Canal archive

The Palace is huge and depending on what’s happening with those beautiful Lipizzaners it may be a bit of a stretch for one day. So one a day would be more achievable. Both are worth it but don’t forget the Sachertorte and the Viennese coffee. Vienna is one of the worlds most beautiful cities and one of the easiest to get around, enjoy.

We were on one of the very first cruises trialing the app with the company experts on board to help out with any glitches. So we’ve worked with both. Tailormade as an intercom system worked well no problem. The app also worked superbly and my smart phone is an Apple seven really old school. I’m sorry to see it go - hey I’m old but still managed to work it, but then as my DH says our age group were among the inventors and  first users of computers we may get a bit befuddled with the nitty gritty but we know the basics. 
Sitting in the lounge when it clicked in with information was an interesting situation.

So Jazz I think your absolutely correct it’s a cost cutting exercise along with the reception staff fed up with sorting it out.

Snap I tried but my so called computer skills are woefully inadequate.

Although let’s not apportion blame yet - dark night, small boat/large boat and high water not the best of situations - sat in the cabin toasting a happy event, there but for the grace of your God put a less manoeuvrable cruise ship in the mix and this happens so very very sad.

I’m pretty sure you’re overthinking this, I agree that your transfer situation is not of the best but you can be absolutely certain that the crews know exactly what they’re doing. I’d rather they erred on the safety side and had to put passengers out than ‘carried on regardless’. Please relax you’ll enjoy your cruise. 

mysticinvest.com is the website of the company that owned MS Heidelberg they look like a well established Portuguese travel company. 

Absolutely agree you may feel better firing off an email to the main man, he’s still supposed to be in charge but I’m sorry to say standards do seem to be slipping. It does tend to leave a sour taste after so many years of superb service. I hope you enjoy your cruise and I suspect the onboard crew are fighting a loosing battle with the high water levels.

I’ve been trolling through the information on line as to the current owner of the assumed perpetrator of this horrendous accident and it now looks like Nico Cruises are no longer the owners I have sneaking suspicion that Nico cruises were the operator and Mystic Invest Holdings of Portugal the owners. I’m not paying for full interest in the Marine information so someone who does may get further. Still an horrendous incident so so sad.

PlatinumMan in some ways you are absolutely correct but we after pay tips for perceived good service not prepay. You can prepay on Viking and it’s rather obvious that some have not realised that by opting for an all inclusive cruise we are also pre-paying and as I’ve only ever cruised with Scenic that’s what I’ve done. As a U.K. national and really not used to tipping - it fry’s my brain, why should I bother! All inclusive is the way to go but it’s similar to pre-paying and there is absolutely no way would expect any different treatment. The expectation of the recipient is in the end result whoever supplies the cash input and before we answer that question has anyone discovered if those little brown envelopes are distributed amongst all of the crew? Interesting!

Tipping is very subjective, in some parts accepted as a norm in others frowned on and others flatly refused. When Scenic first introduced included tipping the company actively discouraged tips for perceived extra special service as in their minds tipping meant that all members including unseen crew were also included in the largess, and I don’t think anyone would argue with that (i.e. unseen catering staff, marine crew etc.) but now there is no problem if you have over and above service a discreet extra is okay.
Unless your used to it the main tipping in the U.K. is a - Service Charge - or if you pay by card on a machine check with your server if they get the tips if they do add it on if they don’t cash in hand is better.

Or how about the Rhône the South of France wonderful.

I’m sorry but I take issue with ‘most cruise workers basically only getting tip money’. I know the U.K. has left the EU but I can assure you that because of EU legislation that situation would not be sanctioned and if you have evidence of it please report it asap., as it would definitely be designated ‘slave labour’.

Looks like there are companies adding South America as well. Sorry yes you’ve opened a can of worms so choose a continent then research but if you want to stay in beautiful Europe try the Rhine then you can compare these two great waterways. The decision will keep you busy for a while but the choice of which cruise well shall we say just a tad longer, enjoy yourself!

Now absolutely green with envy Jazz beautiful part of Italy. I always want to take my paints and DH says they take up to much space and weight. It’s another special part of the world.

Ural Guy it’s on YouTube search Bill Nighy or Worlds Most Scenic River Journeys.

I like taking photographs so the slow/gentle walking group suites me perfectly. After we got the new Scenic information system (introduced just before covid hit) working on our admittedly rather ancient phones  we discovered it included a self guiding feature so no need to stay with a tour guide especially after the may be interesting bits. As I’ve said before please let your tour guide know if you’re setting out into the wide blue yonder. I’ve only once heard a Captain request a passenger to report to him and as he was a rather large somewhat intimidating Dutch guy so I was really glad it wasn’t me. (Lovely guy but huge)

https://news.sky.com/story/two-dead-and-five-missing-after-boat-collision-on-the-river-daube-in-hungary-13139203
 

latest from Sky News, so very sad!

Has anyone any information on an overnight cruising accident in the Budapest area reported on Sky News today. Sounds like a horrible event

https://news.sky.com/story/two-dead-and-five-missing-after-boat-collision-on-the-river-daube-in-hungary-13139203

I didn’t necessarily mean use Scenic as I’m sure other cruise companies work in a similar fashion.

Loriva May I suggest checking the included excursions and on board bits and pieces. I know we’ve only traveled with Scenic but this is the reason why we have repeated three of their cruises. You could call it variations on a theme as things have been removed and others added. With, in two cases the added bonus of being greeted by on board staff by name and with open arms as your friends maybe more river cruise savvy ask them you could put together a wish list of places not visited or wanting to visit. Good luck!

Last year on our Seine cruise the marine gendarmerie came aboard at Rouen to check the credentials of all except passengers on board. We were moored up and they arrived by boat and evidently it’s always the marine branch that does the checking. Cruise director does not have to be French but the marine crew as far as I could understand were okay as long as they had full French qualifications. Our two captains gained their full marine pilot credentials during our mooring in Rouen so they no longer require a pilot to enter Honfluer harbour although one was a year to young so he will be okay this year.

How about DIY cruising  all locks in France are operated by the waterways crews who of course have a French lunch break so here is us moored up in a lock lunching in the sun and waiting for the lock keeper. We met various other hirers several who were from the USA. It was an idilic holiday, lovely people and excellent food.

It’s interesting to compare inclusions and exclusions across countries! I’d say why? Work together why should one inclusion be for on country and not another!

gnome12 that’s really interesting, it just seems a weird time of year to do maintenance almost full season and looking at the chart all bouncing around that time of year. Maybe it’s to miss hopefully any high or low water issues, but a strange toss up between money making and money costing months. Although yes it looks like someone at Scenic Switzerland has taken their eye off the ball.

One year we missed the early morning call to photograph the confluence because our Captain had been advised at midnight to leave Moselle because the river level was rising fast. Yet another reason to repeat that cruise!

Yes in some cases easier said then done but hey ho on we go, 

One has returned TaDah. 
We first cruised with Scenic pre ‘all inclusive’ when choosing our cabin and as it was a special year we decided to (and it was then) to splash out and go Diamond deck! Butler and all. (not available on the other decks) on arrival in our cabin to our surprise there was a bottle of (and yes I can recognise one)an excellent bottle of wine in an ice bucket. As it happened so many things were going on we were busier than being at work we couldn’t get round to consuming our wine much to our Butlers absolute dismay. He contrived to get us into our cabin and relaxing so that he could serve the aforesaid bottle (which was arranged for by some very good friends who recommended us to  try Scenic) A GOOD butler can be an amazing accessory to your cruise if you use him/her well. There have been several I would pack in my return luggage but I think DH might just notice.