M/S Royal Nile Cruise — Review, Itinerary & Prices | Jacuzzi Suites & Sauna

M/S Royal Nile Cruise 2026 — Honest Review, Itinerary & Prices from $699

Bottom line: The M/S Royal Viking is the most comprehensively equipped ship in Egypt For Travel’s ultra deluxe fleet at $699 — and the clear winner for travelers who want the widest possible range of onboard facilities. While the Steigenberger Minerva excels at brand service standards and the Nile Paradise at cabin quality, the Royal Viking takes a different approach: it packs in everything. Jacuzzi suites. Sauna. Room service until midnight. French windows with balcony rails overlooking the Nile. Nightly entertainment programme. DVD rental. Currency exchange. Postcard mailing. Conference room. And the most spa-oriented cabin in the fleet — the Jacuzzi suite with a bathtub that looks out over the Nile through a window on the wall between the bathroom and the cabin. No other ship at $699 comes close to this range of facilities.

Is the M/S Royal Viking Worth It?

Yes — especially if you want to feel genuinely pampered on the Nile every evening. The Royal Viking’s Jacuzzi suites are unique in the fleet: a Jacuzzi bath with a window between the bathroom and the cabin that simultaneously overlooks the Nile — so you can soak in the Jacuzzi watching the desert pass outside your suite window. Add the sauna, the room service until midnight, the nightly entertainment programme (belly dancing, Galabia party, live music, discotheque), and the French window balcony rail in every standard cabin — and the Royal Viking delivers an evening and after-hours experience that no other $699 ship in the fleet can match. The daytime sightseeing is the same across all ships. The Royal Viking wins on what happens after the temples.

Who Is the M/S Royal Viking Best For?

✓ Wellness and spa travelers who specifically want a sauna, Jacuzzi, and massage service as part of their Nile cruise experience.
✓ Couples celebrating a special occasion for whom the Jacuzzi suite — with its Nile-view window overlooking the bath — is the defining experience they are looking for.
✓ Night owls and entertainment lovers who want a nightly disco, live music, and folkloric shows after the daytime temple excursions.
✓ Travelers who want maximum facilities at $699 without stepping up to the Mayfair at $975.
✓ Groups and social travelers who enjoy a lively onboard atmosphere in the evenings.
✓ Travelers who value room service flexibility — until midnight is genuinely rare on Nile cruise ships.

Who Should NOT Book the M/S Royal Viking?

✗ If UV panoramic cabin windows and bathtub cabins as standard (not just in suites) are your priority, the M/S Nile Paradise at the same $699 price offers these in its Queen Deluxe category, plus a Master Suite with private balcony.
✗ If a private veranda in your cabin as standard — not just a balcony rail — is essential, the M/S Mayfair at $975 is the only ship that delivers this.
✗ If a quiet, contemplative evening atmosphere matters more than entertainment and disco, the Steigenberger Minerva or M/S Nile Paradise offer a more refined and quieter evening atmosphere.

Egypt For Travel Expert Assessment

“The Royal Viking is the ship our operations team books for themselves when they travel the Nile. The Jacuzzi suite with the Nile-view window between the bathroom and the cabin is genuinely extraordinary — there is no other experience like it on the river. The nightly entertainment programme is the most consistently programmed in the fleet. And room service until midnight means the evening is entirely yours — dinner on deck, a show, a drink at the salon bar, then room service at 11pm if you want it. At $699, the Royal Viking is the best overall Nile cruise value for travelers who want to be thoroughly looked after in the evenings.”
— Egypt For Travel Operations Team — ETA Category A Licence No. 1947

What You Will See — Sites Visited

Luxor East Bank: Karnak Temple · Luxor Temple · Avenue of Sphinxes.

Luxor West Bank: Valley of the Kings (3 tombs) · Temple of Hatshepsut · Colossi of Memnon.

Nile Stops: Edfu Temple · Kom Ombo Temple.

Aswan: Philae Temple · Aswan High Dam ·

Royal Viking vs $699 Ultra Deluxe Ships

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the M/S Royal Viking have a Jacuzzi and sauna?

Yes — the M/S Royal Viking is one of the very few Nile cruise ships with both a Jacuzzi and a sauna on board. The Jacuzzi is available in the ship’s suite category — the suite bathroom has a Jacuzzi bathtub with a window that looks out through the cabin wall and directly over the Nile outside. It is an extraordinarily rare feature on any Nile cruise ship and impossible to describe adequately until you are in it. The sauna is available to all guests and is particularly popular after long temple excursion days when muscles need recovery. Massage services are also available on board. No other ship in Egypt For Travel’s fleet at $699 combines Jacuzzi, sauna, and massage services in the same package.

What is the nightly entertainment like on the Royal Viking?

The M/S Royal Viking has the most consistently programmed nightly entertainment schedule of any ultra deluxe ship in Egypt For Travel’s fleet. Every evening typically includes one or more of: a traditional Egyptian folkloric show with live music and dance; a professional belly dancing performance; the beloved Galabia party night where guests dress in traditional Egyptian robes; and a nightly discotheque in the lounge for guests who want to continue into the late evening. The ship also has a salon bar for quieter drinks and conversation, sun deck bars for evening Nile watching, and room service until midnight so the evening structure is entirely flexible. DVD movie rental is also available for quieter evenings in the cabin. The Royal Viking is the clear choice for travelers who want a lively, sociable, and well-entertained onboard atmosphere every night of the cruise.

What is the French window with balcony rail on the Royal Viking?

The French window with balcony rail in every standard cabin on the M/S Royal Viking is a full-height floor-to-ceiling window that opens outward, with a rail across the opening that allows you to stand against it and experience the open Nile air while looking out over the river. It is not an enclosed private veranda — that is only available in the M/S Mayfair at $975 — but it gives you direct outdoor air access and panoramic Nile views from a standing position inside your cabin. On the southbound journey sailing toward Aswan as the desert narrows and the cliffs close in around the river, standing at your French window as the scenery unfolds is one of the defining Royal Viking experiences. The sitting area adjacent to the large picture window in every cabin provides an additional comfortable Nile-watching position without needing to open the window.

Ready to book the Royal Viking? Jacuzzi suites book out early in peak season. WhatsApp us now to check availability. We respond within 2 hours. ETA Category A Licence No. 1947.