A relative told us about it and asked if we wanted to join him and his wife on the trip. After examining the brochure and and talking to a travel agent about it we decided to go. We were not disappointed. Just about everything we experienced on the trip was wonderful. All the staff were fantastic, including the bus drivers with a special mention for the driver on the overland section through Switzerland and Austria by the name of Milos. By the time we joined the ship in Budapest we had got to know a great many of our fellow passengers. This enhanced the whole experience. The cruise itself was fabulous in all respects. All the staff on the ship were extremely friendly and helpful. There was some doubt initially about whether the water in the Danube was going to be deep enough. However our captain did a sterling job navigating us safely through the waterways. The ports we visited were many and varied with interesting excursions being available at all ports of call. Alternatively you could do your own excursion and wander through the town or village. Read Less

We were celebrating our honeymoon, the moment we set foot on the ship, we were transported into a world of utter luxury. We were doted upon and treated like royalty. George, the cruise manager, always greeted everyone with a friendly smile and answered all our questions. I am sure he would have also been quick to solve any issues but there were none. He was on top of everything. Everything was done effortlessly, or so it seemed, from my perspective. The staff was friendly, upbeat and Costi our restaurant server made me laugh, a discreet comedian, suggested food and drink, made me a toddy in the evening. He was a true delight. Vlad our attentive and intuitive butler knew or seemed to know what we wanted before we even expressed our thoughts. We was extremely professional and incredibly helpful. The food was stupendous! The chef came around and wanted our feedback. No wonder! The baked goods are to die for. The lamb, wow. The soups yummy. We loved everything about our trip! What a grand adventure. Sylvia the tour organizers took very good care of us. She took great pains to explain and plan the wonderful outings we enjoyed. Our suite was wonderful, ours was the Royal Panorama. It was spacious, kept spotless and generously supplied with anything one could possibly need. Our laundry was taken care of and returned promptly. The salt room felt wonderful after our massage. I could go on, but will stop here before I write a book. I am still suffering from Vlad ( our butler) withdrawal. If you enjoy a phenomenal adventure and want to feel coddled in luxury, then sign up. You will love it! Guaranteed. Read Less

Advertising led expectations that were not fulfilled. 1. Never docked near any major city attraction, 2. Going over and through other boats at dockside was difficult, 3. Long walks to buses which delivered you at great distances from your attraction. 4. Cabins very small. Limited storage space for clothing 5. Staff excellent, very attentive 6. Food spotty at times 7. This would have been an excellent value for money if not for the problems stated above. 9. Cruise director superior and well organized. Having to change from one boat to another in mid cruise was difficult since it necessitated totally packing up and leaving a crew that was starting to work well with the passenger core. This necessitated working with a new ships crew who in spite of efforts to be friendly showed some resentment at the passenger switch. When docked in tandem with any Viking ship, we were not allowed to pass through their lobby. This meant difficulty transferring their ship in order to get on shore. This only occurred with Viking ships. All others allowed us to pass through their lobby. 0ther boat personnel were happy to assist with our transit. Read Less

