This was a wonderful trip. Rather than repeating everything I'll just say I agree with everything the main cruise critic review said. Terrific food. Comfortable cabin. Really interesting trips off the boat with very knowledgeable guides. The only reason I didn't give it the extra star is because of how hard it was to get any information from the cruise line. When you call their number you talk to someone who sounds like they are just reading the same information from the website that you are. We booked the cruise only. I asked where and when we would meet the boat. They told us to be at a hotel at 9:30am. We got there at 9:30 and sat around in the lobby for 2 hours waiting to leave. I called to see if they could arrange a flight to our next stop in Siem Reap. They said sure and sent me information about a package with hotel and tour. I asked again about just the flight and they said "No we don't arrange flights" Fine we'll get to Siem Reap on our own. Can you tell us where and when we dock in Phnom Penh? "No clue" They made a point about Visas. They said that although you could easily get a Cambodian visa when you got to Cambodia the one place you couldn't get an instant visa was at the river crossing from Vietnam to Cambodia. So we spent $250 on a visa agency since we had no Cambodian embassy here. Sure enough, every other person on the boat gave the cruise director $40 and got one. Once again, My only problems were communication with Avalon. Once we were aboard we couldn't have been happier. Read Less

We wanted to go to India on this river and to see, particularly, the Kaziranga National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), home of one-horned rhinos. Also, to do something unusual, off the beaten track. The ship was small and intimate but also spacious enough to accommodate dining and entertainment. Staff were outstanding - very professional, caring, pleasant, cheerful. Nothing was too much trouble. Considerable thought went into the itinerary and excursions. There was a lovely, family feel to the cruise and the guests were all treated with respect and encouraged to mix. Food was excellent and cleanliness and hygiene top rate. There is a swimming pool which is a bonus, especially as it is a smaller ship (40 guests maximum). Excursions were all very well organised and we felt looked after and very well catered for at all times. A very unusual destination and definitely worth seeing if you enjoy wildlife and culture. We saw tea estates and some local, cultural dancing. Also lots of temples. All top quality and very interesting. Highly recommended. Read Less

Smallish boat/ship that has accommodation for about 50 people but with a staff ratio of 1 to 2 cruisers. Huge cabins that are exquisitely equipped, spotlessly clean and unbelievably sound proofed. All cabins have an exterior sliding door and a full sized bathroom that would do many hotels proud. The shower is full sized and is welcome after a day exploring on the land. Each stop is associated with well organized and interesting tours that are included in the tour cost. Great food and open seating with casual clothing OK for any meal - meals are actually low stress and fun This cruise is well above what you get on most ocean going ships and really sets the bar very high with regard to quality and value for money Non-alcoholic drinks and beer are included and any cocktail or drink ordered is reasonably priced. All meals come with good quality free wine and each day their is a free cocktail happy hour (the cocktails are superb). What sets this cruise apart though is the staff who seem to enjoy your company - nothing is too much trouble. I world definitely recommend this cruise and I am alraedy planning to go again Read Less

I would like to express in this short note how impressed we were with the Content ,structure and execution of the whole event . As you would expect from 5 star operation , the ship and support vehicles were top notch , all clean tidy and operated by competent drivers and crew . Your staff made the event look and feel flawless from start to finish ,and I appreciate how much hard work goes into achieving that alone . As all good companies and employers understand , they are only as good as the staff they employ ,and in this respect you have achieved a gold star standard . From our well groomed Captain who navigated the busy Mekong river ,to the cleaning and laundry staff who worked tirelessly to ensure all was well at all times. ( do they ever sleep ) a great crew ,expertly managed These men and women were and are a real credit to your Empire . Finally but not least of all ,our Scenic guides , of which our principle guide in Group 2 was Duc Duc a handsome and rugged individual (some would say ) lead our small group in and out of various location in an efficient and purposeful manner , feeding us with relevant information and passing on the History of the local area as we progressed through the various locations . He managed to keep us safe , focussed feed and watered ,a real professional . Read Less

Treated myself on this cruise for a 70th birthday present. Ships was only half full and besides an English couple, Scandinavian couple & Canadian and 4 Australians the rest of the guests were from the USA. The group bonded well. The local guides were enthusiastic and knowledgeable and changed in Cambodia. We were divided into two groups for the entire trip with separate buses. Dining was buffet for breakfast and lunch and dinner was a choice of dishes. We would have liked to see more local food on the menu but did notice that many Americans preferred their style of food. Staff were amazing, efficient and friendly. Entertainment was just a pianist but we were lucky that one of our guest was a good singer and Bing the Uniworld rep also played the guitar. Some of the excursions such as the visit to a local school and joining their English class was so much fun! We were told that Uniworld will have a new ship next year January. Please note that March is very hot in Vietnam and Cambodia Read Less

