Scenic River

River Cruises

Singles Cruises

Senior Cruises

Gourmet Food Cruises

Bordeaux

Paris

Amsterdam

Europe - All

Europe - River Cruise

France

Europe River

Europe - British Isles & Western

Douro River

Seine River

Spain

Portugal River

Portugal

Excellent

Very Good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Scenic Opal

Scenic Amber

Scenic Jasper

Scenic Jade

Scenic Jewel

Scenic Pearl

Scenic Ruby

Scenic Sapphire

Scenic Crystal

Scenic Azure

Scenic Diamond

Scenic Spirit

Scenic Gem

Scenic Tsar

Scenic Aura

Just book it. Absolutely fabulous

Bora Bora

We chose this cruise as we particularly wanted to see the light show at the old submarine base and also wanted to visit Remy Martin. We also wanted to do several french wine tastings which this cruise also gave us the opportunity to do.

My husband really enjoyed the visit to Remy Martin. The best winery visit was Chateau Lagrange. Very good tour and organised wine tasting. on the other hand the visit to Chateau Siaurac the tour gave a lot of information about the property but not a lot about the wine. The wine tasting there was very disorganised as they had too many people at one time and no-one spoke about the wines we were given to taste.

Overall the cruise was very good. The cheese tasting was really good.

Our only disappointments were that  the internet on the ship was hopeless. Scenic need to invest to improve this particularly as they are expecting everyone to use the Scenic app. Our other disappointment was that even though Scenic had us listed as Platinum customers we got no benefits. Explanation was that because we had booked this cruise at the same time as the previous cruise (which gave us platinum) they could not honour the benefits until we had completed the previous cruise, so we get nothing until our next booking! Not good enough as they had noted Platinum on our booking and ID tags etc.

Highlights were Remy Martin and Old submarine base in Bordeaux

After the Douro, the Seine and the Rhone, the Garonne etc. are a disappointment - ugly brown water (clean apparently) and rather dull landscape - not until you get out into the vineyards does it start to get pretty. Also some of the towns are a bit sad - the back streets of Libourne, for example, are to be avoided - full of beautiful but neglected, derelict houses and weeds pushing through the paving stones.

Having said that, though, Bordeaux is fantastic and St Émilion is adorable.

Big black mark after travelling with Scenic before. They used to supply the most fantastic listening devices - 1. For the guided tours. 2. To provide you with a GPS-based running commentary of all the sights as you sailed past them. It was brilliant. It was something they had patented. But no longer! Now you download the Scenic app and listen on your mobile phone. Except that no one had told us to bring our own headphones! Clever, eh. The alternative was a one-ear earpiece that provided very inadequate sound.

Having said that, the 2 guides we experienced - Julia and Morgan - were excellent! Top marks.

The food on the whole was OK. On 2 occasions we had to complain. But the chef rose to the occasion, serving our table a special lunch one day - and delivering caviar to our cabin on another.

Another thing has changed too. It must be budgetary. I remember a resident keyboard player/vocalist on previous cruises. Never did the cruise director or his sidekick perform!!!!!! On this cruise they did. The last night's entertainment was cruise director Mitch singing Matt Munro and stuff like that – Scenic Diamond becomes the Diamond Working Men's Club.

We're booked to do a 15-day Scenic cruise in 3 weeks' time. Kind of looking forward to it, but not 100%

One extra point, since there is no disembarkation category below. Disembarkation was chaotic. We discovered when we got to the airport that one of our suitcases was destroyed – it must have been dropped.

A pity about the rivers and the landscape

We chose this cruise because it was an area of France which we had always wanted to visit. We have sailed once before with Scenic on the Rhine and four times with the sister Company Emerald. We have always been very happy with the service we have received. The cabin was an adequate size for us and was kept extremely clean by our attendant. The food and drinks package was also very good. The excursions we chose took in tours of Bordeaux, St.Emilion and the old fortress of Blaye. We also did the wine tasting tours of St.Emilion, Medoc and Sauternes. They were all interesting but our favourite was at Chateau Monconseil Gazin, a family owned vineyard where we tasted exceptional wines and they were reasonably priced. All in all it was a great experience and a special mention should go to Mitch, the Cruise Director, who was the most professional and personable character imaginable.

