Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours - UK
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Almost Excellent
Booking this trip was not a pleasant experience. The agent I dealt with seemed to go out of his way to be as awkward as possible. I was all for cancelling at that point. Plus every time there was even a minor change we got stacks of the same paperwork sent to us. So I started this trip in a pretty negative frame of mind which was frustrating due to the pretty hefty price tag of this holiday. The flights were fine, although we ended up paying far more than if id booked them myself. When I pointed this out to the scenic agent, the response was tough, that's the deal their flight team had. Arrival at the airport was a little hectic but someone was there to greet us and we got on the bus ok to the ship. If you fly in earlier, we were advised that no later transfer would be done. It was only by chance the boat couldn't make it to Basle so we joined up with the group at the airport for a bus transfer. Very warm greeting on our arrival. I did feel special which was nice. This was our first river cruise after many ocean cruises.The Pearl was a little dated but it looked well cared for and clean. The room was small and the balcony was separated from the next one by a metal screen, with large gaps all the way around. Not great for conversations. Our balcony door also wouldn't lock. We reported this first thing but nothing. Engine noise was occasionally annoying, and there was vibration. And we weren't near the back. Mini fridge was stocked with a small bottle of wine, Gin, vodka, whisky one beer, orange, & apple juice and 2 or 3 cokes. I asked for Drambuie and Sprite to be included but was advised I had to go to the bar for those. What made this holiday so good. The people we met, the gorgeous scenery and the staff working so very hard. Having sailed on many ocean cruise lines, this service was miles better. You were constantly asked if you needed anything. We saw little Butler service. That was fine. Not something we felt we needed anyway although the odd check from him would have been nice. Our cabin Steward did a great job keeping the room clean. Food was a mixture. Sometimes excellent and other times like pub food. Lack of consistency was strange.The bar staff were absolutely outstanding as were the waiting staff in the restaurant. Entertainment was generally ok if uninspiring. The entertainment manager was a very good singer but he was up for three nights of the seven. The rest of the entertainment was bordering on amateur hour. This aspect was really disappointing. Only one night due to the itinerary could you get a shore to appreciate local entertainment. Security measures were pretty much not seen. Perhaps they had hidden measures. I forgot to tag back in one night. Only realized next morning but no one checked. People seemed to wander on and off the ship. Trips were generally good, but too short. Far too little time to explore some of the gorgeous towns and cities we visited. Some of the guides English was also a challenge. Occasional welcome home drinks were nice, and cold flannels were occasionally offered. We did the e-bikes on board which was great fun and the most strenuous tour offered. It was a shame that no water based activity was offered. So despite the really poor customer service during the booking process which I think needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, the crew on Pearl turned my very negative views into a real positive. Would we sail with scenic again? Jury still out especially reading about too little/ too much water and scenics handling of these issues with unhappy customers.
