β Companies on CrowdTrust can't offer incentives or pay to hide any reviews.
Review summary
Emerald Cruises UK receives consistently positive reviews. Customers particularly appreciate service and quality, though some mention concerns about customer service and expensive.
Although at first the price appeared high itβs not when you consider what is actually included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Bar Snacks each evening
Beer and Wine at Lunch and Dinner
Tea/Coffee/Hot Chocolate, Cookies 24/7
Popcorn on movie nights.
Tours with excellent tour guides.
Local entertainment on board ship
Professional, friendly, hardworking staff.
We did the Danube from Budapest to Passau then a coach to Prague for 4 Days. Our trip included stops of some beautiful places with ample time to explore. Emerald is our βgo toβ river cruise company which I strongly recommend to others to give them a try.
Our Duoro river cruise was excellent.
All the staff were friendly, efficient and our every need was catered for. The bar staff were great fun. The cabin was comfortable and always kept clean and tidy. We were also impressed that a lot of the staff came from Porto.
A beautiful experience. Thank you
The cruise from starts to finish was memorable for all the right reasons. Staff, the ship, food, accomadation all wonderful. Each day different with multi choices⦠relax in board, sightsee yourself, sightsee with a guided tour or be adventurous and do an active activity. Something for everyone.
Excellent cruise from Budapest on Emerald Destiny with wonderful helpful staff. My only gripe was with the description and cost of additional tours. The Viennese concert evening was described as exclusive and in one of Viennaβs most beautiful concert halls. It was in a small, acoustically unsuitable backroom with 8 musicians ! At a cost of 79 euros each it was an extortionate let down! I would never sign up for an optional outing again - the visit to Nuremberg was also costly and misrepresented.
It's 2024 - bullying and harassment are real, but this company condones it
I'm currently on an Emerald Dawn cruise, sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest.
I was subjected to bullying and harassment from the "entertainment director", Noel, who appeared to think that directing jokes at me and publicly humiliating me was funny.
He even performed a cabaret where one of the songs he sang was "The Lady is a Tramp", calling all ladies on board tramps, but saying it was just a joke. I was sitting a long way from him and had said nothing, but he then turned to me and said "although some ladies turn into tramps after a few drinks, isn't that right Liesel?". I still said nothing, and then he directed another shot at me, at which point I retaliated and told him to "f off" - his response was to tell me to put it in writing. When I walked out of his show with a few others shortly afterwards, there were more comments from him.
Noel's actions also caused an argument between my husband and I and the cruise director offered me another (more expensive) room until that settled.
I took Noel's advice and lodged a written complaint with the company. Their response was to try to shut me up with flowers, chocolates and a bottle of prosecco, none of which I touched. They also told me to move back to my original room with my husband. Apparently Noel's shows were always like that and no one had ever complained and 5 other passengers that they spoke to (out of about 140 with an average age of 70, who probably have no idea of proper social behavior in this year and age) thought his public humiliation of me was acceptable.
What sort of company condones that sort of behavior? If the comments were about me being brown (which I am) or gay, would they also condone that? Telling me that it's part of his act and no one has complained to date, implying that me taking offense is my issue, is a disgusting response and I wouldn't recommend using them to anyone.
My experience on board Emerald Sky was everything I wanted and more. Exceptional staff to delicious food made my trip wonderful.
The pool on board is an added bonus, as I could carry out a morning swim and then on one of the nights I enjoyed the area to watch a film as it converted into a cinema by night.
I also want to mention that this ship had the best self-service coffee machines. Yes, it makes a difference to the cruise experience, especially if you love coffee like me.
Lovely holiday along the Rhine taking in several Christmas markets. The high water level meant that the start of the cruise had to be amended, but it was all dealt with in an efficient way and we didnβt lose out in any way.
All the trips were well organised and really interesting. Equally time on the ship could be relaxing or entertaining -but we were always looked after.
The food was all 5 star and very varied .
Definitely looking to book another cruise asap.
Paid for an upgraded room to a Balcony Panoramic Suite. But had no view for the whole week. Either moored next to a boat (2 nights) or next to a street (5 nights) so had to have the blinds down for the whole trip. Totally ripped off.
We just wrapped up our inaugural cruise with Emerald aboard AZZURRA, but let me tell you, it was far from smooth sailing. The good points like comfortable bed were overshadowed by the disappointments, leaving us with a clear message: we will NEVER cruise with Emerald again.
Let's dive into the grievances that ruined our experience:
- Prepare for a delightful whiff of sewage, as our room and most of the ship reeked. Emerald's response? They denied it, blaming it on an AC issue. Yeah, right!
- Brace yourself for the worst Wi-Fi ever. It was so abysmal that we had to rely on our own mobile data. Seriously, in this day and age?
- Now, let's talk about the meals. The selection and presentation were utterly lacklustre, especially for the so-called sit-down dinners. Fine dining? Not even close! We expected far more imagination and taste for a cruise of this calibre.
