My husband and I just returned from Luxor and our mind is still at the Nile views. Amazing peaceful romantic river ever; the boats trips that take you on the other bank, the boat hotels or restaurants the felucas all are incredibly romantic especially at sunset.
Whether in Cairo Luxor Aswan or in any other place, take a boat tour on the Nile. You will not regret it

We never really wanted to go on a cruise, but it seemed from afar the best way to visit the multiple archeological sites we did want to see.

When the ship was cruising on the Nile during the day, we have to admit it was a wonderful experience. Each room had large windows you can open as you watch the scenery on the shore. But, out of the 4 days aboard you only sail one afternoon. The rest of the time you are either sailing in the middle of the night or docked. And docking can mean that you are right next to another ship (sometimes 3-4 are parked side by side), which means you have to keep your curtains closed.

In retrospect, we wish we had found a cruise that sailed more or, alternatively, take small planes to the various archeological sites.

The onboard experience was positive. Our room was fairly large and the bathroom was well-equipped and offered full amenities. The cleaning staff was outstanding. In fact the whole staff was very professional and friendly. We had no problem leaving the high-end tip that had been recommended. (The only exception was the ships navigator. We asked if we could visit the bridge. We were immediately escorted to it. The reaction of the navigator, though, was quite negative. He refused to even acknowledge our presence. Not sure what we did to create that response.)

One odd pricing thing: on board the ship wine or beer was about $6 a drink, but a gin on the rocks (and all liquor drinks) was $16!!

The ship offered group tours at each of the sites, but we retained a private guide for our entire 12-day trip and he was on board the ship with us. We did a lot of reading about ancient Egypt before our trip, but I must say that you get far more out of looking at archeological sights when you have a guide to explain the context and history. Our guide was Ahmed Shawky who had worked for the Egyptian Antiquities Department for over 15 years and had been involved with excavations at several Luxor sites.

Our group of 10 had a wonderful, relaxing time on this boat in March. Do yourself a favor and get a group together so you can have the entire boat to yourself. This is the best way to go. The crew was professional and always helpful. The food was delicious (and there was plenty of it). We were not nickeled and dimed to death. Wifi was complimentary, and we stopped at temples and villages along the way from Luxor to Aswan at our leisure, so there were no crowds. Our guide made sure that we were at locations when the big ships had either left or had not arrived yet. These are the little details that help make your visit a real pleasure. Ahmed Hashem is the best guide!