Bordeaux cruise through the wine region

Puerto Montt

Chose the cruise after seeing  Getaway on TV and thought a it’s be great to spend some time in one area without unpacking 

The cruise exceeded our expectations from the staff to food and quality and choices of excursions including electric bikes! 

Yvonne the cruise director is sensational at holding it all together with great humour and a zest to make our stay the best holiday one could expect for an all inclusive cruise 

Our Junior suite was a perfect size and well looked after by Petia.  The dining room is brilliant with all the staff super attentive- Bogdan you were brilliant -  thankyou !

The executive chef always had us guessing, including our degustation dinner which was brilliant - included in Diamond class on deck 3

Everyone on board had our best interest at heart including the engineer who repaired our tap ! 

Olga did the most amazing massage and fitness classes in the morning 

I think the Salt room was a waste of space where a steam room would have been far better 

Proper name tags large enough to read the crew names would have been great and would have saved a lot of embarrassment 

All in all we had a want for nothing

exceeded our expectations 

Have been on many many river cruises and though this might be a nice change as I never have been with this company before well it is my first and last .I can’t really find anything that I could say that says 5 star at best 3 star food was the worst I have ever experienced the quality of the products were just underwhelming I had paid over £5000 for one person on a French river cruise I expect first class food that was not the case I even bought my own bread and butter on several occasions tours were very very poor and ate out several times this was the most disappointing experience I have ever had the tours were nothing to right home about and there was always problems with the voice box .I asked to be served drink on deck and was told they did not have the staff to do that but on a few occasion they did I would have expected that should have been part of your experience well what can I say I expected a 5star experience and I most certainly did not I have been on two previous cruises this year in April uniworld and May Tauck and both far far exceeded the service food and tours that I had with Scenic and just feel ripped off the majority of the boat had paid half price so I have a feeling they were trying to claw back some of the money they would have lost due to this SCENIC is a big No for me and would not recommend to anyone I saw rubbish sailing down the river at this point we were the only boat about and I checked veg and fruit pealing had been thrown overboard I have pics but not great I don’t think we sailed for more than a couple of hours at any point many great rivers to see and I have done many so take a close look before you book your next cruise 

Complained to company and basically said it was my opinion well it is

Disappointed is an understatement terrible quality tours and food 

Travel agent convinced us it was the best even though it was most expensive. Although ship was fine and we had a great time with people on board cruise was a let down. Hotels were amazing but greeting dinner at a sports bar was terrible. About half the excursions were good the others very touristy and tacky. The headphone system for guides never worked and delayed every tour as they tried to sort it out. Vegetarian options often hard to get and portions very small. Breakfast and lunch buffets were very good though. Wine options mostly German and not good. Same with beers. The entertainment coordinator left the ship early with not replacement. After we and others complained they assigned the restaurant as DJ. The guests had to pick the music though. They rave about personal butler service we never saw him after day 1. Scenic did not provide a cruise that matched the cost.

Disappointing

A distressing outward journey to reach this cruise is still colouring our view of the trip. Our verdict on whether Scenic goes on to a "never, ever again" list awaits a ruling from their Customer Service Department on whether we will be refunded for additional tickets we were forced to by en route to be able to reach Bordeaux.

   This was our first cruise with Scenic. We were interested in the wine area covered and wanted to avoid packing and unpacking as we went around the area. We thought we would also get time to relax and the chance to get there by rail rather than flying was particularly attractive.

  Unfortunately things started going wrong before we left. We booked, at a saving, thorough the ROL organisation. About a month before departure we learned that our train from London would leave at 7am! Our documents arrived about seven days before departure but with no explanation of how we were to transfer in Paris from Eurostar at the Gare du Nord to the TGV at Gare Montparnasse.  

  We rang Scenic and were told that taxi vouchers had been sent  to ROL. ROL said they had not received them. Scenic then acknowledged their mistake and sent the vouchers. The hard copies of these arrived while we were away on the cruise. We printed out copies from an email. They promised "a vehicle just for you - no sharing with, or waiting for other passengers". We were told we would be called by the taxi driver while we were in the train to arrange a meeting point. Biting the bullet on roaming charges we left our phones on.

