Scenic Cruise Review (albeit a bit late...)

[franski]

Sorenski - Happy Anniversary... I think a river cruise to celebrate is a great idea!!

 

You may not get this until you get back (unless you get internet on the boat...) - but have a great time. DH and I are just back from a trip to NZ- so have been out of touch with this website for a few weeks.

 

Our next cruise isn't until next May - so do have to wait a bit - but it doesn't stop the planning.

[XFed2001]

I want to start off by saying that while I found franski's cruise report useful and illuminating, I would like to offer my wife's and my not so complimentary observations about our cruise experience on the Emerald and the extension in Prague. I shall try to be succinct in my comments. From our perspective as seasoned ocean-going cruisers, we know that one can't and shouldn't compare a river cruise experience with the ocean cruises. The itinerary offered allowed us to gain a taste for cruising to and visiting small towns and cities which are obviously impossible on an ocean cruise.

 

The staff service was outstanding throughout the entire boat. No questions/complaints here.

 

The food quality was mediocre at best and the portions are small but one can and should ask for double portions which we did after the first few dinners. The selection of food was also rather limited. As we view dining as at least 33% of the cruising experience, we were quite disappointed. The welcome dinner was quite unmemorable. The breakfasts were only o.k. The scrambled eggs were always dry and overdone while the wait in the omelette line seemed interminable. Lunch was also passable. Several of the lunches included pasta which we both found very good; too bad the rest of the lunch selections were lacking in taste and selection. Dinners should have been superior dining experiences but were not. Appetizers were not imaginative; soups were always watered down and barely tasteful. Entrees were small and not very flavorful; I wish to underscore the word: mediocre. Desserts were really, really unimaginative and blah. A note to decaf coffee drinkers: NO decaf other than instant; we found that unforgivable as there was a coffee machine which had multiple offerings but NO decaf.

 

I shall provide our thoughts on the cabins accommodations in my next blurb. Again, these observations are being offered from our perspective and reflects how we see were the failings in re the very important meal experience.

[XFed2001]

The cabin size was to be expected. The beds were comfortable and the closet space was adequate --all things considered. The absence of reading lamps was a big minus. No power outlet in the bathroom was another. Given that other than your cabin, one could only meet and socialize in the lounge or on the observation/top deck -- assuming the weather was favorable -- free movies should have been an alternative entertainment offering; if I recall correctly, the charge was 6.95 Euros per movie.

 

The lounge and its entertainment (i.e., a talented singer and musician) was the only other venue for gathering and socializing. It, like the dining room, had very, very poor acoustics -- NOISEY!!! Could hardly hear you or your table mates shouting.

 

Internet availability (while sometimes spotty) was generally good and a reasonable buy at 30 euros for a week.

 

Again, I wish to iterate that notwithstanding all of these weaknesses and failings, the crew performed admirably and efficiently.

 

I would like to add another observation about the dinner experience. Specifically, the entree was always served at least 60 minutes after the salad; thus making your leisure dining experience last more than 90 minutes each and every night.

 

Regarding on board laundry services, the turnaround time was excellent BUT do NOT allow them to wash and iron any garments which have the least possibility of shrinking under high heat in a dryer. My new dockers unfortunately succumbed to such drying processes and are at least 2 sizes smaller.

 

My observations are no where as well organized and presented as franski's but I offer them for what they are worth for future travelers on the Scenic Tour river cruises. The embarkation and disembarkation processes were seamless and well-organized.

 

I would suggest that river cruising can be enjoyable but keeping in mind life on a river cruiser is different than on an ocean-going vessel. Thank you for allowing me to offer what I believe is another perspective on river cruising and all of its pluses and minuses.

[franski]

Hi Richard -

 

I am sorry that your cruise wasn't up to your expectations...

 

I am not nearly as well-travelled as you appear to be - and our only "large ship" experience was with Princess in Alaska. After doing that initial cruise with a large ship - and feeling "lost" in the numbers of people aboard (not to mention quite nauseated with the large swells as we were sailing the Inside Passage..... :( ) we decided to look for something entirely different.

