OhJoyOhBliss

Kate-AHF, River cruising is a much smaller affair than ocean cruising. On the Duoro, we had 90 people on the ship which was two bus loads for excursions and each had their own Guides. From Budapest to Amsterdam we had around 160 people on the ship which was usually 3 busloads. It's a more intimate setting and we didn't have any problems going on excursions with other passengers. There was usually about an hour free time after the guided tour which worked well for us, but may not be everyone's cup of tea. As the ships sail each day, or night as a rule, there is likely to be less time in port than on ocean cruises, but the scenery while sailing is beautiful.

Harbourside, I'm glad you had a great experience as well. We joked that your group was the reason we had to leave the ship; we made a reluctant departure. He he

I understand what you mean. Douro is booked till 2019! It's a fabulous cruise, I hope you can do it one day. We were so sad to leave.

If you enjoy your trip on the Rhine half as much as we enjoyed our Douro, you're in for a fantastic time! Many of the guests were on their 4th and 5th Scenic trip, it was on,y our second; we felt like novices.....he he

No Americans on this trip but we did have Canadians, South Africans and English as well as Aussies.

We recently completed our Unforgettable Douro river cruise with Scenic and have nothing but accolades to describe our experience. I am amazed that Cruise Critic doesn't have more information and review opportunities for Scenic river cruise enthusiasts. Maybe being an Australian owned company has something to do with it! Scenic own their own spaceships, in fact the five star Azure and their cheaper 4 star soon to be launched Emerald, were each built in Porto by a local shipping company which was at risk of closing prior to being awarded the Scenic contract. Everything is included in the price for Scenic Azure. No extra charges for drinks, gratuities, tours etc. one payment covers it all. All staff aboard Azure and Emerald are Portuguese and many are from Porto. This was integral in creating the wonderful atmosphere on our cruise. The staff are so delighted to be sharing their country with cruisers and there is a sense of honour amongst them to be given an opportunity to work for Scenic. It is my second river cruise with Scenic and although my first was fabulous in every way, this cruise had an extra atmosphere I've not felt before.

The ship is stunning and very well designed for a smaller spaceship. The food was fantastic; compliments to the chef and the brilliant pastry chef! The luxury coaches are driven by exemplary drivers which is reassuring when navigating very narrow, winding roads. We also visited Provensade, a UNESCO world heritage village high up in the Douro Valley. This village is only open to local Portuguese tourists and Scenic visitors. The Douro Valley is stunningly beautiful and even though we sailed only in daylight hours due to Port authority's controls, we still visited many Villages, monasteries, Wineries etc., as part of our Freechoice tour selection. Although most of us were Aussies, there several Canadian and British people on board. We had the most fabulous time on the Unforgettable Douro.

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We never encountered any wind in Aug 2015, it maybe we were lucky. I recommend taking a scarf or pashmina in case you become cool in the bus etc. I always use hairspray so had no hair issues lol. Jewellery wasn't an issue at all, but I didn't wear anything flashy other than my engagement ring. Most of the time you're in a group which probably protects you a little. Mostly you're completely safe, but situations can occur.... anywhere at any time, just like home.

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We sailed the Danube and Rhine in 2015 with no issue, but Scenic asked that we keep our decking window closed overnight to keep any bugs out of the rooms. We opened our window during the day and evening without any concerns.

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You are guided through rafting boats and nowhere near the passenger rooms. The ships are quite narrow so there is t much opportunity to deviate. The crews get to know their passengers very quickly. I never felt any concern about security when rafted.

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There isn't a mad rush to the dining room on a river cruise as there's approx 160 passengers as opposed to an ocean cruise where there are far more entering the dining room. Whether you choose to eat at 7.00 or 8.00 you will find it very orderly and civilised. We were ready to eat near to 7.00 after our busy days of walking around the villages, but if you wish to dine later when it's quieter, you'll be able to do so. You may not meet as many new people at that time though.

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I wouldn't consider a room without a deck, but others may disagree. When cruising along the river there is land on both sides so there's always something to see and enjoy. Although I loved the top deck, it wasn't accessible through all the lochs, and also at times it was good to spend quiet time in our room. One afternoon I was talking to canoeists on the Danube, whilst swans were sailing by and summer campers were waving from their riverside tents. It was also a good way to check the temperature and sort what to wear for the day. The deck completes the experience in my opinion.

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Hi rcclfanbp, I read your post with interest and would like to add my two cents worth. We sailed from Budapest to Amsterdam in 2015 with Scenic. There were under 200 passengers on board and yes, it is a fairly intimate experience onboard compared with ocean ships. However, please don't think river cruising is a 'slower pace'. As there is a new port each day, we chose to take a tour every day rather than remaining in the ship. The itineraries are exceptionally well organised and the places we visited were stunning, and we were kept very busy. We walked approx 5-8 km most days, took copious photos, had exceptional food, slept the sleep of the exhausted each night and absolutely felt the need to pinch ourselves every day. We could have stayed on the ship if we wished, but we took the cruise to see these countries (5 in all) and loved being kept so busy. My husband and I even lost a couple of kilos! To be honest, I would far prefer disembarking and visiting a new city each day, than being at sea on a massive ship, but that's a personal choice. We loved our trip so much we are booked on the Douro with Scenic in April this year. We also love Scenic because everything is included; all food, drinks, gratuities, excursions, toiletries, etc. We only open our wallets to purchase gifts etc. I hope one day you try river cruising and enjoy it as much as we have.

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