Our second river cruise and also with Scenic. This time on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel rather that the Danube. We have also done river cruises on the Mississippi, the Amazon and the St Lawrence as well as 20 ocean cruises However although we enjoyed our cruise overall I am not convinced that river cruising in Europe is about style over substance and because of that it was over 6 years since our cruise on the Danube. To start the pre-cruise administration lacks a lot of detail such as when you are going to be in a port/location and how long you will be there which means you can't really organise your visits particularly if there are things you want to see or do in a particular town or stop. Also information on all tours is not available until aboard ship. Yes tours may be included and a highlight of your itinerary but I like to plan my shore time. On board service is mixed with some very helpful and efficient staff with others just doing a job albeit diligently. It was most annoying to find that on our last full day the complimentary ironing service was not available and that bath robes had been removed - presumably to prepare for the next cruise - and without any notice. After all we had paid for the full cruise! The Jasper has three restaurants/cafes and a fourth if you count Table la Rive (only available by invitation) but the food is of variable quality and quantity. The evening a la carte menu had some of the smallest plate portions I have ever seen - mushroom tempura being one small mushroom on a bed of puree!? The food could also be warmer and there are no choices of side vegetables although there are some standard off-menu items available. Portobellos is an Italian restaurant available to all but is more theatre than culinary with the waiters all claiming to be from Italy and the food being pretty standard Italian fayre. White and Rose wines in the restaurants are not always cold enough. As wine is served throughout the restaurant by the glass the bottles are not returned to the fridge/ice bucket while waiting for someone else to request that wine. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style and here again the food could be warmer. Until I complained the plates were also cold although plate warmers were available but not switched on. At breakfast there was only one egg/omelette station sometimes resulting in long queues although the chef was very efficient and kept calm under pressure. Entertainment on board is low key with a permanent singer/keyboard player most nights supplemented by guest performers, sometimes if cruising during the afternoon. Unfortunately our musician, Enzo, was very poor. The guest Irish folk singer(Norman?) was very good and the crew band were also good. Tours were reasonable with app hearing devices which were good but sometime the guides were not very informative other than of what they wished to talk about e.g. no mention of free town tour trains or other city highlights. Also we visited Strasbourg on a Sunday when just about everything was closed yet we were taken ashore at 8.30am. The actual guided tour lasted just over 1 hour and we were then left 2 hours free time in a deserted Strasbourg. To be balanced there are however a number of good aspects: spacious (unlike standard suites) Junior Suites with Scenic Sun Lounge, free mini-bar, butler service, leisurely cruising, ship berthing close to most city centres. Also the tours app could be used along the river to point out and narrate points of interest. Darinka our Cruise Director was always available and tried to be helpful but she did seem to treat us as schoolchildren and tended to use 10 words when one would do. The cruise along the Rhine was interesting but apart from the section of the gorge where all the castles are it is not overall as scenic as the Danube. In conclusion although Scenic and other river cruise lines claim to provide 5* luxury and gourmet dining with flexible itineraries that give you the freedom to pick and choose how you spend your time ashore I remain unconvinced and don't think they live up to those claims. Read Less

We had friends recommend this Scenic Cruise after their experience on board last year. They were so right, it was a wonderful experience. We had never been on a river cruise, being very independent travelers, but Scenic was a perfect fit for us. You could choose any of the offered excursions, or adventure on your own using their e-bikes. Every excursion left exactly at the time stated, and returned to the boat at the precise time scheduled. The local guides were knowledgeable and added much local flavor to the tours. We can not compliment the ship's staff enough! They worked together beautifully, always with smiles, truly wanting to make the trip memorable for you. The cabins were very well appointed, perfectly designed to maximize the space, with quality amenities. The meals were delicious with many choices, and beautifully served. Be sure not to miss the sorbet dessert! I think the camaraderie of the crew carried through to the guests. Everyone was so congenial and welcoming to each other. Conversation flowed easily amongst the passengers who were mainly Canadians, Brits, Aussies and Kiwis, with a few Americans as well. The shore excursions were excellent, onboard entertainment was very good, and a highlight was the evening a Palace was opened for the guests to explore and then attend a private concert! We arrived home and began looking at the Scenic catalog for another trip! Read Less

Due to a lock closure, we were transferred from Jasper to Ruby from a deluxe balcony suite to a balcony suite. We found a cheque from Scenic on our return home without a covering letter and were disappointed with the amount since it was far smaller than the one received from Emerald (this was for a much smaller inconvenience caused by low water levels in 2015). The suite on the Jasper was very nice except for a tiny basin which made it difficult to shave without bumping into the shelf above the basin. The basin on the Ruby was far better in size. On this trip the gentle walkers should have been assigned to a coach before leaving the ship rather than trying to find the right group when all the coaches arrived at their destination on shore. At least one tour guide was unsympathetic to the "gentle" group and was more concerned in covering her tour at a normal pace. We hoped to see the horses in action at the Spanish riding school in Vienna but nobody told us the horses rest on Mondays even though we booked this option months ahead!! Other than the above, the excursions were very interesting, entertainment on board was very good (except for the pair from Vienna who did not perform much Viennese songs). The waltz lesson and the Sound of Music features were particularly very good. Great care was taken with respect to our diet which included a daily printout of what is allowed from the menu. In both ships, the cabin crew were first class. Disembarkation was very well organised. It would be better to include port charges in the price of a tour rather than be surprised at the time of booking about the extra cost. Read Less

A year ago we'd never heard of Scenic and were comparing many cruise offerings for May of 2019. Fortunately my travel advisor suggested considering Scenic along with many other cruise companies I was comparing. Hands down, this cruise never disappointed and was superb! We had invited first-time river cruiser friends to join us (with some trepidation as we'd never been on a Scenic cruise). They were quite impressed as were we. Compared to our previous two river cruises, Scenic was an exceptional experience! Our stateroom was beautiful with spaciously creative designs. Personnel were friendly and professional. All excursions were well thought out and very enjoyable. Food was very good - not gourmet, but regionally representative, delicious and beautifully presented. Being an all-inclusive river cruise took most of the guest work out of this trip. The weather was spectacular and I truly cannot believe any Rhine River cruise could have delivered more than the sights and experiences we had. Next year we'd like to enjoy a Seine River/Normandy cruise and with what we now know Scenic will be our go-to company for river cruises from this time forward! Read Less

