After lots of research we decided that an Emerald cruise would give us a great holiday. This was our first experience of cruising and we chose Emerald as the itinerary looked good, the ship appeared luxurious and the services on offer were ideal for us. From the very start every aspect of our holiday was meticulously organised and we felt like VIPS. The comfort on board was fantastic, food fabulous and every crew member helpful, polite and efficient. The itinerary of excursions was very good but there was no pressure to join in - we did what we wanted to, or just relaxed on board.

We are not people who are keen on mixing with large groups and we were delighted to find that we could eat at a table for two if we felt like it. Although the crew were attentive they were also discreet and we were never "pestered" to join in with on board events nor required to vacate our cabin - our steward happily fitted his cleaning duties into our schedule.

This first cruise was so good that we have already booked a cruise with Emerald, this time on the Rhine next July. You may find similar cruises for a lower price, but for the quality of every aspect of a river cruise Emerald is worth any extra expense.