CABIN:

Cabin 236, the last room at the end of the hallway on Jasper’s second floor, was not to our liking on our Amsterdam to Budapest cruise due to the continual sound of the engine at the end of the ship. The noise was slightly abated by keeping the folding glass balcony doors shut as well as the retractable window. The ship sails at nighttime so when the canal locks are encountered these noises seemed to be louder than when the ship was just cruising on the river. Needless to say our sleep was not restful nor sound. The ship was fully booked so while staff were apologetic little could be done for us until the ship reached Budapest when a cabin 4 doors down the hallway became available for our cruise from Budapest to Bucharest. What a difference! We were very appreciative of this cabin change and based on that cabin, 231, I would give the Scenic Jasper top marks for Balcony category cabins.

On future river cruises with Scenic we would re-book a Balcony cabin. These cabins offer sufficient room for storage and moving about, have a feeling of spaciousness given by the use of mirrors and full length window, and a good shower space in the bathroom with rain shower head and many water jets. We loved the extra sitting space the enclosed balcony gave us where we could see the riverside while we were in the cabin. The retractable window also provided access to fresh air, an option to room controlled air conditioning. This enclosed balcony was one of the reasons for us choosing Scenic. The padded wicker chairs in this area looked great and were comfortable, but when I sat in them, my view was blocked by the wood railing. The beds were very comfortable with choices of pillows if the 2 on the bed weren’t suitable. The white duvet and sheets gave the room a cozy modern look. I was glad the bed was higher up so that I could store my suitcase under it. The closet was divided into 2 sections with sliding doors that overlap – a nuisance at times when both occupants want to use the closet. The closet had space for hanging clothes on wooden hangers and open shelves for further storage. The night stand beside the bed also had drawers for additional storage and the bathroom had shelves for toiletry bags. In addition, glass shelves over the console ledge were also available for the tourist guide book, the river map, and room guide that were included in the room. The wall mounted TV/computer was such a nice inclusion with its free access to the internet, limited number of movies, music, the daily program, weather, and webcam view of the river from the bridge. We didn’t have to bring our own computer along. The Tailormade audio guides had a docking station in the room and these devices were loaded with sightseeing information for each port and sights along the river. These devices were also used by the local guides to communicate to us while doing the walking tours. The free in-room internet use on the computer and the tailormade devices, available in all cabin categories, were another reason why we chose Scenic. The room included an easy to use safe and always fully stocked minibar. Also free, was 1kg bag of laundry done once during the 2 week cruise. In case you haven’t packed an umbrella, there will be a large one available in the room along with 2 Nordic walking sticks. We both, however, made good use of the heavy terry robes and slippers so nice to slip into after a shower. The room had everything we wanted to make our stay comfortable. Read more