By
Laura Hyde |
TUI River Cruises has blessed its first Egyptian river ship, TUI Al Horeya, at an event in Luxor ahead of the ship’s first voyage on the River Nile.
The ceremony, which took place onboard the refurbished 141-passenger ship, included a traditional ‘Prayer to Hapi’, the god of the Nile River. The cruise line also set 100 lit biodegradable candles afloat on the river, each one carrying the personal wish of an attendee of the ceremony. The candles, which were set in coconut shells, floated to Luxor Temple.
Guests at the blessing ceremony were invited to make their own wish with one of 100 biodegradable candles set afloat on the River Nile
Guests also watched live performances from TUI River Cruises’ entertainment team, a live sand artist showcasing the story of the River Nile, and traditional Egyptian Whirling Dervishes (pictured below).
Guests at the ceremony watched traditional Egyptian Whirling Dervishes, performers of the tanoura folkloric dance which depicts the relationship between the land and sky, and man and God
Read more: TUI Al Horeya to feature five new venues when it debuts in November 2024
“The official first voyage of the TUI Al Horeya is a massive milestone for TUI River Cruises being the first ship to sail outside of European waters,” said Katy Berzins, head of TUI River Cruises at TUI. “Since going on sale, we have sold 80 per cent of our winter Nile programme, and new bookings are continuing to come in week-by-week – we can’t wait to greet these passengers onboard for this season’s sailings.”
Read more: TUI River Cruises to launch its second ship on the Nile River in 2025
TUI Al Horeya is the fourth ship in the TUI River Cruises’ fleet and will operate seven-night ‘Legends of the Nile’ roundtrip itineraries from Luxor along the River Nile, calling at Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan.