WHERE SCENIC TOURS RHINE/DANUBE RIVER CRUISE BOATS FAIL CABIN COMFORT TESTS

CONSIDERATIONS AFFECTING TRAVEL AND CABIN CHOICE ON A RHINE/MOSEL/DANUBE RIVER BOAT

Those contemplating a cruise with Australian company Scenic Tours, or any other travel company, along the Rhine, Mosel, Main or Danube rivers need to be aware of the traps for unwary travellers.

Low river levels may require transfer of passengers from river boat to buses for parts of the journey between Amsterdam and Budapest

Low summer rainfall can cause parts of the Rhine-Main-Danube river system to become unnavigable by river boats. When this happens, it may be necessary for passengers to disembark and travel by bus to the next navigable stretch of river where they should be able to resume their cruise on a different river boat. Accordingly, this review of travel by river boat with Scenic Tours from Amsterdam to Budapest necessarily mentions two boats - Scenic Ruby and Scenic Emerald.

Choosing a cabin on a Rhine/Mosel/Danube river boat

Choosing a cabin (usually referred to as a stateroom) on any river boat requires careful weighing of a number of factors, but cruising the Rhine, Main and Danube creates special problems for boat builders and important issues for passengers. The boats must be very narrow to pass through the many locks and limited in height to pass under hundreds of low bridges. Realizing that we would be passing through over 60 locks between Amsterdam and Budapest, and not wishing to spend a great deal of time looking out of our stateroom at green slime on concrete lock walls, we elected to choose a Balcony Suite on the top Danube deck of the Scenic Ruby.

Scenic Tours failed to appreciate the importance of French Balconies in providing space and comfort while viewing the passing river scenery

The Scenic Tours brochure promoted the luxuriousness of the Balcony Suites on their new Rhine/Danube river boats with their private balconies located outside the glass riverside walls. These outside balconies work well on large ocean liners but not on narrow river boats such as those that ply the Rhine, Main, and Danube.

The Scenic Tours brochure could not conceal the hard fact that the majority of Scenic's Balcony Suites on such narrow river boats are too small to accommodate two comfortable armchairs inside the cabin. Except for the eight most spacious and expensive suites, passengers in Scenic Tours river boat suites have to sit on their beds to watch televsion, chat with spouse or partner, or share a glass of wine with friends. The chairs on the very narrow balcony are hard wood without any padding. These balconies are so narrow that it is impossible to place a chair so that it faces squarely towards the river without blocking the balcony. We often saw people standing on these very narrow balconies but cannot recall seeing anyone actually sitting on the hard seats when Scenic Tours river boats were moored.

Avalon Waterways has recognised the need for adequate cabin space on Rhine and Danube river cruise boats

Avalon Waterways has very sensibly recognised that outdoor balconies greatly restrict space inside the cabins of river cruise boats on the Rhine and Danube, removing around 3 square metres (30 sq feet) of cabin space, and leaving very little or no room in the cabin for two comfortable armchairs for travellers to watch television, enjoy a drink with companions or friends, and observe the passing river scenery in comfort. As shown below, with the recently launched Avalon Panorama, Avalon continues to use wall-to-wall openable glass French balconies on the river side of cabins to provide travellers with comfortable padded armchairs inside cabins and panoramic views of the passing river scenery. If we consider another river cruise in Europe, we will probably avoid Scenic Tours and give very serious consideration to travel with Avalon, or any other company that appreciates the superior qualities of French balconies, .

Note: This is not a paid advertisement for Avalon Waterways.

Based on previous touring experience, we knew that it was very desirable to have two comfortable armchairs for relaxation after a day of strenous sightseeing. We returned to the Scenic Tours brochure to assess the comparative comfort levels of the Junior Suites and Royal Suites. Both classes of suite appeared to offer comfortable armchairs inside the staterooms but the siting of the Junior Suites raised serious issues. They were either immediately over the boat's engines or adjacent to stairs leading from the public areas below. Both sitings raise serious noise issues. We were to learn later that occupants of rear Junior Suites located over the boat's engines were troubled by intrusive engine noise and vibration, especially at night. They also had to endure the noise of crew chatter and tobacco fumes from the deck below them. We turned to the four Royal Suites that were ideally located in the middle of the boat and appeared, from the artist's illustration, to offer ample floor space, a two-seat lounge and a single armchair, and room to party on the balcony. We would learn later that the artist's illustrations promoting Royal Suites did not match the reality of the room R316 allocated to us. Although the brochure stated that the price for all Royal Suites was identical, the floor space in our Royal Suite was significantly smaller (by several square metres) than the Royal Suite next to it, and there was no two-seat lounge.

There is another important aspect for those travelling on river boats between Amsterdam and Budapest to consider. Cabins on Rhine/Danube river boats can become very hot during the European summer unless the boat is equipped with efficient air conditioning. You may prefer to have your balcony in shade during hot afternoons on the river. To achieve that shade during the summer afternoons to relax on your balcony with a glass of wine, you may choose a cabin on the port or eastern side travelling south on the Rhine. While the boat is moving along the Main and Danube, your port side cabin will be facing the cooler north for most of the journey. However, this planning can be defeated on the Danube if the captain turns the boat at each stop so that the bow faces upriver. Our Scenic Tours experience on the Danube followed this pattern so that our port side cabin always faced the full blast of the afternoon summer sun. Our Scenic Tours boat on the Danube was the Scenic Emerald and, lacking efficient air conditioning as this boat did, conditions in our Royal Suite became so oppressive on a hot afternoon that we were forced out of our cabin to seek refuge in the cooler public lounge. Perhaps inefficient air cooling is a characteristic of Scenic Tours river boats. I have never noticed anything similar on large ocean liners.

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