Emerald Cruises UK Reviews 

We travelled on the Sakara which is a beautiful yacht . We wanted a cruise that didnt feel over run with loads of passengers and was top quality -we werent disappointed- all the crew were just lovely .. cabins super … food was good -we would have liked a fine dining option which we believe is now available on the new yachts . We will return for a further cruise.

I accepted that there would be changed to the original itinerary due to lack of depth on the Rhine
I accepted the reduction in price which was high ! I did also accept that the itinerary may change mid cruise
BUT I did Receive assurances that the change of ship would be comparable the cabin and facilities but it wasn’t
My friends advised us to cancel but I wanted some luxury The final ship was old and tired the cabin wasn’t accompanied by the services of the original one
No swimming pool etc
Even though we visited a couple of places on the original itinerary the promised visits there did not happen
The hotel stay was a disaster chaotic arrival and departure and the food there cold and dreadful
Final night after a very long journey was on the original ship ( in dry dock) in the middle of nowhere unless you like cement works but too late to use their facilities
Sorry but should have listened to friends!
Some staff were helpful but others less so
My partner will never take a river cruise again !

In approx 52 hours we fly from the UK to Lyon. We stay in the centre of Lyon and then board an Emerald Rhone river cruise on Saturday 24th Oct . We then end our trip with 3 days in a central hotel in Nice.
The travel agent I used and myself have contacted Emerald on two seperate occassions today to try to ascertain what their plans are to ensure the safety of passengers and guarentee the customer experience considering the recent violent demonstrations throughout France over the past weekend. It has been impossible to find out what is in place to to mediate any negative affects of recent events. The lack of care and concern shown for the high level of anxiety expressed by guests of the French Emerald River Cruise is lamentable.
Given that French government advice records a level 3 (highest) warning for disruption and terrorist activity and UK & USA government advises caution, it seems negligent that Emerald Cruises are unable to communicate with future passengers in a meaningful way.
Add to this ... the groups that led the demonstrations that included violent and destructive behaviors in cities and towns included in the cruise itineray (Lyon, Vivien, Avignon, Nice), have stated quite clearly that there will be a repeat performance next weekend (when the itinerary states we will be in Lyon) and the weekend after ( when we will be in Nice).
How does this represnt a relaxing river cruise as promised in the marketing materials? How does it ensure passenger safety? How can walking tours take place in cities that are suffering violent demonstrations and their aftermath? Emerald Cruises clearly care very little about their passengers or the customer experience.

Service and food excellent. Cabin facilities excellent.

Despite the river levels being very low the company did it's best to let the holiday continue. Dropped a star for missing out some visits.

lovely cruise down the Douro - beautiful scenery, fantastic crew, good food, interesting visits - loved the kayaking - would like more of this type of activity rather than too much time spent on coaches.
Amazing navigation through huge locks and narrow river parts - brilliant captain!

A great cruise from Dubrovnik to Athens on the Emerald Kaia. The staff and crew were super friendly and efficient. We had sailed with some of them last year on the Sakara and they remember us. Food always good.

This was our first river cruise, planned for our 40th anniversary and a dream I've had for years (to do a river cruise). My expectations were for what I was sold through marketing photos, brochures and videos: floating down the Rhine River while relaxing and viewing the gorgeous scenery, castles and enchanting towns.
The reality? Out of 7 days, this only happened one morning. Conclusion? Disappointing.
Expectations: docking at beautiful scenic ports where you could walk off the ship and walk right into the town to explore or for your tour. Reality? We were docked near old factory with refugee ship we saw no sights as there was no sailing down the rhine.
I understand because of very low river levels the itinerary changed. however we spent way too much time on busses should have done a bus trip perhaps. Sorry emerald don’t promise what you can not deliver.

