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A cruise on Scenic Spirit gives you so many things in one.
It's luxurious, with Egyptian cotton sheets, L'Occitane toiletries, gourmet dining, all-inclusive beverages, a pool and spa. It's comfortable, with minimalist designs in neutral colours that are never jarring or pretentious, and a bed you sink into at the end of the day for a great night's sleep. It's friendly, with a mostly Cambodian crew that strive to know your name on day one, smile whenever they see you and jest with you at dinner. It's sociable with cruisers interested in mingling and getting to know each other. And it's caring, with crew and fellow cruisers truly concerned about your welfare. Feeling under the weather or overwhelmed by your excursion to the Killing Fields? You're as likely to be offered medicine or a comforting hand from your fellow passengers as you are from the crew.
Built in Vietnam specifically for Mekong River cruising, Scenic Spirit is everything you'd like a river ship to be, especially when you're exploring developing destinations where travel can be challenging. It's got spacious, larger-than-average cabins you're thrilled to come back to after a hot, dusty morning visiting a Cambodian village. It has a pool (and not just a plunge pool at that!) for cooling off in the hot afternoons and a spa with unbelievably affordable massages for working out the kinks after a rickshaw or ox cart ride.
Even with all that said, highlights have to be the dining and the destination-immersive activities including the shore excursions and onboard enrichment.
Meals, including the buffet lunches, were always excellent. The chef uses as much fresh ingredients as he safely can, with fruit and vegetables sourced at local markets a couple of times a sailing. (Meats have to be imported as sanitation standards in Vietnam and Cambodia are not safe for Western travellers.) Wine is free flowing and while we did hear some veteran Scenic cruisers comment about there being less choice than on the European cruises, no one actually complained about the wine being served.
The destination side of Scenic Spirit's offerings was also top-notch. We were particularly impressed with the breadth of excursions available. Out of the six full days on the ship, four had excursions in both the morning and afternoon. Four days also offered free choice excursions, giving cruisers plenty of opportunities to choose their own experience. The destination immersion didn't stop when they ship was sailing either. For those interested, you could learn more about Cambodia history, take an Asian cooking class or discover just a few of the supposedly 101 ways to use the traditional Cambodian krama scarf.
There's not much of a dress code on Scenic Spirit but because the five-star Scenic draws a refined crowd, you won't see any ripped jeans or shorts in the dining room. During the day, casual is the name of the game and it's more important to stay cool than to look good. In the evening, most cruisers resort to smart casual with men wearing slacks and collared shirts and women in slacks or skirts and nice blouses or simple dresses. Even on the Gala Night you won't find too many people dressed up. Men can leave their suits and ties at home (although some had a blazer on Gala Night) and women don't really need a cocktail dress.
There's very little that is not included in your fare when you sail on Scenic Spirit. All shore excursions, non-alcoholic drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities (both for onboard crew and land-based guides) are included. All alcoholic drinks are complimentary as well, except for five top shelf liquor labels. A DIY laundry room is provided free of charge, along with needed detergent. You'll even receive a free gift during your time in Cambodia -- a lovely scarf called a krama, all of which have been hand woven by a local NGO that provides training for village women from Siem Reap in traditional Cambodian arts and crafts. Just about the only thing you might have on your bill at the end is a spa treatment.
Shore Excursions
Scenic Spirit's shore excursion offerings are excellent, with lots of choices and opportunities to explore, often both in the morning and afternoon. All shore excursions are included in the cruise fare, and include driver tips for any of the forms of transport used. (A Mekong River cruise features rides in tuk tuks, ox carts and bicycle rickshaws; you might still wish to bring change as drivers sometimes ask for a tip even though they've already been paid.)
Shore visits in Vietnam are always by small boats called sampans, which ferry passengers between the boat, which remains moored in the river, and land. In Cambodia, the boat will pull up to shore but often the dock is simply a muddy hillside into which makeshift stairs have been built. In all cases, none of the ports on Scenic Spirit's itinerary are wheelchair accessible.
Tours are a mix of only one option divided into three groups or three free choice excursions, from which you can choose one that most appeals to you. For instance, in Tan Chau, Vietnam passengers could choose from a visit to a bird sanctuary, a tour that combined a visit to a traditional fish farm with a stop at an ethnic Cham village or a tour that visited Evergreen Island, followed by a xe loi (bicycle rickshaw) ride through Tan Chau. In Phnom Penh, which is an overnight stop on itineraries that go from Vietnam to Cambodia and a two-night stop on sailings that go from Cambodia to Vietnam, you'll have one day of free choice tours and a second day where the only option is to visit the Royal Palace and National Museum.
