S.S. Sphinx
Fodor’s Expert Review
Ship Overview
Lux...Abu Simbel
Some river cruise ships feature décor that, while luxurious and cosseting, offers little or no connection to the destination being visited. Others, like Uniworld’s S.S. Sphinx, fully immerse guests in the design and culture of a place—in this case, the Nile River in Egypt.Read More
Regionally-inspired interior design, some of it opulent bordering on over-the-top, is a hallmark of Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, which operates more than a dozen company-owned ships on the rivers of Europe, Asia, and India. That’s also true of S.S. Sphinx, which is not owned by Uniworld but rather by its local Egyptian partner, and the ship’s lavish Egyptian-sourced furnishings, fabrics and artwork succeed in creating an unmistakable sense of place that adds a delightful layer of authenticity to what is truly a bucket-list experience. The welcoming all-Egyptian crew helps, too.
S.S. Sphinx, which has five decks and accommodates 84 guests, debuted in 2021 and sails the Nile River from Luxor year-round (except for June, July, and August). There’s one itinerary, the 12-day “Splendors of Egypt & the Nile,” which includes a seven-night cruise and four nights (two pre-cruise and two post-cruise) at a five-star hotel in Cairo. Note: Its sister ship, River Tosca, sails the same itinerary in tandem, but lacks lavish Egyptian décor, so guests looking to feel immersed should opt for S.S. Sphinx.
Guests on all Uniworld Nile River cruises are accompanied by two expert Egyptologists who greet them in Cairo, fly with them to Luxor, serve as guides on daily excursions, and offer professional and personal insights into both ancient and modern Egypt. The ambience on board is relaxed, with S.S. Sphinx’s crew going all out to celebrate their country’s music, dance and cuisine on Egyptian Night, when guests are invited to don a colorful galabeya (a traditional caftan-like garment for both men and women) and learn local dance moves after enjoying a regional buffet dinner.
There’s something quite genuine and warm about cruising the Nile aboard S.S. Sphinx, which serves as a welcome antidote to the early mornings and active daily schedule required to experience the incredible temples, tombs, and pyramids created by ancient Egyptians several thousand years ago.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
What to expect on board
Staterooms & Cabins
S.S. Sphinx has 42 staterooms and suites in four categories. All are spacious and feature similar Egyptian-crafted décor: vivid blue geometric-patterned wall coverings and carpets, carved blonde wood panels on the ceiling, inlaid side tables, and ornate brass lamps and mirrors. Beds, backed by a tufted headboard, can be configured as a king or two twins and there is ample storage space. Bathrooms are equally lavish, although visually busy, with both walls and floors fully covered in patterned tiles in tones of beige, blue, and brown. Each bathroom has a roomy shower (suites have both a shower and a bathtub) and a marble-topped single or double sink. All accommodations also have a minibar and a flat-screen TV.
The smallest option on S.S. Sphinx is the French balcony stateroom. There are 16, located mostly on the level-two deck, Dendera, which is also home to the reception area. They measure 233 square feet, which is spacious for an opening-category cabin on a river ship.
The ship also features four deluxe French balcony staterooms. Located on both the level-three Abu Simbel and level-four Karnak decks, they measure a roomier 301 square feet and feature two French-balconied sliding windows and a larger bathroom. Sometime in 2025, Uniworld plans to replace the bathtub/shower combo in these staterooms with a large walk-in shower.
Most numerous are the 18 grand suites, which are also located on the Abu Simbel and Karnak decks. Measuring 430 square feet, they feature a sofa, coffee table, two spacious closets, and a large bathroom with double sinks, walk-in shower, and separate soaking tub.
The ship’s top accommodation is the 592-square-foot Royal Suite. There are four of them, located forward on both the Abu Simbel and Karnak decks. They feature a spacious bedroom area, separate sitting area with river views. and a similar bathroom to the Grand Suites.
