Rhine and Moselle rivers on the Scenic Opal river ship Archives

Scenic Opal: A stop in Rudesheim while sailing along the Rhine

June 21, 2015 by Cynthia Boal Janssens

ABOARD THE SCENIC OPAL – For the past couple of days we have been traveling in Germany down the meandering Moselle River and have loved how scenic and serene it was. There are vineyards and small villages all along the way and we scarcely saw another river ship. Our pattern of cruising for a half day and touring for a half day has continued and we have really enjoyed this pace. If you are someone who enjoys …

Scenic Opal: Christening of Scenic’s newest ship

June 18, 2015 by Cynthia Boal Janssens

ABOARD THE SCENIC OPAL – Yesterday was quite a busy day in Cochem, Germany, a lovely town on the Moselle River. In the morning we took a walking tour of this picturesque village and visited its main point of interest, the Reichsburg Castle. In the afternoon we attended the christening of this lovely river ship. Christenings are very special days and the weather was sunny and clear for this one. We have attended two previous namings, one …

The specifics about cabins on the Scenic Opal river ship

June 15, 2015June 15, 2015 by Cynthia Boal Janssens

ABOARD THE SCENIC OPAL – We are about one third of the way into this two-week river cruise and today will be our first call in Germany. For the past days we have been traveling around tributaries of the Rhine visiting small towns and cities in the Netherlands – although Chet and I did opt for a day tour to Bruges, Belgium. In those ports, we were the only river ship there…a welcome change from our previous …

A highlight on the Scenic Opal: Dinner at a local Dutch restaurant

June 15, 2015June 14, 2015 by Cynthia Boal Janssens

ABOARD THE SCENIC OPAL – The third day of this cruise was quite lovely. We cruised all morning and reached the Dutch town of Veere just about noon. This little burg of 1,800 residents has a very long history and we learned all about it during a 40-minute walking tour. It is located among dikes, dams and locks and is very near the North Sea. This was also the first day for bike touring and 28 hardy …

Aboard Scenic Opal: Enjoying a truly all inclusive river cruise

June 12, 2015 by Editor

ABOARD THE SCENIC OPAL – This is the morning of our third day aboard the brand new Scenic Opal river ship. We boarded as planned on Wednesday, taking the shuttle from the Doubletree Hotel in Amsterdam. It was good that we did because it turned out that our ship was docked 15 minutes from town in a new facility at Coenhaven. The first night was quiet as passengers filtered aboard throughout the afternoon and early evening and …

Hotel Luxer in Amsterdam was a perfect choice for our pre-cruise stay

June 10, 2015 by Cynthia Boal Janssens

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – We arrived yesterday around noon in Amsterdam and took a taxi to the Hotel Luxer, located right in the city center, near all landmarks. I booked this online with recommendations from Trip Advisor and we have found it to be tiny but very satisfactory. It is right on the edge of the Red Light District, which has become, we have discovered, an artistic district during the day… albeit one with many sex shops. As …

Preparing to sail aboard the new Scenic Opal

June 7, 2015June 5, 2015 by Cynthia Boal Janssens

Once again the suitcases are on the extra bed in my office and I am carefully packing, trying not to forget some essential item and throwing in a few silly things (like a selfie-stick). However, I have so many travel-writer friends who brag about traveling 2-3 weeks in Europe with a single carry-on that I really am trying to cut down on what I bring. We leave Monday for Amsterdam, where on Wednesday we board the brand …