On tours where there is just one choice, passengers are divided into three groups, always by the type of itinerary passengers are booked on. (Scenic Spirit carries people who are on a variety of Scenic trips, with some booked on longer land/cruise tours, others on short land/cruise tours and other passengers just taking the cruise.)
Daytime and Evening Entertainment
Scenic Spirit does a good job of providing daytime activities for when the boat is sailing between stops. Options might include a galley or bridge and engine room tour, Asian cooking or krama scarf demonstration and tropical fruit tasting.
Evening entertainment occurs either before or after dinner, so that those who prefer to go to bed directly after dinner don't always miss out on the entertainment.
For instance, on the last or first day in Vietnam (depending on which port your cruise began in), a troupe of young performers showcase their talents in an array of lion dances, and in Kampong Cham, Cambodia (on either the first or last day of the cruise), a local NGO organization that provides basic training services to poor Cambodian children offers a performance of traditional Khmer music and dance. Both events are held before dinner, while two Cambodian acts that sing popular Western songs go on after dinner. Other after-dinner offerings include the once-per-cruise outdoor cinema (on our cruise the "movie" was a showing of "Top Gear UK Goes to Vietnam") and trivia night.
On other nights, passengers are welcomed in the Spirit Lounge with recorded music; one section of the lounge is cleared of tables and chairs and dancing is encouraged. The demographics of each sailing often determine how lively the lounge gets, the more boomers onboard, the more active the after-dinner scene can be -- though if there are more passengers from Canada and the United States, they often tend to go to bed earlier because of the extreme time difference. Our sailing was most active on nights an activity was being offered; the night the three-piece Cambodian band Unity performed, the dance floor was packed.
Enrichment
Most of the cultural enrichment you'll get with your Scenic Spirit experience takes place off the boat as your guides provide most of the history and context as you tour Vietnam and Cambodia. Guides are Vietnamese in Vietnam and Cambodian in Cambodia (though most of the Vietnamese guides will stay with you in Cambodia as well), with expert knowledge of their respective countries. On our sailing, the cruise director, an Australian who lives in Cambodia year-round, also gave an enlightening talk about the country starting with the period immediately before the Khmer Rouge and ending with the country's current status.
Other onboard enrichment activities include a class on some 101 uses for the krama (the traditional Cambodian scarf no Cambodian leaves home without), an Asian cooking class and two performances from local folkloric dance troupes, one from Vietnam and one from Cambodia.
Scenic Spirit has two standard bars -- one a bar/lounge combo and the second a small pool bar, which is pretty much only manned when people are in the pool. A third wet bar is located near the middle of the sun deck and is only open when there is an event being held outside.
Spirit Lounge (Deck 3, aft): The main indoor hangout spot on Scenic Spirit is the Spirit Lounge on Deck 3, though it is used infrequently during the day unless the daily schedule includes a talk or demo of some sort. The simple, yet refined space is decorated in dark golden wooden flooring, black cabinetry and latticework and wide floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows, which let in loads of natural light.
The Lounge is divided into two parts. The front section features seating in several configurations from sofas and armchairs to three- and four-person round tables with chairs, most in neutral colours of browns, tans and greys. There are several tables with chairs in the back section, but unlike in the front where all are black glass tables with black leather chairs, in the back you'll also find wooden tables with wicker chairs and black tables with brown and black leather chairs.
The bulk of the back end of the lounge is taken up by the bar, which has three bar seats at the back end, but few people actually sit there; it's really more of a spot to place your order, after which your drink will be delivered to wherever you're sitting.
At the front of the lounge is one of the ship's most popular amenities, a high-tech coffee maker that can churn out espressos, cappuccinos, latte macchiatos and more. Hot tea is available on the other side of the entrance to the lounge. Both stations are open 24/7 and if you're not inclined to leave your room to grab a hot beverage, you can ring your butler to do it for you.
