Testimonials

“I am a first-time cruiser, and little sad tears are welling up in my eyes because my cruise from Nuremberg to Amsterdam is almost over. I want to move into my cabin forever!

Seriously, there are so many things about this cruise that I love: the people, the crew, the boat, the excursions. But it's the little things that have impressed me the most. I see lots of other river boats plying the waters, but I just know they aren’t paying this much attention to the little details.

For example:

•    Blankets are available on the top deck; perfect for the evening

•    The home-baked tea cookies (to die for)

•    Great water pressure in the shower

•    The daily briefing letter that awaits you after dinner every night

•    The availability of bikes on-board

•    The town maps that are available at each port of call

•    The write-ups on the rivers

•    The printed daily news summaries, by country, available at breakfast

The list goes on and on. I also must say that the quality of the rooms is just fabulous. I LOVE the floor-to-ceiling and side-to-side panoramic windows. For this reason alone, I imagine I will never use another cruise line!”

“To be faced by the Emerald Sun was inspiring, but to be greeted by a lined-up crew blew my mind. I thought this was a thing reserved for films.

The ship was grander than either of us hoped, a palace where luxury was commonplace, and service second to none. Detail mattered: constantly changed towels, turned-down sheets, chocolates on the pillows, a bedside clock, slippers, robes, umbrellas in the event of rain, piano music in the lounge, and of course, constant attention from the caring staff. The maid must have been to the cabin two or three times each day, each time we returned there was further evidence of her attention.

At the flick of a switch, the amazing panoramic windows turned our cabin into an open balcony, and we became part of the great outdoors. With the extraordinary Parliament building of Budapest facing our dock, the experience was magical.

Once onshore, I hardly knew where to turn first, the cruise now an exciting adventure delving into the living history of Europe.

Abbeys here, palaces there, the exuberant splendour of Imperial Vienna, the fortress of Dürnstein, what to concentrate on next? In all, there were too many memories to share, except that the Emerald Waterways experience is a memory I’ll cherish for a long time.”

“Having now travelled on four different cruise lines, Emerald Waterways remains our favourite. Their crew were more friendly and efficient than others. Their cabins - although roughly the same size - seem more spacious with plenty of storage space. The food is always delicious and the variety of wine they offer is second to none.

Another plus point with Emerald Waterways is the walking tours. There is always one for the 'gentle walkers' which I and many others find extremely helpful. The pace is usually timed to the slowest walker - usually me! One thing we have learned is that guests do not have to go on every trip. It is fun to just sit on-board with other guests and enjoy the cruise down river. One day during our Emerald Waterways cruise down the Rhine, there was just five of us and we felt like we had our own private ship and there was no drop in the standard of service either. We stopped in Cologne for a couple of hours then on to Bonn to await the return of the main party.

I have found Emerald Waterways always open to suggestions and have taken ideas on-board. Having mentioned that another company reward returning guests with money off, Emerald Waterways came up with a £100 discount as a result.

I love the Emerald Waterways experience because from the moment I step on-board the ship I feel like I am returning to a second home.”

“I chose Emerald Waterways because, in my opinion, they offered value for money and seemed far superior to other river cruises we studied.

For our first cruise, we chose 'The Splendours of Southern France'. We loved it: the attention to detail, the cleanliness of our ship, and the fantastic, genuine staff made us feel comfortable from the second we stepped on-board.

We enjoyed our cruise with Emerald Waterways so much, we’ve booked two cruises with the line for next year!”

“As we boarded our flight at Heathrow heading for Budapest and our first river cruise to celebrate my husband’s 80th birthday, I was filled with absolute fear and also excitement, fear because I am worried about the movement of the ship, but also very excited about the unknown.

However, we arrived safely and were transferred to Emerald Sky for a trip to Eastern Europe. We were struck by how clean the Star-Ship was and how friendly all the crew were.

The next seven days passed very quickly in total luxury. We really enjoyed the experience of the all-inclusive excursions, enjoying some sensational food with plenty of drink along the way.

We can't wait for our next cruise with Emerald Waterways, we really recommend them.”