Viking MS Antares

The 2007-built MS Mayfair cruise ship is a large Nile River cruiser/hotelship with spacious staterooms, beautifully designed and stylish interiors and superior hotel services.

The vessel is owned by Viking Holdings and is operated by the subsidiary Viking River Cruises. The vessel was chartered by Viking in 2018-2019 (when it was fully refurbished) and acquired in 2020 from AMARCO Group.

Viking Cruises Egypt fleet also includes the Viking-owned Nile cruisers Ra (2018/reconstructed) and the newbuild sisterships Aton (2023), Hathor (2024), the 2025-built Sobek, Amun and Thoth, and the 2026-built Sekhmet and Ptah.

Like most large Nile-deployed riverboats, MS Antares was constructed by Maasara Shipyard (Cairo) owned by The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co).

The boat's namesake is the cruiseferry GNV Antares (1987-built Ro-Pax ship).

Decks and Cabins

MS Antares has just 31 staterooms, of which 3 are Suites and the remaining 28 are French Balcony cabins.

Standard complimentary cabin amenities include hotel-style double bed (optional twin-beds), luxury bedding sets (Egyptian cotton linens, pillows), an en-suite bathroom (whirlpool bathtub, jet shower, toilet, single-sink vanity, hairdryer, premium toiletries (by Freyja), plush bathrobes and slippers/provided complimentary upon request.), 55-inch LCDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system with on-demand movies and Internet), international direct-dial phone, electronic safe box (in the closet), mini-fridge (bottled replenished daily), wardrobe (drawers, wooden hangers), free Wi-Fi, wireless Internet access, 220V power outlets, individual air-conditioning.

Bonus perks for Explorer Suite's guests include a Welcome Aboard bottle of sparkling wine, mini-bar (fully stocked with wine, beer and soft drinks replenished daily), daily fruit plate, wool blankets, coffee machine (with premium brand coffee and tea selections), room service (only for breakfast), complimentary laundry and shoeshine, private land transfers in the visited destinations (arrival/departure), complimentary Viking Air Plus (VIP services, private airport transfers/only for residents of the USA and Canada)

The housekeeping service is provided twice daily by dedicated cabin stewards.

The largest accommodation is the 3-Room Explorer Suite (830 ft2 / 77 m2) while both 2-Room Veranda Suites are sized 590 ft2 / 55 m2. The Suites are positioned forward and are bow-facing - the Explorer Suite is on deck 4-Upper, while the French Balcony Suites are on deck 3-Middle.

French Balcony Staterooms are in 2 categories - Category D (French Balcony) and Categories A-B-C (Deluxe French Balcony). Standard French Balconies are smaller (sized 290 ft2 / 27 m2) and Deluxe French Balconies are larger (sized 430 ft2 / 40 m2).

Only category AA-Veranda Suites have step-out balconies accessed from the bedroom. From the living room is accessed the French balcony.

All staterooms have sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening to a French Balcony/balconette (false balcony with a railing).

Adjoining cabins (with interconnecting doors) are available only on deck 3-Middle and include four pairs - 2x Veranda Suites (connecting to an adjacent French Balcony Stateroom) and 2x Connecting Deluxe French Balconies.

Standard occupancy is 2 passengers per room. The large riverboat carries only 62 passengers who are served by 75 staff/crew, providing an impressive guest-to-crew ratio.

The boat has 5 decks, of which 3 are with cabins.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

MS Antares offers its guest stylishly furnished facilities like a wellness complex/Spa (massage room, steam room, sauna), Gym (modern exercise equipment) and Beauty Salon (deck 4), Boutique Shop and Library Lounge/Internet Center (deck 3), Bar Lounge and Lobby Hall (deck 2), Restaurant and Galley/Kitchen (deck 1).

One elevator/passenger lift connects all decks but the Sundeck (accessible only via outdoor stairs from Upper Deck). All decks are interconnected via a grand staircase positioned forward-starboard.

The Sun Deck is a large outdoor space featuring top-deck unobstructed views, a large swimming pool (forward), a sunbathing area (with plush sun loungers and low tables), a shaded seating area (midship-aft Lounge & Bar) furnished with high chairs and 4-seat tables.

The ship has no self-service laundromats but laundry/dry cleaning services are provided. 24-hour room service is also not available.

Viking Nile River cruise itineraries in Egypt

Previously, Viking Cruises Egypt operated Nile River and Lake Nasser cruisetour itineraries with chartered ships. Since 2020, the fleet consists of Viking-owned ships navigating the Nile portion only (roundtrip from Luxor) with fly-cruise packages inclusive of two domestic flights (Cairo-Luxor-Cairo).

