The MS Amarco Nile cruise matters for one reason: its sellers market the Amarco I as wheelchair-friendly, with cabins and suites adapted for passengers with special needs. Very few Nile ships say that at all. Beyond that, it is a standard Luxor–Aswan ship with a pool, little published information and no public price, so treat the accessibility claim as the start of your questions, not the answer.
- Type
- Cruise ship marketed as wheelchair-friendly
- Pool
- Yes, large open-air pool
- Route
- Luxor ⇄ Aswan: 4 nights from Luxor, 3 nights from Aswan
- Embarks
- Luxor on Monday, Aswan on Friday
- How it is sold
- Egyptian agencies; owner not published
- Status
- One seller says October–April only; Amarco II status unknown
Our scores
- Accessibility
- 4/5Marketed with adapted cabins and suites; details to confirm
- Facilities
- 3/5Large open-air pool, Turkish bath, sauna
- Itinerary
- 3/5Standard Monday/Friday loop
- Season
- 2/5October–April only, per one seller
- Transparency
- 2/5Owner, cabin count and prices not published
- Booking ease
- 3/5Agencies only
Pros
- Sold as wheelchair-friendly, with adapted cabins and suites
- Large open-air pool, Turkish bath and sauna
- Monday/Friday departures, the same days as many other ships
Cons
- Accessibility is a seller's description: no official specification
- Winter only, according to one seller
- No published prices, owner or cabin count
- Amarco II has no current information at all
The ship: what "wheelchair-friendly" means here
Egyptian agencies, including Egypt Tours Plus and Bastet Travel, sell the MS Amarco I as wheelchair-friendly: accessible cabins and suites for passengers with special needs, a large open-air pool, a Turkish bath and a sauna. No cabin count, deck plan or build year is published.
"Wheelchair-friendly" can mean very different things on a river ship, and nothing official defines it here. Before you book, ask the agency for answers in writing:
- The cabin: door width, shower (level-access or a step?), grab rails, and which deck it is on.
- Between decks: is there a lift, and does it reach the dining room, the sun deck and the reception deck?
- Boarding: at busy moorings ships often tie up side by side, so reaching the quay can mean crossing other ships. Ask how boarding works in Luxor and Aswan.
- The excursions: the Edfu visit usually starts with a horse carriage from the quay, and Philae is reached by motorboat. Ask how the guide handles each stop and whether a private vehicle is possible.
Among the other ships we review, the Acamar advertises 4 special-needs cabins; if the Amarco's answers do not satisfy you, compare it.
MS Amarco itinerary and season
The Amarco I sails the standard loop: 4 nights from Luxor every Monday and 3 nights from Aswan every Friday. One seller, Bastet Travel, says it operates October to April only, so do not expect summer departures. It does not sail from Cairo: like almost every Nile cruise, the river part is Luxor–Aswan only, and "from Cairo" packages fly you south first (Nile cruise from Cairo).
No day-by-day is published for this ship. On the standard loop, the 4-night trip from Luxor covers Karnak and Luxor Temple, the West Bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo, the High Dam and Philae; the 3-night trip from Aswan covers the same sites in a tighter schedule. Our Luxor to Aswan and Aswan to Luxor guides show the typical timings.
Amarco II Nile cruise
An Amarco II appears in a traveller's account of a summer trip in 2015, with a pool on the top deck. Nothing more recent is published about it: no sailing dates, no seller and no confirmation that it still operates. If an agency offers you an "Amarco II" cruise, ask for current photos, the ship's sailing dates and written confirmation of the ship's name before you pay.
Prices and what to budget
No agency publishes a fare for the Amarco I. Ask for a quote that lists what is included: the guide, the entry fees, transfers and drinks. If entry fees are not included, budget EGP 4,060 per foreign adult for the eight sites of a standard cruise (half for students, free for children under 6). Tips come on top. There is no official rule; agencies suggest roughly US$5–10 per person per night for the crew and US$10–15 per person per day for the guide, and the ship usually announces its figure at the welcome briefing.
For a sense of the market: the cheapest 3-night cruise from Aswan on GetYourGuide is from $450, on "a 5-star ship or similar", and Headout has a 3-night listing from $325 that includes entry fees (but no reviews yet, and it excludes a tipping kitty of about US$45). Neither names a ship, and neither promises accessible cabins.
How to book, or what to book instead
The Amarco I is sold through Egyptian agencies, not on the platforms. Ask the agency to name the ship on your confirmation, describe the accessible cabin in writing, and confirm the season.
If accessibility is not the reason you are looking at this ship, a platform cruise on the same route is easier to book. The 4-night trip from Luxor is sold on two platforms:
| Platform | Listing | Rating | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headout | From Luxor: 5-Day Nile Cruise with Hot-Air Balloon Ride & Abu Simbel Visit · 4 nights | — | $590 Lowest | See on Headout |
| GetYourGuide | Luxor: 5 Days Nile Cruise with Guided Tours & Abu Simbel · 4 nights | 4.4 (69) | $840 | See on GetYourGuide |
Lowest price per person in US dollars, checked on 19 October 2026. Ship, cabin, departure day and what is included differ between listings: open each one before you pay.
Headout is cheaper today, from $590 with a balloon flight included, but has no reviews yet; GetYourGuide's version is from $840 with 69 reviews (4.4) and includes Abu Simbel without the balloon. Ship, cabin and inclusions differ, so read both listings.
GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan
From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Guide
4.3 (654)
from $450Check dates
Headout3 nightsFrom Aswan
4-Day 5-Star Nile Cruise with Egyptologist, Transfers and Entrance Fees
No reviews yet
from $325Check dates
GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan
From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Abu Simbel and Balloon Flight
4.5 (555)
from $580Check dates
GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan
From Aswan: 4-Day, 3-Night Nile Cruise with Hot Air Balloon
4.5 (168)
from $550Check dates
Prices checked on 19 October 2026
Alternatives to the Amarco
- Acamar: 4 special-needs cabins, Monday from Luxor and Friday from Aswan.
- Royal Esadora: a ship with a lift, also Monday from Luxor and Friday from Aswan.
- Best budget Nile cruises and the Nile cruise prices guide.
- All ship reviews.
MS Amarco Nile cruise: questions
Is the MS Amarco Nile cruise wheelchair accessible?
Its sellers market the Amarco I as wheelchair-friendly, with accessible cabins and suites. No official specification is published, so ask the agency for the cabin's details, lift access and how boarding works before you book.
When does the MS Amarco sail?
4 nights from Luxor every Monday and 3 nights from Aswan every Friday. One seller says it operates October to April only.
Is there an Amarco II Nile cruise?
An Amarco II appears in a traveller's account from 2015, but nothing current is published. Ask for recent photos and sailing dates if you are offered it.
Does the MS Amarco sail from Cairo?
No. It sails between Luxor and Aswan. Packages sold "from Cairo" fly you to Luxor or Aswan to join a ship.