Emerald Waterways will launch ocean cruising with a newly built, 100-guest superyacht - named Emerald Azzurra - in July 2021. It will be the first vessel to operate under the new Emerald Yacht Cruises brand, part of the newly formed Emerald Cruises portfolio.
"Emerald Waterways has been operating award-winning river cruises in Europe since 2014," said Glen Moroney, owner and chairman of Emerald parent company Scenic Group. "The launch of Emerald Yacht Cruises and the stunning new Emerald Azzurra are a logical extension of the Emerald Cruises portfolio, adding intimate yacht cruising in the Mediterranean to the existing Emerald Waterways river cruise offerings."
The 2021-22 itineraries in the Adriatic, Mediterranean, and Red seas are available for booking, with early-bird pricing available.
The company said the 360-foot-long yacht has been custom-designed to cruise the waters of the Adriatic Coast, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and will visit multiple ports in Greece, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, France, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Spain, Israel, Jordan and Egypt.
The Emerald Azzurra will have spacious staterooms and suites, which start at 285 square feet in size. Plus, 88 percent of the cabins will feature balconies. The ship will have a marina platform from which guests can paddleboard and snorkel, as well as three tenders and two Zodiac boats for shore landings.
The ship's July 31 inaugural sailing is an eight-day "Cyprus, Turkey and Greece Delights" in the Aegean Sea, from Limassol, Cyprus, to Athens, Greece, and calling on Paphos, Cyprus; Fethiye, Bodrum and Kusadasi, Turkey; Mykonos and Santorini, Greece.
Other itineraries include an eight-day "French & Italian Rivieras" sailing and the 12-day "Ancient World Wonders" voyage from Limassol to Aqaba, Jordan.
In keeping with the brands' inclusive pricing structure, the Emerald Azzurra fares will include á la carte dinners; breakfast and lunch buffets; complimentary wine, beer or soft drinks with lunch and dinner; all on-board gratuities; transfers to and from the airport; port charges and all taxes. On shore, guests can participate in included EmeraldPLUS cultural experiences and a range of included EmeraldACTIVE excursions and can book DiscoverMORE optional excursions.
Emerald Azzurra is being built by the Ha Long Shipbuilding Company in Ha Long City, Vietnam. The Ha Long Shipbuilding Company is contracted to build the hull and fit all machinery for Emerald Azzurra, with all interior fit-out being directly managed by the Emerald Cruises project team. The steel-cutting ceremony was held at the shipyard Dec. 7, 2019
Since 2014, Emerald Waterways has been offering river cruising to the North American market. Emerald Cruises currently operates nine branded Star-Ships in Europe and on the Mekong, as well as the MS Rossia on the Volga River in Russia; the Adriatic Princess and Adriatic Pearl yachts in Croatia; and the MS Hamees on the Nile.
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