continued on to the optional tour of the Valley of the Queens. The cost of this tour was $150 per person. This is the burial site for the queens and wives of the pharaohs. It looks pretty plain and unimpressive from the outside but inside is a different story. We visited the most impressive of all the tombs, that of Queen Nefertari, the wife of Ramses II. It is beautifully decorated with multi-colored paintings on all the walls that look almost new. To avoid crowding only 30 people are allowed in at one time and you can only stay for 10 minutes which is plenty of time to take photos. We only had to wait for 10 minutes before going in. I highly recommend this optional tour. We returned to the ship for a late lunch and spent the rest of the day cruising the Nile river to Kom Ombo. After dinner there was an onboard party featuring traditional Egyptian music and some modern music as well. Most people dressed up in a galabeya (traditional Egyptian attire) that you could purchase on the ship for $20-$25 if you wished. Everyone had a great time. There was an official photographer who took photos of everyone and sold them at a reasonable price the next day. Day 6: February 1, Kom Ombo, cruise to Aswan After a buffet breakfast we left the ship at 9AM and walked 3 minutes to Kom Ombo temple, which is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus. The temple is not as impressive as the other temples we saw. What was interesting was to see the collection of mummified crocodiles. During the walk to and from the temple our group was accosted by a lot of children aggressively trying to sell souvenirs. Our guide Wael constantly chased them away from us. We returned to the ship about 10:30 and set sail for Aswan. The rest of the morning and afternoon were spent cruising the Nile. While cruising, Wael, our guide gave a presentation, at the request of several people, on modern day Egypt that was excellent and very informative. About 2:45 we took a 40-minute bird watching tour on a motorboat around Aswan harbor. We saw a few birds but this is one tour you can skip and stay on the ship. At 4:30 we took the bus to the Old Cataract Hotel for sunset tea. This hotel is depicted in the Agatha Christie novel Death on the Nile. It is also where the rich and famous stay when visiting Aswan. Famous guests included Winston Churchill and Princess Diana. We were located on an open deck overlooking the Nile that was windy and a bit cold. We were served tea and sweets and saw a beautiful sunset. Back on the ship before dinner we watched a Nubian show in the lounge that was very entertaining that lasted about 30 minutes. The Nubians are an ethnic group indigenous to the Aswan area who were displaced from their lands when the Aswan dam was built causing their lands to be permanently flooded. Day 7: February 2, Aswan After breakfast we departed the ship at 7AM and took our bus to Philae Temple. This temple is nice but not as impressive as others we have seen. The most impressive thing is that this temple was dismantled and moved from Philae Island to its current location under the direction of UNESCO. It took 10 years to reconstruct it in the current location and you cannot tell that this is not the original site. The next stop was a store selling perfume and aroma therapy oils. The presentation was interesting but this stop was not needed. We then went to the Aswan High Dam. It was very crowded because local school children were on holiday and many families were visiting. Security was extremely strict. Our next stop was a papyrus store. We saw an interesting demonstration on how to make papyrus paper and there was a lot of art work for sale. Prices were high for these items. You could purchase a painting with a blank kartouche and an artist in the store would put any name you wanted on it in hieroglyphics. Our last stop was the Unfinished Oblisk commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut. While being carved the stone cracked twice and then was left unfinished. It is estimated to weigh more than 1 thousand US tons. It is lying on the ground in the quarry and you can walk around it. We returned to the ship for a lunch buffet and then had free time until 3PM. At 3PM we walked a few feet from the ship to take a 30 minute felucca boat ride around Aswan harbor. A felucca is a small traditional boat with large triangular sails. It was a lot of fun. At 6PM we departed for the optional Philae Sound and Light Show that costs $60 per person. We rode in a motor boat to and from the temple. The temple looked beautiful with all of the lights. There was a large group present and we walked to different parts of the temple with lights going on and off while listening to a story being performed by British actors speaking as gods over speakers. It was nice to see the temple at night but I believe the performance is too long. One could easily skip this optional tour. We returned to the ship at 8:30 for a late dinner. Day 8: February 3, Aswan, cruise to Esna Today was free time all day unless you chose the optional tour to the Temples of Abu Simbel. This tour costs $395 per person. We spent 7 hours total time from departure to return to the ship. The actual time at Abu Simbel was about 2 hours. Wake-up call was at 