Emerald Radiance Review

Delightful trip. Excellent staff.

Review for Europe River Cruise on Emerald Radiance
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TheShadowDoc
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Apr 2023

We chose this cruise because it starts in Porto, which we wanted to visit, and travels up the Douro River, which looked beautiful. The embarkation is on the Porto side of the river, which makes for more convenient access than for the cruises other than Emerald or Scenic that leave from Vila Nova de Gaia. A word of warning for those with limited mobility, though: the ramp down to the ship is steep. Our cabin, like on most river cruises, was somewhat small, but not uncomfortably so. There was seating by the window to allow us to watch outside during the sailings. The term "Balcony suite" is inaccurate as there was no balcony, though there were large windows.

The Radiance is a rather small ship with max capacity of 112 passengers which makes for a more intimate cruise. The size of the ships is limited by the locks on the river- no ship could be any larger. Passengers were mostly from the UK, US, and Canada, though there were others from Australia as well as Europe. Most were from the UK, which made the trip more interesting rather than having a US dominated passenger population.

The food was consistently excellent with generally 3 and sometimes 4 selections for each course as well as "classic" choices (chicken, steak, salmon) in case nothing appealed, though we never needed to resort to the classic choices. The wait staff was pleasant and attentive with food being served in a timely manner. The wines selected were quite good, mostly from the Douro region. Beer and wine is included with the meals and they were generous with the wine during meals. The entire cruise staff was friendly and helpful.

Cabin Review

Typically small, but not cramped. Adequate storage.

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