Emerald Cruises.
Emerald Cruises started in 2014 and operates a fleet of six similar riverboats along Europe’s Rhine, Rhone, Saône, Main, Danube, Moselle and Douro Rivers. In Southeast Asia, one vessel plies the Mekong River. Yachts cruise Mediterranean waters such Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, Italian and Greek ports, plus ports in Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Egypt and further afield – Dubai and the Seychelles.
Known as Evergreen Waterways in Australia, the line is a division of Scenic, a multifaceted travel company. The price point is mid-range and the boats’ decor falls into the modern minimalist style.
Emerald Cruises is a real gem, offering good-value river cruises and is owned by the same firm that operates Scenic, a higher-end line.
The 2019-built Emerald Harmony is based in SE Asia. * Photo: Emerald Harmony
Fleet
Star-Ships
Emerald Star (built 2014 & 180 passengers) — Rhine, Main, Danube & Moselle Rivers
Emerald Sky (b. 2014 & 180p) — Rhine, Main, Danube & Moselle Rivers
Emerald Dawn (b. 2015 & 180p) — Rhine, Main, Danube & Moselle Rivers
Emerald Sun (b. 2015 & 180p) — Rhine, Main, Danube & Moselle Rivers
Emerald Destiny (b. 2017 & 180p) — Rhine, Main, Danube & Moselle Rivers
Emerald Luna (b. TK & 180p) — Rhine, Main, Danube & Moselle Rivers
Emerald Liberté (b. 2017 & 138p) — Rhône & Saône Rivers
Emerald Radiance (b. 2017 & 112p) — Douro River in Portugal
Emerald Harmony (b. 2019 & 84p) — Mekong River
The Star Ship “Emerald Sun.” * Photo: Emerald Cruises
Other Ships
MS Nizhny Novgorod (b. 1977, refurbished 2019, 204p + chartered) — Russia *N.B. not currently operating.
MS Rossia (b. 1978, refitted 2007, 224p) — Russia *N.B. not currently operating.
MS Hamees (b. TK & 142p) — chartered Mövenpick journeys, Nile River
MS Swallow (b. 2019 & 36p) — Croatia’s Dalmatian coast
MS Lastavica (b. 2020 & 36p) — Croatia’s Dalmatian coast
Emerald Azzurra (b. 2021 & 100p) — luxury yacht added July 2021, Mediterranean, Adriatic & Red Seas
Emerald Sakara (due 2023 & 100p) – a second luxury yacht
Passenger Profile
For the most part English-speaking from Australia, North American, and Britain.
Passenger Decks
Riverboats: four decks, three of them with cabins, and two more public rooms. An elevator connects the three cabin and public room decks.
Price
$$ Expensive yet a good value with lots included in the fares.
Included Features
- Most excursions (at least one for every port) *
- Biking & hiking tours
- Independent use of onboard bicycles
- Beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee & tea with lunch and dinner
- Bottled water in cabins
- Some on-shore meals
- Pre-paid on-board gratuities
- Wi-Fi onboard
- Transfers
- Port charges
- *More in-depth excursions are available at an extra cost through the DiscoverMORE program focusing on art, local history, culture and food.
Cologne Cathedral as seen on a Rhine River cruise. * Photo: Ted Scull
Itineraries
Emerald’s European river cruises comprise 5- to 15-day cruises on the Rhine, Main, Danube and Moselle Rivers, as well as the Rhône and Saône; 8 to 22 days on Portugal’s Duoro River; and 11 days on Russia’s Volga River (N.B. Russian itineraries not currently operating).
Southeast Asia, 8- to 21-day cruises ply the Mekong.
Eastern Mediterranean, a 16-day land-and-river package includes a tour of Israel combined with a Nile River cruise.
Sample Itineraries
- The eight-day Danube Delights cruise covers four countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. The journey departs from Nuremberg and calls at Regensberg, Passau, Linz, Melk, Dürnstein, Vienna and Bratislava before ending at Budapest.
- The 10-day Secrets of the Douro cruise visits the wine country and landmarks of Portugal and Spain, sailing from Porto and calling at Pinhão, Vega de Terrón, Salamanca, Pocinho and Régua, concluding at Porto.
- The 16-day Israel & Ancient Egypt river cruise begins in Tel Aviv, Israel where you’ll tour the city for two days before sailing to Haifa for tours of Acre and Galilee, which includes a cruise on the Galilee Sea; a short drive to Jerusalem for a couple days of guided tours throughout the city before returning to Tel Aviv for a flight to Cairo and on to Luxor, Egypt. From Luxor, cruise the Nile with calls at Dendra, Esna, Kom Ombo and Aswan, with a short flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel and return to continue cruising the Nile before flying back to Cairo for three days of tours. (N.B. -These itineraries not currently operating)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. * Photo: Ted Scull
Why Go?
A European river cruise introduces you in the space of a week or so to several different cultures, long histories, and scenic delights with one unpacking and one packing chore. Asian river cruising is the least stressful way to see diverse culturally-rich countries.
Sustainability Initiatives
The Emerald Harmony was the line’s first Star-Ship to ban all single use plastics.
Now on all river ships, passengers will be provided a complementary metal water bottle to refill from water stations on the ship, and reusable glass water bottles will be provided in the cabins.
Plus, recyclable bamboo and paper straws will be used in the restaurant, bar and lounge, while cabin toiletry miniatures will be replaced with refillable dispensers.
When to Go?
Summer in Europe can be a bit hectic ashore at the most popular port calls, while May and October are less crowded months,. The months of March and April, also times of fewer tourists, may have more unsettled weather.
