Emerald Cruises is the mid-range brand of the Scenic group, whose Scenic Gem cruise we have also reviewed. Its Seine product is called "Sensations of the Seine & Normandy". We have no partner for multi-day river cruises: this page explains the product, gives the official link, then points you to the Paris cruises and Normandy day trips we do sell. The overview of every line is on our Paris to Normandy river cruises page.
Emerald Lumi, not Emerald Liberté: watch the ship's name
This is the most common mistake made about this line. The Emerald Liberté is a real ship, but it sails the Rhône and the Saône, where it has been in service since 2017. It doesn't come to the Seine. The Seine ship is the Emerald Lumi, and it is brand new: launched in July at the MKM Yachts shipyard in Romania, it opens its first Seine season in late March. Before it, Emerald had no ship on this river.
The figures the line gives: 110 meters (about 360 feet) long, "no more than 130 guests", and what it calls all-weather balconies. Categories run from the Stateroom (a classic cabin) to the Panorama Balcony Suite, the Grand Balcony Suite and the Owner's One-Bedroom Suite.
The direct consequence for you: Emerald's Seine cruise is a brand-new itinerary, on a brand-new ship. Any passenger review or "rating" of an Emerald Seine cruise you find online is really about another river or another ship. So we judge it on the program and the inclusions, not on experience.
The eight-day itinerary, with Honfleur in the middle
The cruise is a round trip from Paris, built around two days in Honfleur:
Parisembark
Vernona walk in Monet's footsteps at Giverny
Rouenwalking tour of the old town
Honfleurship alongside; a full day at the D-Day landing sites
Les Andelys > La Roche-Guyonstop below Château Gaillard, then back upriver
La Roche-Guyonlast port
Parisdisembark
Like Scenic, Riviera Travel and CroisiEurope, the Emerald Lumi sails into Honfleur instead of mooring in Le Havre. That is the program's strong point: in just seven nights you spend two days in Honfleur's old harbor, with no coach ride to get there. The trade-off is a tight pace on the way back, with Les Andelys and La Roche-Guyon back to back, and no free day in Paris. If you want to see the city, you will need to add hotel nights before or after. To explore the Normandy ports without a cruise, our Rouen and Honfleur guide gives the trains, local boats and prices.
What's included in the price
Emerald advertises 20 inclusions. The ones the itinerary page spells out: seven nights on board, airport transfers, a cruise director, port taxes, all tips and gratuities, and the headline excursions: the Monet walk at Giverny, the Rouen tour and the "Historic Normandy: Allied Landing Sites" day.
Included gratuities make a real difference: with Viking, Avalon or AmaWaterways, they are added to the final bill. On drinks, the page says nothing; according to travel agents, Emerald's house formula covers wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, with no open bar during the day. If a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap matters to you, ask for the details when you get your quote, because that is where the gap with a true all-inclusive like Scenic's opens up.
The European fare is cruise-only: getting to Paris is up to you, while the UK offer includes flights.
Price: from €3,045, read with care
On Emerald's European site, the advertised fare starts at €3,045 per person, double occupancy, with early booking, against a full fare of €3,545. When we last checked, the Australian site showed from A$4,745 in category E (Riviera Deck). The US site and the UK site (flights included) follow the same early-booking logic, each in its own currency.
Per night, the European fare comes to around €435 per person. That is well below Scenic (€470 to €770 a night on its European site), with gratuities in the price. Three caveats: this "from" price applies to one specific date and cabin, early-booking offers have a deadline, and some departures in the first season were already sold out. A quote from Emerald or your travel agent is the only binding price.
Boarding in Paris, and the season
Emerald doesn't publish a fixed Paris pier for the Emerald Lumi. River-cruise ships dock mostly in the 15th arrondissement, at Port de Grenelle or Port de Javel Bas, but the berth varies: the exact pier is in your travel documents. Our Seine cruise piers page places these quays in relation to the sightseeing-boat pontoons, a few minutes' walk from the Eiffel Tower.
The season runs from March 27 to November 6 in the first year, then from April 1 to November 4 the next. Watch out for Giverny: Monet's house and gardens open roughly from April 1 to November 1. Late-March and November departures therefore fall outside the gardens' season; don't book those dates if Monet is the reason for your trip.
Our verdict: a bet on a new ship
Pros
- Two days in Honfleur in only seven nights
- New ship, all-weather balconies
- All gratuities and airport transfers included
- A fare well below Scenic's
Cons
- New product and new ship: no passenger feedback yet
- Drinks with meals only, according to travel agents
- No free day in Paris on the program
- Late-March and November departures without Monet's gardens
Our scores
- Itinerary
- 4.3/5two days in Honfleur, a slightly rushed return
- Ship
- 4/5new and well designed on paper, not yet proven
- Included
- 4.1/5gratuities and D-Day included, drinks with meals only
- Value for money
- 4.1/5about €435 a night on the European early-booking fare
- Track record
- 2.5/5first season, no passenger reviews
The same trip as day outings: Paris by boat, and Normandy
A week-long cruise isn't the only way to see the Seine. In Paris, a one-hour Seine cruise from the Eiffel Tower, Pont de l'Alma or Pont Neuf costs under €20 and passes the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower. In the evening, the night cruise shows the city lit up.
GetYourGuide1 hourEiffel Tower
Paris: Seine Cruise departing from the Eiffel Tower Web Rate
4.4 (91,857)
from €18Check dates
GetYourGuidePont de l'Alma
Paris: Bateaux Mouches® Sightseeing Cruise on the Seine
4.4 (6,150)
from €17Check dates
GetYourGuide1 hourPont Neuf
Seine River Sightseeing Guided Cruise Vedettes du Pont Neuf
4.6 (424)
from €17Check dates
Prices checked on October 17, 2026
For Normandy, Giverny works as a day trip: train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny (45 minutes to an hour), a shuttle at about €10 round trip, entry around €13. Honfleur is further (no train station, about three hours by bus), but a 90-minute boat trip out under the Pont de Normandie costs around €20 there. Here are the Normandy day trips we can book:
GetYourGuide14.5 hours
From London: Paris Day Trip, Guided Tour and Seine Cruise
4.6 (223)
from €308Check dates
GetYourGuide10 - 11 hours
From Le Havre: Deluxe Paris Tour with Cruise & Packed Lunch
4.9 (42)
from €169Check dates
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Honfleur: Boat Trip and Tour of the Pont de Normandie
4.3 (36)
from €26Check dates
TiqetsEiffel Tower
Paris: Luxury Guided Day Trip from London + Bateaux Parisiens Lunch Cruise
No reviews yet
from €408Check dates
Prices checked on October 17, 2026
To compare with a French-run cruise at a much lower price, read our CroisiEurope review, and for the closest British offer, our Riviera Travel review.
Your questions about the Emerald cruise
Which Emerald ship sails the Seine?
The Emerald Lumi, a new ship for 130 guests at most, whose first Seine season starts in late March. The Emerald Liberté sails the Rhône and the Saône, not the Seine.
How much is the "Sensations of the Seine & Normandy" cruise?
From €3,045 per person, double occupancy, at the early-booking fare on the European site when we last checked. The full fare shown was €3,545.
Are gratuities included?
Yes, Emerald includes all gratuities, as well as airport transfers and port taxes.
Does the cruise go all the way to Honfleur?
Yes, the ship spends two days in Honfleur, which is where the D-Day landing sites day starts.
Are there reviews of Emerald's Seine cruise?
Not yet: the product and the ship are new. Any reviews you find are about other rivers.
Can I see Giverny on every date?
No. Monet's gardens open roughly from April 1 to November 1; late-March and November departures miss them.