We’d never been to France and a wine cruise sounded like it would be fun. We were traveling with friends and met new ones. The staff is outstanding! Wonderful attention to even the smallest details. We would especially like to thank our butler Armin(and Victor). Bart in the dining room and Martina and Patrice in the lounge were always smiling and very attentive. We had lovely massages as well. On the down side, excursions were early in the AM. Wine or foie gras at 10 or so in the AM were tough. Our last cruise we had different entertainment every night. Although our piano player was nice, it was all the same until the last 2 nights when they brought in people from Bordeaux. We didn’t enjoy the L’Amore dinner. The duck was very chewy. The way Scenic words the culinary class, it looks like you can do one every day, not that we could only do 1...if you signed up in time. Read Less

We are wine lovers and had heard about this from friends. Scenic puts the L in Luxury! Every detail is taken care of and and every request is met as part of the service. Staff are amazing, the ship is beautiful, and the activities are top notch! The dining is 5 star, with excellent wine pairings to accompany the meal selections. It really is all inclusive — you would be hard pressed to include additional charges, unless at the spa, massage therapy or hair salon. The tour guides that accompany the excursions are extremely knowledgeable and personable. The variety of excursions is diverse enough to meet the interests of all travellers, and allow for accommodation for passengers with mobility issues. For example, the bike tours offered always offer a friends of cyclists bus option. The cabins are very well appointed, the beds are heavenly, the pillow menu ensures all have a great sleep. We will definitely be repeat clients. Read Less

I have always wanted to try a river cruise because I have always travelled on ocean cruises. I liked the smaller amount of people, the ports were exquisite, you could see land on both sides of the ship always, no rocking of the boat, the excursions were good except for one where we could not understand our guide. The cons were there was not a lot of choice as far as food, the rooms are small with some issues of smelling the drain in the shower. There was also issues with the woman’s bathroom on one of the floors. Another common thing is changing ships because the water level being low. Talking to the crew this happens almost every time and in that case you are shuttled to the next ship or to your next excursion but that usually is hours away. I’m glad I did it but will think hard about doing it again. Read Less

This is a lovely boat with very friendly staff. We enjoyed the trip and especially loved Bordeaux. We were involved in a bus accident that was very upsetting. No one was badly injured but all were very emotionally upset. The accident was not caused by Scenic but I felt there should have been some kind of counselling made available to the group of us involved in the accident. Speaking to others that were involved many felt the same way. It was said to be “unfortunate “ by the director but was then business as usual. Some post trauma talking was needed. The food was very good and the staff always generous with their wine pouring. They were quick to respond to any needs and the ship was always being cleaned. The main dining hall is large and there was no issue with getting a table ever. Large groups sat together. On the whole a good trip but thankful to be alive!! Read Less

Chose this cruise because the ship went to Normandy, and we had never been to Paris. The ships was fairly new, and was excellent in every way. All inclusive, so never paid for anything else but a little laundry, cruise director Valerie, was exceptional. Food and beverage was outstanding. I think you would be hard pressed to find a better cruise line than scenic. I would highly recommend this cruise line. Shore excursions were handled by experienced professionals who were very well versed on subject matter. Ship could have had a few more onboard activity’s. Average age of travelers was about 75. All of the employees were helpful and courteous. We have cruised on larger ships before, but never again. Smaller river cruise is better, we were double parked many times with other ships, and very few were as nice as scenic. Tauck was the only other one that looked as nice, but the ship was older. Read Less

We chose this cruise as it was something my elderly mother and father had always wanted to do. My father passed away before they had the chance to go so we did a mother daughter trip. The ship was beautiful and the staff were incredible with their service no matter what role they had on the boat. The food was amazing - as was the wine selections it was truly a wonderful experience and a wonderful way to see the Seine and its rich history. The organised trips were good although my only feedback on these were some were very arduous for any one really elderly or with mobility impairments. Although in saying this the cruise director was very good at describing each tour option the evening before. This was a lovely experience and total "all inclusive" so the price covered everything except the hairdresser or the massage, no tipping required. We could not really fault this except the weather could have been a little kinder :-) Read Less