We were invited by some friends to join a group that was planning to cruise the Rhine River from Zurich to Amsterdam, so we decided to go. Our travel agent booked us on the Scenic Jasper with the rest of the group. From the moment we stepped on board on 5/8 until we got off the ship, it was a truly wonderful time. Our cabin was spacious and well designed, and it was kept spotlessly clean and supplied by the housekeeping staff. The ship itself was in immaculate condition, and the lounges and dining areas were extremely clean and comfortable. The staff, starting with the tour director, Tadej, and our assigned butler, Marko, all the way through the wait staff, bartenders, chef and kitchen crew. maintenance staff, and every other staff member, were all extremely personable and attentive to the needs of the guests. We were made to feel most welcome on board and valued as customers. The activities that were planned were interesting and informative, and were well planned and organized. There were several evening during which local entertainment was brought on board, and those occasions were thoroughly enjoyed. One night we were bussed to a concert hall at which we were entertained by two highly talented opera singers and a classically trained pianist. It was a very moving experience. The food and beverages on board were simply outstanding. Each night before dinner was served, Chef Bogdan came out and addressed the passengers with a preview of the meal; the wine steward described for us the wine and food pairings; and Cruise Director Tadej informed us of the next day's ship movements, available activities and individual options. The staff's attentiveness to the wants and needs of the passengers was impressive. My wife and I completely and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and we are already planning to take another cruise with Scenic. And we are going to recruit another circle of friends and relatives to join us. When we left the ship for the last time, it was a difficult moment because we had been embraced so well by the staff and now we had to leave them. We will be back! Read Less

We booked this late April trip because it coincided with tulip season in Amsterdam's Keukenhof Gardens and because we had wanted to see the Moselle River valley. Even in April, this river cruise was very pleasant even though it wasn't grape harvesting time. The weather was quite nice (around 9-14C degrees), with no rain while sightseeing. Deciduous trees had leafed out and grape vines were just starting to show leaf growth. At this time of year, there was no issue about water levels, so common a post on this website. We are repeat customers of Scenic so we knew how wonderful the ship, the food, the crew, and the excursions would be. We were not disappointed. The itinerary on this 15 day Moselle River also had ports of call that were different from the Rhine River cruises and were of interest to us especially excursions to medieval Bruges, Holland's Delta Works Project, Zollverein coal plant, Roman Trier, and WWII site in Arnhem (Bridge too Far). A special evening outing is always included and on this trip it was to attend a concert at Rastatt Palace and to see some of its rooms. Another reason we return to Scenic river cruises is that there are no additional costs after one has paid the cost of the cruise like tips for crew and guides, cost of cocktails and specialty coffees, and excursions. We also find that even when airfare is included and arranged by Scenic, the company works with its customer to provide a flight they are happy with - time of flight, airline, and any deviations wanted at no additional costs. Scenic's documentation provided to customers is excellent from invoices to trip overview packages. We also like the number of discounts that can be used against the cost of the cruise like the $200 credit voucher per person received right after the trip and vouchers for attending information sessions. CABIN REVIEW: We had a regular balcony cabin, mid-ship, top level. The room was quiet at night. I liked that the window could be opened for fresh air as I am not a fan of air conditioning. The room has lots of room for storing personal belongings. We like the extra sitting room that the balcony provides as the glass fold-up doors are rarely closed. The 2 mesh chairs on the balcony are just fine for sitting on and look smart too. The tiled shower is spacious with a rain shower head and detachable shower head, and a retractable clothes line, but the size of the sink in the bathroom limits hand washing to delicates. Although there is no coin laundry onboard, the ship does provide laundry service - paid per item, but also 1 kg bag of clothes for free one time only. The bed and feather pillows are comfortable. We store the suitcase under the bed as it is high enough off the floor. Cabin stewards come in the morning and during suppertime to tidy up. A butler is assigned to each cabin whose duties include some ironing of clothes, polishing shoes, bringing room service meals/drinks. I enjoy having a computer supplied by the company in my room with acceptable WIFI. This computer also provides TV programs, movies, music, the day's program on it. The room includes the use of a terry robe and slippers per person. There is a large umbrella in the cabin plus walking/hiking sticks. Wine glasses, drinking glasses, ice bucket, of course, are at hand as well. The room has electrical outlets for both American appliances and for other outlets that need the 2 pronged round adapters. There were sufficient outlets for all of our handhelds We will continue to be repeat Scenic customers. We have another trip planned - Moscow to Stalingrad for next year. Future travelers should be aware that Springtime has its colds so bring your favorite cold medication along. Read Less

