Third and Final Star Ship Launch for 2017 Marks 75% Increase in Fleet Size
Boston and Vancouver, BC, October 2017 – Emerald Waterways held its final christening of 2017 for the Emerald Liberté—the third in the trio of new Star Ships to launch this year—on Sunday, October 1 in Lyon, France. Australian travel industry veteran and long-standing cruise and tour director Maxine Collins took the honors as Godmother during the official ceremony.
“It’s a real honor and a privilege to be Godmother of this beautiful ship and I wish all who sail on her safe passage and a wonderful journey through the magnificent south of France,” said Ms. Collins.
Emerald Liberté’s christening follows the official launch of Emerald Radiance in Porto, Portugal in June with top UK travel agent Gill Williams as godmother. Emerald Destiny, the first of the new 2017 ‘Star Ships’, was christened in Vienna in May by godmother Coleen Christie, the award-winning Canadian newscaster.
The Emerald Waterways fleet has grown to seven ships since the company launched in 2014. This year alone the river cruise line has welcomed over 17,000 guests onto the Rhine, Main and Danube, Portugal’s Douro, and the Rhône and Saône rivers in France.
As Emerald Waterways first Star Ship in France, Emerald Liberté was custom-built especially for the Rhône and Saône Rivers. The ship features Emerald Waterways’ trademark clean lines and contemporary style, plus innovations like the pool which turns into a cinema at night, and drop-down glass balcony windows in all suites. The boutique ship has a capacity of 138 guests and a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:3 ensuring a high level of service.
Emerald Liberté cruises on the Rhône and Saône Rivers through the ever-popular Provence and Burgundy region on eight-night itineraries from either Lyon or Arles between April and October. The itinerary includes Chalon-Sur-Saône, Beaune, Macon, Tournon, Arles and of course historic Avignon where guests are also treated to an on-board, Provençal-style highlight dinner by acclaimed local chef and Top Chef France finalist, Fabien Morreale. Eight-day sailings in 2018 start at $2,995 per person based on double occupancy.
Scenic Luxury Cruises has grown over its 30-year history to include award-winning, all-inclusive escorted tours that take participants to many of the world’s most fascinating destinations; two award-winning river cruise lines – Scenic and Emerald Waterways; and, in 2018, the World’s First Discovery Yacht – Scenic Eclipse. Emerald Waterways’ seven Star-Ships offer deluxe cruises in Europe and an exclusive charter on the MV Navigator for sailings in South East Asia, while Scenic’s 15 Space-Ships offer the only truly all-inclusive, five-star river cruises in the same destinations.
Additional information can be found by contacting your local travel agent; on Emerald Waterways’ website, www.emeraldwaterways.com in the U.S. and www.emeraldwaterways.ca in Canada; or by calling the US consumer/travel agent reservations line (855-222-3214) or Canadian consumer/travel agent reservations line (855-444-0161). Brochure orders may be placed on the website, or a digital downloadable version is available.