New Scenic Tours reviews?

[Travelbyboat]

If you have recently traveled with Scenic tours would you please provide a review. 2010 is the second year they are doing river cruising, there were many bumps in 2009. Wondering if things have improved. Thanks!

[Fearlessfly]

We certainly will, we are doing a Scenic Budapest to Amsterdam cruise in Nov 2010, and as Travel Agents we'll be keeping a log of every day, so we can help our clients make their choices.

[BandMVictoria]

Scenic 2009 Christmas New Year River Cruising – 5 Star - you have to be joking!

 

 

 

We travelled on the Scenic Spaceship MS Ruby and what a disaster the trip was.

 

 

 

We upgraded to the Danube Deck – Cabin 333. For the whole cruise there was an obnoxious and most definitely unhealthy, stench of sewage in our cabin. One of the quick fixes (???) by Scenic staff involved “fumigating” the cabin by spraying toilet freshener all around in an attempt to camouflage the stench. It reinforced one’s impression of living in a public toilet block! It’s not pleasant when you have to leave your cabin’s balcony door open in subzero temperatures to attempt to clear the smell!

 

 

 

The “state of art, biological vacuum toilet system” intermittently failed to flush and then completely broke down so that many, including us, on the Danube deck were without working toilets for up to 48 hours. Not a nice experience to have an unflushed toilet in your room for a long period. The only option was for all of us to use the two public toilets adjacent to the dining room.

 

 

 

Still it wasn’t as bad as the cabins which flooded or had effluent spewing back into their room.

 

 

 

Another major problem we experienced was the severe vibration in our cabin at the rear of the ship. We have a four minute DVD showing the vibration is so bad that the trims around the mirror became repeatedly dislodged, things fell off shelves, glasses rattled… (You should see the video – it’s a shocker!) It sounded and felt like the ship was going to break in two.

 

 

 

The food and entertainment was certainly NOT “Five Star”. For example, vegetables were rarely seen at dinner, food in the bain-marie was often luke-warm or cold because staff said Scenic would not purchase temperature gauges. Often the food served to us was undercooked and had to be redone. The Christmas feast was woeful.

 

 

 

It was our trip of a lifetime, but one we will remember for all the wrong reasons.

 

 

 

We contacted Scenic Head Office during the cruise pleading for help. They ignored us. Scenic staff on board offered no alternative accommodation or assistance other than using air fresheners.

 

 

 

Since arriving home Scenic’s response has been tardy, dismissive and just not interested. They have claimed that there have not been ongoing problems with the sewage smell, the vacuum toilet system or the severe vibration. They also stated there have been no other complaints from passengers! Scenic also claimed in a letter “we were not aware of any issues on the Ruby prior to your embarkation.”

 

 

 

We have spoken to other people who have complained about our cruise, including passengers on the sister ship Diamond which accompanied us on the 2009/10 Christmas New Year Cruise. Even this site lists numerous unhappy passengers dating back into last year.

 

Scenic’s advertised “Setting New Standards of Excellence” leaves much to be desired. We have been patient and expected to be listened to and to have our complaints dealt with fairly. Months later we have still had no joy with Scenic. We could not, in good faith, recommend our river cruise experience to anyone.

[BandMVictoria]

For other opinions on Scenic up to and including mid May 2010 see:

 

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g255055-i120-k2821799-o40-Scenic_Tours_European_River_Cruise-Australia.html