Scenic River

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Terrific excursions

Puerto Montt

This was our second river cruise. In 2018, we booked Scenic for a Danube cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest. We had an excellent time despite low water levels in some parts of the river during that trip. This recent trip began with a single night extension in Paris at the Edouard 7 Hotel. This hotel was beautiful and in the heart of the Opera District.

The Scenic Gem is a beautiful ship although somewhat smaller than the ships on other routes, thus allowing it to enter the port at Honfleur. We did not notice any difference as the cabins and common areas appear to essentially match the larger ships. Transfer to the ship and boarding was seamless and comfortable and all were welcomed by the crew with glasses of champagne. 

Our cruise director, Mandy did an excellent job as did the hotel and restaurant staff for the duration of the cruise. The daily tours were very good with a wide variety of choices. We particularly enjoyed the American D-Day beaches tour as my wife's father landed on Utah Beach on D-Day.  Ben, our guide for this tour was especially informative and added much to the visit. 

The old Tailor Made hand-held units have been replaced with a smart phone app and the guides use a portable WiFi transmitter. This is a much better system and worked well for the tours. 

The food was excellent, even better than I recall on the Danube cruise. We made many friends during the trip and thoroughly enjoyed the company of fellow travelers from around the world. The only marginally negative aspect of the trip, and by no means a damper, was the weather. It rained on and off most days but with some sunshine, and the temperatures were relatively cool, calling for jackets or heavy sweaters.

After two river cruises with Scenic, we believe they provide an unsurpassable level of service, quality, and value, We cannot imagine booking with any other line and look forward to scheduling our next river cruise with Scenic in the near future.

Luxurious and Relaxing Tour of Normandy

Off ship excursions included a variety of options. Locations, frequently requiring long bus rides were worthwhile, despite inclement October weather.Tour guides were pleasant, helpful, and well informed. Our cruise director was excellent and staff would go out of their way to provide cabs, directions, maps, and walking tour suggestions.

Highlights included visits to Giverny, D day beaches, and Veax di Viconte.

Cabins were quiet and comfortable. However, the quality of drinking water provided in cabins and on board left much to be desired.  The water tasted stale and unpleasant. Scenic would be well advised to provide bottled water for general consumption.

Food and wine selections were first rate. Light lunch offerings were consistently good. The off ship concert entertainment was of a high quality and greatly appreciated by the audience. 

We would highly recommend this cruise to lovers of French history and culture.

Scenic provides an all inclusive cruise with excellent tour options for all interests and groups.

I've had the privilege of traveling throughout Europe over the years. These journeys typically involved extensive planning, such as: booking transportation, accommodation, and mapping out excursions and activities. Then, there’s the challenge of navigating transitions between towns; driving down narrow and unfamiliar streets (on the opposite side of the road in some countries); figuring out check in and check out times; living out of a suitcase; and trying to find high-quality yet reasonably priced dining options. While these trips were undoubtedly enjoyable, they often came with their fair share of hiccups and challenges.

However, our recent river boat cruise was a remarkable departure from the norm. It was an experience of unparalleled ease and smoothness. We steadily navigated the waters of the Seine, docking conveniently close to some of the most desirable destinations, and embarked on excursions to the historical treasures of Normandy, guided by informative and engaging guides. It was truly an 'all inclusive' experience with no additional costs once onboard.  

The cabins were thoughtfully designed, the bed was very comfortable and the patio was superb with an automatic window that provided an inside/ outside feel. The culinary experience was nothing short of fantastic. The Gem served up the most delicious lamb, beef fillet, and cheesecake I've ever tasted. We were impressed with the combination of flavors and presentation of the entrees. There’s always snacks available, conveniently located in the lounge.

What also set this experience apart were the people we had the pleasure of meeting on board, many of whom were part of the ship's crew. Their authenticity, engagement, and unwavering dedication to their roles left a positive impression. It's no small feat to maintain such passion and enthusiasm amidst their demanding schedules, but they consistently went above and beyond, including learning and adapting to our personal preferences.

Being in our early 40s we joked about how the average age on the river cruise would be a few decades our senior but we wanted to have this travel experience with my parents. Oddly enough I felt like we were the perfect age to appreciate and value it. Besides what I’ve mentioned already, the entertainment was on-point with nightly quizzes, live music, and late-night music requests and dancing. I would wholeheartedly encourage younger folks (40 plus) to consider this experience. It’s not a party boat by any means… but we definitely didn’t want it to be.

We are grateful for the unforgettable experience we've just had as a family at this time in our lives, from the hallowed beaches of D-Day to the enchanting beauty of Monet's gardens, and the cherished moments we shared on board. This trip will forever hold a special place in our hearts. To the wonderful staff: merci/ mulțumesc/ obrigado/ hvala vam/ thank-you!

