Chose this cruise because it included everything. We feel we are now spoiled for any other company.Low water levels meant we couldn't cruise between Regensburg and Passau so we were stuck in Passau for a few days. Scenic handled it brilliantly and bussed those who wanted to see Nuremberg .We chose to do the extra trip to Passau which is beautiful. The ship was very modern and stable .Didn't feel any movement . Only heard noise going through the locks . Excellent showers in the cabins,wonderful beds. I thought my bed at home was soft until last night when the mattress felt hard in comparison. The food and wine plentiful. I put on six pounds in weight. Brilliant pianist,Mark, every night.. The classical concert at the Palace Liechtenstein in Vienna is memorable. Hungarian dancers on our last night. Great fun. Loved the great mix of people on board everyone was so friendly. I have left the best to last. The marvellous crew. They couldn't do enough for you. Always smiling,always friendly. We have been cruising many years,Twenty five in all, mostly ocean cruises and all the different companies . This was our first with Scenic .Hubby has now stated any future ones will be with Scenic. Read Less

The experience was first class.when there was an issue the team made it disappear as best the could, like low water level. The service was second to none from the time we first met the team until the end. Food was fantastic and wine options great. The crew people made the difference and we have already booked our second cruise. The rooms were very good and well thought out as for the best usage of the space. The ship facilities were all there, pool, spa, gym, etc. Nightly entertainment was great with special presentations on some occasions. All the excursion options were good and well planned out. Again, the service of sf the boat was second to none and the cruise director JJ was excellent. The excursions ere great and options very well presented each and every day. The dining options ere good and the food falntastic. Recommend this to anyone. Read Less

We chose this River Cruise on the recommendation of our Travel Agent and because it was "all inclusive". That included EVERYTHING and all was fantastic. This ship is only 3 years old and beautiful, really nice cabin arrangement (we were on the Diamond deck). We especially noticed the difference when compared to other ships on the river. Fantastic service from all personnel from top to bottom. Our butler brought coffee precisely on time each morning and immediate service for everything from ice to extra supplies for the mini fridge. Once the service people knew what we liked, the mini was "custom" stocked to our requirements. We can't say enough about the food, there were two special meals for each passenger during the voyage and they were way above anything we would do on our own. One was a full 5 course meal with a different and special wine for each course. Entertainment was great every night with our on board performer (Mark) and 4 nights there were additional local demonstrations. We also were treated to two performances just for our group during shore excursions. We are already looking into our next trip with Scenic!! Read Less

We chose this cruise line after asking many people which cruise line they would suggest. This was the number one cruise line that was suggested to us. It was a bit more than other cruise lines but everything was included. You did not ever have to take out your wallet unless you wanted to buy something for yourself. The food was absolutely amazing and the staff felt like family by the end of the cruise. They took an extra effort to get to know you and to remember your name. There was a lot of excursions to choose from and they were all included and were excellent. Their buses were waiting for you at each stop and they were the top of the line buses with excellent drivers. It was such a relaxing time and amazing to sit up on the top deck with a glass of wine and watch the beautiful scenery along the Danube river. The service was top notch. Anything you asked for was brought to you immediately. We were on the second floor and our room was quite roomy. The beds were king size and very very comfortable. There was local entertainment brought on to the boat at nearly every port and was quite enjoyable. There was always a piano player as well. I would highly recommend this cruise line. This is the first trip I have ever taken that I was not ready to go home. I could have stayed for at least another week or longer!! Read Less

Wow! I have never been so spoiled! It was amazing, I truly believe that every staff member wants you to have the absolute best time are there to make sure it happens. From the initial greeting when we got to the boat to the time we left. One of the highlights was When the chef would come out after each port talk and let you know the culinary masterpiece that he had prepared for you that evening. We were never hungry... The wait staff were always very attentive and polite and never left you wanting for anything (my husband may have had a couple of 2 dessert nights). The wine glasses were never empty. The excursions were top notch with really great guides. The cruise director JJ did such a great job of explaining all the possible excursions the first night that we actually ended up changing a couple of our choices and were not disappointed. The room and ship were luxurious and tastefully decorated. It was worth every dollar spent and I would definitely go on another scenic cruise. Read Less