4:45AM with a 6AM bus departure for the airport; a short 30 minute flight to Abu Simbel and then a bus ride to the temples. There are 2 temples constructed by Ramses II that have massive statues in front of the entrance. The inside of the temples was nice but not as impressive as previous temples we saw. Again, the most impressive thing is that this entire complex was dismantled and rebuilt at its current location because of flooding when the Aswan Dam was built. It looks like this is the original location. Although this was amazing, I don’t think I would do it again due to the cost and all the travel required. We returned to the ship for lunch and the rest of the day was free time while we sailed to Esna. Day 9: February 4, Esna, cruise to Luxor At 8:30AM we walked from the ship through the local bazar to the Temple of Khnum. This is a Roman temple in the middle of a local neighborhood. Inside is a hypostyle hall with 24 pillars, each one of which is different. The colors on the pillars was amazing. We actually got to watch local artisans restoring one of the pillars. This is a very worthwhile visit. The rest of the day was free time and packing while cruising to Luxor. Egyptian cuisine was the theme for all meals today. The buffet dinner also featured many local dishes. All of the food was very good. After dinner there was a folklore show performed by members of the Egyptian Cultural Center. They were excellent. Day 10: February 5, Luxor, fly to Cairo This was mainly a travel day. Breakfast started at 6AM. Luggage had to be outside the room by 6:30, and we departed for the airport at 7:30. There was a flight delay, which happens frequently, and we arrived in Cairo about 12:30. There were 2 buses. One bus took people to the Four Seasons Hotel where you checked-in and had free time the rest of the day. The second bus was for the optional tour to the Grand Egyptian Museum that costs $110 per person. Our luggage was loaded on the bus and we went directly to the museum. The Grand Egyptian Museum is a new museum that is not fully open yet. The first floor of the museum opened about 3 months ago. It has a grand staircase with a nice collection of large statues and artifacts. There is also an immersive show about King Tut that was excellent. With the long travel day, I would pass on this optional excursion. A farewell dinner was provided in the hotel. Day 11: February 6, Cairo We started this last day with a bus trip to the Step Pyramid of King Zoser in Sakkara. It is the oldest pyramid in the world. We then stopped at a carpet school where they have been handmaking carpets for generations. We watched several people working on looms making silk, cotton and wool rugs. There was a showroom with many items for sale, all of which are very expensive. Our next stop was ancient Memphis, the capital of Egypt’s Old Kingdom. There is a large alabaster sphinx and a colossal statue of Ramses II. They actually built the viewing building around the statue. This was well worth the visit. Our last stop was the Pyramids of Giza. This was one of the highlights of the trip. You cannot appreciate the enormity of these structures until you see them. It is an architectural wonder. The Great Sphinx is also located here. It is amazing to see. The area is also full of camels with owners willing to give you a ride for the right price. Beware of individuals who try to give you a “free gift” and then ask for money and try to sell you more items. It is best not to engage in conversation with them. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a cotton goods store where all items are made from 100% Egyptian cotton. Most items were overpriced and this stop is really unnecessary. When we returned to the hotel, we said good-bye to our guide Wael and returned to our room to prepare for our flight home. Day 12: February 7, depart Cairo A buffet breakfast was included this morning. Since we had a 5:50PM flight we asked for and were given a free late check-out. We left the hotel with 3 other couples 4 hours before our flight departure in a van with a Uniworld representative. He guided us through the entire check-in process, made sure we had our boarding passes and helped us fill out some required forms. It would have been a bit confusing without his help. We completed check-in and made it to the waiting area about 90 minutes before scheduled departure.
Absolutely brilliant! Loved everything about the cruise, from the moment I was picked up in Cairo I felt cared for, safe and they treated me like a queen. Hospitality like I’ve never experienced before. The food, the service, the friendships I formed were incredible. The best cruise experience of my life. We left from Luxor and had over a week on board the SS Sphinx with captain Sameh and his wonderful crew. They treated us like Queens and nothing was ever too much. The attention to detail at every touch point was astounding and the food, wow the food! Unbelievable dining experiences every day with local delicious meals to try and all the favourites. The Egyptologist who accompanied us daily called Saleh was a walking encyclopaedia. He taught us so much and every day just outshining the previous. I can’t wait to go back again and also do more Uniworld cruises! Best trip ever!
