Scenic tours ships

A quick question for those that have sail with Scenic

What type of adapter plug do we need ?

Is it the 2 prong plug that fits a round socket?

I know they are 220V or 240V

Thanks

lyn

From the Scenic Brochure, there appears to be an Australian socket as well as the European round pins.

We are taking a converter socket as well to be sure to be sure. ;)

Cheers,

Avsec

Thanks very much for the photos

That certainly helps a lot

Lyn

There are definitely Australian plugs on board. However they are located under a bench in a recess on Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby that is not obvious. The only problem is that because of their location, only the round AC plugs fit in, not any of the bigger square AC/DC adaptor plugs (if you know what I mean).

And yes, the European round pins are also there in more convenient locations. The ships do have international converters but they often get loaned out quickly, so I'd advise to take one just in case.

Feel free to send me a message directly if you have any other questions. I was the GM of Global Operations for Scenic and know the ships inside out.

Cheers,

Sam

Seeing you know these ships inside out, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about cabins 334 & 335. There is a lot of talk of noise and vibration and disrupted sleep in these cabins. My mom is booked in cabin 335 for an 8 day cruise and I am a bit worried. Thanks!

Hi go2trav,

We are off on the ruby Mar 31 and are travelling with another couple who are in the next cabin to ours on the Danube deck. Does the divider between the balconies open up so we can enjoy outside time en masse? Thanks.

Hi recent posters,

I'm sorry I haven't replied earlier to Squinty Maginty, I didn't realise there was a post here.

Re cabins 334 and 335 they are certainly noisier than other cabins further up the ship, which is why they are priced cheaper. That said, I've stayed in 334 & 335 on every ship and advised the captains to go harder than normal at nominated times and I didn't have any trouble sleeping. Additional insulation was added in the last three Christmas breaks and most of the issues that were originally reported are no longer an issue. The cabins are definitely better than the minimum standards for cabins occupied by passengers, however you need to bear in mind that it is a ship, and ships have engines, and these cabins are near the engines. There are a couple of nights that are worse than others (Amsterdam to Cologne being one) but that's just because it's a fairly long distance to cover in short time frame. Unfortunately that's either the first or last night, so can leave a lasting impression. The vast majority of people have no trouble sleeping in these cabins. Sometimes things will move around and rattle on tables due to vibrations (it is a moving vessel remember), but the best way to manage that is just move them off, or put them on a towel. If you need any further clarification, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll keep a closer eye on the boards to respond quicker. Kind regards, go2trav

Hi KJ Aussie,

what a great idea! But no, the dividers on the balconies don't open up to have group balcony sessions. They're that opaque perspex type material designed for privacy, so although you can kind of lean over to see each other, it's not suited to spending time together with different cabins. You'll love Ruby, she's a beautiful ship with a great crew.

I should also mention, I have launched my own private travel agency since moving on from Scenic. I mention this for two reasons. The first is to be open and transparent. The second is to assure you that I don't intend to flog my services here, I just wanted to be upfront about it. Have a wonderful trip!!! You will absolutely love it. Please share your experience on your return.

Hi recent posters,

 

I'm sorry I haven't replied earlier to Squinty Maginty, I didn't realise there was a post here.

 

When you log on here just hit USER CP (top left) it will bring up any thread with recent posts since you were here last

another option is to subscribe to a particular thread or forum click on forum tools (top right when in the forum)

Click USER CP it will also bring those up as well

Thanks go2trav for the info on the balcony dividers. Perhaps I can put that idea into the suggestion box while aboard.:) Do you have any thoughts on the water levels from Mar 31 to April 14, Amsterdam to Budapest, in regard to the freezing cold winter they have had. I would really like to do the journey by boat, not bus. Is a bus an option or do Scenic always try to just swap boats if necessary. This issue is my biggest worry as this is a cruise of a lifetime for us and our first time travelling companions. Its my recommendation for them, so I would love it all to run smoothly for them. Thanks for your time, as I am sure you are busy with running your own business. p.s. glad to hear the Ruby and crew are great,

