Scenic Opal Review

Very Poor Food, Well Below Expectations

Review for Europe River Cruise on Scenic Opal
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Emelian
6-10 Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Apr 2016

After seeing this cruise promoted on Getaway TV program we liked the route. Also we thought we were going to be getting food at a level we are used to on Seabourn and Silversea cruises.

Unfortunately the food was the major let down. warm to cool for whole cruise even though many people complained. Answer was to get the plates hot. Also first nights buffet was worse than you can get in ordinary pubs in Melbourne. Food was all the same taste, slow cooked meat, very insipid. People that had cruised late last year on the sister ship to this were the first to complain as they said it was well below what they had had before.It was only the second cruise the boat had ever done with a new crew and only a week to get it sorted. Staff were nice and tried hard but lack of English did not help. How you translate White Russian cocktail into glass of Champagne on two nights running i don't know. Also if you ordered any variation to the menu i.e. leave something off plate that seemed almost impossible to comprehend.

Also the layout of tables in the dinning room was ridiculous. So cramped waiters could not get past without bashing the back of your chair all the time. And in the case of the buffets you got bashed from everyone keeping getting up to get food. This is terrible especially as these cruises are aimed at the aged and on that basis lots of people with reduced mobility. Also the seating in the lounge was much the same, interior designer gone mad. One poor lady did fall on her face trying to manoeuvre through a maze of chairs and tables of all different types.

Cabin Review

No complaints with cabin. Question if you want to spend a whole load of money as most of the ports you are parked against other boats and your view is mainly into the cabin of the next boat.

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