This was our first river cruise and we were hugely anticipating the adventure.

It started wonderfully well in Amsterdam on the Emerald Star. The first week was excellent - great staff, great food, clean and comfortable boat.

Then, because of low river levels, we had to be bussed to join the Emerald Sky for our second week and to join the 120 guests already on that ship (we had been told there were only 50). What a contrast. Poor food, surly staff, guests wearing shorts to dinner, unacceptable noise in the dining room (well over international health and safety guidelines for decibel levels) and very little cleaning around the public areas. The bicycles did not work and were nothing like the ones shown in the brochure. Read more