This was our 1st European River cruise (we were a group of 3 adult couples, late 60's-early 70's, all from Iowa) and we all loved our cruise. The cabin we stayed in (#328/Panorama Balcony Suite) was quite comfortable, and we had plenty of room to unpack all of our belongings. The crew was fantastic...very friendly, very helpful, very courteous. They took care of our every need. The day trips and guides were local and quite knowledgeable about the history of their city, and all walking tours and even some bus tours were included in our fare, along with all tips.
Beverages were available for free at meals (wine, beer, soda, coffee, tea, etc.) and at other times were available either individually or you could purchase a drink package that was customized for your preferences (which several of our group did.) The food was excellent, with many choices for each meal. Breakfast and lunch were buffets, and each evening we had a sit-down full service, 4-5 course meal, with choices for each course.
There are so many different cruise lines going to the same places, my wife did a spread-sheet so we could compare them all, and we chose Emerald which we felt would offer us the best value for our money. We were not disappointed in our choice. I would not hesitate to recommend them, and will no doubt use Emerald Waterways again!