What is going on with Scenic Cruises

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

Wow UK6 would love to do the Aussie tour we’ve made so many Aussie friends through cruising with Scenic and have quite a few invitations to stay, we’ve also met up with Aussies who have ventured to the U.K. We did Bordeaux the 11 day one  and had a great time the wine is fabulous. Sadly I have a problem with the Merlot grape, just a sip and ten minutes later I have a massive headache but our wine guy went above and beyond to work out which wines I could drink and no headaches. Have a great time I’m so jealous.

That's a terrible allergy to have, with the way Merlot is blended in so many red wines!  I guess I would play it safe by drinking only Champagne and Château d'Yquem!

[Daisi]

Ok, this is from someone on another site, and I don't have much info.  They just arrived in Amsterdam to sail on the Jasper to Basel, leaving on the 11th....only to find out their cruise has been cancelled due to lack of passengers.  

 

I hope all here who are preparing for their trips don't run into this.  I looked at both Scenic & Emerald sites today, and to tell the truth, I really am not impressed.  Ok, maybe they are still in the re-building stage, but to not have any info online, expecting future passengers to look through an online brochure just doesn't inspire me to sail with them.  While some lines have several pages to click through to see your future tours, ships and other info, at least it's easier than an online brochure that isn't clear.

 

May I wish all who have upcoming sailings good luck, hope they are all you could hope for.

[PhD-iva]

1 minute ago, Daisi said:

Ok, this is from someone on another site, and I don't have much info.  They just arrived in Amsterdam to sail on the Jasper to Basel, leaving on the 11th....only to find out their cruise has been cancelled due to lack of passengers.  

 

I hope all here who are preparing for their trips don't run into this.  I looked at both Scenic & Emerald sites today, and to tell the truth, I really am not impressed.  Ok, maybe they are still in the re-building stage, but to not have any info online, expecting future passengers to look through an online brochure just doesn't inspire me to sail with them.  While some lines have several pages to click through to see your future tours, ships and other info, at least it's easier than an online brochure that isn't clear.

 

May I wish all who have upcoming sailings good luck, hope they are all you could hope for.

Outrageous!

I’m making my final payment today, using a no-FX fee card to try to avoid their very irritating FX fees! It shouldn’t be this hard!

[San999]

My husband and I are going on the beautiful Bordeaux, leaving May 5. Please post updates on the trip as we are excited, but a bit nervous about the fallout from the IT breach.  

[Sissi67]

54 minutes ago, Daisi said:

They just arrived in Amsterdam to sail on the Jasper to Basel, leaving on the 11th....only to find out their cruise has been cancelled due to lack of passengers.  

OMG! You mean to tell me there’s still things to worry about?! We have arrived in Basel, departing on Scenic Opal to Amsterdam April 11th. 
I can’t even think of that happening. We booked in 2018 so it’s been 4 years of waiting for this cruise. I would lose it if they cancelled our cruise now! Those poor people in Amsterdam. 

I’ve gone from desperately trying to contact Scenic before flying out to hoping I won’t hear from them now before departure! LOL!

 

Just had a sauna and spa at our hotel, tomorrow we will start exploring this beautiful city. I was worried everything would be brown and bare after hearing about the cold snap they had but it’s so green here! Birds are singing, trees are budding and spring is in the air. 
 

More from Scenic Opal next week once I’m sitting down with a glass of sparkly.

[Daisi]

17 minutes ago, Sissi67 said:

OMG! You mean to tell me there’s still things to worry about?! We have arrived in Basel, departing on Scenic Opal to Amsterdam April 11th. 
I can’t even think of that happening. We booked in 2018 so it’s been 4 years of waiting for this cruise. I would lose it if they cancelled our cruise now! Those poor people in Amsterdam. 

I’ve gone from desperately trying to contact Scenic before flying out to hoping I won’t hear from them now before departure! LOL!

