An excellent cruise to enjoy. All facilities excellent. Staff excellent . This cruise is seriously tops. The staff were helpful and not over intrusive. It is difficult for staff to provide just the correct amount of friendliness without being invasive. The staff on board Emerald Dawn were excellent. They provided us with a wonderful experience. The organised programme was exciting, and very well planned and we were guided through the most interesting sights of all the cities and villages we were able access. Many of the activities required overseeing at a very high level and the Emerald Dawn staff and guides achieved this level unhesitatingly. The tour guides had extensive knowledge of their area and this was noticed by the passengers. Overall our time onboard the Emerald Dawn was amazing and we would seriously like the staff to be praised for the excellent presentation of the river trip onboard the Emerald Dawn Read Less

we arrived on board the afternoon before our cruise began and had a day in Amsterdam prior to hitting the river, which was well received. Getting into our rooms was quick and luggage arrived immediately. The ship was well appointed with comfortable lounge, lovely dining room a pool and big sun deck, the rooms were lovely and very spacious, the electric window/balcony is a great idea, we used it many times. the food was absolutely first class, plenty of options, more than enough to quell any hunger and beautifully presented. the staff in the dining room were wonderful and soon learned peoples likes and dislikes, the quality of the wines and beer on board was very good and very much enjoyed. The evening entertainment kept people happy with a variety of games, karaoke, quizzes etc. Considering how many places we covered there was a good mix of guided tours and free time which was appreciated by the guests. the housekeeping staff were sensational and to be congratulated we had a great time and would recommend Emerald waterways to anyone Read Less

Wanted to see the Rhine and Danube in comfort and good food with nice company and excellent service. This is what was achieved. Great bunch of Australians and New Zealand guests on board. The staff were superb, probably the best crew ever on any ship or hotel where we have stayed. The boat was roomy, very clean and all inclusive meant all inclusive without having to pay for any extras. The chef was most accommodating, defiantly went the extra mile with brilliant service. Could not have done more. Even had our anniversary covered with lighted cake with all the waiters in line singing our congratulations, when we hadn’t even told anybody except agent here in UK. Very pleased with the Emerald concept, good Managers, cruise director and events manager. Would be delighted to return, the Rhine Gorge in particular was stunning and worth getting up at 6.30 as we sailed through it. Read Less

This is our third cruise with Emerald. Did same cruise 3 years ago. Beautiful ship. Spacious and spotlessly clean cabins. Excellent service and choice of food and drinks. Very attentive and friendly staff. Interesting shore excursions every day. Good entertainment. Absolutely no problems or concerns. Definitely recommend. Daily information sheets and maps of each excursion. Cruise director very knowledgeable about places visited. Guided daily tours very informative regarding town and village histories. Comfortable coaches to same. No problem airport pick up and drop off. Emerald staff at airports to help. Lovely pool on board which converts to cinema during the evening. Free tea and coffee machines 24/7. Free wine beer and soft drinks with meals. Excellent selection of food at breakfast. Buffet or a la carte at lunch. A la carte for dinner with choice regional foods (5 course) or steak, chicken or fish if preferred. All in all an excellent cruise line. Definitely be visiting again. Thank you Emerald for yet again a wonderful 2 weeks. Read Less

Wished to go on Danube river cruise for emerald wedding anniversary and the Emerald Dawn and its itinery fitted the bill. The boat/ship was far better than we imagined having been on a Russian river cruise on an old Russian boat. The cabin was much more spacious than we thought it would be and was looked after by a very nice chap. The itinerary was very good though we could not do alot of walking. The choice of food for all meals was excellent. We had excellent service from all members of the crew. The highlight of the cruise was the appearance onboard of Anton and Erin, their dancing display and their willingness to mix with all passengers on the cruise. It was so good overall that we are now thinking of booking another cruise for next year. Many thanks to all members of the crew for making our anniversary very special. Read Less

This was my third trip using Evergreen (Australia), known as Emerald in Europe. My first 14day river trip. From the moment of embarkation to our disembarking, I could not fault this trip. All crew members were , at all times friendly, happy and 100% professional. The onshore trips were most enjoyable and local guides knowledgeable, and pleasant. The meals on board were excellent, with lots of choices. A very big thank you, must go to our Tour Director , Luis His organizational skills were first class, and the whole trip went very smoothly. At all times, the ultimate professional, but also interacted well with the passengers. He had a great sense of humour, and a very happy disposition. (thanks for the dancing and the karaoke !!!!!) I was also fortunate to do the Paris and Prague extensions which also were well organised and enjoyable. One should not forget to mention Adam, the cabaret singer, and entertainment director. A pleasant young man, who also interacted well with the guests. I cannot speak highly enough of Evergreen tours, and I sincerely hope to be able to enjoy more travels with them. Read Less