An elevator offers access to all interior public areas of the ship on four decks (Luxor, Dendera, Abu Simbel and Karnak), but the Sun Deck is only accessible via stairs. There are no staterooms or suites equipped with special features for guests who require the use of wheelchairs. In addition, docking along the Nile often requires that guests use stairs to get up to and down from street level. Most temples and the Valley of the Kings also require that guests be able to navigate stairs and/or ramps, as well as uneven surfaces, so good mobility is required to appreciate many ancient wonders on a Nile cruise.
Food & Drink
S.S. Sphinx features a main Restaurant, where most meals are served. It is located on the lowest deck, Luxor, and is among the most opulent spaces on the ship, with Egyptian handcrafted details that include carved and inlaid wood panels on the walls and windows in contrasting dark and blonde wood, polished brass pendant lights and wall sconces, and comfortably upholstered high-back wooden chairs, again with superb inlay detail.
The cuisine on board is a masterful mix of familiar international culinary favorites—drawing mainly from French, Italian, and American menus—and not-so-familiar Egyptian dishes that may easily become new favorites.
Breakfast is served buffet style, with eggs and omelets cooked to order at a central station and a wide array of fresh fruits, breads and pastries, cheeses, smoked fish, sausages, waffles, pancakes, and hot and cold cereals available for guests to choose from.
Lunch is where the S.S. Sphinx culinary team truly shines. This meal is also served buffet-style and offers something for everyone. There’s a cold salad bar heaped with enticing vegetable combinations, expertly dressed and tossed to enhance their flavors, as well as an assortment of breads and cheeses. The soup of the day—mushroom, yellow lentil, pumpkin, carrot ginger, and others—is a guest favorite, so much so that it’s possible to make a complete meal of the salads, breads, and soup. For those craving more, there’s always a pasta of the day and servings of meat, chicken, or fish cooked fresh on a center grill and accompanied by side dishes such as saffron rice, roasted potatoes, and steamed vegetables. Desserts? There’s typically a half dozen options, including familiar western-style cakes, pies and cookies along with creamy Egyptian pastries and honey-infused sweets such as mango kunafa.
Dinner is served a la carte with international favorites such as grilled salmon, surf ‘n turf, roasted duck, and lamb chops sharing the menu with local dishes such as aubergine farcie (stuffed eggplant), kobeba (pita, meat balls, and yogurt with mint) and boreak (puffed pastry with herbed cheese and yogurt dip). Every dinner menu also features multiple selections that are vegetarian and wellness-focused, while the desserts, which range from date tarts and apple crumbles to baklava and nutty chocolate confections, are a tempting finale. The wines and beers served are all produced in Egypt, and wine varietals include Chardonnay, Viogner, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Two of the seven dinners on board are buffets—Egyptian night when dishes such as baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant), dolma (stuffed vegetables), kofta (minced lamb) and kunafa (wheat pastries) are the stars, and Arabian Night, when the flavors of the entire Middle East region are celebrated.
The ship also features a small Bistro at the back end of the Lounge, which can be used as a private dining venue for small groups or a special occasion. There are also tables, a serving station, and a small bar on the Sun Deck, where an al fresco lunch is served once per cruise and sail-away hors d’oeuvres and beverages are offered on several afternoons.
Typical of most river ships, S.S. Sphinx features one main bar called the Lounge. While it does serve as the ship’s evening social hub, it’s furnished in a way that doesn’t invite cozy daytime relaxation. The bench-like sofas, arranged facing one another, feature impressive carved wood details and upholstery in a vibrant floral pattern, but they’re not exactly a place to curl up with a good book (that would be the shaded loungers on the Sun Deck) as is the case on European river ships.
What can you expect beverage wise? A selection of high-quality Egyptian wines and beers flow freely during the nightly happy hour, as does the cocktail of the day (such as The Pharaoh, comprised of rum, mango juice, orange juice, and cinnamon), but unlike on most Uniworld river ships, there aren’t unlimited premium spirts and wines on S.S. Sphinx due to local Egyptian customs and regulations. If guests want to enjoy a mixed drink that isn’t the cocktail of the day, they can order one, but the selection is limited and certain premium spirits are not available.