Thanks, KJ Aussie

Hi KJ Aussie,

water levels are a tough one to predict. The issue is much better now that the old Deggendorf bridge was removed in the last year or so. The Europe team monitor water levels very closely (like to the mm minute by minute whenever there's an issue), and they always have contingencies in place. They will always aim to swap ships if the schedule allows for it. I don't have the start of season schedule this year so am not sure if there's a ship running parallel at that time or not. By looking at the brochure dates it doesn't look like they're running exactly parallel, but sometimes that can be a good thing as the water doesn't conveniently rise when both ships are half way. The odds are that you'll be ok, as there are very few cruises impacted so don't ruin the excitement of your trip of a lifetime worrying about it. In the unlikely event that your cruise is impacted, know that you cannot be in better hands. The team both here in Australia and in Europe, and all the crew live to give you the trip of a lifetime and will do everything they can to achieve it. Sometimes though, the universe conspires against them, and if it does they'll still do their best. You were right to recommend Scenic, you genuinely will not find another company that cares more about the customer experience than Glen and his team. The things I could tell you about the lengths we'd go to to ensure people have the best time possible would astound you in this day and age. But now I'm being nostalgic. There's a lot of good reasons I sell a lot of Scenic Tours and most often to repeat customers. That said, from time to time things don't go to plan in spite of everyone's best efforts, and if by some stroke of bad luck that happens on your tour, know that the team will do everything they can to still provide you with a wonderful time.

Sorry for the long reply, I'm not sure if I've helped or hindered. Either way, have a wonderful trip. And don't hesitate to ask if you have any more questions.

Kind regards,

go2trav

Hi go2trav,

Thanks for the great reply, you have really set my mind at rest, that no matter what we will still have a fantastic trip.

I know our scenic bus/rail/HAL alaska cruise tour in Canada was superb, even down to delays with re-routing due to snow closed roads that were handled so efficiently by our onboard tour director, that I can't imagine not having a fantastic crew onboard our scenic cruise.

Thanks again for help, kind regards, Kathryn

Hi Kathryn,

I'd love to hear how your trip goes, so please come back to this thread and let me know. Otherwise feel free to email me privately at info@go2travel.com.au. Have a wonderful trip! kind regards, go2trav

Since we appear to have an Aussie expert commenting in this thread, I have a question. What's the nationality of the passengers, are they mostly Australian? I know that Scenic has been advertising heavily in Canada the past couple of years. Just wondering.

Since we appear to have an Aussie expert commenting in this thread, I have a question. What's the nationality of the passengers, are they mostly Australian? I know that Scenic has been advertising heavily in Canada the past couple of years. Just wondering.

I read a review by an American they said they were the only US people onboard the rest were Australian, NZ, British & Canadian ..did not mention the percentage of each group

Hi Wendy the Wanderer and LHT28,

yes, passengers are mostly Australian, with some UK and North American also. Very occasionally you'll get a group (say 40 for example) of North American passengers travelling together, but usually it's just a scattering. That said, advertising ramped up a fair bit last year in both the UK and US for this year's sailings so there will be more over time, but it will be a long time before there are significant numbers.

I hope this helps.

Go2trav

Hi Wendy the Wanderer and LHT28,

 

yes, passengers are mostly Australian, with some UK and North American also. Very occasionally you'll get a group (say 40 for example) of North American passengers travelling together, but usually it's just a scattering. That said, advertising ramped up a fair bit last year in both the UK and US for this year's sailings so there will be more over time, but it will be a long time before there are significant numbers.

 

I hope this helps.

Go2trav

Thanks for the info

We are fine with Ozzies & Brits ;)

There will be at least 4 Canuks on the June 11th cruise from AMS to BUD :D:D fair warning

Lyn

I'm a USA based River Cruise Specialist and Scenic Tours is currently our hottest selling river cruise for both 2011 and 2012.

Now out of the cruises booked...not all were Americans either. Many were Asia.