What a great experience we had sailing from Budapest to Nuremberg on the Emerald Dawn. It was our first cruise of any kind. We went with another couple and also made some friends along the way. What did I like so much? - We arrived in Budapest a day early. We called to see if we could drop our bags early on the day of embarking, so we could enjoy the whole day in Budapest until dinner. They were accommodating and welcomed us so warmly when we arrived. FYI - the docking spot is close to a subway stop! Recommend the Szechenyi Baths. As the boat stayed in Budapest overnight, we walked up Buda Hill behind the boat (20 min walk uphill) for stunning views of Budepest at night! - Choices/options each day for activities. We like to be active and adventurous and we appreciated the option to go on a hike or bike, or do our own thing at each stop. The guided tours we did do were also well worth the time! Favourite days? Bratsilava and bike trip from Dürnstein to Melk! - Very comfortable rooms, that are well appointed and organized. We were on the bottom floor. Although it would have been nice to be able to open the window for fresh air, we never missed out on views. I was worried about noise, but other than the unavoidable noises like going into locks, we heard little from our room and slept very well on the very comfortable bed! - Many lovely spots to enjoy the boat - large sun deck, lovely patio on the bow near the bar, beautiful restaurant with views from every table, and a very comfortable lounge! And you could always get lovely coffee drinks, tea and cold water. - Favorite spot? The pool with views at the stern, with coffee/tea machine. Great morning spot! - Crew was exceptional! Captain inspired confidence in his ability to navigate the waterways, the room was always well cleaned at respectful times, the dining room staff was attentive, professional and fun! - The food was excellent! And so well planned...loved the flexibility of breakfast (early and late breakfast option), buffet lunch, and the evening meal was always beautiful! Tea time was nice if you missed lunch staying longer in town! - And what made the trip run so smoothly was Nina, our amazing cruise director! She was very kind, enthusiastic, organized, kept things on time, and was so responsive to everyone’s different wishes! Much gratitude for a wonderful trip Emerald Dawn! Read Less

Our first cruise of any type - ocean cruises have never appealed to me - but this trip ticked all the boxes for places I wanted to visit, with the added bonus of a private performance in Vienna by Strictly stars Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag, and a dance masterclass/Q&As on board with them the next day. Ship facilities top notch and staff/service an absolute joy. All thoroughly professional yet relaxed and friendly. We particularly loved the glass and mirrors decor which made the ship feel so light and airy. An apparent improvement this year was the introduction of an events manager, so that aside from the two nights where excellent local musicians came aboard to perform, there was always some evening enterainment provided, such as "Battleships/scategories","Family Fortunes," 70s/80s disco night, etc. He also provided an excellent cabaret as a singer himself one night. There was the occasional film night and aquarobics in the pool. Special mention to our Tour Manager, Nina who was a delight - efficient, and very open and friendly. Food: Evening meals were a 4 course nouvelle cuisine menu with a meat/fish/vegetarian option, or you could chose from 3 set menu options each night (steak, chichen breast etc). These were all very tasty, albeit low on the potato side of things! and on the 2 Captain's welcome/farewell nights there was also a palette cleanser sorbet course. Breakfast was a sumptuous spread of everything you could possibly want, with a chef cooking eggs/omelettes live to order. Lunch usually consisted of 2 "hot" dishes, sometimes cooked live, 2 soups, salads, etc, cheeseboard, cakes/desserts. You could also order a main course from the daily menu. Would have to say the hot dishes didn't stay very hot in the warmers, but it would have helped if the plates were warmed as well! Would have appreciated soup spoons as the one-size dessert spoons I felt were too big for the deep sided bowls. Wine, draught beer and soft drinks all included at lunch and evening meal. But bottled cider and beer were charged for. Loved the Vienna concert and performance by Anton and Erin. Our only slight disappointment was that the Active PLUS cycle ride option the next day, which we really wanted to do actually coincided with the Masterclass onboard so we had a tough choice to make. Would have liked to have been able to do both! Port and shore excusions were well organized and very enjoyable, with "gentle" options for those less mobile. Would have to say that if you want to see more of the embarkation location (in our case, Budapest) it would be best to arrive a day earlier. We boarded at 2pm the day we arrived and only got one morning to see the city before the ship sailed at 1pm for Bratislava. At the other end of the trip, Nuremburg, we were fortunate in that our transfer to Munich was not until 2pm so we were able to make our own way into the city for the morning (by taxi) and spend a few hours there before returning to the ship for lunch. Other passengers had morning transfers so saw nothing of the final destination as the ship docks some 15-20 mins drive from the city! The only other nuisance was that we were transferred to Munich airport 6 hourse before our flight, and were therefore lumbered with our luggage for 4 hours before the bag-drop opened. Read Less

