MISSION To be fussed over like a Pharaoh and mummified in towels to soothe a laptop-locked shoulder, a complaint unknown to Cleopatra and Co.

USP The Oberoi Zahra is the queen of the Nile’s 258 “floating gin palaces”. It’s a brand new boutique cruiser with a tasteful spa run by an octet of graceful Thai therapists.

AMBIENCE Each of the four treatment rooms has spacious windows so the backdrop to your spa changes from lush palm trees and camels to spot-lit ancient temples. The rooms have two massage beds (each with a bouquet of flowers beneath its “head cradle”), a steam shower and a bath (which can’t be filled with milk). In keeping with the rest of the boat, the decor is dark wood, slim oblong copper-coloured tiles and beige hessian wallpaper. There’s a small gym with a handful of running machines, a swimming pool on the top deck and two of the 27 suites have private outdoor Jacuzzis.

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE There was no formal consultation but a chat with the excellent spa manager guided me to a medium-strength Oberoi signature massage. After a day of mind-boggling hieroglyphs and hot, dusty Nubian folk dancing, my feet welcomed the warm eucalyptus towels that Ani applied for starters. Ani is one of eight therapists on the Zahra selected from a long list of 50 and fresh from a three-month Oberoi training course. She spoke limited English, or spaglish, which covered all the key vocabulary for a treatment.

While I chose a bergamot incense stick (“reviving yet soothing”), Ani tested the massage oil for any “itch” on the back of my hand. The essential oils are blended exclusively for the boat’s spa by a doctor at Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Sometimes 90 minutes is too long for a massage, but the continuous sleep-inducing strokes, acupressure facial and hair rustling made the time feel too short, if anything.

Six of us had more than 20 treatments during the week-long cruise and the only complaints were that one treatment used chilly oil and the fuzzy background music sounded like a snake charmer whose cobra had gone berserk.

FOOD AND DRINK The menu in the downstairs restaurant features mainly modern European cuisine – beef carpaccio with rocket and seared tuna were notable starters – but the Indian chef is happy to cook Indian and Egyptian dishes to order.

IN-CROWD Well-heeled Americans, Brits and Europeans, often retired, and younger couples seeking culture and romance.

WALLET WATCH Treatments are very reasonably priced for a 5-star experience. The 90-minute signature massages cost £60; 30-minute scrubs (Arabian coffee or sandalwood and turmeric) are £25. An orange honey body wrap lasts 60 minutes and costs £38 and there’s a choice of 60-minute facials, £36 each.

NEED TO KNOW Cox & Kings (020-7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk, offers an 11-night Nile holiday with three nights B&B in a pyramid-view room at the Oberoi Mena House in Giza and seven nights on board Oberoi Zahra, from £1,795pp. The cost includes flights, transfers and all excursions.

For more than 240 independent spa reviews log on to timesonline.co.uk/goodspaguide

Splashing out - spas on cruise liners

A full spa suite is a vital part of a cruise ship’s leisure arsenal. The Cunard Royal Spa and Fitness Centre on the new Queen Victoria, launched this month, has a 13,000sq ft, glass-enclosed spa. As well as a hydrotherapy pool, there is a thermal suite, with dry saunas, steam rooms and hot ceramic beds. The 90-minute Aromasoul body rituals include Arabian, Oriental, Mediterranean and Indian-inspired treatments. Passengers can buy passes for a day or for the whole voyage. www.cunard.co.uk; 0845 6780013.

Steiner of London has spas on more than 100 ships. Its latest onboard spas are more likely to have a pared-down, feng shuied eastern ambience, offering seaweed and algae wraps. Using Elemis products, on any given week, Steiner therapists massage more than 30,000 bodies, deep cleanse 15,000 faces, and manicure about 6,000 pairs of hands. www.steinerleisure.com

The six ships in the P&O Cruises fleet feature the signature Oasis Spa. The flagship spa aboard Arcadia has a thermal suite, with steam rooms, heated loungers, aromatic jet showers, a dry flotation suite and hydrotherapy pool. Treatments include Balinese head massage, a deluxe oxy-jet facial and a “cloud-walking” ritual. www.pocruises.com; 0845 3555333

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