Emerald Cruises

Previously when you booked an Evergreen river cruise from Australia, you were cruising with their sister brand, Emerald Cruises, whose award-winning Star-Ships are premium floating hotels. So it's only a name change to bring the Emerald Cruises brand Downunder.

Emerald Cruises has a fleet of 'Star-Ships' that cruise the rivers of Europe and the Mekong in South East Asia. In Russia you will be aboard the more traditional MS Rossia.

The Platinum Protection Plan must be purchased at the time your booking is made and may not be added at a later date. By adding this plan, you are covered if you unable to travel due to health reasons, or your travel plans are impacted by COVID-19. Read more here.

Normal included shore excursions are not pre-booked, however, if you choose to personalise your holiday with the 'Discover More' extra sightseeing available, it is a good idea to pre-book these to guarantee your place on them. All excursions are subject to minimum numbers.

All passengers are required to possess a passport valid for 6 months beyond the conclusion of their trip.

Emerald Cruises will supply a Health and Fitness form in your travel wallet. These forms are designed to provide them with instant information if an emergency should arise. These forms will be returned unopened at the completion of the tour. It is not compulsory to fill out these forms but is strongly recommended.

Emerald Cruises strongly recommend a visit to your doctor and dentist prior to your tour. If you are aged 70 or over at the Tour Departure date you must provide Emerald Cruises with a doctor's letter confirming you are fit and healthy enough to take part in the specified tour including reference to the itinerary, destinations and tour departure date.

You must advise Emerald Cruises of any pre-existing medical conditions that might reasonably be expected to increase your risk of requiring medical attention, affect the normal conduct of the tour and/or the enjoyment of other tour members. You will be required to fill in Emerald Cruises' Health and Fitness form and hand it to your Cruise Director on the cruise departure date.

Yes, and it's advisable to pack an ample supply of any medicine you are taking, copies of prescriptions and the telephone/fax number of your doctor. Because of strict drug laws in some countries, drugs you take on doctor's orders should be carried in their original container showing the prescription label. Always keep your medication in your hand luggage.

Europe: Due to the structure of old buildings, access to some establishments may not be convenient for wheelchair use, and facilities for the disabled in general may be limited. Many areas are pedestrian only. Certain castles have a number of stairs which may impact guests with limited mobility access to all touring areas. There are also areas of the ship that cannot be accessed by wheelchair and passengers will need to be able to get on and off the ship out of the wheelchair, due to space. Please let your Global Journeys Travel Advisor know your needs to ensure you can travel comfortably.

South East Asia: For guests in wheelchairs it is important to recognise that the Mekong Star Ships are not ideally wheelchair suitable. Access may be limited and sometimes impossible as there are some narrow corridors, steps in the public areas and lips on certain doorways. In case of an emergency, all guests must be able to get in and off the vessel with limited or no assistance. Emerald Cruises recommends that guests with special needs travel with a companion who can provide required assistance. Guests who have any medical, physical or other special needs should check the deck plan to gain an understanding of the layout of the Mekong Star Ship they are travelling on and also outline their needs.

Doctors are not available on board the ship, however Emerald Cruises can stop anywhere along the way for medical emergencies.

Travel documents will be issued approximately 3 weeks prior to departure. If you need to receive your documents sooner, or need your documents sent to a different location for any reason, please be sure that you let your Global Journeys Travel Advisor know where to send them.

Yes all cabins have a safe.

Yes there is a laundry service payable by item, similar to in hotels. Due to safety concerns there is no public washing facilities and no irons in the cabins. Guests can ask for garments to be ironed by the staff.

Yes every cabin has a hair dryer.

There is a tea and coffee station available 24 hours in the Lounge.

The ship has Australian and European wall sockets, so a Euro, Australian, New Zealand or international adaptor plug will work well.

The luggage allowance whilst on your cruise is one suitcase with a maximum size of 76 x 53 x 28 cms (30 x 21 x 11'') and weight of 20 kilograms. You may also carry a small backpack, or the Emerald Cruises issued backpack. Additional bags beyond the luggage allowance may incur additional charges and are to be settled directly to the hotel or as required. Please check with your Global Journeys Travel Advisor if you have any specific requirements.

