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Scenic Group has announced that it has opened early access to its 2028 luxury Europe river cruising and land journeys collection, while also unveiling new itineraries, enhanced land extensions, and Scenic saying it is offering more ways for guests to combine and explore.

Scenic and Emerald Cruises’ 2028 programme reportedly responds to growing demand for longer stays, more immersive regional experiences, and flexible combinations, from the vineyards of France and imperial cities of Central Europe to the cultural crossroads of Eastern Europe.

With early access prices and Super Earlybird offers now open, travel advisors can secure preferred dates and suites for their clients, ahead of the general release.

Elisabeth Sadler, Vice President, River Cruising Product, Scenic Group, said, “Europe is one of the world’s most immersive regions to explore by river, and for 2028 we have expanded the ways guests can experience it,” adding, “Every season, we look at how our guests are travelling and where we can provide more meaningful journeys and “For Scenic, we’ve reimagined some of our most popular river and land itineraries to provide longer stays, new destination pairings and expanded extension options, whilst retaining the exclusive Scenic Enrich and Freechoice experiences our guests value”.

She also said, “For the Emerald Cruises collection, we have introduced a new itinerary along the lower Danube River, where we see strong demand for guests to explore more authentically.”

In addition, Scenic’s 2028 Europe collection introduces new land extensions and enhanced cruise-and-land combinations, reaffirming its position at the forefront of all-inclusive ultra-luxury travel. Thoughtfully crafted and seamlessly connected, these journeys offer an unrivalled level of inclusions, personalised service and enriching experiences, with one of its most popular river cruises, the 11 day Spectacular South of France has been redesigned, now operating between Lyon and Tarascon, or reverse, with six overnight stays in port, two late departures and extended cruising to Chalon-sur-Saône, opening up further access to Burgundy’s riverside towns. Guests will continue to enjoy signature Scenic Enrich experiences at the Pope’s Palace in Avignon and Chapelle de la Trinité, alongside curated culinary experiences, regional wine tastings and a hosted dinner on board by Michelin-starred Chef Didier Goiffon.

Some new and enhanced extensions include:

A four-day Monte-Carlo & French Riviera extension, featuring a stay at Fairmont Monte-Carlo and Scenic Freechoice touring to Èze and a traditional perfumery, or Menton with a local limoncello tasting.
A five-day Grand Castles of the Loire journey, paired with Seine and Bordeaux river cruises to immerse guests in the Loire Valley’s magnificent châteaux, Renaissance heritage and celebrated wine-country landscapes.
A four-day Brittany Discovery extension, paired with Seine itineraries with Scenic Freechoice excursions to Mont-Saint-Michel or Saint-Malo.
A three-day Munich extension, connecting via Regensburg on selected Gems of the Danube departures.

Emerald Cruises will be launching Danube Capitals & Crossroads, a new 10-night river cruise from Passau, Germany, to Belgrade, Serbia. The 11-day itinerary travels through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia, combining classic Danube capitals with the cultural energy and heritage of Eastern Europe.

Available on select departures in March, April and August 2028, the itinerary reveals a compelling mix of river landscapes, imperial cities and lesser-explored cultural treasures, including Passau, the City of Three Rivers, the Wachau Valley, Vienna, Bratislava, Esztergom, Budapest, Novi Sad and Belgrade.

Highlights include a Bavarian Beer Experience, EmeraldPLUS Vineyard Stories of Wachau with local wine tasting, overnight stays in Vienna and Budapest, wine tasting beneath Esztergom Basilica and a Serbian folklore evening on board, creating an authentic connection to the region’s traditions, flavours and spirit.

Guests can tailor their journey through a choice of EmeraldACTIVE experiences and optional DiscoverMORE tours. Active options include hiking to Veste Oberhaus in Passau, walking through Wachau vineyards, e-biking in Vienna, hiking around Bratislava Castle and Gellért Hill, and guided cycling in Novi Sad and Belgrade. DiscoverMORE experiences tour Salzburg, Schönbrunn Palace, Mauthausen Memorial, the Carpathian Wine Route and Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Museum. Late departures in Passau, Linz, Bratislava and Novi Sad also give guests additional time to explore.

The Emerald Star-Ship experience includes all meals with complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, daily guided excursions, EmeraldACTIVE excursions and EmeraldPLUS experiences, airport transfers, gratuities and more.

The new itinerary joins Emerald Cruises’ signature European favourites, delivering the brand’s distinctive blend of relaxed luxury and authentic experiences, with exceptional inclusions and the flexibility to explore each destination your way.

+Excludes embarkation and debarkation days.

Scenic Cruises & Tours 2028 Early Access Offer includes the following:-

Receive an Economy Class flight credit up to $2,900+ or a Business Class flight credit of up to $4,500pp+ on select river cruises.
Early Access Offers are based on per person, twin share in AUD, and are not combinable with any other offer.
Early Access Flight Offer and Savings Offer not combinable
Valid for new bookings only until sold out & subject to availability.
Full payment is due 10 months prior to the travel departure date, or payable within 30 days if the booking is within 10 months of the travel departure date. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per person is due within 7 working days of booking.
If the offer sells out or full payment is not received within 30 days, the standard offer will apply. Economy class flight credit up to the value of $2,900pp is available on selected Europe River cruises of 10 days or longer and cannot be exchanged for cash.
Scenic must book flights for guests travelling from Australia to Europe in economy class, and they cannot be redeemed for internal flights within Europe.
The up to $4,500 Business class flight credit per person is only applicable to Sapphire and Diamond decks on selected Europe river cruises of 11 days or longer on selected dates in Feb, Mar, July, Aug, Oct & Nov 2028, or up to $3,500pp on selected dates in April, May, June, Sept & Dec 2028 & can only be used for Business Class flights from Australia to Europe during the specified periods. Flights must be booked by Scenic via the standard journey routing to be valid. Save up to $2,500pp on selected Europe river cruises of 10 days or longer.
Save up to $1,400pp on selected 8-day Europe river cruises. Save up to an additional $400pp is applicable when booking two (2) extensions in combination with your river cruise.
For full booking terms and conditions, visit scenic.cruises/terms-conditions.