Emerald Cruises cruise policies
Emerald Cruises Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, why there is no gratuity line on the bill, what to wear at dinner and who can sail. Figures are Emerald's own, for bookings made in the United States, and cover both the Emerald Star-Ships on Europe's rivers and the Mekong and the Emerald Azzurra, Emerald Sakara and Emerald Kaia ocean yachts, with the differences between the two spelled out.
Deposit
Emerald's deposit is nonrefundable and nontransferable from the day you pay it, on river and yacht cruises alike, unless you add the Flexible Booking Plan or the Cancellation Penalty Relief Program at the same time. On the yachts the deposit is a percentage of the fare; on the river Star-Ships it is a per-person amount that Emerald prints on the invoice. It is due within 48 hours of booking on a river cruise and within 7 days on a yacht cruise, or Emerald cancels the booking automatically.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| River cruises (Star-Ships, Europe and the Mekong) | Per-person deposit shown on your invoice (U.S. resellers quote $500 per person); nonrefundable |
| Yacht cruises (Emerald Azzurra, Emerald Sakara, Emerald Kaia) | 20% of the fare per person, or another amount Emerald states at booking; nonrefundable |
| Bookings inside the final payment window | Full fare at booking, before Emerald confirms the reservation |
| Preferred Fare (free or reduced air) on any ship | Deposit at booking, then the full fare 10 months before departure |
Good to know
- The deposit forms part of the fare, not an extra on top of it, and it is the minimum you lose if you cancel at any time.
- Emerald's Flexible Booking Plan ($125 per person on a river cruise, $200 on a yacht cruise, bought with the deposit) lets you cancel or move the booking for any reason up to 90 days before a river departure or 120 days before a yacht departure; the deposit comes back as a Future Travel Credit valid 24 months, and anything you paid above the deposit is refunded if you cancel before the brochure final payment date. The plan fee itself is not refunded.
- Flights booked through Emerald are paid separately and may be ticketed before the cruise balance is due; once ticketed they carry the airline's own change and cancellation fees.
- A booking made 21 days or fewer before departure carries a $50 late booking fee per booking.
- Promotional fares can change the deposit rules: Emerald's Preferred Fare takes full payment 10 months out, and some sales require payment in full at booking. Your invoice says which fare you have.
Final payment
The balance is due on the date your fare type sets, counted back from the departure date. Miss it and Emerald cancels the booking and keeps the deposit. Book inside the window and the whole fare is due at booking.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| River cruise, Full Fare | 90 days before departure |
| River cruise, Select Fare (must be booked 120 days or more out) | 120 days before departure |
| Yacht cruise, Full Fare | 120 days before departure (Emerald's yacht Terms and Conditions still print 90 days; your invoice is the authority) |
| Yacht cruise, Select Fare | 150 days before departure |
| Preferred Fare, river or yacht (free or reduced air) | 10 months before departure, or within 30 days of booking when the sailing is inside 10 months |
Good to know
- Emerald quotes every fare in U.S. dollars and the onboard currency on the ships and yachts is also the U.S. dollar.
- Port charges are included in every fare type; airfare, visas, optional DiscoverMORE excursions, drinks outside meals, laundry and spa treatments are not.
- If Emerald has to requote a fare after you pay the deposit (a booking inside 90 days, for example) the balance is due within 7 days of the new quote.
- Emerald accepts credit cards for the deposit and balance; a card paying the deposit is not charged for the balance automatically, so we send you the due date in advance.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the fare (Emerald calls it the Journey Price, which includes the deposit) and depend on the day Emerald receives the cancellation. Airline and other third-party fees are charged on top. A name change, a date change or a switch to another itinerary counts as a cancellation of the original booking. Port charges and government taxes are refunded.
