Scenic Amber Cruise Review by Harcla
Trip Details
- Sail Date: July 2018
- Destination: Europe River
Cruise was advertised as unpack once. We had 3 different ships, Scenic Amber for 6 days, Scenic Ruby for 5 days and Scenic Opal for 3 days. This proved to be frustrating, disruptive and exhausting over a 14 day cruise.
We decided on the Scenic Jasper as it had a pool onboard and it was one of the latest ships. Scenic Ruby which we were on for 5 days had no pool and was an older model of ship with training staff from Indonesia. It also did not have an updated bathroom or adjustable bed or flyscreens on balcony window and had a small TV. In other words all the luxury items that you would expect from a balcony suite on a luxury ship were missing.
The changing from ship to ship made us miss some of the excursions as we were wiped out.
The food was certainly not 5 star, no fresh pastries, poor quality fruit. Certainly no mouth-watering feasts or diverse and delicious food experiences, as advertised. We had expected that we would get cordon bleu food on this luxury cruise. No effort appeared to have been made to serve special or extraordinary food. A review talked about lobster not being cooked properly.... we did not even see one.
We enjoyed the easy-walk excursions as we were able to take photos and enjoy the sights at a leisurely pace.
The best night was the evening at Melk Castle where the food and entertainment was excellent. I didn’t go on the tour as I was rather tired after the steep walk up to the castle. The waiters on Scenic Amber were experienced and professional as were those on Scenic Opal. I think the staff were over-worked and expected to multi-task as food waiters, bar staff and personal butlers.
We decided on the Scenic Jasper as it had a pool onboard and it was one of the latest ships. Scenic Ruby which we were on for 5 days had no pool and was an older model of ship with training staff from Indonesia. It also did not have an updated bathroom or adjustable bed or flyscreens on balcony window and had a small TV. In other words all the luxury items that you would expect from a balcony suite on a luxury ship were missing.
The changing from ship to ship made us miss some of the excursions as we were wiped out.
The food was certainly not 5 star, no fresh pastries, poor quality fruit. Certainly no mouth-watering feasts or diverse and delicious food experiences, as advertised. We had expected that we would get cordon bleu food on this luxury cruise. No effort appeared to have been made to serve special or extraordinary food. A review talked about lobster not being cooked properly.... we did not even see one.
We enjoyed the easy-walk excursions as we were able to take photos and enjoy the sights at a leisurely pace.
The best night was the evening at Melk Castle where the food and entertainment was excellent. I didn’t go on the tour as I was rather tired after the steep walk up to the castle. The waiters on Scenic Amber were experienced and professional as were those on Scenic Opal. I think the staff were over-worked and expected to multi-task as food waiters, bar staff and personal butlers.
, The Scenic Team has responded
Dear Harcla,
We are sorry to hear that the current low water levels in Europe meant that you had to change ship three times, and you didn't find this cruise as luxurious as you had hoped. Currently in Europe, the incidence of low water and the ability for continued cruising is varying on a daily basis due to water levels. This is a situation we are monitoring continuously such that we can implement alternative options where possible, to ensure the continuation of guest’s travel plans. We are pleased to hear though that you enjoyed the easy-walk excursions as well as the evening at Melk Castle and found the waiters on Scenic Amber and Scenic Opal experienced and professional. I have passed your feedback onto our team to review.
Best regards,
The Scenic Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of The Independent Traveler, Inc.
Harcla’s Full Rating Summary
Enrichment Activities
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Cabin Review
Cabin 333
Cabin was great on our first ship Scenic Amber but not as good on subsequent ships Ruby and Opal.
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