What Is Included in a Swan Dahabiya Cruise, and the Seven Things That Are Not

Table of Contents  

• Introduction  

• What does “Soft All Inclusive” mean on a Swan Dahabiya?

• Swan Dahabiya Cruise Inclusions and Exclusions at a Glance 

• What is included in the Swan Dahabiya Cruise? 

• The Seven Costs You Should Not Assume Are Included 

• What About Other Personal Expenses?

• How to avoid Nile Swan Dahabiya hidden costs before booking?

• Conclusion 

Introduction 

Planning a Nile journey on a Dahabiya is different from booking a standard holiday, as your cruise covers many of the important parts of the journey, but not every travel expense is included. The Swan Dahabiya describes its packages as soft all-inclusive, which covers only the main cruise experiences along with selected meals, drinks, sightseeing, and other services. 

However, some expenses may be outside the package or depend on your selected itinerary. So, here is a detailed overview of what will be included in your Swan Dahabiya Nile cruise and what the seven major things that will be excluded are. Also know how you can avoid unexpected expenses during your Dahabiya journey from Luxor to Aswan. 

 

What does “Soft All Inclusive” mean on a Swan Dahabiya?

The Soft all-inclusive means that the main services of the Dahabiya stay are covered in your chosen package; this generally includes your accommodation, meals, and selected non-alcoholic drinks, and other inclusions are sightseeing, transfers, and several onboard facilities as part of its cruise experience. 

But it does not mean that every expense during your Egypt holiday is included, like alcoholic drinks and certain special drinks, which are separate, and some excursions, tickets, or personal services may also need separate payment or confirmation at the time of booking. The exact inclusions depend on your Dahabiya package and the itinerary you choose. That’s why we suggest the tourists always check the final inclusions and exclusions while booking your Dahabiya sailing vessel. 

 

Swan Dahabiya Cruise Inclusions and Exclusions at a Glance 

Included as Standard	Exclusions / Costs to Check
Accommodation in your selected cabin or suite	Alcoholic drinks
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks	Monument tickets that you need to confirm which locations are covered in your itinerary
Selected soft drinks such as water, juices, tea, coffee, and lemonade	Abu Simbel
Sightseeing and shore excursions included in the itinerary	Guide gratuities
Airport transfers and listed ground transportation	Egypt visa
Onboard facilities and leisure areas	Domestic flights
Onboard activities/entertainment where offered	Laundry
Other services specifically listed in your selected package	Personal purchases and optional expenses

What is included in the Swan Dahabiya Cruise? 

Accommodation on the Dahabiya: Your cabin or suite is the main part of your Dahabiya stay, and we offer different accommodation options. Your accommodation remains onboard while you sail between Aswan and Luxor, and this means you do not need to change hotels as you move along the Nile. Also, the smaller setting of a Dahabiya gives the journey a more personal and relaxed feel. So, before booking, check your cabin category, occupancy, and the services included with it.

Daily Meals: Meals are an important part of the Dahabiya package, and we list breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks among our cruise offerings. Meals are served onboard, so you do not need to search for restaurants during your sailing days. This also makes it easier to plan your daily travel budget. We provide both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food options, and if you have a specific dietary requirement, it is better to inform our booking partner before your journey. 

Are Drinks Included on a Dahabiya? Yes, selected soft drinks are included in the Swan Dahabiya experience. These include options such as

• Water
• Tea
• Coffee
• Juices
• Lemonade
• Iced tea 

Airport Transfers and Ground Transportation: We provide you the airport transfers and ground transportation as part of the cruise service, which makes the journey easier because you do not have to arrange every transfer yourself. Well, after booking, keep the details of the booking partner or support team accessible after landing in Egypt, as they can arrange a transport service for you. 

We include the transportation service at both cities, Aswan and Luxor, so ensure that you coordinate with them about the pickup point, whether it’s from the hotel or from the airport, to take you to your Dahabiya embarkation point. If you are adding extra days before or after the cruise, do not assume those transfers are automatically included; they all count as exclusions. 

Sightseeing and Tour Guide Support: Sightseeing is an important part of the Swan Dahabiya experience, and our boutique sailing vessel combines sailing with visits to important historical locations along the Nile, like the Philae temple, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and banks of Luxor.  

We also provide support with tour guides for the sightseeing experience, as a guide can make visits more useful because you can understand the history behind the temples instead of simply walking around and taking photographs. Your exact sightseeing schedule depends on the Dahabiya itinerary. 

