Scenic River

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Scenic Jasper

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Service was wonderful!

We have always wanted to do a river cruise and the Rhine River cruise of 8 days seemed perfect.  We arrived in Zurich the day before the cruise left, which we would recommend.  Scenic found us the lovely hotel.   The pick up to take us to the Basel, Switzerland departure was very well organized. We had a lovely welcome when we arrived on board the ship by cruise director, Richard.  He was amazing.   The food on the ship was really good with many choices.   The excursions that we chose were well done being able to travel through smaller towns and experience the culture. There was great evening entertainment if you wanted to participate, both cultural as well as just plain fun dancing the night away. Alex did an excellent job keeping us laughing and making sure we were having fun. We also enjoyed the intimacy of being on a smaller ship. We have made new friends and look forward to keeping in touch with them!  All around it was a wonderful vacation and we look forward to another cruise in the future.

Rhine River Cruise - Zuzrich to Amsterdam

We heard Scenic offered a level of luxury and service that just did not deliver. We selected this cruise due to the itinerary and timeframe. Their guide communication system just flat out does not work but they insisted on continuing to use it. This was very frustrating and wasted considerable time. They need to go back to the VOX system used by other cruise lines.

The excursions were very limited and the overall pace of the cruise was very slow with lot's of downtime. The food was mediocre,  we considered half of the dinners to be  good.  The butlers are just glorified waiters and is a great marketing tool. Entertainment if there was any in the evening lasted 45 minutes.The biggest hit was the corny 70's dance party.The hotels on the Switzerland land portion were very good. For the cost of this trip which exceeded 5 figures Scenic couldn't even cover the 5 swiss franc cost per person to see the Chagall windows in the cathedral in Zurich at the start of the trip. That should have been a telling sign.

The trip was expensive and we were disappointed overall. For my money we have been much more satisfied with the experiences we had on Uniworld.

Extremely Disappointed on Scenic

023 Scenic Cruise from Basel to Amsterdam 

DEPARTURE DATE 25/9/2023 

COMMENTS. 

My wife and I have recently returned from completing the tour above and offer the following thoughts your consideration. 

We completed our first ever river cruise in 2022 with Emerald, going from Amsterdam to Budapest.  We enjoyed it very much and therefore decided to cruise again.  This year the date of a Scenic cruise best suited us date wise, so that is what we chose. 

We have the following comments on the cruise. They have been separated into pros and cons. 

PROS. 

SHIP.  The ship was very comfortable and modern.  We were surprised it did not have a pool and cinema as did the Emerald ship last year.  Nevertheless, it was a joy to call it home for the two weeks aboard.  

STAFF. The staff we came in contact were exemplary, particularly the room attendant, receptionists, dining room staff and drink waiters 

FOOD & DRINKS.  The quality of food and drinks was excellent.  Even if the bubbly served was Prosecco not Champagne. 

ORGANISATION. The logistics of organising daily tours and entertainment were faultless, as was the commencement and departure from the cruise.   

CONS. 

INTERNET FAILURE.  For the second week of the tour the ship suffered a loss of internet connectivity (a failed server).  This caused many problems for the ship’s crew and passengers.  For example, for several days we came and went without registering, hence it was unknown who was aboard as the computerized check-in system was not working.  Eventually a manual card system was introduced and used until the cruise ended. The fault remained at the end of the cruise. 

POOR COMMUNICATION.  On a sailing day, an impromptu degustation serving of wine and cheese was offered to A FEW passengers who were in the public lounge at the time it was organised. The opportunity was not offered to those clients who were not in the lounge at that time.   

AUDIO DEVICES.  The audio system used by guides to communicate with the group was supposed to make use of our mobile phones.  But the phones continually went into mute mode.  The guides had to try and make themselves heard without the use of the audio system.  We missed the audio for several tours until we were offered Dr Spock earpieces in lieu of using mobile phones.  I estimate a third of clients had to use them.  Instead of being the leading edge in technology, I call it the bleeding edge.  I felt sorry for the tour directors & guides continually having to try and reconnect clients, leading to frustration for staff and passengers.  The problem prevailed for the whole cruise. 

SICKNESS. After a couple of days, coughs appeared among the passengers.  Only hand sanitisers were provided.  I believe a lot more could and should have been done, like asking clients to wear masks if unwell and not participate in tours whilst unwell etc.   The coughs were present for the remainder of the cruise. There was covid on the ship and passengers had to go to hospital.  They returned to the ship to complete their isolation. 

SHORTAGES OF FOODS ETC. This cruise took place in Western Europe, a very civilised part of the world.  The ship was in port every day, mostly in large towns all with supermarkets.  For the ship to run out of things like cream, tomato juice, and certain types of beer was inexcusable.  

UNFAIRNESS.  My wife and I paid $28,000 for the two-week cruise and this did not include air fares. I believe it's very unfair for Australian citizens to be charged this amount when UK residents were offered a two for one deal and several had taken up the offer on our ship.  Not what I expect from an Australian company toward its Australian clients.  

