tl;dr – Another luxury brand, another cruise.
Mandarin Oriental recently announced a new luxury river experience – the Mandarin Oriental, Nile Cruise – joining many other luxury hotels that offer river or ocean cruises. “Mandarin Oriental, Nile Cruise will introduce the Group’s signature hospitality to the storied waters of the Nile. Offering three, four, and seven-night itineraries between Luxor and Aswan, the vessel is currently in design development and will blend a romantic feel with a contemporary finish.”
As far as amenities, “the cruise will feature generously sized suites, three distinctive dining venues, and a dedicated wellness space, complemented by curated cultural programming that will form a pillar of the experience. Expert-led talks, immersive excursions, and a guided journey from end to end will bring depth and continuity to each voyage.”
Honestly, this sounds exactly like the Waldorf Astoria offering announced a while back, so I would not be surprised (at all) to learn that Mandarin Oriental and Hilton are using the same outsourced operator for these river journeys.
Mandarin Oriental Bangkok also seems to offer a “River of Kings” water journey, and I have suspicions that it’s operated by the same entity that hosts Anantara’s Chao Phraya river cruises.
