Scenic Mekong Review, December 31, 2022-January 10, 2023

[Host Jazzbeau]

For me, the price savings of Emerald over Scenic on river cruises isn't worth the difference.  But their new luxury yacht endeavours are the complete opposite: Scenic Eclipse is so over the top, with helicopters and submarines, that I would never consider it; Emerald Azzurra sounds much more in my wheelhouse.

[isnowman]

Hi terry&mike. Welcome home. I’ve been following your adventure as we leave on the 18 day scenic cruise tour from Hanoi to Siem Reap in March, can’t wait. 
I was wondering if you found you required any CDC vaccines or treatments for the Scenic portion of your Vietnam/Cambodia trip. 
Thanks again for such a wonderful review!

Kurt 

[franski]

10 hours ago, isnowman said:

Hi terry&mike. Welcome home. I’ve been following your adventure as we leave on the 18 day scenic cruise tour from Hanoi to Siem Reap in March, can’t wait. 
I was wondering if you found you required any CDC vaccines or treatments for the Scenic portion of your Vietnam/Cambodia trip. 
Thanks again for such a wonderful review!

Kurt 

Kurt - When we booked, our TA sent a link to a website where we could look at all of the travel restrictions (including immunization requirements) worldwide.  There was nothing for either Vietnam or Cambodia.  We are just travelling with our (full) Covid vaccinations.

 

Wondering where you are located in Ontario?  We are just east of Toronto - in Whitby.  Flying EVA air both ways as it seems to have the best connection times.  You??

 

Fran

[terry&mike]

On 1/15/2023 at 8:45 AM, isnowman said:

Hi terry&mike. Welcome home. I’ve been following your adventure as we leave on the 18 day scenic cruise tour from Hanoi to Siem Reap in March, can’t wait. 
I was wondering if you found you required any CDC vaccines or treatments for the Scenic portion of your Vietnam/Cambodia trip. 
Thanks again for such a wonderful review!

Kurt 

We travel with our Covid vaccination cards, but we were never asked at any point in our travels for proof of vaccination, or for Covid testing.

  On Scenic, we were asked to sanitize our hands before entering the dining room each time. Upon entering a couple of the temples we were required to wear masks. On JAL (Japan Airlines), we were required to wear masks. No other Covid protocol on the trip. 

[isnowman]

15 hours ago, franski said:

Kurt - When we booked, our TA sent a link to a website where we could look at all of the travel restrictions (including immunization requirements) worldwide.  There was nothing for either Vietnam or Cambodia.  We are just travelling with our (full) Covid vaccinations.

 

Wondering where you are located in Ontario?  We are just east of Toronto - in Whitby.  Flying EVA air both ways as it seems to have the best connection times.  You??

 

Fran

Hi Fran,

Thanks for the info regarding immunization recommendations.
We’re up in Orillia, traveling with 2 other couples. We leave on Eva Air March 13th to Hanoi, begin our adventure with Scenic on the 14th. Are you on that same itinerary, if so I’m sure we’ll meet up with you before Hanoi. 
Kurt 

[isnowman]

2 hours ago, terry&mike said:

We travel with our Covid vaccination cards, but we were never asked at any point in our travels for proof of vaccination, or for Covid testing.

  On Scenic, we were asked to sanitize our hands before entering the dining room each time. Upon entering a couple of the temples we were required to wear masks. On JAL (Japan Airlines), we were required to wear masks. No other Covid protocol on the trip. 

Thanks terry&mike, great information. We’re all up to date with our covid shots (5) so should be good to go. 
Kurt 

[franski]

12 hours ago, isnowman said:

Hi Fran,

Thanks for the info regarding immunization recommendations.
We’re up in Orillia, traveling with 2 other couples. We leave on Eva Air March 13th to Hanoi, begin our adventure with Scenic on the 14th. Are you on that same itinerary, if so I’m sure we’ll meet up with you before Hanoi. 
Kurt 

Kurt -

We are actually travelling with Emerald for this cruise - but, given that they are part of the Scenic group,  I expect that many of the stops will be the same. We won't get the fully open bar - and may have to pay for some of the excursions (if we are interested in something other than what is included) but this thread was quite helpful and interesting for us.