 

Just had a sauna and spa at our hotel, tomorrow we will start exploring this beautiful city. I was worried everything would be brown and bare after hearing about the cold snap they had but it’s so green here! Birds are singing, trees are budding and spring is in the air. 
 

More from Scenic Opal next week once I’m sitting down with a glass of sparkly.

Just heard that the friends who were informed that the cruise was cancelled were offered to switch to your sailing, so you should be ok.  This guy is desperately trying to contact Scenic to arrange the same so both they and their friends can join you!

[notamermaid]

26 minutes ago, Sissi67 said:

More from Scenic Opal next week once I’m sitting down with a glass of sparkly.

I hope everything goes smoothly for you now. If you have time to post it would be great if we could hear from you that the ship is much better than the administrative section right now. And it would be reassuring for future cruisers, too.

 

Anyway, enjoy Basel and the area.

 

notamermaid

 

[paul21]

49 minutes ago, Daisi said:

Just heard that the friends who were informed that the cruise was cancelled were offered to switch to your sailing, so you should be ok.  This guy is desperately trying to contact Scenic to arrange the same so both they and their friends can join you!

 

The online brochure only lists April 4th from Amsterdam and April 25th from Basel for the 8 day option. My guess is the 11th would be the return from the 4th so it's a bit confusing, unless the cruise is sold out maybe?

[Daisi]

The online brochures for the Canadian sites don't even list any cruises for the Rhine from Amsterdam -  Basel, or vice versa....probably more glitches, especially since Sissi67 is in Basel waiting to start their cruise!

[paul21]

3 minutes ago, Daisi said:

The online brochures for the Canadian sites don't even list any cruises for the Rhine from Amsterdam -  Basel, or vice versa....probably more glitches, especially since Sissi67 is in Basel waiting to start their cruise!

https://issuu.com/sceniccanada/docs/europe_main_2022_brochure?fr=sMzI3ZTQzNjkwNjk

 

Page 71 has them. 

 

Page 73 for the AU version.

 

 

[loriva]

2 hours ago, Daisi said:

Ok, this is from someone on another site, and I don't have much info.  They just arrived in Amsterdam to sail on the Jasper to Basel, leaving on the 11th....only to find out their cruise has been cancelled due to lack of passengers. 

 

Is this someone you know personally?  Or someone who posted elsewhere?

 

The key to me in this would be whether the cruisers received their final documents or not from Scenic.  Regardless of the crazy hack to Scenic's IT systems, they should have known by the time to send out final docs if there were enough passengers to warrant sailing or not--and cancelled it then.  If Scenic did send out final docs and are truly canceling it five days before sailing, those of us looking to sail with the line may have bigger problems.

 

[loriva]

I wonder if anyone at Scenic follows these boards.  I know Regent's director of guest experience and IT head follow the Regent boards and have weighed in on potential problems.  The IT and communications problems with Scenic and failure to respond are giving the line a serious black eye.

[Daisi]

58 minutes ago, paul21 said:

https://issuu.com/sceniccanada/docs/europe_main_2022_brochure?fr=sMzI3ZTQzNjkwNjk

 

Page 71 has them. 

 

Page 73 for the AU version.

 

 

 

That's my main problem with the online brochures, they only list B-A, not the other way around, and we already know one member here (Sissi67) leaves Basel on the 11th, so obviously, not all sailings are listed.  I just looked at the table of contents, and it's not listed there.  Thanks for trying.... 🙂

 

 

56 minutes ago, loriva said:

 

Is this someone you know personally?  Or someone who posted elsewhere?

 

The key to me in this would be whether the cruisers received their final documents or not from Scenic.  Regardless of the crazy hack to Scenic's IT systems, they should have known by the time to send out final docs if there were enough passengers to warrant sailing or not--and cancelled it then.  If Scenic did send out final docs and are truly canceling it five days before sailing, those of us looking to sail with the line may have bigger problems.

