The Cleopatra accommodates up to six guests comfortably. We will be pleased to include a seventh family member on a complimentary basis in the limited available space.

Included:

• Meals as indicated, preset menu: BLD: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner.
• Shore excursions are included as indicated.
• Resident guide/Egyptologist onboard.
• One bottle of water per person per day.
• Tea or coffee with each meal
• Welcome fruit basket.
  
• Fuel, docking fees.
• The service of an English Speaking guide. Resident on board your yacht.
• Transfers as indicated.
• The service of a small tug boat with it's 2 crew member , that will always be on a standby sailing with us, in case of lack of wind to power our sail.
• One night hotel accommodation in Luxor at the Hilton, Meridien or , Steinberger Nile Palace, Sonesta , Sheraton, or similar , tax & continental breakfast included.
• One night hotel accommodation in Aswan at Movenpick Elephantine Island Hotel or similar , with tax and Continental breakfast.

Not included:

• Tips.
• Travel Insurance
• Any item of personal nature, i.e. laundry, phone calls. etc.
• Any item that's not specifically listed in the "inclusions"
• Any air fare

If you don't care to charter the boat yourselves, consider renting a stateroom on one of our weekly cruises .You'll share the Royal Cleopatra with only a few other adventurers. Itineraries are subject to change without notice.

What to Pack:
Most of the year look forward to warm, even hot weather in Luxor & Aswan, morning & evenings are cooler. For Shore excursions, we suggest comfortable cotton & natural fabric lightweight clothing. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.  Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing. Swimsuits, sun hat.
For men, suggest to bring a battery operated shaver.
Boat shoes are required on board the boat

Please note that sailing boats are subject to delay , if there is no wind, itinerary is subject to change , we keep the right to use car between sites while the boat caches sup with us , in case the winds slows us down. If for whatever reason there is extreme delay , due to weather or traffic on the Nile through the different locks and/or other factors, our obligation is limited to accommodating you on a 5 star deluxe Nile Cruise instead of the Royal Cleopatra sailing boat.

The Royal Cleopatra is a traditional wind-driven sailing craft
And is subject to the uncertainties of wind, weather and riverine traffic conditions on the Nile. We will do our best to follow published itineraries, but they must be considered tentative in all cases. We reserve the right to modify or cancel any sailing itinerary as conditions warrant. In case of insufficient wind, weather danger or difficult riverine traffic conditions on the Nile or through the Nile locks, or other cause of cancellation, we reserve the right to accommodate Royal Cleopatra passengers aboard a deluxe Nile cruise vessel, and / or to transport passengers between some sites by motor vehicle along the Nile, to be able to keep up with the itinerary , at our option.

With shallow drafts, sails, and oars, feluccas could navigate not only the great river, but the maze of canals threading through its banks, with or without wind, reaching every part of the kingdom.

Feluccas long ago transcended their role as humble transports. They held the ancient empire together, carrying troops, decrees, and the very mystery of the pharaoh.

Royal feluccas bore a larger-than-life image of the pharaoh, seated on a throne, to be seen and venerated by inhabitants even along the most remote canal. In turn, imbued with the same "ka," or spirit, as the living pharaoh himself, it would keep watch over his subjects and their activities.

So integral was the Nile felucca to the ancient Egyptian way of life that it assumed legendary attributes. Even today, you can see the oldest known Nile felucca, the regal Pharaonic dahabeah of Cheops, the ruler immortalized by the Great Pyramid at Giza. Known as the Solar Boat, it was believed to sail through the skies carrying its royal passenger along sunbeams in his single cabin, the royal suite of its day.

In later times, pashas, emirs, and sultans found that feluccas were indispensable. When Napoleon invaded Egypt, the Mameluke rulers observed the Battle of the Pyramids from their dahabeahs, and in the wake of defeat, set them afire, still laden with treasures, in the middle of the river. Always one to adapt to local practice, Napoleon even had his own dahabeah, the Italie, which was used by his officers to explore Upper Egypt.

In the nineteenth century, the well-equipped Nile felucca was essential to the upper-crust adventurer. Lord Kitshner used several feluccas for his famous trip from Cairo to Khartoum.

It took from two to three months to ascend the Nile under wind power, and another month-and-a-half to float back downstream, stopping at the great temples along the way. King Farouk, Churchill, Montgomery, Mark Twain and others settled in for the journey, and a certain Lady Edwards even had a piano installed on her sailing vessel.

