AZCruiserguy

"I did note the Marriott on the Danube was not a pretty building at all and actually very grubby looking. Good location though."

We stayed at the Marriott in September, and the interior is very nice - modern and clean, including the room we had with a great view of the Danube and Budda Castle. Their breakfast buffet was also very good.

And there is only one terminal building, so it's just a matter of how far you will need to walk between your arrival and departure gates.

I have been on a b2b river cruise on the Rhine and Rhone with Avalon and swore I would never try another because we truly disliked this line. Time has passed and I do want to do the Danube and am now looking at Uniworld and Tauck. I appreciate reading all of the pros and cons of each. One question?? Do either of these cruise lines offer seating just for "two" persons or all they all the same where you must share tables every evening? I thought Tauck may do this but want to make sure prior to making a decision.

Just thought I'd throw out Scenic as another all inclusive you might consider for the Danube. We just finished their Amsterdam to Budapest cruise and had a great experience. They have tables for two, but they are positioned just inches away from the 4 person tables, so you will usually be drawn into the larger group discussions. With limited space, I don't see how they could really isolate two person tables.

...This current boat has more Canadians than Aussies on board. There are a few US residents and about six Brits. Apparently this is the first Scenic River Cruise that Aussies have been outnumbered. It is a great atmosphere onboard, we have a marvellous Tour Director - we are really pleased with the whole experience.

 

Sorry I can't help you with the difference between amsterdam-Budapest or vice versa.

Hi Strath, our Scenic Jade Amsterdam to Budapest cruise ending right before your return trip also had more Canadians than Aussies, so maybe ours was the first :). Only 6 of us from USA. We also were very pleased. I don't think you can go wrong going either direction.

We booked about 15 months in advance. At that time we had a lot of choices and got one of the Royal Panoramic suites, but it sold out soon after.

My husband and I took a Scenic Tours trip on scenic Jewel last July from Amsterdam to Budapest and it was fantastic from start to finish.

Ditto. Just finished our Amsterdam to Budapest on Scenic Jade. Excellent service.

My second question is....Is Avalon the only company with beds facing the French balcony or window? I really like that set up for the room.

Scenic ships have two large Panoramic suites with the bed facing the balcony (rear of ship). There's also another large window to the side giving you views in two directions.

Has anyone been on a Scenic Cruises river cruise? They got bad reviews in 2013 and good ones in 2012, but nothing for 2014.

There have been some reports of Scenic river cruises this year, mostly positive, try the search funciton.. I think there's a fairly new review in the Review section. Going on my first river cruise on Scenic Jade in Sept.

Dianne, we are also scheduled for the Scenic Jade on Sept. 3rd this year Amsterdam to Bucharest. Look forward to seeing you!

 

Also interested in any tips from prior Scenic passengers, it's been helpful to read what others have encountered.

 

Rod

Oops - meant Budapest :).

Alexandra,

This is June 15 and you must have begun your Scenic cruise at this point. Any highlights so far? | am on a Scenic Jade on Sept.3/14. What would you recommend taking along for electrical issues. ( eg. converter, power bar) and is the Apple computer connected to the TV screen easy to use? Thx

-Dianne

Dianne, we are also scheduled for the Scenic Jade on Sept. 3rd this year Amsterdam to Bucharest. Look forward to seeing you!

Also interested in any tips from prior Scenic passengers, it's been helpful to read what others have encountered.

Rod

...You have a choice of table at dinner, but no choice of time. Our "private" grumpy, no-personality butler told us you have to be there at 7 p.m. or you may not get your appetizer as the courses are served in order all at the same time. ...

That's different than what a Scenic regional sales manager said during a TA presentation webinar. He indicated that it's "not a cattle call", and you can show up anytime during the dining hours. Listen at time 17:40 in this link:

But he did not exactly say that you would get all courses if coming later.

I hope our upcoming Sept. experience on the Jade is better.

The ship names were indicated on their website with the available sailings when we booked (Scenic Jewel - Sept 3rd Amsterdam to Budapest).

There are many posts to read here about which are considered best or highest quality. You'll find many different perspectives and opinions. You might start here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1947223

Glad to hear some positive comments about Scenic. We are booked for Sept '14 Amsterdam to Budapest.