Scenic & Emerald River Cruise Lines

    When attending the River Cruise Expo in Vienna we had the opportunity to stay on one of the boats.  I opted to stay on the Emerald Luna as it was a line I wasn't as familiar with. 
     Scenic & Emerald are owned by the same company and have been cruising for 40 years. Scenic's boats have a capacity of 100 and Emerald's is 180.
     Scenic is ultra luxury with butler service for all staterooms, whereas Emerald is considered comfort luxury. It's for guests who don't want luxury prices.  You still have comfort, but not as many bells & whistles.
     One thing that attracted me was the sleek design at the exterior of the ships. The stateroom that I was in was small (probably one of the smaller ones that I toured). One nice thing is the stateroom had floor to ceiling windows and the top half of the window could slide down, so you had the element of being outdoors without having a balcony.
     A few of the unique features on the Luna was an indoor heated pool with a retractable roof. Four nights this turned into an intimate (24 person) with popcorn.  There was also a putting green on the Sun Deck. For those who want to be a bit adventurous, bicycles are available.
    A few other unique included features are prepaid gratuities and transfers even if your flights are booked independently.  There are typically 2 - 3 excursions per port. 
    Scenic, as I mentioned more upscale and the cabin size ranges between 205 - 520 sq feet.  In addition to the main dining venues, they offer a Chef's Table, which consists of 6 - 7 courses and is an experience in itself.  It would be great if you were traveling with a group of friends (maximum 10 guests). One unique feature is the Salt Lounge where the walls and floor is made of salt. It has a maximum stay of 20 minutes, and has many health benefits.
     To summarize, Emerald guests are typically more active and in the 45+ age group.  Scenic is for guests who want a bit more luxury and those guests' average age is 55+.
    Both Scenic & Emerald have ocean ships.  Scenic has ships that explore Greenland, Australia, South American & Africa.  Emeralds' ships are more yacht type (their new ship in 2026, will have 128 guests). The theme is luxury meets Tommy Bahama.  These ships sail in the Caribbean & Mediterranean. 
     If you want a River Cruise (or ocean) that is a bit different than others then Scenic & Emerald is one you may want to consider.  Please check out a few photos on our Facebook page.