ScenicTours Cruise Customer Service

[MerlinC]

We are cruising with Scenic in early July - a brief comment on my FB page expressing concern or flood victims & mentioning my cruise brought a very quick response from Scenic directing me to their website update pages and reassuring me. I think this is great customer service.

 

QUOTE=newfirsttimer;38676405]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

[pkf]

last update on scenic website was june 7.this is june 9???

[Andy&Louise]

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

We are currently in Bamberg on the Jewel. Our cruise has turned out to be more like "an expensive bus trip with a floating hotel". Unfortunately we were not advised about the river problems until we boarded in Amsterdam.

At that time Scenic had to substitute the Ruby for the Jewel that was stuck in Bamberg due to high water and low bridge clearances. We were turned back in the Rhine and spent two days in a 20 ship raft in Koblenz. We made it to Mainz yesterday but were transferred by bus to the Jewel that had been in Bamberg for 13 days. We have been told that the Danube has silted up in some of the locks and will be closed until at least Wednesday. We might be leaving Bamberg on Wednesday and more long bus trips are planned for the excursions that were scheduled.

Unfortunately the bus tours to some of the sights were very unpleasant due to the poor conditions on some of the busses.......toilet smells and lack of Air conditioning.

The staff on the ships have been really wonderful and our CD Patrick has been doing all that he can to make the best of a bad situation. The weather has been super and the sights that we have visited were very nice. The ships themselves are really nice and the food and wine is exceptional.

The biggest concerns expressed by the passengers have been related to the lack of information and choice made available at the start of the cruise. It is not Scenic's fault that the river has flooded but they might have improved their image if they had given a complete picture of what we were facing and offered other options before we left Amsterdam. We certainly are not getting what would consider to be a true river cruise experience.

[alexandra cruiser]

last update on scenic website was june 7.this is june 9???

 

since it seems no direct communication has been made EVEN WITH FUTURE CRUISERS.Also, posts indicate even phone calls have been little help.Does Australia have a different website? cruisers should NOT HAVE TO check Facebook,this webiste and others for info!!

My cruise is not till next June,but hope this is not an indication of how things are handled(or not)when problems arise.:(

[BarbaraM]

Andy & Louise, are you saying there has been no communication regarding compensation?

Thanks for posting.

 

 

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[pingpong1]

PKF - You touched on a good point in one of your earlier posts which has not seemed to spark much discussion - certainly not from any of the river cruise lines.

 

The whole object (or certainly one of the main objects) of a European river cruise is to see what normally are, the pristine little villages, towns, and scenery along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers, as well as stopping in all the little interesting ports and walkiing around and generally enjoying all the lovely little villages and soaking up the whole "atmosphere".

 

This chosen method (on a riverboat) is to take advantage of these natural water "highways". To unpack once and let your hotel room float along with you. If you're riding a bus each day and possibly having to pack up each morning and stay in a different hotel each night - then that is not the trip you originally signed up for and it is a dramatic departure from the whole point and style of the rivercruise vacation you wanted and selected in the first place - the legal disclaimers and rationalization offered by some of our fellow posters, notwithstanding. Generally, the meals onboard the river boats are "Okay" - certainly not gourmet, and most often not at a level you could expect on ocean cruises in the same price range. It's the whole "scenery thing", ambiance, and mode of transportation offerred that draws people to selecting a river cruise - not a bus tour.

 

Can Scenic, Avalon, or Viking be held responsible for the flooding? No. But they could elect to cancel their iteneraries for the next few months, refund everyone's money with no questions asked, and offer the opportunity for everyone to rebook at a future time!

 

Most importantly, I have no doubt that Scenic and the other river cruise companies are going to be able to, once again, physically get a boat-full of passengers from "Point A" to "Point B" as the water levels recede. But what about the whole "purpose" of taking the river cruise in the first place? What is going to be the physical condition of all those quaint little towns and villages along the banks of the Rhine, Main, Danube for at least the next several months? Along the immediate banks of the rivers, those villages are definitely not going to look like the pictures in the travel brochures, which drew all the customers to the river cruise in the first place. Who would have consciously chosen to vacation in Kauai right after Hurricane Nikki hit the island in 1992? Who would have wanted to camp in the Pinchot National Forest a month or two after Mt. St. Helen's erupted in 1980? How many folks who previously booked a vacation in Seaside Heights, NJ this summer will actually still go there? Who would want to take a family sightseeing trip to Moore, Oklahoma at the moment? In all those cases, you could cancel those trips and get your money back. Not so, with these river cruises. You have to make final payment upwards of a year in advance and you have very little chance of getting any of that money back. You are not going to get the same vacation experience that you originally contracted for. As all of our "lawyer friends" point out - it's all there in the fine print! Because of this, the likelihood of me ever taking another river cruise is very slim. There are too many "acts of nature" that can pop up that hold the companies "harmless". I am personally not willing to have the total risk-burden-cost on "me"! Or otherwise, have to settle for a "make-do" experience.

