Scenic Tours cruise vs AMA or Tauck?

[Ozjohnno]

Quite right. The new changes to the ships are not applicable to Russia or France and I guess that the government of Russia controls what can be served on any ship so not totally in the control of any cruise line. The all inclusiveness is applicable to France. What is it you feel is 'smoke & mirrors'?

 

It would take half a page to explain all the smoke and mirrors but may I suggest you read the Scenic "fine print". For example in their latest "Scenic News" Winter 2012 edition the pages are dotted with * and ^ highlighting what is included and where. Nor every type of drink is complimentary. The butler service is incremented on what cabin you select. The new River Cafe and Table La Rive are not included on French cruises to name just some of what I consider Smoke and Mirrors.

 

I'm not saying Scenic is doing anything wrong. It's just a marketing ploy like Vikings 2 for 1 deals but like all things it pays to read carefully and if a Scenic Rep comes to your area ask them questions. You would never know from their fine brochures that Russia is excluded until you find a * or ^ and follow the clues.

[LHT28]

No our Russian River cruise was with Vantage, which was a great trip.

That may explain the difference in the wine pours then

;)

[kruzaddict]

It would take half a page to explain all the smoke and mirrors but may I suggest you read the Scenic "fine print". For example in their latest "Scenic News" Winter 2012 edition the pages are dotted with * and ^ highlighting what is included and where. Nor every type of drink is complimentary. The butler service is incremented on what cabin you select. The new River Cafe and Table La Rive are not included on French cruises to name just some of what I consider Smoke and Mirrors.

 

I'm not saying Scenic is doing anything wrong. It's just a marketing ploy like Vikings 2 for 1 deals but like all things it pays to read carefully and if a Scenic Rep comes to your area ask them questions. You would never know from their fine brochures that Russia is excluded until you find a * or ^ and follow the clues.

Scenic is outfitting all their existing ships with the exception of the Emerald, with the River Cafe and Table La Rive to bring them all up to the same standard as the Crystal (at least that is what I have come to understand). The Emerald is being redeployed in 2013 to France on the Saone and Rhone and there was not enough time to retrofit that ship and move it (I guess they had to pick one ship to move and not retrofit). Perhaps they will retrofit over the 2013/2014 winter. All the other 'inclusions' are applicable. With respect to the Butler service, it only makes sense that the high priced suites get better service than those of us in acquarium class, after all a substantial premium has been paid. I personally found the 'fine print' no more difficult to understand than that of the other cruise lines.

[egillies]

As we do follow these discussions from time to time - I just wanted to give a heads up to more news on Scenic. And so there is no "smoke or mirrors" - we represent the line in the US and Canada for public relations. All of the ships, excepting the Emerald (not enough time due its move to France) are being rebuilt to the specifications of the Crystal and the Jewel (launching in 2013). The ships are no older than four years so it is a huge investment on the part of the owner and says quite a bit about their desire to be the best and maintain that level.

 

As of 2013 - all European cruises excepting France will offer butler service to all guests on the ships - including France. As well as:

Unlimited Complimentary Beverages

Private Butler Service – for every guest

Complimentary bottled water - replenished daily

Complimentary in-suite minibar - replenished daily

River Café – all day grazing including espresso, cakes, gourmet wraps and gelato

Table La Rive* - Chef’s Table degustation dinner (not in France)

Crystal Dining Room – themed dinners with entertainment, Lobster Farewell dinner

High Tea – on the Terrace

Scenic Sun Lounge* - private balcony conversion (not in France)

Scenic Riverview – GPS-activated expert commentary

Complimentary Wi-Fi internet

 

The alcohol is not top shelf but it is not the cheap brands - it is mid-to upper range brands and very good wines.

 

The gratuities are included - on board as well as on the land tours. Baggage handling - even airport transfers, to and from. So - please compare and check out the fine print - as it is made quite clear on the Scenic site.

 

Hope this helps.

[LHT28]

 

As of 2013 - all European cruises excepting France will offer butler service to all guests on the ships - including France.

 

Hope this helps.

You statement does not make sense

Except France or include France for the butlers :confused:

 

Are the airport transfers only if you use Scenic Air ?

