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Also are offered bus tours to Veste Oberhaus and Bratislava Castle, as well as 6 EmeraldACTIVE hiking and biking tours. An extended stay in Budapest allows touring the UNESCO-listed downtown, exploring the city's nightlife, visiting one of its baths, and enjoying a culinary tour of the Grand Market. Cruise fares include most shore excursions, all meals, wine with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi and gratuities. Extra costs are bar drinks, optional shore excursions, beauty treatments and massages, and retail shop purchases. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices.
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Finally, the ship has a swimming pool so don't forget your bathing suit. During the day, passengers wear T-shirts, tops and sweaters, with jeans and leggings. In the evening, women may change into a different top, but you'll still find jeans and casual pants most nights, while men might switch into a collared shirt. The parent company, Scenic Cruises, is Australia-based, and so you'll always have a few people from Down Under. Emerald also scheduled three Atlantic Ocean crossings (RepositionCruises.com), including a 13-day from San Juan Puerto Rico to Santa Cruz de Tenerife Canary Islands, with fares from GBP 4895 pp. "Epic Voyages 2023" were two expanded/B2B voyages combining several shorter itineraries.
The Emerald Cruises experience
Emerald Waterways ships have some of the best crew-to-guest ratios for European riverboats. One of the best fleetwide innovations is the dual-purpose area - the brand's signature "pool cinema" complex) located Deck 3 aft on the "Star Ships". The area transforms from a heated indoor pool (with a retractable roof) at daytime into a cinema at night - a unique river cruise ship feature.
Europe
A third type of complimentary tour, called EmeraldPLUS, is also available. These are usually a few of these offered on every sailing, depending on the itinerary. EmeraldPLUS tours can either take place on board as special performances and workshops or ashore as social events with residents or special tastings or meals at local restaurants. Having tours baked in the base fare is one of the main appeals of river cruises. The daily tour usually consists of a walking or bus tour in the port of call or a nearby attraction, and all the expenses of the visit are covered. Some tours feature a special touch, like the ability to visit a museum before regular opening hours or pre-arranged souvenirs.
All walking tours also have a gentle walking option; still, those with mobility issues should talk to the cruise director before heading out. The parent company Scenic Group offers a huge variety of leisure travel deals - from 5-star luxury riverboat cruises to land tours and coach travel excursions in Australia, Europe, and the USA. Scenic Group's river cruise brand "Emerald Waterways" is known on the Australian market as "Evergreen Waterways". This is why we cover all port charges, provide all meals on board with accompanying beverages, offer complimentary Wi-Fi, and cover all gratuities on board and onshore as standard. Our first-class English-speaking crew along with our knowledgeable, local guides create a seamless experience on your journey.
Europe River Cruise Offers
Meals are served in the main dining room, Reflections Restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunchtime buffets and an a la carte evening meal, all on a freestyle dining basis. An extensive choice is offered at all meals, and Brits and Aussies will be pleased to know that Emerald Dawn stocks their respective favorite breakfast spreads -- Marmite and Vegemite -- which can be a rarity on other ships. A novel feature at the lunchtime buffet is a DIY sandwich station -- ideal for passengers who want a snack rather than a full meal. Similarly, in addition to the dinner menu there are "always available" main courses of steak, chicken or salmon. The Owner's Suites have a separate bedroom and lounge area, large bathroom, roomy walk-in closet and an outdoor balcony with a table and two chairs.
Emerald's base fares can be described as mostly-inclusive, and as far as inclusions go, you get a pretty nifty deal with gratuities, shore excursions, Wi-Fi, drinks with meals and transfers to and from the airport. You can also elect to purchase drink packages and premium tours to elevate your experience to one that's on par with an all-inclusive cruise. But if your preference is to embark on a luxury all-inclusive experience, other cruise lines -- like Emerald's sister brand Scenic -- are a better fit. The rest of the innovations are fairly standard on newbuilds in the modern era of European river cruising. Among those are the private balconies for the majority of cabins, good-sized suites, and open-air alternative dining spots.
Scenic Group Adding New Yacht to Emerald Cruises Fleet, Updating Other Ships - TravelPulse
Scenic Group Adding New Yacht to Emerald Cruises Fleet, Updating Other Ships.
Posted: Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
To all booked land tours (including Egypt cruisetours) during the suspension period is provided 100% FTC (for the booking's full value), to rebook and travel by December 31, 2022. Overall, the company has raised the bar within the budget river cruising market. The brand is positioned somewhere between the 3- and 4-star cruise lines. It competes with renowned brands like Avalon Waterways and Viking Cruises by boasting less expensive fares and innovative design touches. Fka "Emerald Waterways", Emerald Cruises (emeraldcruises.com) is a Scenic Group-owned travel brand and an affordable river cruise line established in 2013 and operational since 2014. The company is a division (subsidiary/brand) of the Australian cruisetour operator Scenic Tours.
Emerald Dawn has a small gym, hair salon and massage room, and there is a walking track and putting green on the sun deck. In 2019, Active Managers will help passengers take advantage of fitness classes and active excursions so people can keep fit while they travel. The standout feature is the heated swimming pool with a retractable roof and 180-degree view at the aft of the ship, which is transformed into a cinema at night -- complete with fresh popcorn and cocktails. The area was a new-to-river feature when it was unveiled on Emerald's first ship and the line continues to develop it, adding aqua aerobics in 2019.
Emerald Kaia ship's schedule for 2026 (inaugural season) was announced in April 2024. The program listed only 8x voyages (opened for booking on April 10th) and is based entirely on the 14-night/15-day "Discover the Best of the Croatian Coast" itinerary. These voyages leave roundtrip from Dubrovnik's Port Gruz (departures May 2, Aug 8, Aug 22, Sep 26) and from Venice (departures Jun 20, Aug 1, Aug 15). Providing incredible value, a river or ocean cruise with Emerald includes all meals, shore excursions, airport transfers and tipping in the upfront price. Excursions are led by experienced guides who cover more than just the usual tourist attractions, revealing hidden gems and authentic experiences.
River cruisers who are used to a higher-end experience, however -- such as that provided by Emerald Waterways' sister company Scenic Cruises -- may be put off by some slippage in the details. Our cruise did not have enough wait staff to handle the dining room, for example, particularly during the morning and lunch rushes. Despite a later-than-usual bar scene, waited lounge service often ended rather abruptly, with no warning. Dining in general, while ambitious and interesting on paper, was underseasoned and overcooked. Shore excursion guides were not the quality you'd expect; we found the enticing draw of the Christmas markets to outweigh the commentary.
An included shore excursion to a private home outside Bratislava provided insight into local life. The Bavarian buffet, with beer, sausages and pretzels, won rave reviews. The line actually ran its EmeraldActive tours, such as biking the Wachau Valley and hiking to Durnstein castle, for a few hardy souls who didn't mind the frosty weather. And the boat's cheery holiday decorations -- and an awesome specialty coffee machine -- made the lounge a homey refuge from the chilliness of the air outside. Since its launch in 2013, Emerald Waterways has built a reputation for value river cruising on contemporary boats, with gratuities and transfers among the extras included in the fare. A signature 16-day itinerary on the purpose-built Mekong Navigator riverboat explores Vietnam and Cambodia along the Mekong River.
Announced on February 1, 2020, the new brand is served by two 110-m long, 100-passenger superyachts - Azzurra (2022) and Sakara (2023). Sail through the heart of Central Europe, journey across the South of France on the Rhône, or cruise the Douro River in Portugal. Sail serenely along the stunning rivers of Europe and Southeast Asia on board your luxury Star-Ship.
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