Jaz Nile Cruises (2026): Fleet, Routes & How to Book

Quick answer: Jaz is the Nile cruise arm of JAZ Voyages / JAZ Hotel Group, part of Egypt's Travco Group, and it runs the largest fleet in our Nile directory. Twelve Jaz-branded ships sail the classic route, from the 80-cabin Crown Jubilee down to the 16-cabin Senator, plus three six-cabin Farouz El Nil dahabiyas. The same group also operates the Iberotel and Steigenberger Nile boats, so an enquiry can land on any of three brands. Advertised cabin rates start from roughly US$95 per night, with two of the ships sold only as seven-night all-inclusive packages from about US$1,880 per person.

If one operator dominates the Nile, it is this one. Jaz sails more hulls on the Luxor–Aswan reach than any other company, and because it runs several consumer brands side by side, a "Jaz" enquiry can end up on a Jaz, Iberotel or Steigenberger ship depending on dates and budget. That scale is the reason to consider them: when smaller fleets are full, Jaz usually has a cabin.

What Jaz is

Jaz Cruises, trading as JAZ Voyages under the JAZ Hotel Group, is the cruise division of Travco Group, one of the largest travel companies in Egypt. Unlike the boutique dahabiya operators, Jaz is a volume business running full-size five-star motor cruisers with 37 to 80 cabins each, on fixed weekly departures. Several of its ships are chartered out to European tour operators for whole seasons: Al Horeya currently sails for TUI River Cruises UK as TUI Al Horeya, and Bahareya as TUI Bahareya. That matters when you enquire, because a chartered ship may not be sellable on your dates.

The group's own site, jazcruises.com, lists the Jaz, Iberotel and Steigenberger Nile ships together, which is the clearest signal that they are one operation with three brand tiers rather than three companies.

The fleet

Twelve Jaz-branded ships and three Farouz El Nil dahabiyas, largest first:

*Royale and Senator are listed by the operator under the Steigenberger name as well as the Jaz one, so you may be quoted either. Ask which brand appears on the booking.

Read that price column carefully. The figures come from different agencies quoting on different bases, and they are not comparable like for like. Some are per cabin per night, some are per person for a whole three- or seven-night cruise. Every rate here is a price advertised by a third-party agency, not an offer from This is Egypt, and all of them move with season and occupancy. Treat them as an indication of where each ship sits, then ask for a quote on your dates.

The two 2022-built ships, Celebrity and Viceroy, are the newest hulls in the fleet. Senator at 16 cabins and the three six-cabin Farouz El Nil dahabiyas are the small-boat end, and are the ones worth asking about for a whole-boat charter.

The route

Every Jaz ship sails the standard Luxor–Aswan corridor, calling at Esna, Edfu for the Temple of Horus, and Kom Ombo, with Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings at the Luxor end and Philae Temple and the High Dam at Aswan. Two ships extend it: Nile Monarch adds Abu Simbel on the seven-night itinerary, and Viceroy offers optional Dendera and Abydos. Senator calls at Dendera on its seven-night sailing.

Standard lengths are three nights from Aswan, four nights from Luxor, and seven nights as a round trip from either end.

Prices and how to book

Jaz sits across the full range rather than at one price point. The advertised entry level is around US$95 per night on Crown Jubilee and Celebrity, while the small-ship Senator is advertised around US$1,050 per night, and the two TUI-chartered ships are sold as seven-night all-inclusive packages from roughly US$1,880 per person.

Because Jaz is a volume operator with fixed weekly departures, availability is usually better than the boutique fleets, and the practical questions are different. Ask which brand the ship you are quoted actually sails under, since Iberotel and Steigenberger hulls come from the same group and may be offered against a Jaz enquiry. Ask whether the ship is under charter for your dates. Confirm whether the quote is per cabin or per person, and for how many nights, because the published figures use both. And confirm what the fare includes, since the guided temple visits and entrance fees are often priced separately from the cabin.

How Jaz compares

Jaz competes on scale and availability rather than intimacy. Mövenpick and Sonesta run smaller five-star fleets with stronger hotel brands attached. Oberoi operates just two ships but at the top of the market. Sanctuary Retreats sits in the luxury small-ship space. At the other end, the Farouz El Nil dahabiyas within Jaz's own fleet, and specialist sailing operators like Nour El Nil, Lazuli and Merit, offer the quiet wind-powered alternative that no 80-cabin motor cruiser can match.

If you want a specific boat, a specific week and a five-star standard without paying flagship prices, Jaz is the fleet with the most ways to say yes.

Compare the boat types in dahabiya vs Nile cruise ship, see what a cruise actually costs in Nile cruise cost, and browse the Jaz ships and enquire on This is Egypt.