Scenic Jade Review
Rating by category
Additional details
All destinations on this cruise were places I had wished to visit for many years. Starting at Budapest, I was greatly impressed by the historic sights, in particular the Old City, much enhanced by a wonderfully knowledgeable guide. I was also amazed to see how clean and litter free this area was. The concert at the Blind Institute, with piano and organ recital of Liszt and bach was truly memorable.
Our stay in Vienna, with our visit to the Schonbrunn Palace, and evening concert at the Arsenal was indeed a musical treat. The small orchestra delighted us with a varied program of Srauss, Mozart and Beethoven, followed by a wonderful operatic recital by Paul Potts. Again an interesting program of popular songs from the Musicals and some fantastic renderings of familiar arias. The Q & A with Paul next day was very informative.
Salzburg, with its Mozart and Sound of Music reputation did not disappoint, with its beautiful historic landmarks and gardens. Our lunch in the 8th century restaurant was indeed a memorable one, full of character and charm
Cabin Review
Being a tall chap, I found the cabin rather 'bijou', and was irritated by the fact I had to do a contorsion in the bathroom, just to brush teeth or shave at the basin. The first use of the shower, had bits flying off until I mastered its daunting array of buttons. As a light sleeper, I could not get used to the drone of the main air colnditioning not controlled inside the cabin, and therefore did not enjoy any reasonable sleep for the week. On a positive note, my wife had some personal issues during her stay on board, which were met and dealt with magnificently by the housekeeping and reception desk team.
All on-board services were first class!! Every member of the crew provided an unexpectedly high level of customer care, with particular emphasis on ensuring their guests wanted for nothing. The quality of catering, with a mix of buffet breakfasts and lunches, and a la carte evening meals was exceptional, in particular the 'Italian' and Table Rive' gourmet dinners, with well-matched wines and detailed description of the various courses.
Occasional on-board entertainment covered all tastes and interests, and was well delivered, particularly the Ballet Dancers and their 'Viennese Waltz' theme.