pontac

Agree. I was answering the question asked by @caseyspack Anyone expecting all their laundry will be done free of charge will be disappointed.

The complimentary laundry for middle and lower deck cabins is one small bag up to a maximum weight of 1 kg one time only. It's per cabin, not per person. Don't expect to be able to get a weeks worth of laundry for both of you in the bag. You can pay for additional laundry to be done. The bag and laundry list costs is in the wardrobe

You don't need to make an effort to find Canneles as they will find you. They were given out before the Ch d’Argassac concert. If you want to buy some, perhaps to take home (if allowed) the there's plenty of opportunity when moored at Bordeaux during the cruise.

Concert night was at Ch d’Argassac where we were greeted with a glass of fizz and taken, not into the splendid Chateau, but to a neighbouring hall (Mrs P said afterwards she thought it was the barrel cellar) for a 50 minute concert by a quartet comprising two violins, one cello and one clarinet. The repertoire had music from the classics to Gershwin. Only Scenic Diamond people were there. (Later edit - I realise now you were asking about people's dress at the concert, not whether the concert was at Chateau d'Ressy! - people wore the same they had on at dinner, as there was an early dinner directly before we were bussed to the concert. See photo below for what 3 people were wearing.) There was all sorts of dress at dinner. I always wore a jacket and Mrs P a dress, but others didn't. TBH I didn't take much notice of what people wore. They were smart and no-one was wearing a baseball cap for dinner, Huzzah! If you are on the top deck (room numbers starting with a 3) you were invited to join Table La Rive for "an evening of sumptuous dégustation.". if your room number starts with 1 or 2 you are promised one invitation to L'Amour for a "five-course menu with regional specialities, paired with wines from the region’s best wineries*." Our room started with 2, so I can't tell you about Table La Rive, but I wore a jacket and tie for L'Amour but most men didn't. I suggest you wear what makes you comfortable, don't go dressy if you're not comfortable with it, don't wear t-shirts and shorts even if you are comfortable in them. *they weren't the region’s best wineries.

There are three Novotels in Bordeaux (and one at the airport). If you are staying at Novotel Bordeaux Centre at 45 Cours du Marechal Juin you can walk to the river and find your boat the evening before. Don't delay at CDG, we had to change planes at the same terminal and there was a very long line at immigration and security. I wish you a shorter line.

The boats all moor along the Quai des Chartrons, time I have been there they are closer to the Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas bridge (this is a large modern bridge with 4 towers) . If you are going there direct from the airport or railway station tell the taxi driver to take you to a boat on the Quai des Chartrons. As you can see on Google maps the road is wide and also has tram trackway. then there is a wide space the closest to the water a wide promenade with a bike lane. All the same you should be able to spot your boat from the taxi. Scenic Diamond has it's name in large shiny metal characters. The taxi can park off-road on the wide space, but there are three or four steps down to the promenade. I suggest one of you goes to the boat and tell reception while the others wait with the cases and a crew member will get the cases and take them to your room. Don't try to get your cases on board yourself. The gang plank can be very steep, has ropes edging and a 90 degree turn to get on to the ship. As I said earlier, there's a buffet lunch on board for joining guests available from 12:00-15:00 -- and that includes drinks... They never explained what caused the delay in us getting our rooms ready, but I think it must have been a failure that affected all rooms rather than just a matter of the room not being made up. I expect your rooms will be ready when you arrive.

Have just returned from our first Scenic trip. Transfer to/from Heathrow was by Addison Lee in a VW Sharan modern black people carrier, the driver was quiet and professional and was outside our door before scheduled time, and he took our cases and loaded them in the car. Pickup from Heathrow, I was in baggage hall and read text from AL with the make (VW Sharan) and number of the car and that it was on its way. There was a link to track it. That was was followed by text to say it had arrived, and where driver would be and drivers mobile number. Then driver phoned me. He was at arrivals but didn't have my name on his card, just Addison Lee. He wheeled one suitcase to car. Pick up was 05:00 arriving at hotel in Bordeaux at 17:00 and we got home at 23:50 after departing ship at 14:00. Long journey times down to indirect flights booked by Scenic Cars on time, but not Mercedes.

Yes, that is what I do. But Winesearcher.com is valuable to show local stockists, especially in the USA where distribution of wine is patch because of the uncompetitive 3-tier system But Bordeaux is different. The big name wineries don't deal with importers, they have an arrangement with an agent - known as a courtier - who buys their entire production before its bottled. It's the courtier that sells the wines to importers in other countries. It's rare to find a well known winery that keeps a few bottles to sell themselves to visitors

How does this work if all 150 people want to go on the excursion? Do they have 15 groups with 15 guides?

