When Marriott dipped into cruising with its introduction of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection brand in 2022, it was the first hotel company to head to the ocean. Then came Four Seasons, Orient Express and Aman—all with plans to launch ocean yachts in the next two years. And now, as of May, Hilton Worldwide Holdings has decided to quietly join the fray with its flagship luxury brand Waldorf Astoria, which is set to introduce a Nile River cruiser in late 2026.
The Waldorf Astoria Nile River Experience will bear some of the hallmarks of the hotels that share its name: a Peacock Alley Bar, a monumental lobby clock and art deco design flourishes. (Yes, there will be plenty of Champagne, perhaps even enough to fill the Nile.) But Hilton’s head of luxury brands Dino Michael says the decision to expand into cruising has more to do with the company’s heritage than keeping up with the competition.
Hilton, after all, has a long history in Egypt, stretching from the 1958 opening of the Nile Hilton to the 589-room Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis, which opened in 2023, and the months-old Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi. It also operated two “floating hotels” there in the 1960s, long before the phrase was trendy. The Isis and Orisis, two 184-passenger vessels launched in 1965 and 1966, each sailed for about 25 years up and down the Nile.
Rediscovering that history in the lead-up to the Cairo hotel opening made executives feel nostalgic, Michael says. “The conversation led from one thing to another.” Before long, he says, the team had concluded, “you know, we should do it again.”
With that in mind, Michael says the Nile River Experience won’t be part of a broader entrance by Hilton into the luxury cruise market, but rather “a distinctive offering that reimagines Nile River cruising through the lens of the Waldorf Astoria brand.”
Egypt’s Tourism Moment
The Nile is a crowded market for luxury cruising, with a broad range of companies sailing along similar routes. But it’s also thriving: Viking will have 10 ships sailing the Nile by 2026, and this fall will see the debut of two butler-serviced dahabeyahs—wind-powered boats associated with Egyptian royalty—from lauded Indian hotelier Oberoi.
So is tourism in Egypt, generally. Despite the turmoil enveloping the broader Middle East, the country’s tourism ministry has seen record arrivals in the first months of 2025, with visitor numbers up almost 24% in April compared with the year before. That trend is expected to continue with the late 2025 opening of the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum and a newly unveiled, $30 million refurbishment to the tourism infrastructure around the famed pyramids of Giza.
To that booming backdrop, Hilton will add a five-deck vessel with a lavish rooftop deck and 29 river-view suites, each with personal concierges able to arrange “tailored programming” off the ship. “There was an existing vessel that was in need of a full renovation, which is great for us because you get to create from the ground up,” Michael says. He declines, however, to name the ship or the price of the project. The company’s local partner for the endeavor is Middle East for Nile Cruises and Hotels, owned by the Egyptian plastics manufacturer Al-Ahram Group, whose assets include a 21-year-old ship called The Nile Story.
The reimagined Hilton cruiser will sail a tried-and-true route. Departures will set sail from Luxor toward the Valley of the Kings and the intriguing market town of Aswan; other stops will include private docks at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, to see temples dedicated to the gods of crocodiles and falcons. Other experiences, such as helicopter rides and wellness-oriented excursions, are under discussion, though Michael says it’s too early to talk specifics; the goal, he says, is to avoid “touristy and overcrowded” spots and to seek “unique” opportunities to explore along the river.
Points Hounds Welcome
One distinguishing factor is that guests will be able to earn and burn Hilton Honors points on the Waldorf Astoria Nile River Experience’s cruises. While prices have yet to be decided, Michael says bookings are expected to open for sale around the second quarter of 2026, and trips will range from four to six nights. The only other Nile cruises that can be paid for with loyalty points are much longer itineraries—nine- to 13-day trips with AmaWaterways, Viking and Uniworld River Cruises—which are bookable via Marriott Bonvoy’s Cruise With Points program.
And while travelers can also book the Waldorf Astoria in Cairo on points to extend their trips on either end, Hilton doesn’t plan to replicate that strategy for now. Where other brands such as Orient Express and Four Seasons are deliberately planning diverse rail and sea itineraries that can easily get combined with stays at nearby hotels, Hilton plans for now to stick to the Nile.
“Right now, it’s just something we felt was unique,” Michael says. “Given the popularity of Nile cruising and the huge opportunity that exists at that premium level, we thought Waldorf Astoria was the right fit.”
A Nile cruise, Michael says, is “on a lot of bucket lists—and when done well, it’s extraordinary.”
By Fran Golden