Essentially took this tour with another couple who where wanting to celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary. Despite the fact our airplane arrived well over an hour late in Prague the very approachable Scenic representative was their to greet us and take us to the local hotel. Likewise for the balance of the trip all the services from presentations by the Cruise Director, departure for excursions to opening of the restaurants were completely on time and very timely. The Chef on our cruise provided an excellent array of culinary delights both on the buffet and a la carte services. The cut on everything from slices meats to vegetables and dessert items was flawless. I inquired with the Chef who frequently made table checks about the "secrets" about a "Clear Tomato" that was being served for lunch. Chef Broccoli was most generous and provided a recipe for this exceptional soup. The effort put in by the entire staff of our trip was 110%. They worked well as a team and professional ignored the occasional unthinking and too casual guest. My only concern would be that the dining room was a slight bit noisy and congested and that for "older" folks (70 +) might find it tiring after more than a week. Likewise the rooms will be a tad small for those on the "heavier or tall" side. The Tailormade Scenic software very innovative and highly effective. I only recently have been using a smart phone but found it enhanced the trip. The system was occasionally nonfunctional when listening to the tour guides in large congested areas. However the information and pictures while sailing down the picturesque Danube River very complementary. Did find the survey questionare at the end of the tour rather long and time consuming. I thought it might take 20 minutes to complete but it had so many questions that I ran out of time and had to omit the last quarter of the survey. Cabin balcony excellent. Really liked the size, the glass, even the comfortable chairs. Read Less

Never heard of Scenic but travel agent recommended because of balcony, dates and itinerary. Spotlessly clean and outstanding service! Beds are so comfortable and balcony is so enjoyable. We had the perfect view of Parliament in Budapest when we entered our room and the view at night was spectacular! Enjoyed meeting and spending time with like minded passengers who appreciate high quality and service. We enjoyed taking the bikes on our own in Vienna so having some free time was appreciated. We were pleasantly surprised to find we could board ship early and have lunch before embarkation so we didn’t have to walk around Budapest with our luggage. Early morning coffee in our rooms was delightful from our butler who also provided ice and snacks every afternoon in a timely manner. Entering locks was a new experience especially from the outside deck on top of ship. We even visited the Captain in the wheelhouse. Read Less

We chose this as our first river cruise as it was an area that I wanted to visit - Prague, Vienna, Budapest. We chose Scenic based on good word of mouth references and the all inclusive feature. The operational aspects and service from being greeted at the airport in Prague to being dropped off at the airport in Budapest was excellent. The staff were warm, welcoming, attentive, fun - everything I could ask for. I am a picky eater so was pleased by the variety and selection of food at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had great meals every day. I didn’t intend to work out during the cruise but would have liked to be able to do some Pilates/stretching. There is absolutely no room in the fitness room to do this. The cruise did offer morning stretch, yoga, workout on the deck but it was at 7:00 am so didn’t fit with my schedule. Our suite was the only downside to this cruise - we booked the Royal Panorama suite. This is a 420 square foot luxury suite. We had a king size bed, couch, two comfy chairs, a lovely bathroom, with a separate water closet, lots of storage, a comfortable balcony with a large window looking out over the river at the back of the boat. It was exactly what I was looking for when booking and paying extra for this space. Unfortunately, it is not habitable while sailing. The noise and vibrations from the engine/propeller prevents sleep, hearing each other speak or even relax. There is no indication in any brochure about the noise of these cabins nor was there anything said by booking agents. Now that I have cruised, I would know to ask but I find it unethical that Scenic charges an additional $6,500 for this suite with no indication of the problems inherent in the location of this cabin. Our cruise was saved as we were able to sleep in another cabin ( sadly other guests had to leave) but our next door cabin mates had to bear with no sleep for five nights and every other unsuspecting person booking this suite will get no sleep. I have sent an email, to Scenic, I will be interested to see if they respond. Read Less

