Home > Compare Tour & Adventure Operators > APT vs Scenic
APT vs Scenic
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of APT and Scenic.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 (not so much in NZ). Scenic were the first to introduce balconies on their Scenic Space-Ships, which many clients love, but this comes at a cost to interior cabin space. Like many of the other premium river cruise Operators, look out for their great Fly Free offers, and Earlybird Savings. 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 select. Launching in 2018 and with another ship in 2020, the Scenic Eclipse is Scenic's first foray into luxury all inclusive ocean cruising. From the Arctic to Antarctica and everywhere in between, these Discovery Yachts, are all inclusive with shore excursions involving Zodiacs, kayaks and e-bikes as well as the option (for an additional charge) to adventure out by helicopter and submarine!
Stats
No. of Trips
432
No. of Departures
2,741
Avg. Trip Length
15 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$819
Accommodation
4 - 5 Star
Budget
Premium & Luxury
No. of Trips
721
No. of Departures
1,898
Avg. Trip Length
17 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$823
Accommodation
4 - 5 Star
Budget
Premium & Luxury
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
APT is an Australian family-owned company whose essence began in Melbourne in the 1920s. More than 90 years on, APT offers life-enriching trips to every continent, and through the company’s vast industry experience, meticulous planning and unquestionable passion it's earned a place among the world’s most well-regarded travel companies.
From boutique river cruising to small-group 4WD adventures; traditional coach touring with a decadent twist; epic rail journeys to small-ship expeditions; classic ocean cruising to safaris of discovery by both land and air – there’s little APT are unwilling to consider in pursuit of creating the finest holiday experience for its valued guests.
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.
Scenic is proudly an Australian founded company setting the global standard for all inclusive luxury travel. We have delighted guests for more than 36 years with memorable journeys to fascinating locations across the world, delivering unsurpassed excellence in service, product quality and exclusive experiences. The guest is at the heart of everything we do, as we strive to provide continual innovation to enhance the guest experience in luxury river cruising, land tours and our state of the art expedition ocean cruising with Scenic Eclipse.
The Scenic difference is the details, the unwavering commitment to anticipate our guests every need, from butler services, quality dining, wellness, Scenic Enrich and Scenic FreeChoice experiences. That is why so many of our past guests choose to travel with Scenic many times, to destinations around the globe with family and friends, trusting Scenic to create memories that will last a lifetime. We welcome you to enjoy the portfolio of Scenic luxury products and feel the difference of Scenic’s dedicated staff, who will look after you to the nth degree.
Recent Reviews
4.7
APT booked a very good hotel in Adelaide - The Mayfair & The Novotel in Barossa were excellent as was the Glamping tent in Flinders Ranges at Wilpena Pound. Dinner at the restaurant in the camp was mostly tasty but a bit hit & miss at times, although when you consider how remote it is they did an excellent job with the variety of food presented. Staff ...read more there were friendly at all times. The scenery was beautiful. Our Guide & Driver Kym was wonderful, so careful with all driving, always looked after us all & was very knowledgeable, friendly & patient. A definite asset to APT in every way.
There were some guests (only 10 of in total so heaps of room on the coach) that did not enjoy the grazing plate meals but we thought they were fine. The food itself was very good, the wine tastings were well organised, the dinner at Seppeltsfield was great (beautiful grounds & buildings). St Hugo’s lunch was also a highlight but I think the dinner at Mt Lofty was too much food, still good but perhaps slightly pretentious. Very expensive wine, over $70 for 2 standard glasses of red wine (public holiday loading & c/c charges). The cooking class at Maggie Beers was very interesting & we enjoyed our time there, perhaps again too much food after eating the meals cooked in the demo. The drive through Brachina Gorge was amazing! Lunch in Parachilna was a standout too.
All in all the whole 7 days were filled with very interesting activities, different places to see, food was of a good standard & the group got along very well. Highly recommend the whole trip to anyone interested in seeing those parts of SA, but remember there is quite a bit of coach travel involved so not for everyone.
There were some guests (only 10 of in total so heaps of room on the coach) that did not enjoy the grazing plate meals but we thought they were fine. The food itself was very good, the wine tastings were well organised, the dinner at Seppeltsfield was great (beautiful grounds & buildings). St Hugo’s lunch was also a highlight but I think the dinner at Mt Lofty was too much food, still good but perhaps slightly pretentious. Very expensive wine, over $70 for 2 standard glasses of red wine (public holiday loading & c/c charges). The cooking class at Maggie Beers was very interesting & we enjoyed our time there, perhaps again too much food after eating the meals cooked in the demo. The drive through Brachina Gorge was amazing! Lunch in Parachilna was a standout too.