The Emerald Dawn. * Photo: Emerald Cruises
Activities & Entertainment
While most activities take place ashore, the line has added options like yoga classes, aqua aerobics and smartphone photo workshops on board, as well as deck games like chess with giant pieces and shuffleboard.
Some of the Emerald riverboats have small pools. * Photo: Emerald Waterways
Musical entertainment comes aboard on selected evenings. An Activities Manager leads guided complimentary cycling tours, rural and urban hikes, and various walks, and can also help passengers plan their own activities ashore on foot or bicycle.
EmeraldACTIVE offers reasonably fit passengers the chance to hike in Germany’s Black Forest on a Rhine cruise and on the Danube; tour by bicycle (also available for independent touring) in the scenic areas around Melk, Austria and glide along the streets of Belgrade, Serbia.
RELATED: Active River Cruising on Emerald. by John Roberts
The list of bike tours includes Amsterdam, Hoorn, and Veere in the Netherlands; to La Roche-de-Glun in southern France, and Melk to Dürnstein along the Danube in Austria. Hikes can include a vineyard in Tournon, France, a climb up to Dürnstein Castle in Austria, or to Belogradchik Fortress, a Roman-era surveillance tower built into a natural wonder, depending on your cruise.
Canoeing is also a new feature in quiet waters, especially in Portugal’s Douro Valley, where you can take a single or double kayak and paddle close to the vineyards. The aim is broaden the interest to appeal to a more active clientele.
How about this for inventive use of space — every evening they drain the heated swimming pool and presto! It magically morphs into a cinema, complete with a bar! — Ted Scull
Emerald riverboat moored at Koblenz on the Rhine. * Photo: Emerald Waterways
Star-Ships (Riverboats)
- Emerald Star
- Emerald Sky
- Emerald Dawn
- Emerald Sun
- Emerald Destiny
- Emerald Luna
The flagships of the Emerald Cruises fleet, these six riverboats each measure 135m in length and have four decks, three with cabins, connected by elevators. The main restaurant serves buffet breakfast and lunch, either indoors or al fresco, and a four-course dinner nightly. In fine weather, there’s barbecue on the Sun Deck. A heated pool transforms by night into a cinema and lounge, shielded from the elements by a retractable glass roof.
Other recreation facilities include a sun deck with lounge chairs, putting green, games area, walking track, fitness and wellness areas and a salon. Cabins are all outside-facing, and comprise 72 suites, most with private balconies created by picture windows that open from the top at the push of a button, and 20 staterooms. All cabins have individual temperature control and large windows. They measure in size from 117 sq. ft. for a single stateroom; the rest ranging from 162 to 315 sq. ft.
In cabin: en-suite, TV with movies, telephone, free Wi-Fi, safe, minibar, complimentary bottled water, hairdryer.
A spacious, light-filled balcony cabin. * Photo: Emerald Waterways
- Emerald Liberté
This boat is almost identical in layout and facilities to the fleet’s six flagships (above), but is slightly smaller at 110m in length. The dining room also boasts authentic locally-sourced fine cuisine with wine paired by on-board sommeliers. Cabins number 68, comprised of 14 staterooms and 54 suites, all outside-facing and most with private balconies created by picture windows that open from the top at the push of a button, measuring from 106 sq. ft. for a single stateroom; the rest ranging from 170 to 315 sq. ft.
In cabin: en-suite, TV with movies, telephone, free Wi-Fi, safe, minibar, complimentary bottled water, hairdryer.
- Emerald Radiance
A smaller, more intimate version of the fleet’s flagships (see above), this riverboat measures 89m in length, with fours decks connected by an elevator. It also boasts a crew-to-passenger ratio of 1:3. Facilities include indoor and al fresco dining, sun deck with deck chairs, pool, walking track, lounge, fitness and wellness areas and salon.
Fifty-six cabins include 10 staterooms; the rest are suites, all are outside-facing and most have private balconies created by picture windows that open from the top at the push of a button. They measure in size from 153-170 sq ft for a stateroom; the suites ranging from 160 to 300 sq ft.
In cabin: en-suite, TV with movies, telephone, free Wi-Fi, safe, minibar, complimentary bottled water, hairdryer.
- Emerald Harmony
This 73m long riverboat, built 2019 for 84 passenger, has four decks and was built for the Mekong with specs that allow it to dock in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City while still providing for many of the unique facilities of its European river boats. These include an on-board dining room, a pool that transforms by night into a lounge, shielded from the elements by a retractable glass roof, sun deck with lounge chairs, games area, walking track, fitness and wellness areas, salon and self-service laundry.
Forty-two cabins include four staterooms with porthole views; the rest are suites, all are outside-facing and most have private balconies created by picture windows that open from the top at the push of a button — all cabins measure 315 sq ft.
In cabin: en-suite, TV with movies, free Wi-Fi.
Other Ships
- MS Nizhny Novgorod (Russian rivers cruises not currently operating)
Originally built in 1977, this 129m long boat was refurbished in 2019 and is under charter. It has four decks, two of which contain cabins. Facilities include two restaurants, two bar areas, a solarium, sauna, ironing room, small souvenir shop and conference hall. Of the 106 cabins, six are suites measuring 298 sq. ft., the remaining cabins range from 142-167 sq. ft. All are outside-facing and have large windows and either queen or twin beds.
Emerald Yacht Cruises
- Emerald Azzurra (2022) & Emerald Sakara (2023)
Under the newly-launched Emerald Yacht Cruises brand, these 360-foot long, 100-passenger super yachts are scheduled to debut in 2022 and 2023. Spacious cabins will start at 285 sq. ft., most of them with private balconies. The ship will also have a marina platform for water sports like paddle boarding and snorkeling.
Contact:
USA – 857-444-4732
info@emeraldcruises.com
EmeraldCruises.com
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