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Scenic Gem Review

4.0 / 5.0
70 reviews
See all photos
Editor Rating
4.0
Very Good
Overall
Sue Henly
Contributor

Scenic Gem is the smallest of Scenic's "Space-Ship" fleet. It is specifically designed to sail all along the Seine River from Paris right into the port of Honfleur at the mouth of the river; many of the other river cruise ships must dock upriver and transport their passengers to Honfleur by bus. Catering to 128 passengers, it is one of the most spacious ships on the Seine, in terms of the ratio of number of passengers to the size of the ship. It always feels like there is plenty of room onboard.

Scenic Gem delivers the same all-inclusive luxury experience as all the other Scenic river cruise ships, including butler service; a wide choice of complimentary drinks; spacious, well-designed rooms with private Sun Lounge balconies with sliding-glass window; all shore activities and tipping/gratuities.

Shore activities are diverse with excellent guides, whose tours are accessed via an ingenious Tailormade GPS system with headphones. These same devices provide interesting insights into the riverside landscape and ports for self-guided tours.

The level of service is excellent, and the staff is always friendly and professional. The atmosphere is calm and low key, and no announcements over the loudspeaker interrupt your voyage. The ship's motor is also whisper quiet. The decor is unobtrusive.

Pros

Spacious, well-designed cabins; exceptional service and shore excursions

Cons

The food, while plentiful, is not fabulous; live music is disappointing

Bottom Line

Excellent service, plus ship's small size means it can sail to Seine estuary in Honfleur

About

Passengers: 128
Crew: 44
Passenger to Crew: 2.91:1
Launched: 2014
Shore Excursions: 40

Sails To

Sails From

Fellow Passengers

Scenic Gem caters to cruisers of all ages, although most passengers tend to be over 50. Clientele is multinational, including Australian, British, Canadians and Americans. Programs and announcements are in English.

Scenic Gem Dress Code

During the day, the dress code is casual and comfortable, and passengers are strongly advised to dress in layers and to be prepared for rain at any time. Umbrellas are provided in each cabin. Guests tend to dress up for evening drinks and dinner, with women wearing smart casual dresses or pants and a blouse and men wearing jackets, collared shirts and slacks. Ties are not necessary.

Scenic Gem Inclusions

Just about everything is included in a Scenic Gem cruise: unlimited beverages, butler service, shore excursions, e-bikes, airport transfers, gym, Wi-Fi, tips and gratuities. Only absolute top-shelf drinks, hair salon and spa treatments are extra. The onboard currency is the euro.

Drinks, including Champagne, can be enjoyed free throughout the day. Complimentary mini-bars are restocked daily.

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More about Scenic Gem

Where does Scenic Gem sail from?

Scenic Gem departs from Paris

Where does Scenic Gem sail to?

How much does it cost to go on Scenic Gem?

Cruises on Scenic Gem start from $5,457 per person.
Scenic Gem Cruiser Reviews

Excellent Itinerary, superior customer care

In spite of the above we departed this cruise feeling that we had an excellent experience with Scenic.Read More
WashingtonTraveler

10+ Cruises

Age 80s

Great cruise along the Seine.

We will definitely sail with Scenic Cruise again ( in fact heading to Amsterdam for another cruise when we finish this one).Read More
Rehoboth1

First Time Cruiser

Age 70s

So much fun! First time river cruiser and loved it!

We shopped around quite a bit - considered Scenic, Avalon, Viking, Amadeus, AMA-waterways, and others. Ultimately chose Scenic because there was a timely Travelzoo (!)Read More
Qiu-Shiang

First Time Cruiser

Age 40s

A priceless "Gem" of a vacation!

Restaurant Manager Cristian even gave us the dinner menu the day before to preview the veg items.Even had “gentle” walking tours.Read More
Amy D.

First Time Cruiser

Age 40s

Scenic River Fleet
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