All in all the whole 7 days were filled with very interesting activities, different places to see, food was of a good standard & the group got along very well. Highly recommend the whole trip to anyone interested in seeing those parts of SA, but remember there is quite a bit of coach travel involved so not for everyone.
Bucket list trip ticked off! Luxury river cruise met all expectations. 0 Marie , NSW, Australia, Mar 2024
We had a perfect trip on APT luxury river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest then on to Prague. From the flight with Singapore airlines, the luxurious accommodation on board the AmaVenita, the delicious food at every meal, the caring service and staff, the meticulous transfers, the amazing signature tours and knowledgeable guides…. And much more, made ...read more this memorable and most enjoyable holiday. Thanks to Global for coordinating our trip as well. Look forward to planning the next one!
We loved our holiday from start to finish. Our tour Guide (Saul ) and Bus driver (Andrew ) were excellent and went above and beyond to keep us happy, informed and entertained throughout our trip. Most of the hotels were lovely and of a high standard and the meals provided were more than satisfactory. I loved nearly all of the included tours and only ...read more once did we make a bad choice - not that anything was wrong with the tour itself, it just didn't suit us - my error in choice only. I would definitely recommend APT and would travel with them again in the future. Global journeys were great at organising all this for us and I would definitely use them again to help me plan a holiday.
Georgie and the team at Global Journeys once again delivered on everything we asked of them during the booking of our New Zealand adventure. We cannot thank them enough for answering all our silly questions and ensuring that we had the best time possible. We will always choose Global Journeys as our travel agent for tours.
Would definitely book again through Global Journeys. The river cruise was good but not quite what we thought it would be. Most day trips were only 2 - 3 hours in length. Fellow passengers were enjoyable company and the entertainment, Tori & Dave, were excellent. Maybe we are too young to be going on river cruises!!
The cruise itself was excellent, but wish that we had been informed that it was the rainy season. At least 3 day tours were spoiled by constant rain. The fellow travellers were great company, mostly from Australia, like us. The cabins were a little small. Had we known that you could upsize, we would have done so, but we were not told beforehand. The ...read more food was excellent, staff excellent and cruise director excellent.
The main drawback was the lengthy flight home. We left Wednesday 8th November 11 am, endured 3 lengthy unpleasant flights with Singapore Airlines to arrive in Sydney 10th November 10 am. We had upgraded to Premium economy, but there was very little difference between this and Economy. The Singapore staff were unpleasant and at times very rude. The plane was old and in need of repair/upgrade. The seats were uncomfortable and worn. There was water leakage from above on occasion. The food was not good quality. On the middle trip home of 13 hours, Joy fell asleep and missed 2 meals. When she awoke and asked for a cup of tea, having not drunk anything in 10 hours, she was told NO!!!!!!!!! When Joy later got up to go to toilet, she was told to sit down, even though 2 other people were lined up at toilet. On 2 of the flights we were in the same seats, which were opposite a large double cupboard, which was constantly being opened and slammed shut by the staff as they shuffled paraphernalia backwards and forwards with constant noise and disturbance. We would never travel with Singapore Airlines again.
APT tour was excellent. Overall rating on Tour was excellent. Overall rating on flights was TERRIBLE.
The main drawback was the lengthy flight home. We left Wednesday 8th November 11 am, endured 3 lengthy unpleasant flights with Singapore Airlines to arrive in Sydney 10th November 10 am. We had upgraded to Premium economy, but there was very little difference between this and Economy. The Singapore staff were unpleasant and at times very rude. The plane was old and in need of repair/upgrade. The seats were uncomfortable and worn. There was water leakage from above on occasion. The food was not good quality. On the middle trip home of 13 hours, Joy fell asleep and missed 2 meals. When she awoke and asked for a cup of tea, having not drunk anything in 10 hours, she was told NO!!!!!!!!! When Joy later got up to go to toilet, she was told to sit down, even though 2 other people were lined up at toilet. On 2 of the flights we were in the same seats, which were opposite a large double cupboard, which was constantly being opened and slammed shut by the staff as they shuffled paraphernalia backwards and forwards with constant noise and disturbance. We would never travel with Singapore Airlines again.
APT tour was excellent. Overall rating on Tour was excellent. Overall rating on flights was TERRIBLE.
4.5
Hi, we have just returned from Antarctica and the Chilean fjords. WOW!!!!!!!! Our holiday was organised by Georgie and she was amazing, we were told that we would be met at the airport Buenos Aires and we were. Everything from then on went like clock work. We were so impressed we have booked again with Georgie for our trip tp Cambodia and Vietnam next ...read more year. Thank you Georgie for all your hard work.