 

The Seven Costs You Should Not Assume Are Included 

A cruise described as Soft All Inclusive can cover many daily expenses, but it is still important to understand what is outside the standard package. 

1. Alcoholic Drinks: Only the selected soft drinks are included, but the alcoholic drinks cannot be part of the standard soft-drink package. If you plan to have alcohol like wine, beer, or spirits during your sailing, ask about the current onboard prices, check for availability, and then you can have it onboard at your own expense.
2. Monument Entrance Tickets: Do not assume that every monument ticket is automatically included; we only include the entrance fees of the selected tourist locations. The exact sites covered can depend on the package and itinerary.

Before booking, ask the Swan booking partner for the list of monument entrance fees included in your specific cruise and also check whether any special attraction or additional ticket is charged separately. This is especially useful if you want to add attractions outside the planned sightseeing program.

 

1. Abu Simbel Shore excursion: Abu Simbel is one of the major attractions travellers consider when visiting southern Egypt, and however, it cannot be automatically assumed as inclusion in every Dahabiya package. So, if you want to add Abu Simbel to your trip, ask the Swan booking partner whether it can be included in your selected itinerary or not. Also confirm the transport and entrance arrangements. Getting this information before booking will help you avoid adding an unexpected amount to your travel budget during the sailing journey.
2. Guide Gratuities: Having a tour guide and paying a guide gratuity are two different things, and Swan can only provide you with the tour guide support for sightseeing, depending on your itinerary. A gratuity is a separate payment given by travelers for good service, and it’s completely a personal choice. So, if you plan to tip your guide or other staff, keep some Egyptian currency available that can be helpful.
3. Visa Fees: Your Dahabiya cruise price will not be covering the cost of entering Egypt; all the visa requirements depend on your nationality and travel situation, so travelers need to pay themselves. For that we recommend checking the latest visa rules before travelling. 

Also, we suggest then to keep their visa cost separate when calculating their total holiday budget. So, if you are booking a Dahabiya package and flights together, confirm which travel documents and services are included in the final price.

1. Laundry: Laundry is another service that comes with an additional charge. Like on a multi-day Nile journey, you may want to wash some clothes during the trip. For that, you can ask the Swan crew about laundry availability and pricing before using the service. If you are travelling for only a few days, packing enough clothes may help you avoid this extra cost, but For longer trips, knowing the laundry policy in advance can make packing easier, as you can confirm at the time of booking.
2. Domestic Flights: Your Dahabiya cruise from Aswan to Luxor covers only the sailing portion of your journey. It does not include any domestic or international flight expenses in the package. 

For example, you may need a flight to reach Aswan before the cruise or to leave Luxor after it ends that you need to arrange by yourself; our booking partners can help you in booking, but it adds additional costs to your Dahabiya journey travel budget. You can use online sites to book your domestic flights in Egypt to commute effortlessly. 

What About Other Personal Expenses?

Even when most of your main cruise services are covered, keep some money aside for personal spending.

This may include:

• Souvenirs
• Shopping
• Personal snacks
• Alcoholic drinks
• Special drinks
• Optional activities
• Personal services
• Extra transfers

These expenses are not the hidden charges but are simply the costs that fall outside the standard cruise services.

 

How to avoid Nile Swan Dahabiya hidden costs before booking?

The easiest way to avoid surprises is to ask questions before you make your final booking.

 

Use this simple checklist:

• Ask what Soft All Inclusive covers.
• Confirm which meals are included.
• Confirm which drinks are included.
• Ask whether alcoholic drinks are extra.
• Ask which monument entrance fees are included.
• Confirm whether Abu Simbel is included or optional.
• Ask whether guides are included.
• Ask whether guide gratuities are separate.
• Confirm airport transfers.
• Confirm any required domestic flights.
• Ask about laundry charges.
• Check whether any optional activities have additional costs.
• Ask for the final inclusions and exclusions in writing.

A clear conversation before booking can save you from trying to understand extra charges during the cruise, as you will be carrying enough budget to have a relaxing Dahabiya sailing journey. 

 

Conclusion 

Above we have mentioned which costs are included and which are not, but still, if you have any doubt, feel free to contact us anytime for booking. You will be quoted with a complete breakdown of costs that ensures you easily understand the expenses and can plan accordingly.