Abercrombie & Kent planning to expand Nile river cruise fleet next year

The luxury travel group Abercrombie & Kent has announced the design of an “extremely high-spec” vessel, with “all the facilities and services of a high-end floating hotel”, for deployment on the Nile in Egypt.

The riverboat will feature indoor and outdoor restaurants, a spa, gym, swimming pool and a sundeck, along with a crew with Egyptologists to enhance the experience of shore excursions for guests.

Each of the boat’s 32 cabins will have floor-to-ceiling windows, Juliet balconies above the water and marble bathrooms, while two of the staterooms, the Presidential Suites, will also feature outdoor hot tubs. 

“Nobody knows Egypt better than Abercrombie & Kent,” said Cristina Levis, A&K Travel Group CEO. 

“We pioneered luxury Nile cruises more than four decades ago, and every year we continue to further elevate this enchanting voyage, with extraordinary experiences at every stage of the journey, accompanied by Egyptologists and storytellers to bring Egypt’s luminous history to life,” she added.

A&K says the vessel will operate scheduled Nile River cruises, but will also be made available for charter during the year. It will join the rest of the operator’s Nile-based fleet, which includes Nile Adventurer, Sun Boat III, Sun Boat IV and Zein Nile Chateau. 

Construction has already begun at Massara Shipyard in Egypt and is expected to be completed in autumn 2025, with the contract being signed by A&K’s Amr Badr, managing director of Arabia and Egypt. 

The name of the vessel and other onboard features and amenities will be confirmed in the coming months.

The order of a new riverboat for the Nile comes amid a resurgence in interest in river and ocean cruises in Egypt.

Last year, TUI River Cruises announced it was expanding its range of Nile itineraries, while also increasing its number of direct flights between Egypt and the UK to target the British cruise market.

In 2019, Viking River Cruises ordered a new river cruise ship Viking Osiris for operation on the Nile, and in 2021 CrosiEurope announced that it was expanding into the country with a dedicated Egyptian cruise season, although its boutique ship sailed coastal itineraries rather than river cruises.