I am a travel agent. I knew they were great but honestly they were even better than I expected. Their service was fabulous. The staff is above and beyond and constantly outdid themselves. Scenic left no stone un-turned. The wine selection was excellent, the food was excellent and the cabin was super comfortable. Two weeks went by in a flash. The wait staff in the lounge and in the dining room were always smiling, always willing to please and very friendly. We especially were impressed with Dejan in the dining room and Richy and Cynthia. Nemanja was a great waiter in the lounge. Marko was our butler and sooo good. Marina, the assistant hotel manager knew our name on day 2 and always addressed us as such. Giovanni was a treat- so efficient-so charming. The excursions were fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed meeting people from all over Australia, Canada and the UK.. I really hope we get another opportunity to do this again. It was an amazing experience. Read Less

Exceptional service, the best we've ever had, and we've been on over 20 cruises. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the crew. The cruise director insisted on carrying the 2 cups of tea i was taking to my cabin, even though she had just come back from a hike with other guests, and still had her coat and bag on. The hotel manager was everywhere, greeting guests, assisting crew, assisting chef, always there. The crew were clearly happy to be there. Attention to detail was incredible. People with gluten allergies didn't need to ask for anything. They had different freshly made gluten free bread provided to them each meal without asking, and recommendations made to them at meal time. The food was fabulous, with interesting local dishes added to the menus. Any type of drink you desired all day long, and nothing measured if you wanted free poured. There were quality wines, something I was concerned about, since it said local wines, and were were travelling through Germany, and I drink red. Really good selection of reds from all over Europe. My husband likes single malt scotch, and there were at least 3 good quality ones, not just the gold/blue label and blends offered on most ships. Outstanding entertainment and shore excursions. Everything was first class, nothing was second rate. Everything was included. The only trip we picked that we weren't fond of was the Loisium wine tour we picked. It was a little Disney'ish, and the wine tasting wasn't up to much. The views along the river were wonderful, as were the lovely ports were stopped in. We stayed in an river view cabin, on the lowest deck. The room was very small, so not really comfortable to spend a lot of time in. The lounge made up for this. It was the living room of the ship, and very comfortable to sit in to read, chat with other guests, etc. The ship itself was lovely. Crew were always cleaning, painting, up keeping all the time. Read Less

We choose this particular trip for three reasons. First, we specifically wanted a Christmas market trip in Germany. The itinerary and length of trip matched exactly what we had in mind. Second, when looking at various trips the partnership between Scenic and National Geographic had strong appeal for us. Finally, in reviewing the Scenic Cruise line, their amenities and full service approach it all added up to booking with them. Once the initial booking was made it could not have been any more organized and easier. Every detail was captured and managed by Scenic. We chose to make our own airline arrangements but once made they added it to our itinerary and took care of connections from airport to hotel, hotel to ship and back again. It was as close to having private trip planner managing all the details as it could get. One month before we were to sail, we received detailed instructions and recommendations at our home. Once we boarded the plane to travel to Germany, Scenic really took care of everything after that. Arriving at the ship, the embarkation was smooth and fast. It could not have taken more than five minutes to check in and be escorted to our room. Their the staff assigned to us went over all the details of the room, what was available to us and how to contact them. The ship was modern, build in 2015, and immaculately clean. It remained that way throughout the trip. Our junior balcony suite was spacious and comfortable. We had plenty of room for our clothes and to spread out, including a glass lined balcony. The first evening and every evening after that the cruise director went over details for the next days itinerary and options. Each stop had several choices for guests to take advantage of ranging from fully guided tour to complete free time. Everything was completely organized and clear. After that talk, in the evening, a summary of what was said was placed in our room to help us remember. Also, there were countless staff available to answer any questions and help with any issue. On board each day were culturally related entertainment that were tied to the area we were in. Each offering was of high quality and enjoyable. In addition, two National Geographic experts on board gave presentations on the cruise that also were tied to the trip and region. They also accompanied us on our shore excursions and were available for any discussion. Shore entertainment excursions were also of the highest quality in wonderful settings. An example would be a private concert in a palace in Vienna that included an orchestra, opera and waltz. Really breathtaking. All shore excursions whether entertainment or informational were well organized with simple instructions. If informational local guides were well prepared, professional and highly informative. Food and drink on board were excellent and plentiful. As with the trip, we could have as much or as little as we wanted. Always great quality, the chef and other staff were also readily available for us to discuss the menu and quality. If we wanted special orders they were fulfilled with no problem. This was an excellent cruise from start to finish. Professional crew, focused on us having a great time really brought it all together. We would definitely recommend this trip and use Scenic again... Outstanding. Read Less

