UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruises has been forced to push back the launch date for its highly anticipated S.S. Sphinx following the breakout of a fire on board the ship during its construction in Cairo. Originally slated to debut on the Nile in Egypt in two weeks’ time on 06 Jan,...
UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruises has been forced to push back the launch date for its highly anticipated S.S. Sphinx following the breakout of a fire on board the ship during its construction in Cairo.
Originally slated to debut on the Nile in Egypt in two weeks’ time on 06 Jan, the damage to the vessel sustained in the fire was sufficient to knock back her launch date to the start of the 2020/21 season on 26 Sep.
Uniworld said it would use alternative ships to cater for guests already booked on all S.S. Sphinx sailings through to May 2020, including S.S. Sphinx’s all-suite sister ship, the 82-passenger River Tosca, which will accommodate many of the affected bookings.
Uniworld has also reached out to affected passengers and agents to organise alternative travel arrangements, with the cruise line also noting it was currently in the process of conducting a thorough investigation into how the incident occurred.
“A full investigation to determine the cause of the fire is underway,” a spokesperson for Uniworld said.
“Thankfully, no one was on board at the time and there are no injuries to report”.
The composition of accommodation on board the S.S. Sphinx includes four Royal Suites, 20 Grand Suites, and two Suites, and will boast five decks.
She will also offer two gourmet dining venues, a swimming pool, massage room, and authentic Egyptian-style furnishings such as artworks and fabrics.
When she eventually debuts in Sep, S.S. Sphinx will operate 12-day itineraries from Cairo, boasting 12 land excursion of the country’s famous monuments.
Pictured: Render of S.S. Sphinx.