With just two exceptions, the daily evening briefing is held in the Spirit Lounge, as are any daytime enrichment talks or demonstrations. After dinner you'll find recorded music playing -- the first people into the lounge get to request what type of music they'd like to hear. Occasionally, Scenic will bring local musicians onboard who will either perform in the Scenic Lounge or on the sun deck if weather permits. Once per cruise, there's also a fiercely competitive trivia session held in the lounge after dinner.
Pool Bar (Deck 4, aft): A small poolside bar with about five bar stools serves up standards to sunbathers and those in the pool, including wine, beer and cocktails. If the bartender doesn't have the ingredients for what you want, he'll order your drink of choice from the Spirit Lounge and have it brought over. The pool bar is typically only manned in the afternoon when people are likely to be there; there are no set hours.
Scenic Spirit has both a sun deck (Deck 5) and a resort-style pool at the back of Deck 4. The pool area is prettily designed with light wooden decking and green foliage, which contrast nicely with the bright white of Spirit's exterior. Here you'll find several black rattan chairs and love seats, a handful of traditional loungers and one two-person daybed for relaxing in the sun. When the sun gets too strong, a retractable awning can be pulled out to provide shade.
Up one level at the top of the boat is the sun deck. Here you'll find a variety of seating including traditional loungers and padded bench seating set amid bright green artificial turf, a ship-long black walking track (16 times around is just under 1 mile) and real palms growing in planters. Near the middle is a small, round garden with decorative greens, a kitchen herb garden (with thyme, basil, mint and aloe vera) and kumquats, which were given to the captain as a gift. At the front is the outdoor theatre with greyish armchairs and black folding chairs placed under an awning. The theatre is used once a cruise as an outdoor cinema, as well as for some of the guest entertainers, including the two cultural performances.
Scenic Spirit's reception desk and small shop are located on Deck 2 (Jewel Deck). The reception desk is manned 24 hours a day and is where you call if you need to request something from your butler or want to order room service. Also on Deck 2 is the ship's library, a lovely sunlit spot at the front of the ship with a small selection of books, magazines and a handful of board games.
A lift provides service to all decks except the sun deck. A DIY laundry room on Deck 1 (Gem Deck) is available pretty much all day long. There are three washers and dryers, and laundry detergent is provided, as is an iron and ironing board. The machines get pretty busy on the last two days of the cruise so time your washes accordingly. Laundry service is also available for a fee. (Passengers in the two Royal Panorama Suites get their washing done for free.)
Wi-Fi is included in your cruise fare, but can be spotty with most passengers reporting they got the best service during the night. We found it was always good enough to read or send emails, as well as upload photos to Facebook and Instagram but when we tried to do Wi-Fi calling our connection was never very good.
There's also a small "shop" (basically just two display cases and several items hung on the walls) near the reception desk. Items for sale are divided into two categories: Scenic-branded items (shirts, bathrobes, pens, etc.) and handcrafted items (dresses, soaps, silk scarves and bags; and jewellery made from recycled bomb shells) from a Cambodian NGO with which Scenic has partnered.
You'll find both a small spa and fitness centre onboard Scenic Spirit, on Deck 1 (Gem Deck). The spa features one treatment room offering Vietnamese and Cambodian-style massages, a small salon for hairstyling (haircuts are only available when the boat is docked in Phnom Penh) and manicures and pedicures, plus a steam room and a sauna. Prices are much less than what you find on European river cruises.
The tiny fitness centre has three pieces of TechnoGym equipment: an elliptical, treadmill and recumbent bike. There's also a multifunctional cable resistance machine for strength training, as well as yoga mats and stability balls.
Dining is a highlight of the Scenic Spirit experience. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the Crystal Dining Room, with cakes and sandwiches available in the River Café from about 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Meals are, with few exceptions, excellent; we heard zero complaints from passengers regarding the food onboard Spirit and we enjoyed every meal we had.
Dietary restrictions can be catered for, but you should always let Scenic know ahead of time. For some restrictions, like gluten-free, options might be limited by what can be sourced in Asia. (We brought our own gluten-free pasta with us and the chef was over the moon because he cannot get gluten-free pasta over there.) Fish allergies, likewise, are hard for the chef to cater to as most food in Asia is cooked in fish oil. Again, let Scenic know what your requirements are and consider bringing some supplies with you to give to the chef.
Vegetarian options are always available and are delicious.