 

As several folks have pointed out, it is going to be quite some time before Passau, and areas of the Rhine River, the locks of the Main, and the Wachau Valley are going to again be "normal" - or like the scenes depicted in the travel brouchures. The residents of those areas are going to be cleaning many thousands of cubic yards or mud, debris, and other nasty stuff out of their buildings and village streets. Catering to tourists isn't going to be their first priority. The river cruises aren't going to want to say anything that will have a greater negative impact on their revenues, and they aren't going to willingly offer refunds, especially if/when they can physically begin moving their boats up and down the waterways. But it definitely won't be the same total experience that you paid all this money for many months ago, and the insurance companies aren't going to be eager to pay out on claims either - not as long as the cruiselines are able to physically "move" customers from "Point A to Point B" - no matter how that is accomplished.

[Guest Sceniccruises]

Scenic Cruises update (June 10)

 

Rhine:

· Open for navigation

 

Main:

· Confluence with Rhine to Faulbach is open for navigation

· Faulbach to Marktbreit is closed. It is anticipated that this stretch will open later today or early tomorrow morning

· Marktbreit to Bamberg is open for navigation

 

Main-Danube-Canal:

· Main (Bamberg) to Hausen is closed. As per current information, opening of this stretch is unlikely before Wednesday, June 12.

· Hausen to Danube is open for navigation

 

Danube:

· Main-Danube-Canal to Straubing is open for navigation

· Straubing to Ottensheim is closed. No indication of date of re-opening yet.

· Ottensheim to Ennshafen is open for navigation

· Ennshafen to Novi Sad is closed

· In Germany and Austria, water level is below flood water levels. Damage on this stretch is being evaluated by local authorities;

· Between Vienna and Budapest, reopening for navigation is expected to be no earlier than Wednesday, June 12;

· Between Budapest and Mohacs (Hungary), reopening for navigation is expected to be no earlier than Saturday, June 15;

· The Hungarian government proclaimed a state of emergency for 3 counties, including Budapest. Traffic around these areas will be limited with expected delays as a result.

 

Affected Cruises (June 10)

 

STC270513.1 (Sapphire)

Disembarked Krems today – Bus to Budapest – last overnight of cruise (June 10-11) at hotel Kempinski in Budapest – departure transfers + connection to extension programs as scheduled.

 

STC290513.1 (Pearl)

Will disembark in Vienna on June 11 – Bus to Budapest – last overnight of cruise (June 11-12) at hotel in Budapest (yet to be arranged) – departure transfers + connection to extension programs TBA

 

STC030613.1 (Jewel)

Excursions through Tuesday will be operated out of Regensburg. Further evaluation of the situation will take place on Monday, June 11. A ship swap with Scenic Sapphire may be necessary.

 

STC100613.2 (Sapphire) – all arranged

The first night of cruise (June 10-11) will be in Budapest for guests arriving into Budapest and for guests UOA. A June 11 city tour of Budapest will be followed by transfers to the ship in Krems.

Pre-accommodation in Budapest will be made for guests transferring to ship in Krems upon completion of city tour of Budapest on June 10. Potential of ship swap with Scenic Jewel to continue cruise on FRI June 14.

 

STC120613.2 (Pearl)

First night of cruise (June 12-13) will be in Budapest for guests arriving into Budapest and for guests UOA. The June 13 city tour of Budapest will be followed by transfer to ship (location TBA).

Pre-accommodations in Budapest for guests transferring to ship in (location TBA) will be available upon completion of the city tour of Budapest on June 12.

Guests joining the cruise from a pre-cruise city package and land tours will meet the ship in (location TBA) on June 12 upon completion of their tour.