CONCLUSION 

My wife and I come away from the cruise Very disappointed.  We paid a lot of money for the tour and expected a more professional product than we experienced.  The Emerald cruise was superior and less expensive.  We got the feeling corners were being cut to reduce costs (EG. Nibbles not offered with pre dinner drinks unlike on the Emerald ship last year) 

We are very reluctant to book another holiday with Scenic if this is the way it now operates. 

I have communicated our concerns through my travel agent to Scenic but have not had a response.  Not that we expected one, given the treatment of Aussie clients.

Scenic not up to the standard expected

Jost Van Dyke

Since Scenic caters to mainly the Australian market, we found ourselves booking this cruise to meet up with our Australian friends.  There was a mix of Canadians, Brits, and Americans.  This was a Rhine, Mosel River itinerary with 14 nights on board ship.   The ship had propeller problems from the first night which meant transferring the passengers to a hotel for two nights, and then returning to the ship to continue the cruise.  I can't say enough about how Scenic handled the situation:  the cruise line did an excellent job with the transfers, modifying the excursions, and housing us at the hotel.

Once on board the ship,  we were treated like family.  Without doubt, the hardest working cruise director (Richard) and hotel staff that I have ever witnessed.   If you read other positive reviews about the Crystal, I won't add any more to the praises.  I called this an "an all inclusive river cruise on a budget" because we booked the lowest class cabin category.   It did show in the size of the accommodations especially the shower.  The shower was the smallest one I ever experienced on any river or ocean cruise.  Despite that issue, the staff always greeted us with a smile.  Room attendant was excellent.

Bar staff remembered our drink choices.   Would I book another Scenic Cruise?  Probably not due to the cost but don't let that stop you from trying out the Scenic experience.

All inclusive river cruise on a budget 

Fanning Island

Due to high water levels we started our cruise on the Scenic Ruby from Budapest.  We joined the Scenic Crystal in Rudesheim.  We we were therefore able to compare the two ships.  Ruby is older but basically the same as Crystal except Crystal has Deluxe Balcony rooms which we had booked. The Ruby was in better condition than Crystal.  Crystal had ripped and stained carpets.  We found the staff, service and food to be much better on the Ruby vs the Crystal.  The breakfasts and lunch are great on both ships.  Dinner menus were eclectic.  The food pairings from the appetizer to main course to desert failed to be cohesive.  Wine was very good, however, Crystal  staff failed to ensure our glasses were not empty.  We walked out of dinner service on Crystal twice before desert was served because of bad service.  We also found that there was insufficient nightly entertainment.  We took a river cruise on Scenic in 2018 and we had entertainment every night including a pianist for whole trip.  All we got on this trip was djay and five nights of entertainment on a 16 day trip.

The trip started with a day in Budapest and ended with a day in Amsterdam.  We could have seen both Budapest and Amsterdam on a pre and post trip.  I would have sooner had the two days in ports along the way.  We only had 1/2 a day in Durnstein, Melk, Ragensburg, Nuremberg, Wurzburg, Mittenburg and Cologne.  We were very rushed - always running from bus to tour and back to ship.  If you take this trip ensure that you go to the Palais Lichtenstein.  Magnificent palace and we witnessed a wonderful concert.  We also recommend bus trip to Salzburg.  Beautiful city and we witnessed a Sound of Music concert in Enrich in the mountains.  Other highlights are Durnstein, Melk, Wurzburg and Mttenberg as well as Rhine gorge.

Beautiful sail up the Danube, Main and Rhine

Sailed on a 15 day cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam with Scenic Ruby on August 28th, 2023. Flights and everything booked through scenic. On the boat the food, drinks, staff were fantastic but delayed and cancelled flights at both ends cause lots of stress. Because it was a Sunday no calls to scenic were answered and we had to organize alternate flights ourselves with no help from scenic. 

Our luggage was a day late and we changed to a different boat, the Scenic Crystal because of high water, five days later our luggage was sent to the Ruby, after we had changed to the Crystal. 

We received no customer service from scenic to help with alternative flights or with tracking down luggage even though I made repeated requests. We only got our luggage almost a month later after we returned home. No reimbursement or support from scenic. Half the boat caught a cold/flu type virus. Most expensive and worst vacation ever.

Most expensive and worst vacation ever

Scenic provide good value if you are looking for average and you’re travelling on a budget.  If you’re looking for quality and pay for a premium- it’s disappointing.  The notion of quality premium wines is a joke.  As for food - it was mixed - we had to jump on the Scenic Ruby after flooding on the Danube and their food was excellent.  The food on the Scenic Crystal was not good - 5 meals were returned.  On one occasion out of a table of 6 - 4 meals were inedible.  There were comments that the chef had gone on holiday.  Service was excellent on the Crystal but abysmal on the Ruby.  On one occasion it required 3 calls over several hours to get a shirt pressed.  We booked the expensive option of a Junior Suite on the Diamond deck and it was definitely a waste of money.  We knew we were in trouble when we made our own way to the transfer point to embark and we’re told we would have to wait 2 hours for our bus as only the guests staying at the hotel could board the earlier buses… or we could walk - 20 mins in the hot sun - we chose the later.  Table La Rive is not a unique dining experience - it was just a larger table set up at the top of the same large room with all the other diners.  Portobello’s was the best dining experience on the boat.  Champagne was terrible - interestingly it was only on the last 2 mornings at breakfast that I saw a bottle of Moët champagne available - never saw this at any other time.  Moët is an entry level champagne and general the cheapest in the Australian market.  At one stage we lost power, another day we lost air conditioning, twice we lost hot water.  They advertise e-bikes…. Problem is there were only 20 for 160 people and by day 3 or 4 had broken down.  But the worst criticism is for the internet - or lack thereof.  In this modern day there is no excuse for such horrific internet quality - simply disgusting and frustrating.  If you were paying for the cheap tickets - good value - if you’re paying the top end price - it’s a disgrace.