 

 

The person is just a member of another cruise message board (ran by a TA, so she is doing her best to find out what's up through her contacts).  They are cruising with friends, and from what I can make out, the friends got notice that the cruise was cancelled (not sure when, but I'm guessing once they arrived in Amsterdam, as they were offered to join the cruise departing in Basel on the 11th), but they didn't.  They can't contact Scenic (the Canadian office is in BC, which makes quite a time difference problem), and no further updates posted yet.  They are there 5 days prior to sailing, so will have time to make adjustments if necessary to join the Basel cruise if they can.

[Canal archive]

The U.K. paper brochure lists an April 11th Amsterdam to Basel cruise and reverse. That is the only April listed A to B cruise.

[paul21]

17 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

The U.K. paper brochure lists an April 11th Amsterdam to Basel cruise and reverse. That is the only April listed A to B cruise.

It looks like the UK website is back online for searching live availability. That's a major improvement! 

 

 

[Canal archive]

Yes I meant to say but people need to get rid of their angst. It does say when you hit the contact us button it states no personal visitors and no ‘snail’ mail now that last bit seems a we bit strange to me.

[Host Jazzbeau]

24 minutes ago, paul21 said:

It looks like the UK website is back online for searching live availability. That's a major improvement! 

YES!!!  https://www.scenic.co.uk/river-cruises

[Daisi]

Good news @Sissi67, they managed to get cabins on your sailing, so you will definitely be O.K. 

 

Have a great trip, and if you run into some stressed out Canadians,  give them a smile from Donn.😀

[paul21]

Just received docs from my TA 11 calendar days from departure. Car transfer vouchers were included, and the docs said the room tier onboard credit would be applied electronically.

[packed already]

Hi Sissi67

I am one of those people who heard yesterday that Scenic had cancelled our cruise so now I am sailing with you. It was a very stressful day yesterday but all has been sorted without too much inconvenience. I hope you are enjoying Basel, we still fly into Amsterdam, spend 2 nights there and then on the 11th we fly to Zurich and are then transferred to the ship.

I look forward to meeting you.

Enjoy your next couple of days, we fly out from Sydney tonight.

[flyfishing37]

We just received word this morning that our April 28 departure on Amber from Budapest to Nuremburg was cancelled. No explanation other than "global conditions." We were given the option to take later dates,  all with reverse itineraries. Less than three weeks out and all of our travel plans made. 

[notamermaid]

9 minutes ago, packed already said:

Hi Sissi67

I am one of those people who heard yesterday that Scenic had cancelled our cruise so now I am sailing with you. It was a very stressful day yesterday but all has been sorted without too much inconvenience. I hope you are enjoying Basel, we still fly into Amsterdam, spend 2 nights there and then on the 11th we fly to Zurich and are then transferred to the ship.

I look forward to meeting you.

Enjoy your next couple of days, we fly out from Sydney tonight.

Oh my, who could have possibly anticipated that problem. There I was telling you about the water levels not being too low, etc.

 

Glad it has all been sorted. So Scenic has organized the flight to Zurich for you, I reckon. Certainly quickest to fly that distance. I hope this has really been the last hiccup and you can all have fun and laughter and a great experience from now on.

 

notamermaid

 

[RoseFlower]

We are scheduled on the Scenic Lisbon and Douro River cruise beginning in Lisbon on May 2 to May 15, 2022.  I was also getting worried not being able to contact Scenic Canada.  I left messages everywhere.  I just got a call from them and all is ok.  They have been slowed down by the IT issues and are now working on the end of April and May cruises.  Electronic documents will be sent out 7-10 days before.  They are sending backpacks etc out soon for our trip.  Don't know if they will get here on time but the other news is good.  I am breathing easier for sure.  

Does anyone know if we still need a covid test to enter Portugal?

[Canal archive]

RoseFlower look at the ‘Visit Portugal’ website. I’m pretty sure you’ll be okay without a test but that’s where you will find out for certain.

[RoseFlower]

5 hours ago, Canal archive said:

RoseFlower look at the ‘Visit Portugal’ website. I’m pretty sure you’ll be okay without a test but that’s where you will find out for certain.

Thank