Scenic Ruby Reviews

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.

Scenic Budapest to Amsterdam plus the Croatia/Slovenia pre-tour was absolutely brilliant. Georgie at Global Journeys did her usual wonderful job of organising everything and sorting out a few pre-trip complexities. The trip itself had so many highlights: Lake Bled is paradise on Earth, the food on the cruise was top flight restaurant quality, and ...read more the service was basically perfect. We had feared that the river cruise would be all 'old people': in our early sixties, there seemed to be nearly as many people younger than us as older, and everyone got on famously and got into the experiences at all the (many) stops. The (included) Scenic Choice optionals were fantastic: so many memorable experiences.

We thought the cruise was terrific even though we changed boats three times. I don't think Scenic could be blamed for lack of water in the river system, and the transfer from one boat to the other ran smoothly. I do think Scenic could have been more direct in the information given. I am definitely going with Scenic again and am looking to do USA/Canada/Alaska ...read more either next year or the year after. I think the all inclusive trip was just what it said, all inclusive, which I found was exceptional.

Our first trip with Scenic. They are expensive but promise a lot and they delivered. The boat was very good and the crew excellent. Food was consistently very good, as was the choice of off-boat excursions. We thought the idea of self-guided tours with personal audio guides was very good but felt the point-to-point guiding could be improved. Make sure ...read more you take a map!

A highlight for us was the journey from Passau to Linz. We had the option of off-boat tours of 9 or 10 hours duration with long bus rides but decided, along with about 30 other passengers, to stay aboard for the 5 hour cruise to Linz. It was delightful! Great weather, sitting up front as we sailed through beautiful scenery, plenty of food and drink and not many people about. That was true cruising. The only negative is that passengers don't get a credit for side trips not taken.

Overall a most enjoyable trip. We will certainly consider Scenic for future cruises. A hint for first-timers: Do get a balcony cabin but don't be disappointed if in port there is another boat moored alongside so you lose your view. There are simply not enough spots for the growing number of ships.

Definitely all costs included. Only needed money for coffee ashore. Extremely well organised. Be prepared for large crowds ashore. Docking is no problem with good access at all times.