Emerald Sun Review

Excellent Service Throughout

Review for Europe River Cruise on Emerald Sun
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Annt1
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Oct 2017

This was our very first cruise and we booked this cruise (Danube Delights) after reading reviews on the company and I can safely say it was one of the best holidays we have had. So much so that we have booked again for next year on the Jewels of the Rhine cruise. All correspondence with the company from booking to travelling was first class and we were informed about a week before sailing that the ship had been changed for operational reasons. We should have been on the Sun but were moved to The Sky. This did not matter in the least because all of the ships which sail this route are practically identical. Embarkation was really smooth after being picked up from Munich Airport and taken to Nuremburg by coach. We were offered a cocktail on arrival at the reception desk and then taken to our cabin by our Steward (Martin who was extremely polite and smiled all of the time and kept our cabin pristine) who explained everything we needed to know and our cases were brought from the coach for us and left in our cabins for us while we went to the lounge bar for a very welcome light lunch. The cabin was not as small as we were expecting and I can say we have stayed in top grade hotel rooms which were smaller. The cabin was immaculately clean and the bed was really comfortable. The bathroom was small as you would expect but the shower was a good size and the water was always hot. The "inside balcony" with its floor to ceiling window which can be lowered halfway meant that even if we were in the cabin we could sit and watch the stunning scenery go by. There was ample drawer and wardrobe space and the safe and fridge were free to use. The food was fantastic and it was easy to see that the chef used the best quality ingredients. We were also treated to local cuisines depending on where we were at the time. All waiters and bar staff were excellent and worked tirelessly. There was a resident pianist in the bar who was really good and we were treated to a visit by an Oompah Band in Regensberg and a Hungarian Folk Dancing group in Budapest. Other than that there was not much entertainment on board but we had gone for a relaxing holiday and enjoyed talking to other guests in the bar whilst having a drink. The passengers were from USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland and UK and all seemed to mix well. The shore excursions were very good and the guides excellent and they gave us enough freetime after the walking tours. The Tour Manager Nina, was excellent and made sure that everything ran smoothly. Disembarkation was smooth and well organised and we were transported back to Budapest Airport in coaches. We are now River Cruise converts. Well done Emerald !!!!!

Cabin Review

Cabin Panorama Balcony Suite

Beautiful cabin with excellent amenities. Good size for a ship - we have stayed in smaller hotel rooms. Always kept immaculate by the steward. Bed really comfortable. Plenty of drawer and hanging space and the robes and slippers were a welcome addition

Port Reviews

Regensburg

Beautiful town with time on our own after walking tour.

Durnstein (Krems)

We loved the cruise down the river to Durnstein through the Wachau valley and Durnstein itself was a beautiful little town. My husband hiked up to the castle ruins on the hill and said the view from the top was spectacular.

Vienna

Vienna was a bit of a let down for me personally. The architecture was lovely but I felt it was a bit spread out when trying to get from one point of interest to another. I think we both preferred the smaller towns. We were not impressed by the guide here so I think that also could have coloured our opinion and after spending 45 minutes with her on the coach tour round the Ringstrasse expressing her views on the election which happened the day before and then after she spent 15 minutes of the allotted 25 of the walking tour stood outside the Spanish Riding School, we ditched her and did our own thing.

Bratislava

Loved this city. It was magical and the people so friendly. Because the ship docks right at the edge of the main square it meant we had more time to look around after the walking tour before heading back for lunch. The guide here was fantastic and very informative. We opted to go on the excursion to have tea with a local family and I can absolutely recommend this to anyone. The guide who took us spoke excellent English and translated between us and the hostess. She was very welcoming and we learned a lot about her lifestyle and how life in Bratislava had changed over the years. An excellent afternoon out.

Budapest

Been to Budapest on a city break before and loved it then so was pleased to be back. It did not disappoint. The coach and walking tour was very comprehensive then back to the ship for lunch. All afternoon for free time in the city and then the night time cruise up and down the river after dinner was stunning. All of the riverside buildings are lit up and look spectacular.

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