My husband and I returned recently from our Egyptian tour with Uniworld. We cannot possibly say enough good things about this company. They were exceptional in every way! We were met as we got off the plane in Cairo by a Uniworld representative who guided us through the immigration process, secured our luggage and took us outside to a waiting vehicle and driver for our trip to the Four Seasons Hotel. We arrived after midnight so the next day we pretty much had to ourselves. The following morning there were 3 big Uniworld buses waiting and our adventure began! We visited the Egyptian Museum as well as the mosque of Mohammad Ali and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization which houses the mummies. The next day we flew to Luxor and it was simply magic every day thereafter. Normally our boat would have 84 passengers but because of the conflict in Israel/Gaza many people had cancelled so they combined people from the Tosca with our group and there was 56 of us in total. What a great group of people!! Everyone mingled with everyone else and we all had a great time. I would like to make a huge shout out to our Egyptologist, Sabaa, who looked after our group (we were divided into 3 groups for the buses and we had 12 in our group with Sabaa leading as well as a driver). He was so very knowledgeable and imparted his wisdom on us by explaining everything in great detail. We did so many exciting things (Aswan, Abul Simbel, etc) that it would take me too much time to go through everything but suffice it to say that every day was different and equally wonderful. The staff on the Sphinx was absolutely wonderful and everyone went out of their way to ensure that guests were treated royally and nothing was overlooked. At the end of the journey Uniworld had a farewell dinner on the boat and on top of that they did a farewell dinner at the hotel prior to everyone leaving. Speaking of leaving, Uniworld made sure to take everyone to the airport and right up to the departure counters. I would also like to commend Uniworld for the fabulous entertainment on the boat. It was truly incredible. We can't possibly say enough good things about Uniworld and I must honestly say, it was perfection!! We are already planning our next trip with this company.
In this review of our Nile river cruise I provided some travel tips and a day by itinerary review. Travel tips Choose a cruise line that will take care of you from arrival to departure. Cairo is a difficult city to visit on your own. This is not a walking city. You will need to negotiate taxi fares everywhere you go. The airports are also much different than other countries and can be confusing. Uniworld will meet you upon arrival, take you through customs, baggage, and then transport you to your hotel. They will do the same when you depart at the end of the tour. There are many companies that offer Nile river cruises. Uniworld and Viking are two of the top rated companies. When shopping for a cruise please compare the number of meals and tours included in the cost. Also pay attention to the number of days you actually cruise on the Nile. All of the tours involve several days of hotel stays in Cairo. Uniworld provides 7 nights on the ship and 4 nights in a Cairo hotel. Bring US dollars for shopping. You don’t need Egyptian pounds. Every tour stop has a shopping bazar and the stores all take US dollars or credit cards at the nicer stores. Bring a lot of $1 and 5$ bills to buy souvenirs. The smaller items cost a dollar to five dollars and you will not get change for larger bills. The locals are not physically aggressive but multiple people will constantly come up to you to sell you items when in the bazar. Keep in mind that you should bargain for a lower price. You should be able to get most items for at least 20% less than the asking price. Start low and meet at the price you want to pay. Walk away if you can’t get the price you want. The large stores you visit will have set prices. Your tour guide will tell you if the prices are set. In the bazar if you are not interested just keep walking and ignore them or tell them no thanks. It is easier if you are with a group. The weather can be a major issue for this cruise. Temperatures can easily exceed 100 degrees fahrenheit during the summer months. Temperatures were cooler than normal during our trip, ranging from 40-50 degrees fahrenheit at night to 60-75 degrees during the day. A visa is required to visit Egypt. You can get the visa ahead of time by applying at visa2egypt.gov.eg. The cost is $25 and you must enter the country within 90 days after date of issue. Alternatively, you can pay for it when you arrive at the airport. The Uniworld representative will show you where to get it and it only takes a few minutes. The water is unsafe to drink for people from the USA and Europe. Drinking local water, eating fresh fruits and vegetables in local restaurants, and using ice in drinks may cause severe diarrhea in most people. Even in the major hotels and on the ship you cannot drink the tap water. However, bottled water is provided free of charge. Uniworld