  The day before we departed we noted that the time on the ticket for the Paris to Bordeaux train was different from that quoted on our itinerary. It was by then too late to query this.  There was no phone call when we arrived at the Gare du Nord. We trudged up a lengthy rutted platform dragging our luggage as we went. There we found a Scenic rep with a clip board ticking off a coachload of passengers - many of whom were, like us, in later life - who then had to trudge the length of that platform again (the other side of a barrier) dragging luggage to a coach which was waiting outside. There was a delay as all the luggage was loaded.

  The trip to Montparnasse was dogged by traffic but worse, much worse, was to come. We and two other couples pointed out we had different timed tickets from most of the other folks on the bus. Our train was 15 minutes earlier than theirs. The guide arranged for a suitable pickup by phone as we went along and after a long wait at the station we humped the luggage on to the train and went to our seats. 

They were already occupied by a friendly Canadian couple. We found we both had bookings for the same seats. The Canadians used their French to explain to the SNCF crew what was happening. 

   Eventually an aggressive male attendant pointed his handheld reader at our tickets, told us they were not valid and insisted we left the train. We protested. We had the tickets; we had paid. No, we were told, Scenic had cancelled the tickets and put us on the later train. We had to get off the train at once and join the other one which would leave shortly.

  We were escorted off the train and off the platform; taken to the other train and then told we could not board since we did not have valid tickets. 

  Two hours later, after a soul-destroying and stressful wait in a "problem-solving" area of the station we and two other couples in the same situation boarded another train having had to pay for new sets of tickets. At one point it was unclear if we would be able to get tickets to let us make the cruise. I must pay tribute to the guide who stayed with us throughout and well past what must have been his shift time.

   We eventually arrived at the boat but not before getting lost in the crowds, tunnels and flights of stairs (with two heavy suitcases) that make up Bordeaux St Jean station.  

   Several hours across a number of days of the river cruise were spent providing documentation and details to the helpful cruise director who wanted to reimburse us there and then but was disallowed by Scenic central. We gathered that even more people had had similar problems with tickets on other trains. We approached the return journey with trepidation. There was no offer of help on the stairs at St Jean (local passengers helped us and others with the luggage) but all the tickets worked for this.

  We tried not to let the experience spoil the rest of the trip. The crew were helpful and attentive when they were able (there seemed to be staff shortages which made ordering food and wine in the dining room a long job). The cabins were well serviced and the daily port briefings helpful.  On at least two occasions our itinerary was wrong ... a worrying discovery since we had discussed how these parts of the cruise would work with Scenic head office who plainly had no idea how folks on the ground organised moving from port to port. 

  Food was patchy being really excellent at some times but near cold with tasteless meat at others. Fresh fruit seemed to be at a premium. The wine selection did the boat proud mostly surpassing the offering at tastings in vineyards.  The trips from the boat were thoughtful and informative although we could have done with the odd stop for photographs.  The guide telling us we were passing Lafitte or Yquem (on different days) as we sailed past on a coach without pause was a little disappointing. But tours round Bordeaux city and a number of smaller, charming, towns and chateaux were informative and welcome. 

  We've been back now for a week. Our feelings about Scenic have not been helped by an email from their Customer Care department stating "You can be assured that we will fully investigate your concerns and will contact you with our response within the next 28 days, in line with ABTA's guidelines."  So we must wait for reimbursement of our cash after a cruise spoilt by head office incompetence.

The jury is still out

Very interested in learning more about French wines, having a luxe experience and taking our first river cruise, the 11 Day Bordeaux trip on the Diamond jumped out at us.  We paid in full over a year prior to sailing and were expecting a 5 star experience.  The trip fell a bit short of exceptions.  First of all, the entire crew was five star, headlined by Yvonne, cruise director, Miguel, assistant cruise director, Igor, Hotel manager, Alexandra, Ivan at reception, Claudia, restaurant manager, Sorin, waiter, bartenders, Marian, Alexandra and Dennis, butlers Mike and Armin, Niku and Chef Dragon and the two extraordinary house keepers on deck three who were the best stateroom attendants we ever experienced.  