Crystal Dining Room (Deck 2): The Crystal Dining Room is the main restaurant onboard Scenic Spirit. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served here; there are no assigned tables (though set groups form quickly and often dine at the same table night after night) and dinner is just one seating. You'll find two-, four-, six and eight-top tables.
Breakfast and lunch hours vary by the day's touring schedule and are usually buffet style. (On the one long day in Phnom Penh, dinner is provided buffet style and lunch is a la carte.)
Breakfast hours can range from anywhere between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. Buffet choices include lox, a variety of cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits, six yogurts, rotating cereals (if you don't see the one you like ask for it), bacon, hash browns, pastries and breads, and an omelette station. There's also an a la carte menu with eggs Benedict, assorted dim sum, waffles, pancakes, French toast and minute steak.
Lunch is usually served from noon to 1:30 p.m., is almost always buffet style and features a selection of starters, salads, soups, main courses, sides, a carving station, a pasta of the day and desserts. Starters might include caviar-stuffed eggs, vegetable sticks in an avocado spread, scallop ceviche, mini chicken pizzas and sushi rolls. There's a make-your-own salad bar, as well as pre-made salads such as green mango and basil, Asian-style curry Waldorf salad or a banana blossom and marinated pork salad. Soups on offer might include miso, hot and sour mushroom, taro root cream soup or lychee and coconut. In the carving station you might find lamb, coconut beef, five-spice chicken or pork belly. Main courses include breaded calamari, bean curd and vegetable cakes, tofu and bok choy, a fish of the day and, our favourite, a cabbage wrap with vegetables and rice noodles for which we asked for the recipe. Sides always include deliciously sauteed vegetables, potatoes and a rice dish. Desserts always include vanilla ice cream and a sherbet or ice cream of the day, as well as a selection of pastries such as banana cake, dragon fruit mousse, bread and butter pudding, dark chocolate and chili mousse, plus handmade milk chocolate and dark chocolate cookies and a selection of international cheeses.
Except for one night in Phnom Penh, dinner service starts at 7 p.m. and typically ends around 9. Similar to lunch, dinners feature starters, soups, a main course and desserts. At the top of every menu (except the Tastes of Asia dinner), is the chef's recommendations for the meal. Starters might include chicken terrine with shrimp crackers, crepes with shrimp and smoked ham, a Vietnamese quiche with salami, soft rice paper roll with prawns and pork or beef salad with herb dressing. Soup choices can include seafood soup with okra in a sweet and sour pineapple broth, cream of broccoli with a peanut froth, cream of vegetable and a tom yum seafood broth. Main course options might be a seafood cassoulet, duck breast cooked in root spices, a bean curd and roast vegetable napoleon, prime beef rib with Asian spices, grilled cobia or barramundi fillet and zucchini piccata.
For dessert, choices might include mango sticky rice and coconut sorbet, chocolate mousse cake, mango crème brûlée, and Vietnamese coffee tiramisu. Fresh fruit, ice cream and a cheese platter are also always available for dessert.
Available every night is a small selection classic fare menu with options that include Caesar salad, chicken breast, salmon steak and a sirloin steak that got rave reviews from more people than we could keep track of. All but the salad are served with coleslaw, French fries and an herb butter.
Once per cruise, the chef offers up a Taste of Southeast Asia menu with dishes from Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines. Items include Hanoi shrimp fritters, Burmese-style chicken salad, Thai vegetable curry with rice log and Mok Pa' Lao steamed fish in banana leaf with steamed rice and vegetables.
River Café: Located on one side of the Spirit Lounge is the so-called River Café, which is really just two tables situated next to a couple of glass display cases. Inside, between about 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. are a selection of five or six cakes and six or so sandwiches and wraps.
Room Service: There is a 24/7 menu of room service items, as well as a small breakfast menu of consisting only of beverages and pastries. Options include garden salad; the Scenic triple deck sandwich (with chicken, bacon and egg), a tofu club sandwich with tomato and pesto, a Hanoi grilled chicken banh mi (a filled baguette), fresh or deep-fried chicken spring rolls, a soup of the day, three burger choices and minute steak. Room service desserts include assorted cheeses, green tea opera cake, chocolate fudge cake and ice cream. You can also choose to order dinner from the evening's Crystal Dining Room menu if you'd prefer.