In a word - disappointing!

A perfect blend of quaint villages along the Moselle with larger cities like Düsseldorf and Koblenz. We loved the variety of excursions and it was hard to choose between wine tastings and castle tours. We enjoyed the Scenic exclusive tours of the Rastatt palace concert and Hockenheimer F1 insider. Local guides were fantastic, knowledgeable humorous and considerate. 

On board the variety of food met every need. Always three choices for dinner. Smaller intimate dinners were served for guests in Portobellos with high end wine and white glove service. Our Cruise Director made for an entertaining trip and was always accommodating if our plans changed. We felt very well informed about what to expect on our day trips and he added great background information about each place. The majority of departures left and returned on time. Allowed us to never miss a meal! All the staff were gracious and eager to please. Drinks were top shelf and plenty of other refreshing beverages available including high end self serve coffee bar. E-bikes were available and fun to try. Do bring your own helmet if you plan to partake. Overall Scenic’s all inclusive package is the way to go worry free with a luxury experience.

Scenic is truly a luxury experience!

Let me give the positives first

1.  ship is old and beautifully maintained

2.  Our deluxe balcony suite was comfortable and spotless.  Plenty of closet and drawers, safe and small refrigerator which was stocked with beverages and a few snacks.  Soaps, and hair products are in large containers.  Shower was delightful with multiple shower heads.  We enjoyed the balcony chairs. Top deck was full of lounging chairs.

3. WIFI was more than adequate

4.  Staff is exceedlingly polite; our butler was always available (we really did not use him)

5.  Laundry service was fast

The remainder

1.  Breakfast and lunch were ok, breads were generally stale, danish were the same dough rolled into 4 different shapes, fruits (watermelon, pineapple, cantalope ) were always available in AM along with whole fruits.  Ubiqutous oatmeal station and accompaniements, yogurts, hot items such as sausage, bacon, potatoes, baked beans, grilled tomatoes always available.  Smoked salmon, thinly sliced cheese and meats, and condiments always on buffet along with egg station. Lunch had a daily soup which was watery every day, 2 lettuce selections, 4 salad items including tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and 4 composed salads which were yesterdays appetizers, etc in a dressing. Pasta station, and dessert station which was one hot item, cake like item, gelatin based cup , one ice cream and one sorbet (excellent) with toppings. Wines were poured and refilled.  Menu had a sandwich of day such as Reuben which was a thin slice of corned beef, some saurkraut , and served cold..There was always a hot entree..we tried the lamb (it was inedible)

2.  Dinners were served at 7 pm.  A choice of 3 starters, usually one was a green salad.  There were 3 entrees, one a meat, one a fish , and one vegetarian.  Meats were mainly pork, one night beef tenderloin, veal goulash; the right side of menu was the always available, salmon, steak, chicken breast, caesar salad and banans foster.  The meats were indedible (certainly not prime or even choice), usually served lukewarm yet the kitchen was 10 steps from tables. Sauces flavourless and vegetables were a mash.  There was one bread brought to your table.  

3.  After many river cruises I could not believe that the ship did not dock in a city for the day. Rather they would sail during the day, park at docks way outside the city and bus the passengers to one of 3 tours, then pick them up on the other side of the city. Tours were ok, nothing like the food tours offered by Crystal.  This has to be a nickle dime deal as we passed no other river boat ships during the day. Even Viking remains in cities!  

4.  Passengers were a mixture of Australian, New Zealand, Canada, and US.  So interesting to be with them. Many had never traveled outside their homeland or on cruise.   

We cruised with 5 companies so we are in a position to make comparisons.  Glad to answer any questions.

Once and done

Having cruised on the Rhine and Danube previously we wanted another experience River Cruising in Europe so we chose the Moselle cruise which we found to be an excellent choice.  The scenery along the Moselle was spectacular and  Scenic Crystal made our experience most  enjoyable. The Stops or destinations along the Rivers were well planned and Excursions off the boat  were very well planned.  The policy of having three choices of excursions in each destination provided an excellent selection for guests. We also  had very experienced guides in every destination.    The Scenic Crew were very professional in every way. The Cruise Director and his assistant were outstanding both on and off board.  The Dining experiences were first class in that we had a very varied menu each meal therefore catering for all tastes and demands.  The service was always first class. The onboard activities were both interesting and fun and catered for all tastes.  River Cruising is an excellent way to further explore Europe and other destinations.

Scenic Cruise on the Moselle

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