- Dining room with single open seating. Enjoy fine cuisine in your ship's non-smoking dining room.
- Bar and lounge. Relax with friends old and new.
- Sun deck. Enjoy the views—as well as the pool—as your ship glides down the legendary Nile.
- Library. Spend quiet time reading, writing, or playing cards.
- Onboard shop. Browse for jewelry and souvenirs while you sail.
- Laundry service.
- International telephone and fax service.
- Shipboard entertainment. Unwind with music and folklore shows after a day of discovery.
- 1.6:1 ratio of passenger to ship staff.
- All shipboard announcements made in English.
Please note: The m/s Nile
Stephanie is not equipped with wheelchair access or elevators. Also, in
ports other than Luxor and Aswan, ships may dock side-by-side,
obstructing views and requiring you to pass through other ships to
embark and disembark.
Welcome Aboard
The glories of the Nile unfold before you as you sail aboard the M/S Nile Stephanie, built in 2005 and exclusively chartered by Vantage Deluxe World Travel. As you delve into the ancient mysteries of the Nile Valley, you’ll enjoy a relaxing shipboard experience and the best in modern shipboard services. Your ship carries just 132 passengers, ensuring an atmosphere that is conducive to camaraderie. The M/S Nile Stephanie‘s smaller size also brings an ease of maneuverability that’s so important when entering small river ports. Aboard this intimate vessel, you’ll cruise in comfort under the care of an attentive, English-speaking staff and amidst a host of amenities. And because your ship is exclusively chartered, you’ll be sharing this unique travel experience with only like-minded Vantage travellers.
The ship has four decks, plus, for your viewing pleasure, there is a spacious Sun Deck with beverage service. There is an onboard jewelry shop (which also sells basic toiletries), and ship souvenirs are available for purchase at the reception desk. The M/S Nile Stephanie also features an onboard water purification system, although it is still better to drink only bottled water. All shipboard announcements are made in English. Dining Information
You’ll enjoy fine cuisine and excellent views in your ship’s dining room. The professional chefs will create unique menus for you that feature regional specialties. A selection of fine wines and beer is available for purchase. Passengers may also bring a bottle of their own favorite wine to dinner to enjoy at their table. Should you care to avail yourself of this service, there will be a corkage fee of approximately $5.00 per bottle, charged to your passenger account.
Beverage Service
Please note that if you bring your own alcohol aboard, it can only be consumed in the dining room as described above, or in your cabin. Consumption of alcohol purchased outside the ship is not permitted in the lounge or public areas. We also offer complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day.
Dining Times
Dining times for all meals may vary depending on the day’s sightseeing and sailing schedule, but in general, meal times are as follows:
Early riser breakfast: 6:30-7:30 am
Breakfast: 7:30-9:00 am
Lunch: 1:00-2:30 pm
Dinner: 7:00-9:00 pm
Special Diets & Celebrations
Special diets, such as low-cholesterol or vegetarian, can be accommodated, as well as the recognition of an anniversary or birthday. Please call Vantage to submit your request no later than 45 days prior to departure. Religious dietary regimens, such as kosher or halal meals, cannot be prepared aboard ship.
Open Seating
Open-table, single-seating for all meals: Each meal is open seating — reservations of any kind are not accepted. Dinner has only one designated time for its open seating, announced each day aboard ship.
Dining Room Attire
The dining-room dress code is casual, though most travelers dress nicely for the Captain’s Welcome Reception and Farewell Dinner. Lounge Bar
The bar is open daily from 10 am - 1 am serving soft drinks, beer, wine, and liquors for sale. Prices are in U.S. dollars.
Drinking Water
To help avoid stomach upsets, drink only bottled water in Egypt. The ships feature an onboard water purification system but it is still better to drink only bottled water, which is available aboard ship.
Non-smoking policy
The entire dining room is non-smoking at all times.
Money Matters While On Board
Exchange Services
The M/S Nile Stephanie cannot exchange currency or cash traveler’s checks onboard. Twice during your cruise, a bank representative will be available to exchange traveler’s checks for Egyptian pounds. Otherwise, these services are available during banking hours ashore. Passengers who wish to exchange traveler’s checks must also present the original receipt from the initial purchase of the checks. This is a new law in Egypt; otherwise banks cannot exchange the checks. Two Separate Bills Will Be Issued
Shipboard account—payable by credit card or cash. One bill is issued by the ship, for drinks, items purchased from the onboard shop, and laundry. This shipboard account is in U.S. dollars and can be paid on the last day of the cruise with local currency, U.S. dollars, or an American Express, MasterCard, or Visa credit card. Personal checks and the Discover credit card are not accepted aboard ship. Shipboard tips cannot be charged to a credit card. Optional Tours—The bill for optional tours that you purchase is separate and payable only by credit card.