Joined friends on a Christmas Market River Cruise. We had booked two nights pre cruise and two nights post cruise in local hotels.Three days before we left home, Scenic changed our hotel from a 5 Star to a 3.5 star hotel. the business office insisted that this was considered an upgrade for us. The two nights were over $650. USD Embarkation as well as disembarkation were very smooth. The cruise director, Richard Gray, could not have been more accommodating. The ship is Lovely, and the cabin adequate.The service level is very high. All the staff were top notch. As there are drought conditions in Europe, the River levels can be an issue. We were prepared pre-cruise, that there could be an alternate itinerary. As it turned out this cruise was the first all season,to make the entire cruise on the river. There is much hype about their special pillows. Problem was that they ran out of the special down pillows on the first day. There is also much hype with regards to the cuisine. They should tone that down a bit. The buffets are good. Much selection for breakfast and lunch. You also have an option of ordering of a "special menu". Menu items were not freshly prepared. In general there is an issue of cold food. If there is a special menu offering Eggs Benedict, it is a reasonable expectation that the dish will be freshly prepared. That was not the case. The eggs were cold and overcooked. The food needs help. Read Less

Wanted to cruise from Budapest to Neuremberg on the Danube. We spent more time on a coach than on the river. In fact we only 'cruised' for 4/5 hours in daylight during the whole 7 days. Please check carefully water levels before you book. We were not advised of any problems until less than 24 hours before departure. We would have expected to be contacted and offered the possibility of cancellation due to the circumstances. Fortunately for us the weather was great and we were able to make good use of the electric bicycles that were available. This enabled us to see some of the countryside along the river. Shuttle bus services were put on which we used to visit local towns. Instead of sitting on a coach for up to 3/4 hours. Remember if you book a balcony suite you could be docked for hours/dayd looking into someone else's balcony on another cruise boat. Talking to other passengers who had cruised with National Geographic before, this partnership left a lot to be desired. Their representatives were very pleasant though. Be very wary if you have an intolerance or allergy to certain foods. My experience was difficult to say the least. Read Less

We chose this cruise line because rated as a "luxury all inclusive" line. Just prior to leaving, we read on Cruise Critic that our ship (the Jasper) was not in position for our cruise. We then called Scenic who confirmed that indeed we would not be on the Jasper (built 2015/2016) but rather on the Crystal (built 2012). We were on this ship for only two nights before we were told we would have to repack to transfer to the Ruby (built 2009). The staff on the Crystal must have known we were only going to be with them for 2 days because they seemed disinterested. The cabins on both these ships were smaller than what we paid for on the newer Jasper. There was also no pool on either ship unlike the Jasper. We have been on 23 ocean cruises with numerous cruise lines and have always found the food satisfactory; this is the FIRST time we have been disappointed with the quality and variety of the food! However, the service on the Ruby exceeded what we experienced on most of our ocean cruises. We understand that low water levels can't be controlled, and we were happy that we didn't get bused from town to town, at no time did anyone from Scenic offer a rebate given we had paid a higher price for booking on the Jasper. Given our experience mentioned above as well as some other minor issues, we will not book another river cruise. Read Less

An acquaintance recommended Scenic to me. We chose the Danube cruise with the Prague extension. Our first problem was arriving at Frankfurt airport: there was a holiday in Germany and as a result three long delays to get to our gate, so we missed our flight. Then Prague was unseasonably cold and many of us were not dressed for it. We had many upsides in Prague. The breakfast buffet was really excellent at the Marriot and the tour guide gave us insight into Czech culture given the Hapsburgs, Hitler, and Soviet invasion and domination. Due to low water levels, we were bussed from Prague to Passau, rather than to Regensburg and at the end of the cruise, we had to be bussed to Budapest, instead of cruising. We covered less than 30% of the river than planned! Scenic are compensating many of the passengers with a small refund. The itinerary changed very little from the plan: we had less time in Budapest, a stunning city, and we had the added option of exploring Passau, a very beautiful town. Regensburg was also very interesting. I was disappointed by the tours of Melk Abbey, Saltzburg and Vienna. The concert at Vienna was excellent. Mostly we cruised during the night but we did see the Wachau Valley which is truly beautiful. The breakfast and lunch buffets were excellent, while a la carte dinners were a bit mixed. When we eat at other locations it was also mixed. On the whole, I think Scenic staff did the best they could to entertain us and provide a 5 star experience. The meals on the boat and otherwise need some tweaking, and they now seem to be warning customers about low water levels in advance. Read Less

