The MS Tiyi Nile cruise is a name with very little behind it today. A tour page from 2009 describes a 59-cabin ship on a 4-night Luxor-to-Aswan itinerary, linked to its own website, and that website no longer exists. A ship called "Queen Tiyi" appears on a hotel-booking site as a 3-star cruise, which is probably the same name but cannot be confirmed. Nobody sells a Tiyi cruise on the main booking platforms. So this page answers three questions: what the Tiyi was, what you might be offered under its name, and what to book instead.
- Type
- Older cruise ship of uncertain status
- Cabins
- 59 (2009 source)
- Route
- Luxor ⇄ Aswan
- How it is sold
- Its own website no longer works; a 'Queen Tiyi' appears on a booking site
- Status
- Not confirmed as sailing
Our scores
- Status
- 1/5Not confirmed as sailing
- Transparency
- 1/5No website, owner or current specification
- Cabins
- 2/559 cabins in a 2009 description; nothing recent
- Itinerary
- 3/5Standard Luxor–Aswan loop, if sailing
- Booking ease
- 2/5Only an unconfirmed booking-site listing
Pros
- Standard Luxor–Aswan route, if it is sailing
- The "Queen Tiyi" listing gives the usual Friday/Monday days
Cons
- Status unknown; the ship's own website no longer works
- The only current listing rates it 3-star
- No owner, prices or cabin details published
- Easily confused with differently named ships
What is known about the MS Tiyi
Very little, and most of it is old:
- A 2009 tour page described "M/S T i Yi" as a 59-cabin ship on a 4-night Luxor-to-Aswan itinerary and linked to mstiyi.com. Even then, that website's schedule still showed 2006.
- mstiyi.com no longer works. The address does not resolve at all.
- A "Nile Cruise Queen Tiyi" is listed on a hotel-booking site as a 3-star cruise, leaving Aswan every Friday for 3 nights and Luxor every Monday for 4 nights. It is probably the same name; whether it is the same ship cannot be confirmed.
Nothing published gives the Tiyi's owner, build year, refurbishment, star rating or current photos. Do not trust an agency page that calls it "5-star deluxe" without evidence: on the Nile, most ships sold to foreigners call themselves five-star, the label covers a wide range, and there is no public ministry list of rated Nile ships.
Tiyi, Queen Tiyi, Tuya: which ship is which?
Several names sound alike, and agencies are not always careful with them:
- MS Tiyi / Ti Yi: the 59-cabin ship from the 2009 description.
- Queen Tiyi: the 3-star listing on a booking site, Friday from Aswan and Monday from Luxor. Possibly the same ship.
- MS Tuya: a different ship, sold by Classic Holidays in the UK.
- "Tia Nile Cruise": a different name again.
If an agency offers you a "Tiyi II" or "Tiyi 1", treat it the same way: ask for the ship's current photos, deck plan and sailing dates, and do not pay until the voucher names the ship.
If you are offered the Tiyi: the checklist
The Tiyi is a clear case of a wider problem on the Nile: cheap packages are often sold as "a 5-star ship or similar", and the ship is assigned close to departure. Before paying for any ship you cannot find much about, ask for the following in writing:
Before you pay for an unknown ship
- The ship's exact name on the confirmation, not "or similar".
- Recent photos of the cabin type you are booking, and the deck.
- The star rating on booking sites, not just the agency's own label. The "Queen Tiyi" shows 3-star.
- What is included: guide, entry fees, transfers, drinks. If entry fees are excluded, budget EGP 4,060 per foreign adult for the eight sites of a standard cruise.
- The itinerary day by day, including whether Karnak comes after check-out on a 3-night trip.
- The cancellation terms, and what happens if the ship is swapped.
Tips are extra on almost every ship. 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. At busy moorings ships often tie up side by side, so do not pay extra for a "Nile view" on a ship you know little about.
What to book instead
For the same route and similar money, a platform cruise with hundreds of reviews is the safer bet. None of them names the ship either (the operator assigns "a 5-star ship or similar"), but you can read what past guests say about the operator, and the cancellation terms are on the listing.
Our pick is the 4-day cruise from Aswan to Luxor with a guide: 3 nights from $450, rated 4.3 from 654 reviews. If you want Abu Simbel and a Luxor balloon flight in the package, the same kind of trip is sold on two platforms:
| Platform | Listing | Rating | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Abu Simbel and Balloon Flight · 3 nights | 4.5 (555) | $580 Lowest | See on GetYourGuide |
| Headout | From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise with Luxor Hot-Air Balloon Ride & Abu Simbel Visit · 3 nights | 2.0 (1) | $600 | See on Headout |
| Headout | 4-Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Abu Simbel and Luxor Hot Air Balloon · 3 nights | — | $700 | See on Headout |
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.
GetYourGuide is cheapest today, from $580 with 555 reviews (4.5); the Headout versions cost $600 and $700, and one has a single 2-star review. Ship, cabin and inclusions differ between listings.
GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan
From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Guide
4.3 (654)
from $450Check 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 Luxor
Luxor: 4 Days Nile Cruise with Guided Tours & Abu Simbel
4.6 (132)
from $690Check dates
GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan
From Aswan: 4-Day 3-Night Nile Cruise with Hot Air Balloon
4.6 (76)
from $686Check dates
Prices checked on 19 October 2026
If you want a named ship you can check, the Nile Shams is one of the cheapest named ships with published agency fares, and the Semiramis ships have published summer and winter agency fares. For the bigger picture, see best budget Nile cruises, the 4-day Nile cruise guide, Nile cruise prices and all ship reviews.
MS Tiyi Nile cruise: questions
Is the MS Tiyi Nile cruise still sailing?
It cannot be confirmed. Its website, mstiyi.com, no longer works, and the only current listing is a 3-star "Queen Tiyi" on a booking site, probably the same name. Ask any agency offering it for recent photos and sailing dates.
Is the Queen Tiyi the same ship as the MS Tiyi?
Probably the same name, but nothing confirms it is the same ship. The Queen Tiyi listing shows departures every Friday from Aswan (3 nights) and every Monday from Luxor (4 nights).
Is the MS Tiyi a 5-star ship?
There is no evidence that it is. The only current listing rates the Queen Tiyi 3-star, and Egypt publishes no official list of rated Nile ships.
Is the MS Tiyi the same as the MS Tuya?
No. The MS Tuya is a different ship, sold by Classic Holidays in the UK.
What should I book instead of the MS Tiyi?
A cruise with real reviews on the same route, such as the 3-night cruise from Aswan from $450 (4.3 from 654 reviews), or a named ship with published fares.