What You Actually Get On An Emerald River Cruise (It’s A Long List!)

Booking a river cruise is never as simple as comparing prices. If only!

You might spot one sailing that’s £500 cheaper than another and assume you’ve found a bargain. Then you realise the cheaper fare doesn’t include the excursions, the drinks, the gratuities or even the transfers. Suddenly, it’s not looking quite so cheap after all…

Before I was invited to sail on Emerald Luna, I knew a lot was included. What I didn’t expect was just how rarely I actually had to think about my budget. Once I’d stepped onboard, there wasn’t much left to pay for unless I actively wanted to.

That doesn’t mean everything’s included. There are a few optional extras if you want them. But there were also several things I hadn’t realised were covered until I experienced them for myself.

Some of them genuinely surprised me.

1. Before You Step Onboard

One thing that’s easy to overlook when comparing river cruise prices is what happens after you land.

Airport transfers between the airport and the ship are included, so there’s no need to figure out trains, taxis or public transport in an unfamiliar city. Instead, someone is there to meet you and take you straight to the ship, with the same service provided at the end of your cruise too. It’s so much easier than having to sort it yourself!

On my Rhine cruise, it made the whole journey feel incredibly straightforward. Rather than worrying about directions or dragging luggage across a city, I could just relax knowing everything had already been arranged.

It might seem like a small detail, but after a flight it’s one less thing to think about. And it’s exactly the kind of inclusion that’s easy to miss when you’re comparing cruise fares at first glance.

As for the flights themselves, they aren’t included in the fare prices you’ll typically see advertised, but Emerald Cruises can organise them for you, which does make things a lot simpler.

Hate flying? There are some river cruises that pair well with the Eurostar too, and again there will be transfers arranged to get you to the ship once you get off the train.

2. A Modern Ship With More Than Just A Cabin

When you book an Emerald river cruise, you’re not just getting a place to sleep. The ship itself is a big part of the experience.

Emerald’s purpose-built Star-Ships are bright, contemporary and designed to make the scenery the star of the show. Huge windows fill the public spaces with natural light, while comfortable lounges and the Sun Deck give you plenty of places to sit back and watch Europe’s rivers roll by.

Most cabins feature Emerald’s signature Panorama Balcony. Instead of a traditional step-out balcony, the top half of the floor-to-ceiling window lowers electronically, creating an indoor balcony where you can enjoy the fresh air and the views without sacrificing valuable cabin space.

My Panorama Balcony Suite also included everything I’d expect from a comfortable hotel room, including a queen-size bed, WiFi, bottled water replenished daily, ESPA toiletries, a safe, bathrobes and slippers, a hairdryer and plenty of storage for a week’s holiday.

One of Emerald Luna’s standout features is the indoor swimming pool at the back of the ship. During the day, it’s a great place to cool off or even swim against the built-in current. In the evening, the pool floor rises, the water disappears underneath and the space transforms into a cinema complete with a giant screen and popcorn.

You’ll also find a fitness area, complimentary use of walking poles, inviting lounge spaces and a spacious Sun Deck with loungers, making it easy to relax onboard between ports. For me, it struck a really nice balance – there was plenty to enjoy on the ship, but it never distracted from the destinations themselves.

3. Food, Drinks And Gratuities

Food is included throughout your cruise, so once you’re onboard, there’s no need to think about paying for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s really good, too!

Breakfast and lunch combine generous buffets with freshly cooked dishes, while dinner is served at your table with a choice of starters, mains and desserts. The menus change every day, often taking inspiration from the countries you’re sailing through, so there’s always something new to try.

If you have any dietary requirements, Emerald makes things really easy. At the start of the cruise, guests can speak to the head chef about allergies or preferences, and each evening I received the following day’s menu in my cabin. It meant there was plenty of time to ask for any tweaks if I needed them.

Drinks are included too, although not quite all day. Beer, wine and soft drinks are served with lunch and dinner, while speciality teas, coffees and filtered water are available throughout the day.

Outside mealtimes, you can either pay as you go or buy a drinks package if you think you’ll make the most of it.

One inclusion I absolutely loved was the gratuities. They’re already covered for both the crew onboard and the guides and drivers on Emerald’s included excursions, so there were no awkward moments wondering who to tip or how much to leave.

It’s one of those things that’s easy to forget about when you’re booking, but it can make a real difference by the end of the cruise. When you consider most cruise lines charge this as an extra, it’s good to know it’s already covered. But even cruise lines that include gratuities don’t usually cover the tips for excursion guides – that’s properly above-and-beyond stuff!

4. Excursions That Are Already Included

For me, this is where Emerald really starts to shine.

On every touring day, there’s at least one included excursion, so you don’t arrive in a new destination and immediately have to decide whether to spend another £50 or £100 seeing the sights.