So why the 3.5 Orr 4 stars?  This trip is way too regimented.  you must report to the lounge, showered and dressed for dinner at 6 or 6:30, with dinner at 7.  No flexibility.  Dinners in the MDR were chaotic and disjointed several nights and 4 nights the food was served cold and/or dry.  The wines were quite good and dinners in La Rive and L'Amour were fantastic, 5 star experiences, however.  We absolutely loved shopping with the Chef, the classical concert, the pink Floyd show with Dali, the excursion to the dunes and the bike rides.  it seemed like the excursion in St Emillion was confused and disjointed -- with not a second to spare to taste wines.  it was frustrating to tie up in Medoc, the heart of borrdeaux at 4 PM and be stuck looking at an old fort.  There should have been options available for independent wine tasting that afternoon or the following afternoon in Medoc.  It was frustrating to try to figure this out with no guidance from Scenic.  on our morning in Medoc, we randomly went on one of 4 or 5 buses.  I sadly chose the bus that went to Bergeron.  The wine, especially the second label was pretty vile and not worthy of a five star experience.  The morning excursions rigidly needed to be back for "lunch" and truly we would not starve if we missed lunch or if they served a later lunch.  There should be options for a second excursion for those who are up for it.  The other passengers trended heavily into their 70's or even 80's so maybe this was not the best choice for a 65 year old.  Scenic touts its tailor-made app.  it was a disgrace.  It never worked and was highly frustrating limiting our ability to do any independent touring.  Last but not least, this really was not a cruise.  we moved back and forth along the rivers and never "cruised: more than two hours.  Although Bordeaux city is wonderful, I think we ended up there about 4 days total.  Finally, we loved our guides:  Nathalie and Christiana are stars, the best in the business and the crew, as noted above was fantastic.  We are still weighing whether we want to do another cruise and how we fit in with the older demographic

Either 3.5 or 4 Stars

We chose this river cruise because owe always wanted to try Scenic. They had a good special on and we were not disappointed.  We also wanted to visit the Bordeaux region so this fit the bill nicely. We had a wonderful suite. The suites are a bit small but very efficient so we found spots for all our luggage. There were lots of plugs for our electronics and laptop, hearing aid charger and more. It is nice to have  a balcony to sit on which you don't see on many river ships. Everything is spotless and calming.

The food was excellent with a different menu of choices every night. We don't usually eat lunch but could not resist the lunches on the ship. They offered four mixed salads every day so over 7 days that was 28 different salads!! We loved the mussel salad best. All the wines were good to excellent. We did have one wine that was corked but they changed it up in a second. We had no dietary restrictions but in listening to others, they seem to be able to accommodate everyone.

We took a tour most days. By our own fault, we were a little late booking so some were full before we got to them but we were able to make changes on the ship as some people altered their tours. Every tour but one was fun and the one that was less fun was because the guide was a jerk. The other guides were amazing. We got to try many different wines and learned a lot about the region. The technology used by the guides worked perfectly for us but you want to be ready and download the Scenic app in advance. We particularly liked shopping with the chef at the market and Scenic Culinaire.

Our favourite thing though was the staff. They are truly exceptional. We laughed with them and their service is top notch. They got to know our habits quickly (more wine please) and would do anything to please you. Mitch and Miguel, the on board entertainers and activity planners have great voices. Mitch blew us away with his singing.

Having everything included, even a load of laundry is a God send. You don't realize how many times you have to tip or pay for extras on other ships. It all adds up. Not having to think about tips was a relief.  They are very accommodating for embarkation and disembarkation. As we didn't have to rush to a flight, we were allowed to hang out on the ship and even have lunch if we wanted. We chose to go exploring instead but it was nice to have the choice.

There were no families on board but there were many different age groups which was nice. Roughly half the passengers were from the US, one quarter from Canada and the remainder from the UK and elsewhere.

I would choose Scenic again in a heartbeat.

Wine tour on a ship

Saw this Beautiful Bordeaux cruise whilst thumbing the Sunday Papers with an early bird 2 for 1. 

Had never been on a river trip but this trip was par excellence. Food staff and scenery ….oh and the all inclusive premium drinks and electric bike rides. First class overall. Bit of a pain going by train with early morning departure from St Pancras but all part of the journey . Brilliant electric bike tours with fabulous guides and wine tastings.

First rate food and wine selections with ample activities to suit all needs. This is a cruise for the older person.

Now considering another European river to explore and hope to go again soon.

Book early to get the better deals and sit back and enjoy. The amount of wines in Bordeaux are unbelievable and there is something there to suit every taste. Scenic certainly go the extra mile to make the holiday special.

Filters

1-10 of 84