 

River cruising really suits our travel style. I am happy with the low key experience - but I do know that it isn't for everyone. And - while I do enjoy eating, I am not a "foodie" --> however can appreciate that the food experience on a cruise can significantly affect your enjoyment of the experience.

 

When I started this thread, it was to try to offer some thoughts on cruising with Scenic. They have taken quite a few hits here on CC - and so I was really quite leary about travelling with them. But, the price was too good to pass up - so we booked. I decided that I would be honest - and would post if something was not to my expectations. Perhaps the fact that my expectations were lower than for other trips actually affected my view.

 

Many of the previous posts spoke to the boat, and to the crew. You have commented that the crew was great... We experienced the same thing.

 

I can sympathize with the noise in the dining room - but we have found that on other cruises as well. The issue of a l-o-o-o-n-g dining time is something that we have noted before too. The longest (read "slowest") meal time was actually on our AMA cruise. We put that down to a really novice wait staff on that cruise. But - perhaps it is always that slow on AMA. Don't know, as I have only travelled with them once.

 

Can't speak to laundry - as we didn't use that service. When we used the laundry on Uniworld, I only sent clothes out that I was fairly confident wouldn't shrink. I have worked in facilities with "institutional" machines - and didn't want to take a chance that my clothes would be clean, but wouldn't fit.

 

I do think it is good to post your opinions... We all have something valuable to offer - and I would wonder if everyone posted the same things all the time.

 

Did you fill out an end of cruise survey? I know that it won't help your experience, but it may help others. And - perhaps they will reimburse you for your too-small dockers --> as they did shrink them.

 

Thanks for taking the time to "resurrect" this thread, and to post your experiences.

 

Fran

[LHT28]

The food quality was mediocre at best and the portions are small but one can and should ask for double portions which we did after the first few dinners. The selection of food was also rather limited. As we view dining as at least 33% of the cruising experience, we were quite disappointed. The welcome dinner was quite unmemorable. The breakfasts were only o.k. The scrambled eggs were always dry and overdone while the wait in the omelette line seemed interminable. Lunch was also passable. Several of the lunches included pasta which we both found very good; too bad the rest of the lunch selections were lacking in taste and selection. Dinners should have been superior dining experiences but were not. Appetizers were not imaginative; soups were always watered down and barely tasteful. Entrees were small and not very flavorful; I wish to underscore the word: mediocre. Desserts were really, really unimaginative and blah. A note to decaf coffee drinkers: NO decaf other than instant; we found that unforgivable as there was a coffee machine which had multiple offerings but NO decaf.

 

 

Thanks for the update

I wonder if you should contact Scenic with your comments on the food as well as the shrinking Dockers

I will not send DH dockers out now that I know they could shrink

 

I am surprised that they would serve small portions usually most ships serve too much

 

I do hope they improve on the food by next June when we go ;)

 

Sorry to hear it was not as good as expected

 

Lyn

[franski]

I have found that the main courses are usually on the smaller size - but you can always ask for more, or even another helping.

 

We tend to order from every course (ie:appetizer, soup, main and dessert...) - so are not concerned about a bit smaller main course.

 

Fran

[LHT28]

How small is small ?

 

We usually order a couple of courses & that is usually enough

One cruise we were on the portions were hardly enough to fill me & I do not eat a lot ;)

They also offered half portions ...they were for a bird :eek:

 

Lyn

[XFed2001]

Hi Richard -

 

I am sorry that your cruise wasn't up to your expectations...

 

I am not nearly as well-travelled as you appear to be - and our only "large ship" experience was with Princess in Alaska. After doing that initial cruise with a large ship - and feeling "lost" in the numbers of people aboard (not to mention quite nauseated with the large swells as we were sailing the Inside Passage..... :( ) we decided to look for something entirely different.

 

River cruising really suits our travel style. I am happy with the low key experience - but I do know that it isn't for everyone. And - while I do enjoy eating, I am not a "foodie" --> however can appreciate that the food experience on a cruise can significantly affect your enjoyment of the experience.

 

When I started this thread, it was to try to offer some thoughts on cruising with Scenic. They have taken quite a few hits here on CC - and so I was really quite leary about travelling with them. But, the price was too good to pass up - so we booked. I decided that I would be honest - and would post if something was not to my expectations. Perhaps the fact that my expectations were lower than for other trips actually affected my view.