We were a little concerned we might find a river cruise a little 'small' compared to ocean cruising but we should not have been concerned. It was a simply amazing experience - first class scenery, experiences, staff, food and company. The excursions were wonderful - the Golden City of Salamanca, a wonderful concert in a church in Porto, the most amazing scenery. There was the chance to do more strenuous excursions if you wanted to. The staff and the food were the best we have ever experienced on board any ship and all staff from the Captain down were very interactive and funny and nothing was ever too much for any of them. Of course the cabins are smaller - otherwise we would not fit in the five locks up the Douro river! However, they were luxurious and the beds very comfortable. The highlight of the trip for me was the photography. This was a cruise in partnership with National Geographic and not only did we have an expert lecturer Tim Weed, but also a photographer Gianluca Colla. He was patient, very funny, interactive and very tolerant of stupid questions. The staff would join in - whether it was the head chef dancing at the lunchtime barbecue or the bar staff in the evening. The butlers did everything and were completely down to earth. Read Less

Travel agent recommended. Everything was wonderful. We enjoyed the room very much except for the septic odour that was prevalent on a number of occasions and the lighting, which was not very good, especially for the application of make-up. The cleaning staff did an excellent job of taking care of any requests we had and tried on a number of occasions to get rid of the door, with some success but it did not last long. The odour did make it difficult to sit on the balcony for any length of time. The staff was absolutely wonderful, extremely helpful and very personable. They made the trip as wonderful as it was. I would recommend Scenic to my friends based on the excellent service the staff provided. The food was excellent and the selection of shore excursions gave everyone an opportunity to see many various parts of the country. Great job again by the crew. 6 stars out of 5********. Read Less

I had done the Rhine River Cruise before and thoroughly enjoyed it. This one was equally as brilliant but maybe a little less “hectic”. A joy from beginning to end. The staff were so friendly, welcoming and professional. The food was exceptional. The scenery and tours were all first class, five star all the way! Everything was so well organised that you knew every day exactly what time to expect everything to happen. The executive chef, captain, crew, manager, cruise director bar attendants, restaurant, waiters and waitresses were all very professional and friendly. Every excursion we went on was extremely interesting and the guides were very interesting and friendly. I would not hesitate in recommending this cruise to anyone. The only thing I would advise is to make sure you are reasonably fit because even the tours said to be easy walking etc could be very tiring. Do it now! Read Less

Scenic booking agents were attentive. We arrived in Amsterdam two days prior to boarding the Scenic Opal. We would recommend doing this as Amsterdam is a beautiful city with much to offer. We chose Scenic because it was all inclusive. The vessel was clean. The staff were very attentive. The food good. The free choice shore excursions, almost three a day to choose from, were well planned and organized. Tour groups were broken down into groups of no more than 20 people. The Scenic travel app on our cell phones were tethered to our guides speaker system, so we could hear what they had to say without straining. If we could change anything about the tours, perhaps a little more free time in each town would have been nice. On board the vessel, as it cruised down the Rhine, we could also use the Scenic app to inform us what towns, villages and castles we were passing. I recommend Scenic. Read Less

Great service from housekeeping to the cruise director and captain. Waiters were top-notch and worked extremely hard. Food was very good as were all the drinks. Scenic also hosted a private concert for the passengers at a palace in Rastaat. The Tailormade App made sailing really interesting, particularly down the Rhine Gorge. We sat on top, enjoying the sun and the incredible scenery while the app told us details about the castles and towns we passed. Waiters went up and down the stairs bringing drinks and you barely had time to finish one before they were asking if you needed another. We used the laundry service, placing our bag of laundry on the bed before leaving for a morning excursion. We got the laundry back expertly folded before dinner that night. If I had one complaint it is that the ship seemed to dock a long way from wherever the excursions were resulting in bus rides. This shortened our stays on shore. All in all, I recommend Scenic 100%. Read Less

