b'Thomas Cook & Son Pleasure Yacht Rameses on the Nile | Antonio Beato | Public DomainNile River Cruises in the Golden Age of Travel Friday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m.(Ashcroft movie theater) Cruising right along, we continue our northern float up the Nile by exploring the beginnings of the rivers cruise industry. For without it, or should we say without Thomas Cook & Sons Travel, there would have been no grand hotels. This British firm literally invented the modern travel agency. Revisiting early cruise boats like the Rameses I and II and their innovative amenities, well discover what it was like to travel in the Victorian eras version of luxury. It was a journey that required at least two months of your calendar. Your requirement? A mere hour or so.54'