The water levels are low in Europe and itinerary disruptions are not the fault of Scenic, however what was controllable by Scenic was not well done for the most part. To Scenic's credit, tour director Richard worked his heart out to try and make the trip enjoyable for all and they are lucky to have him. The cabin was as advertised, small but comfortable. For anyone sailing in fall, skip these ships with the glassed in porch. You lose room and seldom open the windows, especially with all the flies in Passau! Dining was dreadful with food that was poorly prepared or of such small quantity that it became a subject of conversation amongst passengers. Even the specialty restaurant was not as good as the dining room on an Oceania ship. The dining room service was dodgy at best. Getting a second cup of coffee in the morning was near impossible and at supper the service looked like a fire drill with staff running here and there. Put this down to lack of staff. The excursions from day 3 to day 7 were as advertised. The endless bus trips the rest of the days did not make for great outings. e.g. Two hours in Regensburg instead of a day. To sum up, Scenic has very nice brochures but is very poor at delivering on the promise. Read Less

Chose this cruise as I wanted to cruise on the Danube from Nuremburg to Budapest. When we got picked up at Munich aiprort we were told that due to low water we would be bused to Passau so missed a large part of the cruise down the Danube. Then the ship only cruised for half a day during daylight hours. I thought there would be a lot more cruising during the day not at night and the tour descriptor did not make it clear that 90% of the cruising would take place in darkness. Once we got to Vienna again we were told the water was low so we would have to be bussed to Budapest which meant we had to retire early at night to pack our luggage to be taken off the boat at 0800hrs and board the buses at 0830hrs for a three and a half hour drive to Budapest. At Budapest we were taken on a rushed bus tour of Budapest and then taken to a hotel. Our luggage arrived later and again we were rushed to go onto a boat on the Danube for an evening meal. The boat was poor as was the meal. To say we were disappointed from start to finish with this cruise is an understatement. I am sure Scenic would have known about the low water levels on the Danube, the water just does not drop overnight. Scenic should have cancelled this sailing or we should have been made aware that changes would take place before we left the UK with the option to arrange other dates. Very poor Scenic, you put money before your customers. Read Less

Cruise had a great crew especially the Cruise Director, Richard Grey. Hotels in Prague and Budapest were good and well positioned in their cities. Food and service were good. Our guide in Prague was especially good. The Tailor Made devices are a good idea but don't work consistently. Scenic and all other cruise companies were impacted by low water levels on the Danube and although we were assured by customer service prior to our departure that the worst outcome would be a ship swap and that we would not be spending a lot of time on buses, we did in fact spend most of our week on buses. As it turned out, the only times we spent on this river were from Passau to Melk and from Melk to Vienna. We understand this was out of Scenic's control due to water levels. However, we missed our excursion to Nuremberg as we would have been on a bus for 8 hours to get there and back. It was two hours each way to Regensberg and we never did get to cruise the river from Vienna to Budapest and had to be bused there as well. We also missed out on a tour of the village outside Budapest. Again, we understand this was caused by low river water levels. However Scenic's River Cruise Guarantee in the form of compensation was totally inadequate. In the end, we received compensation for less than 10% of the value of our cruise. We paid luxury cruise prices for a river cruise that turned out to be more of a bus tour and we certainly did not receive 90%+ value for money. When i returned from our trip, i contacted customer service to register a complaint and was told that someone would respond that day. No one called. I was told to send an email to their customer service department and got an automated response that they would get back to me in two business days. I had to call them on the 4th day to get some action. In their River Cruise Guarantee, their Terms and Conditions state that they will not pay for claims arising directly or indirectly from: Consequential loss of any kind including loss of enjoyment.Their financial response to our loss of enjoyment is an insult to their customers. Their assumption that there is equivalency between a river cruise and a series of bus trips shows a complete lack of concern for a travelers enjoyment. If you are considering Scenic for your next cruise, be aware that if the trip goes off the rails even if it is not their fault such as river levels, they are not concerned about your loss of enjoyment as evidenced in the compensation that was offered. we have had a good experience with Avalon and we will go back to them on our next cruise. For anyone looking at this review, i would check out Avalon for your river cruise. Read Less