had bottled water in the state rooms on the ship, the ship dining room and the tour buses. The food at the major hotels and on the ship are cleaned with filtered water so you can eat the fruits and vegetables there. Carry tissues with you for the bathroom. Very few bathrooms have toilet paper. You have to pay for the bathroom, 10-20 Egyptian pounds (33-66 cents), and the attendant will give you only a couple of sheets. Your tour guide will pay for the bathrooms unless you are off on your own. The tour guide will also tell you which are the best bathrooms to use. Also there is a toilet on the tour bus that is clean if needed. Make sure you bring a converter to charge your electronic devices. Egypt and the cruise ship use 220 volts. Hotel Information In Cairo, Uniworld guests stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza or at the Nile Ritz-Carlton. We stayed at the Four Seasons which in my opinion is a five star hotel. Upon arrival you have to check-in and provide a credit card for extra costs and are given your reserved room key. Then you go to your luggage at the entrance and provide your room number to the porter who will take your bags to your room. There are several restaurants in the hotel. Breakfast is included in the tour cost but you are responsible for lunch and dinner when not on the ship. Be aware that dinner at the hotel is expensive and can easily exceed $100 for two people. The guest rooms are large and very comfortable. There are two ATM machines in the hotel if you want to get Egyptian Pounds. The food in the restaurants is excellent. You can request a free late check-out if needed. This is the most secure hotel I have ever stayed in. All vehicles entering the property are checked by a bomb sniffing dog. There is a scan machine at the entrance that you must put your bags through every time you enter the hotel. There are multiple security guards on the property. The Ship The SS Sphinx is the newest of the two Uniworld ships that cruise the Nile river. It was launched in 2021 and has 42 state rooms on three decks. There is a large dining room, large lounge, small exercise room, massage facility with an excellent masseuse, jewelry store and a roof top sundeck and pool (unheated). The beautiful Egyptian décor has marble, hand carved wood and beautiful light fixtures and decorations. All meals are served in the dining room and times are coordinated with the tours so no meals will be missed. We stayed in a grand suite in the middle of the ship, starboard side. My research said that you should avoid the back of the ship due to noise and potential fumes. We never noticed either during the cruise. The starboard (right) side is more likely to give you a river view when docked. We had one stop where 3 ships were docked side by side and we had to walk through a ship to get on land. There were only 2 nights when we had a ship docked next to our room. The room is very large with lavish Egyptian décor with a large bathroom. All the rooms have a french balcony that we enjoyed while cruising. There is a refrigerator and safe in the room. There are always 3-4 bottles of water in the room for your use. You can download the app for the ship that provides the daily activities for each day and the restaurant menu. You can also request to have a paper copy of the program delivered to your room each day. Due to concern with the Israeli conflict the ship was only half full with only 45 passengers on our cruise. The service was the best of any cruise we have been on. Our room was serviced twice daily and every night there was a little gift on each pillow. In the restaurant the wait staff immediately refilled drinks and cleared plates without having to ask. The chef is always present to answer questions about the local cuisine. The food is some of the best we have had cruising. There are breakfast and lunch buffets and dinner from a menu. Beer and wine are available during lunch and dinner. There is a wide variety of western and Egyptian food to choose from at each meal and there is a vegetarian option at each meal. While sailing there is afternoon tea on the pool deck and a happy hour with the free drink of the day. There is also a coffee room where you can get coffee and tea with cookies 24 hours per day. This cruise is operated by Spring Tours. Previous reviews have commented that the service is not as good as other Uniworld cruises. I have to disagree. The staff and service on the ship were excellent. The food quality was excellent with a wide variety of choices. The tour guides were highly knowledgeable and did an excellent job. Cruise Issues Egypt has the most security measures of any country I have ever visited. I felt absolutely safe during our entire trip. You have to go through 2-3 screening stations with scan machines at every airport. This includes being patted down 100% of the time at each station. At each tourist stop you will have to have any bags with you scanned. There are random checkpoints on the roads where the bus stops and provides information. You will pass by security checkpoints that are manned by