We have been ocean cruising for over thirty years, taking at least 2-3 cruises a year, but never been on a river cruise. Looking back over the whole trip I doubt I would do it again. The ship was nice, we had a Royal Suite on the top deck which was ‘compact’ , you couldn’t sit on the toilet without hitting your knees on the toilet roll holder. The dining was excellent, the food variable, well cooked and stylishly presented. The Head Chef and Dining Room Manager where always available to us and extraordinary helpful and the Hotel Manager, Mr Mauricio ( I think) even shared his private supply of Piri Piri oil with me. Richard, our cruise director , was amazing. He is definitely the best cruise director I have come across in over 30 years. Always pleasant, unflappable and very amusing as well as highly efficient. He made our trip. The bar service was generally good. If I had a criticism it was that there was insufficient waiter service on the pool deck when we were sailing. Regarding the tours the concert in the Liechtenstein Palace was definitely the highlight. Some of the other were just too long. When we stayed onboard the day we had to make an unscheduled stop because of low water levels, it was unfortunate that the pool was out of action for cleaning on a day when the temperatures were 38=40C surely that could have been changed to accommodate the circumstances My main complaint was about the hairdresser who had never heard of a hot brush, didn’t have any rollers and unbelievably ran out of hairspray. I asked her why she didn’t tell me before I went, or even give me chance to go to my cabin and collect my own but she had no answer for that. As we had been moored up all day, on an unscheduled stop, I asked her why she hadn’t gone off the ship to the Aldi supermarket just across from the gangway but she told me she hadn’t had time. Firstly, I can’t believe that as I had been able to change my appointment as she had spaces, and because of the unscheduled stop and the adjusted tour timings other people had cancelled their appointments, and secondly i’m sure if she had asked Richard or the hotel manager they could have arranged for someone to fetch some. Surely she must have been aware several days before that she was running out or down to her last can? Read Less

This was our first river cruise after a number of ocean cruises (mainly with Seabourn) and we were hugely disappointed. Notwithstanding the outstanding quality of the service from every single member of staff (with just one exception), the ship is very cramped. The cabin (it is entirely misleading to call it a suite) is very small, and while the design makes the best use of the space, and the walk-in-shower is excellent, it is very difficult to move around the cabin without bumping into each other and even the bed was uncomfortable with mattresses that sloped away from the centre. There is just one lounge and when everyone was on board this became very crowded - on the penultimate day the weather was good enough to sit on the sun deck which relieved the congestion. What really shocked us, however, was the food - with the honourable exception of breakfast, the quality was really poor - sometimes almost inedible. We discussed it with the chef who explained that with the very small kitchen it really is difficult to do better - given that we paid slightly more for this 7 day cruise than we did for our most recent 7 day Seabourn cruise, the woeful quality of the food makes it hugely over-priced. As far as the cruise itself was concerned, the Danube is now really crowded, with the result that we often had to queue for the (very many) locks that you encounter between Nuremberg and Budapest. Talking to other passengers who had done this same trip 4 years earlier, the congestion has clearly grown exponentially over that time - indeed if it continues like this it is difficult to see how the river will cope. All this was made much worse for us because our cabin was at the very back of the ship right over the engines, and this meant that during every visit to a lock at night (and this happened almost every night) the noise was such that we were woken every time. The trips we took were well-organised with some excellent guides although we opted out of both trips on one day (where each trip involved coach journeys of over 4 hours) and we spent a very pleasant day on the ship with just 20 other passengers, sailing through some particularly attractive parts of the river. Scenic makes much of its enrichment activities which on this occasion took the form of a concert of Mozart and Strauss in an elegant Viennese setting. For anyone who knows anything at all about classical music, the snippets of music that were presented were more frustrating than anything else, made worse by a very strange acoustic, which may have been exaggerated by some form of electronic amplification, even though no microphones were visible. In conclusion, this cruise represents extremely poor value for money. The outstanding staff did everything they could to mitigate this, but the fundamental shortcomings in the design of this very modern ship (too many too small cabins, too little space to cook decent meals, too few public areas) undermined their very best efforts. Read Less

From start to finish our cruise was amazing. From the food to the tours to the cabins and staff, we had no complaints on our trip from Budapest to Vilshofen. Even when Mother Nature decided to change our plans (we were supposed to sail to Nuremberg but the river was too low) they made sure that not only could we go on our previously chosen off ship tours, they made sure we had the option to tour a more local spot for those who didn’t want a long bus ride to their original tour choices. Speaking of which, the tours were interesting, educational, varied and nearly every single port had something for everyone. And when it didn’t. Stay on the ship and watch the beautiful scenery pass you by! Not to mention the amazing food and lovely lounge pianist. There’s even a pool you can relax and enjoy, plus a fitness room and on board massage therapist as well as a hairstylist if you want to pamper yourself. We highly recommend this tour to anyone considering it! Read Less

