Scenic Tours cruise vs AMA or Tauck?

[BarbaraM]

Free? Not really, just included in the base fare. it makes cruise comparisons a little more difficult, as you need to "guess" the extras. I booked Scenic for my first river cruise. All-inclusive was not the deciding factor- the ships, itinerary, self-guided GPS tours, and not being surrounded by fellow Americans were all positives for me.

 

the tipping culture is tough for everyone, even if you are used to it. Having the ship take care of this for everyone, not just cruise staff, but I assume local guides and drivers, will certainly take away some of the stress of who and how much to tip.

[newfirsttimer]

In 2011 we cruised with AMA, PRague to Paris. This year we cruised with Scenic Amsterdam to Budapest. Both lines were top notch in terms of service, professionalism, attention to detail, food etc. I preferred the menus on AMA to those on Scenic, however, the food was very good to excellent on both lines. I understand that Scenic is changing their menus for 2013. I believe the quality of the Scenic daily tours were a cut above those on AMA, the Scenic Enrich portions were excellent, especially liked the day in Germany in a town followed by a BBQ at a winery, fantastic people and entertainment, a very enjoyable experience as well as the included concert in Vienna at the Palais Lichtenstein. I loved disembarking with no balance in my onboard account. Although APT has partnered with AMA, in 2011 I found the majority of the guests were American with a large number of Australians on board but that the line did not cater to any specific nationality. On Scenic I did find that since the majority of the passengers were Australian, Scenic very much catered to that group. Much more of a party atmosphere on Scenic than AMA/APT and the evening went on much longer. In 2013 when the drinks are included all the time, I suspect there might be even more partying going on into the wee hours. I would highly recommend either cruise line, I personally prefer the all inclusive nature of Scenic and love to travel with the Aussies.

[Host Jazzbeau]

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

 

The big thing is tipping. Apparently it's not done much in Australia and the American custom of tipping waiters and stewards (and lots of other service providers) grates with many Australians. There are many threads throughout this board about how this ruins their cruise experience, starts things off on the wrong foot -- followed by advice to go to the customer service desk and revoke all service charges. That of course leaves the cruise workers without a major portion of their income, so some cruise lines now have different rules for customers from different countries. When service charges are bundled into the Australian fares, the discussion then becomes a complaint that fares for Australians are so much higher than for North Americans.

 

Every review (no matter where the person lives) that starts off with an initial disappointment (even something the cruise line can't control) is almost sure to be biased toward every little nitpicky complaint, rather than a balanced overview of the good and bad on that cruise.

[franski]

Free? Not really, just included in the base fare. it makes cruise comparisons a little more difficult, as you need to "guess" the extras.

 

Tips are not something you need to "guess" at, as the guidelines are usually spelled out quite clearly in documentation from the cruise line.

 

The "fine print" items that are different are things such as airport transfers, booking incentives and included excursions. Lots of things in the river cruise world are subjective, so comparisons aren't always as easy as expected.

 

Each person needs to identify their "trigger" and go from there... Is it itinerary? Dates? Cost? Specific amenities on the boat? When you find things very similar - and are not sure which road to take - the people here on CC can usually offer an opinion (even if it is not solicited!!! :D)

 

Fran

[Ozjohnno]

The big thing is tipping. Apparently it's not done much in Australia and the American custom of tipping waiters and stewards (and lots of other service providers) grates with many Australians. There are many threads throughout this board about how this ruins their cruise experience, starts things off on the wrong foot -- followed by advice to go to the customer service desk and revoke all service charges. That of course leaves the cruise workers without a major portion of their income, so some cruise lines now have different rules for customers from different countries. When service charges are bundled into the Australian fares, the discussion then becomes a complaint that fares for Australians are so much higher than for North Americans.

 

Every review (no matter where the person lives) that starts off with an initial disappointment (even something the cruise line can't control) is almost sure to be biased toward every little nitpicky complaint, rather than a balanced overview of the good and bad on that cruise.

 

Thank you for that outlook. As an Australian, and I certainly don't speak for all Australians, I prefer my holidays to be all-inclusive. You are correct that tipping is not part of the Australian lifestyle and there are many reasons why. I don't like surprises at the end of a trip that makes me have to put my hand in my pocket. I prefer to pay upfront knowing that except for our private expenses we have paid for our holiday/cruise entirely. No gratuities at the end and no "optional extra" tours to be paid for. That way we have no surprises.

 

I would argue though that river cruise prices for Australians who choose an all-inclusive company are NOT more expensive than what an American would pay. I chose the American company Tauck when we cruised in 2011 and far from being more expensive it was because of the strength of the Aussie dollar actually cheaper than an American would have paid. I just did a check based on today's rates and again it is cheaper for an Australian to book Tauck than an American.

 

I still encourage future travellers to use a spreadsheet to help you in your decision making. Include every cost as laid out by the river cruise companies and then calculate a per diem cost and as I found out there is little differences in the final cost between most of the river cruise lines. I realise there is more than "price" when it comes to choosing a river cruise but my little exercise eliminates those thoughts that all-inclusive cruising is much more expensive than pay as you go lines.