The only way to decide what was 'the best' excursion is to do them all, and that would mean doing the cruise four times as there are up to four excursions to choose from at the same time. I don't think anyone on the cruise we left yesterday was disappointed with what they picked; all the excursions pleased the people who went on them - except for the few cyclists who found their excursion was too much work. There are excursions to match many tastes., for instance if you visit Remy Martin in Cognac you couldn't take the walking tour of Bourg. Remy Martin trip leaves at 08:15 and returns at 17:00 - it's a long coach journey but Remy Martin is a top Cognac distillery. A must for Cognac lovers, though the full day and coaching may put some off. But the vast majority of the passengers went on it. The walking tour leaves at 10:00 and returns at 12:00, visiting the old town or Bourg, its Citadel and carriage museum and the historic surprise kept to the end. (I'll keep it a surprise so as not to spoil it for future cruisers.) Remy Martin is Mrs P's favourite brandy, but we'd been before in the past and she didn't fancy the coach ride. Or how does one compare a visit to the seaside town of Arcachon, vs hiking up the largest sand dune in Europe, Dune de Pylat vs a tram ride to Cite du Vin, the innovative and immersive wine museum. No one was disappointed with their choice but each catered to different interests. The solution is to book the excursions you fancy the most, then listen to the tour manager's talk the evening before and swap excursion if you want then, and book the same cruise again so you can go on the other excursions. (I'm not being flippant, we've done this.)

That's so @Gourmet Gal - although I don't know about US availability. The cost for the 2018 vintage at the Chateau is €60 for a bottle; that includes 20% VAT so it may well be cheaper in the USA. They have a few half-bottles, but you have the pay an extra €9 for the wooden box they come in. The Chateau is tremendously attractive. But - with Scenic you do not know which place you are going to, and it may be different in 2023. For UK readers, The Wine Society has the 2016 vintage at £47 a bottle.

They didn't have butter at breakfast this morning! We moored in Bordeaux yesterday afternoon and are still here. There are shops in this major city a few minutes walk from the boat. No one here had the wit or maybe the authority to get an emergency pack of butter. They didn't "make it happen".

You can sign up on board, and if the expedition/class is full you’ll go on a wait list. You can borrow bikes – there are plenty – and go on your own when the boat is moored Be aware that the bikes are heavy and that the electric is only an assist – not a replacement for pedalling. Five people came back soon after starting the bike ride from Blaye today because there was too little power and they didn’t think they could cycle the whole journey. To go to Ch. Riviere there is a choice of biking or coach. One man who had biked there came back on the coach because he was exhausted and didn’t think he could cycle back. Only ten people can attend each culinary class and there are not many (I think 5 but I need to check that) so there are not enough places for everyone on board to attend. We could not. One night everyone is bussed to a Chateau for a concert given by a quartet – two violins, one cello and one clarinet. Lasts about 45-50 mins. Another night everyone is bussed the short distance from where ship is moored in Bordeaux to the wartime submarine pens for a light show. It is of paintings of Venice projected onto the walls and floor and animated. There are 4 pens and you can walk through to them all seeing a different show. Both evenings you get a glass of sparkling wine at the start. Otherwise entertainment is in the lounge with a resident pianist and quizzes. One night a guest guitarist came on board to play. There is a good choice of excursions. We don’t like early starts so chose the one that started latest. Since we all have different interests you should choose the ones that you fancy. Bordeaux is centre of wine and it’s the major business here. The cruise visits the impressive Ch Rivierre which feature a tour of their cellars – some 7 km of limestone tunnels and chambers but don’t worry, you don’t do but a fraction of them. Then there is a tasting of their wines. There is also a tour to a Medoc winery. Half the people go to one place, half to another. We were taken to Ch Lagrange, a 2nd growth in St Julian. Then there is a tour to a Sauternes Ch, again half go to one, half to another. You don’t know which you will go to. We were lucky with Ch Lafaurie-Peyraguey, a 1st growth Sauternes owned by a crystal magnate. Even the door handles are made of fine crystal. A tasting of a dry and a sweet wine. If you are not into wine – and the vast majority on this trip are not – then this won’t mean anything to you. If you are, check Winesearcher.com to see if these wines are available to you at home as if so it will save you the trouble of carrying them in your baggage. Also if you have a particular preference for the Medoc or Sauternes winery ask the tour director to see if you can go on the appropriate coach. If you’re interested in fine chateaux – here a chateau can mean a wine estate, a manor house or a castle. There are excursions to all three. The rivers Dordogne and Garonne and estuary Gironde the cruise travels along are tidal. The good aspect is that there is plenty of water unlike those poor souls booked on the Rhine and Danube whose cruises are cancelled because there isn’t enough water to navigate on, but at Bordeaux, 50 miles from the Atlantic, the river rises and falls by 20 feet so sometimes the gang plank is at a very steep angle and needs efforts to walk along. On day of arrival lunch/departure is available in lounge from 12:00 -15:00 I hope this info is not too late for you @Mhdelaware I tried to post yesterday shortly after you asked but my posts didn't appera then either the internet connection or this board weren't responding. I am posting this Saturday morning; we leave the boat at 14:00, so you may well meet us. Posting again, lets hope it works this time

Fair question, @3Shelaghs which I'll address in my detailed review of the cruise. I can only compare with Viking - Scenic have some plus points and some negative points.

