1st Mar 2025 | 11 nights | Uniworld | S.S. Sphinx
For 12 adventure-filled days, experience Egypt and the Nile’s most wondrous sites in style and luxury.* Wander amongst the towering ruins of the Temple of Karnak, the world’s largest ancient religious complex, and the entrancing Temple of Luxor. Follow in the footsteps of renowned scholars and explorers as you venture forth into the Valley of the Kings, the ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty.
This captivating itinerary begins and ends in Cairo, where you’ll visit the famous Egyptian Museum and its unrivaled collection of pharaonic artifacts. Journey to Giza to gaze upon the mighty ancient Pyramids and the Sphinx.
Generations Family Program (select River Tosca sailings): These cruise/tours feature unique, fun-filled adventures for youngsters and are packed with culturally and historically significant experiences. There will also be an opportunity to meet local children—if your family would like to bring a gift to share with the children (such as school supplies, books, balls or games) it is welcomed.
This program is an active one, including plenty of walking and early starts on most days to take advantage of the favorable morning weather. Flights between Cairo and Luxor may require wake-up calls at 5:00am or earlier. Please contact your travel advisor or Uniworld Reservations for additional details.
*Note: Due to cultural differences and other factors, the beverage policy for our Egypt program differs from our European programs. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more details.
In Egyptian mythology, the sphinx is a mythical creature composed of the body of a lion and the head of a human. It's a powerful image -- and an appropriate one for Uniworld's newest "Super Ship," the S.S. Sphinx.
Quality among Nile river cruisers varies wildly. Uniworld is one of the operators in the region changing things for the better. S.S. Sphinx will offer the same degree of luxury found aboard the line's European river cruise vessels, recognized for their lavish décor and sumptuous appointments.
Sailing the Nile year-round, S.S. Sphinx will offer numerous niceties onboard, including a top-deck swimming pool, a small fitness centre and massage centre, and plenty of outdoor deck space.
Top Deck Attractions
The Sun Deck aboard S.S. Sphinx offers an outdoor swimming pool as a way to beat the Egyptian heat. Additional seating, both shaded and unshaded, is offered here, along with some of the best photographic vantage points on the ship.
Entertainment
Entertainment onboard tends to revolve around cocktail hour, with cruisers mingling over pre- and post-dinner drinks. A piano player typically sets up shop in the Main Lounge each evening, and guest performers are sometimes welcomed onboard.
Briefings, lectures and demonstrations dominate the midday hours when the ship is underway. Most passengers, however, tired from long days ashore and plenty of time in the sun, elect to retire early.
Itineraries
S.S. Sphinx sails Egypt's Nile river year-round, operating Uniworld's 12-day "Splendours of Egypt & the Nile" river cruise tour that begins and ends in Cairo.
Unusual for a ship of this size, S.S. Sphinx will offer three separate dining venues onboard: a main restaurant, a private dining room and an alfresco dining option up on the ship's uppermost Sun Deck.
Cuisine offers a blend of international and Western favourites, intermingled with locally inspired dishes. Open seating is the word of the day, though passengers are encouraged to join other tables of fellow travellers.
Breakfast and lunch are typically served over a set period of time, while dinners usually start promptly around 7 p.m.
Casual fare aboard S.S. Sphinx will be offered in the ship's top-deck alfresco venue, while lighter snacks and nibbles can typically be found in the ship's Main Lounge on Dendera Deck, where a full-service bar offers libations to escape from the Egyptian heat.
As with all other Uniworld vessels, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary aboard the S.S. Sphinx.
Five grades of accommodations are offered aboard the S.S. Sphinx, spread across three decks.
On Dendera Deck, 13 French Balcony cabins make up the entry-level accommodations aboard S.S. Sphinx. These cabins, along with all others onboard, offer hand-crafted Savoir of England beds and 100 percent Egyptian cotton linens. An additional French Balcony cabin is located higher up on Karnak Deck.
Two Deluxe French Balcony cabins (303 and 304) are situated on Karnak Deck and offer slightly increased living space and a more premium location higher up on the vessel.
Two Suites (301 and 302) are situated immediately behind the ship's wheelhouse. These offer increased living space over the standard French Balcony cabins.
The rest of the accommodations onboard are made up of 20 Grand Suites and four Royal Suites. Nearly identical in terms of layout and features, the latter four cabins are slightly larger than Grand Suites, which are almost twice as large as the average French Balcony Suite.
Affluent travellers who enjoy a touch of opulence with their luxury.
Young families, passengers with mobility issues and anyone who prefers subtle elegance over opulence.
Uniworld attracts affluent, sophisticated travellers. The bulk of passengers fall into the traditional 60-plus river cruise age group, but a good sprinkling of people aged 40 to 60 are also drawn to the stylish onboard ambience. In addition, Uniworld was one of the first lines to offer themed family cruising, and those sailings attract multigenerational groups.
Somewhat. Uniworld passengers run to smart-casual by day, but at night they almost always opt for dressier outfits, especially at the captain's welcome and farewell festivities. For those meals, as well as select dining ashore or concert options, the line suggests men bring a sports jacket and women, a cocktail dress or pantsuit. With that said, Uniworld only asks that cruisers not wear shorts to dinner.
No, but the experience is fairly inclusive with some differences depending on the itinerary. In general, unlimited drinks, most shore excursions, Wi-Fi and gratuities (onboard and on shore) are all included in the cruise fare. Access to onboard bikes and a self-service launderette are also complimentary. You will pay extra for some shore excursions, as well as spa and beauty treatments.
The ports of call draw passengers off the ship for much of the day and when they return onboard, they tend to spend quite a lot of time in the public rooms socializing. The indoor and outdoor pools attract more passengers than usual on river cruises, and the gym and spa facilities get plenty of use. Whenever offered, passengers gather for onboard programs, such as wine tastings, culinary classes and local group performance of traditional regional arts. Speakers from the line's Signature Lecture Series also usually draw a crowd. Dancing in the evening can prove popular depending on the passenger mix.