Edge can only be accessed by a swipe of the young passenger's keycard, via an elevator in the ship's forward funnel.

BBC: Keeping Disney magic afloat

Laura Murphy, a fellow river cruise passenger, told CNN that the ship's captain anchored the boat in Luxor after being warned against docking at any of the stops along the Nile because those areas may be unsafe for tourists.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Randi Humborstad, project leader at Nordfjord Vekst, the organisation behind the tunnel plans, cites a 161-passenger cruise ship that was almost shipwrecked in 2004 as further evidence of the area's fierce conditions.

BBC: Who, what, why: Why build a ship tunnel?