 

PNB170613.2 (scheduled Jewel)

Potentially different ship, if Jewel cannot sail to or near to Budapest in time for embarkation. Swap to Sapphire if necessary on FRI, Jun 14

 

STC170613.2 (Crystal)

To be evaluated as situation in Hungary (see Budapest – Mohacs closing) clears.

 

As always,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

[Andy&Louise]

Scenic Cruises update (June 10)

 

Rhine:

· Open for navigation

 

Main:

· Confluence with Rhine to Faulbach is open for navigation

· Faulbach to Marktbreit is closed. It is anticipated that this stretch will open later today or early tomorrow morning

· Marktbreit to Bamberg is open for navigation

 

Main-Danube-Canal:

· Main (Bamberg) to Hausen is closed. As per current information, opening of this stretch is unlikely before Wednesday, June 12.

· Hausen to Danube is open for navigation

 

Danube:

· Main-Danube-Canal to Straubing is open for navigation

· Straubing to Ottensheim is closed. No indication of date of re-opening yet.

· Ottensheim to Ennshafen is open for navigation

· Ennshafen to Novi Sad is closed

· In Germany and Austria, water level is below flood water levels. Damage on this stretch is being evaluated by local authorities;

· Between Vienna and Budapest, reopening for navigation is expected to be no earlier than Wednesday, June 12;

· Between Budapest and Mohacs (Hungary), reopening for navigation is expected to be no earlier than Saturday, June 15;

· The Hungarian government proclaimed a state of emergency for 3 counties, including Budapest. Traffic around these areas will be limited with expected delays as a result.

 

Affected Cruises (June 10)

 

STC270513.1 (Sapphire)

Disembarked Krems today – Bus to Budapest – last overnight of cruise (June 10-11) at hotel Kempinski in Budapest – departure transfers + connection to extension programs as scheduled.

 

STC290513.1 (Pearl)

Will disembark in Vienna on June 11 – Bus to Budapest – last overnight of cruise (June 11-12) at hotel in Budapest (yet to be arranged) – departure transfers + connection to extension programs TBA

 

STC030613.1 (Jewel)

Excursions through Tuesday will be operated out of Regensburg. Further evaluation of the situation will take place on Monday, June 11. A ship swap with Scenic Sapphire may be necessary.

 

STC100613.2 (Sapphire) – all arranged

The first night of cruise (June 10-11) will be in Budapest for guests arriving into Budapest and for guests UOA. A June 11 city tour of Budapest will be followed by transfers to the ship in Krems.

Pre-accommodation in Budapest will be made for guests transferring to ship in Krems upon completion of city tour of Budapest on June 10. Potential of ship swap with Scenic Jewel to continue cruise on FRI June 14.

 

STC120613.2 (Pearl)

First night of cruise (June 12-13) will be in Budapest for guests arriving into Budapest and for guests UOA. The June 13 city tour of Budapest will be followed by transfer to ship (location TBA).

Pre-accommodations in Budapest for guests transferring to ship in (location TBA) will be available upon completion of the city tour of Budapest on June 12.

Guests joining the cruise from a pre-cruise city package and land tours will meet the ship in (location TBA) on June 12 upon completion of their tour.

 

PNB170613.2 (scheduled Jewel)

Potentially different ship, if Jewel cannot sail to or near to Budapest in time for embarkation. Swap to Sapphire if necessary on FRI, Jun 14

 

STC170613.2 (Crystal)

To be evaluated as situation in Hungary (see Budapest – Mohacs closing) clears.

 

As always,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

The suggestion that we will have to make a second transfer, this time to the Sapphire will not go over well with many of the passengers. We have spent so much time on sub standard busses and the possibility of this continuing is really making this vacation not the experience that we were sold. It reinforces the view that the ship is just a floating hotel and the the tour is by bus.

We sincerely don't look forward to the thought of having to pack and unpack again to transfer to another ship. We were specifically sold a cruise on the new Jewel which is a beautiful ship. We appreciate what the ship's staff and crew are doing to make us as comfortable as possible but we would think twice again about booking a river cruise in the future.

By the way, in our on-board information session tonight we were not advised about the possibility of the second transfer to the Sapphire. Scenic needs to make sure that its front line staff are informed about what is being communicated elsewhere by Scenic.

