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ScenicTours Cruise Customer Service


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I have been following this board for some time but this is the first time I have posted. I was wondering if anybody else was having a problem getting solid information from Scenic. I am supposed to be on a Danube cruise with them in a couple of weeks. It seems that all the other cruise lines are posting updates on their websites, or on facebook or twitter. Scenic has gone dark - no updates or even a mention of the floods on their various sites. A call to the customer service line got me to an agent who said they had no changes to their schedule or itineraries but if there were changes we would be notified once we boarded the ship. Our ship is supposed to be touring Passau, Melk, Regensburg with a side trip to Cesky Krumlov - all communities that suffered heavy flood damage. I would hope that Scenic would let us know what is happening to our trip before we get on the ship!

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I have been following this board for some time but this is the first time I have posted. I was wondering if anybody else was having a problem getting solid information from Scenic. I am supposed to be on a Danube cruise with them in a couple of weeks. It seems that all the other cruise lines are posting updates on their websites, or on facebook or twitter. Scenic has gone dark - no updates or even a mention of the floods on their various sites. A call to the customer service line got me to an agent who said they had no changes to their schedule or itineraries but if there were changes we would be notified once we boarded the ship. Our ship is supposed to be touring Passau, Melk, Regensburg with a side trip to Cesky Krumlov - all communities that suffered heavy flood damage. I would hope that Scenic would let us know what is happening to our trip before we get on the ship!

i have reservations june 17 and cannot get any info from scenic cruises

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I have been told by Scenic that they are contacting their customers and/or travel agents with updates on their upcoming cruises. They have also stated that they have not cancelled any cruises. I have a friend on a mid June cruise from Budapest to Nurenberg and they have not heard anything either.

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Scenic has been less than forthcoming. The only way to get updates is to call their reservation line, then you are told that they have no information but that customers will be contacted. For those of us on mid June cruises, they need to let us know what they envision for our cruise and give us the opportunity to rebook or refund. Pretending that all is well does not cut it.

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June 6, 2013

 

Dear Guest

 

Due to the unprecedented and severe flooding throughout areas of central Europe, particularly affecting the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers, we understand that you may be concerned about your upcoming cruise with us.

 

Our offices globally, in particular our Operations team in Switzerland, have been working around the clock, constantly monitoring the situation and managing the schedules of those guests currently sailing with us. Fortunately no departures have had to be cancelled and we have been able to continue operating our itineraries.

 

Here is the current status and expectations regarding upcoming sailings:

• The June 10 and June 12 departures on Scenic ‘Space-Ships’ from Amsterdam will embark as scheduled from Amsterdam.

• The embarkation process for the June 10 and June 12 departures on Scenic ‘Space-Ships’ from Budapest will be affected. It is our expectation at this time the ships will be unable to dock in Budapest on those dates. Instead the ships will be docking in another location that is in the process of being determined. Scenic guests will be transferred directly to each ship or alternatively overnight in Budapest depending on flight arrival schedules and then be transferred to the ship the following day.

 

The situation on the Danube continues to be a concern although it is our understanding that the water levels are dropping. The flooding may not allow for uninterrupted cruising on the June 10 and June 12 departures in both directions. Ship swaps are a possibility but those are not an issue due to Scenic’s unique fleet schedule – always set up so a 2nd ship is nearby. All Scenic ‘Space-Ships’ are built to the same high standards and layouts so any ship change for guests would be seamless.

 

Specific questions from current or upcoming Scenic guests can be directed to the guest’s local office call centers numbers as listed on the Scenic web site – http://www.scenictours.com or http://www.sceniccruises.com.

 

Any further changes or updates will continue to be communicated as they come in.

 

Scenic Cruises

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Shaking my head... Wondering why some companies had been so proactive from day one while others have had there head in the sand all the time pretending that everything is hunky dorey!!

 

Have really had my eyes opened to the Corp mentality and culture of NO COMMUNICATION to their paid guests. This is soooo puzzling to me.

 

I have done a real about face as to who I will consider cruising with in the future based on their handling of this terrible situation due to Historic Flooding.

 

Unbelievable!

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I appreciate Scenic finally putting out some information, but I am highly skeptical about any cruise line's ability to operate on the Danube for the next month or so at the very least. I am also concerned about the safety of trying to operate, considering the reports of debris and even raw sewage being dumped into the river at numerous locations between Nuremberg and Budapest.

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I agree Nana

The river levels may be going down but what condition are the towns along the river will be in is another story

Seeing picture of places now & what they looked like last year there is NO WAY any ship let alone the passengers will have a good cruise

The locks are still closed so how does a ship transit the rivers

 

Scenic wake up

 

Just tell people the truth & refund the upcoming cruises at least for this month

Other cruise line are not sailing so how will scenic be allowed to

 

I would never go with scenic again because of the low quality of the food but I think if they had been like this it would have been the last straw

 

If you are not getting the answers about the upcoming cruises this is not acceptable DEMAND a refund ...before you fly thousands of miles for nothing

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You are welcome newfirsttimer - the updates will continue as the information comes in from our European office.

 

any response to those?

Seems you ignored less than flattering remarks.

Feel that as a relatively new river cruise line to the American market,your customer service department may need to make improvements to compete .Hope you agree.

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I'm not so sure that packing up every other night is going to be seamless. Part of the appeal of a 14 day cruise is to unpack ONCE. I would hope every cruise that plans to bus hop up the danube and stay in one of several boats will give passengers a chance to cancel. A cruise implies actual movement on the water, not lodging in a houseboat. I'm disappointed in Scenic's reply, even though I expect my july1 cruise may not be impacted, then again .. It might.

