Scenic Azure Douro

I have just booked Scenic Azure for the 14 day Douro and Lisbon for 2017.

This is a new ship, first cruise April this year.

Is there anyone out their booked on this ship.

Could you please review here afterwards. I doubt very much that you will be able to write a review on the review board. Scenic Gem has still not been added to the list, so I would presume that there is little hope for the Scenic Azure to be added.

This will be my first Scenic trip. All cruises have been with APT/Amawaterways.

I booked this cruise because the cruise content is longer. 11 days versus 8 on Amawaterways. Also,this ship is owned and operated by Scenic and not by the company that owns and operates Uniworld and Amawaterways.

I got a great Business class deal , so this was another factor.

You will enjoy Scenic cruising; I have taken two and look forward to another in a couple of years.

None of the privately owned ships, for the major cruise lines, can sail until 2017 on the Douro, so you will have to wait until the new season begins to get any threads on the new boats themselves. I know that Viking and Scenic are doing their own boats starting next year. Uniworld is keeping the Queen Isabel which is a very nice relatively no ship.

It will be interesting to see how everything works with the new boats, glad I'm not beta testing for anyone. The Douro is actually a fairly small river with quite a bit of traffic. Simple things, such as requests through the docks and priority going through the narrow sections of the river, where only one boat is allowed at a time, is all based on seniority and a bit of politics. These new line, new boat, adventures will probably be at the foot of the line. Your extended timeline on your cruise, may reflect that!

At last at least someone is working on putting some of the new Scenic ships on the list, I asked nearly two years ago for Gem to be added was told they would try still not there eh. It would seem that other companies new ships are added quite quickly.

I will be very interested in the cruise fingers crossed our 2017 adventure.

CA

None of the privately owned ships, for the major cruise lines, can sail until 2017 on the Douro, so you will have to wait until the new season begins to get any threads on the new boats themselves. I know that Viking and Scenic are doing their own boats starting next year. Uniworld is keeping the Queen Isabel which is a very nice relatively no ship.

 

It will be interesting to see how everything works with the new boats, glad I'm not beta testing for anyone. The Douro is actually a fairly small river with quite a bit of traffic. Simple things, such as requests through the docks and priority going through the narrow sections of the river, where only one boat is allowed at a time, is all based on seniority and a bit of politics. These new line, new boat, adventures will probably be at the foot of the line. Your extended timeline on your cruise, may reflect that!

Scenic Azure starts sailing in April 2016. Fully sold out for the year. I am going next year.

Scenic Gem is now up so you can leave a review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=900

Will Scenic's four new ships for 2016 be added. Scenic Spirit started in January, Scenic Azure in April and Scenic Aura in September.

Also Scenic Amber.

Scenic Gem is now up so you can leave a review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=900

Thanks Chris,

Couldn't find the "write a review" button and also could not find a link to the Gem from your normal search buttons. Could only find this by the link you provided in this thread.

OOPS, my bad! :o I meant none of the new ships can sail until this year 2016, so it's to early for actual reviews on any sailings!

Just booked the October 8th 2017 Douro with Lisbon and Madrid 17-day trip with Scenic. Going with a couple we met on the Scenic Gems of Europe cruise this last April and May; fortunately before the terrible floods caused so much disruption. The "Gems" cruise was one of the best holidays we've been on. You won't be disappointed going with Scenic, unless Australian accents bother you.

Don't know about Scenic, but we just completed a Douro River cruise with Vantage on the Douro Spirit and it was great. Spend some days in Porto if you can.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=535267

Just booked the October 8th 2017 Douro with Lisbon and Madrid 17-day trip with Scenic. Going with a couple we met on the Scenic Gems of Europe cruise this last April and May; fortunately before the terrible floods caused so much disruption. The "Gems" cruise was one of the best holidays we've been on. You won't be disappointed going with Scenic, unless Australian accents bother you.

We are booked on the Scenic Azure for May 2017. We are New Zealanders so will not even notice the "accent".

Has anyone been on the Azure, and can post some photos. There is one review on the Cruise critic, with the only complaint being that the food was bland. I hope that this is reviewed by Scenic, as I am hoping for spicy local food.

You won't be disappointed going with Scenic, unless Australian accents bother you.

The Aussies we met on our recent Scenic were a highlight of the cruise. :)

We are booked on the Scenic Azure for May 2017. We are New Zealanders so will not even notice the "accent".

Has anyone been on the Azure, and can post some photos. There is one review on the Cruise critic, with the only complaint being that the food was bland. I hope that this is reviewed by Scenic, as I am hoping for spicy local food.

I certainly didn't mean to imply that an accent was a negative; I have an American one.

I too hope for local and spicy food options as that was the only complaint I've seen about the Azure, bland food. Likely because the large percentage of older cruisers who tend to not tolerate spicy. I bring a couple bottles of Habanero Tabasco as a backup.

Yep. The "first glimpses" for the four new ships are already written and we have an editor slated to review Scenic Azure in July.

Please advise where I can find Scenic Aura review.