 

We fly out on February 1st (arriving on the 2nd) but our tour doesn't start until the 5th. We are taking a couple of extra days to acclimate before the tour starts.

 

Fran

[isnowman]

Hi Fran,

Our TA has cruised with Emerald, highly recommended them. We did a European river cruise with Scenic so with  some of the past client perks we chose them. I don’t think you can go wrong with either of them. 
Enjoy your cruise!

[franski]

On 1/5/2023 at 9:38 AM, terry&mike said:

Guide Dara had us laughing at his krama/scarf tying presentation. 
 

At 3:00p to 4:15p, I went on the visit to Silk Island to see silk production and weaving. I’ve seen this before in China, but found this a more local experience. The prices are excellent for scarves, wallets, and other silk items. 

 

I think we will be doing the silk farm tour...  Can you remember what the prices were for scarves and other items?  You mention the prices were excellent. Wondering if this might be a good gift to take home...

 

Fran

[terry&mike]

9 hours ago, franski said:

I think we will be doing the silk farm tour...  Can you remember what the prices were for scarves and other items?  You mention the prices were excellent. Wondering if this might be a good gift to take home...

 

Fran

I think this is an excellent gift to take home. The colors, patterns and sizes were plentiful, allowing you to find something for everyone. You can purchase scarves from silk cotton blends (cheaper) to solid silk hand woven by certain well known silk making families (top), and everything in between. The prices reflect the variety, running between $10-$70 for most anything in the entire shop; the majority are priced $10-$25. The prices seemed to run from low to high, starting on the right side and moving left down several long tables.

 

I have far too many scarves already, so was not going to purchase, but could not pass up this beautiful silk cotton blend scarf for $10 below (in the photo it is laid over the small couch in our cabin). 
They also have some wallets, and a few other silk items, but the focus is scarves. 

Have an idea of what colors or price you are looking for because it is busy and people are jostling for space, and you only have about 20 minutes (likely). Actually, once you see the silk makers demonstrations, get your photos, you may want to wander a bit ahead of the group and make your way to the shop. The guide takes folks leisurely walking to the shop. 

They take credit cards, but you’ll do best to come with crisp newer US dollars cash in hand in $5’s and $10’s to make your checkout faster. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by terry&mike
copy correction

[franski]

Thank you so much for your prompt reply... and the great tip about taking US bills (instead of using a credit card...)  I am taking some with me - but will make sure I have enough to purchase at this shop. Great gift that takes up little space or weight!!  Your scarf is beautiful....

 

Given that this excursion is optional (and an added expense) I may not have to jostle too many people to get to the scarves!!

 

Fran

Edited January 23, 2023 by franski

[californiagirl]

I stumbled on your amazing and comprehensive trip report.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed it.    We are in the beginning stages of a South East Asia trip planned for January of 2025.  Your first person experience has been incredibly helpful so thank you!  I have a few questions about the ship that are not covered by your report or anywhere else on cruise critic or on you-tube for that matter.  I’m hoping you drop by the river cruise board periodically and can answer them.  If not then hopefully anyone who has been on Scenic Spirit can reply.  These questions may seem insignificant to most travelers but they would help us make an informed choice.  Managing expectations can make the difference in travel enjoyment.

 

-Do any of the lower end suites have true balconies?  It looks like they have french balconies with top windows that lower.  I realize that the weather is warm and humid and not much time is spent in the cabin on this kind of cruise but did the windows seem large enough to experience the essence of traveling on the river?  

-Regarding the bathroom, what is the door like from the room to the bathroom?  One of us is bathroom shy so this is an important detail.  

-Do they serve Diet Coke?  If so is it canned or fountain?  Neither of us drink coffee or alcohol but we love our Diet Coke!  

