This is the first cruise we have undertaken and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The ship was absolutely spotless, the crew very very helpful with cruise director Alex there to help. The dining was an experience on it’s own, the food beautifully cooked and served by very competent waiters. The on shore excursions were well organised with very knowledgeable guides. The highlights for us was Strasbourg, The Black Forest museum and the cable car ride to the castle in Koblenz. We will most certainly book another river cruise, land in view the whole time! We flew from Newcastle but the return wasn’t as straightforward as we had to change planes in Paris C de G, a massive place. The only part of the holiday we didn’t enjoy. One abiding memory is the amount of cargo carrying vessels on the river and negotiating the large locks. Another was the size of the Lorelei statue, blink and you missed it! Read Less

We chose to cruise the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basil. From the time we booked to the time we disembarked the service was excellent. The ship was modern and extremely well maintained.The crew were professional in the performance of there duties and always had the customers best interests in mind.The food was plentiful varied and delicious. The service in the dining room was second to none.The staff were always smiling and efficient in the performance of there duties. House keeping did a great job in keeping the cabins clean and well appointed.The cruise director continually kept everyone up to date on all of the ships tours and activities.His knowledge and history of all locations were presented in great detail before each tour. Questions were answered quickly ensuring customer satisfaction.All the tours were well organized well run and interesting.All aspects of the cruise experience was outstanding. As a result of the outstanding service I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking to do a cruise. I would definitely take another cruise with this company' Thanks for the Great Experience Read Less

We decided to a river cruise and picked somewhere we had never been. The ship was well laid out the service was excellent and friendly. the included excursions were well organised and informative. A wonderful trip, and we will definitely go river cruising again We did a Mediterranean cruise some time ago, and found the larger ship not so welcoming. The river cruise ship is more intimate and friendly and has a much nicer atmosphere. The local guides on the excursions were very knowledgeable and approachable. We liked the fact that everything is included, no extra costs for gratuities, and no extra cost for excursions. There was an optional extra but we did not take it. The dining was terrific and wine was included and not stinted. The cruise director gave out information on ports and countries we passed through .which kept us well informed. A great experience and really excellent value for money Read Less

All aspects of the trip went smoothly, our ship was luxurious, cabin (lowest deck) was spacious and beds and shower etc were great. Service by cruise staff was of high quality... friendly and very attentive. The daily shore excursions were varied, tour guides were local and very knowledgeable, we learnt a lot about the history and local cultures. Food was good, wide selection. We only cruised between Bucharest and Budapest, so didn’t go all the way to Amsterdam. We would definitely travel with Emerald Waterways (Evergreen in Australia) again. Highlights included the tour of Viminacium, a very large Roman archeological site with interesting burial findings, and seeing the 1 million year old mammoth skeleton, completely preserved in situ was very interesting as well. The Puszta Horse farm in Hungary was also excellent, great skills of the Magyar horsemen were on show, and included horse cart ride to see the local grey cattle with their huge horns and the local sheep with their long spiraling horns. Read Less

The Good. The entire crew were excellent throughout the cruise and unable to be faulted. Always a ready smile, happy to chat and would go out of their way to ensure we and other passengers were going to get the most enjoyment out of this cruise. Embarkation in Amsterdam and disembarkation in Budapest went smoothly and seemlessly. Our cabin on the lower deck was cosy and just a small window to let light in, but unable to look out off unless one was over 2 metres tall. But this is what we booked and expected. The cabin was kept clean every day, bed comfortable and chocolates every night on our pillows. The information chanel on the televison was normally a day or two behind with details of activities and it became necessary to go to reception to get this changed. In the end we just didnt bother and relied on the daily printed newsletter. Tours and guides. Most were good, some not so good, and a couple just downright boring. Some guides must have been paid by the words they spoke, never shutting up and constantly filling our heads with nondiscript facts that went in and out at the same time. The Bad As allude above, a few guides suffered from verbal overload. Yes most of us were interested in facts and figures about the tour we were on, but our brains do have a limited capacity to absorb hundreds of years of information in a short period of time. The good guides kept the information to the basics, what is it, where is it, why etc, others felt it important to tell not only their life stories, but the entire life story of what it was we were looking at. These long winded guides were the topic of conversation around the dinner table, and not in a complimentary manner either. The Ugly Yes river cruise ships have limited space and this shows in the dining room. Breakfast isn't so bad, it's staggered and people come to eat in a timely manner that doesn't overcrowd the buffet serving area. Lunch (buffet) was a nightmare, the dining rooms doors usually opened at noon, on the dot and the crowds rush in, firstly to get the right table and then to be first in line to get to the food. It would be 30 minutes before the lines settled down and others who didn't wants to push and shove were able to get their food. And who's idea was it to have one nights dinner buffet style. Same situation as lunch. Dinner wasn't that much better, though it was waiter service, with people lining up outside the dining room up to 20 minutes before opening time to get their favourite table. The after dinner entertainment left much to be desired. We had just three evenings of entertainment which was greatly enjoyed by passengers and well attended. The first a trivia night, the second a dance night, the third a liar night. All three were fun and gratefully appreciated by all in attendance which was most of the ship, The after dinner entertainment for the rest of the cruise was taken up by the single musician on his piano, and whilst very good, could not attract a crowd and hence the room was mostly empty after 9pm The food thoughout was fair to good, some days excellent, some days not so. On days when food was left on plates waiters made the enquiry as to why and eager to satisfy with replacement food. Whist breakfast and lunch buffets were plentyful, it was on days quite bland. Dinner was from menu selection and the best meal of the day with several choices. (To be fair, whilst lunch was buffet style, passengers were offered a menu at lunch times and could order items from the kitchen. We did this perhaps half the time when we found something to our liking) The outside upper deck was closed from around day 3 or 4 and wasnt available for use by passengers until around day10 or 11, so for half the cruise this area was out of bounds due to low bridges over the rivers and canals. Passengers during this time could not avail themselves of the fine weather to sunbathe or exercise. Have cruised before on ocean liners, first time on a river cruise and not sure we would do another river cruise. Read Less

