Rare MicCanberra Posted October 1, 2019 #1 Share Posted October 1, 2019 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-01/scenic-tours-river-cruise-passengers-planning-class-action/11560730 I wonder why they didn't learn. After losing the last one, I wonder how they will act with this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Big_M Posted October 1, 2019 #2 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Well, it's not like they can shut up their business. Low water levels are a consequence of this climate changing world, and they put in their terms that they may be substituted by land transport if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare lyndarra Posted October 1, 2019 #3 Share Posted October 1, 2019 I did Budapest/Amsterdam with Avalon end of May that year and the water was quite high. Someone must have pulled the plug. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted October 1, 2019 Author #4 Share Posted October 1, 2019 I think it is more about not giving people the option of cancelling (with full refund) when the expected cruise is unable to be delivered. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane41 Posted October 1, 2019 #5 Share Posted October 1, 2019 I have seen this one in the news. I have to agree with the passengers/customers in this case. They booked a river cruise and sadly it could not be delivered. It was rather unscrupulous to not be up front with the guests in the first place and explain the situation to them that due to water levels the river boats could not operate and as such they would substitute it for a bus tour. The guests should have been given the option to pull out or cancel with a full refund. The people running this travel company would have to have no scruples at all to not inform the guests and to deceive them as to what they were getting. The company knew that they would be selling "bus tours" when it as obvious and apparent that the river boats could not operate. They wanted their commission and it is clear the bus tour would have been much cheaper for them at the same price they were selling a river cruise. Its just pretty deceptive and lousy customer service. Their entire package was unavailable from the start. They should have told their guests and offered them full refunds or the chance to do the bus tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted October 1, 2019 #6 Share Posted October 1, 2019 The possibility of having a relaxing luxury river cruise turn into an exhausting bus tour is one reason we haven't booked a river cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted October 1, 2019 Author #7 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Exactly, people should be given a choice if the product they bought (river cruise) could not be delivered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare lyndarra Posted October 1, 2019 #8 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Perhaps if one were contemplating that type of cruise maybe they should hold off booking until previous winter snowfalls can be checked. Lots of snow, lots of water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted October 1, 2019 Author #9 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Possibly a good plan but then too much water is an issue as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbeh Posted October 1, 2019 #10 Share Posted October 1, 2019 I was very keen to take a river cruise and I still pretty much am. Like many, I was also looking at Budapest to Amsterdam (my late parents honeymooned in Amsterdam) and then onto the Rhine. However, when I checked out the various providers (Avalon / Scenic etc) I discovered some fairly concerning sections of the T & Cs which have put me off. The situation in the link is actually made fairly clear in the contract. For my peace of mind, I'm happier to cruise the Irrawaddy /Mekong/ Mississippi / Murray/ Kimberley etc rather than a European destination, these cruises never seem to have any diffculty with water levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSWP Posted October 2, 2019 #11 Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) 18 hours ago, Aus Traveller said: The possibility of having a relaxing luxury river cruise turn into an exhausting bus tour is one reason we haven't booked a river cruise. Same here, the boss wants to do one. but too many risks with low and high water, they are still expensive too, albeit there have been price reductions in recent times, free airfares, etc, etc. Give me a real ship, ocean going. People pay $8000 for a 2 week River Boat trip, that can turn into a real expensive bus trip. Edited October 2, 2019 by NSWP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted October 2, 2019 #12 Share Posted October 2, 2019 1 hour ago, NSWP said: Same here, the boss wants to do one. but too many risks with low and high water, they are still expensive too, albeit there have been price reductions in recent times, free airfares, etc, etc. Give me a real ship, ocean going. People pay $8000 for a 2 week River Boat trip, that can turn into a real expensive bus trip. We have done a lot of land travel in Europe by motorhome - three trips totalling six months, so we are doubtful that a river cruise just touching on some cities would 'do' it for us. I realise that it is a totally different experience, with service that obviously isn't part of a DIY trip. A couple of years ago I enquired about one of the "air fares included" fares, but this only applied to the first one or two trips in the season when Europe doesn't look at its best and the weather is rather "iffy". Maybe the free airfare has been extended to further into the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted October 2, 2019 Author #13 Share Posted October 2, 2019 We have done some touring and also stays with exploring around the city. I won't rule it out but find that a river cruise is low on the holiday priority for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSWP Posted October 2, 2019 #14 Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, Aus Traveller said: We have done a lot of land travel in Europe by motorhome - three trips totalling six months, so we are doubtful that a river cruise just touching on some cities would 'do' it for us. I realise that it is a totally different experience, with service that obviously isn't part of a DIY trip. A couple of years ago I enquired about one of the "air fares included" fares, but this only applied to the first one or two trips in the season when Europe doesn't look at its best and the weather is rather "iffy". Maybe the free airfare has been extended to further into the season. Perhaps the 'free airfare is on a chartered Scoot or Jetstar jalopy. BYO Vegemite Sambos. No thanks I am coming back from Heefrow to Sydney on Singapore Airlines A380 next May, dare I say it? At the pointy end. Edited October 2, 2019 by NSWP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted October 2, 2019 #15 Share Posted October 2, 2019 1 minute ago, NSWP said: Perhaps the 'free airfare is on a chartered Scoot or Jetstar jalopy. BYO Vegemite Sambos. I can have a laugh about the BYO Vegemite sambos. Friends we introduced to cruising several years ago didn't believe me that lunch would be available when we boarded. O.K., it was P&O and we got the cruise at a great price, but still, I assured them that lunch would be available and, what's more, we wouldn't be sharing a cabin with them. The price was so good they thought it must be a four-share. It wasn't. They took their Vegemite sambos that went in the bin when they found we could go to the dining room for lunch. They have now cruised many times and occasionally post on this forum. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilikeanswers Posted October 2, 2019 #16 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Four years ago I did a self driving trip around Serbia. They have a road along the border with Romania that hugs the Danube river. It was a very picturesque drive but there were points where I thought that river looks really low. There was one bridge over the Danube that was a border crossing we stopped to have a look and honestly it was low enough that you could have just waded across😳. It looked more like mud flats than a river. I'm not surprised some of these river cruises struggle to get moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
floridababa Posted October 3, 2019 #17 Share Posted October 3, 2019 I was on scenic two years ago . It was amazing. We did have a problem with water level. Scenic solved it by us switching with a other one of their boats. The worst was having to pack. We met others with Viking, Avalon and they were going to hotels and not switching boats. Is it terrible problem?? Yes it is but you can't help mother nature. Scenic was great. This was one of the best vacations we ever took. We have been on over 70 cruises. We would love to go on scenic again and hope it happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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