Since taking to the waters of Europe in 2014, our brand of deluxe river cruising has won fans around the globe. Pairing generous inclusions with immersive destinations and experiences, we always strive to bring our guests the very best of what Europe and the world have to offer – and this is reflected in our cabinet of awards, trophies and accolades.
At Emerald Waterways, we never rest on our laurels, constantly seeking out new, exciting ways to help our customers see more of the things they love. Whether that’s new destinations, new ships, new inclusions or new technology; we will continue to work hard to ensure our river cruises and tours offer inspiring travel memories you’ll never forget.
But don’t just take our word for it - the accolades below tell you everything you need to know about our award-winning and trusted service.
Silver Travel Awards – Highly Commended 2020
We were thrilled to receive a ‘Highly Commended’ nod within the Best River Cruise Line category during the September 2020 Silver Travel Awards, highlighting our exceptional EmeraldVALUE and our innovative and stylish European Star-Ship fleet.
British Cruise Awards 2019 – ‘Best Destination Immersion'
Our EmeraldPLUS program won ‘Best Destination Immersion’ an award in which we are thrilled to have received. Our EmeraldPLUS program are our collection of extra-special excursions and events designed for you to see the destinations we visit in a different light, giving you memorable experiences that go beyond that of the ordinary traveller.
Silver Travel Awards - Highly Commended 2019
During June 2019, we were delighted to have received ‘Highly Commended’ at the Silver Travel Awards for ‘Best River Cruise Line’ highlighting our collection of insightful river cruise itineraries, exceptional EmeraldVALUE and fleet of stylish Star-Ships.
Best River Cruise Line for Value 2018
We are delighted to announce that we were given the Best River Cruise Line for Value award for the fourth consecutive year at the 2018 Cruise Critic UK Awards. These prestigious awards represent excellence in ocean, river and luxury cruising.
Best River Cruise Line for First Timers 2018
We love introducing newcomers to the many delights of Europe’s postcard-worthy waterways, which is why we are happy to state that we also picked up the Best River Cruise Line for First Timers award at the 2018 Cruise Critic UK Awards.
Exceptional Value River Cruising - Gold
At the 2018 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, we were presented with the Gold Award for Exceptional Value River Cruising in the overall river cruising category, highlighting the impact of our Exceptional EmeraldVALUE promise.
Contemporary Pool Design - Silver
While we attended the 2018 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, we were also given the Silver Award for Contemporary Pool Design in the cruise elements category, highlighting the innovation behind our pool by day, cinema by night combination.
Wave Awards 2018 - Favourite River Cruise Line
The Wave Awards feature the very best of the cruise industry in the United Kingdom. At the 3rd annual Wave Awards in London, we received highly commended at this prestigious award ceremony thanks to a public vote.
2018 Scottish Passenger Agent's Association
For the second consecutive year, we were delighted to be presented with this Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association award. We strive to offer the highest levels of service possible at Emerald Waterways and to be recognised for that commitment is incredibly rewarding.
British Cruise Awards 2018 - Highly Commended
At the British Cruise Awards in 2018, we received a highly commended in the Best River Cruise Line category. This esteemed awards ceremony celebrates the very best of the cruise industry.
Cruise Critic - Editors Pick 2017
We are delighted to announce that we took home Best Value For Money at the Cruise Critic 2017 awards. David Winterton (Global Brand Curator for Emerald Waterways) was overjoyed.
2017 Scottish Passenger Agent's Association
We strive to offer all of our guests the highest levels of service possible and to be recognised for this commitment is incredibly rewarding. We are happy to announce that we were named River Cruise Company of the Year at the 2017 Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association awards.
2017 Gold Trusted Service 2017
The Feefo Gold Trusted Service award stands for all of our company values, being given solely to brands that go above and beyond to deliver outstanding customer service. We received this award in 2017 thanks to the ratings and reviews of our customers.
Silver Travel Advisor - Best River Cruise Line 2016
We are over the moon to announce that we were named Best River Cruise Line at the 2016 Silver Travel Awards. River cruise lovers from around the country cast their votes for us and we are happy that our dedication to innovation has been recognised by you yet again.
Cruise Critic - Editors Pick 2016
We are proud to announce that, for the second year running, Cruise Critic crowned us Best River Line For Value. We look forward to building on this title during our future years of sailing along some of the most beautiful waterways in Europe and further afield.
Cruise Critic - Editors Pick 2015
Cruise Critic is the world’s leading cruise reviews site and their online community is known for its dedication to maintaining standards across the industry. We are delighted to announce that we took home ‘Best For Value’ from the 2015 awards ceremony.
TTG Travel Awards - Best River Cruise Line 2015
This award was won based on the votes of agents from all over the country and it truly emphasises the hard work that goes on behind-the-scenes to deliver what we believe to be the impeccable river cruises that our guests deserve.
Cruise International - Best New Ship 2015
Our drive for innovation is something that we believe enables us to go above and beyond for our customers. At the Cruise International Awards, we were highly commended for the ‘Best New Ship’ award.
Cruise International - Best River Cruise Line 2015
We are delighted to announce that we were highly commended for the ‘Best River Cruise Line’ award at the 2015 Cruise International Awards.
Cruise Critic - Editors Pick 2014
At the Cruise Critic 2014 awards ceremony, we received our first real token of achievement in the form of the 2014 Editors’ Picks Best New River Ship award. We are proud that our Emerald Star and Emerald Sky Star-Ships were recognised for their modern and innovative features, now reflected across our entire fleet.