armed soldiers. On two occasions we had an armed escort for our buses. At the hotel and some of the tourist sites there are bomb sniffing dogs that check all vehicles. There are included excursions every day of the cruise. However, if you wish to see more you will need to purchase optional excursions. If you don’t purchase these you will have more free time on the ship. The extra excursions will cost from $40 to $395 per person per excursion. Upon arrival at the hotel the first day there will be a meeting where Uniworld will try and sell you all of the extra excursions. They will take cash (US dollars, Euros, Egyptian Pounds) or credit card for payment. See my itinerary for excursion reviews. All the cruise lines offer excursions this same way. Itinerary Day 1: January 28, Cairo The Uniworld representative met us at the airport before customs. He showed everyone where to get the visa stamp if you did not already have your visa. He then accompanied us through customs and took us to get our luggage. When everyone had their luggage, he took us to the bus to the hotel. One couple was missing luggage and he took them to file a lost luggage report. Due to heavy traffic, it took about one hour to get to the Four Seasons Hotel. Check-in was quick and our bags arrived to the room within 15 minutes. The rest of the evening was free and dinner was on your own at the hotel that has four restaurants. We ate at the Zitouni restaurant that serves Egyptian cuisine. Day 2: January 28, Cairo The included buffet breakfast was from 6:45-7:45. We then had a briefing about the optional excursions and met our Egyptologist Wael. He was excellent, providing detailed information at each tourist site as well as providing information about current Egyptian life. His primary attention was the safety and comfort of all the guests. He always made sure the group stayed together and took frequent head counts to ensure no one was missing. We all were given headsets so we could easily hear him. The cruise guests were divided into two groups each with their own bus. We were assigned to the same bus every day. The bus was air conditioned and had a bathroom. There was plenty of bottled water on the bus and also fresh fruit every day. Both buses traveled together to each excursion site. Our first stop was the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Wael gave us a guided tour of the most important artifacts and then we had free time to explore on our own. This museum has an extensive collection of artifacts, but the three rooms dedicated to King Tut were the highlight of this stop. We then traveled to the Citadel of Salah al-Din and the Alabaster Mosque. The citadel located on a hill at the eastern end of Cairo was the home of Egypt’s rulers for over 700 years. It is a massive complex that provides great views of Cairo. We went into the Alabaster Mosque located inside the citadel. It has an amazing interior façade with beautiful large hanging lamps. After the citadel one bus returned to the hotel and one bus continued on to the optional excursion to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). I believe the cost for this was $40 per person. It is a new museum that shows the chronological history of Egypt from ancient times until the present. It also has the Royal Mummies Gallery that displays the mummies of 17 Egyptian kings and 3 queens, most of which were originally found in the Valley of the Kings. The preservation and details are truly amazing. I recommend this optional excursion. You will not see mummies like this anywhere else. Day 3: January 29, fly to Luxor, cruise to Dendra This was an early start with a 5AM wake-up call; luggage outside the door by 5:15; breakfast at 5:30 with bus departure for the airport at 6AM. The Uniworld staff brought us through the airport as a single group skipping long lines at check-in. The flight to Luxor on a regional jet was about 45 minutes. Upon arrival in Luxor the bags were loaded on the buses and we went directly to the Temple of Karnak. This is an amazing temple that was buried under the sand for a thousand years. One of the most impressive areas of the temple is the Great Hypostyle Hall that contains 134 huge sandstone columns in the shape of papyrus stalks. From the temple we went to the ship. Check-in was very efficient and our bags were waiting in our room. We had a lunch buffet in the restaurant and 4PM tea time on the sun deck. There was a welcome reception to meet the crew. There is also a briefing before dinner every night to discuss the next day itinerary. Dinner was a “local experience” of Egyptian cuisine. The ship departed about 8PM and sailed to our next stop Dendra. There were no evening activities but everyone was tired from the long day and retired early. Day 4: January 30, Dendra, cruise to Luxor After an excellent buffet breakfast, we departed the ship at 7AM and took the bus to the Temple of Hathor. This is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt and it is dedicated to the goddess of love and beauty. I was amazed to see the amount of color remaining on the walls and