Viking's Nile River cruisetour is themed "Pharaohs and Pyramids".

The 12-day itinerary incorporates 7-day cruising on Nile River and starts with a 3-night hotel stay in Cairo and tours to iconic attractions like Grand Egyptian Museum, Great Pyramids of Giza, Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Cruise tourists then fly to Luxor to visit Karnak and the Temples of Luxor before boarding the Viking cruise ship for a 7-night Nile cruise to Aswan and back. The next table shows the 7-day roundtrip itinerary as a ports sequence.

Tours include a private visit to Nefertari's tomb (Valley of the Queens) and excursions to Khnum Temple (Esna) and Dendera Temple complex (Qena). A visit to a Nubian village is also included.

Most Nile River cruise boats (from a total of ~200 vessels) are marketed as 5-star - but most of them are definitely not premium. The onboard food is buffet-style and far away from gourmet. The major advantage of the Egyptian river cruises are that they are way cheaper in comparison to the European inland cruises. Viking's Nile tours surely bring the luxurious style (generally associated with the Viking brand) to Egypt, along with higher cruise fares.

Viking Antares ship cruise deals are inclusive of:

• 11 Egypt excursions (led by a local professional guide) with headsets for guests being provided
• Complimentary onboard Internet and beverages (beers, wines, soft beverages) during lunches and dinners)
• All Government taxes and fees in ports of call
• Domestic flights (in Egypt) between Cairo and Luxor; and between Aswan and Cairo
• Airport transfers (on embarkation and disembarkation dates) - only if flights are purchased through Viking Cruises' "Viking Air" flight program.

Viking's Nile cruisetour features:

• 7-night Nile River cruising portion
• 12-day itinerary visiting 1 country, 6 ports, 1 city (by land, 3-night hotel stay (Nile Ritz-Carlton Cairo, 1-night hotel stay (InterContinental Cairo Hotel).
• The cruise tour visits 4 UNESCO sites in Egypt, as well as the Dendera Temple complex (Hathor).
• Onboard Culture Curriculum (enrichment program) with an expert Egyptologist (also leading all shore excursions). Lectures onboard are also themed on women's roles in Egypt and on the country's current political events.
• Passengers also visit a private home in an authentic Nubian village (from Aswan).
• Onboard and ashore dining/meals that are cruise price inclusive include 11 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 9 dinners. Onboard meals include Egyptian specialties. but American classic dishes are always available.

Signature onboard (formal) events are the Welcome Cocktail Reception and the Farewell Dinner.

Viking Cruises Egypt tour packages (optional hotel+land travel)

In 2023-2024, Viking Cruises Egypt introduced pre- and post-cruise packages as optional extensions of the brand's premium Nile River voyages.

The 3-night Pre-Istanbul Package (priced from US$1400 pp) is inclusive of 3 hotel nights in Istanbul (at Westin Istanbul Nisantasi Hotel or similar), 3 meals (breakfasts), 2 guided/Viking Host-escorted tours (Istanbul Old City Tour, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace), flight from Istanbul to Cairo, as well as all transfers.

The 4-night Pre-Jerusalem Israel Package (priced from US$2400 pp) is inclusive of 4 hotel nights in Orient Jerusalem Hotel (or similar), 8 meals (4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner), 3 guided/Viking Host-escorted tours (Bethlehem Walking Tour, Jerusalem City Tour, Israel Museum Tour), a flight from Tel Aviv to Cairo, as well as all transfers.

The 4-night Pre-British Collections of Ancient Egypt package (priced from US$3700 pp) is inclusive of 2 hotel nights in London (Rosewood Hotel), 2 hotel nights in Oxford (Old Bank Hotel), 6 meals (4 breakfasts, 2 lunches), 4 Privileged Access visits (British Museum, Sir John Soane's Museum, Griffith Institute, Highclere Castle), 3 3 guided/Viking Host-escorted tours (Petrie Museum, Oxford Walking Tour, Ashmolean Museum), flight from London to Cairo, as well as all transfers.

The 4-night Post-Petra Jordan, Dead Sea and Amman Package (priced from US$2200 pp) is inclusive of 1 flight from Cairo to Amman, 4 nights (1x at Dead Sea, 2x in Petra, 1x in Amman), 8 meals (4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners), 4 guided/Viking Host-escorted tours (Ancient Town of Madaba; Dead Sea Museum, Petra, Amman, Jerash), as well as all transfers. The home flight (from Amman) costs extra.