[Andy&Louise]

The suggestion that we will have to make a second transfer, this time to the Sapphire will not go over well with many of the passengers. We have spent so much time on sub standard busses and the possibility of this continuing is really making this vacation not the experience that we were sold. It reinforces the view that the ship is just a floating hotel and the the tour is by bus.

We sincerely don't look forward to the thought of having to pack and unpack again to transfer to another ship. We were specifically sold a cruise on the new Jewel which is a beautiful ship. We appreciate what the ship's staff and crew are doing to make us as comfortable as possible but we would think twice again about booking a river cruise in the future.

By the way, in our on-board information session tonight we were not advised about the possibility of the second transfer to the Sapphire. Scenic needs to make sure that its front line staff are informed about what is being communicated elsewhere by Scenic.

 

By the way we are in Bamberg , not Regensberg as suggested in the communication from Scenic. We are expected be moored here until June 12.

[alexandra cruiser]

makes me WISH I had purchased "cancel for any reason"travel insurance(0n my own).But put payment down already(and must be done at that time to get it).

If faced with this mess,would LOVE the opportunity to cancel.Get my money back NOT A VOUCHER and full refund for air tickets. BUT I DIDNT and know must worry about this for over a year.

Could just cancel but would forfeit $1000 .But a bus trip IS NOT what I signed up for,switching ships,missing ports,etc.

Do others feel the same way?:confused:

[Mark_T]

But they could elect to cancel their iteneraries for the next few months, refund everyone's money with no questions asked, and offer the opportunity for everyone to rebook at a future time!

 

Can you think of any business that would willingly close down for a 'few months' and take no income while still carrying virtually all their costs?

 

I understand the customer perspective obviously, as I am one (not of Scenic) but this isn't a realistic proposition for any business.

 

If they can't sail then I agree, they should cancel, but we can't expect them to cancel just because the towns don't look as good as they did before ...

[Host Jazzbeau]

This is the difference between visiting Europe and going to Disney. If you want an experience guaranteed to look like the brochure, then you have to stay with Disney's fake cute. Reality is affected by nature and people's activities.

[pingpong1]

Mark T - Sure. Plenty of examples to be had in the world of commerce.

 

When I purchase (and pay for) advance tickets to a broadway musical on 42nd street and the house "goes dark" because of a labor dispute, they don't keep my ticket money and send me instead to a dinner theatre in Hoboken.

 

When a baseball game is rained out before the game even starts, I'm given a refund for the price of the tickets OR I get to use those tickets later as "credit" towards a future game when the rain stops, and for an equivalent seat that I previously purchased.

 

When I've booked and paid for a suite at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington a month in advance and flooding has "taken out" the first floor of the hotel, as well as the restaurants the day before I arrive - The Ritz doesn't keep my money and "bus me" down the street to a local Motel 6 around the corner. They cheerfully and promptly give me my money back and tell me that they "hope to see me soon" on a future trip.

 

If I purchase thousands of dollars worth of new bathroom fixtures and plumbing supplies from Home Depot and for whatever reason - I decide I can't use them or want something different - I bring the items back, show them my receipt, and HD gladly refunds my money with no questions asked.

 

When my parents bought several thousand dollars worth of airplane tickets from US Airways last year and then subsequently couldn't go on the trip because of my mother's sudden illness, a quick note to the customer service dept. at US Air resulted in a cheerful and immediate refund of the full purchase price of those tickets (and they had not bought "travel insurance").

 

And I guess a final "over the top" example.... If I were a millionaire and booked a seat on one of Richard Branson's first sub-space orbital flights above earth......if for whatever reason the orbiter couldn't "take off" for a successful mission, do you think he'd keep my full payment and instead offer me a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon, or would he refund me the total advance money I've paid him?

 

The people who've booked passage on a river cruise did not just book a "boat ride". They booked a "total experience" - the river cruise, the meals, the drinks, the beautiful scenery, and the opportunity for just one unpack/pack regimen for the duration of the trip.

 

If the cruise company cannot offer that "total experience", as advertised....or something "damn close to it" (which is NOT day-long bus rides), and they know this before the passengers ever leave their hometowns.....then they should offer those customers a full refund and the opportunity for the passengers to cancel the trip BEFORE they ever take their taxi to the airport.

[pully8]

PKF - You touched on a good point in one of your earlier posts which has not seemed to spark much discussion - certainly not from any of the river cruise lines.

