I have ocean cruised many times over the years but I have never experienced a River Cruise so I was really excited to be invited to travel to Vienna to attend this year's CLIA Riverview Conference. I remember reading on a travel page that the real hero of a River Cruise is the destination so with that in mind, I wasn’t prepared to be as ‘wowed’ by the ships as I was.
We stayed overnight at the Thistle hotel in Heathrow at Terminal 5. This hotel is a great location to get to the Airport. For £7 we jumped in a driverless electric pod that took us from the hotel's car park to the terminal in 5 minutes. We flew early to Vienna the next day. The transfer from Vienna to the dock was seamless and only took around 20 minutes.
The first ship we experienced was the TUI Maya. I was surprised how easy it was to step from the dockside straight onto the ship. Much easier than boarding an ocean liner in Southampton. Once we stepped on board, I was blown away by the beautiful communal areas. We headed one deck down to our superior cabin. The cabin was a good size with 2 port hole windows. We were onboard for TUI’s Gala night; this was a 5-course set menu.
The food was amazing and the atmosphere in the restaurant was fantastic. After dinner, we headed to the Observatory. We had an entertainer with a guitar playing some lovely background music. After this, we joined the interactive quiz. We all had a remote control on our tables. This was a brilliant way to keep everyone entertained, the tables got more and more competitive as the quiz went on. We headed back to our cabins after the quiz and left a few to party for a couple more hours with a silent disco. The beds were very comfortable which was very needed after a busy first day.
The next day we were lucky enough to visit some of the other ships that had docked for the River View conference. We had lunch onboard Avalon Envision. This ship was so spacious, modern and luxurious. Lunch here was buffet style but it had something for everyone. As we were in Austria, there were many Austrian specialities on the menu including Tafelspitz (Boiled Beef with Horseradish Sauce). This was so tender and tasty, I had to go back for seconds!
We had a quick tour of the ship before we headed to Vienna. The cabins onboard Avalon are very well designed and laid out. Every bed faces the window so you wake up to stunning views of that morning's destination. This was such a small detail but it just made sense to be facing the view!
That afternoon we took a Big Bus tour of Vienna. Headphones were provided and we just had to plug ourselves in, sit back and enjoy the tour of Vienna. Most river cruises include excursions within the price. This can range from a guided tour of the city you are in, to bespoke, unique experiences. In Vienna, Scenic cruises will take you on a red-carpet arrival to soak up the opulence of Vienna’s Palais Liechtenstein during a private performance of the music of Strauss and Mozart.
After some free time in Vienna where we popped into the famous Hotel Sacher to look at the Sacher-Torte cake. We then headed back to our next ship for the night, Scenic Jasper. Scenic pride themselves on 5-star ultra-luxury and I can see why! The ship was just incredible. Every suite has butler service, a minibar included and lots of luxurious extras. After visiting 6 ships over 2 days, the one thing that really stood out to me on Scenic Jasper was the friendly staff. They had a very discreet luxury service and the huge smiles to match. After a disco shower (the changing lights were very cool) and a quick change, we headed down to dinner.
The menu changes every night and showcases local dishes from whichever destination you are in, I had to try the Wiener Schnitzel and it really didn’t disappoint! If there is nothing you fancy on that night’s menu, you also have a good choice of regular meals to try.
One of my colleagues had a good old-fashioned Steak with peppercorn sauce, the portions were huge and she absolutely loved the tender steak that was cooked to perfection. On Scenic Jasper the meals are finished in a live cooking kitchen right in the middle of the restaurant. This was a lovely touch and brought a lovely atmosphere to the evening dining experience. We had some live music in the bar then headed off to bed.
We had a beautiful French Balcony, so we pressed the button to push the balcony down, sat on the patio furniture and enjoyed a drink from the minibar before bed. The next morning, we went straight down for breakfast. This was amazing! Buffet or sit-down style with a HUGE choice. I ordered an eggs benedict and then headed to the buffet for something sweet.
We had a tour of the ship after breakfast. The ship was so light and luxurious. The complimentary e-bikes to use in port were a great touch. For those after something less energetic, the Salt Therapy lounge was a great touch they help alleviate respiratory illnesses. A Salt Therapy Lounge mimics the environment of a salt cave through a humidity and temperature-controlled room, handcrafted from salt bricks to create a micro-climate. The negatively charged salt ions bear a high kinetic energy that increases the efficacy of healing, improves respiration and skin conditions, and boosts the immune system.
After a tour of 2 more ships, it was time to be picked up to head back to Vienna. I loved my first experience of river cruising and I truly believe there is a river ship for everyone. I can't wait to go back!
