Aboard the Emerald Sun

We arrived in Basel and boarded the Emerald Sun. They quickly checked us in and gave us our room key. Since our luggage was not yet in our room we headed to the Horizon Lounge for a toddy. Beer and wine was included during lunch and dinner and they offered a number of options for those who wanted a drink at others time. All the packages were good deals and much less expensive than the ocean cruises we have been on. Once everyone was on board we started down the Rhine.

The Emerald Sun, built in 2015, is very modern. It is 443 feet long but as you can see not very high which makes it easy to pass under all the bridges. There are three decks of cabins and an outdoor top deck. 

Our whole WashPA gang (except me) Rick, Nanc, Becky, Denise, Mary, Ken, Patrice, John, Ron, Dick, Bobbie Jo, Gail, Anne Marie, Tim and Sharon.

The top deck has seating for everyone. Six laps around the deck was one mile for those who do not get enough exercise on the tours. One bridge was so low they had to lower the awnings and the navigation bridge to pass under it.

Looking the other way. The covered box in the foreground was a navigation unit they used for going through locks, docking and passing under the low bridges.

The ship has 80 staterooms and 12 suites on three decks, so the maximum number of passengers is 184. Some of the cabins were occupied by tour staff so there were about 160 people on this cruise. There is a crew of 47 who are there to make sure your trip is fantastic.

Depending what the docks were like we boarded and left the ship on different decks. Here we all came aboard on the top deck while in the first picture we used the Vista deck. Soon after boarding we all reported to the lounge for the welcome and safety briefing. Yes, unlike an ocean cruise, everyone one on board fit into the lounge. As to safety we were never far from shore.

During the briefing we entered the first of many locks we would pass through on our way to Amsterdam. We shared this one with a motor barge.

We have been through locks on the Pittsburgh rivers and it is always fascinating. You sail into the dock and the gate closes behind the ship. The water is then let out and the ship is lowered to the downstream water level. This one had a gate that raised up so we could leave the lock. The whole thing is reversed going up stream. We did that going up the Mosel River but it was at night.  

At the welcome we were introduced to the staff and officers: Ana the Mayflower business manager, Wes the cruise director, Igor the hotel manager and Second Captain Costa. Most of the staff was from Europe. 

There was a lot of traffic on the river. They told us we would pass more than 200 barges a day. Most were these were motorized barges that the crew lived on. Almost all of them had a car and a few even had a runabout boat on a trailer.

There were day tour boats in the areas where there was a lot to see along the river. There were also many smaller cabin cruisers and runabouts.

How about this? We are going downstream being passed by both a barge and a tour boat at the same time. Navigating a 443 foot ship sure requires a lot of skill on these crowded waters.

The barges carry a big variety of cargo. The one above had sand, gravel or ore while this one was a tanker. The passenger ships are not allowed in the locks with the tankers.

Of course, there were many tour ships like ours. We passed many each day and often two would be tied side by side as they waited for a spot at the dock.

Out stateroom was 160 square feet, crowded for most but when you live in a motorhome it was plenty big. In all the staterooms on the Vista and Horizon deck the top widow could be lowered for fresh air and a clear view of the passing scenery. That said, we spent very little time in our cabin.

One thing that surprised me was the number of RV parks along the river. Even in the middle of September all of them were full. We have camped in Europe but never on the river.

When we left Cochem on the Mosel the river was so narrow they had to back-up until it was wide enough to turn around. Top, the ship going backwards and slowly starting to turn. Bottom, the ship is perpendicular to the shore with very little room fore or aft before straightening and heading down stream. As someone who has turned a 40 foot motorhome around in a tight spot, this was very impressive.

The dining room was immaculate. Breakfast and lunch buffets were available a few hours each day. There was one seating at 7:00 PM for dinner. All the food was wonderful with many options. There was always a chef's favorite, but you could pick from two appetizers, two soups, four or five main courses and four desserts. Nanc, who does not eat meat, had no problem with any of the selections.  

We did a galley tour and were really impressed at how they could serve all those people in one seating. There are seven chefs working in this very small and hot space.  

In addition to the seven chefs, there are two dishwashers who take care of all those dirty dishes. The crew is always served an hour before the guests so it is a long day for the kitchen staff.

To ensure your meal is always hot the dishes are kept in an oven and then placed under these heating lights until all the meals for a table are ready. The wait staff did a fantastic job and the food was so great I was to busy eating to get food pictures.

In such a small space the ship only carries five days of food, so they must resupply once during the trip. When we arrived in Cologne all these food and drink supplies were lined up waiting to be put aboard. They do it........

...... passing each box down the line and into the kitchen and lounge. In addition to these supplies, they pumped out waste and took on water at different ports along the way.

Barges and bigger boats aren't the only thing they need to watch for on the water. This rower was right by the ship as we pulled out. There were also kayaks on the river.

The navigation bridge is not very big for such a large ship. It sure is a real responsibility navigating in such tight spaces. At one narrow point they said there was only a meter of water under the hull. 

Berry our cabin boy did a great job with the room. Not only did we have towel sculptures each evening, he left us a souvenir from the city we had visited each day. We got a stork from Strasbourg, perfume from Cologne and little wooden shoes from Amsterdam to mention a few.

There was even a small pool in the back of the boat. The roof was opened on hot days and closed when it was cooler. The pool was surrounded by glass and had bar service so we could relax and enjoy the passing sites. 

Yes, you can swim even in this little pool. There was a water jet that turned it into a endless swimming pool. Very neat! There was also a fitness center and spa where Nanc, Rick and Denise had massages.

You do not have to be in the water to enjoy the pool. Soaking up the warm sunshine are Anne Marie, John, Patrice, Nanc, Rick and Gail. 

There were a surprising number of ferries on the rivers carrying passengers and vehicles back and forth across the river.

Cheers and celebrations. Each evening there was a different wine from the area we were traveling through. Nanc, the wine expert in our family, liked them all.

Ken and Mary celebrating their 40th anniversary with cake and a kiss.  

There was entertainment ever evening and activities during the day with Ben. One day the theme was German all day, where they served the wurst lunch on the trip:) That evening they had a local brass combo that entertained us with oompah music and silly antics that had everyone laughing.  

Both Rick and John celebrated birthdays on the trip with fireworks and a special cake.

Rick's birthday dance with his beautiful wife Denise who had to answer the question asked by the Beatles, "Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?". 

Brothers Jim and Bob from Wheeling cutting the rug with Rick, Denise and Nanc as part of the big celebration. A grand time was had by all every evening in the Horizon Lounge. 

Our last night floating down the Rhine; sitting Nanc, Becky, Gail, Anne Marie and Sharon; standing Bobbie Jo, Dick, John, Jim, Ron, Ken, Mary, Tim and Denise. It was a great time with great people.  We definitely think we would like to do another river cruise in the future.