Recapping our week aboard Emerald Cruises Emerald Star on the Danube
Over the course of seven days, Emerald Cruises’ Emerald Star whisked me along the Danube from Budapest, Hungary to Nuremberg, Germany where I disembarked – reluctantly, I might add. I certainly wouldn’t have minded staying onboard for the return journey to Budapest!
The full day-by-day Live Voyage Report:
- Day 1: Embarking Emerald Star in Budapest
- Day 2: Budapest, Hungary
- Day 3: Bratislava, Slovakia
- Day 4: Vienna, Austria
- Day 5: Durnstein and Melk, Austria
- Day 6: Passau, Germany and Scenic Danube Cruising
- Day 7: Regensburg and Kelheim, Germany
Owing to lock congestion, we were a little late getting to Nuremberg, but nothing so drastic as to affect our flights. The first set of guests to disembark – which I was part of – weren’t set to leave the vessel until 8:30 a.m., and we ended up leaving only 20 minutes past that time.
Disembarkation was efficient and easily handled. Breakfast was served in the main dining room and in the lounge, and guests were asked to vacate their staterooms and suites by 8 a.m. Luggage does not have to be placed out in the evening prior to disembarkation, but in the morning, so as to keep the interior stateroom corridors free of obstructions.
By 8:50, the luggage for my ‘Pink’ disembarkation group was loaded onto the coach, and we were on our way to the Nuremberg Airport, just a 20-minute drive away, where I was able to meet a good friend of mine for coffee.
As it always does, the 15-hour journey back to Canada gave me plenty of time to think about the fantastic week we’ve had on the Danube – and to consider what makes Emerald Cruises, the newest river cruise line in Europe, tick.
One of my favorite Emerald Cruises features was EmeraldPlus, a selection of specially-designed shore excursions that were created to give guests an intimate, firsthand look at Europe that goes beyond the standard tourist sites. On my journey, this meant spending time with a local Slovakian family in Bratislava.
Guests were split into groups of 10 and invited into local households in a countryside village; it really is the luck of the draw that determines what you’ll experience from that point on. Some guests were invited to wine tastings, while we made traditional Hungarian desserts normally enjoyed at Christmas, complimented by tea, coffee and delicious homemade cake made with berries straight from our host Ella’s garden.
It was a decidedly unique experience that would normally only be offered on luxury river cruise lines charging twice the price. You definitely don’t want to miss out on these excursions.
Like any line beginning operations for the first time, there are some little wrinkles that could be smoothed over. Both the 2014 and 2015 Emerald Cruises brochures list all stateroom categories as having “Complimentary Bathrobes and Slippers,” but omits the fact that these must be requested once onboard and are not placed in staterooms by default.
The 2015 brochure also states that beds can be positioned as Queen or twin-sized hotel beds, though I don’t see how this is technically possible – at least aboard the Emerald Star and Emerald Sky – as the bedside tables are bolted to the wall (I physically tried to push, pull and move them, without success.) The Flat-Panel TV system in each stateroom is nowhere near as complete as those on other lines: the music function picks up only French-language stations (and doesn’t work, period), and English-speaking channels are limited to the BBC, Sky News and MSNBC. The dozen or so German-language channels seem like an odd choice for a product that targets almost exclusively English-speaking guests. I might let them off the hook, but their sister-line Scenic has the onboard interactive TV thing nailed down to a science, so I know they can do better in this area.
The Flat-Panel TV system in each stateroom is nowhere near as complete as those on other lines: The music function picks up only French-language stations (and doesn’t work, period), and English-speaking channels are limited to the BBC, Sky News and MSNBC. The dozen or so German-language channels seem like an odd choice for a product that targets almost exclusively English-speaking guests. I might let them off the hook, but their sister-line Scenic has the onboard interactive TV thing nailed down to a science, so I know they can do better in this area.
On the other hand, Emerald does a lot of things right in the stateroom department: The pillows and European duvets are fabulous, and the lighting is perfect in the room. The Panorama Balcony is the real selling feature, though, and I made use of it more than I do a standard French Balcony on other river cruise vessels.
My take on my week aboard the sleek Emerald Star:
Emerald Cruises Hits:
- The Pool-Cinema Combo: It’s fabulous, and worth the hype.
- Inclusive gratuities and airport transfers.
- European styling, diverse passenger base.
- Complimentary onboard bicycles
- Unique, if sometimes overly-ambitious, itineraries.
