Are you ready to set sail with Emerald River Cruises?

Your main pre-departure portal is the Emerald Cruises Trip Personaliser, which you can access using your Emerald Cruises booking details.

You'll find your Emerald Cruises booking reference within your Paramount Cruises documentation, while your booking, payments and Paramount Cruises travel documents can be accessed through My Trip.

If you'd like to make a change to the holiday you've booked through Paramount Cruises, please contact our team rather than making amendments directly with Emerald Cruises.

Emerald Cruises doesn't currently operate a conventional online cruise check-in in the same way as many large ocean cruise lines.

Instead, the important pre-departure step is completing your Emerald Cruises Trip Personaliser before travelling.

You'll be asked to provide information including:

• Your date of birth, address and contact details
• Your next of kin and emergency contact details
• Your passport details
• Your nationality and place of birth
• Any relevant visa information
• Frequent flyer information, where applicable

Every guest must complete their Trip Personaliser before travelling. Emerald Cruises warns that guests who haven't provided the required information may be unable to sail.

Your final physical check-in then takes place when you arrive at your Star-Ship on embarkation day.

Yes. Emerald has introduced the Emerald Cruises & Tours app for guests with upcoming river and yacht cruise bookings.

The app is designed to complement your Trip Personaliser rather than replace it. You can use it to access useful information before and during your journey, including:

• Your ship's deck plans and onboard venues
• The digital daily programme
• Available experiences and activities
• Your ship's current location
• Important contact information
• Information about Emerald Cruises and your Star-Ship

You'll need your Emerald Cruises booking number to access your sailing.

We'd recommend downloading it before travelling, but keeping your final travel documents available separately rather than relying entirely on the app.

Your final travel documentation is issued before departure once all the necessary booking information has been completed.

Make sure you've completed your Trip Personaliser, as this contains the personal and passport information Emerald Cruises requires before you travel.

Your final documents contain important information about your journey, including flights or rail travel where applicable, transfers and embarkation arrangements.

Read them carefully when you receive them, particularly if you're making your own way to the Star-Ship.

You'll need a valid passport for travel. It must have at least 6 months validity from your date of return to the UK.

Please check the entry requirements for the countries you’ll be visiting, some destinations do require a visa to be organised prior to departure. You can find the latest information at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

Embarkation times vary according to the itinerary and where your cruise begins.

Rather than relying on a generic boarding time, always follow the arrival and embarkation instructions shown in your final travel documents.

If Emerald Cruises has arranged your flight or rail journey and transfer, you'll be transferred to the Star-Ship according to the arrangements provided.

If you're making your own way to the ship, check the embarkation location and recommended arrival time carefully before setting off.

River cruise ships don't always use a fixed cruise terminal in the same way as ocean ships. Local river authorities allocate berths, and the exact docking location can occasionally change because of port operations, river levels or other ships using the port.

Always check the most recent embarkation information supplied by Emerald Cruises before setting off. If you're travelling independently to the ship, keep the relevant Emerald Cruises contact details from your final documentation with you.

This is completely normal on a European river cruise.

Popular river ports have limited docking space, so Star-Ships can sometimes be moored alongside another river vessel.

When this happens, you may have to walk through another ship or across its gangway to reach the shore. Equally, guests from another ship may occasionally pass through yours.

It can also mean that the view from your suite or stateroom is temporarily obscured while the ships are alongside one another.

It's simply part of river cruising and is controlled by the local port authorities rather than Emerald Cruises.

A comprehensive programme of excursions and experiences is already included with your Emerald river cruise.

Emerald calls its overall excursion programme EmeraldDISCOVERY, with several different ways to explore depending on your itinerary.

Your included programme can feature traditional sightseeing tours alongside EmeraldPLUS and EmeraldACTIVE experiences.

Optional DiscoverMORE experiences are also available for guests who'd like to explore further and are charged separately.

Details of the excursions available on your sailing will be provided before and during your cruise.

EmeraldPLUS experiences are included experiences designed to take you beyond conventional sightseeing and introduce you to the people, traditions, food and culture of the places you're visiting.

Depending on your itinerary, this could mean visiting a local family, attending a private performance, enjoying a regional food or wine experience or taking part in an event created specifically for Emerald Cruises guests.

The experiences vary according to destination, which is what makes them particularly memorable.

If you'd prefer something a little more energetic than a traditional sightseeing tour, look out for EmeraldACTIVE experiences.

Depending on your itinerary, these can include:

• Guided hikes
• E-bike tours
• Cycling experiences
• Canoeing and kayaking
• Walking tours
• Onboard fitness activities

EmeraldACTIVE experiences are included as part of selected itineraries and offer an alternative way of exploring the destination.

Spaces can be more limited than on a standard sightseeing tour, so it's worth checking availability once your excursion information becomes available.

DiscoverMORE experiences are Emerald Cruises' optional excursions for guests who want to see or do even more during their journey.

These are available for an additional charge and can include smaller-group sightseeing tours, culinary experiences, wine tastings, special attractions and more in-depth destination experiences.

They may complement an included excursion or sometimes operate as an alternative to the included programme.

DiscoverMORE excursions can be booked before travelling through Paramount Cruises where available, or once you're onboard, subject to availability.

If there's an experience you particularly don't want to miss, we'd recommend booking before departure rather than waiting until you're on the ship.

On European river cruises, Emerald Cruises provides complimentary bicycles and e-bikes on selected Star-Ships and itineraries.

You'll often see these used as part of guided EmeraldACTIVE cycling excursions, with routes designed to showcase the destination from a different perspective.

Where local regulations, availability and conditions allow, it may also be possible to use the bikes independently.

Speak to the Cruise Director or onboard team before setting off, as they can advise on availability, suitable routes and any local restrictions.

The atmosphere onboard Emerald Cruises is relaxed. During the day, casual and comfortable clothing is ideal, particularly as you'll spend plenty of time sightseeing ashore. For dinner and evenings onboard, smart casual is perfect.

You may want to dress up slightly more for occasions such as the Welcome and Farewell Reception or Dinner, but traditional cruise formalwear isn't necessary.

For sightseeing, comfortable walking shoes are far more important than formal shoes. European river cruises frequently involve cobbled streets, steps and historic town centres.

If you're sailing on the Mekong, lightweight clothing is ideal for the warm climate, while shoulders and knees should be covered when visiting temples and religious sites.

There are no traditional formal nights, so you won't need black tie or an evening gown.

Guests often dress a little smarter for the Welcome and Farewell events, but these are still relaxed rather than formal occasions.

Evening entertainment tends to reflect the destinations you're visiting rather than following the large-scale production-show format found on ocean ships.

Depending on your itinerary, you might enjoy local musicians, cultural performances, talks, demonstrations, tastings or special EmeraldPLUS events.

Emerald also operates dedicated themed river cruises on selected departures, including specialist food, wine and beer-focused sailings. If you've booked one of these, your particular itinerary will include additional themed experiences.

Yes, please ensure that you have adequate Travel Insurance in place for your holiday and that your insurance covers cruises and the countries you are travelling to. We’ve partnered with award-winning Travel Insurance Just Travel Cover to help you find the right insurance for your next cruise. At Just Travel Cover you can compare prices from multiple insurers; there’s no age limit and cover for pre-existing medical conditions.

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To review Emerald River Cruises' terms & conditions, please visit their website.