First ever river cruise with Scenic Jade from Amsterdam to Budapest and will not be my last. In fact I have already booked a week long cruise next year from Basel to Amsterdam intending to tour Switzerland prior to joining the Scenic cruise but after this year's experience I have already inquired about an additional longer cruise.

We joined in Amsterdam at the Hilton Double Tree hotel. Arrived at the hotel at around mid-day where Scenic tours were well signposted the Scenic representative took our luggage and we next saw it in our room on the Scenic Jade. Refreshments were available at the meeting point until we left there at 3 p.m for the Scenic Jade so we were able to explore Amsterdam until we departed for the ship. The same procedure in Budapest, luggage transferred to the Marriot Budapest and refreshment available there until 3 p.m. or until you removed your luggage if you were staying at another hotel which we were.

I could go through every day but that would be far too long just to say that every day there was some excursion arranged usually two or 3 choices in addition to the ones you opt for when you do the booking. The guides are all very good and do their best throughout. After each tour there is usually some free time for you to do your own thing before getting back on the bus and returning to the ship for lunch or dinner. Some of the excursions involved lunch or dinner and when we left the ship at Dusseldorf for that excursion we were meant to rejoin the ship at Cologne for lunch but the Jade developed a fault in one engine so it was late arriving in Cologne. Full marks to Scenic they arranged we go on anther large cruise boat for lunch and cruise along the river at Cologne while we were dining. Not long after lunch our temporary boat pulled in and we rejoined the Jade. If you wanted to give the excursions a miss then you were free to lounge about all day on the Jade. You are usually greeted back on the Jade with hand towels and a welcoming drink after a day's excursion. Read more