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Two new
Mövenpick luxury cruisers embark on maiden
voyage in Egypt
At the beginning of November,
the new Mövenpick M/S Royal Lily and the
comprehensive refurbished Mövenpick M/S Prince
Abbas have set to sea. Mövenpick's fleet in
Egypt now consists of five luxury cruisers. Like
its companions, the Mövenpick M/S Royal Lily
will sail between Aswan and Luxor, while the
Mövenpick M/S Prince Abbas will ply the waters
of Lake Nasser to cruise between Aswan and Abu
Simbel.
Nile Exploration Corporation
is the proud owner of both the two new ships and
the Mövenpick M/S Royal Lotus, which was named
the best Nile cruiser by the Egyptian Ministry of
Tourism in 2006. The company boasts cruise
experience gained over three decades and is
renowned for utilising state-of-the-art marine
engineering and navigation technology, certified to
the highest international standards for on-board
comfort, safety and hygiene.
 Pharaohs
Lure Tourists
Story and photos by Habeeb Salloum
From atop
the Cairo Tower, the mighty Nile appears to be
overwhelmed by the edging luxury hotels and
towering apartment buildings. Beyond, the city with
its crowded streets, literally infested with
humanity, spreads out to the horizon. In between
the avenues with their mass of darting autos, one
sees a thousand minarets of new and historic
mosques, peppered with a number of Coptic-Christian
basilicas. It appears to be an inviting city to
explore - a mixture of eastern exoticism and
Western sophistication.
Yet, this
is not what the millions of people traveling to
Egypt want to see. If one turns atop the Tower to
the other side, in the distance, a visitor glimpses
the outline of the Great Pyramids. Located on a
desert plateau on the western edge of the city,
they are the magnets that draw these tourists. It
is as if the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt are still
caring for their descendants. Of the millions of
tourists who travel to Egypt, the vast majority
come to view the monumental vestiges left by one of
the greatest civilizations the world has ever
known.
"We are honoured that, thanks to our strong partner
Nile Exploration Corporation, we are able to offer
our guests new cruise ship opportunities of the
very highest standard," says Josef Kufer, Senior
Vice President Africa Mövenpick Hotels &
Resorts. "Our floating boutique hotels are equipped
with fewer cabins than usual, thereby allowing our
guests to enjoy very spacious rooms, extensive
public areas and additional amenities."
The new, fully air
conditioned Mövenpick M/S Royal Lily is the
sister ship of the Royal Lotus and offers 56 modern
cabins (22 sqm), which are situated in the upper
decks to guarantee guests an unhindered view over
the spectacular scenery of the Nile banks. Guests
in search of an even more luxurious experience will
be delighted with one of the cruiser's four Royal
Suites (42 sqm) with their very own en-suite
whirlpool.
The spacious restaurant
serves a variety of buffets and menus à la
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, with Egyptian
and international specialties as well as vegetarian
meals, guaranteed to cater to the very highest
culinary standards. The elegant Salon Deck with
panoramic windows includes a zen-style lounge, a
bar and a dance floor. The Sun Deck offers a
swimming pool, a heated whirlpool, a pool bar as
well as an oriental canopied area. The
Mövenpick M/S Royal Lily also disposes on a
Health Club with sauna and massage
facilities.
"It is a unique experience to
discover the enchanting landscape between Aswan and
Luxor by a Nile cruiser, and to visit the
magnificent temples and tombs of the ancient
world," adds Josef Kufer, Senior Vice President
Africa Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.
"Incidentally, certain places of interest can only
be reached by ship."
Having been comprehensively
refurbished, the historical Mövenpick M/S
Prince Abbas is also ready to return to water under
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts management. The
vessel already is the premier cruise ship on Lake
Nasser, a position confirmed by a further accolade
this year, Best Lake Nasser Cruiser 2007. Five
fully air conditioned decks with exterior
promenades, as well as the 65 cabins, including 43
standard rooms (21 sqm), 18 Junior Suites (30 sqm)
and four Royal Suites (40 sqm) ensure upscale
comfort. A swimming pool and whirlpool on the
two-storey Sun Deck, a fitness center, a billiard
room, a souvenir shop, a library and an oriental
lounge and bar are among the additional amenities
on board. The restaurant, which serves both
Egyptian and international specialties, caters for
up to 130 guests.
"In Lake Nasser, we are
pleased to offer another exceptional destination
within Egypt," explains Hubert Klemenz, Vice
President Operations & Human Resources Africa.
"Our guests can now discover the historical
treasures of the Nubians &endash; among them the
mighty temple of Abu Simbel with its colossal
statue of King Ramses II."
A picture of the
Mövenpick M/S Prince Abbas in high resolution
can be downloaded here:
http://mhr.ncag.ch/mhr_download/9jLuguiJ7qVRVfMBh69fq774/7984.zip
Further pictures of the two
luxury cruisers will be available end of November.
Feel free to contact Barbara Caderas
(barbara.caderas@moevenpick.com) should you wish
further pictures then.
Mövenpick Hotels &
Resorts (MH&R), a premium hotel management
company with over 12,000 employees, is represented
in 25 countries with over 80 hotels existing or
under construction and focuses on its core markets
in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
The international hotel group with Swiss roots
is forging ahead with its expansion and aims to
extend its portfolio to include 100 hotels by 2010.
MH&R has an established presence in the 4 and
5-star segment with two types of accommodation:
business and conference hotels and holiday resorts.
In keeping with its slogan "True Excellence in
Swiss Hospitality", the hotel chain is a byword for
the uncompromising quality of its products and
services. The hotel group is owned by the
Mövenpick Holding (66.7 %) as well as the
Kingdom Group (33.3 %).
_____________________________________
Alain Gozzer
Public Relations
Manager
Mövenpick Hotels &
Resorts Management AG
Flughofstrasse 61
8152 Glattbrugg,
Switzerland
Phone +41 44 828 41
44
Fax +41 44 828 40
10
E-Mail alain.gozzer@moevenpick.com
www.moevenpick-hotels.com
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