This was all about Anton and Erin joining our cruise in Vienna, and what a show they put on. The whole cruise has been great but the show and next day masterclass were definitely what most people on board came to see. Never having been river cruising before I will definitely be back. Such a relaxing atmosphere as opposed to the big cruise liners. Very friendly staff and with only 150 guests on board you meet and speak to many more people than on the large ships. The infinity resistance pool was an absolute bonus. The food was great and the trips well thought out and executed. There were both leisurely and active programmed and you could sign up for these or nothing at all. The crew were there to make sure you had everything you needed. The cabin assistant was lovely and looked after us superbly. I loved everything about this trip. Read Less

Had high expectations for Danube cruise. Paid nearly £5000 for two for 1 week. Turned out to be very poor value for money. Not very much to say that is positive apart from visiting the beautiful cities of Budapest and Vienna. Food was not very good, not a lot of choice and found the staff did not always replenish quickly. Drinks were included with lunch and dinner but only one choice of red, white so if you didn’t like what was on offer you had to pay for an alternative. Not much on offer entertainment wise apart from Anton and Erin being on board for one night which was excellent. You sometimes had to ask to get another drink as not enough staff. Most of the staff were very nice although a few were rude. If we ever do another river cruise it definitely will not be on an emerald boat. Read Less

Everything about our cruise was of the very highest order, from the ship itself to the crew and the food - all absolutely 5 star. Special shout out to cruise director Luis who was, all at the one time, friendly, accessible and thoroughly professional all the while maintaining a great sense of humour. Can’t thank him enough for his efforts on behalf of all passengers aboard this superlative river cruise ship. There was a time during our cruise when the water levels on the Rhine were low and potentially problematic and indeed a number of ships from other lines just gave it up with everyone having to continue by coach. Not our mob though, they kicked off the passengers (for a shore activity we would have been doing anyway), drained the pool and the water tanks thus raising the ships water level and successfully managed to get through. We reembarked a bit further down the river and the cruise continued with barely a blip and. They went the extra mile for us where others others would not and we were so very appreciative. Cannot say enough nice things about Emerald Dawn and her fantastic captain & crew. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the location and price. We were met at dockside by the tour director (Nina), dropped our bags off. She took us onboard where we could have a snack and a coffee. We then went off to explore Amsterdam. There was no set seating in the dining area so you could choose to join others or be by yourself. The meals were a la carte and lunch and dinner usually consisted of five courses, breakfast was a very good buffet. Service was great, attentive but not hovering over your shoulder. The only negative about food/dining was that sometimes it was slow but overall very good. The Rhine River was spectacular, the shore trips were excellent and very well organised, english speaking guides on every occasion and we were provided with a listening device so that it wasn't necessary to be next to the guide to hear him. My big gripe is that on this particular trip Emerald/Evergreen had a film crew on board,complete with models to produce a advertising clip. That was a pain, go to the pool and they were there filming, you're lying in the sun on the top deck and the next thing there is a drone buzzing up and down,around the ship filming. I thought it was intrusive. Another thing it seemed that the film crew had special privileges, they were allowed to smoke on the Terrace (which is a non smoking area) everyone else had to smoke at a special area at the stern. Read Less