I believed that we were booking a 5 star cruise, we ended up on the worst experience in25 plus ocean cruises. Communication from Scenic was non existent. The day that we were flying to Budapest I called the Scenic office in Vancouver and the rep. Promised to call me when he got into the office. Well, he never called me, but I did receive a call from Nat. Geo. Who told me that we would be transferred from the airport in Budapest to a meeting room at the Marriott hotel where we would await others before we would be bussed to Vienna, a three hour bus ride after an overnight flight from North America. He told me that we would be on the Scenic Amber, which I knew was impossible as she was in Amsterdam, not Budapest. After that the cruise was downhill all the way. No daylight in the stateroom as we were moored to other ships in Vienna. The food was the worst I have experienced, poor choices, very poor quality. The farewell dinner was spaghetti with tomato sauce. I couldn’t believe it! We experienced only 3 hours of daylight sailing. The excursions were not what we were advised when we booked. The Butler was a joke as he was a butler/ waiter/ sailor. The Captain never showed for the Captains welcome cocktail party or the Captains farewell party, yet we did get to see him very often outside the wheelhouse on the sun deck having a smoke. This felt like a Mickey Mouse outfit, my apologies to the mouse, but it felt like we were sailing with a company that was in financial trouble. Read Less

Gems of the Danube river cruise (my husband and I were actual paying cruisers on the Jasper just 11 days ago. We were not compensated in any way to write this review) We did online research of several cruise lines. We were particularly looking at the excursions offered on various cruise lines. We felt Scenic offered a good variety of choices. Some active choices and some less active choices depending on how you're feeling. As expected the excursions were well thought out and executed. When traveling to a particular location we were aboard Volvo coaches. Very nice. Everything on the ship was done on time! Including embarkment and disembarkment, excursions, meals, entertainment, etc. Very nice. I can't say enough about the ship staff/crew. Super friendly! Every time we passed a staff member or had an encounter with one they smiled and greeted us. They genuinely seemed happy to be doing their job. We met some very interesting crew members. Funny and entertaining. Our cruise director was Richard from Yorkshire and he was so funny. He never got flustered either. Each room has a butler. The name of our butler was Graykor and he was very attentive. If you called him with a need he was at your door in a mater of minutes. The Hotel Manager on our ship was Marco and he assured that everything ran smoothly. And let us not forget the bartender. His name was Mikol (pronounced Me-Hi) and he was so funny. We loved getting to know him. I elected to have an optional massage during out first day of cruising to work out the knots from our traveling. The massage therapist did not disappoint. He gave an excellent deep tissue massage. Ahhhhh And the fee was no more then I would have paid here at home. The food! Oh the food. I miss it already. Excellent regional food. Buffet (excellent buffet food) or menu ordering for breakfast and lunch. And a fabulous menu of choices every night. The food and wine were paired as well. Twice during the cruise we received an invitation to a special dinner: Portobellos with restaurant manager Predrag Acimovic, and Table La Rive (for Diamond Deck cruisers) with Executive Chef Antonio Jones. An amazing dining experience with multiple courses. We really enjoyed the nightly entertainment too. Hungarian folk dancers, Viennese Waltz Dancers, Decades Disco with Enzo, Schuplattler Dancers, Trivia Challenge night, Music and dancing every evening throughout the cruise with Enzo at the piano. Last but not lease we made some wonderful friends and exchanged contact information. You know it's a wonderful vacation when you come home with new friends! I highly recommended Scenic Cruise Lines. It met and exceeded our expectations. I realize I used a lot of adjectives & exclamation points - but I'm still enjoying the wonderful memories we made on such a fun cruise! Read Less

We were very fortunate it was a gift from our children for our anniversary. The Cruise Director Richard was wonderful. He bent over backwards to negotiate the low river levels and other small problems. He was a delight in the lounge for the cruise briefings and had a terrific sense of humour. The meals were out of this world. The service and servers were outstanding. Our room was kept clean at all times. Our butler was always available and very affable. The lounge, bar staff and entertainment were exceptional. Now we shall save up for our next cruise with Scenic. We met a lot of wonderful people and had a terrific experience. We will definetly be referring our friends for Scenic. PS The guides and guided tours were great. The coaches were always there for us. The drivers were very polite and professional. Before we left for our tours we were given water or sparkling water and upon our return we were given hot towels and a treat. We have never been pampered so much in our lives. Read Less

