We have been on two sea cruises and decided that if we took another we would try a river one. We wanted a two week cruise and of the ones that were available we liked the look of Emerald the most. Not having to constantly tip and casual dress were great attractions. The holiday lived up to all expectations and we didn't begrudge a single penny spent on it.

The ship looked very up-to-date with lots of glass, turquoise and chrome. (Tip to the designers - don't have handrails in chrome. The cleaner will never be able to keep up with the fingermarks) Nowhere felt crowded. Even at dinner when all passengers were present the restaurant was comfortable. I opted for a galley tour and was pleased to see that it was all stainless steel and spotlessly clean. I would liked to have been a fly on the wall to see the galley in action. I'm sure I couldn't prepare meals to such a high standard in that space,

The Dawn was a Tardis. We were on the sundeck sheltering from the wind behind the wheelhouse when it descended into the deck leaving only a couple of feet showing. We still can't work out the part of the ship it descended into! The cabin had storage everywhere. Our luggage weighed 36kg and we could have stored much more. The cases went into the cavern under the queen-sized bed. Read more