We took a Viking River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam last week of April this year. Then Amsterdam Schiphol was a crowded mess and we only just made our flight even thogh we got to the airport 3 hours before departure. Hopefully it will be better when you fly home from Amsterdam but I'd be inclined to take a tour in the opposite direction. (the scenery gets more attractive in that direction too) I don't know if you can fly non-stop from the USA to Basel but even if you have to connect at Amsterdam, it will surely be better as you should be checked through to Basel and will not need to handle baggage or get a boarding card.

I will post a full comparison on my return, but I think Viking offer a better experience. Scenic promise a lot, but ......

Bravo!! (as the French say|) on your informative blog - and excellent photo's. I am currently on Scenic Diamond on their Bordeaux tour and will post about it on my return, and you have set a high bar. I found it interesting to read your comparison between Ama and Scenic. This is our first with Scenic after 10 river cruises with Viking and I think - with a very few exceptions - Viking offer a better experience. Sante!!

It's funny how often Americans claim credit for saving the French wine industry yet do not give the reason why it needed saving 😀

No. No sign of general mask wearing on or off board. No requirement to wear masks on excursion coaches. I saw the odd person wearing a mask in Bordeaux. This morning we had a walking tour through Bourg and I didn't see anyone wearing a mask. BTW thanks for your question, the first I have had. I'm afraid when I post the review of this trip there will be questions I can no longer answer but that I could if asked while I was still on the boat.

Iam currently on a Scenic river cruise in France; in April I was on a Viking River cruise Basel to Amsterdam. In April face masks required and daily testing. Now, in August no masks no testing, they don't even want to see the Covid vaccination certificate. The medical form sent us by Scenic I gave to reception and asked for another form for Mrs P who had left heres at home; "No worry, we don't need it" they said. Rampant? No. Our friends went on the Douro in April, there were two people who faied the daily test and were taken to a hotel for isolation. Nay be there were some on our baot but I wasn't aware of it. Now, in August there are a couple of people who wear masks on tour busses but that's the only indication of Covid.

No sign of any fires so far. The excursion to Arcachon is going ahead; fires in that area finihed a month past says the guide and tour manager.

I am writing this on Scenic Diamond, a Scenic 'Spaceship' cruising from the Medoc, about to pass Bordeaux city and up Garonne river to Cadillac. It is day 5 of the cruise. I will post a detailed review at end, but when I posted after my Rhine Getaway in April I was asked questions about the facilities that I could have answered if I was still on board. So ask any questions now, and when I can find the answers while I am on board. This is my first cruise with Scenic after 10 river cruises with Viking.

@linerodeYour post and profile doesn't give any indication of which country you are booking the cruise. Viking's payment policy differs in different markets, so an accurate answer is not possible to your question without knowing if you are booking in Australia, Britain or the USA and thus subject to those policies.

Well, we are now onboard Scenic Diamond, flew yesterday (why?) booked by Scenic Air France via Paris.. Paris connection at CDG was bad, incoming plane from CDG was late, so at scheduled 09:00 departure time we were boarding. Meant we got into CDG late and our scheduled connection didn't then allow for the lunch we had planned at CDG. Long long walk and horrendous queue at security. The had fewer than half the security channels open. Once through security long queues at immigration, again very few desks open. But UK passports CAN use passport reading machines (and there is an officer behind to stamp passports with the necessary Schengen entry stamp. Just got to gate 5mins before gate closure time - but flight delayed. Only good news about flight was hold baggage checked through to Bordeaux. Heathrow checkin and security was fast, and bags came out quickly at Bordeaux. Still, car came for us at 04:00 and we didn't get to hotel till 16:45 with no lunch. We're too old for nonsense like that, very long day and panic over making our connection. Unnecessary. Add following day Scenic scheduled hotel pickup at 14:00, thus allowing us to make own arrangements for lunch even though we found they have an embarkation lunch on board. So got to boat at about 14:45, but rooms were not ready till 16:30!! Plus point - greeted on board with glass of Champagne. But so far not impressed with Scenic

If you can wait a couple of weeks I am taking my first Scenic river cruise this week after 10 river cruises with Viking. I'm going to compare the two. But a half price deal seems a no-brainer...... PS: Port Charges? What else is not included, food?