We had been on one before and were very happy with it. The service is excellent and we wanted to see places that we had never been to before. We knew that the shore excursions would be interesting and the service on board would be good. There was only one little thing that we found fault with, and that was at breakfast we often had to wait some time before our tea and coffee was served. Other than that the service was excellent. The entire staff on the ship were always friendly, helpful and courteous. In fact one of the waiters, Marko went overboard in providing us with not only good service but he was always entertaining us with quick little stories. We were also always informed of any changes that had to be made and also were always given information about each day’s activities. All our wishes were met and we had a wonderful time. Read Less

Friends choose this cruise. The ship was in very good condition, and the rooms were large for a river cruise and well laid out, shower was good sized. Good points regarding the cruise: Good ports and high quality excursion guides Breakfast and Lunch were easy to serve yourself and there was an abundance of food The local entertainment on the ship was well done, offered on 2 evenings Two concerts that were very well done Truly all inclusive The notes below are observations, please take them as such. Poor points regarding the cruise (some of these will not apply to you, they did to us) Before the cruise Scenic did not communicate with us in regards to changing the ship,(we were originally on the Amber which is one year newer) our documents arrived late (this didn't really matter since you didn't need to have them to get on the ship) and the water was so low that we did not get to one of the ports (they seem to be okay with this it was just a quirk of the river level, however we had paid for insurance for just this reason and were not given a chance to back out and had called repeatedly to ask for updates) The cabin - see below Dining - as a vegetarian I was disappointed in the dinner food. The service was slow and the staff in the dining room was lacking in training. I am not sure with all the changes in itinerary was helpful. The food case at the bar never looked like the pictures. They had an evening meal for each of us in another section and it was called the Portofino restaurant -- the service and food there were excellent and the levet we had expected the entire cruise to be at Director -- He was great, but the constant changes were difficult to keep up with Shore excursions -- these were mainly overview of each area. The concert was lovely, however it had been moved and the dancers were on the main level with the seating so if you a few rows back it was difficult to see. We had an organ concert that was exceptional Public rooms -- these were very nice, however there was really no where in the evening for a group who would like to play cards, you couldn't use the dining room and often the entertainment was loud. All in all, having been on other river cruises I was not as impressed as I had hoped to be for the additional price. Read Less

My wife and I booked an 11-day Scenic Gems of the Danube cruise as a 20th anniversary present to ourselves. It was recommended by my travel agent. This was also a trip that was on our bucket list. Just a few days before leaving for our trip, I was advised by my travel agent that the rivers in Europe were experiencing low water levels due to the hot, dry summer. We were scheduled to be on the Scenic Amber; however, we were told we would likely have to "swap" ships. After arriving in Prague, we were told that we would be on the Scenic Jasper as the Amber was stuck down river due to the low water levels. The ship was to travel down the Danube and stop along the way at cities such as Regensburg, Passau, Melk, Vienna and Budapest. Unfortunately, the low water levels prevented the ship from progressing past Regensburg. None of the river tour companies can control Mother Nature, but how they respond is key. There should have been a contingency plan to swap ships as standard operating procedure, and this did not happen. As a result of the ship remaining in Regensburg, the stops in Passau (including Salzburg), Melk, and Vienna were cancelled and even after the water level rose again, the ship only arrived in Budapest on the very last day when all passengers had to disembark. The company did offer coach rides to Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov. Since we originally had planned to visit Salzburg, we chose the coach ride there, which took hours to get to. As a result, the tour was rushed as we had to be back on the coach for the ride back. The coach rides to Vienna and Budapest were also very long and resulted in tours in which we felt very rushed. We were not able to visit Schonbrunn Palace as we had planned, and the tour guide in Budapest remarked that our tour was the fastest she had ever given. Some passengers were so disappointed at not having had a river cruise that they left the ship early and went home. We decided to stay on the ship and visit as many cities as possible, but it still wasn't the cruise we had hoped for. Each day, the cruise director called us into the lounge to announce the latest decision on what they would offer. This constant state of not knowing added to the stress of our vacation. As the cruise director stated, it was no longer a cruise, but an adventure. The ship itself was fine, although I don't think calling their ships "Spaceships" is justified as our cabin was much smaller than expected, based on the company's description. The service on the ship was fine, although one drink server was very unfriendly from the first day. The food was good, although the breakfast buffet didn't change. All beverages were included, which is nice as this is not the case on most ocean cruises. Read Less