Cabins on Scenic Spirit are roomy, comfortable and well-designed with more than enough storage and sitting space for two people. Décor is minimalist without being stark with light wooden flooring, furniture in darker woods and greys and, in most rooms, a single paining by a Vietnamese artist bought at a gallery in Ho Chi Minh City.
All rooms have a bedroom, living space, walk-in closet, spacious bathroom and at least one flat-screen TV. On the TV, you'll find Animal Planet, National Geographic, Discovery, CNN, BBC World, TLC, HBO, two sports channels and a movie menu with current hits, classic films and movies about or set in Southeast Asian countries (think The Killing Fields, Apocalypse Now, Platoon and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Good Morning Vietnam, among others). Amenities provided include a fully stocked mini-fridge (you can customize the contents to your preferences), individual temperature controls in both the living room and bedroom, umbrellas and walking sticks, multiple 220-voltage outlets and two USB ports on one side of the bed.
All cabins are true suites with the bedroom separated from the living room by sliding wooden doors. Bedrooms have floor-to-ceiling, wall-length windows that can be opened halfway; there's no screen so be careful about keeping the window open once the sun goes down as any lights will attract bugs. Beds, which can be configurable as two twins or a queen, are adjustable, meaning you can raise and lower the top and/or bottom part of the beds to fit your liking with both sleepers able to adjust their side of the bed separately. There is also a pillow menu with several options, including soft or firm pillows, anti-aging pillows and more.
In the living room, which has a couch and desk with chair, you'll also find a convertible balcony, which can be separated from the rest of the room by an accordion-style sliding-glass door. With the door closed and the floor-to-ceiling, wall-length window opened half way it serves as an actual balcony; with the sliding-glass door opened all the way, it serves as a nice sunroom (the line calls these Scenic Sun Lounges).
One of our favourite things about the rooms on Scenic Spirit is their storage capacity; there's lots of drawer space including in the closet, under the couch, next to the beds and in the bathroom. And we loved the pull-out shoe racks in the closet, as finding an out of the way place for all our shoes is usually a challenge on any ship.
Bathrooms, which are right off the bedroom, feature showers with handheld and overhead options, as well as a body jet -- and lots of buttons. (We heard from several people who had to call their butlers to ask for directions on how to use the shower, so be sure to get instructions on day one.) Amenities include L'Occitane shampoo and shower gel, plus a conditioner from a Cambodian company called Bodia Nature. There's plenty of storage space underneath the sink including a long shelf, a cubby hole and four drawers. In one of the drawers, you'll find a hair dryer. Bathrooms also have an automatic night-light that some passengers asked to have disconnected as it's quite bright, sensitive to movement and stays on for about 15 minutes after being triggered. We didn't know it could be turned off until near the end of our cruise so slept with our bathroom door closed every night so as not to be disturbed by the light.
You'll also find two bottles of water (replenished daily) in the bathrooms for use when brushing your teeth. Although we were told repeatedly that the water onboard is treated to the highest standards, we were still asked not to drink it and to use bottled water for brushing our teeth as well.
Deluxe Suite: There are 24 344-square-foot Deluxe Suites spread across three decks on Scenic Spirit. The two Deluxe Suites that are located on Deck 4 (Diamond Deck) receive free pressing of two pieces of clothing per day, as well as an invitation to a six-course Captain's Dinner.
Grand Deluxe Suite: You'll find eight 430-square-feet Grand Deluxe Suites on Deck 4 (Diamond Deck). Other than their larger size, Grand Deluxe Suites differ from their smaller counterparts by having a second TV in the sitting room, an oversized walk-in closet and a small entry hall with desk, chair, makeup mirror, extra drawers and floating shelves. Passengers in Grand Deluxe Suites receive free pressing of two pieces of clothing per day, as well as an invitation to a six-course Captain's Dinner.
Royal Panorama Suite: The two 861-square-foot Royal Panorama Suites on Deck 4 are the largest cabins on the ship and come with the most perks. In addition to a larger walk-in closet and living room with separate lounge and dining areas, they also feature an oversized outdoor terrace with the same table and chairs as other balconies, but also have loungers, a hot tub and a daybed; the large bathroom has his and her sinks with a freestanding crisp white ceramic bathtub set against a floor-to-ceiling window and separate toilet and shower. Passengers staying in the Royal Panorama Suites receive free washing and pressing service, an invitation to a six-course Captain's Dinner and $110 per cabin in onboard credit to be used in the spa.
