Emerald sets high expectations but then fails to deliver. On an 8 day cruise, the top deck was closed for four days. The food is satisfactory, but the service needs a lot of improvement. There was only one night of "local" entertainment. We traveled through Germany, but only one lunch contained any local cuisine. A lot of minor issues detracted from the overall enjoyment of our cruise. The shore excursions were very good. Most of the tour guides were knowledgeable and very entertaining. During lunch and dinner, complimentary wine and beer are served liberally. If you are drinking something other than that, getting a first glass or even a refill is painfully slow. I contacted Emerald customer service and informed them of some shortcomings. Response time was very slow and did not rally address my concerns. The European river cruise is much better than ocean cruising, but overall I was not satisfied with Emerald. I Would be hesitant to book another cruise with Emerald.