My wife and I have been on a couple of ocean cruises and I was not really thrilled with them. Last year we thought that we would give River cruising a try, and chose a trip from Budapest to Passeau on the Danube. All the reviews of Emerald were great so we booked our trip with them. Our experience was excellent on that cruise and we booked this cruise up the Rhine almost as soon as we got back home. What makes Emerald so exceptional to me is the staff. From the time you get on board until the time you leave, they are there trying to make your stay as pleasant as they can. Our cabin assistant Paul would greet us with a hello and how are you, or how was your meal, every time we saw him. The bar staff quickly became aware of what our favorite drinks and we hardly had to say what we wanted before it was there for us. The serving staff at meals were always questioning how we had enjoyed what we had just been served, and were ready to address any issues we may have had. One evening, a dining partner found the meat of his dinner to be especially good and asked if it was possible to receive more, within minutes he received a new plate with an additional double portion of the meat. What I also find exceptional with Emerald is the way that they treat the staff. On both cruises, all of the staff on board were presented to the passengers giving us an opportunity to show our appreciation. On a tour of the kitchen I found out that the ship provides meals to the staff similar to the passengers but also based on their dietary and religious needs. On this cruise I have to single out the Cruise Director Nina, for the work that she did in juggling the tours that we went on. Due to events beyond her control she had to make last minute scheduling changes that could not have been easy. The Activities Director kept the evenings highly entertaining with a variety of shows, musicals, and games that engaged everyone on board. The one final person that I would like to mention is the Hospitality Director Albert Andrei. We were fortunate enough to meet him on our previous cruise and were surprised to see him on this ship. While it was a surprise, it also indicated that we would be well taken care of. A happy, efficient staff is not magic, it is built and encouraged by management and I credit this to Albert on the Emerald Dawn. So how was the ship and everything else about the cruise? It was everything that I had experienced the previous year. The room was great, the food was great, the excursions were informative and of the right duration, the scenery while cruising was beautiful. Did we have any issues on this trip? Sure. You can’t take a trip like this without having minor inconveniences. However, we enjoyed every minute of it. Our challenge now is to decide which Emerald cruise to take next year. It is down to Portugal, or Southeast Asia. Read Less

We chose this cruise as it suited us and our friends date wise, number of days wise and places it visited. Having done 3 cruises on large ships (2 in the Caribbean and 1 to the Norway fjords) we were surprised how different it was. It was so relaxing watching the world go slowly by and you could barely notice the movement. Sea sickness doesn't happen on these cruises, yet you still visit other places from the same 'hotel' room. Our only downside was getting up early most days for trips, which started between 0815 and 0915. The cabin was spacious, the food great, the service wonderful and the staff so friendly. We enjoyed the violinist and opera singers - two separate entertainers on different days. The pool was lovely for cooling off in too, though rather small for swimming in. Our drinks package worked well and was far more economical. Being with around 170 passengers, you get to know more people on the cruise and a lot of the staff. We are already planning our next river cruise! Most people on the cruise were 60-75, like us. If you are younger and don't mind being in the minority then that is fine. Read Less

Our first European trip was an incredible experience. We fell in love with the culture, the people and, of course, Emerald. We were impressed by the simplicity and warmth of the check in and check out process. The food was delish and more always available if needed....perfect for a 15yr old son. The service was excellent without being stuffy. They knew us by name the moment we stepped on!! The ports and tours were a perfect blend of activities that made us feel much more involved in the true culture of the towns. The age group on board was much older than us and quiet but our family enjoyed meeting and learning from others. However, more younger people on board would have been nice for our family especially in the evenings. We also would have loved more flexibility with meals particularly dinner. Maybe a serving time within a 90 min time frame would have allowed us some variability. Overall, Emerald exceeded our expectations and solidified our love for Emerald, river cruises and Europe. We can't wait to sail with Emerald again!!! Read Less

We where looking for a different idea for our holidays and went to a presentation for Emerald Waterways in Vancouver. We were impressed with the presentation and the all inclusive price no nickel and dimming you at very turn. So we took a brochure and a couple of weeks later booked the 8 day trip down the Rhine. We had an excellent trip, enjoyed all the off boat excursions. They were all very well organized with each days itinerary and map of the excursions. The guides where quiet knowledgeable and with the Quietvox system you could easily follow and hear your guide. Topping it off was the excellent food and service with lots of choices. I really liked the extra touch of the towels sculpture left at the end of the bed with the next day programme. We will be looking forward to another Emerald Waterways trip in 2020, somewhere ??? Had a great holiday and highly recommend Emerald Waterways. Read Less

