Page 40 - washington state wine

Scenic to add 35 new excursions to its
current lineup.)

Most cruise ships claim their fares are
“all inclusive” – but don’t believe it. Es-
pecially not on mega cruise liners, where
passengers are dinged for everything
from shore excursions to WiFi, from
cocktails (or bottled water) to hefty
per-diem gratuities.

It’s different on river cruises. Most ships
provide free excursions. Many include at
least wine with dinner. Some cover gra-
tuities.

“Our travel agent told us we could actu-
ally go and take no money,” said Carol
Conaghan from Whangarei, New Zea-
land. “She was right. The only money
we’ve spent is for little things for our
grandchild – and the odd ice cream cone
when we’re ashore.” Said another cruis-
er: “Take money out of the day-to-day
equation and traveling Europe’s rivers is
pretty much bliss.”

All onboard beverages aboard Sce-
nic ships are free – from frothy coffee
drinks to high-end nightcaps (think
Remy Marin VSOP cognac). There are 17
choices on the house wine list – all for
free and available anytime. Everything
in the cabin’s stocked mini-bar is re-
plenished daily, from booze to premium
chocolate – all gratis.

Add to that, Scenic’s no-tipping poli-
cy and free WiFi throughout the ship.
When we checked out, we experienced
true cruise “sticker shock”: Our bill was
less than 3 Euros, for laundering a night-
gown.

IF YOU GO

Scenic Cruises has 12 ships in its Europe-
an riverboat fleet. The 15-day Jewels of
Europe (Amsterdam/Budapest) cruise
starts at $5,095 per person, based on
double occupancy. Learn more at www.
scenictours.com.

Clockwise from top left: Miltenberg is a historic
village on the left bank of Main River. Pastoral
scenes bank every curve in the Main. River
cruise ships dock in Miltenberg. A waiter wel-
comes guests aboard the Scenic Jade. Cruisers
enjoy a brisk walk along a woodsy path near
Rudesheim.

40 Wine Dine & Travel Summer/Fall 2015