Emerald Cruises, Shorter Sailings and More

Emerald Cruises provides an exceptional value for its river cruises on the Rhine, Danube and other waterways. The upfront rate includes onboard meals, gratuities, airport transfers, daily tours, Wi-Fi, bottled water stocked daily in your cabin and wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner.

Right now, our customers can take advantage of this fantastic Cyber Monday offer:

Save up to $3,650 per couple off 2023 river cruises. Enjoy additional savings in certain cabin categories, for a total savings of up to $5,150 per couple. Book by November 30.

Emerald's ships have heated swimming pools with retractable roofs (this space converts to a movie theater on some evenings), as well as balcony suites that open to the outdoors with the push of a button. The fleet is equipped with bicycles that guests can use to explore ashore.

Expertly guided excursions in port -- covered in the upfront rate -- include EmeraldACTIVE hiking, biking and canoeing excursions and the EmeraldPLUS program, which helps passengers explore the destination's culture in depth. On Enchantment of Eastern Europe, guests can attend a choral performance or hike to the rock-hewn churches of Ivanovo in Bulgaria. Meanwhile, Danube Delights provides opportunities to join a Slovakian family for coffee and cake in their home or participate in a guided cycling tour in Vienna.
 

River cruise operators recognize that many of their guests want options for staying fit while traveling. These lines offer wellness programs and fitness amenities on board -- like gyms, spas and pools -- and provide unique and active ways to explore ashore.

Avalon Waterways includes guided active excursions on its itineraries, like a hike to Bratislava Castle in Slovakia or a morning run in the French town of Caudebec-en-Caux with the onboard Avalon Adventure Host. Active & Discovery itineraries provide even more immersive and active ways to take in the sights at every port of call, with hiking, biking, canoeing and jogging excursions.

As mentioned above, Emerald Cruises has the EmeraldACTIVE program, which might include a guided bike tour along the Danube or a hike in Germany's Black Forest. Its sister company, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, has similar options, like cycling through the Dutch town of Veere or to a Bordeaux wine estate for a tasting.

The "Let's Go" shore excursions of Uniworld Boutique River Cruises highlight guided walking, hiking, cycling, kayaking and golfing tours. Bicycle to Claude Monet's home at Giverny or hike up to a 12th-century castle on the Rhine, for example. The line's Wellness on the Water amenities include yoga sessions, TRX suspension training classes with certified instructors, fitness centers and heated pools.

As part of its program, AmaWaterways has wellness hosts fleetwide in Europe (except for ships in Portugal). They lead fitness classes like stretching, core strengthening and resistance-band training and also conduct hiking, biking and jogging excursions.

Several lines also keep fleets of complimentary bicycles on their ships, so passengers can pedal along riverside paths or through cities and towns on their own.
 

Many companies offer shorter sailings that provide customers with an opportunity to sample the river cruise experience. For example, Avalon Waterways has itineraries of four to six days on the Danube and Rhine and CroisiEurope offers a variety of four- and five-day cruises, including sailings on the Rhone and Seine. American Cruise Lines offers Mississippi and Columbia river cruises that are less than a week long.

Click here to see all departures of four to six days.