By Jonathan Adair
AS with most things in life, you need to experience something before you can really make a judgement, and this was truly evident on our first river cruise with Scenic luxury cruises and tours. The image of a somewhat older clientele in a confined environment with limited facilities is extremely far from the true experience.
From the minute we arrived on Scenic Ruby at our departure port of Basel in Switzerland, the ship made a great first impression. We also received a warm welcome from the crew who all greeted us with a smile. This warm and friendly ambience continued throughout our eight-day Rhine Cruise.
We had flown over to Basel the day before and I would definitely recommend a visit to its ornate and historic town hall. Basel has a great tram system allowing easy access arouxnd the city, especially if you have a Basel Card which gives you unlimited travel. The Hotel Victoria is right beside the train station and has a direct line from the airport, but back to the main event.
Scenic Ruby is a part of the Scenic’s space-ship fleet and was refurbished in 2019. Its facilities were spacious and of an exceedingly high standard. With all the amenities you could wish for, our Balcony Suite cabin was bigger than most I have seen with a large corner shower unit, fantastic cupboards, and storage space. Our suite had its own butler, Irina, who could not have been more helpful, and we did not even use the Room Service Breakfast or the early riser tea which you can order to wake you each morning. There is also a daily refill of your full mini bar. Personal water bottles, hiking sticks and an umbrella for the shore excursions are also available for your use and provided in your cabins on arrival. We did avail ourselves of the complimentary laundry concierge service which you can use once during your cruise. I set the clothes to be laundered on the bed that morning and found it hanging in the cupboard on my return after our morning walking tour – definitely quicker than popping it in the laundry basket at home!
Scenic Ruby has four decks, with the Sundeck on top stretching the length of the ship. The River Café, Panorama Lounge, Ruby Bar and Portobellos Restaurant are all located on the Diamond Deck. Below is the Sapphire Deck, with the impressive Crystal Dining Room where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Jewel Deck is where you will find the Spa Treatment Room, Fitness Centre and the Salt Therapy Lounge. The ship has 80 suites and can accommodate 159 guests, with lots of room for everyone.
From the very start and throughout the cruise the staff were incredible. Always on hand and the updates and information on every part of our itinerary made for an enjoyable experience.
Beate Zaderer our Cruise Manager on Ruby gave us our port updates everyday outlining the itinerary for the next day, the highlights to look out for and an overall view of our next port and the various tours. I found these short sessions invaluable. You can also download the Scenic App with the complimentary onboard WiFi – we found this to be an essential tool throughout our seven day cruise, with features that included the daily program, city guides and a river guide giving you the ship’s position on the Rhine and the various features available onboard. The app also included the voice guide feature that linked to your tour guide each day on shore tours. As part of the port talk each evening the Executive Chef and Restaurant Manager also gave their recommendation for that evening’s meal and wine pairings, setting an indulgent tone to each evening.
Our first port of call was Strasbourg, set in the Alsace region of France. It has a rich history and its own unique culture, passionately conveyed by our knowledgeable guide Juliette. We had chosen the historic walking tour which lasted about an hour and a half, taking in the old historic city centre, Grande IIe (Grand Island) with its considerable architectural
heritage, and medieval back street. The Gothic Cathedrale Norte-Dame-de Strasbourg is a must see -it was the world’s tallest building in 1874. Do not miss the Astronomical Clock with its multiple faces and moving figures. Strasbourg is a walkable city with multiple shopping streets and restaurants, and other tours were available to the Alsace wine region and a visit to the Black Forest Museum.
The second night gave Dagnama, who organises all the entertainment onboard, a chance to get some competition going with the guests. A movie theme and famous voices quiz broke the ice, triggering some friendly rivalry amongst the guests, with an honourable runner-up spot for our team we celebrated with a few drinks.
The next day we embarked on a tour of Baden Baden visiting their Roman Baths. A favourite with the nobility, Baden Baden was known as “the summer capital of Europe” in its heyday in the 19th Century. The city has a casino founded in 1884, the oldest in Europe and the Kurhaus, music pavilion and thermal baths that dominate the cityscape. There are great shopping streets and lots of cafes and restaurants housed in wonderful buildings with history around every corner. Alternative tours included a visit to the Caracalla Spa, a hiking tour to Hohenbaden Castle or a visit to the Speyer – Technical Museum – something for everyone.
