Name: Zurich - Lucerne with Tulips & the Rhine
Brand: Emerald Cruises

Overview

Emerald Cruises invites you aboard Emerald Astra for a 10-night sailing from Basel through the beautiful waters of Northern Europe and Baltic Sea. You'll step ashore at 3 ports across Northern Europe and Baltic Sea, with standout stops at Breisach and Mannheim along the way. Whether you're relaxing on deck on a sea day or exploring ashore, this Emerald Cruises journey offers something for everyone. Available from £3,745 per person - a fantastic opportunity to explore Northern Europe and Baltic Sea aboard the Emerald Astra.

Emerald Cruises

Emerald Cruises offers a modern, relaxed, super-premium all-inclusive cruising experience, with contemporary and elegant ships and bucket-list destinations.

Onboard, guests are able to dine at four all-inclusive and unique outlets, enjoying free-flowing alcoholic beverages at mealtimes. Flexibility is key, with its range of shore excursion packages, and every aspect of the trip is taken care of – including flights and transfers.

Cruise Itinerary

Day 1

Basel

Basel is Switzerland’s gateway to the Rhine, combining medieval and modern charm. Its Old Town has narrow streets, Gothic spires and the impressive Basel Minster cathedral. With world-class art fairs and museums, including the Kunstmuseum and Fondation Beyeler, Basel is strong on culture. The city’s riverside promenade is lively in summer, with cafés and outdoor events.Basel is at the crossroads of Switzerland, France and Germany, making it a fascinating mix of influences, ideal for art and history lovers.

Day 2

Breisach

Breisach is set on a hilltop, overlooking the Rhine and the vineyards of the Kaiserstuhl region. The town’s St Stephen’s Cathedral, with its striking tower, is a prominent landmark visible from the river.Breisach’s compact historic centre offers quiet streets, traditional wine taverns and small museums. The surrounding rolling vineyards produce some of Germany’s best white wines.

Day 2

Colmar

Day 3

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is on the border of France and Germany, and its culture and architecture reflect a blend of both influences. The Grande Île, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a maze of timber-framed houses, cobbled streets and canals often called “La Petite France”.The Strasbourg Cathedral, with its intricate pink sandstone façade and astronomical clock, dominates the skyline. Strasbourg also has a reputation as a European political centre, housing the European Parliament.

Day 4

Rastatt

Day 5

Mannheim

Day 6

Koblenz

Day 7

Rüdesheim

Day 8

Mainz

Mainz is known for its Roman heritage and inspiration, which is visible in archaeological sites and the Mainz Cathedral, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. The city is also the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, with a museum dedicated to his revolutionary legacy.The old town has colourful half-timbered houses, busy markets and inviting cafés where you can enjoy local wines. The Rhine promenade is perfect for relaxed walks with views of passing river traffic and bridges.

Day 8

Frankfurt

Days 8-11

Berlin

Day 1

Basel

Day 2

Breisach

Day 2

Colmar

Day 3

Strasbourg

Day 4

Rastatt

Day 5

Mannheim

Day 6

Koblenz

Day 7

Rüdesheim

Day 8

Mainz

Day 8

Frankfurt

Days 8-11

Berlin

180

Passengers

Crew

2026

Launched

3544t

Tonnage

135m

Length

11m

Width

13kts

Speed

Decks

EUR

Currency

Emerald Astra

Cruise into luxury on the brand-new Emerald Astra

Emerald Astra is set to elevate the standard for luxury river cruising, offering guests an even more memorable experience through innovative, modern design and extended amenities available onboard.

All Prices

Customer reviews

Reviews

Not 5 star

We didn't get the wow fact I was expecting it was a lovely clean yacht Entertainment was not the best very little of it considering it was almost Christmas. The staff were nice . Breakfast was ok , lunch was nice The evening meals not great . Room was big and clean it was a lovely experience, but for what we paid i would not do it again .

Emerald Cruises Emerald Sakara

Reviews

Eastern Europe on the Danube

The arrangements on the first day left a lot to be desired! We had been flown to Bucharest the day before and stayed in a lovely hotel with a large swimming pool. We were told cases to be ready by 7 a.m.and leave at 9.It was a cold,wet day so,after the city tour,we had 2 hours to waste in bad weather. We think the departure from the hotel should have been later(e.g.usual 11 a.m.checkout),done the city tour then gone straight to the ship. On board,the food and wine was good BUT often,if we as two people sat on a table for 4 or 6,we were not served until the table was full! I commented about this and we got better and quicker service for one day then it lapsed again! It was even worse if I sat by myself in the bar as I was then mostly ignored! The ports of call were interesting but mixed weather. The company still keeps calling the cabin!"Panorama Balcony" BUT the dictionary definition of balcony is"external"so an inside balcony with a window to open is NOT a balcony. I queried this with crew but was brushed off!

Emerald Cruises Emerald Luna

Reviews

Luxury at every level

We had an amazing cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia on Emerald Harmony. The boat itself is superb,, carrying a maximum of 84 passengers, though a particular cruise only had 54, with 40 crew. That means that passengers really get cared for and within 24 hours all the crew members knew our names and our preferences. The food is superb – fine dining every lunchtime and every evening, accompanied with high-quality wines. and the tourist gave a good balance of the typical things you would expect to see as a tourist (cities, palaces and temples) but also local village life, with the opportunity to meet up close with local people and to see the businesses run from their homes. It was an incredible exposure to culture of that part of the world. Emerald arranged everything superbly and we wouldn’t hesitate to travel with them again.

Emerald Cruises Emerald Harmony

Reviews

Very good

Food & crew excellent. A little diasppointed with the lack of daytime cruising. Only fault was with the travel arrangements to Lyon and return from Marseille. on both flights assistance for my wife who has difficulty walking long distances was not organised and on the return flight we were not even allocated seats together.

Emerald Cruises Emerald Liberte

Reviews