Wonderful experience , first time I have ever done any kind of cruise , so I wasn’t sure what to expect , and found the Royal Lily to be a lot better than I thought it would be , food was plentiful and delicious , including some lovely Egyptian options , rooms were quite large with a reasonable size bathroom , there is a lovely top deck with a very chilly swimming pool, and drinks can be ordered from the top deck , there is also a nice little gift shop that is so much easier than dealing with some of the local salesman and a better price, the only downsize was , water , soft drink or juice at the dinner table is at an extra cost ( not sure if that was our tour group ) or a standard thing , but It was a great experience cruising down the famous Nile River

We enjoyed 4 nights which were booked as part of our Memphis Tours Egypt vacation package. The boat is modern decor, newer and well kept. The staff was so welcoming and caring and the food was really good. While you can certainly find more luxurious Nile Cruises, this boat and the crew were the best we encountered on our 4 days on the Nile. Believe me, when boats doc for the night, they line up, so often you walk through other boat lobbies to get off yours or from your deck while docked, you see other decks and pools. From the staff greeting, smell of the lobby, boat decor, deck amenities and the deep pool to dunk in with shallow lounging portions, we felt pretty lucky. we enjoyed great service, wonderful food and great drinks served poolside after long, hot tour days.

We took the Luxor to Aswan Philae cruise early feb. We were very warmly welcomed by the staff who took great care of us during the entire trip. They even made special food for us as per our taste.The rooms are very clean well equipped with all modern amenities. The boat has a top sun deck where we enjoyed a lazy afternoon.The sightseeing was smooth and well organised. The egyptologist was quite knowledgeable and told us some really interesting stories. Highly recommend this cruise for a once in a lifetime experience!

There isn’t much more I can say that hasn’t already been said. The food alone on the trip was worth the money. My room was gigantic and everything was clean and fresh. It has everything you need, pool, spa and a gym. The excursions were lead by a guide who sounded like he experienced the actual history. Everything was well planned. Customer service was second to none. Staff is incredible; attentive to your every need and always up for friendly chat. It doesn’t matter if you have any kind of food allergies or that they have a meal plan already in place. The chefs are so talented, that they can whip up anything for you want at a moments notice. It doesn’t matter if you are vegetarian, vegan, or need gluten-free, they will cook whatever you order. I suggest letting them just make up their own because the chef will make some of the most amazing food to the most delicious Egyptian and Indian dishes. I do wish they would’ve given us an evening at the night market in Luxor. It’s nice that you don’t have to tip every time you eat as you tip at the end of the cruise. We were told suggested tip to be between $25-$30 per guest per day. Since this is what we were told by the staff, this is what we paid. Make sure you bring money with you because tipping the people that carry your luggage, the excursion, driver, and your guide to be paid in cash and separate. I would have liked to have added a day of exclusion at the night market in Luxor. Cruise staff, especially Hussian and Nasser taking such good care of me. Unfortunately, I cannot remember everyone’s name of the people that made breakfast lunch and dinner so enjoyable. My only complaint is that excursion leaders always take you to their friends’s shops which is pretty much with every excursion in Egypt. I can’t wait to take another Oberoy cruise.

Fantastic boat fabulous guide, staff were fantastic food was great. Cabins also fantastic. What a boat.

Beautiful accommodations and amazing crew. Thoroughly enjoyed our passage along the Nile from Luxor to Aswan. Egyptologist was excellent. Food on board was excellent. Only downside was engine noise and vibration in aft cabins but we were docked most nights.

Cruising the Nile is a must when in Egypt, it's an amazing experience. We were on the Movenpick Sunray from Aswan to Luxor. We were told it was a new ship, but it was quite dated and we all agreed they put WAY too much furniture in the rooms (in my room with a queen size bed, they could have eliminated the dresser, a chair, and one of the two small tables). They also need better charging areas in the rooms. The service was great, the food was very good. I had my laundry done and they did a great job. The gift shop was not interesting, but most gift shops were not very good in Egypt. Hotel Marsam has the BEST gift shop of local artisans.

Simply the best. From the staff,accommodations, food and guides to the sites everything was first class. You will notice the difference when you have the sites to yourself or very limited people at them as they do that on purpose so you have the best time exploring around. The tours are limited to only 6 people or less ensuring a private experience. Do yourself a favor and book the suite D05 with the private jacuzzi on the back of the ship, worth every penny. This is the only cruise I would recommend to my friends and family.

Sonesta sun goddess Is amazing and unforgettable cruise on the River nile Special thanks to the receptionist Shehab and the dining room staff Esmail and Mina and Moamen, the service was above and beyond

Excellent boat. Staff, room, food, cleanliness, service all top notch! I highly recommend this boat. It is the best on the Nile.

