jimmymac613

25 minutes ago, Roz said:

@jimmymac613, Scenic was using the Doubletree when I was there last December. Is the supermarket you're referring to the Albert Heijn grab 'n' go in Centraal Station?  I bought salads and sandwiches there for a quick lunch or light dinner.  

No, it was right down the street to the left (opposite heading to the train station).  You didn't even have to cross any streets.  It's right in front of the floating asian restaurant.

3 hours ago, Roz said:

I like the Doubletree Centraal Station.  It's reasonably priced and conveniently located.  

I second the Doubletree.  Great views and close to everything.  There's a supermarket right down the street.  We'd grab wine and sandwiches and eat in our room watching all the boat traffic.  When we were there Scenic was using this hotel.

On 5/28/2024 at 3:13 PM, Kristelle said:

Scenic trip we went on was majority Australians with some people from UK, Canada, USA and a couple from the Phillipines.

 

Not sure if that is every Scenic trip or just those marketed most in Australia - and particularly Amsterdam to Budapest (or reverse) which is the most popular river cruise for Australians and several companies here offer and market that itinerary.

We were on a Scenic Rhine cruise in May 2022 and it was 90% Australians with some Canadians and only 6 from the U.S. (we were 2 of the 6).  We just got off of a Scenic Danube cruise and there were only a handful of Austalians with, I would guess, about 45% U.S, 40% Canadian and about 15-20 Taiwanese.  I think Scenic's 2 for 1 marketing in the U.S. has been successful.

FYI- my wife and I booked our second cruise with Scenic which is an 11-day cruise (plus 3 days in Prague) and we received a Welcome Home Discount- Gold- Voucher for $200 each (total $400 discount).  It was taken directly off of the Booking Invoice.

Thanks for all of your inputs!  Since we're only in Vienna for one day we're going to stay there for the day.

We'll be on our second Scenic river cruise in May and the day that we're in Vienna we can't decide between the excursion to Schonbrunn Palace or the half day bus trip to Bratislava.  Any recommendations?  We've never been to either of them.

notamermaid- why do you say to avoid Nuremberg?

8 minutes ago, Kristelle said:

60 years ago today,  I was exactly 4 months old.

 

for ignoramuses like me, can you tell us what news we are talking about?

John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

We'll be on the Gems of the Danube cruise in May on Scenic Amber.  We can't decide between the Freechoice options of going to the Schonbrunn Palace or the Excursion to Bratislava.  Any suggestions?

On 10/30/2023 at 12:07 AM, Host Jazzbeau said:

The Scenic website shows that after your first cruise you become a Gold member, and are entitled to several benefits including a $200 Thank You voucher to redeem on your next cruise and $50/€50 OBC.

 

I was listed as Gold on my second cruise Booking Advice, but I didn't get either of those benefits – perhaps because it was booked before the first cruise had occurred.  But I'm back from that second cruise for a month now and I didn't get the Thank You voucher for that one either.

 

Have others gotten these Scenic Club benefits as promised?

Hi Jazz- when we booked our second cruise with Scenic back in July through a TA we received two $200 discounts on our booking that were listed as "Welcome Home Discount- Gold" with a voucher code.

21 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

That's easier for you, since the flights from UK are so short.  For us from the US, I plan 3 week itineraries with the cruise in the middle.  Ship laundry to catch up on day 1 and again at the end, so we have clean clothes throughout.  But I know what you mean about unpacking once – I'm planning a land trip to the Amalfi Coast and Puglia now, and we will base in Sorrento for the first part and then Polignano a Mare for the second.

Jazzbeau- I highly recommend the Bellevue Syrene Hotel in Sorrento.  Was just there in May.  Gorgeous views of the water, excellent hotel and great location.

Which, if any, of the cruise companies visits Omaha Beach in Normandy?  The only one that I've looked into was Scenic which stops in Honfleur but, according to their itinerary, only goes to Utah Beach for Americans.  Doesn't really make sense to me because it sure looks like Omaha Beach is closer to Honfleur than Utah Beach.  Also, how long is the bus ride from Honfleur?

We were just on the Romantic Rhine and Moselle cruise with Scenic in June.  We were very excited about their electric bikes and the fact that about every other day they offered a cycling tour because we bike a lot in California and wanted and needed the exercise.  We realized that, after the third bicycling tour, we just weren't seeing enough of the towns and cities that we were visiting.  I'm sure it was for safety reasons but all of the bike tours that we went on tended to take you out into the countryside into rural settings where you saw farmland, horses, cows and sheep.  Not exactly the great European architecture and history that we were looking for.  After that we chose the city tours.

26 minutes ago, Travel R said:

 

Question, does anyone on here have any experience with taking the bikes out for a spin (if available on that particular vessel)?

 

 

We were just on the Romantic Rhine and Moselle cruise with Scenic in June.  We were very excited about their electric bikes and the fact that about every other day they offered a cycling tour because we bike a lot in California and wanted and needed the exercise.  We realized that, after the third bicycling tour, we just weren't seeing enough of the towns and cities that we were visiting.  I'm sure it was for safety reasons but all of the bike tours that we went on tended to take you out into the countryside into rural settings where you saw farmland, horses, cows and sheep.  Not exactly the great European architecture and history that we were looking for.  After that we chose the city tours.

