The Boat

The River Tosca is a riverboat cruise that takes visitors on a round trip from Luxor to Aswan and back to Luxor. The River Tosca has five decks, where all 41 cabins onboard were located from decks two to four. Boasting an all-suite cruise, there are essentially only two types of suite rooms onboard the MS River Tosca: the Grand Suite and the Royal Suite. The Royal Suite is a true suite with a separate living and sleeping area. The other 39 cabins onboard the MS River Tosca are the Grand Suite, essentially a Junior Suite. The MS River Tosca is one of the better and more luxurious riverboats that operates along the Nile River. The boat exudes an old-school 19th-century charm in its decor, where most of the public area of the boat is decked in dark brown wood finishes.

The Cairo Deck Suite

Our 31m² Grand Suite is situated on the Cairo Deck, the second and lowest deck with guest accommodations. There are only four suites on this deck, situated on the forward part of the boat.

Entryway

The entryway of the Grand Suite onboard MS River Tosca did not have any furnishings, and we could see the entirety of the Grand Suite from this part of the room. My first impression of the Grand Suite onboard was that it looked old school due to the colour choice of the wallpaper and the carpet. The grey background wallpaper with patches of maroon, brown print, and white laces looked like something from the 80s. The brown and red carpet in the suite gave it a desert vibe, seemingly reminding guests that Egypt is covered mostly by the Sahara desert. The entryway is home to the wardrobe in the Suite and the entrance to the bathroom.

The wardrobe fitted in the Grand Suite onboard MS River Tosca has three sections. The section nearest the door is where we found additional pillows and a minifridge fully stocked with drinks complementary to guests onboard. The second panel of the large wardrobe is where we hang our clothing. The hanging space behind the second panel gave us ample space to hang our seven days’ clothing. I liked how the riverboat was generous in providing us with many hangers in the wardrobe. The third section of the wardrobe features shelving space with three large drawers occupying the lower part, while the open shelf takes the top part of this section. I also like the generous amount of space in this part of the wardrobe, allowing us to stow our smaller clothing items and stuff we bought out of sight. We found an in-room safe in this part of the wardrobe. The three-panel sliding doors on the wardrobe are fitted with mirrors, making the entryway look larger. Opposite the wardrobe is the bathroom.

Bathroom

I like the design of the bathroom. Decked in white and light brown tiles, the bathroom looked clean and bright, which is also contributed by the mirrors used throughout the bathroom. The bathroom has a fairly large countertop space at the sink area, where we had plentiful store space for our toiletries. The drawers at the sink area further enhance the storage situation. Opposite the sink is a walk-in shower fitted with regular and rain shower heads. The space in the walk-in shower is also generous, and I did not have to engage in elbow wars while showering. The toilet and a European bidet are tucked into the bathroom wall furthest from the entrance. The MS River Tosca even fitted a sizable bathtub in the bathroom, perfect for a bath to soak away the weariness we accumulated from exploring Upper Egypt.

Sleeping Area

The sleeping area occupies most of the space in the Grand Suite. Next to the wardrobe is a vanity table that doubles as a work desk. The desk is large enough to serve both functions, and its three drawers provide additional space to stow away smaller items. We primarily used the power outlets fitted on the wall at the work desk to set up our “charging station,” where we charged our power banks and lifestyle devices.

A couple of armchairs and a small table are tucked in one corner of the cabin, next to the floor-to-ceiling window panels. The thick cushion-padded armchairs are a great spot to relax, and the chairs are placed next to the window, which makes it a perfect spot to look out into the Nile as MS River Tosca makes its way along the river. The small table between the two armchairs is occupied by an electric kettle and coffee and tea items. We did not use the coffee and tea in the suite throughout our seven-day sailing onboard, as there was a pantry just outside our cabin. Nonetheless, it was thoughtful of the boat to provide such convenience to their guests by including a small coffee/tea station here.

On the other side of the sleeping area sits the bedding area, which looks elegant. The brown high cushioned headboard matching the bed runners gave this part of the suite a very cosy feel. Rather than calling the bed a king bed, it is merely two super single-sized beds being pushed together to form a king bed. This bedding arrangement is very common in the cruise industry, where some cruise liners do a better job concealing the gaps of the single bed. However, on the MS River Tosca, there is no intention to conceal that the bed comprises two single beds. They even furnished the beds with individual blankets tucked into the space between them. The bed’s sleeping quality was excellent, leaving us feeling refreshed every morning and after every nap. At the end of the bed are a couple of individual benches, which we use to place our luggage. The top of these benches are padded with thick cushions, making them a great space to sit on while watching the TV mounted on the wall opposite. The TV placement is perfect for us to watch while lazing on the bed. However, the entertainment options on the TV are very limited, with only four channels: two Egyptian channels and one English channel. The fourth channel merely loops some PowerPoint slides over and over again. We were limited to the English channel, BBC, as we did not understand Arabic. Standing guard on both sides of the bed are two bedside tables. Decked in light brown, the two-tiered drawer bedside tables are quite large, giving us additional storage space and allowing us to place our lifestyle devices on them. The only design flaw with the bedside tables is the lack of power outlets, preventing us from charging our mobile phones.

