Australians are going crazy for European river cruising.
TV ads, massive magazine and newspaper spreads and tons of editorial everywhere
you look.
Not to be outdone this writer and CW’s YouTube film-maker Barry Matheson went
off to explore another contender to the title of Queen of
the Danube, Scenic Pearl.
Clearly river cruising is a fantastic way to explore
Europe.
The most sought-after destinations are right there on
the river bank – just tie up and wander ashore.
A fleet of brand new Scenic Tours buses follow the ship
along the entire route, providing instant shore transport as
required for day trips and excursions.
My previous river cruising experiences on the Mekong,
Amazon, Murray, Yangtze and Columbia were quite
different affairs but each demonstrated the harmonious
and effortless method of sightseeing and touring without
the grinding ordeal of airports, buses, train stations or
check-ins and check-outs.
“Scenic Tours is a private, Australian-owned company,”
says founder and MD, Glen Moroney, “and with the commissioning of ‘Scenic Crystal’
in 2012, we’ll have six of the finest vessels operating on Europe’s waterways.”
Scenic Tours’ so-called ‘Space Ships’ are each 135m in length and offer some 22
per cent more room than comparable vessels.
This extra length is translated into larger suites and public spaces.
The Crystal Dining Restaurant will seat all 169 passengers in a single sitting, plus
there is the fine dining in the Portobello Restaurant and in-room for suite passengers –
served by their private butler.
Of the 85 cabins, 82 per cent have balconies with picture windows, ideal for
watching the gorgeous riverside scenery roll past in a continuous canvas.
And, of course, there is the rooftop sun deck and expansive Panorama Lounge & Bar.
Scenic make a point of spruiking their ‘All Inclusive’ pricing, which certainly helps
relieve post-holiday blues of coming home to huge credit bills for extras.
This pricing includes all dining, beer and wine with meals, onboard activities, sightseeing
tours, gratuities and, depending on your chosen category, laundry and Wi-Fi internet.
The trump card of the Scenic itineraries are their exclusive ‘ScenicEnrich’ inclusions.
Instead of a simple tour of the ornate Palace Lichtenstein in Vienna, a chamber
orchestra is summoned to entertain you.
In the incredible Benedictine Abbey at Melk, the regular tour is enhanced by a
swirling organ recital inside the the cavernous, gold-encrusted chapel.
Scenic Tours have a wide range of pre- and post-tour itineraries to choose from
including Turkey, France, Mediterranean, Ireland, Scandinavia and Spain.
Pricing, for example, starts from AU$5950 for the 15-day “Jewels of Europe”
Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise (March 07, 2012. Cat E, twin share).
This writer’s tip would be to travel on the fringe of the high season eg. April, May or
September, October to avoid the high season crush and hotter weather.
Earlybird pricing applies.
Visit www.scenictours.com for full details, pricing and options.
To view Barry’s CW YouTube video CLICK HERE.
