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APT River Cruises vs Scenic River Cruises
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of APT River Cruises and Scenic River Cruises.The Low Down
Initially providing coach touring around Australia and NZ to the local market, APT have grown exponentially over the last decade to now offer trips around the world, and are well known for their European river cruises. Over the last few years APT have introduced small ship expeditions that cruise the waters through Asia, Europe, Canada and off the coast of Kimberley. Catering primarily for the retired market, their trips aren't cheap, but in APT's case - you get what you pay for. Look out for their great Fly Free offers, and Earlybird Savings. The team here at Global Journeys have travelled multiple times by coach, cruise & river with APT, and we definitely recommend them as a quality, consistent, reliable Operator, and our past client reviews back that up.
Scenic's 5 star luxury river cruises are well known and popular in Australia. Scenic were the first river cruise line to introduce balconies on their Scenic Space-Ships, which many clients love, but this does come at a cost to interior cabin space. Like many of the other luxury river cruise operators, look out for their great Fly Free offers, and Earlybird Savings. Every itinerary is all inclusive, with Freechoice activities that allow you to choose what you want to do in each port. Scenic also offer a range of luxury additions (like your own butler) depending on the cabin type selected. Stats
No. of Trips
37
No. of Departures
447
Avg. Trip Length
15 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$728
Fleet Size
8 Ships
Known For
Aussie Specialist
Ship Styles
River Cruises
No. of Trips
282
No. of Departures
1,632
Avg. Trip Length
16 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$704
Fleet Size
14 Ships
Known For
Luxury Cruising
Ship Styles
River Cruises
In Their Own Words
We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
Life-enriching, relaxing and unique – an APT river cruise is the ultimate holiday experience. Discover unforgettable destinations as you travel in total comfort and style. From Europe to Africa and the mighty Mekong River, APT has a diverse range of river cruises, and you’ll wake up most mornings in a new location, ready to explore fresh and exciting sights. Timeless luxury, exclusive experiences, life enriching moments and true personalisation. APT offers all-inclusive holidays so everything is taken care of. We invite you to join us; you won’t be disappointed.
With Scenic, it’s more than a 5-star river cruise...it’s a seamless journey from start to finish that places you, our guest, at the heart of everything we do. It’s taking you to extraordinary regions and immersing you in meaningful and enriching experiences. It’s exquisite cuisine, indulgent wellness, and a world-class team who will anticipate your every need. You'll find the difference is in the details with Scenic: the innovative ship design, expertly trained crew, immersive journey, and an unrivalled focus on health and safety protocols.
Recent Reviews
4.7
The River Cruise we looked forward to with much anticipation but did not deliver. 0
Magnificent Europe
Joanne and Mark, VIC, Australia, Jul 2026
We were so excited about this cruise through beautiful scenery and we were looking forward to slowing down and relaxing on deck with a cocktail or two but this was not the case. We were notified the night before boarding that we would not be boarding the ship we had paid for, but instead another ship for the next two days. This happened four times due read more to low river levels and each time we had to be up early and cases packed ready to move on again. It was tiring and we never really got time to enjoy services on ship. We could not have washing done because we were on the move which was a problem for us because we were away for almost five weeks.
The four days we got to experience the Solara were enjoyable. The staff and cuisine on ship amazing and it would have been delightful to be able to sit up on deck and enjoy the scenery but this only happened twice because they closed off the top deck! Our cruise director Evelin did everything she could to make the cruise enjoyable under the circumstances we were experiencing. I personally would not advise cruising the Danube during the summer season , its not worth the money invested.
The four days we got to experience the Solara were enjoyable. The staff and cuisine on ship amazing and it would have been delightful to be able to sit up on deck and enjoy the scenery but this only happened twice because they closed off the top deck! Our cruise director Evelin did everything she could to make the cruise enjoyable under the circumstances we were experiencing. I personally would not advise cruising the Danube during the summer season , its not worth the money invested.