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[isnowman]

13 hours ago, californiagirl said:

I stumbled on your amazing and comprehensive trip report.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed it.    We are in the beginning stages of a South East Asia trip planned for January of 2025.  Your first person experience has been incredibly helpful so thank you!  I have a few questions about the ship that are not covered by your report or anywhere else on cruise critic or on you-tube for that matter.  I’m hoping you drop by the river cruise board periodically and can answer them.  If not then hopefully anyone who has been on Scenic Spirit can reply.  These questions may seem insignificant to most travelers but they would help us make an informed choice.  Managing expectations can make the difference in travel enjoyment.

 

-Do any of the lower end suites have true balconies?  It looks like they have french balconies with top windows that lower.  I realize that the weather is warm and humid and not much time is spent in the cabin on this kind of cruise but did the windows seem large enough to experience the essence of traveling on the river?  

-Regarding the bathroom, what is the door like from the room to the bathroom?  One of us is bathroom shy so this is an important detail.  

-Do they serve Diet Coke?  If so is it canned or fountain?  Neither of us drink coffee or alcohol but we love our Diet Coke!  

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

We just returned from an 18 day Scenic Mekong river cruise from Hanoi to Siem Reap, and I definitely feel that Scenic went above and beyond in meeting our expectations.

 

To answer your questions, we were in a mid level suite ( 212 ) and had what is called an infinite balcony where only the top part of the window lowered. We're used to cruising on large ocean ships with true balconies, but found this was just fine. It was VERY hot and humid, we only lowered the window to take pictures. You don't really spend much time on the ship as the shore excursions are so exciting, but when onboard we usually met with other guests at the pool or on the sundeck ( in the shade ). There were definitely no French balconies, possibly a true balcony on the third deck in the high end suites but we never saw one.

 

I've attached 2 pictures of the bathroom, unfortunately they don't show the bathroom door closed. The door actually slides across, has a latch to lock it if you like. I would say it is as private as most bathrooms are. We loved the shower, there was plenty of room at the sink and vanity, only issue is at night there is a motion night light that comes on under the vanity when you enter the bathroom. It didn't bother us, but it might be an issue.

 

I know there is Coke onboard, but never asked ( or saw ) Diet Coke. What I will say is that Scenic will do anything they can to make you happy, so ask when you first board and they can always pick some up. On our trip, one of the guests really liked blue cheese stuffed olives in their martini. They did not have any ( no surprise ) but a bartender was able to get some blue cheese from the kitchen and hand stuffed enough for the entire 8 day journey, enough for many of us to enjoy. They said it was no problem at all.

 

If you do decide to go with Scenic I think you will be impressed with everything from the hotels they use, buses, tour guides and especially the group leader they provide. As I said, they exceeded our expectations. The only complaint we heard was that due to a website hack and ransom demand. Apparently Scenic refused to pay the ransom so had to basically build a new website and their customer database. This caused many issues that seem to now be fixed.

 

 

Enjoy your trip, on whatever line you choose.

 

 

[worcestergal]

@isnowman - Thank you so much for commenting on your trip. We are booked on Scenic next March for the 18 Mekong trip (Hanoi to HCM City) and your note made me even more excited about it. 
I was wondering if you could give me a bit more info about what kind of clothes you brought and about the various excursions. Thanks!

[terry&mike]

On 4/4/2023 at 3:38 PM, californiagirl said:

I stumbled on your amazing and comprehensive trip report.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed it.    We are in the beginning stages of a South East Asia trip planned for January of 2025.  Your first person experience has been incredibly helpful so thank you!  I have a few questions about the ship that are not covered by your report or anywhere else on cruise critic or on you-tube for that matter.  I’m hoping you drop by the river cruise board periodically and can answer them.  If not then hopefully anyone who has been on Scenic Spirit can reply.  These questions may seem insignificant to most travelers but they would help us make an informed choice.  Managing expectations can make the difference in travel enjoyment.

 

-Do any of the lower end suites have true balconies?  It looks like they have french balconies with top windows that lower.  I realize that the weather is warm and humid and not much time is spent in the cabin on this kind of cruise but did the windows seem large enough to experience the essence of traveling on the river?  

-Regarding the bathroom, what is the door like from the room to the bathroom?  One of us is bathroom shy so this is an important detail.  