We did the Splendours of Europe cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Originally to be on Emerald Sky but changed to Emerald Dawn due to the lock issue near Nuremburg. The arrival on the ship was seamless and all the staff were so gracious and helpful. Cruise Director Nina was excellent. she was on top of everything, informative and kept us up to date on excursions, etc. Our cabin was perfect for the two of us and out cabin assistant Dysas was friendly, happy and so efficient. This was our first river cruise or any cruise and we could not have picked a better route, or company to do this with. We did numerous excursions, including two 30+ km bike tours. the guides provided by Emerald were very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour making the tours very entertaining and informative. The dining on board for all meals was exceptional. We had the menu for the next day, the evening before and service was very quick and the the staff were so attentive. Never a wine glass or beer glass was empty for long. There was also entertainment during the evening. We had a violinist, oom pah pah band, trivia nights, etc. If you were not entertained, that was your problem. The tours included a visit to a family on one stop and that was so different and so delightful to viist with locals. Cannot say enough good things about Emerald Waterways, their crew and the way we were treated. Read Less

This was our first river cruise after many ocean cruises. We travelled with 2 friends who have only cruises one before. We we very impressed by the design and quality of finishes on the ship - much better than expected and frankly better than we have seen on many luxury brand ocean cruises - very slick and contemporary. The food was excellent - not high end , but very well presented and very delicious- the chef did wonderful things with simple ingredients and we did no feel that we were overdosed on rich foods. All of the staff was great - the cruise director, Luis, was fantastic. Entertainment was low key and fun. Excursions were excellent. Typical of river cruising, we often had to board or disembark by walking through other ships - we have to say that we much preferred the look of ours! Will definitely travel with Emerald again. Read Less

We went on a seminar by Emerald and they offered a lot of incentives so we decided to give it a try. It was our first River Cruise so we didn't know what to expect and it was overall a great experience. The staff were very pleasant and helpful and the ship itself was very comfortable and well maintained. The only drawbacks that we found is the entertainment in the evening was not to our liking, a lot of games such as trivia and karaoke where we would have preferred more relaxing music after dinner. The activity director was good at trying to accommodate everyone but what he was asked to offer was not for everyone. On the couple of nights that he entertained it was great, he had an amazing voice and you could tell everyone enjoyed it as that was the only time the lounge was full after dinner. The breakfast and lunch buffets were great but dinner most nights were boring as in the selection was not what we expected, a lot of stew like meals and little variety. A couple of nights the dinner meals were really good such as the night they had duck and another night was a Chateaubriand. We were expecting possibly shrimp or scallops to be on the menu. The shore excursions were really good, the guides were well informed and their communication skills were excellent. Read Less

Having completed an excellent Norwegian Northern Lights cruise we received an offer via Iglu Cruises for this cruise which included some good perks like the Premium Drinks package and an M&S voucher for both of us. Having looked into Emerald Waterways they got good reviews and the ships are all quite new and looked lovely. We have cruised on the sea before, but never on a river and we thought the Rhine would be interesting. We were not disappointed! We didn't get to explore Basel before we sailed as we were tired although there was a couple of hours which was available and some did. The airport transfer and embarkation all went smoothly and we were made very welcome on arrival at the ship. The cabins were ready ahead of the scheduled time which was nice. We had a Panorama Balcony stateroom which was a good size and very nicely furnished and fitted. The shower room was particularly generously sized for a ship. There was very little noise when the ship was sailing and it was exceptionally smooth. The only time we heard anything was when berthing at the ports but it was minimal. Dining was excellent with a good choice of dishes and much use of local produce. The hotel staff were very helpful and did their best to accommodate any special requests. The number and choice of ports was just about right and the price included guided tours at each stop. Other more active excursions were available at extra cost, but we didn't use these. Most of the tours were good although a couple of the guides were not really on top of their game. The bar/lounge was very comfortable and well staffed with a selection of books and games available to borrow. As we had the Premium Drinks package we could order anything from the bar at anytime without charge. All guests get complimentary wine, beer or soft drink with lunch and dinner. The ship was able to accommodate all guests at one open sitting for dinner. As mentioned above all the staff were very friendly and helpful and Michael our Cruise Director kept us all fully informed about the daily schedule and timings. This was delivered to each cabin the night before. If there was any area which was a bit disappointing it was the evening entertainment. We had a group of opera singers who were no doubt very good but not to our taste. On another evening we had a lovely violinist who played a wide variety of music and was excellent. A karaoke night was less successful and we felt not really a good choice for the type of passengers on board. There were also a couple of film nights, but we didn't go to these. Yes we would certainly go again having enjoyed it immensely. Read Less