Our friends chose this cruise and asked us to join them. We did this exact same cruise with Scenic 2 years ago. The cruise is amazing starting on the Danube and finishing on the Rhine. The scenery is spectacular. It's all inclusive. All excursions are exceptional. Most of the buses are owned by Scenic are very clean with professional drivers. We thought the groups on the free choice tours were rather large and could be smaller. The Scenic app loaded on your phone was used by all of the guides. The system needs some serious fine tuning as it was problematic on most of the tours. Several choices were available at each stop with three Scenic Exclusive Enrich experiences that were exceptional. One at Vienna Palais Liechtenstein, one at Passau/Salzburg Sound of Music and one at Marksburg Castle. Breakfast and lunch are buffets. Dinners are fine dining or room service is available. Service is excellent and the food is very good. Red or white wine was served with every lunch and dinner. Daily wine selections are just okay, nothing exceptional. Most passengers were okay with the wine that was offered. The cruise director was excellent with a great sense of humour. The complimentary Wi-Fi was not very good even when there was apparently strong signal strength. It was so bad that the Scenic cruise surveys could not be completed on board at Amsterdam. Scenic blames the bad Wi-Fi on Europe. Here are the negatives. We started on the Jade and had to switch to the Jasper at Regensburg. The river was too low due to dry conditions. It's the nature of the beast so take it in stride. When you book a year in advance it is impossible to forecast river water levels. On our first cruise we were fortunate and stayed on the same boat from beginning to end. On this occasion it was an 8 hour bus ride from Passau to Regensberg. There was a minimal effect on our schedule. Here is the biggest concern. Passenger illness on the ship. There will always be ill passengers on every cruise typically passing some type of flu virus on to most of the passengers. Five days in to the cruise I became very ill. I did everything to prevent contamination of other passengers. All passengers are in confined spaces therefore good hygiene practices especially by sick passengers are imperative. Controls are never enforced by the ship and are ineffective resulting in most of the passengers getting sick near the end of the cruise as many are coughing out of control. Some our bedridden. On the last same cruise many people were bedridden for days. My wife and I were both very sick on the last cruise and I was very sick on this cruise. Let's just say there is little enjoyment when you are sick on your long awaited lifetime cruise experience. We are of the opinion that the germs are transferred during the buffets and by passengers coughing openly all over the ship. It's really sad to be on a trip of your lifetime and get sick once but twice is too much especially on the same Cruise Line! You need to decide is the risk of illness worth booking the cruise. For my wife and I we are done with cruising. I can stay home and get sick for free. I suggest that passenger illness will eventually bring the cruise industry down as most cruise lines seem oblivious to finding solutions. The ball is now squarely in their court! Read Less

Travel Agent, presentation, word of mouth led us to this choice. Food choices and quality of food reputation were factors.. All inclusive pricing which is a real bonus. No “nickel and diming”. Staff very approachable, friendly, and professional. Cruise Director was fantastic. We took the Budapest-Amsterdam cruise and really appreciated the options. Suggest one varies outings... you see one gold filled cathedral you’re... Same for castles. Do choose the concert and castle dinner experiences; you won’t regret it!!! We also experienced quality entertainment from professionals who excelled! Would definitely travel with Scenic Hints: Landry Service is worth while. First and last dinners were semi-dress up but casual otherwise. Our room was on the lower deck and was small, so might consider an upgrade at another time. But you only sleep there. We had to switch vessels once due to low water. Staff and Cruise Director handled it well. Passengers were a mix of Australian, Canadian and British. We made many friends as a result. Our room was very clean and studiously clean thereafter. Bar and wait staff were/are friendly and efficient. Read Less

The experience was first class.when there was an issue the team made it disappear as best the could, like low water level. The service was second to none from the time we first met the team until the end. Food was fantastic and wine options great. The crew people made the difference and we have already booked our second cruise. The rooms were very good and well thought out as for the best usage of the space. The ship facilities were all there, pool, spa, gym, etc. Nightly entertainment was great with special presentations on some occasions. All the excursion options were good and well planned out. Again, the service of sf the boat was second to none and the cruise director JJ was excellent. The excursions ere great and options very well presented each and every day. The dining options ere good and the food falntastic. Recommend this to anyone. Read Less

This was our first time on a Scenic Cruise. We chose this cruise (Breathtaking Bordeaux) because it had many wine-related excursions and destinations. Scenic was recommended by travel agent, even though she had never sent a client on Scenic previously. The Scenic Diamond ship was lovely and the cruise did not disappoint! We loved the staff and crew. Cruise director was excellent. Nice mix of free time and excursions. Food and wine were very good. (And plentiful!) Bus drivers and guides all very skilled and knowledgeable. Service was excellent and excursions were great. We booked a balcony suite and it was nice to have the extra bit of space, and a place to relax with the view. Cabin was kept absolutely spotless. Scenic’s all-inclusive model is fantastic. Even tipping is included, which is great. Highly recommend and would definitely travel with Scenic again. They have some wonderful itineraries to choose from. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we were going to explore the wine regions of Bordeaux and area. We were also interested in the culinary classes. We were also very interested in the bike tours. We began the trip in Paris. I highly recommend that you start the tour by spending a few extra days in Paris. There is so much to do and see and one day is far from enough time. We rode the train to Bordeaux. The transition went very smoothly because the Scenic team was very organized. We were welcome onto the ship by the friendly and courteous staff. I felt the room was a little smaller (not much) than a previous cruise I had taken, however I was not too concerned because we spent very little time in our room. The rooms (and ship) were always very clean. There was always a variety of entertainment in the evenings ranging from jazz, music trivia and disco nights. The port and shore excursions were excellent. We were able to a visit a variety of chateaus, try a variety of wines from different farms. The excursion to Remy Martin was very enjoyable. The bike tours through the vineyards were breathtaking. The one area I feel was a little disappointing was the culinary cuisine class. I thought it would be hands on participation and it wasn’t. However, I believe that the space limitation wouldn’t allow for that. It still was an enjoyable experience. Finally, I can’t express enough how friendly and courteous the staff were, often going above and beyond to make our stay pleasurable. I definitely feel that I would most likely enjoy a scenic tour in the near future but I would like to explore another area of the world. Read Less