Scenic is a scam. My family fully regrets booking scenic Gems of Danube for my grandma’s 80th birthday. The experience was anything but “5-star”. For starters, we were not informed of the lock issue on the Danube until members of our party were already flying from USA to Hungary. Therefore, cancelling the cruise was not an option. Due to the lock issue, we were unable to board the boat and instead were bused around from hotel to hotel and stayed extra nights in Budapest. The service at the hotels did not meet our expectations (mediocre food, no spirits) and we were left spending our own money on drinks and essentials like water. So much for a “leave your wallet at home” “5-star” experience. We escalated our concerns to scenic representatives, even senior leadership at corporate, and no one addressed our concerns. Instead they kept saying “we understand” and “we are working on it” but it was all talk and no action. Overall, I would recommend that you do not trust scenic with your vacation, our experience was very disappointing and no where near “luxury”. Read Less

Let me start by saying that I rarely write reviews but after the poor customer service we have had to this point I could not stay silent any longer. It all started when we received notice from Scenic 24 hours before (even though they knew 3 days before they sent notice) we were suppose to be getting on the boat that the lock that was damaged and the boat could not get to our planned departure point. You have to question if this was done on purpose giving us no opportunity to cancel. Up to this point our river cruise has been a bus tour hopping from one hotel to another. The all inclusive cruise has turned into an a la carte experience with many simple amenities having to be purchased separately by us. Hence the title of my post since one of their main slogans is “leave your wallet at home”. I do have to say the Scenic cruise director has listened to our concerns but has had absolutely no backing from upper management. Our group has escalated our concerns to Scenic management in Europe, North America and Australia and recurved only empty promises that they would address our concerns. I work within the service industry myself and find the (non)response from management totally unacceptable. We planned this trip for over 24 months to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday with 29 family members. We had thought we had picked the premier European river cruise company but that is not the case. Read Less

My husband and I researched and planned this trip for 2 years before deciding on a Scenic cruise due to all the online reviews we found. Being our first time in Europe and out of the country we wanted to make sure we were getting an amazing getaway trip that we wanted. Not even 24hrs before our departure from the US we got an email stating that due to an incident involving a lock being broken (the incident occurring back in June) we were no longer able to board the boat in Budapest and given the option to cancel however the fees of canceling flights, already taking off work( my husband with no PTO), kennel care wasn’t worth it. Upon arriving in Budapest we still were not told of our accommodations for the next two nights. We jumped from hotel to hotel and ended up having to spend money on our credit cards because we had not planned on bringing much extra spending money due to everything being included. Upon arriving at the second hotel we asked the representative sent from Scenic about a daily allowance or what things would be included and were told that beer and wine and a dinner would be provided. We were on our own for everything else. When speaking to the corporate representatives (over the phone) we were given the run around and never a straight answer. Then spent 2.5 hours on a bus to Bratislava and another 1.5 bus to Vienna. Our “included” excursions were also effected and canceled due to this. For a “5 star” “all inclusive” trip we were given neither. After attempting to raise concerns to the corporate offices and get answers or any type of compromise we got no response and thus have taken to writing a review. I would not recommend using this company to anyone ever and am very disappointed in the customer service from the corporate representatives. Read Less

We signed up for a luxury river boat cruise and received a low budget bus tour. Scenic could not control the lock accident preventing our group of 29 people from loading the river boat but, they could control their reaction. Our group spent many hours of our vacation attempting to contact scenic representatives and scenic senior leadership to request simple things like free filtered water and information on what hotel we’d be staying in the next night. When we did receive responses, the representatives were unapologetic, had little to no information and failed to offer solutions or compromises. We did NOT receive complementary alcohol, plated dinners, butlers, laundry/ironing service, free water, or any type of monetary refund/credit. Instead we received a different hotel room every night, two star hotel buffet meals, and consistently canceled free choice tours. We spent countless hours on buses and waiting for hotel rooms to be ready. I will always remember scenic river boat cruises as the company that ruined my grandmas 80th birthday. If you’d like to enjoy your vacation, I’d suggest booking with viking river cruises, they actually treat their guests with respect (www.vikingrivercruises.com). If you do chose to book with scenic, I’d bring coins to pay for the numerous gas station bathrooms, as you are shuttled like cattle from city to city. Enjoy the smell! cheers! Read Less