ceiling. One of the highlights is a bas-relief of Cleopatra with her son Caesarion. We returned to the ship about 10:30 and set sail for Luxor. There was “a sail away party” on the sundeck that was unimpressive. There was a table set up with a few snacks, sparkling wine, juice, and coffee. There was no music or entertainment. Very few people attended. We arrived in Luxor mid-afternoon and took our bus to the Temple of Luxor near sunset. The Temple of Luxor is a place of massive proportions with two enormous statues of Ramses II at the entrance. We went near sunset to see the temple illuminated at night which was beautiful. Day 5: January 31, Luxor, cruise to Kom Ombo There was an optional hot air balloon ride that would take you to our first tour stop. Those participating had to leave the ship by 5AM. We saw at least 20 hot air balloons that each held about 20-30 people. The first included excursion for the day was the Colossi of Memnon. Buffet breakfast was from 5:45-6:45AM then we boarded the bus. The Colossi of Memnon are two gigantic statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that are 60 feet tall. We spent about 10-15 minutes there. We then were taken to an alabaster store where we were shown how alabaster items are made by hand. We also learned how to tell hand made items from machine made. Egyptian alabaster dates back to ancient times. There were many beautiful items for purchase, most of which were expensive. We then continued on to the Temple of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s rare female pharaohs. The temple is made of limestone and it is built into the side of a cliff. There are 2 large sphinxes at the start of the stairs and 11 huge statues at the entrance. Our next stop was one of the most famous sites in the world-the Valley of the Kings where at least 63 tombs have been found to date. Our entry ticket gave us access to three tombs plus the tomb of King Tut. We visited the tombs of Ramses I, III, IV in addition to King Tut. I was surprised to see how large the passage ways were. All the walls and ceilings were covered with hieroglyphics. There were amazing colors still remaining in the tomb of Ramses III. We also saw the mummified body of King Tut in his tomb. We paid the guard a couple of dollars to take photos. Although there were many tour buses there it did not seem crowded inside the tombs. After the Valley of the Kings the group was divided on two buses. One bus returned to the ship for lunch and free time. Our bus continued on to the optional tour of the Valley of the Queens. The cost of this tour was $150 per person. This is the burial site for the queens and wives of the pharaohs. It looks pretty plain and unimpressive from the outside but inside is a different story. We visited the most impressive of all the tombs, that of Queen Nefertari, the wife of Ramses II. It is beautifully decorated with multi-colored paintings on all the walls that look almost new. To avoid crowding only 30 people are allowed in at one time and you can only stay for 10 minutes which is plenty of time to take photos. We only had to wait for 10 minutes before going in. I highly recommend this optional tour. We returned to the ship for a late lunch and spent the rest of the day cruising the Nile river to Kom Ombo. After dinner there was an onboard party featuring traditional Egyptian music and some modern music as well. Most people dressed up in a galabeya (traditional Egyptian attire) that you could purchase on the ship for $20-$25 if you wished. Everyone had a great time. There was an official photographer who took photos of everyone and sold them at a reasonable price the next day. Day 6: February 1, Kom Ombo, cruise to Aswan After a buffet breakfast we left the ship at 9AM and walked 3 minutes to Kom Ombo temple, which is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus. The temple is not as impressive as the other temples we saw. What was interesting was to see the collection of mummified crocodiles. During the walk to and from the temple our group was accosted by a lot of children aggressively trying to sell souvenirs. Our guide Wael constantly chased them away from us. We returned to the ship about 10:30 and set sail for Aswan. The rest of the morning and afternoon were spent cruising the Nile. While cruising, Wael, our guide gave a presentation, at the request of several people, on modern day Egypt that was excellent and very informative. About 2:45 we took a 40-minute bird watching tour on a motorboat around Aswan harbor. We saw a few birds but this is one tour you can skip and stay on the ship. At 4:30 we took the bus to the Old Cataract Hotel for sunset tea. This hotel is depicted in the Agatha Christie novel Death on the Nile. It is also where the rich and famous stay when visiting Aswan. Famous guests included Winston Churchill and Princess Diana. We were located on an open deck overlooking the Nile that was windy and a bit cold. We were served tea and sweets and saw a beautiful sunset. Back on the ship before dinner we watched a Nubian show in the lounge that was very entertaining that