 

Many of the previous posts spoke to the boat, and to the crew. You have commented that the crew was great... We experienced the same thing.

 

I can sympathize with the noise in the dining room - but we have found that on other cruises as well. The issue of a l-o-o-o-n-g dining time is something that we have noted before too. The longest (read "slowest") meal time was actually on our AMA cruise. We put that down to a really novice wait staff on that cruise. But - perhaps it is always that slow on AMA. Don't know, as I have only travelled with them once.

 

Can't speak to laundry - as we didn't use that service. When we used the laundry on Uniworld, I only sent clothes out that I was fairly confident wouldn't shrink. I have worked in facilities with "institutional" machines - and didn't want to take a chance that my clothes would be clean, but wouldn't fit.

 

I do think it is good to post your opinions... We all have something valuable to offer - and I would wonder if everyone posted the same things all the time.

 

Did you fill out an end of cruise survey? I know that it won't help your experience, but it may help others. And - perhaps they will reimburse you for your too-small dockers --> as they did shrink them.

 

Thanks for taking the time to "resurrect" this thread, and to post your experiences.

 

Fran

 

Hi Fran. I appreciate your comments. My observations (like yours) are intended to present what we felt were the pluses and minus of our first river cruising experience. We just wanted future prospective cruisers to know what we experienced and to be prepared for a different mode of travel experience. I did complete the questionnaire and hope that our critical but constructive comments will be useful to the management reviewers if they are, in fact, read. I wish you and those who enjoy river cruising with its unique aspects, many happy sailings with fair weather all the time.

[XFed2001]

Thanks for the update

I wonder if you should contact Scenic with your comments on the food as well as the shrinking Dockers

I will not send DH dockers out now that I know they could shrink

 

I am surprised that they would serve small portions usually most ships serve too much

 

I do hope they improve on the food by next June when we go ;)

 

Sorry to hear it was not as good as expected

 

Lyn

 

Lyn: I'm glad that my comments are helpful to you. The portions for dinner only (as the breakfast and lunch offerings were ala carte and of course limitless but limited in scope) were really quite small but as I noted, do not be shy about asking for a double portion. The free wine and beer was a nice feature. I did fail to compliment Scenictours for the outstanding and delicious lunch and dinner offerings on the last day of the cruise -- offerings which should have been the standard all along.

 

Although the food was not up to my not so high expectations, the crew did its utmost to provide outstanding service. enough said. I really hope that your cruise meets (nay, exceeds) your expectations. Bon voyage!

 

Richard

[XFed2001]

How small is small ?

 

We usually order a couple of courses & that is usually enough

One cruise we were on the portions were hardly enough to fill me & I do not eat a lot ;)

They also offered half portions ...they were for a bird :eek:

 

Lyn

 

Lyn: I would say that almost all of the dinner courses were on the small size. The soup was the exception but while served in a very generous large mug size, they just were tasteless and watered down. As an aside, every cruise ship that we've been on always excelled in their soups. The salads while tasty were served in a medium-sized Hi-ball glass. The main course would have been adequate for a young teen-aged girl but not a boy. Alternatives to whatever were the main courses du jour (there are always three - a fish or a meat or something vegan) were a steak (terrible quality), chicken (never ordered) or a cheeseburger, hamburger, or macaroni and cheese if I recall correctly. I dare say that I only ordered the steak once as well as a cheese burger (Wendy's tasted better) while the french fries were o.k. The desserts were unimaginative -- limited choices. Anyway, I think I've accurately painted the dining picture.

 

Richard

[LHT28]

Lyn: I would say that almost all of the dinner courses were on the small size. The soup was the exception but while served in a very generous large mug size, they just were tasteless and watered down. As an aside, every cruise ship that we've been on always excelled in their soups. The salads while tasty were served in a medium-sized Hi-ball glass.

 

Richard

Thanks for the comments

I will never get DH to cruise again if the food is that bad :eek:

 

Lyn

[franski]

I think the chef must really be a make-or-break detail...

