Scenic Tours founder Glen Moroney started bussing tourists through his native Australia in 1986. Soon he had over-land tour groups all over the globe. Then, in 2004, he took a river cruise. Captivated, he launched Scenic Luxury Cruises in 2008.
Today, Scenic operates 15 river boats. Thirteen of these operate in Europe, with the other two in Southeast Asia, according to the 2020 European River Cruise Market Report by Cruise Industry News.
The line brags about its generous “Space Ship” cabin sizes. Royal Suites are 360 square feet, Junior Suites 250 square feet, Balcony Suites 205 square feet, and Standard Suites 160 square feet.
All 15 ships were designed, built and are owned by Scenic, said Jayne O’Brien, managing director, Scenic North America. “And we’re quite proud of this fact.”
Parent company Scenic Group also owns the riverboat line Emerald Waterways.
“Scenic embodies the luxury river cruise experience in every way,” she said. “We pride ourselves on handling every little detail. When you travel with Scenic you can be confident that every single aspect of your comfort and peace of mind has been considered, making your trip a truly carefree experience.”
Every cabin, regardless of category, comes with personal butler service.
“We want all our guests to feel looked after and taken care of from the moment they step onboard. We celebrate luxury travel and pride ourselves in providing exceptional quality, unique experiences and genuine hospitality to all our guests.”
Scenic’s five-star, luxury brand is sold as totally-inclusive pricing. The ships are called wallet-free zones. Everything but souvenirs and spa service is included. This includes all gratuities, airport transfers, dining and all beverages.
“The luxury extras you’d expect to pay extra for are all included. Onboard, our luxury suites and cabins are some of the largest on the rivers and feature Scenic Sun Lounges, where, with a push of a button, the outdoor balcony becomes an all-weather lounge. We’ve recently added Salt Therapy Lounges to all our Rhine, Main and Danube and two of our French ships – exclusive to Scenic – and Scenic Culinaire cooking emporiums offer guests the chance to have a hands on experience with our exceptional chefs.”
Scenic Culinaire allows passengers to shop for ingredients ashore with the ship’s chef, and then learn techniques to prepare them.
Passengers are sourced from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