-Do they serve Diet Coke?  If so is it canned or fountain?  Neither of us drink coffee or alcohol but we love our Diet Coke!  

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Hello, I’m happy you enjoyed my review of the trip. 
 

As isnowman said, the lower end rooms have sliders that drop down on the windows opening the top half. We only lowered them for taking a few photos. There may be proper balconies in the larger suites, but we didn’t check. Our room was just above the entry level category and was very spacious, with both a living area and bedroom area. The windows are very large, and there were 2. 
 

I never shut the bathroom door, and can’t remember what style it was. 
 

Hubby says that there was Diet Coke onboard. 
 

I’m sure you will love your trip - it was one of our favorites. 

[californiagirl]

Thank you isnowman and TerryandMike!  That is exactly what we wanted to know.  I’m the planner for our trips but my husband has questions along the way.  I’ve looked at all the major players on the Mekong and Scenic seems to have the best offering/experience for the price.  
 

We are going to do 3 days on both ends of the cruise in Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap.  Then I think we will go to Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand.  
 

Thank you again for taking the time to post.

[999andretired]

On 4/6/2023 at 1:25 AM, terry&mike said:

Hello, I’m happy you enjoyed my review of the trip. 
 

As isnowman said, the lower end rooms have sliders that drop down on the windows opening the top half. We only lowered them for taking a few photos. There may be proper balconies in the larger suites, but we didn’t check. Our room was just above the entry level category and was very spacious, with both a living area and bedroom area. The windows are very large, and there were 2. 
 

I never shut the bathroom door, and can’t remember what style it was. 
 

Hubby says that there was Diet Coke onboard. 
 

I’m sure you will love your trip - it was one of our favorites. 

Terry & Mike, what an absolutely amazing 'live' review of the ship and experiences along the Mekong. It has most certainly whet our appetite and provided excellent advice regarding trips etc. We are booked on for January 2025 from Siam Reap to Saigon. We have previously done Saigon with Silversea. It was an amazing 2 days. So looking forward to this trip; by the time we go it will be our second Scenic adventure as we are booked onto Scenic Eclipse 2 for March 2024 in Tahiti . Fingers crossed it equals your clear enjoyment of Scenics ship and excursions. One question...if there was one thing that you wished you had done but didn't, what would that be and why?

[terry&mike]

On 4/18/2023 at 5:04 AM, 999andretired said:

Terry & Mike, what an absolutely amazing 'live' review of the ship and experiences along the Mekong. It has most certainly whet our appetite and provided excellent advice regarding trips etc. We are booked on for January 2025 from Siam Reap to Saigon. We have previously done Saigon with Silversea. It was an amazing 2 days. So looking forward to this trip; by the time we go it will be our second Scenic adventure as we are booked onto Scenic Eclipse 2 for March 2024 in Tahiti . Fingers crossed it equals your clear enjoyment of Scenics ship and excursions. One question...if there was one thing that you wished you had done but didn't, what would that be and why?

I can’t think of anything we would have done differently. My husband may have liked a bit more nap time, lol, but other than that we were super happy with the trip, excursions, etc. 

[Kristelle]

Just read this thread, thanks so much for your story.

  Mekong river cruise is on our bucket list - was thinking of doing one which spend few days on land in Cambodia first then sails down to Ho Chi Minh city and fly home (to Australia) from there.

We have been to Vietnam before in 2017 on a Wendy Wu land tour which went from Ho Chi Minh city up to Hanoi ( really enjoyed) - so this would only repeat 1 day in Ho Chi Minh city of where.we went before.

Certainly sounds well worth doing.

 

[franski]

On 4/5/2023 at 8:25 PM, terry&mike said:

 

Hubby says that there was Diet Coke onboard. 
 

My husband drinks Diet Coke - but think they refer to it as "Coke Light".  No problems getting it on the boat (although we were on Emerald...) - or at any restaurants on land.