The included excursions vary depending on where you’re cruising, but they generally fall into three categories.

The classic guided tours are exactly what you’d expect, with knowledgeable local guides showing you around historic towns, famous landmarks and places that you’d probably struggle to appreciate on your own.

If you’d rather do something a bit more active, EmeraldACTIVE excursions include things like guided hikes and bike rides using the ship’s complimentary e-bikes. It’s a nice option if you’d rather explore under your own steam than follow a walking tour.

Then there are EmeraldPLUS experiences, which are designed to immerse you in the local culture. On my Rhine cruise, that meant a private classical concert, and I genuinely couldn’t believe it was included. It felt like exactly the sort of thing I’d have expected to pay extra for.

Of course, if you want to do even more, there are optional DiscoverMORE excursions available at an additional cost. But that’s exactly how they felt to me – optional. I never had the impression that I was missing out because I hadn’t paid extra.

One thing I also really liked was that Emerald caters for different walking speeds. During my cruise there was a gentle walking group as well as the standard-paced excursions, making it much easier for everyone to enjoy the destinations without feeling rushed. Considering I was cruising with a broken big toe after an injury at home, it was really handy to find excursions that suited me.

5. It’s The Little Things, Too

It’s often the smaller inclusions that make the biggest difference during a holiday.

WiFi is included throughout the ship, so you can easily keep in touch with family back home, share photos from your trip or look up information about the next destination without paying extra. I used it for a light bit of work too – there’s nothing better than relaxing on the Sun Deck while browsing cruise deals to share with my email subscribers!

You’ll also find complimentary tea, speciality coffee and filtered water available throughout the day. You also get Emerald Cruises water bottles, which are yours to keep. A lovely touch!

Bottled water is replenished in your cabin daily too, which is especially welcome after a long day exploring ashore.

If you like to stay active, there’s a small fitness area onboard along with classes such as yoga and stretching on selected sailings. I also made use of the gym, which was very well equipped for such a small space.

The complimentary walking poles in your cabin are another thoughtful touch, particularly if you’re tackling cobbled streets or uneven paths on excursions.

The ship’s e-bikes are included too, whether you’re joining one of Emerald’s guided cycling excursions or borrowing one independently when they’re available. European river cruises are perfect for cycling, with long, flat paths running alongside many of the rivers, and having the bikes ready to go means you can explore in a completely different way without paying to hire one locally.

None of these inclusions would necessarily persuade me to book a cruise on their own. But together they make the whole holiday feel that bit easier, and they’re exactly the sort of things I’d miss if they weren’t there.

What You’ll Still Need To Pay For

Emerald includes a lot, but not absolutely everything.

If you’d like a drink outside lunch or dinner, you’ll either need to pay as you go or buy one of the drinks packages. Personally, I found the bar prices to be pretty reasonable. Here are the drinks menus if you’d like to take a look for yourself…

If you’d like a beverage package, you have the choice of:

Premium Package: €14.50pp per day. Enjoy red and white house wines by the glass, draft beers, non-alcoholic beers, soft drinks, juices and mocktails.

Platinum Package: €28.50pp per day. Everything in the Premium Package as well as cocktails, house-brand spirits and mixers, bottled wines (priced below €27), sparkling wine, Prosecco and bottled beers.

Another optional extra you might want to consider is the DiscoverMORE excursions. These are designed to give you an even deeper look at the destinations you’re visiting.

They’re completely optional though, and I never felt like I was missing out by sticking to the included programme. Sometimes they would be offered as an alternative to an included excursion, and sometimes they would be in addition, such as in the evening.

Spa treatments, purchases from the onboard shop and drinks from the minibar in your cabin all cost extra too, which you’d expect. I do think that putting crisps and chocolate in your minibar is a great idea, though!

For me, that’s a pretty sensible list. The essentials are already covered, while the extras are exactly that – extras. It means you can keep your spending to a minimum if you want to, or treat yourself here and there without feeling like you’re constantly being upsold.

Is It Good Value?

Before my cruise, I knew Emerald Cruises included quite a lot. I just hadn’t realised quite how much of the holiday would already be taken care of.

Once you add up the airport transfers, accommodation, meals, drinks with lunch and dinner, gratuities, excursions, WiFi and all of the other little touches, there’s surprisingly little left to pay for unless you choose to.

That’s why I’d always encourage people to look beyond the headline cruise fare. A cheaper price doesn’t necessarily mean a cheaper holiday if you’re paying extra for excursions, tips and everything else once you’re onboard.

Emerald isn’t an all-inclusive cruise line, and it doesn’t pretend to be. But I came away feeling that it includes the things that really matter, while leaving the genuinely optional extras up to you.

For me, that’s a really nice balance.

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