Emerald: A Decade of Innovation and Excellence
Emerald Cruises celebrates a decade of travel and pioneering achievements this year, continuing to work tirelessly toward its mission: redefining river and yacht cruising for all travelers seeking a blend of luxury and discovery.
Founded in 2013 as Emerald Waterways, Emerald Cruises is an award-winning travel operator specializing in luxury river and yacht cruises. The Star-Ships fleet is custom-built to sail the iconic European rivers such as the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Rhône, and Douro, as well as the majestic Mekong River in Southeast Asia, with each ship featuring a host of elegant innovations.
Emerald Sky
Emerald Star in Budapest
The first Star-Ship, Emerald Sky, was christened in April 2014 by style icon Twiggy, while Emerald Star joined the fleet shortly after. In August 2015, the company celebrated a double christening with Emerald Sun and Emerald Dawn. Growth continued in 2017 with the introduction of new destinations on the Rhône, Saône, and Douro rivers. In 2019, the first Star-Ship on the Mekong River, Emerald Harmony, was welcomed.
In 2020, the construction of the ninth Star-Ship, Emerald Luna, began, and after two years, in March 2022, Emerald welcomed guests aboard the first luxury yacht, Emerald Azzurra, followed a year later by its sister yacht, Emerald Sakara, thus initiating a new style of cruising. Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara, two innovative luxury yachts, are designed to dock in smaller ports in the Mediterranean, the Adriatic coast, the Caribbean, the Red Sea, and the Seychelles, providing unique access to extraordinary destinations that other ships cannot reach. With a maximum capacity of only 100 guests, every inch of these oceanic yachts is designed with guest comfort and enjoyment in mind.
Emerald Sakara
Emerald Sakara
Today, Emerald is embarking on an exciting new chapter, exploring undiscovered destinations with the new superyacht Emerald Kaia, a state-of-the-art luxury yacht with a capacity of 128 guests and a range of innovations including an indoor/outdoor Sky Deck, enhanced dining with private and outdoor options, an expanded gym with outdoor workout opportunities, luxurious accommodations, and much more. This new vessel, welcoming guests from 2026, symbolizes Emerald’s dedication to creating unprecedented luxury cruise experiences, a testament to a decade of excellence and the promise of an even brighter future.
Emerald Kaia Prua
Emerald Kaia Gym
Whether traveling on rivers or oceans, Emerald Cruises‘ ships dock in the heart of the destinations visited, whether it’s the banks of the Danube, Ho Chi Minh City with its vibrant culture, or coastal cities like Dubrovnik, Mykonos, Sorrento, Venice, and Nice. Additionally, Emerald, as an integral part of its program, offers the opportunity to participate in included excursions, special EmeraldPLUS experiences, guided EmeraldACTIVE biking tours, excursions, and activities.
The ships offer suites and cabins equipped with all comforts, the finest cuisine in elegant restaurants, ample relaxation areas both indoors and outdoors, pools, and the famous Marina platform, which provides easy and safe access to the sea, and much more. Moreover, the most loyal guests also have access to EmeraldEXPLORER, the loyalty club that allows them to get the most out of every river or yacht cruise. In fact, after experiencing the first cruise with Emerald, it’s possible to automatically become a member of the loyalty club, accessing exclusive benefits, including savings on future cruises, early notice of new itineraries, and much more. Points to reach the three levels, Silver, Gold, and Diamond, are accumulated not only based on time spent on board but also based on suite category.
Excursion_E_Bike_EmeraldDawn
Emerald Radiance Restaurant
Finally, for 10 years, Emerald has been very attentive to the environment and protects it through the Cherish the Planet initiative, a commitment to creating positive change, from sustainability practices to rich community partnerships, aiming to leave the smallest footprint possible on the planet.
Undoubtedly, luxury experiences that have been creating memories for numerous guests for a decade, heading to exciting destinations such as Europe, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, the Red Sea and the Middle East, and the Seychelles.
Don’t miss further news, updates, and reviews of Emerald Cruises on Cruising Journal with photos, videos, and cruise offers.
