Emerald News

Awarded second year in a row - Best River Line for Value

Rolling vineyards, captivating history, mesmerizing topography, friendly locals and gastronomical food are just a handful of factors which have helped France retain its long-held title of the world’s most popular tourist destination. 

Keukenhof Gardens in Holland has over 7 million daffodils and tulips making it one of the most vibrant and spectacular flower shows on Earth. Read about its history here. 

Vancouver, BC CANADA (February, 2016) – Emerald Waterways, winner of Cruise Critics 2015 Editor’s Pick for “Best River Line for Value,” is continuing its steady expansion as Europe’s newest river cruise line. Besides a new ship, Emerald Belle, that will sail on Europe’s Rhine and Danube rivers in 2016, 2017 will see the addition of two more new ships – The Emerald Liberté in France and the Emerald Radiance in Portugal – one sailing on France’s Rhône and Saône rivers and the other dedicated to a new itinerary that cruises on Portugal’s picturesque Douro River. Fares for the seven-night sailings will start at $2,195 per person, double occupancy, for the Douro and $2,695 for the Rhône and Saône, both with 30 departure dates. A 15-day offering combines both cruises into a single adventure at fares from $5,385. Early-booking pricing is set through February. Details can be found on Emerald’s website: www.emeraldwaterways.ca

Explore Mystical Myanmar with Emerald Waterways’ New Irrawaddy River Cruise ~ Free Roundtrip Air Offered from major North American Gateways.

Emerald Waterways, Europe’s newest deluxe river cruise company, is once again expanding its river cruises offerings for 2016 to include sailings along the Irrawaddy River in exotic Myanmar. The 16-day journey, which has departures on August 27 and November 7, 2016, is round trip from Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, visiting 11 ports along the way to allow guests to explore this vibrant and culturally diverse nation. Traveling aboard the Irrawaddy Explorer, guests will visit parts of the country rarely seen by westerners and not accessible other than by river, where they willmeet locals, sample exotic cuisine and experience the rich culture in the bustling city of Yangon as well as the remote villages along the river delta.

This week, Emerald Waterways received the honour of being Highly Commended in two categories at the Cruise International Awards. Despite being only its second season, Emerald Waterways gained recognition alongside some of the most well-established companies sailing on the same rivers.

Australian-owned and value-focused Emerald Waterways debuted last year, the first new river line in Europe in six years to cater to English-speaking passengers.

Looking to up the hip factor in a market that mostly caters to the age 55-plus crowd, the line operates four sleek, 182-passenger, Dutch-built ships it calls "Star Ships" – though without specific reference to Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Another sister will arrive next year. The ships cruise the Danube, Rhine, Main, Saône and Rhône rivers. Emerald Waterways also plans to launch a 68-passenger ship on the Mekong in 2016.

Onboard a sailing on the Emerald Dawn on the Lower Danube, from Bucharest to Budapest(through Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary), we found there's a lot to like about cruising with Emerald Waterways. Here are some of our favourite features.

Godmothers Kelly Bergin (Emerald Dawn) and Julie Kendrick (Emerald Sun) Share Words of Praise

Emerald Waterways held a dual christening event on Friday, August 21, in the Hungarian capital city of Budapest as it officially launched its two newest ‘Star Ships’ – the Emerald Dawn and the Emerald Sun. 

Emerald Waterways has named US travel industry veteran Kelly Bergin as the godmother of one of its two newest “Star-Ships,” the Emerald Dawn. 

Just in time for holiday shopping, Emerald Waterways has announced a series of week-long flash sales during the month of December on some of their most popular European river cruise itineraries. Each sale will run for six days and is bookable by calling Emerald Waterways or your travel agent.