Emerald Destiny

The 2017-built MS Emerald Destiny cruise ship is a newbuild riverboat and the fifth vessel in the Emerald Waterways fleet, with sisterships Emerald Star, Emerald Sky, Emerald Sun, Emerald Dawn, Emerald Luna, and Emerald Astra.

Emerald Destiny replaced a vessel named “Emerald Belle,” which was destroyed in a shipyard fire in February 2016, just weeks before her scheduled debut. Rather than attempting to repair the “significantly damaged” ship, the company decided to commission a brand-new one.

Also in 2017, the similarly designed Star-Ship class boats Emerald Radiance (in Portugal) and Emerald Liberté (in France) entered service.

Emerald Waterways (2014-established) is a river cruise line company and travel brand owned by Scenic Tours. Similar to the innovative longships of Viking River Cruises, Emerald Waterways ships feature modern design elements that make them a strong alternative to small-ship ocean cruising. The brand continues to expand cruise tour options and sailing dates for travelers seeking all-inclusive European luxury river vacations.

Cabins

Most Emerald Destiny staterooms are designed with drop-down windows that convert the seating area into an indoor balcony space. The 91 staterooms (in 8 categories) accommodate 180 guests and are served by 51 crew members.

With the exception of the single-occupancy ES (Emerald Single Stateroom), all cabins are double occupancy (maximum 2 guests per cabin).

Seventy-five percent of all cabins are Suites with a balcony (indoor/step-out veranda).

Standard/complimentary amenities in all staterooms include queen-size beds (or convertible twin beds, except in Single cabins), bedside tables, mirrored panels by the bed, private en-suite bathroom (WC, sink, shower cubicle, mirrored cupboards, mirror over the basin, clothesline, luxury bath products such as shampoo, liquid soap, conditioner, and body lotion), walk-in closet (large wardrobe with hangers), personal safe, direct-dial phone, flat HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, movies on demand, “View From the Bridge” real-time webcam views), mini-bar (stocked with beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks at an extra charge, complimentary in Owner’s Suites), individual climate control, 220V outlets, umbrella, shoe cleaner, and two sets of earplugs.

Shipboard facilities

MS Emerald Destiny has 4 passenger decks (3 with cabins). Public areas include the Horizon Bar Lounge with outdoor Terrace seating (Deck 3 forward), Reflections Restaurant (Deck 2 forward), and the aft Deck 3 indoor swimming pool/night cinema (with sliding glass roof). Wellness facilities include a Gym, Spa, Beauty Salon, and massage room. The Sun Deck offers the Wheelhouse, games area with giant Tic-Tac-Toe, 3-hole Mini-Golf Putting Green, Walking Track, Sky Barbecue, shaded seating, and passenger-use bicycles. One passenger elevator serves all cabin decks.

The ship offers two restaurants (Reflections/Main Dining Room and The Terrace/alfresco) and two bars: Sky Bar (on the Sun Deck) and Horizon Bar & Lounge (serving hot entrées, cold cuts, soups, snacks, and a salad bar at lunchtime).

The Reflections Restaurant is the Main Dining Room, featuring open seating, table service, a buffet station at dinner, and an omelet station at breakfast.

The Terrace serves as an alfresco dining venue, offering informal breakfast and lunch.

The Horizon Lounge, with floor-to-ceiling windows, also doubles as a casual lunch spot.

When weather permits, special lunch and dinner buffets are occasionally served on the open deck.

The ship’s most innovative feature is the dual-purpose aft area, which transforms from a heated indoor pool with retractable roof by day into a movie theater at night, screening both classic films and recent releases.

The riverboat's godmother is Mrs. Coleen Christie, Canadian broadcaster and host of CTV News (Vancouver, BC). The ship’s christening ceremony was held on May 9, 2017, on the Danube River in Vienna, Austria. Also in 2017, Emerald Waterways introduced two additional vessels: Emerald Liberté (launched in April, cruising on the Saône and Rhône rivers in France, capacity 138 passengers) and Emerald Radiance (launched in May, cruising on the Douro River in Portugal, capacity 112 passengers).

Like most modern European river cruise ships, Emerald Sun is equipped with a telescopic wheelhouse that can be lowered into the deck to pass under low bridges. The wheelhouse is open to passengers for visits on a regular basis.

Scenic Tours (Emerald Waterways) cruise fares are all-inclusive, covering wines, beers, and soft drinks with meals, as well as gratuities, transfers, and shore excursions. Complimentary flights are also offered from London and other regional UK airports.