Emerald Cruises
Emerald Cruises operates luxury river cruises on European waterways and the Mekong, and luxury yacht cruises across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Indo-Pacific, serving affluent leisure travelers through all-inclusive packaged itineraries as part of Scenic Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersHollywood, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Emerald Cruises does
Emerald Cruises operates a luxury river and yacht cruise portfolio serving affluent leisure travelers across three continents. The company's core product line consists of river cruises aboard Star-Ships navigating European waterways (Danube, Rhine, Main, Moselle, Douro) and the Mekong in Southeast Asia, complemented by ocean-going luxury yacht cruises spanning the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Caribbean, Central America, Seychelles, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Asia, and Australia & South Pacific. A third leg, Emerald Tours, offers small-group land journeys across Canada, Alaska, Japan, and Southeast Asia, often bookable as trip extensions to cruise itineraries. The fleet is being actively expanded under the "New Ships, New Experiences" initiative, with the Emerald Kaia superyacht launching in 2026 as a flagship addition.
The underlying product is an all-inclusive, packaged experience: fares bundle accommodations, dining, beverages, shore excursions, and port charges, with curated programs including EmeraldDISCOVERY excursions, EmeraldACTIVE (e-bikes, hiking), EmeraldPLUS cultural programming, and DiscoverMORE premium optional experiences. Specialty themed journeys (Christmas Markets, Culinary, Seasonal) target cultural enthusiasts. The company distributes through a direct-to-consumer website, phone sales, and a commission-based Travel Advisor Hub, with US operations managed by Scenic Tours (USA), Inc. from Hollywood, Florida. Emerald Cruises operates as part of the broader Scenic Group and shares a unified loyalty program, Scenic & Emerald Rewards, with its sister brand.
Revenue is generated primarily through packaged cruise bookings priced from $2,995 per person at the entry level into higher-tier luxury yacht suites, plus ancillary private charter and group bookings. Customer segmentation covers affluent leisure travelers, cultural enthusiasts, solo travelers (supported by a Free Solo Supplement offer), and group/charter buyers. The company is privately held, with no public stock listing and ownership structure not disclosed in the source data; it operates internationally with no evidence of M&A, external funding rounds, or leadership turnover in the available record.
Emerald Cruises firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Emerald Cruises
- Legal name
- Emerald Cruises & Tours
- Website
- https://emeraldcruises.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Emerald Cruises operates luxury river cruises on European waterways and the Mekong, and luxury yacht cruises across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Indo-Pacific, serving affluent leisure travelers through all-inclusive packaged itineraries as part of Scenic Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Emerald Cruises industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury River and Yacht Cruises
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Inland Water Passenger Transportation (483212), Deep Sea Passenger Transportation (483112)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury River Cruise Operators (THAEACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises (THAEABAF), Theme & Specialty River Cruises (Culinary/Wellness/Music/etc.) (THAEACAL)
Keywords
Where Emerald Cruises is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hollywood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Emerald Cruises business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Luxury River Cruises: Revenue from all-inclusive luxury river cruise packages on European rivers and Southeast Asia (Mekong), featuring spacious suites and staterooms, dining, beverages, and excursions
- Luxury Yacht Cruises: Revenue from yacht cruising experiences across Mediterranean, Caribbean, Asia, Australia & South Pacific, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean destinations
- Land Tours and Extensions: Revenue from small-group touring journeys across Canada, Alaska, Japan, and Southeast Asia, including trip extensions
- Group Charters and Private Bookings: Revenue from private charter bookings for groups seeking exclusive cruise experiences
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | All-Inclusive River & Yacht Cruises |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Emerald Cruises product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Emerald Cruises operates luxury river cruises on purpose-built Star-Ships along Europe's iconic rivers (Danube, Rhine, Main, Douro) and the Mekong in Southeast Asia, plus ocean-going luxury yacht cruises in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Caribbean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and South Pacific. The company also offers small-group Emerald Tours land journeys across Canada, Alaska, Japan, and Southeast Asia, with all-inclusive pricing covering accommodations, dining, beverages, excursions, and port charges.
Product overview
Emerald Cruises operates a multi-product luxury travel portfolio comprising two core offerings: River Cruises on purpose-built Star-Ships navigating European rivers (Danube, Rhine, Main, Moselle) and the Mekong in Southeast Asia; and Luxury Yacht Cruises on ocean-going yachts serving the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Caribbean, Central America, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean regions. These cruise products are complemented by Emerald Tours' small-group land journeys across Canada, Japan, and Europe. The portfolio includes specialty experiences (Christmas Cruises, Culinary Cruises, EmeraldACTIVE, EmeraldPLUS, DiscoverMORE) and a loyalty program (Scenic & Emerald Rewards) shared with sister brand Scenic. A next-generation superyacht, Emerald Kaia, represents recent fleet expansion. All offerings feature all-inclusive pricing with generous inclusions covering excursions, dining, and beverages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- River Cruises Luxury all-inclusive river cruises on purpose-built Star-Ships along Europe's iconic rivers (Danube, Rhine, Main, Moselle, Douro) and the Mekong in Southeast Asia, featuring accommodations, dining, beverages, shore excursions, and port charges bundled into the fare.