We had the best food, crew and tours. Due to an unfortunate incident involving a damaged lock on the river, we spent the first 3 days on land in coaches and hotels which was a little tiresome and inconvenient. However, I believe they did the best they could under the circumstances and I personally think the cruise director and his staff did everything they could to make everyone happy. The only gripe I had was we travelled as a family of 4 and booked cabins next to each other, but we were on completely different floors during the entire land portion despite me telling them to rectify at the next hotel at the first hotel. The food on board was amazing, get ready to indulge in the most sumptuous cuisines and getting spoilt by the crew. The staff in all areas were wonderful and friendly and made us feel at home and we’ll looked after. I cannot speak more highly of the staff members we encountered. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was where we wanted to go and had the best ratings. The cabins were beautiful, the service excellent, and the food and drink fantastic. We were offered a variety of excursion options, and each one we chose was excellent. The staff were very friendly, accommodating, and proficient. The cities we visited were wonderful and the people who took us on the excursions were knowledgeable and often very humorous. When we encountered a broken river lock that prevented further travel by boat, our cruise Director, J.J., managed to arrange travel by bus and 5 star hotel accommodations that ensured we went to the cities listed and had available the same excursion options. In fact, the hotel stays allowed us to walk out the front doors into the heart of the cities, so that was a minor inconvenience. It was an amazing trip that we have recommended to every who asks. And we will do another cruise as soon as we are able. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was sold as being a first class all inclusive cruise. Unfortunately it was neither. We flew to Prague and spent three days there (beautiful city) then on a bus and off to Nurnberg to board the ship. A couple of hours in we were advised that there was a rope caught in the propeller. They had days to advise us but waited until we were at the point of no return to tell us that the ship had to go to a shipyard for repair for one of our seven days onboard. Then the lock was damaged ahead of us and we were given two options. Fly home the next day or take a bus the rest of the way. At that point all inclusive ended and customer support became non-existent. Once they have your money they just don't care anymore. DON'T DO IT!!! Evenings spend in hotel packing and unpacking early morning calls in order to get the next bus to the next destination. The ship was fine from the little time we spend on it. Cabins are clean and small but ok for needs. Dining was fine not as good as larger ocean liners. Entertainment and Activities were fine however had very little since not on ship long enough. Service of crews was fine and Ports and Shore excursions were rush and no time to relax due to long bus drives and stopping for pee breaks looking for change to pay for them. Would not go Scenic again not impressed. Read Less

My wife and I thought this was an easy way to experience Europe without a lot of pressure on us and we were right. From the start Scenic was fantastic. Pick up at airport in Budapest was the one thing we were nervous about but a Scenic employee was waiting for us in the arrival hall. A light lunch was being prepared for us when we reached Scenic Amber, which we were pleasantly surprised about, after being up for 30 hours. The ship was very clean and we were welcomed by Mauricio the hotel manager. The entire crew was awesome. From JJ the cruise director to the lounge and wait staff. We loved this group of people. It didn't take them long to know what our drink order was or "Egg benedict?" for breakfast. This group was truly fantastic. Food was great!! I have read some negative reviews about food and they make no sense to me. My wife is a picky eater and she was so proud of herself for all the unique and new foods she ate. Chef Istvan is very proud of his work and he should be. They make the bread on board and I had to have some every day. Great choices of fish or different meats that tied into the area we were traveling. Well done! We were on the Jewel Deck in a small cabin but it was fine. We liked the extra storage on the "shelf" next to the picture window...ran the whole length of the cabin. Very helpful in a tight room. Room was just a place to flop. Great shower though! The excursions were great. I loved having time, other than Budapest, to be able to go off on our own for at least 90 minutes. Plenty of shopping and sightseeing was done. The concert in Vienna was awesome as was Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna, Melk Abbey, and the trip to Salzburg. Regensburg was so much better than expected. Entertainment seemed fine. We watched a little of it. People seemed to be enjoying it. My wife and I liked hanging out in the evening air on the top deck and watching the river and lights. Again, the service by this crew couldn't have been better. We wanted to take a few of them home with us. I love friendly banter and this crew is allowed to be themselves so hats off to Mauricio and JJ for that. The crew was very attentive and made sure your glasses were full if you wanted them to be. We definitely hope to go on a Scenic cruise again...maybe the Rhine next time...after we get the two kids out of college! Well done Scenic Amber!!! Read Less