It is highly unlikely for your luggage to be mislaid; however, Emerald Cruises suggests if travelling as a couple to pack each suitcase with back up clothes and toiletries for each person. They also suggest writing your personal and tour details on a label inside each suitcase (including name, address, telephone number, departure and return flight details). Write only your name and destination address on outside labels.

You are on holidays and therefore the dress code is relaxed. However, most of Emerald Cruises guests do observe smart casual for the evenings on board the ship or for any of the many evening activities planned on tour. Perhaps include something a bit more elegant for the Welcome and Farewell dinners, although black tie and formal attire are not needed. Emerald Cruises also recommend a mixture of light and medium weight clothing that can accommodate changing weather conditions including a waterproof jacket. For visits that include religious sites like synagogues, monasteries, mosques or churches - it's asked that you dress conservatively including covered shoulders, trousers and/or knee-length dress.

• Casual sportswear for daytime that can be mixed/matched/layered
• Jumper/warm jacket/gloves/hat/scarf for cooler mornings and nights
• Swimwear
• Comfortable walking shoes with rubber soles for good grip
• Sunglasses and sun hat

The following list may be useful when packing for your trip:

• Airline tickets and passport (plus extra photocopies and passport photos)
• Travel and travel insurance documentation, and itinerary (make a copy for your emergency contact)
• Travellers cheques/cash/debit or credit card and emergency contact numbers if lost or stolen, plus local currency for first day and a money belt
• Spare memory cards and batteries for your digital camera or film in clear plastic containers
• Only those keys needed on return
• Personal medication and prescriptions, extra glasses/contacts and prescriptions
• Sunscreen, lip balm and insect repellent
• Pocket calculator, address book, journal and pens
• Tissues and anti-bacterial hand wipes or hand sanitiser
• Raincoat or umbrella
• Plastic bags for dirty laundry, washing powder and elastic clothesline
• Travel alarm clock, earplugs and sleep mask
• Adaptor plugs (onboard electricity is 220v) mobile phone charger, battery charger
• Face cloth / flannel
• Small torch and batteries (there is minimal lighting at remote locations)
• Overnight bag (for overnight rail journeys)
• First aid kit

Please Note: All hotels on tour provide towels, irons, hair dryers, soap and shampoo within the room.

If your flight arrives before noon (usually 14.00 is check-in time) at the city where your cruise starts, the hotel may not have your room available until mid-afternoon. Emerald Cruises endeavour to ensure that rooms are ready for your arrival times however this is not always possible, and it is outside their control. Some people use this time to explore the neighbourhood, shop or relax in the hotel public areas. On arrival at your hotel, please check to see if your Tour Director has already posted tour information in the foyer.

On certain occasions, for operational or local reasons, it may be necessary for Emerald Cruises to change your hotel accommodation or a brochured attraction in a particular location. If this does occur, you will be notified of such changes as soon as possible.

Emerald Cruises DiscoverMORE activities are subject to availability, operational and seasonal factors. All activities can be reserved, subject to availability with the Tour Director whilst on tour unless otherwise stated. Please note a minimum number of people are required for some activities to operate.

Limited laundry facilities are available on board cruise vessels and costs are additional and the responsibility of the guests. When staying in a hotel you can generally arrange laundry direct with the hotel although it can be costly. Some hotels will provide an iron for you upon request. There are also laundromats in certain towns and cities. Emerald Cruises recommend checking with your Cruise Director for more specific details.

It may not be possible to use your camera or video camera at some sites of interest, or there may be a fee; please ask your Tour Director for further details. Not everyone would appreciate being on your souvenir home video or holiday photo, so please respect the privacy of local people and cruise directors/local guides by asking permission before filming or taking a photograph, especially in holy places.

When visiting churches and monasteries, modest dress is required, i.e., no shorts, miniskirts or sleeveless tops. Turkey and Morocco are Muslim countries and you need to dress conservatively. To visit mosques, clean and modest dress is appreciated and often required. Thighs, shoulders and tops of upper arms should not be shown. Men also need to cover their bare legs and cannot enter mosques wearing shorts. Some holy places will supply scarves for tourists to borrow.

Your holiday is a special time and Emerald Cruises' Cruise Directors make all the difference. From your very first day their warm greetings and professionalism signal the start of a wonderful rapport. For all land tours you will have the services of a Tour Director. Whilst on your cruise you will be taken care of by a Cruise Director. Your Cruise Directors have your best interests at heart and will take care of all arrangements for you.

