Scenic Making It Better

Scenic is redesigning its France-based Space-Ships for 2017, with highlights including reducing the number of cabins/guest to 78/155 from the current level of 84/167 while keeping the same crew count for even greater personal service; adding two new Royal Owners Suites; larger wellness centres; a vitality pool; and a private cooking emporium offering tailored cooking classes.

All this is in addition to new Freechoice activities and Scenic Enrich experiences. The ships are the Scenic Diamond, plying the rivers of Bordeaux, and the Scenic Sapphire, which cruises the Rhône and Saône in the south of France.

Culinary has long been a centerpiece of many of the highlights of visits to France and Scenic has always made sure to incorporate its importance in its offerings. Raising the industry standards even higher, as they have done so often in the past,

The company’s new and exclusive Scenic Culinaire is an onboard cooking school using dedicated space to offer immersive courses in the culinary wonders of the Rhône, Saône and Bordeaux regions.

The dedicated space will feature cooking stations and a cheese and wine cellar as well as real-time cameras and screens to ensure each participant can see every cooking move in detail. Fresh ingredients will be sourced from local markets and the cooking instructors will introduce guests to regional recipes based on the itinerary regions. Plenty of sessions are scheduled throughout the cruise, however with class size limits, guests are encouraged to register their interest early. As with all Scenic programs the culinary experiences are included in the price of the sailing.

The new Scenic Enrich experiences (these are exclusive to Scenic) include Scenic Rouge – performed under a big-top in Lyon where guests will enjoy a traditional French cabaret performance 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 Tournon vineyard hike and wine tasting, and for the more active, three new cycling options in Caudebec, Arnhem and Bordeaux.

Each itinerary in France has been designed to seamlessly connect across these diverse regions by air, rail or road, to deliver the ultimate French cruising experience.

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.

For more, go to http://www.scenic.ca .