Emerald Cruises UK Reviews

Well organised day excursions which are included in the package. At lunch/dinner I often requested a rose wine instead of white and red. Occasionally my request was met by the friendly waiting staff. Other times the waiter said there was none available although other guests were ordering cocktails. Lack of suitable entertainment in the evening.

Lovely boat and great crew

Douro River Cruise Emerald Radiance on the Douro is a lovely vessel maintained and kept to a good standard throughout. The crew are excellent in their professionalism and approach to customer satisfaction. This was our third river cruise (first time with Emerald) and on this occasion opted for a lower deck stateroom having previously being middle and top decks. The lower deck stateroom did not disappoint and except for French window openers had all the features of the upper cabins. Did we miss the French windows? Not really as we didn’t linger in the cabin during the day and really only went there to change and sleep. The cabin, as with all others no doubt, was kept spotless by the maid and the creative towel folding was always pleasant to see. The restaurant really was top notch and with so much choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner you could not say anything wrong about it. The wine served with the meals was really good with different labels every time, and because it was the Douro all Portuguese varieties (you don’t very often get much in the way of Portuguese wines on other cruises/holidays so it was a very pleasant and enlightening experience). I must apologise for not remembering any of the crew members names (except Denis the waiter because he and I have the same “one N” name) but from El Capitan to Deckhands, from Chef to restaurant staff, from Purser to reception staff - they all made the cruise very, very enjoyable. Oh and not forgetting the Cruise Director, she was very good with seamless organisation onboard and on excursions. Some enjoyable events onboard, the cocktail making was fun (and tasty), the ceramic tile making was interesting and creative which gave, along with others, an enjoyable onboard time. Ports of call were good, the scenic tour of Porto, the excursion to Salamanca, the Port winery visit, and the evening meal at a bodega were very good. Personally not too struck on Barca de Alva, Pochino and Pinhao - maybe just the wrong time of the year but not a lot to see or do ashore. Yet Regua where we docked for the evening meal out looked quite vibrant and attractive but we didn’t get free time in the town. The Douro river was always a big “tick in the box” for me and Emerald made it special. However, compared to Danube and Rhine/Main not as good form a ports of call and places to visit point of view.

I was looking for a Caribbean cruise on a small ship as I haven’t enjoyed large ship cruises and wanted to surprise my fiancé with something special on his first cruise. Our cruise on the Emerald Azzurra ticked all the boxes from the moment we were welcomed on board to disembarking. The yacht was elegantly understated and the crew were great. Our cabin with a balcony was a good size and attractively decorated with a roomy bathroom. The bed and pillows were really comfortable. The bar was relaxing and served a full range of drinks and cocktails. There was brilliant before and after live music and the occasional trivia quiz. The restaurant was well designed and had various seating areas including an outside section. At breakfast we enjoyed both the buffet and delicious made to order options. We could have a buffet lunch or eat a light meal at the coffee shop /bar on deck. There were 2 dinner menus - a daily table d’hote and a standard menu. Whichever meal you were eating, service was professional, friendly and impeccable. The slight disappointment was that only 1 tour excursion was included although others were available at additional cost. However the advantage of a small tender transfer to shore at the islands meant that you moored next to the town, so no long walks. Only the British Virgin Islands was a wet landing onto the beaches.

We took a tour of Vietnam and Cambodia including a cruise on the Mekong with Emerald back in February. They were excellent. Our Land based tour was well managed and we saw lots of amazing things and received great advice and guidance from our tour managers. The tour was well paced with excellent quality hotels and tours. The River cruise was of excellent standard, great cabins, great food and great locations. All the crew went out of the way to be helpful and their care was excellent. Really couldn't fault the whole holiday.

We cannot find fault with any aspect of our cruise. Accommodation, food and service were all excellent. Excursions were very well organised and took us to places of great interest.

We had a fabulous trip. The staff could not have been more helpful. The boat was beautiful and the, destinations, well selected. Expensive but well worth ever penny for the, cruise of a lifetime

wonderful staff, especially our cabin cleaner on board and the three local guides for group 3

A great holiday. Everything organised for you and every day full of interesting and beautiful places. Beautiful boat on the Mekong with great food and complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks. Didn’t need to bother with a better cabin though as we were hardly in it.

Fabulous. We loved every minute - great ambience, lovely food, super staff, everything we hoped for. Thank you.

Superb accommodation, wonderful food. Transfers good. Ship is very comfortable, the bar area is comfortable and friendly. Across the ship the staff are fantastic. The guided tours are very good, but should you want to stay on board, you can have a swim, enjoy the views from the deco or the bar, very peaceful. The last cruise we did was The Christmas Markets on The Rhine, wonderful. Plenty of time to explore, excellent walking tours with fun tour leaders to keep it interesting. Can not recommend enough, wrap up warm on your outings but the ship is very cosy and beautifully decorated for Christmas.

We have sailed several times with Emerald River Cruises. Really a great experience with friendly and attentive staff. Just booked our next trip for May.

Before the cruise and after was excellent plus the food and general ship were excellent. But the lack of entertainment (ship quiet after 9pm) and low value of trips once in Vietnam left me thinking I’d rather have done Cambodia and Vietnam without a weeks cruise.

We had an amazing experience onboard the Sakara recently around the Grenadines. Shame about the sea conditions but Emerald can't do anything about that :) What they did do though was to ensure our safety and diverted to different islands last minute, which larger ships would not be able to do. The whole small ship experience was amazing, the staff and service were superb. We had a fabulous time and I hope to book with Emerald again

I received a flyer offering a Douro cruise with prices from £1717. When I enquired about a solo cabin I was given a price of £3502. How can they justify charging more than double when there will only be one flight and one person eating. I'll be giving this company a wide berth

It was total luxury. The crew were always caring and friendly. I would recommend cruising with Emerald.

Very friendly staff. Good selection of walks, i.e. leisurely normal and active. Nice food. Good entertainment.

The crew, the staff, the food, the onshore local tour guides were all excellent. Bed comfortable, cabin kept clean and tidy, good shower, plenty of storage. Very interesting itinerary and plenty of options for those younger/fitter guests who wanted to cycle or hike where possible.

We cannot praise Emerald highly enough. They perform exactly as we wanted. Maybe they are not as ‘high class’ as some other operators, but they suit us perfectly. Not too formal but a relaxed atmosphere. The crew are brilliant without exception. Nothing was too much trouble. We will be back for more!

Your investment in excellent staff/crew made this a very memorable holiday. Everyone's number 1 aim was to make sure that my wife and I were enjoying ourselves and to do their best for us. Thank you.