The collection from the airport was not great. We waited for another couple to arrive on a different flight and share the taxi with us for over an hour. Having made a fuss the decision was made for us to continue by ourselves. This should have been dealt with much quicker. We travelled from Guwahati to Jorhat. We had a suite (101) which was comfortable and kept very clean. The additional cost over the standard balcony room was not worth it. We did have dinner in the room on two occasions but the first was a bit of a trial and not very well organised. The staff were delightful and very helpful. We enjoyed most of the excursions off the boat. The tenders used were excellent. There is not much to see whilst cruising but we enjoyed relaxing, both on the top deck and the room's small balcony. Food was very good - we had the non-veg Indian selection for all dinners. What I really did not like was the inability to seat as a twosome for most meals. The first night we were all split up to sit with random guests - I hated being next to two gun-toting far-right Americans who I avoided thereafter. Apart from breakfast we always had to sit with others. I would have preferred having the choice to sit by ourselves sometimes but the dining room had only one sitting with insufficient room for tables for two. Drinks were absurdly expensive which was somewhat money-grabbing considering the overall cost of the week. The naturalist's lectures were delivered in boring monotone. Overall we enjoyed it and I am pleased we did the cruise. Read Less

We chose Scenic for the Megong River cruise to Cambodia because the last night included a 1st class outdoor dinner in front of a temple, including a team of Cambodian singers and dancers. This final night dinner was outstanding and I would suggest that it would also be a perfect event for a Corporate Award evening. The ship was 5 star, very clean, well appointed with staff that were attentive, friendly, gracious and extremely polite. Food, drinks and wine were always plentiful and of the highest of quality. Only 60 people capacity......very nice size. It was a true lifetime experience that any North American would be in awe of partaking. The agenda was intense with a Varity of daily excursions. There is too much to review here, however, the Cambodian small town excursion, that started on ox carts, and the Angkor Wat temple visits were my highlights. I am hard to please but after 11 days I had nothing but positives for the cruise and Scenic the company. Rob, Ottawa Read Less

Recommended by friends this cruise did not disappoint. Great activities, who could not be impressed by Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayon Temple.Scenic pay particular attention to the finer detail, arranging trips not experienced by other cruises in particular the themed gala dinner at an Angkor temple where we were entertained by Apsara dancers, and Wat Hanchey where we had the opportunity to talk to a novice monk. Their enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides ensure you are informed in terms of the history but also relate personal and family experiences that really give everything a context. The ships facilities are superb, cabins offering plenty of space, light and storage, food that challenges the senses, with wine/beer constantly on tap. The onboard staff are the icing on the cake they are attentive, and display genuine enjoyment at ensuring you are having a good time. All of this is packaged with a social consciousness that you do not often experience. It was great to feel that some of the money from this cruise was going directly to local communities. This was not gifted but earned which ensured that there was respect between all parties. Not cheap but bearing in mind everything is included, I would highly recommended it Read Less

A whole different experience, nothing is left to chance. From the cabins to the spectacular meals, everything is exclusive and worthy. Not a flaw along the cruise, nor a fault, defect or error. Never had experienced such exclusivity. From moment one, timing was perfect, as well as the work of each and every crew member. Almost 2 crew members per passenger, everything has been extremely thought. From the english soaps and lotions to the exceptional Michelin Star level meals to the excursions and fine entertainment, it was worth every cent. Only catch, from now on I’ll never be able to set foot in ordinary cruises. Won’t be able to stand it. Once you try exclusiveness, you’d rather save longer in order to repeat the same experience than rushing to a cheaper, now unfulfilling, experience, Elegant, worthy, peaceful and even balsamic for both heart and soul. Hope the strand keeps this level of excellence Read Less

Friends recommended. This was our first Scenic Cruise. The cruise was excellent overall and the service, food, drinks were particularly noteworthy. Everything was very nicely and efficiently organized and there were no hick ups. It was always nice to see the face of Joyce who was the person in charge of hospitality, every time we came back from a land-tour or went to the dining room. Similarly many of the staff will always welcome us back with a cold towels and a drinks as we returned to the ship. They were always smiling and were ready to serve as as best as possible to increase our comfort. We also enjoyed most if not all Tour Directors and Tour Guides. Only thing we were disappointed with was the optional and sometime the Enrich land tours. Some of them really didn't have any cultural, educational or historical significance - just a simple and almost irrelevant walk-about. Bicycling tour in Champasak (Pakse) was awful,dangerous and boring. The roads were in poor shape and bicycles were also in bad shape. There was a lack of cultural and entertaining tours which would have given us insight of the country's/town's music, dance, traditions or history. Also we found during the dinner time that most people stayed with their country's people like the Australians will sit with Australians and the British will sit with their fiends from UK. So, there were not must opportunities to mix and socialize during the dinner. Scenic should try to encourage cross-socialization. However we met lots of nice people during land tours. The Gala dinner at the Angkor Temple was excellent, very special and well organized. Read Less