I have just returned from the beautiful city of Budapest in Hungary having had a lovely experience on board the Scenic Amber. For those nervous about travelling to Eastern Europe please don't be. Hungary in particular was so easy as there are no entry requirements needed except for showing proof of vaccination when checking in at airport.
The Scenic 'spaceship' as they are called is stunning. If you want to be technical the ship is 135 metres long and at full capacity only 163 guests. I was totally spoilt having the privilege to stay in the Royal Panoramic suite, a huge space of 475 square feet. Floor to ceiling windows with separate balcony which is like having your own private sun lounge. A separate lounge area and 2 tv's. Highlight for me apart from the chilled bottle of champagne, strawberries and chocolates was the tv that when you fresh a button turned into what looked like a real fire.
This felt more than just a 5+ floating hotel. A butler with every suite, fully inclusive with all meals and premium drinks. What was lovely was, as in Hungary we had local wine paired with dinner. I've never had Hungarian wine before but the white and sparkling was beautiful so very pleasantly surprised.
Unusual on a river boat there are 5 dining venues on board. The food was stunning. A la carte every evening, 5 to 7 courses. Impeccably presented and service exemplary. Breakfast and lunch are served in the main restaurant and are buffet style but everything you could think off is on the menu. A full menu freshly cooked to order also if you fancy an eggs benedict and washed down with some champagne. You can have some more casual dining if you like in the river cafe or once a week can dine more intimately in Portobello's which only seats 32 or totally chill out and have in suite dining.
If you are feeling energetic there are e-bikes on board to hire or just take in the sights from the sun deck where sun loungers are plentiful and even a small pool on deck. If you are really enthusiastic you could use the gym, not that I saw that!
It is just lovely to sit in the lounge and watch the world go by with a cocktail in hand. For those worried about protocols, it was good to see the crew being strict with hand sanitising and mask wearing by all staff. Mask wearing wasn't compulsory for guests except for when at the buffet. Was quite reassuring. I unfortunately didn't get to sail from Budapest but for those that do there is a tour manager on board that will help organise excursions and concerts etc.
I got some time to explore Budapest and was totally surprised by it as not at all what I expected. Incredible architecture. I would definitely recommend sailing the Danube and sailing with Scenic. Amazing experience.