When I booked this I was hoping to get a true white Xmas and this trip met all of my expectations. Xmas Day in Lake Louise was perfect, enough snow to enjoy and play and blue skies to make it picturesque. Scenic Tours are always well structured, excellent in all aspects from accommodation to inclusions and options, pace of travel and most importantly ...read more staff- tour guide and driver.
From the moment we embarked on our scenic river adventure, it was evident that Scenic was committed to providing a level of luxury and enrichment that surpassed our expectations. The highlight of our trip was the private concert at Richitenstein Palace - the intimate performance In the opulent Palace setting was a prestigious event and was the epitome ...read more of the Scenic experience.
What stood out to us was the genuine commitment of the Scenic team to go above and beyond for their guests. Cathy, our cruise director was the most cheerful person I’ve ever met. She was full of positive energy which made us feel energized too. The bar staff, all of them were working hard. Ali and Luka were constantly offering drinks to guests. The restaurant staff, the housekeeping staff, the hotel manager, all of them were committed and made a very good team between themselves.
One of the standout features of the Scenic River Cruise was the comprehensive all-inclusive package, from meal to excursion, all day drink onboard to gratuity, everything was included and this made our vacation worry-free experience. In conclusion, we really enjoyed our river cruise. We are grateful for the memories created and can't wait to embark on another adventure with Scenic in the future. We booked our cruise through Georgie of Global Journeys. The booking process went on seamlessly and Georgie is a wonderful agent to deal with.
What stood out to us was the genuine commitment of the Scenic team to go above and beyond for their guests. Cathy, our cruise director was the most cheerful person I’ve ever met. She was full of positive energy which made us feel energized too. The bar staff, all of them were working hard. Ali and Luka were constantly offering drinks to guests. The restaurant staff, the housekeeping staff, the hotel manager, all of them were committed and made a very good team between themselves.
One of the standout features of the Scenic River Cruise was the comprehensive all-inclusive package, from meal to excursion, all day drink onboard to gratuity, everything was included and this made our vacation worry-free experience. In conclusion, we really enjoyed our river cruise. We are grateful for the memories created and can't wait to embark on another adventure with Scenic in the future. We booked our cruise through Georgie of Global Journeys. The booking process went on seamlessly and Georgie is a wonderful agent to deal with.
We had a fantastic time on our holiday. The extension at the beginning showed us some different countries and experiences and we enjoyed the scenery, excursions and the small group. Lake Bled was the highlight for me, the little boat to the island and costing the little church and ringing the bells was fun. The waterfalls were amazing but very busy ...read more at the big falls and not at all suitable for people with walking difficulties. As we walked further into the park the crowds were less and I enjoyed the smaller falls more, it was a lovely hike with amazing views. We were well looked after.
The first week and half of the river Cruise was really good, lots of amazing old fortresses, churches, cities to explore. Really enjoyed the enrich events especially the choir in St Sava. The Unfortunately the Danube ran out of water and we spent 3 days in a little Bulgarian port with some not so exciting day trips, we made the most of everything and enjoyed them but it was a bit disappointing. There we many elderly/not so fit people on board who struggled with the steep gang plank caused by the low water levels and couldn’t keep up with the walking on the tours. Crew and food was amazing, so much food and they would make you just about anything you wanted. Bar staff were constantly offering drinks.
We had the cheapest cabin down the bottom, it was fine. We only slept and showered there as you can see so much more from the decks or lounge areas. The seating in the lounge and dining room makes you mingle with other passengers and we made lots of friends and had lots of laughs as we shared photos and stories.
The first week and half of the river Cruise was really good, lots of amazing old fortresses, churches, cities to explore. Really enjoyed the enrich events especially the choir in St Sava. The Unfortunately the Danube ran out of water and we spent 3 days in a little Bulgarian port with some not so exciting day trips, we made the most of everything and enjoyed them but it was a bit disappointing. There we many elderly/not so fit people on board who struggled with the steep gang plank caused by the low water levels and couldn’t keep up with the walking on the tours. Crew and food was amazing, so much food and they would make you just about anything you wanted. Bar staff were constantly offering drinks.
We had the cheapest cabin down the bottom, it was fine. We only slept and showered there as you can see so much more from the decks or lounge areas. The seating in the lounge and dining room makes you mingle with other passengers and we made lots of friends and had lots of laughs as we shared photos and stories.
This was our first river cruise with Scenic and we found it enjoyable but a bit crowded. The food and service are amazing and the tours were great. Scenic's attention to detail is outstanding. The cruise director was absolutely awesome and went out of his way to make everything run like clockwork. We have done 2 Scenic Eclipse trips prior to this and ...read more found this trip to be not as good though.