- Friendly, professional crew culled from a variety of river and ocean cruise lines.
- EmeraldPlus Excursions are fantastic.
A Few Misses:
- The bizarrely-designed stateroom bathrooms aren’t user-friendly at all.
- Menus provided per-table instead of per-person at dinner creates an odd ordering experience, but does encourage conversation with your tablemates.
- Some brochure inaccuracies.
- No complimentary bottled water at the gangway.
Where Emerald Cruises truly exceeds though is in adding value in a category of river cruising that was starting to become overlooked as more and more river lines move into the all-inclusive, luxury arena. Priced similarly to Viking River Cruises, Emerald Waterway’s ships are the same size, and carry only a few less passengers than Viking’s Longships. Yet they include complimentary transfers and all gratuities, as well as some uncommon features like a swimming pool, cinema, and even complimentary bicycles that are more common on expensive cruise lines.
Would I sail with Emerald Cruises again? Yes. Emerald has its own unique voice and brand in the river cruise industry, and much like a fine wine, I suspect Emerald will only get better with age. For Emerald to offer the product it does now, right out of the gate, is a noteworthy achievement in and of itself.
I’ve long thought that river cruising is one of the best ways to see Europe. My week onboard Emerald Star has only reinforced that opinion.
Emerald Cruises, Budapest to Nuremberg
DAY | PORT | ACTIVITIES |
Saturday, July 12, 2014 | Budapest, Hungary | Embark Emerald Cruises' Emerald Star in Budapest; Welcome Aboard Dinner |
Sunday, July 13 | Budapest, Hungary | Guided tour of Budapest including Fisherman's Bastion and Castle Hill |
Monday, July 14 | Bratislava, Slovakia | Old Town walking tour; EmeraldPlus excursion for tea with a local Slovakian family |
Tuesday, July 15 | Vienna, Austria | Panoramic "Ringstrasse" tour of Vienna; free time and optional Schonbrunn Palace Tour and Viennese concert. |
Wednesday, July 16 | Vienna / Durnstein / Melk, Austria | Guided tour of Melk Abbey; guided tour of Durnstein |
Thursday, July 17 | Linz, Austria / Passau, Germany | Walking tours & free time in Linz and Passau; Optional full-day tour to Salzburg, Austria |
Friday, July 18 | Regensburg / Weltenburg, Germany | Guided tours of Regensburg & Weltenburg Abbey; optional traditional Bavarian entertainment excursion |
Saturday, July 19 | Nuremberg, Germany | Disembark & onward journey home. |
fille_russe says
Thank you! We are going on the 14-day version of this cruise this summer, looking forward to it! P.S. As someone who was born in the Soviet Union I can totally understand what was your Slovakian host referring to – yes, I wouldn’t want to go back to living under communists but it was extremely safe and secure, no one was rich but no one was poor/jobless/homeless either. So I can see how older generation would feel somewhat nostalgic towards it. Hey, I grew up in SU and I had the best childhood ever!
Sandra says
Thank you. I’ve enjoyed following your journey, as my husband and I are about to do the Amsterdam to Budapest journey next month. Have made a few mental notes. We’ll be in the small handful of 40ish age group, but looking forward to it eagerly.
Aaron Saunders says
You’ll have no problems fitting in. The best thing about a river cruise is that everyone is there because they want to be. Age doesn’t really play any factor in determining how much fun you’ll have. Do enjoy your journey; you’ll have a great time!
Sandra says
Thank you Aaron, for this wonderful report of your trip on the Danube. We’ve been travelling with you, every magical step of the way. We are Vancouverites planning our once in a lifetime, 50th anniversary trip for next year. A River Cruise on the Danube is our dream. We need to be careful with our $$, so where would you place Emerald Waterways on a list for value – 10 being the best?
Aaron Saunders says
Hi Sandra – a river cruise on the Danube would be a very special experience for a 50th Anniversary trip. If there’s one thing Emerald excels at, it’s value. They include gratuities and transfers from the airport, and both of those expenses can add up rather quickly on other lines. There’s not a lot of onboard expenses outside of the occasional bar drink apart from mealtimes, and even a glass of wine will only set you back about 4 EUR.
Of course, it’s always good to shop around – I’d visit a travel agent just to get an idea of prices – but I’d highly recommend Emerald in terms of offering a good product at a really accessible price.