This was our first foray into cruising, as I suffer from very bad motion sickness, an ocean cruise was definitely not on the cards! We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary so chose what we hoped was a special cruise on a special boat and we were not disappointed. Everything from the overall design to the onboard style and decor was stunning, with a gorgeous pool area (seriously underused on our trip), although for us having it to ourselves was lovely, especially with the poolside bar and comfy chairs. All the staff could not have been friendlier, from the housekeeping to the bar staff, from the waiters to Albert the hotel manager, and not forgetting Michael the cruise director, they were all so helpful and charming with a good sense of humour! On this particular cruise, we liked the choice in activities and excursions available, all targeted at those enjoying their cruise at different levels and pace. So there were always active excursions as well as more gentle ones on offer. Similarly we didn’t always want to go on the coach tours, so when moored up in the great city locations often meant we could do our own thing, and pop back to the ship for lunch/dinner, just like a hotel. That said the organised excursions and tours we did get involved in were all excellent with handpicked informative and entertaining tour guides. The food was simply amazing, chef Stefan was an inspiration with his choices, often regionally themed as we sailed through various places. Wines were similarly excellent, all good quality and lots of it on offer! We loved the galley tour, seeing where our fantastic meals were created. We were really quite emotional (and more than a little embarrassed) on the last night to be presented with a beautifully decorated Anniversary cake in front of the very full restaurant! I am happy to report we will certainly be booking again with Emerald Waterways and more importantly, I did not suffer from even a teeny bit of travel sickness as the ship is so beautifully quiet and very stable, so there is no sensation at all of any movement other than travelling forwards. Read Less

We have just returned from a week long cruise on the Emerald Dawn from Amsterdam to Basel. We were very impressed by the level of service and the facilities. All members of staff from cruise director Michael, the hotel manager Albert, entertainment manager Callum to Bali who cleaned our room were friendly, helpful and worked hard to make the cruise special. The ship The ship was clean, light and spacious with a lounge area which was great for meeting with other guests and for entertainment. There was also tea and coffee available at all times. We didn't use the pool but it did look very inviting and often this was a quieter area on the ship. The sun deck was a favourite place and we luckily had the weather to enjoy it. Our cabin We had a panorama balcony cabin on the upper deck which was kept spotless by the housekeeping staff. The bed was very comfortable and the bathroom, although compact as one would expect on a river cruise boat, was more than adequate. Blinds on the window allowed complete privacy - important if you are moored next to another boat which happened on a couple of occasions. We were surprised by how quiet it was at night, even when cruising, and this was maybe the advantage of an upper deck room. There was a good entertainment system with films available. Dining Breakfast was great with a good selection and there was a choice of a light lunch in the lounge or a more comprehensive meal in the Reflections restaurant. In addition there was afternoon tea. Dinner was a busy affair with all guests seated at the same time to make service easier. However service was very good and wine with the meal was plentiful. I have read some reviews about portion sizes but considering all the other meals available we felt they were more than adequate. The quality of food was on the whole good. We received a drinks package as we had booked early and did enjoy being able to have additional drinks with no extra cost. Excursions We particularly enjoyed our tours of Amsterdam, Koblenz and Strasbourg though Cologne was not such an attractive place. Most of the guides were very knowledgeable and entertaining and the pace of walking was comfortable. There was usually a special group for those that wanted a slower walk. The hike in the Black Forest was a lovely way to complete the cruise and we wished it could have been a bit longer. The beauty of this was that if you wanted a quiet day on the ship you could forego the trips. Overview One of the things that made me choose Emerald was that all tips including those for guides, were included in the price which made the trip stress free. Information about each day was presented in a programme delivered to our room the night before. Embarkation, disembarkation, trips, and events were all well organised and ran smoothly - no mean feat when dealing with nearly 180 passengers. We had a wonderful time and will certainly be considering Emerald for our next cruise. Read Less