Shipboard Gratuities
The suggested tipping guideline for ship staff is about $5 - $7 per person, per day, which will be pooled among all cruise staff. You can give this tip in one lump sum at the end of your cruise. Shipboard tips cannot be charged to a credit card.
A Word About Cabin Size
While our ships feature larger-than-usual riverboat cabins, please keep in mind that these ships are river vessels, not large ocean cruise ships. Riverboat cabins, in comparison, are relatively small, and ship amenities, in general, are comfortable but not lavish.
Suite Upgrades
The M/S Nile Stephanie offers upgraded suite cabins. These larger cabins (20 feet x 19 feet, totaling 380 square feet) are located toward the front of the vessel and offer views of the Nile and surroundings through both front and side windows. Provided with the upgrade are a number of additional amenities including one double bed, a separate private sitting area, upgraded shower facilities, an individual CD and DVD player, and daily deluxe continental breakfast.
Activities on Board
During your cruise you'll enjoy exclusive Cultural Connections events, such as folklore and local music entertainment, organized discussions, and talks on upcoming ports of call.
Shore Excursions
Included on your Nile cruise are several sightseeing tours. Other optional tours are available for purchase. Your Program Manager will provide information on these optional excursions on your arrival. Please note that optional tours can only be purchased with a credit card.
Electric Current
If you bring any small American appliances, you will need a transformer and a set of standard international plug adapters to operate them aboard ship. Since transformers tend to burn out, we suggest you take only dual voltage appliances that work on both 110 and 220/240 voltage, along with your set of adapter plugs. Transformer/adapter kits can usually be found at your local hardware store. Another option is to use battery-charged appliances—then you don’t need a plug adapter or transformer, just an ample supply of batteries.
Embarkation / Disembarkation
On the day you board ship, your cabin will be available at around 1 pm. The restaurant will open at 12:30 pm and serve a light lunch. On the day of disembarkation, your cabin will no longer be available after breakfast. You may sit in the ship’s lounge or on the Sun Deck until disembarkation.
Note on ship dockings during your cruise: River waterways are simply not large enough to support huge landing docks such as those built on ocean shorelines for large cruise ships. It is a common practice, therefore, for river ships to dock alongside each other at some piers—particularly in ports where the landing area for boats may be restricted. Although we arrange the most convenient mooring available in each port of call, boats may occasionally dock side by side, obstructing views and requiring you to pass through other ships to embark and disembark.
Facilities for Your Relaxation
These include a sun deck with outdoor pool, entertainment nightly by a pianist, and a library and card room.
No Elevators
There are no elevators onboard the M/S Nile Stephanie. Therefore, wheelchairs cannot be accommodated.
Keeping in Touch
For your convenience, the ship offers international service for both telephoning and faxing, for a fee.
Laundry Service
Laundry service is available for a fee. Please note that neither self-service laundry facilities nor dry cleaning services are available.
Linen Service
There will be one change of bed linens during your cruise. Towels are changed daily.
Medical Care
Your ship adheres to stringent safety standards. In addition to an emergency call button in all cabins, your ship also features fully-staffed reception desks, 24 hours a day.
Smoking On Board
Smoking is only permitted outside on the Sun Deck. Smoking is not allowed anywhere else on the ships. All cabins are non-smoking.
Esna Lock Closures
Please note that Esna locks are closed for regular maintenance June 1-30 and December 1-16. This affects the November 26, 2006 departure date. On this date, you’ll travel by motor coach for your included sightseeing between Esna and Luxor.
Shipboard Security
We've taken the necessary precautions to ensure your well-being and safety during your entire vacation, including the time you spend onboard Vantage's exclusively chartered Egyptian river ship.
- Registered in Egypt and sail under the Egyptian flag.
- English-speaking crew dedicated to your care and safety.
- Smoking/non-smoking. All cabins are non-smoking. Smoking is only permitted outside on the Sun Deck.
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