Emerald Cruises

A cruise line with its own ships and yachts

Emerald Cruises, which also trades as Emerald Cruises & Tours, runs its own fleet of river ships, which it calls Star-Ships, and small luxury yachts, and sells small-group land tours under the Emerald Tours name. On the rivers it sails in Central Europe, France and Portugal and on the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia. The yachts cover the Mediterranean and Adriatic, the Caribbean and Central America, the Seychelles and Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, with Asia and Australia & South Pacific also on the yacht destination menu. The land tours cover Canada & Alaska, Japan and Africa, and the homepage describes Emerald Tours' "small-group journeys across Europe, Canada, Japan, Southeast Asia and beyond".

It is part of Scenic Group: the about page links to Scenic Group's 2025 Impact Report, and the site footer says distribution of the cruises and tours on the European site is managed by Scenic Cruises International GmbH in Lörrach, Germany, while the Australian version names Scenic Tours Pty Ltd in Newcastle, New South Wales. The European site lists a UK phone number, +44 161 236 2537, and the Australian site a 1300 number, so the brand sells in several markets with local pages.

The story and the fleet

The about page lays out a timeline. The land side goes back to Evergreen Tours, which began delivering land journeys within Australia in 1980 and was acquired by Scenic in 1988. Emerald Waterways was founded in 2013. The first Star-Ship, Emerald Sky, was christened in Amsterdam in April 2014, followed by Emerald Star, built for the Rhine, Main, Danube and Moselle, and by Emerald Sun and Emerald Dawn in 2015. In 2017 routes on the Rhone, Saone and Douro were added, and in 2019 Emerald Harmony began sailing the Mekong. The same year, the site says, it became "the first river cruise line to introduce Activity Managers" on its European ships.

The yachts started with Emerald Azzurra in March 2022 and Emerald Sakara in August 2023. The page says the fleet now stands at eight Star-Ships in Europe, one on the Mekong and three luxury yachts, and that from 2026 it adds 3 new yachts (Emerald Kaia, Emerald Raiya and Emerald Xara) and 2 new river ships (Emerald Astra and Emerald Lumi). The company sums up its background as "over a decade of luxury river and yacht cruising and more than 40 years experience in designing land journeys".

What a cruise includes and life on board

The about page lists "generous inclusions like meals, airport transfers, gratuities and a selection of excursions". Shore time is split into named tiers in the menus and FAQ: included excursions, EmeraldPLUS experiences, EmeraldACTIVE activities, and optional DiscoverMORE excursions, which the FAQ says "are available at an additional cost and can be booked on board or through our reservations team". The about page mentions guided walks, bike tours and cultural encounters on shore.

The yacht crew page introduces the team: the captain and crew, a shore excursions manager, a hotel manager, an activity manager and wellness coach who run EmeraldACTIVE fitness classes and active shore trips, and chefs who cook breakfast and lunch plus "an indulgent evening à la carte menu". Spa treatments cost extra. The FAQ covers practical points such as bathrobes and slippers in every stateroom and suite, and a rule that guests may drink their own alcohol in their rooms but not in communal areas. Visitors can come on board if arranged through the Inside Sales Team, and they pay for any food and drink.

The FAQ index also lists questions on wheelchair access, the mobility level excursions require, dietary requirements, vegan catering, which language is spoken on board, solo travel and pregnancy. The FAQ page shows only the question titles for most of these, so their answers need to be opened on the site or asked of the team. After booking, every guest must complete an online Trip Personaliser form with passport and next-of-kin details; the FAQ warns that failing to do so "may prevent guests sailing".

Booking and the Flexible Booking Plan

Cruises can be booked online by choosing an itinerary, selecting "View Cabins" for a date and picking a suite, or through the phone team or a travel advisor (the site has a Travel Advisor Hub and Advisor Portal). The menus also list solo traveler offers, group travel, private charters, a loyalty program and free Travel Lounge information events.

The Flexible Booking Plan on the European site costs €125pp for Emerald River Cruises and Emerald Tours and €200pp for Emerald Yacht Cruises. It must be bought with the deposit and is non-refundable. With it, travelers can defer or cancel "for any reason" in writing before the final payment date, and the deposit, less third-party fees, becomes a Future Travel Credit valid for 24 months; the terms add a 30-day cut-off before travel for the listed river, yacht and land-tour regions. Unused credit is forfeited after 24 months. The standard cancellation scale without the plan is in the brochure terms and conditions, which the Flexible Booking Plan page does not reproduce. The Australian homepage also advertises a "Fly Free" offer with economy flights included on selected European river cruises, as an early-bird deal ending 31 October.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The site does not give a passenger count for each ship or yacht on its about, FAQ or crew pages, and the answers on accessibility, language and dietary needs sit behind the FAQ questions rather than on the page. Prices depend on the market site a traveler uses, and the base cancellation terms are in the brochure conditions.

Emerald suits travelers who want a river cruise in Europe or on the Mekong, or a small-yacht voyage in the Mediterranean, Caribbean or Indian Ocean, with meals, transfers, gratuities and some excursions included, and who like a clearly tiered choice of shore activities. The optional Flexible Booking Plan gives some room to change dates before final payment. The detailed fleet history and published plan terms make it easy to see what the company runs and how.