Occasions
Birthdays, anniversaries and milestone trips on the Nile
A Nile trip makes a milestone easy to mark: everyone unpacks once, the days are shared, and the crew can put on a cake, a special dinner or music on the night. For a couple, book a suite on a small ship or dahabiya. For a family or a group of friends, take a whole dahabiya. For three generations, choose a boat with a lift.
For two
An anniversary
Treat it as a second honeymoon: a suite with a terrace on the Oberoi Zahra, a balcony suite on Sonesta Star Goddess, or the stern suite on a small dahabiya such as Loulia or The Orient. Ask for a private dinner on deck on the night itself. More ideas in a honeymoon on the Nile.
The big ones
A milestone birthday
For a 40th, 50th or 60th with friends, a whole dahabiya is hard to beat: six to ten cabins, one long table, and an island dinner the crew can turn into the party. Guests on boats such as Akhnaton talk about island barbecues with music, and Lazuli Albatros has a sun-deck bar and a billiard table. Tell us the date of the birthday, and we will look for a departure that puts that night on board.
Three generations
A family gathering across generations
The hard part of a family trip is the range of ages. A boat with a lift helps grandparents: Historia has a lift, wheelchairs and an accessible suite, and Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya II is a dahabiya with a lift to every level. For children, a pool or a big deck matters more: Iris has a heated pool, and Sonesta Sun Goddess has two family suites of 60 m².
See Nile cruising with limited mobility and which boat fits your group.
Checklist
What to ask the boat to arrange
- A cake, and on which night: give the date and the name to go on it.
- A private or special dinner, on deck or, from a dahabiya, ashore.
- Music or a Nubian band on the night; many boats already have a music evening.
- Flowers or decorations in the cabin.
- A departure that puts the birthday or anniversary night on board, not on a transfer day.
Prices
What it costs
Per person, Nile cruise ships run about US$120 to US$1,500 a night and dahabiyas about US$140 to US$1,500. Celebration extras are priced by the boat. For a whole boat, see what a whole boat costs and chartering a dahabiya.
Asked often
Celebrations on the Nile, answered
- Can a Nile cruise arrange a birthday cake?
- Usually, yes. Tell us the date and the name when you book, and the boat can prepare a cake and often a special dinner or music for the night.
- What is the best Nile boat for a family celebration?
- A whole dahabiya for a family of up to twelve or twenty, such as Lazuli Albatros or Lazuli Karnak. With grandparents who find stairs hard, Historia or Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya II, both with a lift.
- Is a Nile cruise good for an anniversary?
- Yes. Book a suite with a terrace or balcony on a small ship such as the Oberoi Zahra or Sonesta Star Goddess, or the stern suite on a small dahabiya, and ask for a private dinner on deck on the night.
