Scenic Sapphire
River · 147 guests

Scenic Sapphire

Scenic (river) · Scenic Space-Ship, 135 m (Sapphire/Diamond)

Photo: Rolf Heinrich, Köln, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Is she right for you?

Food and wine lovers doing Provence or Bordeaux in luxury.

Think twice if: Older hulls (built 2008/2009) even after the 2024 refit.

See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Scenic (river)'s page for this ship →

At a glance

What she's like

Size & feelRiver ship

Docks close to the town centre in most ports. Under 200 guests, so no lines and no tender boats.

Who you'll sail with

English; all staff, crew and guides speak English

Price level$$$$$

Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).

Included in the fare

Meals, drinks (except a few specialty wines and rare spirits), excursions, transfers, Wi-Fi, luggage handling, port charges, tips and taxes. Spa costs extra.

Children

Under 12 'not encouraged' and accepted at line's discretion except Christmas sailings; under-18s must share with an adult (2025 river terms). No kids' clubs.

What to wear

Casual and comfortable; dinner smart casual; jacket and tie optional

Where & when

Where she sails in Europe

Rhône, Saône, Dordogne, Garonne

We don't have her sailing-by-sailing schedule yet. See the line's site for dates.

Your real budget

What it costs beyond the fare

Tips for the crewincluded; Added to your bill automatically? n/a (in fare)
Drinks packageincluded
Wifiincluded (may be patchy)
Specialty restaurantsnot published as extra-charge
Money on boardEUR (river ships); no Amex

How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →

Her restaurants · 2 included, 0 extra

Where to eatCost
Crystal DiningIncluded
L'AmourIncluded
Scenic Culinaire (cooking school)Not stated
Choosing your cabin

Which cabin to book, and which to avoid

The line doesn't publish cabin sizes for this ship that we could find.

Good to know before you pick

  • Suites are spread over the Diamond, Sapphire and Jewel Decks; the Jewel Deck is lowest.
  • Cabins with windows that don't open: Jewel Deck: 'Standard Suites' (window type not stated).

If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty

Not published on the Scenic fleet page. Wheelchair users need a companion who can do all assisting; crew cannot carry wheelchairs on ramps or onto coaches; accessible rooms requested at booking Our accessibility guide →

Deck plans

Find your way around

Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.

  1. Sun · Sun Deck , Sun Deck
  2. Diamond · Diamond Deck , Balcony Suites
  3. Sapphire · Sapphire Deck , Balcony Suites
  4. Jewel · Jewel Deck , Standard Suites
  5. ? · Deck not stated on graphic , Salt Therapy Lounge; Fitness Centre; Wellness Centre; Crystal Dining; Panorama Lounge Bar; Riverview Terrace; Portobellos; Panorama Deck (bow)

Open Scenic (river)'s official deck plan →

Planning your trip

What to book, and when

Booking, check-in and reservations

Deposit due within 48 hours of booking (amount given at booking). Final payment 90 days before departure. Complete Trip Personalizer before travel. Documents 2-4 weeks before departure. Freechoice excursions chosen per port.

Paying and cancelling

Lose deposit 90+ days out, 35% at 89-60, 50% at 59-30, 100% under 30 (2025 Europe river terms). Optional Flexible Booking Plan: defer or cancel up to 90 days out for travel credit.

Tips for her Europe sailings

Bordeaux sailings are tidal and itineraries may change. Credit cards Visa/MasterCard on board.

Where she docks

Pier locations given in documents; town-centre docking not stated

If the river is too high or too low

Not detailed for Rhine/Danube on pages fetched; Bordeaux itineraries 'amended or modified as required'

How much walking on the included tours

"A reasonable level of fitness is required"; guests must be self-sufficient or bring a helper

Low bridges and the sun deck

Official: Sun Deck open 8am to late but 'crew may need to close access to the Sun Deck without notice for safety purposes or due to local authority restrictions'

Before you go

The details

The ship in numbers

Cruise line
Scenic (river)
Kind of ship
River
Last refit
2024
Guests
147
Crew
57
Cabins
74
Guest decks
3
Length
135 m (443 ft)
Width
12 m (39 ft)
Flag
Malta
Class
Scenic Space-Ship, 135 m (Sapphire/Diamond)
Ship number
ENI 02330040
Sister ships
Scenic Diamond
In Europe 2026–27
Rhône, Saône, Dordogne, Garonne
Worth knowing

Highlights

  • Refurbished 2024; only 147 guests in 74 suites
  • Vitality Pool, Salt Therapy Room and Scenic Culinaire cooking school
  • Sails the Rhône, Saône, Dordogne and Garonne
  • Riverview Terrace and Panorama Deck at the bow
On board & ashore

More pictures

Sources & what we could not confirm · 6 sources · checked 2026-11
Still being confirmed
  • Flag and beam from VesselFinder (registry aggregator).
  • Scenic gives "Built 2008/2009" for the pair without saying which ship is which.
  • Scenic (river): Payment and cancellation figures come from 2025 terms; 2026/2027 terms not checked.
  • Scenic (river): River smoking rule not found.
  • Deck plan: Which deck each public venue is on is not stated on the side-view graphic
  • Deck plan: Graphic covers Jasper, Opal, Amber, Ruby, Jade and Jewel together; the batch group lists 10 ships, so Pearl, Crystal, Sapphire and Diamond are not covered by this graphic (a separate Sapphire/Diamond graphic exists)