Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours to pay $26m in court settlement dating back to 2013

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours to pay $26m in court settlement dating back to 2013
By Zach Havard


The supreme court of NSW has made its ruling in a ten-year class action against Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours who will pay a settlement of $23 million in damages to 1,20 passengers. 

Scenic will also pay $3 million towards the legal costs of the plaintiffs who claimed distress and disappointment damages.

The class action stems from extreme river flooding in April and May of 2013 which halted Scenic’s vessels from sailing the Rhine and Danube rivers.  

Rather than cancelling the cruises between Amsterdam and Budapest, Scenic used industrial ports and serviced lengthy bus journeys instead.

MD Ben Hemsworth from Somerville Legal in North Sydney, the firm opposing Scenic in court said the firm was to be congratulated for the ten year court proceedings.

A statement from Scenic Group said it was disappointed with the final judgement after ten years of litigation, however, the outcome was, “in line with our financial provisioning, given the previous court decisions and subsequent appeals.

“We are pleased that this matter has finally been settled and can confirm that Scenic Group is committed to delivering scheduled itineraries, without compromising on the guest’s safety or the services we provide,” the statement said.

“Whilst the prospect of schedule interruptions is unpredictable, we take nothing for granted and continue to invest in our River Cruise Cover and itineraries for the benefit of our guests.”

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