We have just completed the Amsterdam to Budapest Christmas Markets river cruise. It was very good trip and I would highly recommend it to anyone. We were somewhat worried about the river levels as Europe had a terrible summer and many cruises were impacted with people having to change boats or take long legs on coaches. Thankfully this never happened to us. Whilst, Evergreen have their river guarantee we didn't need to rely on it. About a week before the cruise we were called by Evergreen to tell us the situation and give us a couple of options. We decided to proceed as planned. The ship was excellent and we were in a grand balcony suite, it provided a a little extra room and a few extra comforts. Now for some specifics: Food: The food was a generally pretty good - in terms of quality and quantity it couldn't be faulted. Where there is room for improvement is variety. As someone who doesn't eat fish/seafood I was often left with one choice. They have a couple of standing choices in terms of steaks and chicken but these were not well prepared in my opinion. Alcohol - they offer free beer and wine with meals. If you want anything else outside of meal times you will need to pay for it or arrange for a drinks package. This is what we did. Laundry - depending on your canine choice you may get some pieces of laundry included - a couple of pieces a day. Regardless its not enough and the laundry charges are stupendously high. Tours - You basically stop in a town each day. Usually in the morning, you have breakfast and at about 9am you muster to go exploring. There are local guides and audio devices for each person so you can listen to the guides explanation. This was very good and all of the guides we experienced were professional and most often had a great sense of humour. They are usually residents in the towns you visit. You then get a couple of hours of free time to go shopping or exploring in your own time. Discover More Tours - These tours are offered as additional extras. They go to slightly out of the way places - usually by coach. You pay more for these and they happen while the rest of the passengers are doing the standard tour. We did a couple - to the Dracenfels castle and to Saltzburg. Each of these was about $120 per person. The Salzburg tour was excellent (think town from Sound of Music) the Dracenfels castles was a complete waste of time and money. This was one of the first tours and as such it didn't help us get off to the best start. The castle is basically a large house that has been designed to look like a castle. It was opened up especially for our tour - but that said there were covers over stall/shops that had been set up inside to keep them out the snow. The guide tried hard but could do too much. There were a number of onboard entertainment events - including local performers from Austria and Hungary - excellent events. There were a couple of other entertainment activities such as trivia and dance nights. The cruise director we had on board - Darren, was excellent. He worked tirelessly to make everything happen. A great personality and helped make the trip fun. Cannot recommend him highly enough. I've seen a few other comments about the age of the passengers. My wife and I are both 46 and while we amongst the youngest on the ship (there were a few in there 20s) we didn't feel out of place. There were plenty of fit and able people and most groups walked a good pace. There was typically one group for 'slow' walkers. As I indicated earlier we really enjoyed the trip. We paid for the upgrades to business class flights and the upgraded cabin. The business class flights were a good option when coming from Australia especially if you are over 6ft tall. We arrived a little early - 3 days in Amsterdam and stayed a little later in Budapest (another 3 days). If I had my time again I would reduce the post cruise Budapest stay to an extra day. We will probably take another cruise like this in a couple of years to go and we happily choose Evergreen again. Read Less

We chose this cruise to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. The cruise exceeded our expectations. There was some concern that due to low water level in the rivers we may have to change ships or go by bus for part of the trip but we did go the full trip on the Emerald Dawn. The crew were fantastic, they were so attentive and friendly while being very efficient. The shore excursions all went well with very experienced guides. We did have snow which just made the trip for us. The cabin we had was comfortable enough. The cabin was very clean and well presented. The food for breakfast, lunch and dinner was of a high standard. Our cruise director was seemed to work 20 hours a day as he always seemed to be working away at his desk! Our embarkation went very smoothly. We arranged our own travel after the cruise and our cruise director organised a suitable transport for 5 people for us to the train station. Everything just ran like clockwork. We would definately cruise with Evergreen/Emerald Waterways again. Read Less

The service was spectacular; the staff were so attentive and friendly. They really seemed to like their jobs. We loved the swimming pool--a perfect place to spend the day when cruising down the Danube. Very well organized. The wine was excellent--particularly when a glass was served to us in the pool area when we were cruising in the area where the wine was produced. Nice touch! The food was very good but not spectacular. The meat was often over-cooked. The chef needs a commercial souvide. We were very impressed with the housekeeping staff who tided/cleaned our cabin twice a day. The serving staff were amazingly attentive. We did a pre-cruise stay in Prague and loved our tour director--I can't remember her name but her nickname was "Foxy". We paid extra for the concert in Vienna and thought it was over-priced for an hour of music. We will definitely consider Emerald for another cruise in the future. Read Less