A fantastic first cruise!  

The Paris and Normandy destinations was what we were drawn to. But having the scenic gem being all inclusive was such a big draw for us. The staff in both the restaurant and bar went above and beyond in the service     The daily tours were well managed and very informative.  I really enjoyed the Monet gardens.  Also the Canadian Juno site was really interesting and very well managed for the time we spent there. The private concert at the castle was a nice surprise. The two private dining experiences was an enjoyable experience. 

A special shout out to both Mandy and Jordana for making this trip such a wonderful experience 

The only problem we experienced was the pickup from the airport. The driver was an hour late and we wished he had our cell number to be able to text us that  he was stuck in traffic .  The hotel that scenic recommended was very helpful in getting information to us on the driver’s situation.

First river cruise 

Everything about this cruise from Paris -  Honfleur - Paris was excellent, with the exception of the food at dinner.

Superb staff that are welcoming, efficient, kind and always ready to offer assistance. Public areas, cabin and bathroom very well designed for space and comfort. Thoughtful amenities in the cabins such as hiking sticks and water bottles. Good entertainment offering on the cabin TVs.  An overall great ambience on board.  Arrivals and departures were particularly well handled, accommodating guest travel schedules with flexible arrival and departure times.

Interesting, well organised tours, with plenty of choice for all tastes and good guides.  

The only disappointment was the food. Breakfast and lunch were okay.  Dinners, where expectations are higher, were  low on flavour and not well prepared or presented. One exception was an excellent dinner in L'Amour, to which guests are invited once during a cruise.  Food and beverage service was very good at all times and in all areas.  

If food quality at dinner was improved, this cruise would be among the best we've taken. 

In spite of the above we departed this cruise feeling that we had an excellent experience with Scenic.

Excellent Itinerary, superior customer care

This cruise was recommended to us by friends.

We were extremely impressed with the quality and professionalism of the staff. We were met as soon as we landed at the airport and very quickly driven to the ship. Arrangements were also made for us to catch a train to Amsterdam at the end of the cruise. The ship is very clean and the room was very comfortable. Laundry services were readily available. 

The stops along the cruise were very well organized and enjoyable. We were particularly impressed with the trip to the DDay memorial and beaches. Also Giverny was beautiful, even in the rain. 

The food was excellent. The guides for each of the tours were very knowledgeable and informative. There is ample opportunity to tour on your own. We will definitely sail with Scenic Cruise again ( in fact heading to Amsterdam for another cruise when we finish this one).

Great cruise along the Seine.

What an outstanding cruise!  So glad a travel agent friend of ours clued us into this special experience.

This was our first-time river cruising and it was exceptional. Small ships are the way to go.

The crew was personable, smiling, and service-oriented at all times.

The ship was spotless. 

Food was fabulous, lots of variety. Plentiful choices for vegetarians. Restaurant Manager Cristian even gave us the dinner menu the day before to preview the veg items. Loved the River Cruise Café option for smaller, less formal lunches.

Cruise Director Mitch made the cruise the wonderful experience that it was! He was always available, super friendly, and even sang some evenings in the style of Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble!

Shore excursions were of various lengths and active levels, which was great. Even had “gentle” walking tours. Mitch gave us details of how much walking was involved. Tour guides were excellent. 

Loved the daily in-cabin itineraries, immediacy of hot water in the shower, onboard elevator, in-room TV with a river map showing our progress (and wi-fi availability), and the absence of plastic on the whole ship!

A priceless "Gem" of a vacation!

We shopped around quite a bit - considered Scenic, Avalon, Viking, Amadeus, AMA-waterways, and others. Ultimately chose Scenic because there was a timely Travelzoo (!) 50% off special going on during our booking. Boy, the vacation we had on the river cruise was well-worth the money spent (and looking back, probably also worth more than what we spent). 

We sought a Seine river cruise primarily because they offered the opportunity to visit where many Impressionist artists lived and painted, and also to learn / remember / pay respects to the brave Allied Expeditionary Force soldiers who fought and gave their lives on D-Day. (Brief itinerary overview: Paris - Les Andelys / Lyons-la-Foret - Rouen - Somme - Honfleur - Normandy Beach - Fecamp / Etretat - Vernon / Giverny / La Roche Guyon - Auvers-sur-Oise - Paris). I understand that this is a more-or-less standard port of call / excursion schedule for Seine river cruises but there wasn't a day where we did not thoroughly enjoy the excursions out. 

Our group was warmly welcomed at the dock by Mandy and crew. What a relief it was to have all the bags we were lugging around taken to our rooms for us, and handed a flute of cold champagne to start the unwinding and relaxation process. Can't emphasize enough how the entire crew's warmth and hospitality that began our trip continued unceasingly on all the way through to its end!