Eventually, steamers displaced dahabeahs, opening up an Egyptian adventure to greater numbers on Thomas Cook's tours, and trains nearly finished them off. But never completely. Even today, despite the inroads of rail, steam power, and highways, the graceful Nile felucca retains its place.

Now, Travel in Style and Nubian Nile Cruises re-create the grand era of Nile adventure. Through their special contacts, they have arranged cruises on private Nile vessels. Completely refitted, our craft will delight the discriminating traveller, with full amenities, and modern conveniences and safety features unimaginable by upper-crust visitors of old or even the ancient pharaohs.

Our private Nile cruisers are at your disposal to accommodate couples, honeymooners, families, children enjoy most this barging cruise on the Nile, and small groups, affording the unique experience of navigating the ancient river on your own.

The M/S Cleopatra is a lateen-rigged Nile sailing vessel, 62 feet long by 24-1/2 feet wide, with sleeping accommodations for two to six people.

Spacious quarters include a main salon, bar, and sun deck. Each of two staterooms has private sink, shower, and toilet, and may be configured for your voyage with a queen bed, a queen and single, or up to three single beds.

A skilled river captain is on board at all times . A guide is at your disposal to plan your itinerary and escort you through the sites you choose to visit. The crew has completely separate quarters, to ensure your privacy.

Meals may be taken as you wish in your cabin, in the salon, or on deck while you watch the timeless way of life along the banks of the river, and villages twinkling at dusk. The temptation to spend at least one night gazing at stars and sleeping on deck may be irresistible. Enjoy luxury and unique adventure, made possible at a price delightfully within your reach through Travel in Style!

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The Royal Cleopatra is a traditional wind-driven sailing craft, and is subject to the uncertainties of wind, weather and riverine traffic conditions on the Nile. We will do our best to follow published itineraries, but they must be considered tentative in all cases. We reserve the right to modify or cancel any sailing itinerary as conditions warrant. In case of insufficient wind, weather danger or difficult riverine traffic conditions on the Nile or through the Nile locks, or other cause of cancellation, we reserve the right to accommodate Royal Cleopatra passengers aboard a deluxe Nile cruise vessel, and / or to transport passengers between some sites by motor vehicle along the Nile, to be able to keep up with the itinerary , at our option.

The Staff of Life: The Camel

You may know the camel as a gangling, ill-tempered beast of burden, but for generations of desert-dwellers, this magnificent brute has been far more than a curiosity. Camels are shelter: their skin is fashioned into the tents of Bedouins. They ward off the night chill, in blankets and clothing woven from their wool. Their milk nourishes the young, and their flesh, roasted over open fires at desert encampments, feeds the sojourner. They are sport and recreation. And yes, camels are company in the vastness, with personalities and quirks, requiring at once a firm hand and an understanding soul.

We'll be privileged to take a close-up look at man and camel as we journey from the banks of the Nile to the village of Draw. Here, traders from all over Nubia have brought their camels to market over the centuries. We might even witness the arrival of a caravan that has journeyed all the way from the Sudan. We'll get tips on what to look for when in the market for a camel, try our hand at evaluating the merchandise, and encounter a cast of characters, human and otherwise. And we'll get caught up in the haggling, gestures, sounds, aromas, and excitement of the camel fair, as we come to understand just how unimaginable would be the Nubian way of life without these magnificent, lumbering quadrupeds. It's an insider's look at desert life afforded rarely to visitors. Don't miss it!

What other guests say about Royal Cleopatra ?

Jan 2005 :

Wallace Party - On the Royal Cleopatra - Private cruising on the Nile :

Hi,

I've been meaning to email you since we arrived home - the trip was Great!!! All the crew was helpful and friendly - they had their work cut out for them helping us with the old ladies, but they were fabulous with them .

everyone had a fantastic time-the accomodations were lovely and the food delicious. Id certainly recommend it to others!!

Finally, Ahmed, our tour guide was the best - again, friendly, knowedgeable, and easy to be with for 5 days - as much as we loved our guide in Cairo, we were sad to leave Ahmed!!

Thanks for everything

Jen

Royal Cleopatra is a modified felucca type vessel, officially called a sandal , is modestly furnished and crewed by it's own private staff of 5 members: Captain, Sailor, Chef, Housekeeper, and Resident Tour Guide. There are exactly two cabins on-board the vessel, each with its own bathroom.