NOT a company I would trust.
Due to low water levels the itinerary was changed at the last minute. Instead of doing German castles we did the Netherlands. Was offered a full refund but as we were already half way round the world so this wasn't an option. Very sneaky as because they supplied an alternative cruise if we had cancelled and flown home paying extra for last minute flights we would have not got any insurance cover.
Yes we got an upgrade and drinks package, SO WHAT!
We have only to compare this by another provider, Avalon.
Better room layout, much better food, and better wines were found on Avalon.
I left the Avalon cruise converting people to river cruising, but my Emerald experience has put off telling people to river cruise at all (including myself).
The correspondence with Scenic afterwards was less than satisfactory. My travel agent went in to bat for us but she got the same response and said it was her worst experience dealing with a large provider. She does not advise nor does sell any Emerald river cruises anymore and that's saying something from someone who has booked holidays for people for over 30 years.
SIMPLY STAY AWAY OR TAKE THE FULL REFUND IF AVAILABLE

Staff and room were excellent and food was at a good standard. Given we were in a Europe and a famous Portuguese wine area wine standard served at meals was poor. Felt main bar area was poorly designed for the amount of people on board and became easily congested in the evening.
Pool area needs a re-think!

This was our second river cruise with Emerald, this time on the Liberte. We chose the owners suite, which was lovely although felt cramped with so much furniture. With a little bit of rearranging we were able to create more space. Our cabin steward was Daniel who looked after us very well and always had a smile, nothing was too much trouble. The excursions were okay, some a little boring, but our favourite was the prehistoric caves Grotte Chauvet in Ardeche. We definitely recommend it. Half way through the trip the ship developed a problem involving one of the thrusters which meant we had to spend an extra day in the port. Jana the cruise director worked hard to make sure our excursions went ahead and the captain kept us informed at all times. Fortunately the problem was fixed very quickly and we were able to continue with our cruise. Tina the activity manager kept us entertained in the evenings, creating a lot of fun. The food, the cleanliness and the service was great except, and this is why I've given four stars, the noise that came from setting up the sundeck and taking it down again was horrendous. Set up was 7am and take down was anytime after 11pm making it impossible to sleep through if you were planning on having a lie in or an early night. This is something we didn't experience on our first cruise. Having said that, we may very well cruise with Emerald again.

Our third time cruising with Emerald and as before exceeded all our expectations, especially considering the possible disruption from low water levels. As always fantastic crew, food, excursions and entertainment.
Top marks! Emerald.

The food could have been a lot better. Staff lovely.

Lovely ship.
Excellent food
Well organised
Comfortable state room
Good itinerary

Great that we received a partial refund in 2026 due to exceptionally low river levels but now that I read your terms and conditions (section 10 and 11 state no refunds) I can't trust you any further to enable me to book a river cruise in 2027.

Our original cruise was for the Majestic Rhine, but it was not to be due to low water levels, so we ended up mostly on the Moselle with a couple of days on the Rhine. We sailed on both the Luna and the Astra (our favourite). The crew were excellent on both ships, with the food being better on the Astra. Mikey was a great cruise director and managed so well with constant changes in itinerary - a logistical nightmare to organise many things at the last minute. The ships were not full as some had cancelled due to the change in itinerary. We will certainly return, but probably not if water levels are uncertain.

The water shortage was in its early stages & the crew were in a relatively new situation which they handled extremely professionally & they went above & beyond to ensure we had the best possible experience despite the uncertainty of the lack of water

Considering the weather situation and the lack of water in the rivers may I congratulate Emerald on the re-organisation of our latest cruise. As always Food, Entertainment and Customer Service were superb. The discount, because of the changes, was an added unexpected bonus.

The liberte has a great atmosphere, with staff , friendly, efficient, organised. The food was delicious and varied. The tours each day were lovely and the places they took us were interesting without being too intent . And the evening entertainment was fun .
The rooms were comfortable, and had everything we needed.
Even when the second half of our cruise couldn’t go ahead as plan , Emerald pulled out all the stops, the staff on the two ships we went on , were still great and the food and the entertainment you couldn’t fault. .
And the tours they can up with , wish they never done before were still lovely . Especially the outside museum . So thanks to you staff , this will be holiday we will always remember with happiness. .

Good call handling