Sonesta Star Goddess Nile cruise and the Nile Goddess: two different ships

The Sonesta Star Goddess Nile cruise is the small, all-suite option in Sonesta's fleet: 33 suites, every one with its own terrace, on a ship that carries far fewer guests than the standard 5-star boats. Its other selling point is the calendar. It leaves Luxor on Saturday and Aswan on Wednesday, so it works when your dates do not fit the Monday/Friday loop of Sonesta's other ships. The Sonesta Nile Goddess, which shares half the name, is a different and older ship, covered further down this page.

Which Sonesta Goddess is which

Sonesta's Nile fleet has five cruise ships and two dahabiyas (traditional sailing boats). The names are close enough to cause booking mistakes, so check the exact ship on your confirmation.

The Sun Goddess is, like the Star Goddess, an all-suite ship, so neither is "the only all-suite ship on the Nile". A reseller lists the Amirat dahabiya with 5 cabins and 2 terrace suites on 7-night Luxor–Aswan trips from Saturday, at US$3,350 per person sharing; ask Sonesta or an agent for current dates. For sailing boats in general, see our dahabiya guide.

The Star Goddess: 33 suites with terraces

Every one of the 33 suites has a private terrace, and the suites are named after composers: 27 Beethoven suites of 40 m², 4 Mozart suites of 35 m² and 2 Chopin suites of 52 m². For comparison, standard cabins on ships such as the Semiramis III (19 m²) or the Mayfair (20 m²) are about half that size.

On board: a sun-deck bar with a barbecue, a spa with gym and massage, and a lounge with a dance floor and nightly entertainment. Room service runs until midnight. When fewer than 20 guests are aboard, an à la carte lunch replaces the buffet.

Sonesta's Star Goddess page does not mention a pool. Most Nile ships have one on the sun deck, so if a swim matters to you, ask before you book rather than assume. Sonesta does not publish a build year either.

As with any ship, at busy moorings you may tie up side by side with others, and the terrace may face the next ship's hull until you sail.

Sonesta Star Goddess itinerary: Saturday from Luxor, Wednesday from Aswan

The Star Goddess leaves Luxor every Saturday for 4 nights to Aswan and Aswan every Wednesday for 3 nights to Luxor, and the two legs join into a 7-night round trip. Sonesta lists these departures every week of the year.

Sonesta publishes a detailed day-by-day only for the St George, so ask for the Star Goddess timetable when you book. The sites on the standard Luxor–Aswan run are the same on any ship: Karnak and Luxor Temple, the West Bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and the High Dam. The 4-night trip from Luxor is the less rushed of the two, and on the 3-night from Aswan, check whether Karnak happens after check-out on the last morning, as it does on the St George. Our Luxor to Aswan cruise guide explains both directions.

The Sonesta Nile Goddess: Sonesta's first Nile ship

The Sonesta Nile Goddess is a separate ship: Sonesta's first on the Nile, launched in 1989 according to Cruise Critic. It has 53 rooms (47 Deluxe, 2 Senator Suites and 4 Presidential Suites) and sails the same Monday/Friday loop as the St George and the Moon Goddess.

On board are an outdoor pool with a bar, a spa with gym, massage, sauna and Jacuzzi, a lift and a small conference room. Sonesta's own pages contradict each other on two points, so check both before you book:

• Balconies: one Sonesta page says only the Presidential Suites have a private terrace; another says the cabins have sliding doors to balconies.
• Wi-Fi: described both as complimentary and as charged.

If a balcony is the deciding factor on Monday/Friday dates, the Moon Goddess is the safer choice: Sonesta lists a private balcony for 49 of its 53 rooms.

Prices: what a direct booking includes

All Sonesta ships are sold like hotel rooms on sonesta.com/nilecruises: you search dates and pay for the cabin with full board. Sonesta's sail-dates pages state that sightseeing activities are not included in the rates. Add a guide and entry fees: EGP 4,060 per foreign adult for the eight sites of a standard cruise, before Abu Simbel (EGP 822). For tips 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. Drinks are extra.

The child policy is the same across the fleet: one child under 6 sharing the parents' room sails free, one child aged 6 to 11 pays half, and from 12 the full rate applies.

No platform sells the Star Goddess or the Nile Goddess by name. The closest thing you can book on the platforms is a 3-night cruise from Aswan on "a 5-star ship or similar", assigned by the operator. A similar package is sold on two platforms:

GetYourGuide is the cheapest today, from $580 with 555 reviews (4.5); the Headout versions cost $600 and $700, one with a single 2-star review. Ship, cabin, inclusions and dates can differ, so ask for the ship's name, deck and the entry-fee list before you pay.

⛵ 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

⛵ Luxor

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Luxor

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

4.6 (132)

from $690Check dates

⛵ Luxor

GetYourGuide4 nightsFrom Luxor

Luxor: 5 Days Nile Cruise with Guided Tours & Abu Simbel

4.4 (69)

from $840Check dates

Prices checked on 19 October 2026

How to book the Star Goddess

Book direct on sonesta.com for the suite and meals, or ask a tour operator or agency for a package that names the Star Goddess on the confirmation. Either way, get in writing: the suite type (Beethoven, Mozart or Chopin), whether a guide and entry fees are included, whether there is a pool, and whether Karnak falls after check-out on the 3-night trip.

Alternatives on Saturday and Wednesday

If the Star Goddess is full, other ships run the same Saturday-from-Luxor, Wednesday-from-Aswan pattern:

• Nebu: a luxury motor ship with 40 suites, including 4 solo cabins; an agency sells 3 nights from $1,408 (May–August) or $1,760 (September–April).
• Steigenberger Regency and JAZ Elite Viceroy, the latter heavy on suites.
• Esplanade, with published rates that include entry fees.
• Concerto, whose name covers three different ships: check which one.

For more choices, see the luxury Nile cruise guide and all ship reviews.

Sonesta Star Goddess and Nile Goddess: questions