Had been on Ama (wonderful), Uniworld (good) and wanted to try Scenic. Also wanted Danube cruise that went to Salzburg. The service was excellent, room kept very clean, and excursions good. Wine far better than we were expecting but food was a disappointment. Beate, the cruise director went out of her way to help everyone but she was leaving at the end of our cruise for a private job opportunity. Some of the excursions groups were too big and they should have hired another guide or 2 to keep the groups smaller. The new system for the headset didn’t work well all the time, but that was due to too large groups. The biggest disappointment was the food. Breakfast was a 10 but lunch and dinner fell short. Sometimes the food was lukewarm. The veal schnitzel was almost inedible. There were no wow factors. The salmon and tenderloin that you could always order were under seasoned. The gala night had Canadian lobster tail and beef Wellington and it was very good. Then the closing night was turkey. The turkey was good but it doesn’t seem like a luxury dinner on the last night of a luxury cruise. They could Improve by doing a grill on deck with bratwurst and cheeseburgers! Soups were generally pretty good. Desserts were average except for ice cream. We are excellent home cooks so food is very important to us. I will stick with Ama for future cruises. Or try Crystal. But Scenic and Uniworld are out. If you are a foodie, go with Ama. I’ve attached pictures of menus and wine lists and daily plans. I wish I could have received this information in advance so hope it helps others. Mark, the musician, was excellent. The dancers were ok. The concert in Vienna was very nice. Portobellos had excellent appetizers and desserts but mediocre entree. Have to submit photos separately because they don’t attach from an iPad. Read Less

Scenic provides a high end cruising experience and if you need to, start saving your money and book a cruise! We chose Scenic at the suggestion of friends, with whom we travelled. As people who have never been on a cruise (either river cruise or ocean cruise), we were excited about the all-inclusive nature of Scenic’s cruises. We were not disappointed. From embarkation until the penultimate day of the cruise, we had an excellent time. The boat itself had a luxurious feel. All the common areas were very clean and comfortable. Our room was spacious and well appointed. But what made the cruise exceptional were the staff. Everyone from the room attendants, Butlers, serving staff, bartenders, Hotel Manager, and Restaurant Manager were all friendly, kind, and helpful. They were able to accommodate dietary issues without hesitation. If the room attendant saw that you prefer certain items in the minibar, they would ensure you were properly stocked for the next day. We appreciated the hard work the staff did to keep the boat maintained at a high quality during the cruise. The level of detail from the staff was astounding. We will always remember the staff with fond memories. Shoutouts to Marica, Zania, Sijlvia, Snez, Milan, Dejon, Branislav, Vuk, Martin, Marko, Mauricio, Nemanja, Milos, Alex and Stan! They were the stars of the cruise. Special mention to Birgitta, our guide in the Wachau Valley; Wanda, our guide in Cesky Krumlov; and Dominic, our guide in Nuremberg. As with most things, there were issues that were out of Scenic’s control. While river levels were good, there were issues with the lock system on the Danube. The Cruise Director, Beate, was able to troubleshoot issues with ease; however, we took issue with her plans for disembarkation. High water levels on the Danube meant that we could not make it to Nuremberg. Instead, we were let off about an hour away. We understood why we had to disembark outside of Nuremberg, but we took issue with how the Cruise Director planned transportation for those who were to stay in Nuremberg after the cruise. Beate scheduled us and five other couples to disembark at 7am and take a coach ride to the Nuremberg airport, as we assumed some of the couples would fly out that day. From there, we were to make our own way into the city of Nuremberg. Whilst on the coach, we learned that none of the six couples had flights from Nuremberg and that the Cruise Director essentially kicked us off the boat at 7am and had us escorted to the airport when none of us had flights. We were so disappointed. Other passengers headed to Munich or Prague were able to remain on the boat until late morning. Fortunately, our guide Dominic decided to bypass the airport and take us all into Nuremberg city centre. From there, we checked into our hotel. In addition, Dominic had time to give us a tour of Nuremberg’s Old Town. It was early morning on a bank holiday, so it was like we had the city to ourselves. What was such a disappointing end to a fabulous cruise was saved by Dominic. Read Less