We just finished a 6 day Nile cruise aboard the Oberoi Philae. Our high expectations were exceeded in every regard. The recently refurbished boat is lovely and luxurious. Spacious cabins with beautiful bathrooms, fantastic quality king beds with high quality sheets and towels refreshed twice daily by attentive housekeeping staff. Meals are all a la carte and the quality and variety of the menu was outstanding. With only 22 cabins aboard the staff quickly learn your preferences and driver excellent service. Of course the daily tours of the magnificent sites and antiquities are outstanding. Maximum group size is 8 guests per Egyptologist (our group had 4). The Egyptologists were outstanding and accompanied us throughout the week. Each transfer was in a comfortable luxury van with plenty of chilled water. We have travelled extensively and had the opportunity to experience numerous luxury brands. This is truly a world class experience. Highly recommend!

Going to see the Pyramids is on many a bucket list, but I found the true highlight of my two week holiday in Egypt to be my cruise down the Nile aboard the Oberoi Philae. This incredible river cruiser is built to house approximately 40 to 50 people, considerably less than most other boats of the same size, but travelling during the off-season means there's far fewer guests aboard. When my wife and I checked in, we found that not only had we been upgraded but we were also only 2 of 4 guests aboard, and essentially had the boat to ourselves like a private cruise. Despite this small number, the boat ran with a full roster of staff, determined to make our experience memorable. With the small number of guests onboard, we began to get to know some of the incredible staff, all of whom share the same exceptional passion for their jobs. Emad, Nasser, Rahman, Alaa, Ellia, Farida, and many others turned what we expected to be good to great. From every meal, every interaction, every jaw dropping towel creation during turn down service, every booking at the spa, and every chat about football (which always ended in laughter), the memories the crew have left us with will stay with us forever. Additionally, as my wife and I were also celebrating her birthday, the kitchen went out of their way to bake a custom cake to mark the occasion. But travelling down the Nile and stopping at various sights also meant we needed a guide, and the person assigned to us made us fall in love with Egypt and history in general. Tarek's knowledge and enthusiasm has now set the bar so high that I'm afraid no guide may ever be able to match it. Sightseeing with him felt like retracing the steps of the people from 1000s of years ago, an interactive experience like none other and truly the history teacher I wish I had in school. If you want to be absolutely blown away, make sure you ask for Tarek Ibrahim as your guide and you will not regret it. To sum up this rather long review, I'll simply say that you can't possibly go wrong with this team. They're all collectively pulling in the same direction and that's set a new standard of excellence for hospitality and made us feel like we were travelling with friends. If given the opportunity, I'd love to take the cruise again, if only to experience the amazing service once more.

My husband and I stayed with the Oberoi Philae for our 4-night journey from Luxor to Aswan, and we couldn’t have made a better choice. The rooms are modern and spacious, and compared to most of the large cruise liners, the Philae has a relatively smaller capacity of just around 22 rooms. The staff was extremely welcoming and made us feel truly at home during our time onboard. By the end of our stay, we knew many of them by name, and looked forward to chatting with them during meals (where there was a different menu every time!) or in the hallways. The spa is also a must-visit after a long day walking around Egypt’s ancient wonders. The itinerary is perfectly balanced so you can enjoy the historic sights, while leaving enough downtime to unwind on the boat. We wanted to add a couple of additional tours to our schedule, and they organized everything seamlessly. Finally, I have to give a special shout-out to our Egyptologist guide, Tarek, who took the entire experience from great to unforgettable. His passion and knowledge for his country’s history was infectious, and we learnt more than we could have ever imagined from him. Truly one of the best tour guides we have encountered on any of our travels. If you have the chance, definitely ask for him as your guide. Overall, I can’t recommend this cruiser enough. And if you can bear the heat, I’d highly recommend going in the off season. We visited in August and were 2 of only 4 passengers onboard!

Beautiful 5-star ship; spacious rooms; panoramic sliding windows; relaxing sundeck, pool and cabanas; wonderful variety of foods; decadent desserts; friendly, attentive staff. Highly recommend!

My family and I spent 9 days in Egypt and the last 4 days were spent aboard Sonesta Moon Goddess Nile River Cruise. The ship was great, I have cruised other river cruises (Avalon, Viking and American) and this experience was unique and specific to Egypt (the entertainment, the food and the shopping). The ladies (4 of them) enjoyed the massages (they are still talking about them) and the cabins were very nice, spacious and clean. The highlight of our trip was our tour guide Khaled Fouad. He was very knowledgeable about his country and shared his enthusiasm for all of the Egyptian sites with us. He creatively included our group into the historical events we saw each day by incorporating us as characters in history. This really helped to keep us engaged, especially the teenagers. He expertly guided us past all of the “street vendors” and made us feel safe when the onslaughts occurred by sending them away. We toured in June, so it was HOT and he made sure we were OK and not overheated. He adapted his tour to keep us in the shade and air conditioning when he could. We learned a lot from Khaled at each stop on the tour and I shared it daily in my social media travel logs, which has created an interest in people who follow me to come to Egypt. My experience in Egypt has changed my life and I plan to return. Thank you Sonesta and Khaled for making our Egyptian experience so memorable.