 

Fran

[californiagirl]

That’s interesting…there is a big flavor difference between Diet Coke and Coke Light available in Mexico and the Caribbean.  It wouldn’t hurt me to drink less soda while traveling.  While in Europe only Coke Zero was available.  I survived. 😂

[Canal archive]

It’s something to do with the sugar supplements in Diet as opposed to Zero.

[Lynnie7562]

Hello Terry & Mike

     I really enjoyed your post about your time in Asia, especially regarding your cruise with Scenic. We are taking the same cruise in January 2025 but in reverse order - starting in Vietnam. I can see from your posts that this was not your first trip to Asia and I was wondering if you would have a recommendation of an area to stay in for a week after we leave the cruise in Cambodia. The are 6 of us, all in our early 60’s. We would like a place to chill after the cruise but still be close enough to attractions we can do a few excursions- I would really like to see an elephant sanctuary. Would like to be not too far from Bangkok where we will likely fly home to Canada from. Any locations or hotels you could recommend would be really appreciated. Thank you for your time. 

[terry&mike]

10 hours ago, Lynnie7562 said:

Hello Terry & Mike

     I really enjoyed your post about your time in Asia, especially regarding your cruise with Scenic. We are taking the same cruise in January 2025 but in reverse order - starting in Vietnam. I can see from your posts that this was not your first trip to Asia and I was wondering if you would have a recommendation of an area to stay in for a week after we leave the cruise in Cambodia. The are 6 of us, all in our early 60’s. We would like a place to chill after the cruise but still be close enough to attractions we can do a few excursions- I would really like to see an elephant sanctuary. Would like to be not too far from Bangkok where we will likely fly home to Canada from. Any locations or hotels you could recommend would be really appreciated. Thank you for your time. 

I’m happy you enjoyed the post. Yes, I’ve traveled to Asia several times, and enjoy it very much. I have a couple of suggestions for you. 
 

If you are wanting to stay a drive away in distance from Bangkok -

Hua Hin - beach resort community of moderate size with markets and several things to do. Centara Grand Hua Hin is an elegant colonial style resort, very peaceful, walkable or short taxi to things to do. About 2.5 drive from Bangkok. The ethical elephant sanctuary here is Hutsadin, but I did not visit that one. 
Pattaya - about 45 minutes from Bangkok, more busy and bustling than Hua Hin, but with more opportunity for activities and dining. Still a beach resort town, at one end is the seedy red light area, at the far end opposite that is the Dusit Thani Pattaya Hotel, pretty, nice pools, good food. The Pattaya Elephant Sanctuary is ethical, and nearby, and I’ve been to this one and like it. 
 

If you want to go a bit farther away, I never get tired of Hoi An, Vietnam (fly in to DaNang, 45 minutes away by car), lovely riverside village with charming shops, coffee shops, and custom tailors. Lots of cute places to stay around town. Last time we stayed at a guest house by the river. 
 

And if you are okay with just a bit farther, then look into Tagaytay, Philippines (fly into Manila, about an hour away), mountain town overlooking a lovely lake and volcano. Great views, hiking, relaxing, food. Stay at the Taal Vista Hotel with a room with views over the lake. 
 

Hope that helps! 

[franski]

On 1/28/2024 at 10:39 PM, Lynnie7562 said:

Hello Terry & Mike

  We would like a place to chill after the cruise but still be close enough to attractions we can do a few excursions- I would really like to see an elephant sanctuary. Would like to be not too far from Bangkok where we will likely fly home to Canada from. Any locations or hotels you could recommend would be really appreciated. Thank you for your time. 

Hi -

 

We went to Bangkok for 3 days after our trip last year (with Emerald).  We stayed at the Theatre Residence - a little more hidden than some I was looking at.  There is a pool in the courtyard at the front - and we enjoyed having some time to rest & relax after our trip.  We did do a couple of day trips from there --> one day we went out to the floating market, and the railway market (about 2 hours from town...).  The next morning we went to see the reclining buddha. The hotel was able to arrange transfers to/from the airport for us. 

 

BTW - we flew from Toronto with EVA air, and would highly recommend them. Bit the bullet and booked premium economy (due to the long travel time...) and it was well worth the money. 

 

Fran