Entertainment
While entertainment isn’t scheduled for each night of the cruise, what does take place in the Lounge on several occasions is highly enjoyable—and interactive. After dinner on Egyptian Night, guests and crew gather in their festive galabeyas (traditional long garments for sale for about $20 in the gift shop) for dancing to Egyptian music, which gradually turns into line dancing, disco and other popular genres.
On the first night in Aswan, guests also enjoy a performance by Nubian singers and dancers (Nubians are indigenous to southern Egypt and Sudan.) Before the Arabian buffet, a folkloric show in the Lounge features traditional song and dance along with a head-spinning performance by a glittering whirling dervish. Both shows are highly interactive, with guests encouraged to participate.
Guests should also be sure not to miss the airing on all stateroom TVs of the original 1978 “Death on the Nile” movie. Based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, it’s a murder mystery that takes place on a Nile steamship in the 1930s. Fans of documentaries can also catch several about how the massive temples of Abu Simbel and Philae were moved in the 1960s ahead of the Aswan High Dam’s creation of Lake Nasser, which would have flooded them.
Spa & Fitness
S.S. Sphinx features a small gym on the level-three Abu Simbel deck with a limited amount of fitness equipment. The Sun Deck also features a walking track for exercise with a view. Guests can also book a variety of head, hand, foot, shoulder, and full-body aromatherapy and sports massages at the Serenity River Spa, overseen by the ship’s wellbeing coach and professional massage therapist.
Key cruising tips
Health & Safety
Cruise lines no longer enforce most COVID-19 protocols and Uniworld does not require guests to be vaccinated—unless a specific country requires it. Guests must attend a brief introduction and safety demonstration by the ship’s hotel manager in the Lounge, which details lifejacket and evacuation procedures. There is no doctor onboard, but the staff can get medicines from a local pharmacy or arrange for medical care, if required, in the ports visited (at the guest’s expense).
It’s important to note that the tap water on board S.S. Sphinx (or any Egyptian river ship or hotel, for that matter) is not potable because it is Nile River water that has been filtered. Egyptians are used to it, but all guests are supplied with bottled mineral water for drinking and brushing teeth. All ice is made with bottled water and all produce is rinsed with it. Guests should take care to drink only bottled water and avoid ice when off the ship to circumvent digestive illness known as “mummy tummy.”
Dress Code
Uniworld’s dress code in Egypt is a bit more casual than on its European river cruises, given the nature of active excursions and the region’s hot weather. Pack sturdy walking shoes, sneakers. or sport sandals along with sleeved shirts in lightweight fabrics such as linen and cotton;(shoulders and legs should be covered when visiting mosques and dressing modestly in general when touring is a sign of respect. Other musts: lightweight pants, shorts and skirts, sweaters or shawls for evenings in the cooler months (November to March), sun hats, and sunscreen. Dinner attire is smart casual, which means a collared shirt and trousers for men and a blouse and pants or skirt or a dress for women. Wearing a jacket and tie is not required on any occasion.
Junior Cruisers
Uniworld suggests that river cruising is not well-suited to children, and while it does allow kids age four and older to cruise, there are no special arrangements and kid-friendly activities on board S.S. Sphinx. Any guest under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (age 21 or older) who is staying in the same stateroom.
Service
With the ship’s passenger to guest ratio of 1.4 (the 84 guest ship is staffed by a 60-person crew), anyone cruising on board S.S. Sphinx will find that service by the all-Egyptian crew is both efficient and friendly. A room attendant will make sure that your stateroom or suite is clean and tidy, waiters in the Restaurant will help explain local dishes, and members of the bar team will remember your preferred happy hour beverage. S.S. Sphinx’s hotel director and restaurant manager are on hand to greet guests and make arrangements for anyone requiring a special diet. And the ship’s expert Egyptologists provide insight into the ports visited and often add personal anecdotes based on their archeological experience at ancient tombs and temples.
Tipping
Crew gratuities (for stateroom attendants, butlers, restaurant and bar personnel, and guides) are included in all Uniworld cruise fares.