This cruise was highly recommended by several friends who had done many scenic and other cruises. Obviously scenic came out on top and this was the cruise we chose - with absolutely no regrets. The fact that we had to change ships because of low water levels only added to the adventure. The next down side was the comparison of ships. The Jasper was every bit as luxurious as anticipated, but the Jade was older, a little more tired and our wardrobes not as friendly! ( in need of some maintenance!) but overall it was the people on board who made it. The crew on the Jasper spoilt us to the extent that the crew on the Jade needed a day or so to catch up - and they did. Our cruise director Szylvia was an exceptional bonus and an absolute gem. She made our trip the 5 star success it was. The organisation, communication and management of such a large group of people in a situation which was sometimes stressful was amazing. Most of us got sick (colds) and changing boats etc was all managed with smooth seamless efficiency. Szylvia made our trip. Thank you. The food was great and everything supplied in abundance. We are already planning our next cruise. Thank you again. Read Less

Friends had been on this cruise & highly recommended it. Our whole experience was terrific. Our cabin was really comfortable, well-appointed & well serviced. We had lots of great options for shore excursions, most of which were both entertaining & educational, with many “Ah-hah” moments. All but one of our guides were well informed & entertaining. All through the cruise we had a terrific food & drinks service, with very good entertainment. We had to change ships due to low water levels, but our Cruise Director managed this beautifully. We had all the information we needed to make the transfer easily, with no fuss at all. Absolutely everything was taken care of for us, & any questions were either predicted or answered quickly. We had exceptional service from all the ship’s Staff, especially our wonderful Cruise Director. Throughout the cruise we had good access to WiFi for staying on touch with home as well as learning more about what we were seeing. The whole experience was terrific, & we’ve made some great new friends. Highly recommended. Read Less

This was an excellent cruise with superb accommodation, food and helpful and attentive crew. Our Panoramic suite was well fitted out. We could find no fault. Our butler provided extremely good service, nothing was too much trouble. Our fridge was kept well stocked but was little used as drinks were available at all times in the bar. The house manager, George(not the correct spelling), was excellent and most helpful. Every Scenic cruise is totally inclusive. Scenic provide a good choice of excursions at the various stops all well organised and enjoyable. There is very little in the way of entertainment you get on ocean going liners but that suits us. Due to low water levels Jasper could not complete the trip but the brilliant Sylvia, the cruise director, organised a smooth transfer of all guests via coach to the Jade further along the river and our trip continued and we missed nothing. This was most impressive. Well done Scenic! We have already booked our next trip with this company. One fault occurred before we set off when the transport provided to take us to the airport failed to turn up at 2am. After a long call to the providers more was promised but did not arrive. At 3.30am we had just left in our car when a taxi arrived. Not a good start and we have informed Scenic of the problem. Read Less

After searching for cruises we chose this Scenic European river cruise and also speaking with family and friends and we were not disappointed The service and food were.great and our tour director Sylvia was helpful organised and informative even calling us taxi’s when she was very busy We both would like to especially thank Sylvia for her help in details for daily activities We would like to suggest that there are face masks available as there was a virus going around and it may have helped stop the spread of infection We would definitely go on another river cruise to a different destination because we found the variety of activities , choices and food were so adaptable to our needs. There was a good range of age groups of passengers The scenic enrich experiences were truely delightful and we thoroughly enjoyed them as well as the excursions we attended We also liked that everything was included as it made the holiday easy although it was too easy to eat and drink what every your heart desired now need to diet when we are home Read Less

Our third time with Scenic Tours, one land tour and two river cruises. They have always been very well organised and the Rhone river cruise was no exception, with cheerful and highly professional staff, beginning with a warm welcome on board. The Free Choice excursions were well chosen with a good selection and everyone got their first choice. All were accompanied by authorised Tour and City guides who were both knowledgeable and entertaining. The food was of an exceptionally high standard with a large range to choose from for every meal, with snacks and drinks (alcohol, soft drinks, tea and coffee) available throughout the day. The staff were always available and nothing seemed too much trouble.The daily Port Talks by the Tour Director were informative and detailed; information on walking distances and number of stairs was especially helpful. Everywhere was kept spotlessly clean and the cabins were serviced twice a day by the friendly stewards. The very complicated disembarkation went like clockwork. Read Less

