Scenic Mekong Itinerary

[keckley]

We recently did a River cruise of the Mekong. Started in Ho Chi Minh City and end in Siem Reap. 
We were not offered any pre or post opportunities. We were told to meet the tour leader on embarkation day at a hotel for them to pick up luggage. Thought that was odd. When we arrived at that hotel we were told that a group of us were going to a local place for lunch and then a 2 hour bus ride to the ship? We were not given that information. Worse yet was while on the cruise happened to find out we don’t disembark in Siem Reap we stopped in Kampong Cham and had to take a 5 hour bus ride to Siem Reap! We were livid! None of this was communicated. We may have thought twice about this cruise. Found out that it has happened before but just to those from the US.

We have complained and hope to have a suitable response soon.

[marbleski]

14 hours ago, keckley said:

We recently did a River cruise of the Mekong. Started in Ho Chi Minh City and end in Siem Reap. 
We were not offered any pre or post opportunities. We were told to meet the tour leader on embarkation day at a hotel for them to pick up luggage. Thought that was odd. When we arrived at that hotel we were told that a group of us were going to a local place for lunch and then a 2 hour bus ride to the ship? We were not given that information. Worse yet was while on the cruise happened to find out we don’t disembark in Siem Reap we stopped in Kampong Cham and had to take a 5 hour bus ride to Siem Reap! We were livid! None of this was communicated. We may have thought twice about this cruise. Found out that it has happened before but just to those from the US.

We have complained and hope to have a suitable response soon.

How was the cruise, staff, ports, food, service?  Were you on the Emerald Harmony? Did they fill all 42 staterooms?

Thanks

[keckley]

We were on Scenic Spirit. They did not fill all staterooms on this cruise. Cruise overall was good. Staff, food, service excellent. Ports so so.

[Host Jazzbeau]

moved to River Cruising forum

[Host Jazzbeau]

I'm not sure which parts of your description were unique to US customers?  

•  Were others offered pre-/post- extensions? [I don't see any on the scenicusa website]  

•  Or was it that others knew about the start-/end-points and you didn't?

The Scenic USA Southeast Asia River Cruising 2023/2024 brochure that I downloaded in Dec. 2022 [also verified today on the scenic.usa website] both include the following statement:

 

Day 1 – Ho Chi Minh City > Mekong Cruise

A coach will transfer you to My Tho where ... Scenic Spirit awaits.

 

 

They also both include this map, which shows coach transfers between Ho Chi Minh City and My Tho, and between Kampong Cham and Siem Reap (note the dotted lines at each end of the blue line that shows the cruise part):

 

Scenic offers several even-longer variations on this itinerary – could that be the explanation for why other passengers had pre- and post- nights that you didn't? – but every one shows that the ship only sails between My Tho and Kampong Cham.

 

 

Is this truly a case of US customers being mislead – or did you not research the Scenic brochure or website before booking your trip?  [Or did you use a travel agent, who failed in their duty to fully inform you of your options?]

 

[Kristelle]

I don't understand the issue.

 

We are booked to go on this cruise in Jan 2025...both the paper brochure and the online itineraries state you bus from Ho Chi Min city to where the cruise commences and that you bus from Kampong Cham to Siem Riep,for the land section there ( or vice versa if you are starting in Siem Riep.) 

 

What part of this were you not aware of? It is quite clearly stated as that being the case. At least it is in my Australian brochures/ Scenic Australia Online.

 

It does seem Scenic don't do pre and/or post extensions the same way they do in Europe. But there are a few longer itineraries that do this same trip plus more which I guess in effect is same thing, just presented differently. 

They are quite clearly shown in the literature too. 

[terry&mike]

For the Mekong, Scenic does not sell the sailing with pre and post cruise add ons in the traditional way you are thinking - such as, "I booked this sailing, now I'd like to add a 3 day package to Siem Reap". Scenic sells the sailing in different lengths of itineraries from just the 7 day sailing, to a sailing that includes time in Siem Reap, or a sailing that includes time in HCMC, or a version that includes a sailing plus time in both Siem Reap and HCMC, and even a longer version that gives you an additional area of Vietnam. How you booked your trip is what you purchased and received. 

The Scenic Spirit is of a size that it cannot dock directly in HCMC (only a very few river ships can, the Emerald Harmony is one that can). As to Siem Reap, it is not located on the Mekong River, and all river ships will bus their guests between Siem Reap and the docked location of the ship, which is often Kampong Cham. 

All of this can be found in print material, and on the Scenic web site, and in your final travel documents. It is not different for US passengers versus any other passengers. It sounds as if you did not read any of the materials before booking or before traveling, or relied on a travel agent who did not communicate the details of what you booked to you thoroughly. 

I sailed Scenic Spirt in January of this year, I booked the "Temple Discovery and Luxury Mekong Cruise 7 night" itinerary, which starts with 3 nights in Siem Reap, then sails 7 nights from Cambodia to HCMC. I received that exact itinerary, spent 3 nights in Siem Reap with touring, and was bussed from Siem Reap to the port a few hours away (by the way, there is a nice touring stop along the way) to meet the ship, and then bussed from the port to HCMC at the end. 

I'm sorry you were disapointed, but some basic research or reading of materials would have provided you with what to expect on your trip. 

[Kristelle]

8 hours ago, terry&mike said:

I sailed Scenic Spirt in January of this year, I booked the "Temple Discovery and Luxury Mekong Cruise 7 night" itinerary, which starts with 3 nights in Siem Reap, then sails 7 nights from Cambodia to HCMC.

 

 

that is the trip we are booked on but in reverse - starting in Siem Riep and finishing in HCMC