We cruised along the Danube towards the Black Sea having previously sailed in the opposite direction from Vienna to Nuremberg. We were fortunate to encounter wall to wall sunshine in early to mid-October. Scenic Jewel is well up to the job of cruising with visibility from all aspects and dining second to none. The crew were superb and our tour manager, Nikola, was an accomplished host from start to finish.

Our cabin was comfortable bearing in mind travelling along the river. And the panoramic views from our balcony were beautiful; we could also lower the window whenever the occasion arose. A butler service was available if you required.. All drinks and excursions were inclusive and this made socialising in the evening after a hard day's sightseeing a great pleasure.

A little note about the excursions. These were enjoyable and informative although perhaps a bit of a shock when discovering the Balkan countries. Twice, however, in Serbia and Bulgaria were were served food that was cold. Perhaps I'm being unkind to the east Europeans but we in the west found it a bit disconcerting. However, we received nothing but kindness and consideration from the locals. I can thoroughly recommend this tour..