This was our 3rd river cruise. We chose EW over the leading River Cruise line in the U.S. market because we wanted a different experience all around and EW did NOT dissapoint! For starters, if you are not part of their pre-cruise excursion, do not count on any communication from EW to find where you would find the ship on the Danube . If one did not use Emerald for airport transfer and were in Budapest prior to cruise, GOOD LUCK!! You're on your own. EW makes it "your" responsibility to call the ship and find out the port location!
- The port location was the furthest from the city center and absolutely nothing to look at. Remember with this cruise one spends a full afternoon, evening, overnight, breakfast and lunch aboard the ship sitting on the Danube.
- THIS WAS THE MOST ANNOYING aspect of our cruise: We always stay on the bottom floor because we spend very little time in the room just as when we are in a hotel and there is so much to see and explore outside of the room (in this case the ship)! If you are on the first floor there is a horrendous noise every time "anyone" on the ship flushes the toilet in their room. It's a loud pop and accompanied by a loud "waterfall" like noise. No kidding. Totally unacceptable!! How can EW market rooms in a floor that has this type of constant noise disturbance!?
Room is on par with the other lines. The bathroom is poorly designed and awkward entrance /exit. IF YOU CAN do not book on the first floor. You will constantly hear the loud flushing noise on the hallway from every room on the ship, especially when everybody is in their room and not in the dining room or the lounge.