Before we booked this cruise, we had booked to do the same with Avalon but changes to our other tours and commitments saw us book with Scenic river cruises. We have used Scenic prior to this and had enjoyed their offerings but this was some time ago. Armed with all the hype after watching the advertising, we were expecting something really special. We arrived in Prague for the three day extension. This is really a con because one of the days is spent tightly crammed into a coach for the long day of driving to the ship in Budapest. For what we paid for this, I would never recommend it. Just do Prague on your own, you will not miss anything and will save heaps.

We enjoyed Budapest but that is where it ended. While beyond Scenic's control at the outset, it is what followed that beggars belief. A lock on the river had been slightly damaged and ships we not able to proceed. Essentially what Scenic decided to do was to bus people to each of the destinations further on. This involved almost four hours on a crammed coach for 1hr 40 mins in Bratislava. But the next was a doozy, an almost 17hr day of coaching culminating in a show in Vienna! We and some others opted out for various reasons relating to physical capacity. Scenic did not offer us a viable alternative. When the lock finally opened, we simply sped past every port along the river just so the last couple of days might be on schedule! Go figure? A river cruise spent on a Coach! Of course, there could have been a better compromise but Scenic has the attitude that one size fits all. This is in spite of their claims that they offer "tailor made" experiences.

In recognition of our loss of enjoyment, they have offered a paltry $1500 credit off a future river cruise. This represents around 10% of a single with flights and pre and post accommodation. Frequent travellers paying earlybird get this. I am not sure that many Aussies could even afford to do this trip,a second time. I am guessing the European passengers will find the discount a lot more attractive! Read more