Emerald Cruises UK Bewertungen 

This was our first river cruise, planned for our 40th anniversary and a dream I've had for years (to do a river cruise). My expectations were for what I was sold through marketing photos, brochures and videos: floating down the Rhine River while relaxing and viewing the gorgeous scenery, castles and enchanting towns.
The reality? Out of 7 days, this only happened one morning. Conclusion? Disappointing.
Expectations: docking at beautiful scenic ports where you could walk off the ship and walk right into the town to explore or for your tour. Reality? We were docked near old factory with refugee ship we saw no sights as there was no sailing down the rhine.
I understand because of very low river levels the itinerary changed. however we spent way too much time on busses should have done a bus trip perhaps. Sorry emerald don’t promise what you can not deliver.

NOT a company I would trust.
Due to low water levels the itinerary was changed at the last minute. Instead of doing German castles we did the Netherlands. Was offered a full refund but as we were already half way round the world so this wasn't an option. Very sneaky as because they supplied an alternative cruise if we had cancelled and flown home paying extra for last minute flights we would have not got any insurance cover.
Yes we got an upgrade and drinks package, SO WHAT!
We have only to compare this by another provider, Avalon.
Better room layout, much better food, and better wines were found on Avalon.
I left the Avalon cruise converting people to river cruising, but my Emerald experience has put off telling people to river cruise at all (including myself).
The correspondence with Scenic afterwards was less than satisfactory. My travel agent went in to bat for us but she got the same response and said it was her worst experience dealing with a large provider. She does not advise nor does sell any Emerald river cruises anymore and that's saying something from someone who has booked holidays for people for over 30 years.
SIMPLY STAY AWAY OR TAKE THE FULL REFUND IF AVAILABLE

Staff and room were excellent and food was at a good standard. Given we were in a Europe and a famous Portuguese wine area wine standard served at meals was poor. Felt main bar area was poorly designed for the amount of people on board and became easily congested in the evening.
Pool area needs a re-think!

This was our second river cruise with Emerald, this time on the Liberte. We chose the owners suite, which was lovely although felt cramped with so much furniture. With a little bit of rearranging we were able to create more space. Our cabin steward was Daniel who looked after us very well and always had a smile, nothing was too much trouble. The excursions were okay, some a little boring, but our favourite was the prehistoric caves Grotte Chauvet in Ardeche. We definitely recommend it. Half way through the trip the ship developed a problem involving one of the thrusters which meant we had to spend an extra day in the port. Jana the cruise director worked hard to make sure our excursions went ahead and the captain kept us informed at all times. Fortunately the problem was fixed very quickly and we were able to continue with our cruise. Tina the activity manager kept us entertained in the evenings, creating a lot of fun. The food, the cleanliness and the service was great except, and this is why I've given four stars, the noise that came from setting up the sundeck and taking it down again was horrendous. Set up was 7am and take down was anytime after 11pm making it impossible to sleep through if you were planning on having a lie in or an early night. This is something we didn't experience on our first cruise. Having said that, we may very well cruise with Emerald again.

Our third time cruising with Emerald and as before exceeded all our expectations, especially considering the possible disruption from low water levels. As always fantastic crew, food, excursions and entertainment.
Top marks! Emerald.

The food could have been a lot better. Staff lovely.

Lovely ship.
Excellent food
Well organised
Comfortable state room
Good itinerary

Great that we received a partial refund in 2026 due to exceptionally low river levels but now that I read your terms and conditions (section 10 and 11 state no refunds) I can't trust you any further to enable me to book a river cruise in 2027.

Our original cruise was for the Majestic Rhine, but it was not to be due to low water levels, so we ended up mostly on the Moselle with a couple of days on the Rhine. We sailed on both the Luna and the Astra (our favourite). The crew were excellent on both ships, with the food being better on the Astra. Mikey was a great cruise director and managed so well with constant changes in itinerary - a logistical nightmare to organise many things at the last minute. The ships were not full as some had cancelled due to the change in itinerary. We will certainly return, but probably not if water levels are uncertain.

The water shortage was in its early stages & the crew were in a relatively new situation which they handled extremely professionally & they went above & beyond to ensure we had the best possible experience despite the uncertainty of the lack of water

Considering the weather situation and the lack of water in the rivers may I congratulate Emerald on the re-organisation of our latest cruise. As always Food, Entertainment and Customer Service were superb. The discount, because of the changes, was an added unexpected bonus.

The liberte has a great atmosphere, with staff , friendly, efficient, organised. The food was delicious and varied. The tours each day were lovely and the places they took us were interesting without being too intent . And the evening entertainment was fun .
The rooms were comfortable, and had everything we needed.
Even when the second half of our cruise couldn’t go ahead as plan , Emerald pulled out all the stops, the staff on the two ships we went on , were still great and the food and the entertainment you couldn’t fault. .
And the tours they can up with , wish they never done before were still lovely . Especially the outside museum . So thanks to you staff , this will be holiday we will always remember with happiness. .

Good call handling

Everything

Crew went above and beyond when river conditions were difficult to make the trip memorable.

So pleased we tried the small yacht experience. Even though we normally travel on smaller cruise ships of around 700 people, Emerald was different again. Very intimate and friendly with lovely touches like e-bikes and Marina days. Great fun, friendly staff and a chance to visit small more unknown ports.

The cruise was excellent made all the better with a fantastic crew and a great host in Miguel. I was spoilt on my birthday with a beautiful cake and much merriment. I would highly recommend this voyage.

We have just returned from our first cruise on board Emerald Sakara, sailing from Malta to the Amalfi Coast, and we can honestly say it exceeded every expectation. It was our first, but it will certainly not be our last.

What makes Sakara so special is what she is not. She is not a big cruise ship - and that is precisely the point. With only 50 cabins and around 100 guests, she feels like a private luxury yacht, not a floating city. There are no queues, no crowds, no rush. Instead you have space, peace, and the most personal, genuine relationship with the crew. Within a day they knew our names, our preferences, and nothing was ever too much trouble. That level of service you simply cannot get on the large ships.

Our balcony suite was superb - beautifully designed, incredibly comfortable, and so well thought out. Waking up, opening the doors to your own private balcony and seeing a completely new harbour or coastline every morning is pure joy.
The food was outstanding throughout. Breakfast, lunch and dinner - every meal was restaurant-quality, fresh, varied and beautifully presented. Dining on deck as we sailed into the sunset is something we will never forget.

And the itinerary - magical. The joy of drifting to sleep and waking up somewhere new each day never lost its magic. Malta, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast... each stop more beautiful than the last.
The organised tours were amazing and so well run. Pompeii was an absolute highlight - truly unforgettable to walk through history with such an expert guide. But every excursion felt exclusive and perfectly organised, with small groups and no herding.

If you, like us, have never been drawn to big cruise ships, Emerald Sakara is the answer. Intimate, luxurious, relaxed and elegant. A luxury yacht experience with world-class crew, superb accommodation, outstanding food and an itinerary to dream about.

We cannot recommend it highly enough.

The good: there was water in the rivers, so the cruise ran to schedule. The guest chef evening in Avignon, followed by the classical trio concert in a church was a highlight. The cruise director was great.
The not so good: the ship sails mostly at night, so you don't see much of the countryside. Due to low bridges, the sun deck was closed when the ship was moving. There are locks which are noisy to navigate, so sleep was disrupted.
The restaurant: the menus are French-inspired and the food is best described as rustic. Most of the serving staff are Eastern European and lacked warmth and finesse. The maitre d' only engaged with North American guests and ignored those from UK and Australia.
A one-and-done for me.

Quality and luxury from start to finish. Wonderful crew and service