Review: Emerald Luna

Seeing the 7 million tulip bulbs and their myriad colors on brilliant display at the world-renowned Keukenhof gardens just outside of Amsterdam — on Easter Sunday, no less — was a breathtaking experience. It was just one of many exciting excursions passengers enjoyed onboard Emerald Cruises’ latest riverboat, Emerald Luna, during the ship’s “Holland and Belgium in Bloom” itinerary.

Emerald Luna was christened last July, and during my recent weeklong voyage I discovered an apt representation of the Emerald experience: “No muss, no fuss.” A company rep further pointed out the beautiful simplicity that comes from having one restaurant, one bar, one lounge, one boutique, one pool, one exercise room, one massage room and a small, but excellent, range of shore excursions.

Emerald Luna offers a distilled river cruise experience without any unnecessary complications.

While not entirely all-inclusive, Emerald Cruises does bundle in complimentary onboard dining; house wines, beers and soft drinks at lunch and dinner; several daily tour options; and crew gratuities, amounting to an outstanding value. Additional beverages can be purchased a la carte (or in packages), as can spa services and retail items, and only a handful of excursions are offered for an added cost.

On my sailing, visiting the Delft pottery factory in Rotterdam was a nominal expense, and as it was scheduled in the afternoon, my wife and I were also able to join the free architectural tour in the morning. Other included excursions included daily e-bike rides and exclusive entry to the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague — home to Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring” — before opening to the public for the day. My wife remarked on how special it was to be in a room alone with so many priceless Rembrandt paintings.

Back onboard, our Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite was perfectly configured. Best of all was having the option of the bedroom opening up to the outside with just the push of a button that lowered a window and turned it into a veranda railing — a signature feature now being copied on several ocean ships. The bathroom offered ample room to turn around in the square footprint shower, and a good variety of pillows were either plush or a tad firmer. The only downside was a significantly stiffer mattress by comparison.

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Although the deck plan mentions a Sky Barbecue, it was never utilized on our sailing, and the buffet counter in the Horizon Bar and Lounge was only employed for lunch on embarkation day, plus for early- and late-riser selections for breakfast thereafter. Again, keeping things simple, most meals were taken in the Reflections Restaurant with self-service buffets (extra items could be ordered off the menu) in the morning and midday, and full-service dinners. Food overall is good, but selections are relatively limited.

With a predominant focus on shoreside activities, onboard entertainment is a bit sparse but does extend to a neat convertible evening cinema (the pool floor raises up to screen movies on a couple of nights). There are also game shows and trivia, visiting musicians and a talented vocal cabaret performance from the activities manager.

Some service hiccups aside (our trip was the first of the season, after all), the staff onboard are friendly and always smiling, making for a congenial atmosphere onboard and off. If your clients are looking for an easy and comfortable way to see this part of the world, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Emerald Luna.