Normally, we have the resident tour guide stay on-board with our guests, in the rear guide's cabin. However, and upon your request , for added privacy while you are on board , we would ask the resident tour guide to meet you at all sight seeing excursions along the way.

In addition, the craft is powered by sails only. We have a private tug boat (Called Garrar - In Arabic!) that would accompany you along the way, in-case of wind loss.


Although a very ancient way of traveling the Nile (ie. Felucca Style) - Felucca, Sandal, and Dahabia Private Charter has become a growing trend for vacationing in Egypt. Especially for those repeat customers, that want a new experience (rather than a typical Nile Cruise).

Egypt spring 2005

Hi,

Kim asked that I tell you about our experience on the Royal Cleopatra. It was one of the highlights of our trip and many one of the highlights of our numerous trips.

As we glided on the river, we were passed by maybe 100 cruise boats and all we could think was - weren't we smart to go on the Royal Clepatra.

It was not too large or too small.
Not too large- the cruise boats go up and down the river very quickly - usually in tandam with other boats. So they reach Kom Ombo with 10 other boats each holding 100 people - do the math. We usually managed to get to the sites when others were not there and had a leisurely- very leisurely chance to study the area. Also being a small boat, we were able to dock at places that the cruise boats could not. In addition, the cruise boats tie up 3 or 4 in a line when docked. Your view outside your cabin is probably of another cabin.
Not too small - we also saw some really small sailing boats on the river - they were all groups of 10 or more. There was no space to move around on the boat. It was more like a camping adventure. I like camping but not in such crowded quarters.
Just right. The R.C. is big enough for two couples or more (There were three beds in our room and there are two rooms for guests) - we were the only passengers. I am enclosing my trip log for the days on the R. C. so I will only add that it was not luxurious but comfortable. We had plenty of time to sit and read. Lots of fun excursions and the 5 days ended way too quickly. If you go - don't expect an Onasis fancy boat. It is a real boat. We sailed whenever possible - which was most of the time. The electricity is run by a generator. The generator is a bit noisy so its only on when necessary. The staff was wonderful. The food was excellent (except we could have used fresh bread midway through - we suggested to Kim to have the crew pick up bread along the way). Plenty of hot water but the water only runs with the generator on. You can ask the crew to turn on the generator whenever you need it to flush the toilet or shower. No booze aboard or buyable on the way - so bring your own if you want it.

We let Kim arrange our entire trip in Egypt. She even made my Cairo Tel Aviv airline reservations. Everything ran extremely smoothly.

Any questions, please ask.

Nili .....

Ivan & Larisa - Cleopatra
virtualchick@icqmail.com

<< Visit 21-9-2002 - 26-9-2002

We arrived at Luxor Airport one hour early and called our contact person in Cairo (Mr./Sherif). He was really great and arranged transportation for us. The driver and representative in Luxor (Gamal) was very friendly and helpful. He explained many things to us as we went to the hotel.
We were very pleased with the hotel as well. The organization of all the excursions in Luxor was excellent,we felt quite special being driven around with our own air-condition van. The van driver was also very nice and friendly.
We practically enjoyed the flexibility of the whole thing since it was a private tour and we had our own guide everything could start or finish when wanted so we had plenty of time to relaxes well as the opportunity to adopt the tour to our own interests.
The Tour guide (Ahmed) was superb, He was always ready to help, his stories were very interesting, He was willing to answer any questions we had. He gave us advise on all sorts of things from archeology to local customs,We would definitely recommend him to anyone visiting Egypt,with his masters degree in Egyptology and his friendly attitude he is certainly the best friend one can hope for in Egypt.
"Royal Cleopatra" Felucca was defiantly one of the best experiences in our life. It is something not to be missed in exploring the wonders of Egypt, The accommodation and facilities are very comfortable and clean.The staff is very polite , friendly and helpful, They made us feel truly at home.Due to their efforts our stay on board was enjoyable and relaxing.
The cook was exceptional master,we actually found ourselves counting hours between meals. The food aboard was much better than the food we ate in Hilton Luxor, Egyptian cuisine is exquisite :):)!!
All in all,this trip was a trip to remember and hopefully repeat in the future.>>

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The Staff of Life: The Camel

The Staff of Life: The Camel