ONBOARD EMERALD SKY — For clients looking to go off the beaten track with their next cruise, the ‘Enchantment of Eastern Europe’ itinerary onboard Emerald Cruises’ Emerald Sky might just be the ticket.

From Rousse and Vidin in Bulgaria to Donji Milanovac and Belgrade, Serbia, to Vukovar, Croatia and Kalocsa, Hungary – Travelweek saw and experienced them all on a recent eight-night trip.

The itinerary included a one-night hotel stay in Bucharest and a seven-night sailing from Giurgiu (a 90-minute coach transfer from Bucharest) to Budapest.

We sailed the narrowest, widest, and deepest parts of the Danube, passing through the spectacular Iron Gates gorge.

The 180-guest Emerald Sky docked in Giurgiu, Romania

A FINE RIVER EXPERIENCE

First-time river cruisers will find Emerald Cruises a pleasant experience, with great food and excellent service.

The clientele is 65+, predominantly from Canada, the U.S., the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. There was a handful of Europeans, but all were English-speaking. Our crew hailed from Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Indonesia.

Emerald Cruises fares include all meals, wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, unlimited specialty coffees and teas, all taxes and fees, WiFi and gratuities to the crew and tour guides. A semi-inclusive and all-inclusive beverage package was available for purchase.

Breakfast and lunch buffets were served daily in the main dining room, with lighter fare served in the lounge upstairs. Dinner was full-service, and we enjoyed international dishes mixed with local specialties such as Romanian meatball soup, Balkan mixed grill, and Serbian Palachinka cake, accompanied by local wines.

As is typical for river cruises, onboard activities were low-key: morning stretch classes, evening game shows and a dance party. In addition, the ship brought on folkloric performers in Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary to entertain us with their traditional dances, which were well-received. Appropriate for our itinerary, the cruise director also provided an insightful lecture on Communism.

The dining room onboard Emerald Sky has a variety of large and small tables. Noise levels ramp up at dinnertime

A COMFORTABLE SHIP

Although launched in 2014, Emerald Sky remains in impeccable shape. Two staterooms were designed for solo travellers, and the remaining four categories had windows or open-air balconies.

A swimming pool converts to a cinema in the evenings (although it was never used). A mini-putt course on the sun deck, a small fitness centre and massage services round out the amenities.

The majority of Emerald Sky’s accommodations feature a drop-down window that creates an open-air balcony

We identified and shared two areas for improvement with Emerald Cruises: the miniature sink and lack of counter space in the stateroom bath resulted in water splashing everywhere. Secondly, to accommodate galley operations, everyone must eat dinner at the same time, which made the dining room extremely noisy, and dinner service felt rushed and impersonal.

DIVERSE & INSIGHTFUL EXCURSIONS

The EmeraldDISCOVERY excursion program included complimentary city walks, wine-tasting, e-biking, and hikes (the latter two are called EmeraldACTIVE tours).

Also complimentary were EmeraldPLUS cultural experiences such as a home-cooked lunch with a Croatian family and a horseback performance by the Magyar cowboys in Hungary.

Lastly, DiscoverMORE special interest tours (a Bulgarian pastry-making class, among others) were available at an extra charge. Excursions ran punctually, and the local guides were professional and knowledgeable.

At every port, guests could also take one of 20 e-bikes to explore independently, as we did in Belgrade. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, we cycled leisurely amongst the locals for nearly 20 kilometres along the river.

An example of an included EmeraldACTIVE excursion was a hike to a fortress in Bulgaria

WHY SHOULD ADVISORS RECOMMEND A LOWER DANUBE CRUISE?

The Lower Danube is less scenic than the Upper section through Austria and Germany, but what it lacks in vistas it makes up for with its rich history and storied past. For more than two millennia, Eastern Europe endured occupation by the Romans, Barbarians, Slavs, Ottomans and the Austro-Hungarian empire, and also suffered through Communist rule and catastrophic wars.

Our cruise director accurately stated on embarkation day: “This cruise isn’t about the beautiful things you see on the river, it’s about getting to know the history and the people who lived through it.”

This itinerary is also excellent for anyone who has already travelled extensively through Central Europe and is ready to discover new (and uncrowded) ground. Furthermore, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, and Hungary each have their own currency and complex language, making river cruising the ideal and hassle-free way to explore them.

In 2026, Emerald Cruises will offer Enchantment of Eastern Europe itinerary in April, May, June and September. We suggest travelling in May or early June to avoid the heat. The average temperature on our late June sailing was 35 degrees Celsius, and we encountered two unbearable 40+ days.

We also recommend spending a few days in Bucharest (don’t miss Transylvania) and Budapest to explore these beautiful and historic cities.

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