We're choosing between Abercrombie&Kent's Sun Boat IV or the Oberoi Philae. Does anyone have a view as to which one is superior in terms of food, guiding, comfort, activities, etc.? Thanks.

when we cruised the nile we went on a sonesta boat,great crew but the boat was tired looking. we saw the a&k boat and the oberoi philae. from what we saw and heard the oberoi is probably the nicest on the nile.

I think you are going to have a difficult time finding anyone who has been on more than one Nile cruise. We were on Oberoi 3 years ago. We were on a tour, so guiding was not relevant. Food was very good (not great), no activities - most of day was spent on land touring and these often involved very early AM rising to avoid heat and crowds. Any time on boat was ahppily spent on top deck watching the shores pass by. Evenings usually spent with coffee or a drink chatting with other passengers from everywhere. Cabins were large, service fine. Best was refrigerated towels provided upon reboarding after a hot and dusty land trip.

Gail is absolutely correct - it's unlikely that anyone has been on more than one of these boats.

clr - are you planning on doing a tour that includes a cruise, or just arranging a cruise alone? From checking my records when we were arranging our trip, booking direct with Oberoi or Sonesta or Movenpick, the price was more expensive than with a tour.

Being on an overall Egypt tour doesn't necessarily mean with a group. It can be done independently, yet when on the cruise boat they usually take a group of maybe 10 or 15 (sometimes 20) to sites with a guide. Otherwise, your time in Cairo/Giza, Abu Simbel, Luxor & Aswan can be done on your own, preferrably with a guide & driver.

Also, I don't believe you can book the A&K Sun Boat IV without a complete package and A&K is rather expensive. You might want to check with some tour companies (many have been listed on this board, that a search for Egypt or Nile Cruise boats will bring up some companies) and check which trip/tour you can pick-up that uses the Oberoi Philae. I would also inquire as to when any of these boats were last refurbished. There are also a number of new boats on the Nile and some might actually be nicer - so inquire about all these options.

clr
I have been in the Nile cruises three times, in the past fithteen years, last time was during 2002.
I find that quality of ships is related with price and quality of food has a price component and a luck one. I mean you are more or less lucky depending on cooks and if the way they cook meets your taste. Service is normally very good in all or must of the ships.
One thing I do recommend is to try to look for medium to smaller ships rather than going for the bigger ones even if you have to sacrifice some more services than the larger ones will offer.
It is better to visit sites in smaller groups than in very large ones and your day life on board will be more comfortable.

Oberoi Philae for old world charm.
Amarco 1 is a new luxurious ship
Sonesta Moon Goddess is newer (2000 or later) than the older ships that Sonesta has. Plus each room has a balcony on the Moon Goddess