 

The whole object (or certainly one of the main objects) of a European river cruise is to see what normally are, the pristine little villages, towns, and scenery along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers, as well as stopping in all the little interesting ports and walkiing around and generally enjoying all the lovely little villages and soaking up the whole "atmosphere".

 

This chosen method (on a riverboat) is to take advantage of these natural water "highways". To unpack once and let your hotel room float along with you. If you're riding a bus each day and possibly having to pack up each morning and stay in a different hotel each night - then that is not the trip you originally signed up for and it is a dramatic departure from the whole point and style of the rivercruise vacation you wanted and selected in the first place - the legal disclaimers and rationalization offered by some of our fellow posters, notwithstanding. Generally, the meals onboard the river boats are "Okay" - certainly not gourmet, and most often not at a level you could expect on ocean cruises in the same price range. It's the whole "scenery thing", ambiance, and mode of transportation offerred that draws people to selecting a river cruise - not a bus tour.

 

Can Scenic, Avalon, or Viking be held responsible for the flooding? No. But they could elect to cancel their iteneraries for the next few months, refund everyone's money with no questions asked, and offer the opportunity for everyone to rebook at a future time!

 

Most importantly, I have no doubt that Scenic and the other river cruise companies are going to be able to, once again, physically get a boat-full of passengers from "Point A" to "Point B" as the water levels recede. But what about the whole "purpose" of taking the river cruise in the first place? What is going to be the physical condition of all those quaint little towns and villages along the banks of the Rhine, Main, Danube for at least the next several months? Along the immediate banks of the rivers, those villages are definitely not going to look like the pictures in the travel brochures, which drew all the customers to the river cruise in the first place. Who would have consciously chosen to vacation in Kauai right after Hurricane Nikki hit the island in 1992? Who would have wanted to camp in the Pinchot National Forest a month or two after Mt. St. Helen's erupted in 1980? How many folks who previously booked a vacation in Seaside Heights, NJ this summer will actually still go there? Who would want to take a family sightseeing trip to Moore, Oklahoma at the moment? In all those cases, you could cancel those trips and get your money back. Not so, with these river cruises. You have to make final payment upwards of a year in advance and you have very little chance of getting any of that money back. You are not going to get the same vacation experience that you originally contracted for. As all of our "lawyer friends" point out - it's all there in the fine print! Because of this, the likelihood of me ever taking another river cruise is very slim. There are too many "acts of nature" that can pop up that hold the companies "harmless". I am personally not willing to have the total risk-burden-cost on "me"! Or otherwise, have to settle for a "make-do" experience.

 

As several folks have pointed out, it is going to be quite some time before Passau, and areas of the Rhine River, the locks of the Main, and the Wachau Valley are going to again be "normal" - or like the scenes depicted in the travel brouchures. The residents of those areas are going to be cleaning many thousands of cubic yards or mud, debris, and other nasty stuff out of their buildings and village streets. Catering to tourists isn't going to be their first priority. The river cruises aren't going to want to say anything that will have a greater negative impact on their revenues, and they aren't going to willingly offer refunds, especially if/when they can physically begin moving their boats up and down the waterways. But it definitely won't be the same total experience that you paid all this money for many months ago, and the insurance companies aren't going to be eager to pay out on claims either - not as long as the cruiselines are able to physically "move" customers from "Point A to Point B" - no matter how that is accomplished.

some excellent points there. people are not going to get what they paid for and cruises should have been cancelled and compensation paid.communication needs to be improved.

but i suppose some would say the old saying buyer beware?

many lessons will be learnt from this disaster. many places are still under a state of emergency. not a place for tourists.

[Andy&Louise]

Andy & Louise, are you saying there has been no communication regarding compensation?

Thanks for posting.

 

 

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Barbara M

We've received absolutely no communication from Scenic in any form concerning compensation.

[Andy&Louise]

To put things in perspective, with so much devastation and loss of life due to the flooding it is not difficult to feel quite fortunate. We are still being accommodated in relative luxury. Our expectations for a river cruise just haven't been met.

[Mark_T]

Mark T - Sure. Plenty of examples to be had in the world of commerce.

 

... and none of your examples actually compare to what you were asking for.

 

If they can't actually cruise along the river then I agree, as I said in my previous post, that they should cancel.

 

We can not expect them to cancel just because the towns and villages are not looking as good as they were a few weeks ago, or if one or two changes in itinerary are needed to avoid the worst of the damage.

