Boston, MA, November 2014 – Emerald Waterways, Europe's first new river cruise company in six years, has been awarded the “Best New River Ships” designation in Cruise Critic's 2014 Editors' Picks Awards for their Emerald Star and Emerald Sky “Star-Ships.” Emerald will launch two more ships, the Emerald Dawn and Emerald Sun, in 2015. The Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards are chosen by Cruise Critic's international team of editors, based on the lines and ships they feel best represent excellence in each of the designated categories.

“We put a lot of thought into designing and building innovative, deluxe river ships that create an unparalleled experience for our guests,” said Glen Moroney, founder and managing director of the Scenic Group, the parent company for Emerald Waterways. “We're very proud and pleased that our never-ending efforts to raise the standards on European river ships has been recognized by Cruise Critic as they share a similar benchmark amongst the cruise review and information publications.”

Emerald Waterway's “Star-Ships” – Emerald Star and Emerald Sky – each carry 182 guests in 72 suites and 20 staterooms, including two built for solo occupancy. Unique items include an onboard heated swimming pool with a retractable roof, which transforms into a movie theater in the evening; two restaurants: Reflections, the main dining room, and The Terrace for breakfast and lunch; and a new type of cabin design that replaces the run-of-the-mill French balcony, common to most ships, with an indoor balcony complete with decked area and an ingenious open-air system. The system allows guests to push a button and the upper half of the floor-to-ceiling panoramic window drops down to allow an open-air opportunity; top suites separate the balcony from the cabin with sliding doors. Ships also feature an onboard hairdresser, massage therapy room and fitness area.

Emerald Waterways will offer nine itineraries in 2015, including the eight-day, Nuremberg-to-Budapest “Danube Delights;” the 15-day “Splendours of Europe,” which travels the Rhine and the Danube from Amsterdam to Budapest; “Delights of France,” an 11-day sailing from Lyon to Arles; the 10-day “Enchantment of Eastern Europe,” which travels Eastern Europe via the Danube River through Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania; and the eight-day “Highlights of the Netherlands and Beauty of Belgium,” which begins and ends in Amsterdam and shows off this region at the height of spring, when the tulips are in bloom. 

As part of the Scenic Group, Emerald Waterways is backed by the award-winning expertise of the world's leading luxury river cruise operator. Additional information can be found by contacting your local travel agent; on Emerald Waterways' website, www.emeraldwaterways.com; or by calling the US consumer/travel agent reservations line (855-222-3214). Brochure orders may be placed on the website, or a digital downloadable version is available.

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Lauren Frye
Gillies and Zaiser
EW-11-November 2014