- Luxury Yacht Cruises Ocean-going luxury yacht cruises to the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Caribbean, Central America, Seychelles, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Asia, and Australia & South Pacific, offering intimate small-ship experiences with all-inclusive inclusions. Caribbean yacht cruises from $2,995 per person for 2026-2028.
- Emerald Tours Small-group land journeys across Canada, Alaska, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe, designed to extend river or yacht cruise experiences with pre- and post-cruise touring options and trip extensions.
- Emerald Kaia Next-generation superyacht embodying an evolution in small ship cruising, representing a new addition to the Emerald Cruises luxury yacht fleet as part of the New Ships, New Experiences fleet expansion initiative.
- Specialty Journeys Themed cruise itineraries on European rivers including Christmas Markets cruises, Culinary cruises, Seasonal cruises, and Savor the Moment experiences targeting specific traveler interests such as cultural heritage, food and wine, and seasonal events.
- Private Charters Full-ship charter options for groups seeking exclusive use of a river ship or luxury yacht for custom itineraries, private events, and exclusive group experiences.
Companies that use Emerald Cruises
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Emerald Cruises technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Emerald Cruises partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Scenic Tours (USA), Inc.coreScenic Tours (USA), Inc. manages the distribution of cruises and tours on Emerald Cruises' website, operating from their Hollywood, Florida office. This is an affiliated company within the Scenic Group that handles North American sales and distribution.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Emerald Cruises competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Viking River Cruises: Operates river cruises across European and Asian waterways with an all-inclusive, destination-focused model — a direct competitor to Emerald Cruises' Star-Ship river product on overlapping itineraries (Danube, Rhine, Douro, Mekong).
- Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours: Sister brand within the Scenic Group operating luxury river cruises and ocean voyages with Space-Ships; directly comparable fleet, all-inclusive inclusions, and shared loyalty program with Emerald Cruises.
- Uniworld Boutique River Cruises: Boutique luxury river cruise operator in Europe and Asia with all-inclusive pricing and curated excursions — comparable vessel size, premium positioning, and customer base to Emerald Cruises' river product.
- AmaWaterways: Family-owned luxury river cruise line in Europe, Africa and Asia with included excursions, wellness programming and active-excursion options that overlap directly with Emerald's river offerings.
- Avalon Waterways: Operates river cruises across Europe, Asia and South America under an all-inclusive Suite Ship model — directly comparable fleet design, itinerary overlap (Danube, Rhine, Main) and customer demographic to Emerald.
- Crystal Cruises: Luxury ocean and river cruise brand with all-inclusive service, small-ship intimacy and curated experiences — competing head-to-head with Emerald Cruises' yacht cruising product on destination and experiential positioning.
- Tauck: Family-owned operator of small-ship river cruises and guided land tours across Europe, North America and beyond — competes directly with Emerald Cruises on combined cruise-plus-touring itineraries.
- Lueftner Cruises (Amadeus Fleet): European family-owned river cruise line operating premium Amadeus ships on the Danube, Rhine and other European waterways — comparable product positioning and overlapping itineraries with Emerald Cruises' European river fleet.
Broad incumbents
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Established luxury ocean cruise brand with all-inclusive fares, premium suites and global itineraries — broader incumbent competing for the same affluent experiential traveler as Emerald's yacht product, but at a larger ship scale.
- Seabourn Cruise Line: Ultra-luxury small-ship ocean cruise operator with inclusive fares and exotic global itineraries — competes with Emerald Cruises for luxury travelers seeking intimate yacht-style ocean experiences, though at a larger established scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Emerald Cruises social profiles
Digital presenceEmerald Cruises financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Emerald Cruises leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Emerald Cruises funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Emerald Cruises M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Emerald Cruises
What does Emerald Cruises do?
Emerald Cruises operates luxury river cruises on purpose-built Star-Ships along Europe's iconic rivers (Danube, Rhine, Main, Douro) and the Mekong in Southeast Asia, plus ocean-going luxury yacht cruises in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Caribbean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and South Pacific. The company also offers small-group Emerald Tours land journeys across Canada, Alaska, Japan, and Southeast Asia, with all-inclusive pricing covering accommodations, dining, beverages, excursions, and port charges.
Is Emerald Cruises a public or private company?
Emerald Cruises is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Emerald Cruises founded?
Emerald Cruises was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Emerald Cruises based?
Emerald Cruises is headquartered in Hollywood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Emerald Cruises make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Luxury River Cruises are the primary driver. The others are luxury Yacht Cruises, land Tours and Extensions and group Charters and Private Bookings.
Who are Emerald Cruises's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Viking River Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Crystal Cruises, Tauck and Lueftner Cruises (Amadeus Fleet). Broad incumbents are Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line.
Does Emerald Cruises have an API?
No public API is recorded for Emerald Cruises.
What industry is Emerald Cruises in?
Emerald Cruises's product category is Luxury River and Yacht Cruises. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAEACAA, Luxury River Cruise Operators, with a secondary code of THAEABAF, Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises. Its NAICS code is 48721 and its SIC code is 4400.