Out travel Agent recommended Scenic and we were not disappointed. It was nice having all the tours and alcohol included. We thought the food was good but not a great selection. The food is better on the large ships (Celebrity Cruises). One night they had a special dinner with Lobster and Scallops and no one at the table liked the scallops and the lobster tail was very small. Food could be better. All the staff on the ship were amazing !!! They did an excellent job and were more then helpful. From the Captain right down to the man who cleaned our room. All the staff were wonderful. The tours were very nice and the buses were great with washrooms on board. They could also have better entertainment. The best nights we had in the lounge were the Disco night and the night they played Trivia. That was fun ! Read Less

We choose Scenic because of its all inclusive trip. Not one time did we have to take out our wallet while sailing; this alone was relaxing and beyond priceless. The entire staff on the Amber went above and beyond our expectations. Our Cruise Director Beata was the entire package. She was extremely knowledgeable, patient and professional; Scenic is very lucky to have her. Our hotel manager, Mauricio, ensured our staff was more than we could have expected. We enjoyed that the Chef would explain each meal depending on our location on the river. The meal choices were equally enjoyable, we never went away hungry. Although the weather was not as great as one would want, that did not change how we felt about sailing with Scenic, it was amazing. If we could suggest anything, it would be to have umbrellas available on the buses as the weather could and did change without warning and we did not have any umbrellas available. Read Less

The staff was excellent...all of them. Very attentive and wanting to please. Regional entertainment they brought on board was great. Loved special concert in Vienna they scheduled for us as well as a piano concert at school for deaf in Budapest. Cabin Steward was Dejuan . He was helpful in making suggestions and so very professional and cordial. Also all wait staff in dining rooms were great, Alexander, Stan, “Daniel Craig”, Andy, Wilber, Rada, JJ, etc. loved them all. Food was good and especially liked that evening meal, while elegant, was just right amount, not too much. Only recommendation would be that on shore excursions it would have been better if passengers were given hand held devices as a lot of our iPhones lost power by the end. Wish we could have had more time at all of the stops, especially Budapest which was a real hidden Gem. Also adding names of wines which we had on board to an app would be helpful updating n our return Read Less

We have tried many other river cruises companies; SCENIC is the best one so far. When it says EVERYTHING INCLUDED, everything is indeed included: no surprise such as port fees, beverages (top quality brands & excellent wines), tips for staff/guides, excursions etc.. You do not spend any extra penny if you wish (besides merchandise on board or extra tips for great staff). Dining is super:BREAKFAST- many varieties of meats, cheese, vegetables, eggs, juice, breads (to die for), a la carte items such as lamb chop, grilled steak, different types of eggs benedict; LUNCH: 2 soups every day, cold dishes, hot dishes, so many choices and not the same ones during the whole cruise, the 2 ice creams are so exquisite; DINNER: every day menu is a surprise and delight to your taste buds (we consider the chef, Milos, and his staff did a marvelous job). The wine choices by the Maitre D' were more than excellent (are you listening, other River Cruise Companies!!) Overall, the whole crew, staff and management work like a well-oiled machinery complex: we are delighted to see the little detail each wait staff is performing to the next level- which shows the degree of careful training from management- Kudos to SCENIC. Minor Problem: Scenic is introducing a new app/program you can download on your smart phones or tablets (you may borrow one of theirs) to listen to all commentaries during excursion, self-guide tours, description of cruise itself while on rivers etc... As in any new app, this one was not ready for the "grand opening" which means half of the time it did not work as described. Scenic management needs to be aware of the frustration caused to their guests. Read Less