Sonesta runs five Nile cruise ships between Luxor and Aswan: the St. George, the Sun Goddess, the Star Goddess, the Nile Goddess and the Moon Goddess. The prices run from $599 to $1,159 per person for three nights, and the ship at the bottom of that range is not a lesser version of the one at the top. They are different boats built for different people. Here is what separates them, what each costs through us, and which one to ask for.
- Five ships, all five star, all on the classic Luxor to Aswan route with the same programme. Two are in our deluxe class, three in luxury.
- Nile Goddess is the cheapest at $599 for three nights and the only one with a lift. Moon Goddess has a private balcony on every cabin for $759.
- Star Goddess and Sun Goddess are all suites, every one with a terrace. Star Goddess is the better value of the two at $799.
- St. George is the largest and has a steam bath and jacuzzi in every bathroom.
- Four of the five leave Aswan on Fridays and Luxor on Mondays. Star Goddess leaves Aswan on Wednesdays and Luxor on Saturdays.
What every Sonesta Nile cruise ship has in common
The route, the temples and the guiding are the same on all five, and so is the basic shape of the day: full board on the ship, a pool on the sundeck, one main restaurant, a bar, and three nights downstream from Aswan, four nights upstream from Luxor, or the two joined into a week without changing ship. What changes is the room you sleep in, how many other people are on board, and how much of the ship is given over to space rather than cabins. The programme is written out on our three night and four night pages.
Nile Goddess
The best known of the five. Forty-seven deluxe cabins, every one with a panoramic window and a full size bathtub, two senator suites and four presidential suites with a private terrace. It has a lift between the decks, which matters more than it sounds if stairs are a problem for anyone in your party, because not every ship on the river has one. Pool on the sundeck, a dining room, a lounge and a sundeck bar. Fridays from Aswan, Mondays from Luxor.
Through us: three nights $599, four nights $699 per person, in our deluxe class. Nile Goddess page.
Moon Goddess
The balcony ship. All 49 cabins have sliding glass doors onto a private balcony over the river, and the four presidential suites add a private lounge. If you have pictured yourself with a coffee on your own balcony while the ship moves, this is the one, and it costs a good deal less than a suite. Pool on the sundeck, a spa for massages and treatments, and a gym. Fridays from Aswan, Mondays from Luxor.
Through us: three nights $759, four nights $949 per person, in our deluxe class. Moon Goddess page.
Star Goddess
All suites, 33 of them, each with a private terrace and each named after a composer: 27 Beethoven suites of 40 square metres, four Mozart suites of 35 and two Chopin suites of 52. Every bathroom has a full size bathtub, the water on board is filtered and softened, and the whole ship is non-smoking indoors. Pool and barbecue lounge on the sundeck, a spa with a gym, sauna and steam bath.
Two things make it the one we point people to most often in the luxury class. The first is the price: an all suite ship with a terrace on every room for $799 is a better deal than it looks next to the Sun Goddess. The second is the sailing day. Star Goddess leaves Aswan on Wednesdays and Luxor on Saturdays, the opposite half of the week from the rest of the Sonesta fleet, so when your flights do not fit a Friday or Monday departure it is usually the answer.
Through us: three nights $799, four nights $1,039 per person, in our luxury class. Star Goddess page.
St. George
The largest of the five: 47 deluxe cabins, nine presidential suites and one royal suite. What sets it apart is the bathrooms, every one of them fitted with a spa unit with a steam bath, a jacuzzi and water massage, which no other ship on this list has in a standard cabin. The panoramic french windows open, so you get the air off the river rather than sealed glass. Pool on the sundeck, a spa, a fitness centre and entertainment every evening. Fridays from Aswan, Mondays from Luxor.
With 57 rooms it is also the busiest of the five at the buffet and the gangway, which is the trade for the extra facilities.
Through us: three nights $959, four nights $1,199 per person, in our luxury class. St. George page.
Sun Goddess
The top of the fleet. Thirty suites across five decks and nothing else: 26 presidential suites of 40 square metres, two family suites of 60 with a bedroom, a sitting area and a connecting door, an executive suite of 60, and a royal suite of 60 with its own jacuzzi. Every suite has a private terrace with its own seating. On the sundeck there is a pool and an outdoor jacuzzi, and below it a gourmet restaurant, a bar and a sauna. Fridays from Aswan, Mondays from Luxor.
Thirty rooms means around sixty guests, which is the real luxury: a sundeck that never fills and a restaurant where everyone sits down at once. The family suites are the only rooms in the Sonesta fleet built for four with a door between the two halves.
Through us: three nights $1,159, four nights $1,479 per person, in our luxury class. Sun Goddess page.
How to choose between them
On a budget, or travelling with someone who cannot manage stairs: Nile Goddess. For a balcony without paying suite prices: Moon Goddess. For a suite with a terrace at the lowest price, or for a Wednesday or Saturday departure: Star Goddess. For the bathrooms and the biggest ship: St. George. For the quietest ship and the family suites: Sun Goddess.
Sonesta also runs two small sailing dahabiyas, the Amirat and the Amirat II, with seven and nine rooms. They are a different kind of trip altogether, and we have written up how a dahabiya compares with a cruise ship separately.
All five Sonesta ships sit inside the price ranges we publish for every ship we sell, so it is worth reading how much does a Nile cruise cost before you settle on one, and the rest of the deluxe and luxury ships are listed by class. We did the same comparison for the six Mövenpick ships.
Send us your dates and which of the five you are leaning towards, and we will confirm the cabin, the deck and the price before you commit to anything.