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I would hope every cruise that plans to bus hop up the danube and stay in one of several boats will give passengers a chance to cancel.

 

I suspect you are going to be disappointed in quite a few cases ...

 

It is already becoming clear which cruise lines are actively cancelling and which are trying to pretend that it is OK to spend more time on a bus than on a boat during a 'cruise' :)

 

These companies are going to have a tough time and I don't blame them for trying to keep things together, but do at least have the honesty to be straight with customers about just how their cruise is going to take place.

 

'Seamless' is unpack at start, pack at end, cruise from place to place in the middle, anything else is without any doubt not 'seamless'.

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Guest Sceniccruises

In an ongoing effort to keep our guests informed, we will continue to provide updates as soon as we have any pertinent information. The following information regarding the status of the European rivers affected by the flooding has been forwarded by our European offices. Please be aware these are updates based on ongoing conversations between Scenic and the local river authorities.

 

The opening of rivers is currently expected to take place as follows:

· Mainz: sometime during the evening of June 7; Rhine Valley: Saturday June 8 morning;

· Danube: Still closed all the way to Budapest. The route between Vienna and Komarom is expected to reopen at beginning of next week;

· Main River: will gradually reopen beginning Sunday. It is expected that by midweek the entire span should be open;

· The Bamberg to Nuremberg route: water levels will now allow for navigation. The local authorities are checking for any damages along the route that may impede traffic. If deemed safe, they will be opened immediately.

 

Scenic Cruises continues to monitor the situation, and is committed to making any and all needed adjustments to our programs in order to ensure the expectations of our guests are met. We encourage our North American guests to contact Scenic Cruises at 1-866-689-8611 or email: (US) info@sceniccruises.com; or (CA) usacanada@scenictours.com for addressing any individual concerns or issues.

 

Scenic Cruises

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Thank you, Scenic, for posting updates. Your customers appreciate it. I am especially intersted in hearing about itinerary changes on the Danube for the week of June 17 - hopefully you will have some information you can post before we take off next week.

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Scenic

Do you think you could put updates on your website, not everyone reads these Cruise Critic boards but most likely check the website for any changes to itinerary.

Thanks

considering the condition of the ports and the rivers you would thimk that the river cruise lines would extend the option to cancel with a full refund

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Hello Scenic,

It is good to hear from you, but what we are really interested in is not what the rivers are doing, we have that information from multiple sources, but what Scenic is doing. For the sailings in process now - are you moving between ports? If not, are passengers being bused and in hotels, or bused using the boat as a hub? If other lines are choosing to cancel upcoming cruises, certainly not an easy decision, how is Scenic able to continue operations? What are you able to do and not do? Those of us on rapidly approaching trips are well aware that our sailing has to be somewhat different than planned. We'd just like an inkling of what's going on in the world of Scenic, and how you're addressing passenger needs.

Thanks for understanding and information.

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any luck with their TA s.Did they find out any more details of upcoming cruises than those that have been posted?

Will be VERY interested in seeing how these cruises will be handled or cancelled,etc.Let us know,please.

Anyone use their travel insurance yet?Always so many details it seems to AVOID any sort of payment.Will be interested in outcomes.:confused:

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No, there has not been any new information on their sailings the week of June 17. We are all interested in what they intend to do as far as ship swaps, itineraries and compensations. Scenic is one of the newest and most expensive River cruise lines and we are all waiting to see how they treat their customers during this event.

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Guest Sceniccruises

We were unable to post any information on the Scenic web site as it was at the tail end of a major rebuild. But the new site launched yesterday and updates are now available there as well. http://us.scenictours.com/

 

It currently has the same information as is posted on Cruise Critic.

 

It is our expectation that cruises will be able to take place next week. It is important that you contact Scenic directly regarding your own situation. Scenic has been working with every guest and is happy to provide updated information regarding a guest's specific sailing.

 

As for specific conditions with a specific ship - that information is being relayed to those guests who are currently on board. As the situations changes relatively quickly, Scenic feels it is best to work directly with those guests - and up coming guests.

 

Please keep in mind that Scenic Cruises does not have dozens of ships like many of the other river cruise lines, so there are fewer departures and therefore fewer sailings that are prone to cancellations. Should the situation be one that does not allow for our ships to properly navigate or reduce the opportunities for our guests to enjoy their vacations, Scenic will always side with what best works for our guests.

 

Scenic Cruises

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Dear Scenic, I have a 14 day cruise scheduled to depart at the end of the month. Right now I have read nothing in any of your postings that gives me any indication how your company handles a very unique situation. For you to say that the only people entitled to information are passengers currently on the ships at this time seems to minimize the concerns future cruisers have regarding their upcoming cruise. We are able to read the press releases of many major lines that were among those we could have chosen to sail. We chose Scenic. For some reason your PR dept. has made it appear as if nothing more than an inconvenient event has happened. I read the release that you cancelled no cruise, and no plans to so far. When the Danube has been shut down for virtually a week with unprecedented flooding, I don't see why interested folks can't have a hint as to the alternate arrangements offered to your guests. As you say, you are a smaller fleet, so there can't be so many options.

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Thank you, Barbara M, very well said. We all know that we are unlikely to have a "chamber of commerce" experience. I'm certain that some communication about what is going on now and what may be expected would do Scenic a world of good in the eyes of their clients. Silence or obfuscation makes people expect the worst. Communication is a wonderful thing!

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