Each Scenic River Cruise includes a Scenic Enrich event, giving guests an opportunity to sample a very unique experience. That evening we were treated to our Scenic Enrich Event, a private concert at Bruchal Palace. Bruchal Palace is a beautiful baroque residence with an opulent staircase. Once the former residence of the prince, Bishop Spyer, not only the spiritual rulers but also leaders of the state. The elaborate evening concert set in the historic rooms involved three wonderful performers including the engaging soprano, an incredible tenor and fantastic piano accompaniment. The performance and setting were a truly unique experience with compliments coming from all in attendance.
All tours are included in your Scenic Cruise and the varied selection each day gives guests an opportunity to choose how you are feeling on the day. We personally did all the walking tours and enjoyed them all, but it may be a bit much for some after six days.
Food of course is a major part of any cruise, and I can say the standard across all the different options was of the highest quality with something available for everyone.
Breakfast offers a wide selection with a varied buffet and omelette station. There is also a made to order menu with options including Eggs Benedict, French Toast and many more choices.
The lunch menu and buffet each day varies according to that day’s port. With options of tapas, soup, a live pasta station, three main course options from your waiter and themed sandwich of the day. If this was not enough you can order from the daily alternatives available everyday including steak, chicken, salmon or Caesar salad, a particular favourite with my wife (with a side of chips of course).
There is also a light lunch option in the Portabellos restaurant with sandwiches, soup and salads all on offer.
Dinner is a great event onboard Scenic Ruby with a range of options, and a themed menu each evening.
One of the highlights for me was the pre-dinner during the port talk with Beata. This time was spent chatting to fellow guests about their day and the tours they had experienced, a bit like Apre ski – good fun and very sociable.
Day four we woke up in Mannheim for our visit to Heidelberg, a city embedded in my childhood memories of my mother playing the recording of Mario Lanza in the Student Prince. This historic town did not disappoint and is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Our tour took us by a funicular railway to the incredible Heidelberg Castle, with panoramic views over the city. The city itself was beautiful with amazing streets filled with varied shops and restaurants. Make sure you visit Katthe Wohlfahrtt in the main shopping streets for the Christmas display and shopping – even in July! You could also try the Spaghetti ice-cream, it definitely tastes better than it sounds. Be sure to go early to the Castle as it can get very busy later in the day, but it is definitely worth a visit.
In the afternoon we cruised to Rudesheim, where we were able to go ashore after dinner to sample the local town. The next morning we departed to cruise through the Rhine Gorge with its vast array of castles along the way.
This part of the trip was truly stunning with a relaxing morning up on the sun deck cruising from Rudestein to Koblenz. The Scenic App was able to identify the castles and vineyards along the way, a real highlight of the cruise.
After another lovely lunch we set out on our walking tour which started when we stepped off the ship. Koblenz sits at the famous Deutsches Eck, or (German corner), where the Rhine and Moselle converge, one of Germany’s oldest and most beautiful cities. There are lots of quirky things to see like the Schangel fountain or spitting boy and the Augenroller (eye roller) clock.
After our tour we took the cable car up the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, a commanding structure overlooking the city with magnificent views over the Rhine and Moselle.
Cologne had always been one of the stops on the cruise I was looking forward to the most, having over the years seen the many photos of the devastation of the bombing during WW2. And the iconic Cologne Cathedral standing almost alone, in the ruins. The Cathedral is a magnificent twin steepled façade, with openwork spires visible for miles – the largest church façade ever built. When you first enter, the interior is dominated by the enormous stain glass windows. With over six million visitors each year, it is one of Europe’s most popular tourist attractions and is well worth the visit.
The final leg of the cruise took us to Amsterdam and I took the opportunity to get up early to experience the beautiful approach to our dock
right in the centre of the city, only 10 minutes’ walk to Dam Square.
Having been to Amsterdam before, we decided not to take one of the organised tours, but to have a leisurely breakfast and explore the city in our own time, a fantastic way to finish the full week of great tours in very picturesque and historic cities.
Our first river cruise has definitely altered our perception of this wonderful travel experience, and with the range of itineraries across the world I can promise this will not be our last taste of river cruising.
