This was my second European river cruise but first on Emerald. We found a wonderful sale on Travelzoo and despite Covid, we booked it over a year ago. The itinerary really appealed to me as it covered a few new countries that I hadn't been to. The Emerald Sun was less than half full probably due to Covid. That was a bonus for me. The ship was clean and welcoming. It did seem that it was a training cruise as many of the staff were a bit unsure of their role. But all in all, everyone was very happy to accommodate any request.

The Panoramic Balcony rooms were lovely with the full window feature allowing you to bring the balcony into your room. One thing that didn't make sense to me was the position of the bathroom. Due to the beds being put into single configuration, you had to enter only inches away from the bed that was closest to it. This could have been better designed. I was surprised at how ''green'' the boat was with almost zero waste. Glass straws for drinks and no plastic bottles. Good for you Emerald.

Now onto the itinerary...the cruise went from Budapest to Bucharest. It covered 5 countries that really were a lovely combination of history and architecture. Bucharest was a hidden gem. Highly recommend a visit to Romania. Budapest of course is the heart of European river cruising. Read more