 

I have a healthy appetite - and never once left the dining room hungry.

 

I found the soups good to excellent --> but I almost always eat the cream based soup. I am not particularly a fan of broth based soups - as I have found that it is quite easy to mess a broth up... (too salty, too bland etc).

 

I did order the steak on 2 occasions - and found that both times they were prepared the way I asked, and were not tough. Beef quality was fair - not excellent - but certainly edible.

 

I do agree that the dessert offerings were not up to the standard that we have experienced on other cruises. But *no* river cruise has matched the desserts we had in France on the River Baroness. And - we have travelled a further 2 times with Uniworld - so it appears that it is more the staff than the line that affected that.

 

The wait staff can affect the entire experience - which is why we tend to stick in a "zone" once we find a waiter we like. Our trip with Scenic was no different. We ran to our "regular" table (round table for 8) to ensure we had the waiter we "found"...

 

I had one cruise where the waiter was indifferent to us (spent +++ time with a table of women travelling together for the markets...) - but we didn't move as it was easily accessible for one gentleman who had mobility issues. In hindsight - we should just have moved, and waited for him and his wife to join.

 

If you find the portions too small, speak with the hotel manager. We commented that we found the soup portions rather small - so he advised how to order "bigger"...

[XFed2001]

Thanks for the comments

I will never get DH to cruise again if the food is that bad :eek:

 

Lyn

 

Lyn, the food was not bad but just not up to the quality that I expected. Having been on many ocean-going cruises, I have experienced food on the mass market cruise ships as well as some of the higher-end ones and unfortunately, the quality and selection offered by ScenicTours was lacking IMHO.

[LHT28]

Lyn, the food was not bad but just not up to the quality that I expected. Having been on many ocean-going cruises, I have experienced food on the mass market cruise ships as well as some of the higher-end ones and unfortunately, the quality and selection offered by ScenicTours was lacking IMHO.

Thanks

I guess we will find out next year hope they have improved by then

 

Lyn

[alexandra cruiser]

seems to charge more for cruise,,,as compared to one we booked for same time period...for instance Scenic $5200 ,,then must add upgrade for better rooms,,,ie..$1000 for one we wanted...for 12 day Prague to Budapest. We booked AMA for exact same itinerary and 2 balcony room for 4200 incs upgraded room...did book air on own...but still seems higher.

 

Know they inc. gratuities and some excursions,,but most DO have excursions,,some free,others extra of course.

 

Am I missing something?From websites,,ships look very nice,but seems a real problem with food quality..and whats the reference to thruster probs..tried looking here on Search funtion,but most review,,ex.this,were from 2009 to 2010...:confused:

[franski]

Alexandra cruiser -

 

Just back from a travel show this afternoon - and had the opportunity to talk with a Scenic rep while I was there.

 

I did comment that their package was more expensive than others - but,it was pointed out that it is truly, all inclusive. And - it is. I mentioned that I doubted I would travel with them again - unless they had an amazing sale. Or - an itinerary that couldn't be beat.

 

In Russia, they did have a contract with the company that AMA had worked with for an "updated boat" in the 2012 season - but, after following the "chat" about the food issues etc, have moved onto a company that will (apparently) allow them to have more control. They have a visit to Star City in their itinerary - and would absolutely *love* to go there, but not for the extra $$ it would cost.

 

For the thrusters - we noticed a problem when we were pushing away from shore. +++ noise and vibrations - but it did not last long. If this happened at night - for a late night departure - we did not notice it, and we were on the lowest deck.

 

We really loved the Scenic Emerald's low key elegance. But, decor is really a personal choice - so don't know that one recommendation would really carry much weight.

 

Fran

[alexandra cruiser]

just looked on website,,and airfare NOT inc.with this price..whew...also all drinks,,like at bar,,NOT inc..just beer and wine with lunch and dinner..not a big drinker but that can add up.

Since I rarely take the extra excursions, we prefer to wander on our own,,this would not be a really plus for us.

Re; food. Have found river cruises in general not "fantastic",but adequate,but this sounds a little below normal as far as size and flavor.So it really helps to have others give their ideas ahead of time..love that about CC..have AMA booked for next May and will check that out.;)