Value-minded travelers who want modern balcony suites and a pool at a lower price than Scenic.
Think twice if: Riviera Deck staterooms have picture windows only; drinks beyond lunch and dinner need a package.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Emerald Cruises (river)'s page for this ship →
What she's like
Docks close to the town centre in most ports. Under 200 guests, so no lines and no tender boats.
English for all staff, announcements and lectures
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
Transfers, meals, drinks with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi, some shore excursions, port charges, onboard gratuities. Optional DiscoverMORE tours cost extra.
The line doesn't say.
Casual and comfortable
Where she sails in Europe
Rhine, Main, Danube, Moselle
We don't have her sailing-by-sailing schedule yet. See the line's site for dates.
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | included (onboard); Added to your bill automatically? n/a (in fare) |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Several drinks packages sold on river; most popular is the Premium Drinks Package (price not published) |
| Wifi | included |
| Money on board | EUR on Europe Star-Ships |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 1 included, 0 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Reflections Restaurant | Included |
| Horizon Bar & Lounge (light bites) | Not stated |
| Sky Barbecue | Not stated |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
| Cabin type | Size | Decks |
|---|---|---|
| Owner's One-Bedroom Suite (SA) | 315 sq ft | 3 |
| Grand Balcony Suite (S) | 210 sq ft | 3 |
| Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite (A, B, C) | 180 sq ft | 3 (A), 2 (B, C) |
| Emerald Stateroom (D, E) | 162 sq ft | 1 |
| Emerald Single Stateroom (ES) | 117 sq ft | 1 |
Good to know before you pick
- The lift reaches the lowest cabin deck.
- The lift does not reach the sun deck.
- Horizon Deck (3) cabins sit below the Sun Deck walking track, games area and deck chairs, per plan positions
- Horizon Deck aft cabins are next to the Daytime Pool & Bar / Evening Cinema
- Riviera Deck (lowest) has standard staterooms with picture windows; balcony suites start on the Vista Deck.
- Owner's One-Bedroom Suites (315 sq ft) are at the front of the Horizon Deck.
- Cabins with windows that don't open: 1 (Riviera Deck): Emerald Staterooms (no balcony); window type not stated on plan.
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
Lift serves the Riviera, Vista and Horizon Decks per the deck plan; accessible cabins not stated. Lifts serve three of four decks; Sun Deck by stairs only; tell Emerald about mobility issues when booking Elevators: Lift at the forward end of the cabin block on Riviera, Vista and Horizon Decks; not on the Sun Deck Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.
- Deck 4 · Sun Deck , Retractable glass roof (over Horizon Deck pool); Golf putting green; Walking track; Games area; Sun deck with deck chairs; Sky Barbecue; Navigation bridge
- Deck 3 · Horizon Deck , Daytime Pool & Bar / Evening Cinema; Panorama Balcony Suites (A); Grand Balcony Suites (S) and Owner's Suites (SA); Lift; Horizon Bar & Lounge; The Terrace
- Deck 2 · Vista Deck , Wellness Area; Fitness Area; Panorama Balcony Suites (C); Panorama Balcony Suites (B); Reception; Lift; Reflections Restaurant
- Deck 1 · Riviera Deck , Emerald Staterooms (D, E) and Single Staterooms (ES); Lift
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
Complete Trip Personaliser before travel or you may not sail. Documents 2-4 weeks before departure. Optional tours booked on board or via reservations.
Paying and cancelling
Optional Flexible Booking Plan: defer or cancel up to 90 days out for 24-month travel credit (standard penalty schedule not found)
Tips for her Europe sailings
Pool on Star-Ships 6am-6pm; becomes evening cinema. Small amounts of local currency at reception.
If the river is too high or too low
"Alternative arrangements for the duration of the itinerary" if water is too high or low
How much walking on the included tours
Some tours by coach (must manage coach steps); others guided walks; EmeraldACTIVE options
Low bridges and the sun deck
Sun Deck open 08:00 to late (official); bridge closures not addressed. Sun deck can be closed by crew under low bridges. †
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Emerald Cruises (river)
- Kind of ship
- River
- Built
- 2021
- Guests
- 180
- Crew
- 51
- Cabins
- 91
- Guest decks
- 3
- Length
- 135 m (443 ft)
- Width
- 12 m (39 ft)
- Flag
- Portugal (Madeira)
- Class
- Emerald Star-Ship, 135 m Central Europe class
- Ship number
- ENI 02338885
- Sister ships
- Emerald Astra, Emerald Destiny, Emerald Sky, Emerald Star, Emerald Sun, Emerald Dawn
- In Europe 2026–27
- Rhine, Main, Danube, Moselle
Highlights
- Indoor heated pool with retractable roof that becomes a cinema on select evenings
- Suites have an all-weather balcony: the top half of the window drops down
- Up to 180 guests in 91 cabins with 51 crew (class figures)
- Rivers: Rhine, Main, Danube and Moselle
More pictures
Sources & what we could not confirm · 5 sources · checked 2026-11
- Emerald Cruises: Star-Ships in Europe
- Emerald Cruises: Europe ship layouts (deck plans)
- VesselFinder (registry aggregator)
- Emerald Cruises FAQs
- Emerald booking policies
- Flag and beam from VesselFinder (registry aggregator).
- Exact year from Wikipedia (secondary); Emerald gives "Built: 2014-2022" for the class.
- Emerald Cruises (river): Deposit, final payment and penalty schedule not found on pages fetched.
- Emerald Cruises (river): Kids' minimum age not published.
- Emerald Cruises (river): Drinks package price not published.
- Deck plan: Emerald's page shows one plan set for its Rhine/Main/Danube Star-Ships; assumed to apply to all 7 ships in the group