We knew we wanted to do a Danube/Rhine cruise and after trying to figure out the ratings of cruise lines and also trying to compare pricing, we contacted our travel agent and she did the legwork for us and recommended Scenic. Our cruise was from Budapest to Amsterdam (14 days) and we also opted for the extension in Prague and a couple extra days in Amsterdam. We were extremely pleased with the hotels we stayed in and the luxurious accommodations we had on board. We loved our cabin which was smartly and sleekly designed and had plenty of storage space. The private balcony, where we could lower the window, was also a plus when we wanted some alone time. Scenic's mobile app worked very well as it alerted us to upcoming Points of Interest and also provided our local guides with different channels to ensure everyone in our small groups could hear what the guide was saying. All Scenic personnel, including local guides, were friendly, informative, and helpful. We liked having a choice of between 3 and 4 daily land tours which were geared to various interests and physical ability. It was great to also have free time to explore on our own! One of the biggest selling points for us was that the trip was all-inclusive so we didn't have to think about airfare, tips, transfers, excursion costs etc. In the evening we often had local entertainers on board which added to the fun. Without hesitation I would highly recommend a Scenic Luxury River Cruise based on my experience. Read Less

We chose Scenic based on a recommendation from someone who had reviewed all cruise lines. This was above and beyond any of our expectations. Crew was professional but fun to be around and there was great demographics for all passengers. The excursions that were available provided something for everyone and there was enough flexibility to allow for last minute changes. And there was opportunities for self-guided touring if you chose to have a day that was not so structured.. Meals were good and tailored to represent the country we sailed through. portions were adequate. Also nice to have choices of venues and times for meals. daily updates ensured that you knew what was going on everyday. On-line application allowed you to be in touch with points of interest both on the river and withing the towns visited along the route. Some of these features could have been better explained early in the cruise, however to ensure maximum enjoyment. Read Less

A Rhone cruise seemed the best way to explore this area of France. Scenic are not cheap but are all inclusive so there's no need to spend any money if you don't want to. Scenic set high standards - equivalent to a five star hotel but informal - smart casual is as good as it gets for evening dining. This cruise delivered what it said it would. The captain was excellent - visible and approachable at all times. The staff were attentive and helpful, (one even lent me her personal iPhone charger when our luggage was delayed at Paris CDG.). The only thing which prevented a five star rating was our Cruise Director,who the reception staff called grumpy grandpa. He was efficient but tired. Dining was first class with plenty of choice and regional dishes available with wines to match. Cabin was fine with good air con, clean towels and face flannels replaced daily and a free minibar topped up at the same frequency. Nice little touches from our steward made us feel welcome (see photo).Balcony had an electric full width window, which when closed shut out all external noise. There was a good choice of inclusive daily shore excursions and some very good guides. (If you visit Avignon or Arles and can go with Emmanuel, do so. He is entertaining, informative and has an amazing singing voice). Chalon-sur Saone, the northern terminus of the cruise was a pleasant little town, but it might have been more interesting if we could have cruised further south than Tarascon on the Rhone instead. All transport functioned according to plan - other than our hold luggage which failed to make the Paris CDG transfer in time. It was however efficiently dealt with, and was delivered to the ship 24hours later. Scenic have a good system of check in and out, with named ID badges and bar codes - but a lanyard would be preferable to the clips which are not easy to attach to all clothing and have to be removed every time you leave the ship. Would we travel Scenic again. Most definitely. Read Less

been on prior scenic cruises twice before..though they could never exceed previous levels but they did..ship completely updated with hot tub, gym, masseuse, hairdresser, manicurist...staff attentive to all our quirky requests and needs..doing our laundry was huge. food is gourmet and plentiful. always have special needs food for vegetarians, gluten free diets..staff actually learns your names and constantly asks if there is anything they can do for you..bar variety is extensive with top shelf liquors and amazingly interesting cocktails beyond the usual..side trips and all transportation so well planned that it is effortless to travel with scenic..would have like the gift shop to be a little more extensive as the cruise line extends a 100 euro credit per person..no better place to spend it than on presents for the grandchildren but selection not extensive..needless to say we are looking forward to a fourth cruise with scenic as the exceeded all our expectations Read Less