Acamar Nile cruise: the Monday ship with special-needs cabins

Acamar is a mainstream five-star-label ship on the busiest weekly rhythm on the river, worth a look mainly if someone in your party needs an adapted cabin. Its fares are upper-mid, its award claims are the seller's own, and its published details are thin — so confirm the cabin and the access around the ship before you pay.

The ship: cabins and suites

Sellers describe Acamar in a "classic European" style. The fullest cabin list, from agency listings, gives 54:

Other sellers say 53 or 49 rooms, so ask which layout applies today. One source reports a total renovation in 2018; nobody publishes a build year or the owner. The seller's copy says the ship won "Best Boat on the Nile" in 2004 and a "Golden Crystal Award" in 2005 — these are the seller's claims, not something we could check.

Most ships sold to foreigners call themselves five-star; the label covers a wide range, and no public ministry list of rated Nile ships exists. At busy moorings ships often tie up side by side, so your window may face the next ship — don't pay extra for a "Nile view".

Acamar for guests with reduced mobility

Four special-needs cabins are rare on the Nile, and they are larger than the standard cabins. But a cabin is only half the question on a river ship. Before booking, ask the agency in writing:

• whether the ship has a lift, and which decks it serves;
• whether the restaurant, lounge and sun deck can be reached without steps;
• how you board when the ship is moored outside other ships at a busy quay;
• what the bathroom in the special-needs cabin is fitted with.

On shore, the temples involve uneven ground, steps and sand. Ask whether the guide can adapt the visits. Also compare Amarco, which is marketed as wheelchair-friendly — ask the same questions there.

Acamar Nile cruise itinerary

Acamar sails the classic route in both directions, joined into a 7-night round trip:

• 4 nights Luxor → Aswan, every Monday: Karnak and Luxor Temple, the West Bank (Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple), the Esna lock, Edfu, Kom Ombo and, at Aswan, the High Dam and Philae.
• 3 nights Aswan → Luxor, every Friday: the same core temples downstream, with Kom Ombo and Edfu in one day.

The seller does not publish an hour-by-hour timetable; the standard days are in our guides to the Luxor to Aswan cruise and the Aswan to Luxor cruise. Monday and Friday are the river's most common embarkation days, which makes Acamar easy to fit around flights, or around the sleeper train from Giza that reaches Luxor at 06:10 and Aswan at 09:25 — in time for a noon embarkation.

Acamar does not sail from Cairo. If you are starting there, see the Nile cruise from Cairo.

Acamar Nile cruise price

One Egyptian agency publishes Acamar's fares in US dollars per person for the whole cruise, including full board, excursions, entry fees, an English-speaking guide, East Bank transfers and taxes; drinks, tips and optional tours are extra, and Christmas, New Year and Easter are priced separately:

Triple-share fares are slightly lower. One detail tells you how these ships are sold: the same agency shows exactly the same double fares for Tulip. That is a price tier, not a ship-specific rate — so the ship you end up on at this price is partly the agency's choice. Get Acamar named on your confirmation.

The platforms sell the same 3-night route on unnamed ships for less: the 4-day cruise from Aswan with Abu Simbel and a balloon flight starts from $580 on GetYourGuide. Here it is across platforms:

Ship, cabin, inclusions and dates may differ. Platform listings say "5-star ship or similar": ask the operator for the ship's name, your cabin deck and the list of entry fees included before you pay. If an adapted cabin is the reason you want Acamar, book it by name through an agency — a platform cannot promise one.

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan

From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Abu Simbel and Balloon Flight

4.5 (555)

from $580Check dates

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan

From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Guide

4.3 (654)

from $450Check dates

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan

Aswan: 4-Day Private Nile Cruise to Luxor with Balloon Ride

4.2 (261)

from $643Check dates

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan

From Aswan: 4-Day, 3-Night Nile Cruise with Hot Air Balloon

4.5 (168)

from $550Check dates

⛵ Cairo

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Cairo

From Cairo: 4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Balloon Flight

4.5 (157)

from $1,300Check dates

⛵ Luxor

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Luxor

Luxor: 4 Days Nile Cruise with Guided Tours & Abu Simbel

4.6 (132)

from $690Check dates

Prices checked on 19 October 2026

Tips are extra. There is no official rule; agencies suggest roughly US$5–10 per person per night for the crew plus US$10–15 per person per day for your guide, and the ship usually announces its suggested figure at the welcome briefing. Expect a compulsory New Year's Eve gala supplement on many ships if you sail over New Year.

What travellers should check

We have not gathered guest reviews for Acamar. When you read reviews elsewhere, check the date and the cabin type the reviewer had; an old review tells you little about the ship today. Before you pay:

How to book Acamar

Acamar has no official website, and the owner is not published. It is sold by Egyptian agencies and by UK agents such as Corinthian Travel. No booking platform sells it by name.

Alternatives to Acamar

• Same fares, same days: Tulip, with 40 Juliet-balcony cabins and two singles with no supplement.
• Same days, more balconies: Sonesta Moon Goddess, where 49 of 53 rooms have a private balcony.
• Accessibility marketing: Amarco, sold as wheelchair-friendly, October–April.
• Cheaper on Monday/Friday: Nile Shams, from $406 for 3 nights in summer.

All reviewed ships are on our Nile cruise ships page, and the best Nile cruises guide ranks them by what matters.

Acamar Nile cruise questions