Edited June 7, 2012 by LHT28

[Luv2Travelalso]

Hi Pappa,

We will be on the New Crystal, Scenic Tours boat in one week. We are going from Budapest up to Amsterdam. We know the wine is free for lunch and dinner and we must say STOP!!! so that is really cool. Also I understand they don't mind if you have a bottle in your room to enjoy in the evening while sitting out on the balcony or if it is chilly the sun-loungh (with a touch of a button-the balcony is enclosed- how cool is that!) I am sure that holds turn to beer, I am sure they would not mind one bit. We will let you know.

[newfirsttimer]

You statement does not make sense

Except France or include France for the butlers :confused:

 

Are the airport transfers only if you use Scenic Air ?

Transfers are included if a)you arrive on the day of the cruise or leave on the day the cruise ends, regardless of who booked your air or b) you purchased the pre/post cruise package from Scenic. That's what I was told. They are not included this year since we are arriving 3 nights early but had we flown in the day the cruise starts, they would have been even though I did my own air.

[Luv2Travelalso]

lounge..... sorry must be thinking of the wine:):D:rolleyes:;)

[LHT28]

Transfers are included if a)you arrive on the day of the cruise or leave on the day the cruise ends, regardless of who booked your air or b) you purchased the pre/post cruise package from Scenic. That's what I was told. They are not included this year since we are arriving 3 nights early but had we flown in the day the cruise starts, they would have been even though I did my own air.

 

I wonder about the NEW 2013 perks though :confused:

[egillies]

Sorry - I meant including France. The only thing missing in France is the new ship concept (sealable balconies) and the chef's table.

[kruzaddict]

Sorry - I meant including France. The only thing missing in France is the new ship concept (sealable balconies) and the chef's table.

According to the brochures, the River Cafe is not available either, I believe it is part of the retrofit which the Emerald will not get for next year.

[LHT28]

Sorry - I meant including France. The only thing missing in France is the new ship concept (sealable balconies) and the chef's table.

Thanks for clarifying

[RvrCrzr]

She didn't mention that the included airport transfers were also going to be PRIVATE TRANSFERS. You won't be waiting for a shuttle bus to fill up...they whisk you straight to the ship.

 

I sailed on the maiden voyage of Scenic Crystal.

We were given all the new amenities of the 2013 changes to come.

I got off the ship with no bill. The liquor and wines were just fine. The River Cafe was great for lunch or nibbles. Portabello's was outstanding! The eBikes, Apple TV/Internet and GPS navigators are state-of-the-art.

 

It's not smoke and mirrors. They are rolling out what seems to be the perfect cruise if you ask me. There will be some 'growing pains' as all these changes are being brought about. Yes, you may run into some *'s here and there...but these ships need to be retrofitted and people trained.

 

This company is top-notch. Of course you are going to pay more for these cruises...they include everything you need.

[kruzaddict]

Thanks Pete. I have booked for Paris to Barcelona next year knowing that the ship, the Emerald, will not be retrofitted. Doing Amsterdam to Budapest this fall with Scenic as well. They had the best itineraries.

[RvrCrzr]

Congrats! I'm sure you will find it very nice. River cruising is much more about the scenery and what goes on shoreside anyway. Great pick....enjoy!

[GreyFunnel]

Hi Folks,

 

I'd just like to add a little more to Pete's (RvrCrzr) last statement, which I fully agree with. Having just completed both a Danube/Rhine river cruise on the new Scenic Crystal, as well as a Mediterranean ocean cruise on the brand new Celebrity Reflection, I found both cruises - despite being as different as "cheese and chalk" - absolutely wonderful. Both cruises were of two weeks' duration.

 

While the Reflection was like a small city, with so many things to see and do on board; it did not have the personal touch of the Crystal, where all the crew knew our names by the second day and where all the passengers got to know each other very well indeed. On Reflection we seldom saw other passengers more than once (with 3,052 passengers onboard)!

 

Also, while the Reflection involved putting one's hand into one's pocket (wallet) almost continuously, we never paid another cent, once aboard the Crystal. Surprisingly, although considerably cheaper up-front, the Reflection worked out to be just as expensive (if not slightly more so) than the Crystal.

 

As an Aussie, it was also helpful to have both Australian and European power points onboard the Crystal. I am also proud that an Australian cruise company is the first in the world - as far as I know - to have balconies that can be either fully, or partially, enclosed as you see fit (like when it turns cool suddenly, or if it starts to rain). Not only that, but the wider balcony railing was terrific as a replacement tripod for my camera!!!

