Carrie Coolidge is a Pursuitist contributor based in Manhattan. From…
Emerald Waterways, Europe’s newest river cruise company, has launched its new ‘Star Ship’ the “Emerald Sky” (see photo above). With more amenities and state-of-the-art features than offered by other lines, this innovative ‘Star Ship’ is set to revolutionize European river cruising.
The new ‘Star Ship’ carries 182 guests in 72 suites and 20 staterooms, including two specifically built for single occupancy. Unique items include an onboard heated swimming pool with a retractable roof, which transforms into a movie theater in the evening; and two restaurants – Reflections, which is the main dining room, and The Terrace, which serves breakfast and lunch.
A new type of cabin design that replaces the run-of-the-mill French balcony, common to most ships, with an indoor balcony complete with decked area and an ingenious open-air system. With the simple push of a button, the upper half of the floor-to-ceiling panoramic window drops down to allow an open-air opportunity; top suites separate the balcony from the cabin with sliding doors. In addition, there’s an onboard hairdresser, massage therapy room and fitness area.
Fares include all transfers to and from the ships; all onboard (and some on-shore) meals; unlimited tea and coffee; wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; bottled water in the cabins; continental breakfast, pre-dinner canapés and after-dinner sweet treats served in the top suites; WiFi onboard the ship, at least one included shore excursion almost every cruise day; visits to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites; and more (including all gratuities).
Five itineraries are being offered by Emerald Waterways in 2014, including:
“Danube Delights” is an eight-day adventure between Nuremberg to Budapest
“Classic Prague & Danube Delights” is an 11-day itinerary that adds three days in Prague to the eight-day Nuremberg to Budapest sailing.
“Magical Rhine & Moselle” is a 12-day itinerary between Switzerland’s Basel and the canal city of Amsterdam.
“Splendors of Europe” cruise allows guests to spend 15 days exploring many of Europe’s top sights between Amsterdam and Budapest.
“Christmas Markets of Europe” takes in many of Europe’s top Christmas markets as it sails a 15-day itinerary between Amsterdam and Budapest.
Emerald Waterways river cruises start at $2,255 to $3,810 per person, depending on the itinerary.
For more information, visit Emerald Waterways’ website.
Photo Courtesy of Emerald Waterways
Carrie Coolidge is a Pursuitist contributor based in Manhattan. From 2009 to 2011, Carrie served as Co-Editor of Luxist, the luxury lifestyle website at AOL where she ran the Luxist Awards, a program that honored the very best in fine living. From 1996 to 2009, Carrie was a Staff Writer at Forbes magazine, where she covered real estate, personal finance and the insurance industry, among other areas. Carrie is also the author of six books, including "The Business of America is Business". Follow her on Twitter: @carriecoolidge