French Balcony

The Grand Suite onboard MS River Tosca did not have a balcony per se. Rather, the suite is fitted with a French Balcony in which the centre floor-to-ceiling glass panel can be slid to let a fresh Nile breeze into the suite. There are bars fitted to prevent guests from falling overboard.

Service

Service was top-notch onboard the MS River Tosca. Every staff member we met was welcoming and always had a smile on their face. Every time we return from sightseeing, the staff will be at the door welcoming guests with refreshing drinks. The staff greeted us every moment we bumped into them on the boat. Telab was our cabin attendant who always kept our cabin clean and tidy twice daily. When we saw him along the corridor, he checked if we needed to top up supplies. He would always leave a small souvenir with the next day’s programme sheet on our bed every evening during turndown service.

The staff at the dining hall were amazing. They would remember our preference for seating and always brought us to our preferred table. They always found a good alternative when our preferred table was unavailable. The staff remembered that we liked spicy food and would always bring us a bottle of hot sauce without asking for it. There was an occasion when the dining hall staff told the head chef onboard our preference for spicy food and gave us a small bowl of spicy sauce the head chef prepared. The head chef is an elderly gentleman who was active in the dining hall during meal time, introducing the dishes to guests. He was very personable and took care of us very well. He would always recommend the speciality of the day for us to try. We had a great time onboard MS River Tosca, mostly due to the personable staff onboard who would always lean in to help without fail.

Meals

Meals are served in the main dining room on the boat’s Nile Deck (Deck 1), just one deck below the reception onboard MS River Tosca. We were told that the cruise company has a farm in Luxor, where most of the produce used to prepare the meals came from. Every meal served was Western cuisine, except for a few days when we saw some Egyptian food on the menu. Most lunches were buffet-style, usually with two meat and two vegetarian options. There is a good selection of salad and starters, and we were spoilt for choice for desserts. Dinner is served in a restaurant-style, where we are given a menu with appetisers, mains, and desserts. The restaurant staff was happy to take our orders and customise the options. Drinks and wines are included in the meals onboard. The food prepared onboard was delicious and of high quality; we enjoyed every meal and looked forward to the next meal. The menu changes daily, and we were well fed by the Chef team onboard the MS River Tosca.

Around the Boat

Sundeck & Pool

MS River Tosca dedicated the entire Sun Deck (Deck 4), the highest deck onboard, to the sundeck and swimming pool. The sundeck consists of two distinct areas: the pool deck and the alfresco area. The forward part of the boat is dedicated to the pool deck, where a small pool is fitted to the front of the sundeck onboard MS River Tosca. The pool is too small for anyone to swim in, which I thought served more as a dipping pool to cool guests off during the summer months. There are numerous sun chairs and loungers behind the pool for guests to relax while we sail on the Nile. The sundeck is a great place to watch sunrise and sunset. We enjoyed the tranquillity of the Nile on the sundeck loungers.

The back half of the sundeck is an alfresco area furnished with dining tables and chairs to cater to different group sizes. Guests using the alfresco area are shaded by a large tentage, which I found perfect for relaxing and enjoying the Nile breeze. A bar counter at the back of the boat serves drinks and cocktails. Daily afternoon tea onboard is also served at this part of the sundeck. Activities such as yoga, Zumba and cooking classes are also conducted in the alfresco area of the sundeck.

Gym

A small gym on MS River Tosca is located on the Pyramid Deck (Deck 4). The minimalist gym has only cardio machines: two stationary bikes and a treadmill. We also found two vibrating workout machines onboard.

Lounge

The lounge is located opposite the main reception onboard MS River Tosca. Decked in dark brown wooden finishes, the lounge exudes a sense of calmness and elegance. There is a bar at the lounge where guests can order drinks, wines and cocktails from (extra charges). A daily speciality cocktail is on top of the boat’s list of cocktails. The lounge is another venue for us to hang out when we are not in our cabin or the sundeck, as it is usually quiet. The couches and dining chairs are furnished mainly on the parameters of the lounge, leaving the centre part of the lounge empty. We had our welcome cocktails in the lounge the first time we boarded, and the boat organised nightly talks from the Egyptologists for guests to understand more about the history of Egypt. Then, there were nights when we saw performances of traditional Egyptian dances here in the lounge.

Library

The library onboard MS River Tosca is inside the lounge on the main reception deck. The library is an enclosed area where we see books (not sure if they are for display purposes), a chess set, a backgammon board and a shisha inside. I am pretty sure the shisha is for display purposes. I thought the library was a great place to hang out watching life on the River Nile flow by at the water level and in an enclosed space. It is furnished with a large couch and some chairs that look out into the Nile River through the floor-to-ceiling glass window. We saw that the library was mostly empty during sailing onboard the MS River Tosca.

Overall

The MS River Tosca was an excellent boat to sail along the River Nile. Despite being a tad old and signs of ageing, the elegant boat is very well maintained. The Grand Suite was spacious, and the sleep quality on the bed was excellent. The only letdown is the limited entertainment options on the TV. The food onboard was amazing and of high quality. The staff we met onboard were personable and welcoming. They are the stars that made our sailing onboard the MS River Tosca memorable.