 

It would be like asking for a refund in your baseball example because the best pitcher was out injured.

[pully8]

reports of being moved about on buses for long periods packing unpacking and swapping cruise ships sounds awful. most of us have chosen river cruising, and have paid a premium price to travel in a style of our chosing.

 

a bus tour is an entirely different experience and usually has a price tag that reflects that difference.

 

really feel for those being subjected to this experience. we like river cruising but dislike long periods on a bus. we use trains in europe rather than buses if required to get from a to b.

 

sorry people have found themselves in this position. we feel the river cruise experience is managed well but the transporting by bus is not. we would avoid booking land extensions that require buses.

[davidrw]

Over the last few days Scenic have posted excellent information on the state of the rivers and projected dates for opening of the various sections.

 

This information has been very informative, unfortunately you have now taken this information down from your website and adopted the policy of the other companies which is don't worry about the rivers being unusable in some places now, we hope that all will be ok and we will tell you what you need to know.

 

Scenic, please reconsider this and recommence your excellent summary of section closures together with the current estimates of opening.

 

Thanks

[pkf]

its all well and good to know the status of the rivers but the towns and villages are in bad shape.

[davidrw]

its all well and good to know the status of the rivers but the towns and villages are in bad shape.

 

I think that at this stage we just need information and then we can make our own decision. Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary are wonderfull Countries and as long as the boat can gently meander between Budapest and Amsterdam with the option of going (or not going) on various excursions that is fine by me.

 

However at the moment, the route is broken in at least 4 places and that will make it a little difficult !!

[pkf]

why would someone go on a river cruise and not take the option of going on a tour(stay on the ship ??)

[davidrw]

why would someone go on a river cruise and not take the option of going on a tour(stay on the ship ??)

 

Because we are all individuals not members of a herd !!

[newfirsttimer]

Over the last few days Scenic have posted excellent information on the state of the rivers and projected dates for opening of the various sections.

 

This information has been very informative, unfortunately you have now taken this information down from your website and adopted the policy of the other companies which is don't worry about the rivers being unusable in some places now, we hope that all will be ok and we will tell you what you need to know.

 

Scenic, please reconsider this and recommence your excellent summary of section closures together with the current estimates of opening.

 

Thanks

The daily update is on the Scenic website, it is been updated as of today. It is not in the same place as before. Check the area under the main picture and Fly Free to Europe heading, left hand side of the screen.

[Andy&Louise]

We have been stuck in Bamberg since last Saturday. We have been touring by bus the sites that are within several hours. Today we visited Regensberg and the weather was very nice and the town was beautiful. Unfortunately the Danube riverfront is in bad shape because of the high water. Regardless life goes on there. A number of passengers decided to stay in Bamberg and enjoy the electric bikes and not face another day on a bus.

The bus trip was long but our CD was able to find some really nice busses with good toilets and AC. There is no question that we are frustrated that our cruise has mostly been a bus trip.

We arrived back at the Jewel tonight with the ship ready to leave. As soon as all of us were on board we cast of with a rousing cheer from everyone on board including the crew. Within an hour we were stopped again at the first lock. We discussed this with captain and he explained that there a lot of backed up traffic on the canal. Regardless is is nice to know that we are actually moving towards Budapest.

It was getting quite humorous in Bamberg as we were getting regular drive bys from local tour boats showing their passengers the passengers and ships that have been stranded.

Anyway it is still not clear yet whether we will have switch to another ship further downstream. It is also not clear if we will even reach Vienna . We have been told that we will likely not get the planned excursion to Saltzberg.

Anyway most of the passengers are in an upbeat mood. Traveling with Aussies who tend to be upbeat and see the "glass as being half full" has made it easier for us to try be optimistic. Apart from that, being in such close quarters many of us are even sharing the same nasty cold.

Anyway to all of you that are on upcoming cruises with Scenic feel good that the ships, crews and accommodations are really super. The food is exceptional.

 

The regional news suggests that the Rhine is now open all the way and the Danube is opening up from the Main to Budapest. Downstream of Budapest is still closed and a real mess. I would suggest to you stay in touch with your TA or Scenic to understand the state of you upcoming cruise. Since Scenic is a relative small player in this business I don't think that they have the flexibility that some of the other lines might have. All of the current issues are being handled by their office in Switzerland.

 

More to come later