When you get to the end of a cruise and are invited to fill in the box marked 'How could we improve the experience?' there are usually a few things which spring to mind. Not so in this case. Finding fault was a fruitless task. Of course the word 'perfection' is very subjective and no trip will ever attract maximum marks from every traveller, but if Scenic Jade offers even a hint of what to expect across the fleet of river-cruise operatives, then we can say with confidence that the standards are very high.

Perhaps a week of rain might have removed a couple of layers from the rose-tinted spectacles through which we viewed our trip, but we had 30+ degrees on a daily basis and were constantly grateful for an efficient air-con system throughout the vessel.

Maybe the weather bonus could be countered by the fact that our quartet were based in 'steerage' - Level 1 with our porthole maybe two feet above river level - and getting the chance to use a De Luxe cabin on our final day and reading all the complimentary remarks about the high-end accommodation, the craft had even more comfort to offer than we enjoyed. Read more