Edited November 30, 2012 by Ozjohnno
spelling

[newlondon]

Ozjohnno, I know you and I have agreed to disagree on several different subjects. I am interested to hear why tipping is not part of the Aussie experience. DW and I will be in your country soon and I expect to tip for good service just as I would in the US. Please tell me why I should not pull out my wallet or add something on the credit card slip.

Seems to me to be cheap.

[Ozjohnno]

Ozjohnno, I know you and I have agreed to disagree on several different subjects. I am interested to hear why tipping is not part of the Aussie experience. DW and I will be in your country soon and I expect to tip for good service just as I would in the US. Please tell me why I should not pull out my wallet or add something on the credit card slip.

Seems to me to be cheap.

 

This subject always opens up a bag of worms when mentioned on this site and many others but as you requested an answer I'll try to give you one.

 

Tipping in Australia is not generally done because unlike some Americans our workers receive good wages that they can live on without the addition of a tip. As an example the lowest hourly rate down here for an unqualified worker is $16.00 an hour for a 38 hour week - penalty rates apply for additional hours worked over the 38. Thus it has not been in our culture to expect "extra" for doing their job. It's probably best described as a cultural thing. When you visit you will not be expected to tip for any service but no sane person is going to turn you down if you wish to. As I said to another poster some time back one of the biggest differences you will encounter is the almost total lack of beggars on our streets. When we travel we would prefer not to tip but if it is the custom then we do. When we travel to Europe we prefer the trip to be all-inclusive with our tipping already looked after for us.

[nana541]

Can we not ALL agree that differant parts of (even) the English speaking world have many differant customs??? And the subject of tipping is very differant and just because it is a USA custom does not make it a custom in Other parts of the world. Waiters in the US are often paid on a differant payrate that depends on tips....

Ok now I'll go away....

[Sylve1]

This subject always opens up a bag of worms when mentioned on this site and many others but as you requested an answer I'll try to give you one.

 

Tipping in Australia is not generally done because unlike some Americans our workers receive good wages that they can live on without the addition of a tip. As an example the lowest hourly rate down here for an unqualified worker is $16.00 an hour for a 38 hour week - penalty rates apply for additional hours worked over the 38. Thus it has not been in our culture to expect "extra" for doing their job. It's probably best described as a cultural thing. When you visit you will not be expected to tip for any service but no sane person is going to turn you down if you wish to. As I said to another poster some time back one of the biggest differences you will encounter is the almost total lack of beggars on our streets. When we travel we would prefer not to tip but if it is the custom then we do. When we travel to Europe we prefer the trip to be all-inclusive with

our tipping already looked after for us.

 

I agree. We tend to round up a taxi bill if paying cash otherwise we pay the tarrif. In restaurants we would round up to the nearest $5 or $10 depending on how many people are involved. Never tip at hairdressers, hotels or cafes. Some people say you get better service if tipping is involved but we feel we get good to excellent service most of the time. People want to keep their jobs I guess. But of course when in countries where tipping is expected we inform ourselves and go with what is expected. Certainly a cultural thing but I am still at a loss at why, as a customer, I would be responsible for the wait staffs livelihood. To me this is the responsibility of the employer.

[nana541]

But of course when in countries where tipping is expected we inform ourselves and go with what is expected. Certainly a cultural thing but I am still at a loss at why, as a customer, I would be responsible for the wait staffs livelihood. To me this is the responsibility of the employer.

 

I have to agree however in the US waitservers get a really bad deal and as I understand how it works....even with tips they many times (fancy $$$ places may of course be differant) they are just barely making minimum wage. For what reason I can not understand the system here in the US is just set up this way.

I just try to remember this every time I get the bill and be thankful I am not the waitress trying to live on my tips.

JMHO of course! :)

[jshearon]

Are port charges and insurance included in the Scenic cruise price?

[Stratheden]

As per the Australia Scenic Brochure

 

◆Taxes and Charges (included in above prices): $350

Port and Sundry charges

 

Don't know what is in the UK or North American Brochures.

[cruiseryyc]

Port charges are included in Scenic prices.

 

Insurance - no as some people don't bother with it, more of a personal choice.

[Canal archive]

Well this thread seems to have missed a year, you are right Scenic is all inclusive but in the UK on some cruises that are offered at sale prices if you wish to travel from a regional airport you have to pay a supplement of £95.00 which only goes to show how small our country is compared with Australia, Canada and the USA.

Scenic do not include insurance but then I would not expect a cruise line to do this as it is so subjective. Scenic also say you have to pay for top of the line alcohol now I am not a cheap drink drinker (as my husband will confirm) but never got charged.

On the subject of tipping especially on board I think the inclusion of tips is a good thing considering that you are in a smallish environment for over a week and sometimes more it puts everyone on an even footing all the staff know where they stand as do the passengers, this might sound a bit PC but it tacks away the quests work and maks for a more enjoyable holiday.

Just my opinion.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Canal archive
Spelling