Scenic Cruises - First European River Cruise Company to Go All-Inclusive

By Linda Garrison, About.com Guide

Australian tour and European cruise operator Scenic Tours (marketed under the Scenic Cruises name in the USA) is the first river cruise line to go all-inclusive. In 2013, guests on its fleet of river ships can enjoy the following without having to pay extra:

• Unlimited complimentary beverages of all types
• Mini-bar drinks and snacks
• All-day River Cafe snacks
• Onboard meals and snacks
• Onboard entertainment
• All shore excursions and activities
• Use of electric bicycles
• Personalized airport transfers
• Butler service
• Onboard WiFi throughout ship
• All tipping and gratuities (crew and tour guides)

The unlimited complimentary beverages can be enjoyed throughout the ship. You can even ask the butler to stock your favorites in the cabin. Anyone who occasionally gets hungry or thirsty in the middle of the night (or who wants a cold Diet Coke in the morning like I do) appreciates having the complimentary mini-bar replenished daily. The Scenic Cruises' ships have some excellent dining options, and none carry an extra surcharge. And, having daylong snacks in the River Cafe is a nice treat.

Scenic Shore Excursions

In addition to going all-inclusive onboard, Scenic is making some exciting changes in its shore excursions. Like most other river cruise lines, the company uses audio receiver Whisper devices with earpieces on its walking tours. However, starting in 2013, guests who like to explore independently can take a Scenic Tailormade tour, either on foot or on one of the e-bikes. Before leaving the ship, they download a Scenic Tailormade app to their Apple iPad or iPhone, or check-out one of the pre-loaded devices available onboard. The app serves as a personal tour guide.

Guests can also use GPS technology onboard the Scenic ships to learn more about the area where they are traveling. For example, while cruising past many castles along the Rhine River, they can sit on their own private balcony and listen to an expert commentary using the GPS-guided tour system.

Although Scenic is making its shore excursions all-inclusive, the river cruise line added more options for its guests. In addition to the new high-tech tours, guests on the Basel to Amsterdam Rhine River cruises will enjoy a complimentary tour, dinner, and a concert at the spectacular Rastatt Palace in the Black Forest. I experienced a preview of this "Scenic Enrich" event on a short cruise on the Scenic Crystal, and found the evening memorable and fun.

A common complaint on cruise ships of all types is the trend towards charging extra for things that used to be included. Now, Scenic Tours has reversed that trend. Sounds like good news for those who enjoy all-inclusive travel.