 

Finally, it was much better to be permitted (by Scenic) to have drinks of my own choice, in my own fridge, in my own cabin. I could not believe the nonsense that Celebrity goes to, x-raying everyone's bags in case you might bring a bottle of drink onboard (and they might miss out on selling an over-priced bottle of alcohol, as well as obtaining their 15% service charge on every glass of grog). Someone forgot to tell Celebrity Cruises that drinks at sea should be sold at DUTY-FREE prices!!!! :mad:

 

Cheers!

[spectrum05]

I'm looking at a river cruise from AMsterdam to Budapest next year. I have narrowed it down to AMA Waterways or Tauck, but I am now considering Scenic Tours. Can anyone give me some feedback on how these 3 cruises would compare? I will be booking a cabin with balcony or French Balcony. thanks

 

We sailed Amaverde 21 Day Paris to Prague May 2012 Disappointed with AMA Waterways would not sailed with them again. Have however completed two Scenic Tours in 2011 and happy with both tours.

[alexandra cruiser]

We sailed Amaverde 21 Day Paris to Prague May 2012 Disappointed with AMA Waterways would not sailed with them again. Have however completed two Scenic Tours in 2011 and happy with both tours.

 

can you tell me what you didnt like on AMA.We were on AMAcerto(with 2 balconies) and loved it.Was our first time with that line.Hard to believe it was so different?

Also, have a Scenic booked(hold really) for 2014.Will be my first time on one.Sounds like YOU like that better?Why?:confused:

[sippican]

We sailed Amaverde 21 Day Paris to Prague May 2012 Disappointed with AMA Waterways would not sailed with them again. Have however completed two Scenic Tours in 2011 and happy with both tours.

 

Please offer specific examples of what you did not like aboiut AMA and what you did like about Scenic. I would be interested in reading reviews of your experiences. That information helps others to know which lines are a good fit for their personal tastes.

[spectrum05]

Biggest disappointment was probably with APT who have an arrangement with AMA Waterways and with whom we had booked. Our AA superior suite was as expected no problems except for the small balcony. The butler service was non existent. Had visions of being served drinks on the balcony as advertised in the brochure and TV adv. Only butler service was delivery of three small savouries to our cabin prior to dinner. Dining room too small for presumably 161 passengers. Consequently light lunch served in lounge area. A "speciality" restaurant located at rear of boat at dinner to ease numbers in dining room. B/fast + lunch buffet so small causing congestion however able to order lunch from menu. Most staff pleasant and obliging however some stewards more interested in entertaining passengers instead of serving. On board entertainment sometimes meant chefs would entertain? Most meals acceptable. When too cold to use deck area (only real sitting area) we tried to use the bow seating area which is only limited to a dozen passengers. Deck area needs some sort of protection from cold wind. Metal steps leading onto deck steep and need some sort of step protection. We had a terrible accident on board with one passenger falling down the stairs. We had tied up to Amacerto in one port and it seemed much more upmarket than Amaverde. There was only one APT person on board to look after all the passengers and he had his hands full.

This was our experience with AMA Waterways/APT. Did fill out a questionaire but no response. Have sailed many cruises but this one did not meet our expectations. We voting by not sailing with them again.

[sippican]

Biggest disappointment was probably with APT who have an arrangement with AMA Waterways and with whom we had booked. Our AA superior suite was as expected no problems except for the small balcony. The butler service was non existent. Had visions of being served drinks on the balcony as advertised in the brochure and TV adv. Only butler service was delivery of three small savouries to our cabin prior to dinner. Dining room too small for presumably 161 passengers. Consequently light lunch served in lounge area. A "speciality" restaurant located at rear of boat at dinner to ease numbers in dining room. B/fast + lunch buffet so small causing congestion however able to order lunch from menu. Most staff pleasant and obliging however some stewards more interested in entertaining passengers instead of serving. On board entertainment sometimes meant chefs would entertain? Most meals acceptable. When too cold to use deck area (only real sitting area) we tried to use the bow seating area which is only limited to a dozen passengers. Deck area needs some sort of protection from cold wind. Metal steps leading onto deck steep and need some sort of step protection. We had a terrible accident on board with one passenger falling down the stairs. We had tied up to Amacerto in one port and it seemed much more upmarket than Amaverde. There was only one APT person on board to look after all the passengers and he had his hands full.

