I was lucky enough to attend the CLIA River Conference in the fantastic city of Budapest! As a new travel specialist, I was excited to learn all about river cruises! We started off the conference hearing exciting updates about the world of river cruises, and over the weekend we got to visit four of the incredible ships including TUI River, AmaWaterways, Scenic, and Riviera.
I was particularly intrigued as to what TUI River had to offer and I was pleasantly surprised! I spent a couple of hours on board the TUI Skyla and was immediately greeted with a warm welcome from the staff. The reception area was bright, open and airy with a winding staircase leading up to the observatory, where we had a welcome talk that informed us all about TUI River. The observatory lounge takes pride of place at the heart of all the TUI ships and hosts the main entertainment. Each night, guests are treated to West End hits, pop classics, quiz nights, local guest acts and silent discos! Just outside of the observatory, there is a drinks station where you have access to tea, coffee and water 24/7.
After the talk, I was free to tour the ship. As it was a glorious day in Budapest, I headed straight up onto the top deck. It offers a range of ways to relax and take in the incredible views of the city. Also, you can switch up the pace by playing some deck games like minigolf, shuffleboard and connect 4!
I then headed down to look at the variety of staterooms they offer. The standard cabins have two circular windows, giving you views of outside and making the room feel bright and spacious. As the leading cabin, I was really impressed with how modern and homey it felt, and I loved the fact there was tea and coffee making facilities in the room.
The next cabin was a superior French balcony cabin. Here you have floor to ceiling doors which can open to let in the fresh air and see the views of the city along the river! I was also lucky enough to see the French balcony suite cabin where the bed faces the sliding door, meaning you can wake up, lie in bed and take in the stunning views of the city! The bathroom in the suite is huge and we manged to fit three travel agents in the shower! You also get treated to a continental breakfast in bed each morning!
Next, I headed down to the main restaurant which has a lovely, elegant green and gold scheme. The menu changes daily with fresh, seasonal foods and both the lunch and dinner service are à la carte with waiter service. For breakfast, it’s an all you can eat buffet which will set you up for a busy day of exploring! If you are on a sailing of five nights or more, you get treated to a delicious six course gala dinner. If you continue walking through the “Verdastro” restaurant, you will come to the “Bistro” which is more of a casual dining option.
The final place to explore on TUI Skyla was the wellness area and spa. Having been on numerous premium luxury ships over the weekend, I can say confidently that TUI’s wellness area and spa was the biggest out of all of them! It had five loungers, a whirlpool and sauna! It is the perfect place to relax after a busy day of sightseeing!
I can honestly say that I was really impressed with the standard of the TUI ships and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in river cruises with a focus on itinerary and seeing what each city has to offer. TUI is the leading price for river cruising and demonstrates good value for money with lovely rooms, spacious lounge areas and fun entertainment!
