Mövenpick MS Royal Lily

The Mövenpick MS Royal Lily is a river cruise ship run under Mövenpick, the Swiss brand owned by the French hotel group Accor. It has 56 cabins and 4 suites, every one of them facing the Nile, and links Luxor and Aswan in 4 nights going upstream and 3 nights coming down. In Luxor it moors on the Corniche, right opposite Luxor Temple, and Accor lists it among its five-star properties. It suits couples, friends and families on a first Nile cruise who want a full sightseeing programme and a pool on deck, as part of a week that starts or ends in Cairo.

Built in 2007, sister to the Royal Lotus

The Royal Lily first sailed in early November 2007. It is the twin of the older Royal Lotus, which the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism named the best Nile cruiser in 2006. Both ships belong to the Egyptian company Nile Exploration and are operated under the Mövenpick brand. The cabins sit on the upper decks, reached by inside corridors, which gives each one a large window onto the river.

With 60 cabins and suites, the Royal Lily is larger than the Oberoi Zahra and Philae, which have 22 to 28. Expect more fellow passengers in the restaurant and around the pool.

The programme, in either direction

Mövenpick publishes two itineraries that cover the same temples in reverse order. Departures are advertised on Mondays from Luxor and Fridays from Aswan; confirm the season's dates when you book.

Luxor to Aswan, 4 nights.

• Day 1. Board in Luxor, lunch on board, then the East Bank: the Karnak temple complex and Luxor Temple.
• Day 2. The West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon, then sailing towards Esna past fields and palm groves.
• Day 3. The Temple of Horus at Edfu, then the double temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and to Haroeris, Horus the Elder.
• Day 4. In Aswan, the High Dam and the Temple of Isis at Philae, on Agilkia Island, reached by boat. A felucca ride (the Nile's traditional sailing boat) around the islands is offered as an option.
• Day 5. Disembark after breakfast.

Aswan to Luxor, 3 nights. The High Dam and Philae on the day you board, with an optional visit to a Nubian village; Kom Ombo and Edfu the next day, sailing downstream; Luxor's West Bank on day three; Karnak and Luxor Temple on the last morning, followed by a free airport transfer.

Our take: the Luxor–Aswan direction, one night longer, gives you half a day of sailing on deck and ends in Aswan, the starting point for Abu Simbel. The shorter Aswan–Luxor direction works best if you have already planned two or three nights in Luxor afterwards, because the West Bank deserves more than a single morning. Our Nile cruise page covers each stop, and our guide Choosing a Nile cruise compares the ships and the dahabiyas.

When you book, ask whether site entry tickets and the Egyptologist guide are included in the price; our Egypt site tickets guide lists the official fees.

Life on board

Boarding is at 12 noon and disembarkation at 8 am, local time. Between visits, days are spent on the sun deck around the rectangular pool, where the Sun Deck Bar serves drinks, cocktails and snacks with a view of the river. The launch announcement also described a heated whirlpool and an oriental-style seating area under a canopy.

One level down, the lounge bar has wide panoramic windows and a dance floor. The spa offers treatments and massages, alongside a gym and, according to the 2007 announcement, a sauna. Every afternoon brings Chocolate Hour, a Mövenpick ritual across its hotels, when passengers gather around a spread of chocolate treats.

Dining

The cruise is full board, with four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Lily, the restaurant on the ship's first level, serves international dishes alongside Egyptian cooking. Halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free meals are available; mention your needs when booking. Drinks, with or without alcohol, are served in the lounge bar and at the sun deck bar.

Which cabin to choose

The 56 cabins measure about 22 m², each with a Nile view and a bathroom with a bathtub. Superior and Deluxe cabins differ only in position: Deluxe cabins are on the fourth level, higher above the river and closer to the sun deck, and we suggest them if you want the clearest view from your window. The four Royal Suites, of about 42 m², have a king bed, a sofa bed and a Jacuzzi bathtub: the pick for more space, or for a child sharing with parents if the ship confirms it at booking.

When to go

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) climate normals for Luxor and Aswan, average highs stay between 23 and 30 °C from November to February, the best season for sightseeing, with cool evenings on deck. In March, April and October they climb to 30–36 °C; from May to September they pass 39 °C, and visits start at dawn.

Getting to the ship

In Luxor the ship moors on the Nile Corniche, opposite Luxor Temple, in the heart of the city. Luxor airport is about 20 minutes from the quay and Aswan airport about 30 minutes. The ship arranges private transfers and airport pick-ups on request, and taxis wait at the entrance. Parking is included for guests arriving by car. For entry requirements, see our Egypt visa guide.

How it compares within our selection

Among the ships in our selection between Luxor and Aswan, the Royal Lily is the only Mövenpick. The smaller Oberoi Zahra and Philae have larger cabins and suites with terraces; the Nour el Nil dahabiyas, sailing boats of about ten cabins, travel upriver under sail from Esna to Aswan in 5 nights. The Royal Lily is for travellers who want a full programme, a start or finish at either end of the week, and a ship in the centre of Luxor. Our Nile cruise theme page brings together the ships and the trip ideas that include the river.