The cabins are VERY small and the public spaces are limited and crowded. Dinner is at a set time and the usual stampede occurs to get there. We thought we would make more use of the sunroof area but did not as it was either pulled down to get under low bridges or the weather was not good. As we had to be disembarked due to weather we got to experience two different boats and were surprised to find the service levels not as good on the 2nd boat. If you can, get on the Scenic Crystal not the Scenic Ruby. Overall still a great experience though.
The cabins are VERY small and the public spaces are limited and crowded. Dinner is at a set time and the usual stampede occurs to get there. We thought we would make more use of the sunroof area but did not as it was either pulled down to get under low bridges or the weather was not good. As we had to be disembarked due to weather we got to experience two different boats and were surprised to find the service levels not as good on the 2nd boat. If you can, get on the Scenic Crystal not the Scenic Ruby. Overall still a great experience though.
For this holiday, we travelled by luxury motor coach, train and cruise ship. On the motor coach portion of the holiday, we had two night stays in the famous Fairmont Hotels at Victoria, Whistler, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. Other than Lake Louise, we stayed in standard rooms at these hotels and, even though these are very old hotels, the rooms are ...read more nicely appointed and a comfortable size. At Lake Louise the travel package treats you to a stunning lakeview room, you really have to pinch yourself to realise that the view before you is real!
Between Whistler and Jasper we stayed at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel for one night as we were putting down kilometers to cross this huge country. The stops along the way and the journey itself was filled with absolutely stunning scenery and the experts, guides and presentations provided in the tour package were interestingly informative and very entertaining. All the meals provided by the hotels as part of the package were very nice and some were fabulous, so we tended to eat "in house" for the few evening meals the package didn't include, after all, the facilities in general and dining in particular at the Fairmonts, was second to none.
On the train part of the journey, we were pampered with two days of delicious drinks and food and more stunning scenery in the glass domed carriages of the Rocky Mountaineer's Goldleaf Service. Now in Vancouver, we had another two night stay at a Fairmont Hotel and, like the motorcoach part of the journey, the tours included in the package were very good.
On to the cruise and again we were treated to the best available, Holland America were the original cruise company to do Alaska and have available to them the best berths at all the ports and best access to the glaciers in the national parks. The rangers from these parks, as well as the ship's crew were very informative and and especially so when there was wildlife to be seen.
Where this holiday is at the top end pricewise for seeing Western Canada and Alaska, the two night stays while journeying into the interior, the Goldleaf service on the Rocky Mountaineer and the Holland America cruise to Alaska make it good value for money for such an immersive travel experience. Also with Scenic, the people we travelled with on this journey were simply a great bunch, enjoyable in every way and most had previously travelled with Scenic, describing the travel company as not only having the best itineraries, but having a knack of having happy travellers on their tours.
The tour director for this tour, Cathy was at the top of her game and this is yet another reason why we would travel with Scenic again. And to book such a holiday, we would be using the help and guidance of Jemma at Global Journeys again.
Between Whistler and Jasper we stayed at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel for one night as we were putting down kilometers to cross this huge country. The stops along the way and the journey itself was filled with absolutely stunning scenery and the experts, guides and presentations provided in the tour package were interestingly informative and very entertaining. All the meals provided by the hotels as part of the package were very nice and some were fabulous, so we tended to eat "in house" for the few evening meals the package didn't include, after all, the facilities in general and dining in particular at the Fairmonts, was second to none.
On the train part of the journey, we were pampered with two days of delicious drinks and food and more stunning scenery in the glass domed carriages of the Rocky Mountaineer's Goldleaf Service. Now in Vancouver, we had another two night stay at a Fairmont Hotel and, like the motorcoach part of the journey, the tours included in the package were very good.
On to the cruise and again we were treated to the best available, Holland America were the original cruise company to do Alaska and have available to them the best berths at all the ports and best access to the glaciers in the national parks. The rangers from these parks, as well as the ship's crew were very informative and and especially so when there was wildlife to be seen.
Where this holiday is at the top end pricewise for seeing Western Canada and Alaska, the two night stays while journeying into the interior, the Goldleaf service on the Rocky Mountaineer and the Holland America cruise to Alaska make it good value for money for such an immersive travel experience. Also with Scenic, the people we travelled with on this journey were simply a great bunch, enjoyable in every way and most had previously travelled with Scenic, describing the travel company as not only having the best itineraries, but having a knack of having happy travellers on their tours.
The tour director for this tour, Cathy was at the top of her game and this is yet another reason why we would travel with Scenic again. And to book such a holiday, we would be using the help and guidance of Jemma at Global Journeys again.
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