Inthebubble

We will be sailing Scenic Eclipse II soon, and wonder how to make reservations for the dining venues which require them.

pete_coach, assume you have your answer re the receptacles on the Sapphire, but if not, I can tell you definitively they are the two-prong European ones.

This morning I phoned Scenic to verify our transfers from the airport to hotel and then from the hotel to the ship were set up for our trip in early August. My call was answered in less than 10 minutes! The person I spoke with mentioned he had only been with Scenic for 3 weeks, but he seemed knowledgeable. Transfers are arranged and docs to be sent by UPS 8 - 10 days before departure. He indicated docs are going out timely. We may have to call back to have them emailed due to our early departure, we'll see. I hope today's experience means Scenic is getting back on track and catching up with their backlogs and staffing.

We sailed this lovely trip in 2019, arrived early in Nice and stayed at the hotel Scenic uses. We and others were picked up at the hotel and taken by luxury bus to Tarascon, a drive of a couple of hours. If you aren't staying at "their" hotel, you will need to contact Scenic to find out where they are picking up passengers in Nice and let them know you will meet them there. They don't seem keen to pick guests up at other locations, which is understandable.

We head out on a southern France river cruise in a month or so. Have never used the laundry service as most of my clothing needs to be washed on cold and hung to dry. Previously have washed items in the sink, but this is difficult with larger clothing. How does the laundry service work, and is it possible to have some special attention to delicate items? Thanks for sharing your experiences.

On our 2019 cruise we also arrived early, and Scenic booked us at the Hyatt Regency Nice, a lovely hotel right on the Promenade des Anglais. It seems Scenic has preferred hotels it uses in its destination cities, and this was the one in Nice. That way we also had their transfers from the airport and to the ship, even though we arrived early. Many passengers arrived for the cruise via Marseille, and bused up from there. On our upcoming trip, which begins in Lyon, they use the Intercontinental Lyon, but we were told their block of rooms was full. We then booked the Intercontinental directly, and pressed Scenic to provide the transfers, and they have agreed to do so. Perhaps you could try that route. Having the transfers is really helpful. Like you, I have spent many, many hours on the phone with Scenic trying to make arrangements. Email has not proved helpful. You might try asking the reservation person to put you through to their travel department, they seem to be more knowledgeable. Another wait on hold for them, but they have a call-back feature, and one of them told me they respond to all of those calls the same day (and that has been my experience). Good luck, and to be continued!

We took the Idylic Rhone trip in 2019. Scenic picked us and others up at the hotel in a luxury bus, then on to the Nice airport for other passengers. The trip was several hours, but comfortable, and the bus has a bathroom, if needed. Tarascon seems to be in the middle of nowhere, but suddenly there was the ship! We were greeted by the ship's captain and crew, offered champagne, and waited in the salon to be called to our stateroom, where our luggage was waiting. Don't know if health protocols have impacted this process. It was a wonderful trip! Suggestion: be out on deck as the ship approaches Avignon, to see the Pont, the ship docks out of sight of it. I would love to hear from recent Scenic passengers about their experiences, as we are sailing with Scenic again later this summer.

Would love to hear from those on the Diamond cruise how things went. Was it fully staffed, excursions went forward, food up to their usual quality, etc. We will be sailing on the Diamond in a couple of months.