Is Emerald Cruises worth it?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 10 November 2026
No verdict of ours: the facts Emerald Cruises publishes on its own website, read 10 November 2026, topic by topic, each with a link to the page it came from.
Is Emerald Cruises worth it?
It depends on what you want included. Emerald Cruises, a Scenic Group brand, includes excursions, EmeraldACTIVE activities and bicycles on board, with 2027-season fares from USD $1,909 on its US site; optional DiscoverMORE excursions cost extra.
What is Emerald Cruises?
Emerald Cruises is a brand owned and operated by Scenic Tours (USA), Inc., within Scenic Group, founded as Emerald Waterways in 2013; it sells river cruises on its Star-Ships in Europe and on the Mekong, plus luxury yacht cruises. Source
Which ships does Emerald Cruises sail?
Emerald Cruises says it has grown to eight Star-Ships sailing the waterways of Europe and one on the Mekong, plus three luxury yachts; named Star-Ships include Emerald Sky (christened April 2014), Emerald Star (August 2014) and Emerald Harmony on the Mekong, its first self-built Star-Ship (September 2019), with Emerald Astra and Emerald Lumi named as new river additions from 2026. Source
Which rivers does Emerald Cruises sail?
Emerald Cruises sells named sailings on the Rhine (Jewels of the Rhine), the Danube (Danube Delights, Danube Explorer), the Rhine and Moselle (Rhine Castles & Moselle Vineyards), the Rhône and Saône (Sensations of Lyon & Provence), the Douro (Secrets of the Douro) and the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia (10-Day Meandering Majestic Mekong Cruise). Source
What does the fare include?
Emerald Cruises includes excursions, EmeraldPLUS experiences and EmeraldACTIVE activities, with complimentary bicycles on board; optional DiscoverMORE excursions on river and yacht cost extra. Source
Are shore excursions included?
Emerald Cruises includes excursions, EmeraldPLUS experiences and EmeraldACTIVE activities, among them guided walks and bike tours; optional DiscoverMORE excursions cost extra and can be booked on board or through its reservations team. Source
What do solo travellers pay?
Emerald Cruises: On its US Europe river offers, Solo Program Select Fares offer a 75% single supplement and Solo Program Preferred Fares a 50% single supplement saving, with a free single supplement on select dates. Source
How much is the deposit?
Emerald Cruises does not state its deposit amount; its US Europe river offers say the deposit is due within 48 hours of booking, with final payment due no later than 90 days before departure. Source
What happens if you cancel?
Emerald Cruises does not set out its standard cancellation scale on its US booking policies page; its optional Penalty Relief Program costs $295 per person per river cruise and its optional plans can give a Future Travel Credit for an alternate tour or cruise, valid for 24 months. Source
When is Emerald Cruises not the fit?
The limit below is published by Emerald Cruises on its own website.
- Emerald Cruises: not the fit if you want time before paying a deposit: on its US Europe river offers the deposit is due within 48 hours of booking. Source
What do reviews say?
Its figures per platform, read 10 November 2026, each from a listing under the line's own name; a whole-company profile is marked. Figures are never added together.
- Emerald Cruises: Google: 4.1 out of 5 from 37 reviews. Read 10 November 2026.
Emerald Cruises at a glance
Its card, as on every Uncompromised Travel river cruise page: what it sells, why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.
Emerald Cruises
- Best for
- Star-Ship river cruises in Europe and Asia
- What it sells
- Runs river cruises on its own Star-Ships, eight in Europe on the Rhine, Main, Danube, Moselle, Rhône, Saône and Douro and one, Emerald Harmony, on the Mekong, plus luxury yachts.
- Why choose them
- Founded in 2013, it now sails eight Star-Ships in Europe and one on the Mekong. Google: 4.1 out of 5 from 37 reviews. Read 10 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a Solo Program Preferred Fare, which gives 50% single supplement savings.
- Not the fit if
- you need time after booking: the deposit on river cruises is due within 48 hours.
Which other lines sail the same rivers?
The lines that sell sailings on the same rivers are compared on What are the best alternatives to Emerald Cruises?
Is Emerald Cruises worth it?: the questions people ask
What does the fare include with Emerald Cruises?
Emerald Cruises includes excursions, EmeraldPLUS experiences and EmeraldACTIVE activities, with complimentary bicycles on board; optional DiscoverMORE excursions on river and yacht cost extra.
Are excursions included with Emerald Cruises?
Emerald Cruises includes excursions, EmeraldPLUS experiences and EmeraldACTIVE activities, among them guided walks and bike tours; optional DiscoverMORE excursions cost extra and can be booked on board or through its reservations team.
What is the cancellation policy with Emerald Cruises?
Emerald Cruises does not set out its standard cancellation scale on its US booking policies page; its optional Penalty Relief Program costs $295 per person per river cruise and its optional plans can give a Future Travel Credit for an alternate tour or cruise, valid for 24 months.
How much is the deposit with Emerald Cruises?
Emerald Cruises does not state its deposit amount; its US Europe river offers say the deposit is due within 48 hours of booking, with final payment due no later than 90 days before departure.
Is there a single supplement with Emerald Cruises?
Emerald Cruises: On its US Europe river offers, Solo Program Select Fares offer a 75% single supplement and Solo Program Preferred Fares a 50% single supplement saving, with a free single supplement on select dates.
How do I compare prices like for like?
Ask for a written quote for the same dates, the same river and the same cabin type, with every inclusion listed: excursions, drinks, gratuities, wifi, flights, transfers and hotel nights. The price lines above give what each line publishes and on what basis.
Can I book directly?
Yes. Each card links the line's own website; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes.
Where can I check these facts myself?
Every line on this page links the page of the line's own website it was read from, read 10 November 2026.
Is any company on this page paying to be here?
No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.
Read next
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: what the line published on its own website, read on 10 November 2026, with links to the pages read. Google and Trustpilot figures are shown where the listing carries the line's own name, from the Uncompromised Travel river cruise lines table. No score and no verdict. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel. How this site earns · How we work.