Back to cruises: I've seen slick yachts like Emerald Kaia in various ports on my travels, notably parked in the the waters of Santorini's caldera when I visited there on Virgin's Resilient Lady in 2023. But this will be the first time I've ever traveled on one myself. It will be the second-smallest ship I've sailed on, though it dwarfs the 32-person Quasar Evolution I traveled on in 2024 in the Galapagos. I had some concerns going into that trip — (you can check out my debrief here). It'll also be light years different than my Spectrum of the Seas r/t Hong Kong to Japan trip back in January this year (there's a Live From as well).

Kaia is bigger, and certainly a lot higher-end than Evolution, and my colleagues who've sailed on the Emerald sister yachts have only great things to say. The Balcony Suites look incredible if the 3D floor plans I'm seeing are telling the truth (the balcony is giving double-width vibes compared to a traditional balcony cabin on a mega- or midsized ship). Below is a pic provided by Emerald, but I'll get a lot more images of the room when I board and share immediately.

I'm really stoked to return to Turkey. I visited Istanbul with my partner in 2019 and was hooked — from traditional neighborhoods and historic sights to areas that look straight out of trendy Brooklyn (but prettier). There's also a more personal connection. His paternal grandparents, Rachel and David, hail from Istanbul originally, which is where I'll end my time in Turkey (before a sea day and disembarking in Athens). Ephesus, in the Izmir region where I'll start my trip, is also high on my list — though baklava and burma (pastry, not country) are higher.

My partner with his grandparents.

Of course, you can't really talk about cruising and traveling in the Eastern Med or Turkey right now without the regional war in mind. Right now there's a ceasefire, and Turkey was spared direct involvement. But many travelers cancelled trips due to missiles reaching as far as Cyprus and cruise lines have seen softened interest in the region. I'm not feeling much anxiety at all (though, my anxiety is saved for things like deciding which black or white T-shirt to wear, and not actual existential danger — so take it with a grain of salt), but I'll be talking to other travelers for their perspective, why they still chose to stick to their plans, and how they were feeling before arriving.

Two days ago, we received an email stating that there would be a film crew on board for the entirety of the cruise. And BTW, the $8,000 deposit is completely non-refundable; even 6 months out.

I have been around film crews before, a lot, and they can be terribly disruptive, especially in close quarters such as a small cruising vessel. Yet Emerald Cruises is still promoting this particular cruise, with no mention of the film crew until after they have your irrevocable deposit. 

Is anyone else on this sailing? Is anyone on another sailing with Emerald Cruises along with a film crew? Does anyone have experience with film crews on board other small cruise ships?

The big question: Do the inconvenienced passengers have any recourse?

Thanks for your input.

Carolyn

I am particularly interested in the suite experience and how the new Scenic & Emerald Rewards program (unified on Feb 10th) will enhance the onboard welcome and experience. 

I would love to get some real passenger feedback regarding the Emerald Azzurra experience. Furthermore, if anyone has had the chance to sail with both lines, I would greatly appreciate hearing about the highlights of each. 

Having recently documented the suite life on the Ponant Explorers Class (Deck 6), I invite you to consult my latest reviews for Le Lapérouse and Le Dumont d’Urville: 'Grande Suite vs Owner’s Suite: A Musical Odyssey' and 'Deck 6 Bespoke Living: Dumont d’Urville'. They illustrate my level of expectation for high-standard suites. 

Thank you, I look forward to your feedback.

We are looking at booking an Emerald Yacht ocean cruise on one of the two above named ships. Has anyone cruised in one of the 6 ( or 8 ) ocean view cabins and can provide any feedback regarding size, layout, and whether or not you would book it again?

Thank you

We booked a cruise on Emerald Sakara earlier this year then recently, out of the blue, received a phone call to tell us our booking is cancelled because Emerald now have a charter booking.  It was a shock. How could they sell our booking to someone else?

We tried to recover a bad situation by exploring options and discussing how Emerald could compensate us for our loss but their Customer Care Manager stressed that they are not required to pay compensation or offer an upgrade if they cancel a cruise.

Emerald eventually offered to upgrade us to what they called a deluxe cabin located above a lifeboat with an unusual layout that we don’t like. They said the additional cost was considerably more than our original booking and would be paid for with future travel vouchers that they would issue to bridge the price increase but added   “this offer is above our standard conditions and as such is a confidential offer and is not to be disclosed to any other guests and if discussed could result in the removal of the credit.”

It is clear to us that this company can not be trusted and is not treating its customers fairly. We have requested they refund our booking deposit and are most disappointed.