Mandy, the activities coordinator, has a daily briefing in the afternoon which is a combination happy hour / overview of what's to come in the next day. Happy hour aside, I highly recommend attending them for the information. Ben Baillie, one of the tour guides for the Rouen / Somme / Normandy / Fecamp portions of the cruise, expertly describes what it was like to be a soldier in World War I during one of the briefings. I highly recommend that you participate in the tours that he leads because he has a knack for making history come alive, and learning fun (my children, who are usually bored by everything, said that the WWI / WWII parts of the cruise were their favorite excursions / moments. That says something!).

All of our meals were exquisite. Breakfast is buffet style, and in addition to daily staples - bread / jam, ham, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, bacon, an egg-bar, vegetables - there are rotating cereals, oatmeal, and other items to keep variety. Lunch, when it happens on the ship, is typically upstairs in the lounge. There are always snacks served in the afternoon and the bar is always open during the daytime ! Dinner is when Chef Andre and his staff, including restaurant manager Mihai and his group of ever-polite servers (we particularly liked Veselin, who warmly connected with my son, as well as Slovodan, who doesn't say much but has a goofy sense of humor), shine brightly. Though you can always order more, the portions always seemed to be just right! Appetizer - Main Course - Dessert (plus a few here or there during gala dinners) and we were full but not overstuffed! On the occasions we did ask for more, the staff always came through and brought portions enough for our entire family. Really appreciated the thoughtfulness in their service for us!

I suppose it is also standard river cruise practice to turn over the room once in the morning and then again around dinnertime. That said, the housekeeping staff is also very good and professional (see a recurrent theme!), keeping our room clean and linens changed each day. I really appreciate the extra care they take in folding up / organizing clothes, shoes, or other items left out in the room. Other details about the room I listed below, and I will also add that my family really enjoyed going up to the sun deck especially after dinner as the weather was just perfect (15 - 20 C daily) and the long summer nights made for a truly enjoyable breath of fresh air while sailing. When it was raining, the staff has an ample supply of large umbrellas (don't need to pack your own) ready for your use. I feel like they thought of everything!

If I have any nits to pick about the trip, there are two small ones and one word of caution. 

The first is not about the ship, but rather the itinerary. The Fecamp / Etretat excursion happens in the morning, returning just after lunch. Most of the morning is spent touring the Benedictine (not the monastery, but the distillation site for the drink) and I would have preferred to spend more time in Etretat appreciating the beauty of the cliffs, perhaps even hiking up to the church on top. It was quite rushed and I think that offering folks a choice to go to one or the other may have been more preferable for me.

The second is about the guides. Perhaps this is because Ben shines so well as a guide, but the others felt a bit more lower energy.

My word of caution has to do with accessibility of the ship and some of the excursions. The stairs going to the sun deck, and sometimes disembarking the ship, can be steep. There is a fair bit of walking involved with some of the excursions as well. We didn't have any issues but since for much of the clientele for river cruises a fall may cause serious issues, just be careful!

Otherwise, I want to reiterate that our family had a fantastic time and we would love to be waited upon hand and foot for another Scenic cruise in the future!

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

We chose this cruise for the destination--Paris to Normandy, and for the quality of the food, wine, service, day excursions and entertainment...all excellent.

All of the crew were gracious all of the time to passengers, taking the extra step to make everything wonderful for each of us.  

Day excursions went to important places and were planned well--coordinated buses, excellent knowledgeable tour guides who were locals and well informed.  Most all days there was a choice of 2 or 3 different excursions, all interesting.

Electric assist bikes were available at many ports along with a brief lesson for those who can ride a bike but never rode electric.

A pianist played at lunch and after dinner in a lovely lounge.  Other entertainment was also brought in a couple of nights--for example a parisian singer and a 60 rock group.

The cruise director seemed to know everyone and was always ready to assist with particular needs.  She organized the most amazing disembarkation--specialized to each passengers needs.

Overall excellent

Chose this cruise because the ship went to Normandy, and we had never been to Paris. The ships was fairly new, and was excellent in every way.  All inclusive, so never paid for anything else but a little laundry,  cruise director Valerie, was exceptional.  Food and beverage was outstanding.  I think you would be hard pressed to find a better cruise line than scenic.  I would highly recommend this cruise line.  Shore excursions were handled by experienced professionals who were very well versed on subject matter.  Ship could have had a few more onboard activity’s.  Average age of travelers was about 75.  All of the employees were helpful and courteous.  We have cruised on larger ships before, but never again.  Smaller river cruise is better, we were double parked many times with other ships, and very few were as nice as scenic.  Tauck was the only other one that looked as nice, but the ship was older.

Normandy

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