Having experienced the amazing service of Scenic on an Amsterdam to Budapest cruise we were happy to entrust our next holiday to them. We understood that river cruising in Russia was going to be different from Europe and planned for it.
We were met at the airport by one of the lovely tour guides who saw us into a lovely BMW that speedily transferred us to the ship.
First the Ship - Scenic Tsar is a lovely ship. We had a cabin on the middle deck about half way along the ship. The cabin was not huge but it was very well organised with adequate storage for our gear. The only negative was the tiny shower - fine for us but I imagine it would be a struggle for bigger folk. The private balcony was a bonus as it gave us a place to sit in our cabin that was not our 'bedroom'. It was wide and very spacious - perfect for an afternoon wine or a morning cuppa. It was also big enough to hang out the 'smalls' we hand washed each evening without them intruding on our relaxation space.
Not huge, but very well organised with adequate storage for all of our stuff so that we didn't need to have anything left in our suitcases so they stayed under the bed. Our cabin attendant kept the cabin clean and tidy with regular linen changes. The huge balcony made up for the smaller interior size as there was plenty of room to sit and relax or enjoy the passing scenery. The bathroom was compact, but again, great storage and the shower quite small that, for a larger person, may have made its use difficult. The bed was incredibly comfortable - best sleep I have had for a long time. The black out curtains were effective at blocking the midnight sun to enable sleep.