- As if that wasn't enough, the diversion to Naples and the absence of a stop in Capri left us utterly disappointed. We signed up for an unforgettable journey, not a unexciting detour.
For a hefty price tag of β¬11,870 for just 7 nights (that's a whopping β¬1,695 per day), we anticipated exceptional service. Included tours, meals, and evening entertainment should have been top-notch. Instead, we got mediocrity. Staff were friendly and helpful from house cleaning to bar staff.
Breakfast was acceptable, with a decent buffet and egg orders to suit our preferences. Lunch, too, was a buffet-smorgasbord affair and, admittedly, the highlight of the onboard meals.
But dinner? It was a set menu disaster. The seafood was perpetually overcooked, the quality subpar, and the flavours practically non-existent. One night, they had the audacity to serve chicken, with a sauce of ketchup. Seriously, that's food truck fare, not what you'd expect on a cruise.
Oh, and let's not forget the premium drinks package. When we tried to use it in the dining room, we were swiftly informed that the Chairman's wines listed on the menu were not covered. Oh, the joys.
AZZURRA, supposedly a state-of-the-art vessel made in Vietnam...well say no more
But wait, there's more. We had also booked another cruise on the sister ship SAKARA, still under construction in Vietnam. Thankfully, we had the foresight to secure a free cancellation policy. Initially, Emerald conveniently forgot about it, claiming we had forfeited our deposit. Only after numerous emails and reminders did they agree to refund us, but not without dragging the process out for a painstaking 24 days.
Take it from us, DO NOT deal with these guys. Trust us, you'll regret it as much as we do. This experience has left such a sour taste that we may never set foot on a cruise ship again.
Oh, and did I mention that after paying β¬1,695 per day for 7 days, we were informed upon entering our room that the peanuts, mini bar drinks, and snacks would cost us extra? Talk about adding insult to injury
My cruise with Emerald was ruined by the loss of my luggage at Marseille. Whilst I understand this can happen the customer service received from Emerald when the case arrived was appalling. They refused to organise for the case to be picked up from the airport even though myself and a fellow passenger offered to pay for a taxi to collect it. I lost a whole afternoon of my holiday and considerable phone charges as I had to call Air France to organise delivery. It was suggested that the case may be returned to the UK and should buy clothes and claim it back on my insurance. As the shops were closed, I was unable to do anything but there was no concern that I may be in the same clothes for the whole week. I complained to Emerald on my return but the response stated that they had made call to the airline when I myself sorted it not them. Appalling customers service by a supposedly premium cruise line. Will not travel with them again.
Emerald cruises ignoring severe illness following cruise
Had a fantastic cruise on the Mekong river. Highly recommended. BUT. A farewell dinner was he,d on our last night in Cambodia. 9 of our group of 22 suffered a gastric infection, taking a full week to recover. 2 needed additional medical attention and one further was hospitalised. Emerald have been contacted and asked to investigate, so as to Protect other customers. However, apart from an automated acknowledgement Emerald have not replied or shown any interest. We are entitled to think that they do not care. Emerald are part of a group with Scenic Cruises. They have also been advised and again no response.
This was a cruise to the Mykong on the Emerald Harmony that we had booked originally in 2020- cancelled because of Covid. Since then we had heard of a few issues with Emerald customer service and indeed did find some problems trying to speak to a representative in the early days of booking . However they have totally redeemed themselves with the service since, from the rucksacks sent out , booking our seats on Premium Economy as requested and plenty of really informative documentation sent in plenty of time. We loved the cruise, 1 member of staff to 2 passengers. Such friendly helpful staff . The food was superb, the trips were well organised with interesting & informative guides. I loved the Monks blessing, the Rickshaw and Tuk Tuk rides. The Chu Chi tunnels and the killing fields filled in some amazing although very sad historical facts. Saigon. Phnom Phen and Ankor Watt were fantastic, gave us a real feel for the culture, as did the Sampan rides to the villages ! Plenty of time to chill on the boat if you wanted too. The laundry facilities were welcomed. I enjoyed a well equipped small gym at least 3 times on the trip. The little gifts on certain days were so thoughtful. The cabin was excellent see below .Entertainment was mainly through local children's shows - they were enjoyable although the Pool party was the most fun ! The Boat was fabulous , great lounge, great facilities lovely cabin , gym and laundry etc just loved it!
Anyone can write a CrowdTrust review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they'll be displayed as long as an account is active.
We champion verified reviews
Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. Labeled Verified, they're about genuine experiences.
We fight fake reviews
We use automated software and a dedicated team to detect and remove fake reviews. We take action against anyone who tries to manipulate reviews on our platform.
We show the latest reviews
Reviews are displayed chronologically with the newest first, ensuring you always see the most recent customer experiences.
We encourage constructive feedback
We believe in honest, constructive feedback that helps both consumers make informed decisions and businesses improve their services.
We verify reviewers
We use various verification methods to ensure reviews come from real people with genuine experiences, not bots or fake accounts.
We advocate against bias
We work to ensure our platform remains neutral and unbiased, giving equal opportunity for all genuine reviews to be seen and heard.