Thanks APT for supporting us navigate the difficulties caused by the outbreak of war in the middle east.We were able to change our flights and undertake our planned trip from Budapest to Amsterdam. Special thanks to Global Journeys staff for their guidance and patient reassurance. The cruise was all we had hoped for and the ship, staff, meals and organisation read more were excellent. We met a diverse range of fellow travelers whose company we enjoyed. We would have no hesitation in recommending APT to others.
All I can say is WOW and what a wonderful experience my husband and I had on our 15 day APT River cruise that departed from Amsterdam on Friday 29th August 2025 and finished in Budapest. We traveled on the APT Solara and the service from both the bar and restaurant staff was first class and the food was always exceptional. All APT staff on board The read more Solara are to be commended for their exceptional service. We would like to also make a special mention of our fantastic Cruise Director Navena Robertova who went above and beyond to make sure all passengers had a great time both on board the boat and during our excursions which were fantastic. We met many wonderful people on this cruise which was so much fun. This APT European cruise was flawless and we recommend it to anyone who may be considering a river cruise.
We had a brilliant cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam on the new APT ship Ostara. The Global Journeys team of Grace, Hannah, Tracey & Georgie did an amazing job of booking the river cruise with APT and ironing out a few problems with accommodation. Once on our way, everything worked seamlessly, and we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise; great ship, crew, read more food, wine & a great selection of tours. Minor hiccup was the ship swop because of low water in the rivers, but even this was handled very well, and we ended up getting on the sister ship Solara! No problem at all. A big shout out for the cruise director Anya, who was absolutely brilliant. All in all, a fantastic trip, professionally organised by Global Journeys. Thanks again, Greg & Kerry.
Unreal Prague To Paris 0
Magnificent Europe - Prague to Paris
Des & Jeanette , NSW, Australia, Aug 2025
What a fabulous trip and experience! Everyday the scenery was breathtaking and the guides were a wealth of knowledge enlightening us in each city & towns as we explored them. The extra tours and options were fantastic as were the many little extras provided. Both Ships were amazing even with a changeover due to low water. Our journey planning was easy read more thanks to Tracey from Global Journeys being very efficient with attention to detail. We look forward to our next adventure.
4.6
Lovely trip through the shallow waters of the danube 0
Danube in Depth
Tony and Lesley, WA, Australia, Jul 2026
Sadly the Danube is not at its best. Interuptions to the itinery meant more coach travel than usual. I think people on board called it a river cruise on wheels. However Avalon cannot be falted for there efforts. We saw 90% of what was originally offered. The service on the boat was magnificent. Food plentyful and well presented. As was the bar service read more especially happy hour. Cabins were always well prepared and clean along with the bathroom facilities. We missed out on Bulgaria but having been before it really didnt bother us. Kayla kept us up to date with changes which we thank her for. Avalon sent me 6 emails with changes but a couple were a mystery to us. We had booked flights out of Bucharest for the 15th August but there email was for the 14th. Good job we had Stefano as our ship manager to correct things. Thanks again to Global Journeys for the bookings. Our 15th river cruise and i think our 10th with Avalon.
Wonderful double Scenic River Cruises in France 0
Normandy & Gems of the Seine & Spectacular South of France
Elizabeth and Neil, NSW, Australia, Jul 2026
We loved both cruises with Scenic: Normandy & Gems of the Seine plus Spectacular South of France. Tracey Standing from Global Joirneys was very helpful and efficient in organising this Scenic package and always ready to answer any questions we had or information we needed to know. There was a great collection of people on each cruise from the U.K., read more USA, Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians. The food was magnificent, the wine and other drinks flowed, the Excursions all enjoyable and the entertainment on board was wonderful. I would highly recommend both these cruises, especially together, to anyone considering river cruising in France.
The trip was everything the advertised and more. Staff was excellent, room as advertised and food and beverage service was excellent. Rita is Celiac and they took great care of her. Absolutely no complaints.
The highlight of the tour was Viviers where our tour guide took us to her hour which wad used as a Resistance house during WW2.
Scenic provided excellent service and made you feel like a big family. This itinerary was excellent beautiful views along the Moselle River and the best of the Rhine. Included excursions were top notch.
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