Scenic Updates Ships for 2017

scenic 2017 brochureScenic has released its new European River Cruise Brochure for 2017. 2017 highlights include the rebuild of three Space-Ships in France to add Scenic Culinaire, an onboard cooking school offering immersive courses in the cuisine of the Rhône and Bordeaux regions; a reduced guest count of 155; and the addition of two new Royal Owner’s Suites at 506 square feet. New theme cruises include cycling journeys and French culinary experiences, while new combination cruises allow for greater exploration of Europe’s variety. Additionally, the line has added new Scenic Enrich and Freechoice offerings.

For those booking a 2017 sailing by September 30, 2016, Scenic is offering free and reduced airfare on all sailings. The amount of the roundtrip offer is based on the itinerary, the category of cabin booked and the departure airport, and ranges from free to $995 per person. Business class options are also available. For solo travelers, select departures in March, April and October to December 2017 are available with no single supplement – on any suite; or guests can book a standard suite on selected sailings between May and September and receive 50 percent off the single supplement.

Scenic is also giving all guests a €100 (14 days or less) or €200 (15 days or longer) gift card to defray any personal expenses such as a massage, gifts or that piece of Linzer torte.

Scenic Diamond in Bordeaux and Scenic Emerald and Sapphire on the Rhône and Saône in the south of France, are being rebuilt to enhance the public spaces and reduce the number of guests to 155 (78 cabins) while keeping the same staff numbers. The redesigned ships will have two 506 square foot Royal Owner’s Suites, larger wellness centers and gyms plus a vitality pool. For the exclusive Scenic Culinaire experience, Scenic has transformed one of the on board dining venues into a private cooking emporium offering tailored classes with dedicated space for cooking stations and a cheese and wine cellar. Fresh ingredients will be sourced from local markets and cooking instructors will introduce guests to regional recipes. A real-time camera and screen ensures each participant can see every cooking move in detail. As with all Scenic programs, Culinaire is included in the price of the sailing.

New exclusive Scenic Enrich experiences includes Scenic Rouge, which allows guests to take in a traditional French cabaret performance under a big-top in Lyon, including the famous can-can; and an exclusive four-course dining experience with matched vintages at the acclaimed Mumm Champagne house in Riems. New Scenic Freechoice activities include a gingerbread cooking class in Nuremberg; guided tour of Bratislava; a Tournon vineyard hike and wine tasting; and, for the more active, three new cycling options in Caudebec, Arnhem and Bordeaux.

Combination cruises continue to grow in popularity as Americans devote more of their leisure time to travel. Each itinerary in France has been designed to connect across these diverse regions by air, rail or road. The Seine and Bordeaux and Seine and Rhône have been the most popular combination cruises, while the new 10-day Douro river cruise combines easily with French itineraries.

The new brochure is available for download at www.scenicusa.com/brochures.