PHOTO: Scenic Jade, along with sister ship Scenic Gem, is the newest of the company’s nine Space Ships.

River cruise company Scenic Cruises, now widely recognized as being in the luxury end of the river cruise segment, has increased the number of its “Space Ships” to nine this year with the addition of the 169-passenger Scenic Jade on the Danube and the 126-passenger Scenic Gem on the Seine.

Scenic Jade is nearly identical to the company’s other ships sailing on the Danube and other major European rivers. It features a 15-day “Jewels of Europe” cruise, which sails on the Danube from Amsterdam to Budapest, with stops in Düsseldorf, Cologne, Marksburg, Rüdesheim, Miltenberg, Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk, Dürnstein and Vienna. Here’s a look at what the vessel offers in terms of accommodations, dining, tour programs and more.

Accommodations:

PHOTO: The river ship features two Royal Panorama suites in the stern with luxurious amenities.

The 443-foot-long Scenic Jade has 75 cabins, ranging in size from 160 square feet to 225 square feet, and 10 suites, which start at 250 square feet and go up to 325 square feet. Located on three decks, accommodations range from standard staterooms on the lowest deck, with just a narrow window, to balcony suites, deluxe balcony suites, junior balcony suites (with both a tub and shower), royal balcony suites (with a sitting area) and two Royal Panorama Suites. There is also one handicap-accessible junior balcony suite (without a bathtub) and one balcony suite for solo travelers.

The 225-square-foot deluxe balcony suite on the top deck is decorated in a neutral color-palette of gray, white and black, with a lightwood covering on the walls. The cabin has a small table and stool (the Royal Suite adds a large desk and chair) and a large wardrobe lining the wall next to the queen-size bed, with plenty of shelving and drawers. A complimentary minibar is refilled daily with items such as Pringles, Ritter Sport chocolate, sodas, wine and liquor.

One of the highlights of staying in a balcony suite is the Sun Lounge, a private balcony with an electronic switch that allows the top half of the window to open and close. It’s a great feature for guests who want to sit out at night and avoid bugs entering their stateroom. The balcony also can be opened up entirely by moving the glass panes dividing it from the room, so guests can have an even larger space.

All staterooms feature flat-screen televisions linked to a Mac mini with an electronic keyboard. The TV also features complimentary movies and music, as well as a channel that shows live shots of the outside scenery as the ship sails along the river. Those passengers who want a personal device to access Wi-Fi — which is complimentary throughout the ship — can borrow an iPad from the concierge desk.

Junior suites and higher categories feature tubs in the bathroom, which comes with L’Occitane amenities. Bathrooms in the deluxe balcony suites also have a shower with three different showerheads; the top showerhead has an LED-colored light option that flickers different colors.

Dining:

For a formal sit-down lunch and or dinner, the Crystal Dining Room features a buffet and à la carte options, which are often themed around the region being visited, as well as a list of wines from across Europe.

Things step up a notch at Portobello, the 30-seat Italian restaurant located at the front of the ship with panoramic views of the water. It’s a great spot in the evening when the sun is setting and the ship is sailing. Guests can make a reservation for the five-course Italian meal for one night during the trip.

The ultimate dining experience onboard is at Table La Rive, the chef’s table, which is exclusive to guests staying in staterooms on the Danube Deck. Closed off by a curtain from the rest of the Crystal Dining Room, Table La Rive features an intimate six-course gourmet meal with wine pairings, with courses like salmon Carpaccio and tiger prawns paired with an Austrian Sauvignon Blanc.

Other onboard options include the River Café, located near the bow of the ship, which serves a smaller buffet breakfast and lunch. Guests also can order from the room service menu 24 hours a day.

Public Areas:

PHOTO: Guests relaxing on the sun deck can take in the passing river scenery.

The Jade Lounge is where guests can mingle between excursions and/or sit in the evening for the port talk, has inviting sofas, tables and a bar that offers unlimited drinks and light bites throughout the day. The lounge also has nightly live music and other entertainment, such as a disco night, a performance by a Bavarian brass band, a Goulash soup party and a Hungarian folklore show with dancers.

Guests also can relax with a drink on the Panorama Deck with a front row view of the passing scenery along the river. They can work out in the small fitness room, stop by the salon for a cut or massage (for an additional fee)or make their way to the tables up on the sun deck to watch as the ship goes through the locks along the river.

Tours & Excursions:

Itineraries feature one or two complimentary tour options in the mornings, typically a bus or walking tour or an excursion to a nearby town. While docked in Vienna, guests could opt to visit nearby Bratislava in Slovakia or stay in town and visit either the Schönbrunn Palace or Spanish Riding School. Scenic also arranges exclusive experiences for passengers, like a private classical music concert at the Palais Liechtenstein in Vienna.

During the day in each port town, guests have the option to join one of these included tours, or explore the town on their own, either by foot or on one of Scenic’s easy-to-operate electric bikes. They also can use the Scenic Tailormade GPS device, which serves as a headset during excursions, around town and access self-guided walking and biking tours.

Guests who are looking for a more active experience also have such options as a three-hour bike ride through Lower Austria from Melk to Dürnstein, stopping at small villages and churches along the way. Those who have a harder time getting around or want to take it easy can opt for a slower walking tour or stay onboard for a number of planned activities, such as a barbecue with a band on the sun deck or afternoon tea with live music at the River Café.

Since Scenic uses local guides and has its own buses, guests can easily take buses in and out of town at arranged drop-off and pick-up times. The guides on the tours also do a great job of catering to guests’ needs and answering their questions.

Service:

Part of what differentiates Scenic as a luxury product is that all passengers have butler service, though the level of service varies by room category. For the deluxe balcony suite on the upper level, butler service includes shoe shining, two free pressed items per day, drink service and in-room breakfast, which is delivered quite promptly with plenty of options to choose from.

But the butler service is just part of the high level of service that guests receive. They are greeted by name at the front desk or at dinner, and the staff quickly gets to know their preferences when it comes to drinks and dining in the Crystal Dining Room.

Cruising Style:

Scenic Jade’s itineraries seem to appeal most to guests in their 60s and 70s who are active and well educated. Guests seem equally as excited about the onboard lecture discussing the European Union with a historian in Nuremberg as they were about experiencing the gilded Benedictine Abbey in Melk, Austria.

Geared toward the luxury river cruise guest, Scenic also targets seasoned travelers as well as younger and more active guests, according to Joe Maloney, vice president of U.S. sales and marketing at Scenic. “The market is wide open,” he says. “It can include travelers who have taken premium and deluxe river or ocean cruises and want to upgrade to luxury, travelers who have taken luxury ocean cruises and want a more immersive cultural experience, travelers who have taken land tours or stayed in boutique or luxury hotels, and family or affinity groups that want to travel together.”

Scenic offers more inclusive choices than many other river cruise lines, with all-inclusive fares covering meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, multiple shore excursions per day, butler service, airport transfers, and gratuities on board and on shore.

The only items that guests pay extra for are salon services, which range from hair cuts and styling to facials, massages and manicures; laundry service, which is complimentary for the Royal Suites; and top-shelf alcohol in the mini-bar, which is complimentary for guests in the Royal Suites.