Having enjoyed a smaller canal cruise in Alsace, we were ready to try a cruise on the Rhone river. Reviews of various river cruise lines consistently pointed to Scenic as a quality choice. Although the Sapphire is not new, we found it to be sparkling in both design and maintenance. We were welcomed on board by the captain and his staff and assigned to a lovely balcony cabin, newly serviced and polished. When I found the young women in the hallway who I suspected had cleaned our room, she actually jumped and clapped her hands saying "Oh, that's one of my rooms", when I expressed my appreciation for her work. (That gesture of appreciation on my part was not wasted, since I think I got extra chocolates on turndown every evening.) However we found that degree of pride and ownership expressed uniformly throughout the cruise staff, no matter the occupation. The availability of friendly and accommodating staff and attention to detail was a hallmark of our cruise. The business of serving delicious and varied meals, as well as the chore of getting 130 people to and from land tours on schedule was handled efficiently and pleasantly. Although our final docking was unavailable due to water conditions in the river, that too was handled smoothly and in a friendly manner. From the lovely meals, the wine tasting and cooking demonstration to the afternoon cappuccinos in the lounge and the music and dancing in the evenings, to the time spent on our private balcony listening to music and watching the scenery go by, we considered our Rhone river cruise on the Scenic Sapphire a splendid success.