I'm sure all the Ozzies, Brits and others will be delighted to have 4 Canucks onboard! Have a wonderful cruise. And if there's anything else I can help you with, please let me know.

Kind regards,

go2trav

I'm sure all the Ozzies, Brits and others will be delighted to have 4 Canucks onboard! Have a wonderful cruise. And if there's anything else I can help you with, please let me know.

 

Kind regards,

go2trav

Thanks

We were raised by Brits so we get along with most people ;):D

Lyn

Hi Everyone,

We are now on day 5 of our Amsterdam to Budapest cruise. We are between Rudesheim and Miltenburg. So far the cruise has been outstanding. The Ruby is beautiful, luxurious, sweet smelling, the food is fantastic and ample and the crew is amazing. The weather is being kind as well, we are currently cruising with our balcony door ajar for some fresh air. It is a little chilly mornings and evenings, but pleasant through the dy, jackets still required through the day if it is windy.

The water levels are a little on the low side, but no problem at this stage.

Lunch has now been announced, so off to the dining room we go, off on an all afternoon excursion after that with a bavarian group dinner ashore.

If anyone has any questions, I will check back in over the next couple of days.

Hi Everyone,

We are now on day 5 of our Amsterdam to Budapest cruise. We are between Rudesheim and Miltenburg. So far the cruise has been outstanding. The Ruby is beautiful, luxurious, sweet smelling, the food is fantastic and ample and the crew is amazing. The weather is being kind as well, we are currently cruising with our balcony door ajar for some fresh air. It is a little chilly mornings and evenings, but pleasant through the dy, jackets still required through the day if it is windy.

The water levels are a little on the low side, but no problem at this stage.

 

Lunch has now been announced, so off to the dining room we go, off on an all afternoon excursion after that with a bavarian group dinner ashore.

 

If anyone has any questions, I will check back in over the next couple of days.

Enjoy the cruise

Are people dressing up for dinner ...men in jackets etc ?

What hotel did they have for the meeting place in AMS?

Thanks Lyn

Hi Lyn,

Our meeting point was at the Doubletree Hilton in Amsterdam where they provided coffee and cookies, orange juice etc. in the East Dock lounge at 3pm. Our main luggage went straight off, we kept our hand luggage with us until the buses arrived and then the hand luggage went into the bus hold or stayed with us on board the bus for the 10 min trip to the pier. We were in the last bus group. Our main luggage was already in our cabin when we arrived. We were personally escorted to our cabin by a stewardess and shown how everything worked. It was really well organised and a flawless start to the cruise.

The first nights dinner attire was just "come as you are". The second night was the captains gala welcome. Some men wore jackets but no tie, sports jacket, leather jackets, suit jackets ,all sorts. Some men wore sports jackets with tie, but no full dinner suits so far. Ladies wore evening trousers, dressy tops and a bit of bling. Some ladies had nice shiny tops and skirts, almost a bit "mother of the bride" type outfits, again it was a mixture. I think anything you would feel good about wearing to a really nice restaurant would be suitable. Last night some people changed into dressier tops and trousers and others just wore what they had on through the day.

We have not had the Viennese concert evning yet, so I will report on that attire after it happens.

Regards, Kathryn

Hi Lyn,

 

Our meeting point was at the Doubletree Hilton in Amsterdam where they provided coffee and cookies, orange juice etc. in the East Dock lounge at 3pm.

 

The first nights dinner attire was just "come as you are". The second night was the captains gala welcome. Some men wore jackets but no tie, sports jacket, leather jackets, suit jackets ,all sorts. Some men wore sports jackets with tie, but no full dinner suits so far.

 

Regards, Kathryn

Thanks Kathryn

Good news on the hotel I know where it is

I am planning on just some nice tops & dress slacks for evening so sounds like that will be fine DH will take his blazer (his choice) :D

Looking forward to more reports

There is someone else on your cruise reporting here also

Lyn

We are travelling on Scenic Pearl in latter April and are interested to know how the temperature is on board in the public rooms and staterooms?