A brand-new River Nile cruise with exclusive TUI charter flights to Luxor departing from Manchester and London Gatwick Airports has been announced by TUI River Cruises.
With this exciting expansion, the river cruise line will be able to offer seven-night, all-inclusive round-trip sailings from Luxor on a newly renovated, five-star ship that will be called TUI Al Horeya, which is Arabic for “freedom.” The TUI Al Horeya offers 74 cabins, including single, standard, and suites, and has room for 145 passengers.
There will be two weekly flights from Manchester and London Gatwick to Luxor, a city that offers a fascinating fusion of history, architecture, and culture. The new routes, which are only available from TUI, will operate weekly on a Thursday from 7 November 2024 to 24 April 2025. TUI will be the only tour operator to offer direct, non-stop flights from the UK to Luxor.
“TUI River Cruises is going from strength to strength, and we are so excited to introduce this latest offering on the Nile, which we are confident our customers will love,” said Chris Hackney, managing director of TUI River Cruises.
“Lush landscapes, traditional villages, and other famous sites like the Luxor and Edfu Temples make a cruise along the Nile a tranquil and unforgettable experience. Egypt is the ideal location for discovering ancient history and giving visitors the chance to fully immerse themselves in an opportunity of a lifetime because of its year-round sunshine.
Since it is the only TUI River Cruise ship that will remain in a single nation, the name TUI Al Horeya was chosen to ensure that we maintained a local connection to Egypt. The word “freedom” (TUI Al Horeya) comes from the Arabic language and represents the opportunity for exploration that travelling by river offers.
Throughout the trip, knowledgeable licenced Egyptologists will be available to answer any questions and improve the customer experience. The sleek, modern ship will have two whirlpools, a top-deck pool, a lounge bar, a restaurant with outdoor seating, a wellness centre and a boutique shop.
TUI Al Horeya will offer customers a wide range of excursions that have been carefully chosen by industry experts and are guaranteed to transport guests back in time to the era of pharaohs and dynasties, as will the rest of the fleet.
Two pre-planned excursions, to the Edfu Temple of Horus and the Kom Ombo Temple, are included in the cost of the sailing package. A wide selection of excursions will be available in Luxor and Awan for customers to choose from, ensuring that they have as much flexibility during their cruise as possible. Options consist of:
finding the Sphinx Avenue, a stunningly graceful piece of architecture on the banks of the Nile, and the Temples of Karnak and Luxor;
observing a sound and light show at the Karnak Temple that describes Thebes’ history and the pharaohs’ lives;
visiting the island-based Nubian village and taking a traditional felucca sailboat with canvas sails;
visiting the 1960-built Phllae Temple, Obellsk, and the High Dam
The newest ship in the TUI River Cruise fleet of three adult-only vessels is the TUI Al Horeya. The announcement of this new location is the result of a high level of consumer demand, with bookings up 40% from the previous year. All three European ships will put their festive sailings up for sale in Winter 2024 to meet demand. These sailings will include two new seven-night itineraries over New Year’s Eve: the ‘New Year Sail Away’ itinerary on TUI Isla, which spends New Year’s Eve in Cologne, and the ‘Sail into the New Year’ itinerary on TUI Maya, which celebrates the new year in Frankfurt. This is in addition to the current Skyla itinerary for “New Year on The Rhine.”
Source- Travel daily