We chose this cruise because I wanted to see Heidelberg again and we chose Emerald because it had been recommended to us. This was our first cruise of any kind.
The cruise started on a Saturday and we were leaving home on the Wednesday, three nights earlier, to have one night nearer our airport and two nights in our embarkation city (as part of oour booking). Two days before leaving I emailed Emerald as I had not received any documentation. I receive back a confirmation that my documentation had been dispatched by courier, with a delivery by 20.00 hours on the Wednesday. I had to suggest the documentation be emailed to me, then we delayed our departure until after the package arrived at 16.00 hours. After that hiccup the organisation couldn't be faulted.
Transfers from airport to hotel and hotel to ship worked perfectly. We had a wait in the ship's lounge until our cabin was ready but that gave us an opportunity to meet and talk with some of our fellow passengers.
We booked the Owners Suite and the only complaint could be that suitcases could be stored under beds in other cabins but, because of the type of beds there was no room and we ended up storing them under the dressing table.
Service to the cabin was first class with used towels changed up to three times a day, canapes left in the cabin, a free mini-bar, ample bottled water and laundry collected and returned the same day.