lasted about 30 minutes. The Nubians are an ethnic group indigenous to the Aswan area who were displaced from their lands when the Aswan dam was built causing their lands to be permanently flooded. Day 7: February 2, Aswan After breakfast we departed the ship at 7AM and took our bus to Philae Temple. This temple is nice but not as impressive as others we have seen. The most impressive thing is that this temple was dismantled and moved from Philae Island to its current location under the direction of UNESCO. It took 10 years to reconstruct it in the current location and you cannot tell that this is not the original site. The next stop was a store selling perfume and aroma therapy oils. The presentation was interesting but this stop was not needed. We then went to the Aswan High Dam. It was very crowded because local school children were on holiday and many families were visiting. Security was extremely strict. Our next stop was a papyrus store. We saw an interesting demonstration on how to make papyrus paper and there was a lot of art work for sale. Prices were high for these items. You could purchase a painting with a blank kartouche and an artist in the store would put any name you wanted on it in hieroglyphics. Our last stop was the Unfinished Oblisk commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut. While being carved the stone cracked twice and then was left unfinished. It is estimated to weigh more than 1 thousand US tons. It is lying on the ground in the quarry and you can walk around it. We returned to the ship for a lunch buffet and then had free time until 3PM. At 3PM we walked a few feet from the ship to take a 30 minute felucca boat ride around Aswan harbor. A felucca is a small traditional boat with large triangular sails. It was a lot of fun. At 6PM we departed for the optional Philae Sound and Light Show that costs $60 per person. We rode in a motor boat to and from the temple. The temple looked beautiful with all of the lights. There was a large group present and we walked to different parts of the temple with lights going on and off while listening to a story being performed by British actors speaking as gods over speakers. It was nice to see the temple at night but I believe the performance is too long. One could easily skip this optional tour. We returned to the ship at 8:30 for a late dinner. Day 8: February 3, Aswan, cruise to Esna Today was free time all day unless you chose the optional tour to the Temples of Abu Simbel. This tour costs $395 per person. We spent 7 hours total time from departure to return to the ship. The actual time at Abu Simbel was about 2 hours. Wake-up call was at 4:45AM with a 6AM bus departure for the airport; a short 30 minute flight to Abu Simbel and then a bus ride to the temples. There are 2 temples constructed by Ramses II that have massive statues in front of the entrance. The inside of the temples was nice but not as impressive as previous temples we saw. Again, the most impressive thing is that this entire complex was dismantled and rebuilt at its current location because of flooding when the Aswan Dam was built. It looks like this is the original location. Although this was amazing, I don’t think I would do it again due to the cost and all the travel required. We returned to the ship for lunch and the rest of the day was free time while we sailed to Esna. Day 9: February 4, Esna, cruise to Luxor At 8:30AM we walked from the ship through the local bazar to the Temple of Khnum. This is a Roman temple in the middle of a local neighborhood. Inside is a hypostyle hall with 24 pillars, each one of which is different. The colors on the pillars was amazing. We actually got to watch local artisans restoring one of the pillars. This is a very worthwhile visit. The rest of the day was free time and packing while cruising to Luxor. Egyptian cuisine was the theme for all meals today. The buffet dinner also featured many local dishes. All of the food was very good. After dinner there was a folklore show performed by members of the Egyptian Cultural Center. They were excellent. Day 10: February 5, Luxor, fly to Cairo This was mainly a travel day. Breakfast started at 6AM. Luggage had to be outside the room by 6:30, and we departed for the airport at 7:30. There was a flight delay, which happens frequently, and we arrived in Cairo about 12:30. There were 2 buses. One bus took people to the Four Seasons Hotel where you checked-in and had free time the rest of the day. The second bus was for the optional tour to the Grand Egyptian Museum that costs $110 per person. Our luggage was loaded on the bus and we went directly to the museum. The Grand Egyptian Museum is a new museum that is not fully open yet. The first floor of the museum opened about 3 months ago. It has a grand staircase with a nice collection of large statues and artifacts. There is also an immersive show about King Tut that was excellent. With the long travel day, I would pass on this optional excursion. A farewell dinner was provided in the hotel. Day 11: February 6, Cairo We started this last day with a bus trip to the