Scenic launches its new luxury Mekong River cruise program — eight to 27 days in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand — on the new Scenic Spirit. Cruisers will gaze at floating canal villages and rice paddies and tour Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang and Hoi An. Scenic Spirit’s 34 private balcony suites range from 344-861 square feet, each with a queen bed, separate living area and a private balcony fitted with Scenic’s exclusive all-weather Sun Lounge. Ship amenities include a fitness center, sauna, salon, guest laundry, library and open-air cinema. The pampering equation is high, with a nearly one-to-one ratio of guests to staff.
An eight-day “Luxury Mekong River Cruise” operates from Siem Reap, Cambodia, to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. At a Kampong Cham stop, guests will visit the Wat Nokor temple complex for a traditional monk’s blessing. They can sip high tea at the Raffles, Hotel de Royal, followed by a private shadow dance puppet performance. Some itineraries include a multi-day Halong Bay cruise in Vietnam, others in Laos feature a jungle elephant ride, coffee tasting and extended Luang Prabang time. The 27-day “Grand Indochina and Luxury Mekong River Cruise” includes such experiences as a private tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels and a chat with nuns at Hue’s Duc Son Pagoda.
Scenic has three new European itineraries this year, an eight-day “Iconic Danube” and 21-day “Christmas Markets with Paris and Prague” and “Gems of the Seine and Breathtaking Bordeaux.” In terms of new European vessels, Scenic Amber will ply the Rhine, Danube, Main and Moselle rivers, while Scenic Azure will operate eight- to 17-day voyages on Portugal’s Douro River roundtrip from Porto.