We were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and wanted something special. This ship did not disappoint. We arrived at Amsterdam and stayed overnight before sailing the next afternoon to Cologne. The ship is light and airy, spotlessly clean and no irritating tannoys going off all the time. That is kept to an absolute minimum. The service on board was First Class with great team work between all the crew which made for a very lovely holiday. The cabins were comfy and air conditioning was just right. The beds (and pillows) were comfortable - just not enough time in them! There are a lot of activities which keep you occupied; on board and ashore. The food was delicious and as we passed through different regions then the meals prepared reflected the country we were in. The plates were scalding hot and the food always piping hot too. Amazing how they do it for 180 people all eating at the same time each night.... Plenty of food too and snacks at various times of the day and night. The Cruise Director worked very hard and was an absolute gem! He was so very knowledgeable about the places we would visit and pass by on the river. He was very attentive to guests' needs and was always there to meet us when we came back to the ship after being on an excursion. He saw us all off at the end of the cruise as we each left at various times... a very personal touch. He organised some of the entertainment in the evenings along with others and it was always good fun. It was a very happy atmosphere on our cruise. All the crew worked hard and were always very polite and friendly. The chef came out each night to present his Recommendation for the day and went around the tables to chat with guests about the meals. Nothing was ever too much trouble for anyone. The inclusive excursions were good and well paced with different levels for differing abilities. You could do your own thing if you preferred. We did, once or twice. There were additional excursions to be purchased and we went to Rothenberg and the Cesky Krumlov (Czech Rep) - both we enjoyed very much. You would not have known you were on water at all... it was just like a hotel bedroom with the blinds closed. The embarkation and disembarkation went like clockwork. This ship was very well organised and we were made very welcome at once. Disembarkation... so smoothly indeed. Coloured luggage labels showing the time of your particular departure meant cases were by the taxi collecting you, ready to be identified before loading into the cab. Kindly words and a hug from the Cruise Director sent us on our way. We were taken to the airport by cab where a Rep made sure we knew where we were going. Again, a personal touch. Excellent holiday!! Read Less

It was recommended by a trusted source and lived up to my expectations. I took three days prior to embarkation in Amsterdam to get over jet-lag and to view and tour this great city. It eased me into the cruise mode. My embarkation was smooth as silk. I was met by the captain and escorted on board by the cruise director and given all the information needed to get settled quickly. I enjoyed all activities the cruise had to offer both on board and on shore. They were well prepared and executed in a timely fashion. The chef's presentation each day during port talk wet my appetite for the upcoming meal and each meal was presented as a specialty of the region we were sailing through. My accommodation did not need improvement and was very well looked after by the cabin attendant. The cleanliness of the ship and the service by the crew left nothing to be desired. When I left the ship with a well staggered disembarkation I knew that I would look for another cruise with Emerald Waterways. Read Less

We had never done a river cruise of Europe, and this was recommended by our travel agent who had taken this cruise. We were most impressed by the staff, the service, the accomodations, the food and the expertise of the cruise director. Our room attendant was excellent and always kept our room spotless, and the fridge was well stocked. The Captain and his crew were superb: maneuvering the ship through the narrow locks was a highlight! The daily tours were all interesting and our local guides were excellent. The chef's meals were all excellent and very tasty. If we wanted another choice, he was most accomodating. All the waiters in the restaurant were most efficient and very amiable. We got to know some of them and enjoyed having them serve us. I had a massage from the Polish masseuse: she was so good I went back again! We would definitely take another Emerald cruise: we are talking about it right now! And we are recommending Emerald to all our friends. Thank you for a truly memorable experience! Read Less

We were on the Splendours of Europe trip from Amsterdam to Budapest from April 28th until May 12th with a group of eighteen people from Canada. Many of our group were celebrating special birthdays and anniversaries and for many it was our first trip to central Europe. We all agreed that the cruise part of our trip was the highlight. The ship was nicely appointed, the food was good, the entertainment was enjoyable, the tours were well balanced with interesting historical information at a good pace but the crew were the BEST! I had inadvertently left my iPad in the Frankfurt airport prior to the cruise and would not have been able to arrange to get it back with the help of Michael, the cruise director. He went far above and beyond what would be expected to help me and in the nicest way. Thank you again Michael. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention that the rest of the crew could not have been more pleasant and helpful. They all seemed very happy at their jobs and with each other. We would definitely choose Emerld Waterways for another river cruise. Read Less

First cruise experience (river or ocean), selected due to interesting places visited in one week. All of the staff were terrific - very helpful, giving the impression nothing would be too much trouble and all were very friendly and supportive. Cruise Director Michael was very organised and also very positive in all he did. Food and wine selections were generally excellent. It was a shame that the cinema/pool options were not fully functioning throughout; on a relatively small boat and if the weather does not let you out on deck, I realise it is difficult to have many options in the evening, but there really was no alternative to the bar/lounge and whatever entertainment was set out in the evening if we were sailing or away from a town when moored. The excursions were excellent ; the hike in the Black Forest was led by two super guides who were informative and supported the participants with shade and water breaks on a very hot day. The history- post-grad student Mark who took us around Koblenz was outstanding - probably the best guided tour we ever had for information, enthusiasm and answering questions from thr Group. In general, the balance of shore time between well-led tours and free time was excellent. Read Less