This was our experience with AMA Waterways/APT. Did fill out a questionaire but no response. Have sailed many cruises but this one did not meet our expectations. We voting by not sailing with them again.

 

I'm not sure what APT stands for.

Thank you for adding your experiences. It is helpful in understanding the aspects of the trip that did not meet your expectations.

[Ozjohnno]

I'm not sure what APT stands for.

Thank you for adding your experiences. It is helpful in understanding the aspects of the trip that did not meet your expectations.

 

APT = Australian Pacific Tours - an Australian Tour company that broke into the European River Cruise market a few years back when it invested in AMAWaterways. As I've never cruised with them I can't tell you any differences Australians get over AMA clients when they cruise, if any.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Don't know OP at all, but on various CC boards Australians have very different perceptions of cruising than Americans.

[Ozjohnno]

Don't know OP at all, but on various CC boards Australians have very different perceptions of cruising than Americans.

 

Please amplify. As an Australian I'm curious to know what you think our different perceptions are?

[GreyFunnel]

Hi folks,

 

I'll have a go at answering some of your questions, as best I can. At the outset, I must state that I haven't done any river cruises other than my recent cruise with Scenic Tours (on the Danube/Main/Rhine); although I have done several ocean cruises apart from my recent (Mediterranean) cruise on Celebrity Reflection.

 

One thing we Aussies appreciate (and while I'm making assumptions and generalising here, I think I'm fairly correct), is not having to pay out constantly for everything that isn't included in the cost of the cruise. For example, on Scenic Tour cruises, eBikes are provided, free of charge to passengers to use whilst alongside. On Celebrity ships, no bikes are provided; and if they were, then passengers would be expected to pay extra for the use of them.

On Celebrity we paid "through the nose" (a lot of money) for alcoholic drinks, while on Scenic Tour vessels, alcoholic drinks are provided free of charge - as much as you can drink!!! On Scenic vessels, classes are provided free of charge, while on Celebrity, you have to pay extra for many classes. Celebrity charges for fancy teas and coffees, except at meal times; while Scenic provides these for free, 24/7. Need I say more?

 

It is important to say here that I really enjoyed both cruises, and that the base cruise price was quite different; but you just need to understand how the different cruise lines work. It probably goes without saying, that if you are a tee-totaller who doesn't take shore excursions, then Scenic Cruises might not be for you; while conversely, if you drink excessively and take all the shore excursions, then Celebrity Cruises might not be for you.

 

Things I really loved about Scenic Tours:

The crew, including the Cruise Director, knew all passengers' names by Day 2; the "real" balconies can be enclosed if the weather changes (on "Scenic Crystal" anyway); passengers are included in all activities and you felt like you were a part of the ship (on bigger ships, you could disappear and no one would even miss you); cabins had better facilities than similar cabins on bigger ships (eg. magnification mirrors in bathrooms, disco lights on the showers, more cupboard space, etc.); VOX machines were provided, free, at ports (to conduct your own self-guided tours); the ability to have your own drinks in your own fridge; and the list could go on and on. Obviously I can't compare against other river cruises, like Uniworld, AMA, Aida, Tauk, Evergreen and so on, but I suspect Scenic would come out on top (at the moment anyway). Add to this, the free grog, free shore excursions, free food - including that in the specialty restaurant and at the cafe.

Also, Australians have a non-tipping culture. We don't tip, and we don't expect to be paid tips for providing good service. Accordingly, if we are forced to tip (as we are on American-owned cruise lines) we would then expect excellent service - well above and beyond the call of duty. So on a ship that also has a non-tipping culture, we (Aussies) feel more comfortable. On US ships, I am worried that I might offend if I tip too much, or if I don't tip enough. Also I never know who to tip and who not to tip. For example, our Chief Engineer was absolutely brilliant on Celebrity (when our engines failed), but I didn't feel that I should tip him; however if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have gone anywhere. Where does this tipping thing end??? What about the poorly-paid seamen who tie the ship up at port, who tips them? Why shouldn't they benefit too, when they do as much work - and possibly even work harder - than an attractive young girl who just brings out a drink, and smiles occasionally???!!!

 

Anyway, I'm sure you get my drift. Other Aussies might want to add something that I've missed, or correct me if I'm mistaken.

 

Cheers, Chris.