Overview
About
Passengers: 182 | Crew: 47
Passengers to crew: 3.87:1
Launched: 2014
Activities & entertainment
Activities (10)
- Cooking Demonstrations
- Enrichment Lectures
- Fitness Area
- Games Area
- Golf Putting Green
- Hairdresser*
- Indoor Pool
- Nighly Breifings
- The Terrace
- Wellness Area*
Entertainment (3)
- Local Entertainers
- Nightly Music
- Pool / Evening Cinema
Dining (3)
- Sky Barbecue - Casual
- Reflections Restaurant - International
- Horizon Bar & Lounge - Panoramic Lounge*
* May require additional fees
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Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
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My husband and I just completed an 8-night river cruise on Emerald Sky from Budapest to Bucharest (actually 7 nights on board and the final night in a hotel in Bucharest as part of the itinerary). We have done many river cruises (both in Europe and in other countries) – in fact, this was the last stretch of 'river-cruisable' water in Europe that we hadn't sailed on before. We have also sailed on numerous occasions with both Scenic and Emerald. The content of this cruise was excellent – probably because of the recent history and hard times (understatement) of the countries we passed through. The guides – particularly Milos in Belgrade and Peter in Bucharest – were probably the best we have ever experienced with Scenic/Emerald. Also, this stretch of the Danube is arguably more beautiful than the Budapest-to-Germany stretch – some stunning nature and landscapes, and fewer interruptions by industry. As usual, the staff on the whole were great – a special mention must go to a young Serbian barman/waiter by the name of Peter – humorous, always cheerful and 105% professional. Also, the two folklore shows (Hungarian and Croation) were excellent! So, why only a score of 3? 1. The food was the worst we have ever been served on an Emerald or Scenic ship. Tasteless. Steak you couldn't cut through. Visible recycling of leftovers. There was just one dinner – the farewell dinner – where the chef went the extra mile and produced something that looked good and actually tasted of something. (I just don't get some of our fellow travellers, who were praising the food to the hilt – where have they been?!) 2. We paid a small fortune to upgrade to the fancy beverage package. The first shock was that champagne by the glass wasn't included – only an indifferent German sparkling wine or b••••y prosecco! My recollection is that champagne used to be included in the upgraded drinks package. Also, when it came to other drinks, unless you asked for more, you got a micro 'company policy' measure of spirit in your cocktail. My husband, for example, ordered a Campari and orange juice – the drink wasn't even red!! So mean, so boring that you have to stress a double measure each time. 3. Though most of the staff were cheerful most of the time – despite being worked off their feet – there were some really moody members. A sigh or a raised eyebrow when you ordered something, or "That's not my responsibility" when asking where lunch would be served on a particular day when most travellers were on an excursion and only a few were on the ship. Hence the score of 3. Basically it's a case of 'could do better'.…
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Helpful
Wes, Niall, Sara, Tristan, Milan (both), Emrah, Dejan, Petr (in Prague), and all the rest were phenomenal. Although our last day was cut short due to historic rain, they rolled with it and made sure our trip was fantastic. We went from Budapest to Prague. If I were to do it again, I would go down stream. But, other than that, I wouldn't do anything different. We are so glad we didn't go on the "V word" boat. Out boat was so much more fun. Niall entertained us and the dancing was a blast. We are quite active. So, we made sure to do every hike, etc. We bought the discount to do another cruise within the next 3 years. We cannot wait!…
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Helpful
First impression was poor as the 'balcony room' did not have a balcony, I missed the small print explaining the half height window dropped vertically leaving half the window to the external air. This arrangement actually worked ok however it is not a balcony. Moving on, the trip was a real treat. The food breakfast, lunch and dinner was first class with a great selection at each. The rooms were impeccably kept and well designed to use every inch of space. The daily/afternoon and evening events were very well managed catering for all ranges of active capabilities. A downside is the uncomfortable chairs within the rooms and on the top deck which appeared to be underused considering the amazing scenery both in the cities and the forested valleys. The staff without exception were very attentive, professional and friendly, a real bonus. The star attraction was the cruise director Igor who provided a first service in providing excellent communication of all activities in an enthusiastic, informed, helpful and pleasant manner…
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
My wife and I sailed from Bucharest to Budapest on the Emerald Sky with a group of friends. It was an outstanding trip! After spending a few days in Vienna, we flew into Bucharest, which was a very pleasant surprise! Beautiful city with an excellent food scene (try Caju). The low point if the trip was Emerald’s choice of hotel in Bucharest: Radisson Blu. Horribly unorganized, in need of updating. Once on board, we were extremely impressed with Emerald’s operations. Staff are top notch. Food, especially sit down dinners, are outstanding! Rooms are very comfortable, and quite well thought out. Drawers were deep enough for my suitcase, and my wife’s fit below the bed. No tripping over luggage. Shore activities were generally quite good. Greatly appreciated the “Emerald Active” outings where we could get some exercise. The only stop that was so/so was Belgrade. Big city, lots of traffic, and Tito’s museum not terribly interesting for us. Fellow passengers were extremely well traveled, and we enjoyed socializing with the predominantly Australian and British travelers. We will definitely book future trips with Emerald!…
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Well, it was our 50th Anniversary and chose to do a river cruise, we traveled from Budapest to Amsterdam,14 days of luxury. The whole crew was fantastic from cruise director to cabin attendant we could not praise them enough. The people all 178 of them were very friendly and mixed well, I had my 72 birthday on board and sat with 8 people whose company we enjoyed we also had our 50th Anniversary on board…
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Upcoming itineraries
Itinerary
7 Night Cruise to Europe
Departure date
Tuesday, 01/04/25
Itinerary
Prices are cruise only, per person, double occupancy, and are provided by our partners. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included. Fuel supplements may apply. Availability of prices is subject to the supplier’s pricing availability.