Yes. If you have not already advised your Global Journeys Travel Advisor at the time of booking, please let your Tour Director know at the start of the tour any special needs or dietary requirements so they can be best accommodated. Remember your favourite food items will not always be available.

Be mindful that meals on your trip will often reflect the local cuisine and delicacies, which may be different to what you are normally accustomed to. Your dining experiences will certainly enhance your tour and introduce you to the local region and culture.

The currency on board the ship is Euro. Most clients prefer to run a tab though, so you can use your credit card on board with a tab system set up at reception. You can also withdraw cash from ATM machines in the towns that you visit whilst on tour (cash passports are not accepted).

On Emerald River Cruises there is free Wi-Fi. You should be mindful though that internet reception levels can vary depending on where the ship is, and bandwidth heavy apps such as Skype is often not available due to signal strength.

Normally it is no problem, but you should be able to at least cross the gangway from the shore to the ship un-aided, and there are steps to climb to reach the sun deck. Walking frames are usually ok, but wheelchairs are not manageable on river cruising.

There are no enforced dress codes at any time on the ship. However, for the Captains Gala Dinner, often our guests like to dress up, perhaps a jacket for the gentlemen and a dress for the ladies.

Yes all cabins and suites have individually controllable air conditioning and heating.

Emerald Explorer is a program for people who have travelled with Emerald Cruises or Evergreen Tours. The program offers members that extra level of service, member only tour offers, recognition when on tour, fun member competitions and special savings off your next holiday with Emerald Cruises. Read more here.

Yes. Membership is free and an automatic entitlement once you have travelled once with Emerald Cruises.

Membership is free and automatic after you have travelled with Emerald Cruises. You retain your membership and access to member benefits for life. There is no requirement for additional travel. As you travel with Emerald Cruises you progress to the higher tiers of Gold and Diamond where you'll receive even greater benefits at each higher tier. There are three levels of membership:

• Emerald Explorer Silver
• Emerald Explorer Gold
• Emerald Explorer Diamond

No. Membership is automatic and limited to those who have previously toured with Emerald Cruises/Evergreen on a paid Emerald Cruises cruise and/or tour.

No. Silver, Gold, or Diamond membership is valid for life and you can only move upward in tier status as you reach higher qualifying levels: from Silver tier status to Gold status and from Gold tier status to Diamond tier status. Tier status is never downgraded as in some other loyalty programs.

No. Please make sure that your Global Journeys Travel Advisor includes your exact name and address as per your previous Emerald Cruises trip. Your reservations consultant will be able to search for your past record.

The Welcome Home Vouchers are sent within 8 weeks of arriving home from your trip. The vouchers are then valid for 24 months. Please note this is within 24 months of the date you book your next trip, not when you travel.

Emerald Explorer is a separate program to the Scenic Club loyalty program operated by Scenic Tours. Individuals may have membership of both Emerald/Evergreen Explorer and Scenic Club. Benefits are not interchangeable or transferable between Emerald Explorer and Scenic Club. However, individuals who complete a Scenic Tours tour may choose to have that tour count towards their Emerald Explorer membership and tier status assessment. Should they do so, it will not also count towards their Scenic Club membership or tier status and the transfer cannot be reversed. Please note, individuals who complete an Emerald trip may NOT have that tour count towards their Scenic Club membership and tier status assessment.

If you'd like to know your current tier and points balance, you can contact Emerald's Member Help Desk on 1300 397 567 or email explorer@evergreentours.com.

Points are calculated on days travelled.

Airport transfers are only available on the first and last day of your river cruise and at times Emerald Cruises designate. Transfers outside these times will be at your expense and must be secured by your own arrangements. Passengers who have purchased Emerald's pre and post hotel accommodation and airfares (through Emerald & Global Journeys) will be provided airport transfers to/from their hotel in the river cruise start or end city only, on the day of the pre or post accommodation booking. No refund will be given for unused transfers.

If you miss the pre-booked transfer, you will be responsible for making your own way to the departure point, at your own expense. Airport transfers may be group transfers scheduled to coincide with multiple flight arrival times.