Nile Fleets Bulk Up: Viking to 12 Ships, Travelmarvel Returns with Sirius
Two operators are betting big on the Nile at once. Viking is expanding its Egypt fleet to 12 vessels by 2027, a significant capacity build-out on a river that has spent recent years recovering from pandemic-era pullbacks and regional security concerns. Meanwhile APT Travel Group's Travelmarvel brand is returning to the Nile after more than ten years away, redeploying the refurbished 124-guest Sirius. APT reports bookings already extending into 2028, with demand spreading evenly across the season rather than clustering around peak winter months — a signal that shoulder-season Nile sailings are gaining traction with clients. For advisors, the combined effect is more inventory arriving over the next two years, which should ease the tight availability and premium pricing seen recently, but also means locking in 2027-2028 dates and cabin categories with clients sooner rather than later, before new capacity gets absorbed by pent-up demand.
- Viking: expanding to 12 Nile vessels by 2027
- Travelmarvel: relaunching on the Nile after 10+ years with the 124-guest Sirius
- APT: bookings already extending into 2028, demand spread evenly across the season