Step Pyramid of King Zoser in Sakkara. It is the oldest pyramid in the world. We then stopped at a carpet school where they have been handmaking carpets for generations. We watched several people working on looms making silk, cotton and wool rugs. There was a showroom with many items for sale, all of which are very expensive. Our next stop was ancient Memphis, the capital of Egypt’s Old Kingdom. There is a large alabaster sphinx and a colossal statue of Ramses II. They actually built the viewing building around the statue. This was well worth the visit. Our last stop was the Pyramids of Giza. This was one of the highlights of the trip. You cannot appreciate the enormity of these structures until you see them. It is an architectural wonder. The Great Sphinx is also located here. It is amazing to see. The area is also full of camels with owners willing to give you a ride for the right price. Beware of individuals who try to give you a “free gift” and then ask for money and try to sell you more items. It is best not to engage in conversation with them. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a cotton goods store where all items are made from 100% Egyptian cotton. Most items were overpriced and this stop is really unnecessary. When we returned to the hotel, we said good-bye to our guide Wael and returned to our room to prepare for our flight home. Day 12: February 7, depart Cairo A buffet breakfast was included this morning. Since we had a 5:50PM flight we asked for and were given a free late check-out. We left the hotel with 3 other couples 4 hours before our flight departure in a van with a Uniworld representative. He guided us through the entire check-in process, made sure we had our boarding passes and helped us fill out some required forms. It would have been a bit confusing without his help. We completed check-in and made it to the waiting area about 90 minutes before scheduled departure.
Absolutely brilliant! Loved everything about the cruise, from the moment I was picked up in Cairo I felt cared for, safe and they treated me like a queen. Hospitality like I’ve never experienced before. The food, the service, the friendships I formed were incredible. The best cruise experience of my life. We left from Luxor and had over a week on board the SS Sphinx with captain Sameh and his wonderful crew. They treated us like Queens and nothing was ever too much. The attention to detail at every touch point was astounding and the food, wow the food! Unbelievable dining experiences every day with local delicious meals to try and all the favourites. The Egyptologist who accompanied us daily called Saleh was a walking encyclopaedia. He taught us so much and every day just outshining the previous. I can’t wait to go back again and also do more Uniworld cruises! Best trip ever!
All staterooms and suites onboard have French balconies. While the S.S. Sphinx is a beautiful and luxurious ship, its amenities may differ from those of a Uniworld-company-owned ship
Enjoy an Unrivaled Taste of your Destinations
When dining onboard, you’ll be treated to world-class cuisine made from fresh ingredients, locally sourced from the destinations you visit.
From Farm to Ship
Farm-to-table isn’t just a trendy culinary buzzword around here. It’s a governing philosophy and commitment to serving you the very best local dishes created by our master chefs. When in Italy, dinner may consist of Prosciutto di Parma pizza and Osso Buco Milanese, prepared to your liking, with meats and vegetables sourced from just miles away. After a day immersed in Indian culture, your taste buds may do some immersing of their own with Gajar Shorba and Tandoori Chicken Tikka for lunch. Live brilliantly. Dine locally. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
Creative Culinary Options
For those interested in healthier dining options, our Traveling Lite menu features all of the flavor of our traditional menu, but with fewer calories. We also offer a variety of vegetarian and vegan options, prepared just for you. If you have a specific meal preference, just ask. Our chefs will be happy to accommodate.
Every Uniworld cruise is meticulously crafted to be an experience you won’t find anywhere else, filled with moments that are each more breathtaking than the last. We’ve gone the extra mile to ensure our included and optional excursions immerse you in the authentic culture, sights and cuisine of the places you’ll visit.
Sip a glass of wine while you cruise past beautiful landscapes and world-famous landmarks on your way to your next destination...
Wanderlust Meets Wellness - onboard and onshore
All our cruises feature several options to get up, get going and stay fit, both onboard and onshore. Our seasoned wellness experts have an average tenure of ten years with Uniworld and continuously hone their craft with annual Ayurveda yoga and other trainings. They are there to lend their expertise to you.
ALL-INCLUSIVE FAMILY RIVER CRUISES
Every Uniworld Generations cruise includes special programs, events and excursions designed specifically for your world travellers in training.
