The river cruise vessel Emerald Astra, the 10th member of Emerald Cruises’ Star-Ship fleet, is scheduled to enter service in May 2026.
The modern riverboat will introduce an array of updated passenger facilities and design elements intended to expand the brand's presence on the European inland waterways.
Emerald Astra has been developed with influences drawn from the company's luxury yacht aesthetic, incorporating artwork commissioned in cooperation with established European galleries and design houses, and features several enhancements not previously seen across the fleet.
The public-space design includes high-end art installations throughout key communal areas and a reconfigured outdoor sun deck equipped with new furniture layouts to support leisure and panoramic viewing during river transits. Guest laundry facilities are being installed as a complimentary service, marking a first for the line’s Star-Ship class. Emerald Astra accommodates approximately 180 passengers and adheres to a contemporary interior concept with expansive glazing intended to maximise river landscape views.
Emerald Astra is scheduled for a christening ceremony in Amsterdam, where it will be formally accepted into the fleet by its designated sponsor. Following this, its inaugural cruise will embark from Budapest in early May on a 9-day itinerary that traverses multiple national boundaries along major rivers in Eastern Europe. Subsequent deployments will encompass a series of established European river routes, including passages along the Rhine, Moselle and Danube, with a range of itinerary lengths and cultural calls designed to match market expectations for river cruising in 2026.
Onboard venues will feature updated lounge and dining areas, and the vessel’s design continues Emerald’s practice of integrating multifunctional spaces such as a pool that may be employed as a cinema in evening hours. The overall configuration emphasises both guest comfort and uninterrupted engagement with the natural and built environments along Europe’s major waterways, consistent with the operator’s broader approach to river navigation.