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

You need to recognize the names of the local banks – if they have an ATM at the airport, it will offer the same exchange rate as their ATMs in town.  Just avoid Travelex ATMs and any others not owned by a local bank.

When we were in the Amsterdam airport last month it seemed like the only machines we could find were Travelex.

1 hour ago, loriva said:

Whispers is the QuietVox system.  Scenic uses them for their land tours.  We’ll turn them into the Tour Director tonight after our walking tour in Zurich.  We’ll switch to the Scenic Tailormade app on the ship.

 

Speaking of which, two days ago the TD told us we would not be boarding the Jade, but he didn’t know which ship Scenic would be using instead—he thought the Amber.  But CruiseMapper shows that ship in Vienna today,  so don’t think so.  The Jade and the Pearl are both in Strasbourg, and I received an email today from the CD of the Jade, so think we will be boarding it.  (So, don’t take lack of communication or miscommunication from Scenic personally—they seem to do the same with their own personnel (independent contractors, in the case of the TDs.)

 

The TD did notify us yesterday we would NOT be boarding in Basel.  He said it was due to a strike yesterday (20 June) in Strasbourg.  As I noted, the CD for the Jade sent me an email this morning asking if we’d been advised of the change of boarding port due to a strike by lock workers in Basel (not sure if they are Swiss, German, or French workers or a combination.). 
 

So, we’ll miss Basel tomorrow and will drive instead from Zurich to Breisach am Rhein.  We’ll be sharing a bus for the transfer with a group also joining the Jade.  We’ll lose our bus, driver, and TD tomorrow morning In Zurich—which explains why our documents from Scenic included a separate transfer.

 

To close out a previous topic, the TD did reimburse us in cash (euros) for the transfer from the airport to the hotel Scenic.

 

Currently on the Scenic Pearl and we’re rafting with the Scenic Jade in Strasbourg. We’re stuck here due to the lock strike.  There’s also 3 more cruise ships (there may be more but the 5 is all I can see).  The Pearl and Jade will move to Breisach later this afternoon and that’s where we’ll disembark from in the morning.  We will not be going to Basel.  Scenic is too concerned that once the lock opens up there will be too many ships trying to get through and we would miss our flights tomorrow.

From what we’ve heard the Jade returns to its regular schedule starting tomorrow.

12 hours ago, LA88 said:

Thanks. I was wondering what will happen if Scenic don't pick us up at the airport in Amsterdam.  Do we call Scenic then or just take a taxi to the airport on our own?  Hope my email package will have the airport pickup information.  9 days counting down and no package or email from Scenic yet.  Zero communication from Scenic so far and I'm just relying on this forum for info.  Our first river cruise.

Scenic didn’t stand there holding a sign at the Amsterdam airport like some of the other companies.  They tell you to go to the Burger King and in front of it there is a place with a “Meeting Point” sign.

2 hours ago, TrojanGal said:

We are also staying in a Scenic booked hotel, in Prague. I have no idea how we get from the airport to the hotel even though Scenic is supposed to provide transportation. My TA was able to get the hotel name from Scenic just in case they drop the ball at the airport. These days I  just have to pack my patience and hope for the best. We booked this trip in 2019 and it has been canceled 3 times. We are really looking forward to traveling international again! 

We’re currently on a Scenic cruise.  We left early and spent 4 days in Amsterdam before the cruise.  When we left we had not yet received our backpacks, however, we received everything that we needed through e-mail via our TA about a week before we left including all of the transfer information for pickup at the airport.

The Scenic Pearl spotted on the Meuse river near Maasbracht.

6 minutes ago, pete_coach said:

The app asks for a 4 digit code. Where do I get that?? 

I know that you need to put in your cruise code and that was done.

Currently on the Scenic Pearl. Once you’re on the ship it will download all pertinent information for your cruise. 

Wooohooo!  Great news!  That has been a grey cloud hovering over our current river trip! 

3 hours ago, loriva said:

Inquiring minds want to know--which ship did @CJANDHand @jimmymac613board?

 

The Scenic Pearl is docked in the same spot it did on its previous call in Amsterdam.  Cruisemapper shows the Scenic Jade docked on the opposite side of the harbor, not an easy spot for access to the central city.  (The anyoverip website still says the Jade is sitting in Duisburg, but we have photographic evidence it is not.  Guess that site is not always correct either.)

 

Whichever ship you board, have a fabulous cruise!

We boarded the Pearl about 2 hours ago.  No go on the Jade!  We even met CJANDH already. They fooled me- I was expecting somewhat of a South Carolina drawl and they’re actually British!

Received this in official Scenic e-mail today:

Please be advised due to an earlier ship schedule change our guests will be joining Scenic Pearl in Amsterdam, June 8, not Scenic Jade as outlined in our guest's itinerary.

No mention of new cabin number or size discrepancy.

19 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

No. Just Amsterdam Pier. Yes we are staying at the DoubleTree Centraal.

We leave tomorrow and no backpacks yet- oh well!  Don't really need them anyways.

On 6/1/2022 at 1:30 PM, CJANDH said:

Just received my cruise docs via email for the June 8 Jade cruise from Amsterdam. Still says we will sail on Jade.

Did your cruise docs mention anything about where the ship will be located?  Are you staying at the Doubletree Centraal Station?  That's where it says our pick-up will be on the 8th.