10/10 Exceptional
3 February 2024
Disclaimer: we were moved to the Steigenberger Minerva, so the review covers that ship. However, the Royale is most likely quite comparable as they are in the same class and are operated by the same company.
Overall, we really liked this cruise. The ship is in great condition, felt like both the common areas and the rooms have been recently renovated (or are very well maintained). We enjoyed a lot just sitting in our room and enjoying the views of the Nile. The staff were friendly and attentive, especially our waiter and housekeeping. The food was varied and of good quality, better than at some resorts we stayed at during our stay in Egypt. They also made an effort to cater for vegetarians, by preparing vegetarian main courses separately for us. In terms of accessibilty to sights, our ship docked very close each time, felt closer than some other boats / companies. We did not opt in for the guided tours as they felt rather pricey, but this was not and issue as Kom Ombo, Luxor Temple and even Edfu were walkable (just be ready for the the hassling that is unfortunately unavoidable in Egypt - worst for Edfu as that's the one that is a relatively longer walk from the dock).
In conclusion, we were very satisfied. The cruise beat our expectations after all the mixed reviews we have seen about these trips on the Nile. It was probably the nicest part of our Egypt vacation.
Ferenc Bence