Yacht cruises (Emerald Azzurra, Emerald Sakara, Emerald Kaia)
Every yacht sailing; from the Yacht Cruise Terms and Conditions for the United States.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days or more | Deposit (20% of the fare) |
| Any length | 119 to 91 days | 50% of the fare |
| Any length | 90 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
River cruises (Star-Ships, Europe and the Mekong)
Every river sailing; this ladder is the one U.S. resellers print from Emerald's river booking terms, and your invoice confirms it.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days or more | Deposit |
| Any length | 119 to 91 days | 25% of the fare |
| Any length | 90 to 61 days | 50% of the fare |
| Any length | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
With the Cancellation Penalty Relief Program
Bought at booking only: $295 per person on a river cruise, $395 on a yacht cruise. Not sold on Amazon or Galapagos cruises, on land tours or on bookings paid with a Future Travel Credit or gift certificate. Program cost, airline fees and travel agent fees are deducted from every amount below.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible reason (illness, injury, death in the family, job loss, jury duty and the like) | 31 days or more | Full refund of the amount paid |
| Eligible reason | 15 to 30 days | 70% of the amount paid refunded |
| Any other reason | 31 days or more | Future Travel Credit for the amount paid, valid 24 months |
| Any other reason | 15 to 30 days | Future Travel Credit for 70% of the amount paid |
| Any reason | 14 days or fewer | Standard schedule above applies |
Good to know
- Tell SmartCruiser and we send the cancellation to Emerald the same day; the charge is set by the day Emerald receives it.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- The Flexible Booking Plan, bought with the deposit, replaces the schedule above with a penalty-free cancellation or date move for any reason up to 90 days before a river departure or 120 days before a yacht departure; the deposit becomes a Future Travel Credit valid 24 months and later payments are refunded.
- Any other change to a booking costs $50 per booking, at Emerald's discretion. A change to a flight Emerald ticketed carries the airline's fees as well.
- No refund for a no-show, for leaving the cruise early or for missed excursions. Emerald's own optional DiscoverMORE excursions follow their own cancellation terms.
- If Emerald cancels a cruise 7 or more days before departure for a reason other than force majeure it offers the closest alternative departure; decline it within 7 days and you get a full refund of what you paid Emerald. For force majeure cancellations Emerald issues a Future Travel Credit, valid 24 months on Scenic and Emerald cruises, instead of cash. On cruises boarding at a U.S. port a refund claim must reach Emerald within 90 days of the original embarkation date.
- Emerald sells Allianz travel protection; neither the Flexible Booking Plan nor the Penalty Relief Program is insurance, and Emerald strongly recommends comprehensive coverage with every booking.
Gratuities
Gratuities are included in Emerald's fare on every ship. Emerald's own wording is that all tipping and gratuities for both onboard and shoreside staff are included in the price of your cruise, and the yacht booking terms list all onboard gratuities and tipping among the inclusions. Nothing is added to your shipboard account and there is nothing to prepay.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| River Star-Ships, every suite and stateroom | Included: crew, cruise director, local guides and drivers on included excursions |
| Emerald Azzurra, Emerald Sakara and Emerald Kaia, every suite and stateroom | Included: crew and onboard service staff |
| Spa therapists and hairdressers | Not covered; tip at your discretion after a treatment |
Good to know
- Drinks bought at the bar outside meals carry no automatic service charge; the menu price is the price.
- Guides on optional DiscoverMORE excursions and hotel staff on pre- and post-cruise extensions are outside the inclusion; tipping them is at your discretion.
- Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi, airport transfers on the published arrival and departure days, and at least one excursion on every touring day are in the fare too, so the bar bill is the main onboard extra. River drinks packages cost $17 (Premium) or $33.50 (Platinum) per person per day on 2026 Europe sailings.
Dress code
No formal nights on any Emerald ship or yacht. Days are casual and comfortable for sightseeing; evenings are smart casual in every restaurant and lounge, and on the Welcome and Farewell dinners you may like to dress up a little, though it is never required.
Daytime
Casual and comfortable clothing with good walking shoes for excursions; in winter a warm coat, gloves and water-resistant footwear for the Christmas markets. Swimwear stays by the pool.
Evening (smart casual)
Emerald's words: dinner attire is casual, open-neck shirts, slacks and dresses, with smart shoes. Jackets and ties are welcome but optional.
Welcome and Farewell dinners
The two evenings when guests tend to dress up; a jacket, a cocktail dress or something a step above the usual, at your choice.
Yacht dining room after dark
Relaxed, but shorts and vest tops are not worn in the restaurant at dinner.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0 |
House rules
- Shorts and vest tops are not worn in the yacht restaurants at dinner; on the river ships Emerald asks only for the smart casual standard.
- Many excursions visit churches, mosques and temples that require covered shoulders and knees; pack a light layer, and remove shoes where asked in Southeast Asia.
- EmeraldACTIVE hikes and e-bike rides need sports shoes and activewear; the yachts lend snorkeling gear and the river ships lend e-bikes and walking poles.
- Smoking and vaping are not permitted in staterooms or in any indoor public room on any Emerald ship or yacht; a designated area on the open deck is the only place to smoke, and coaches are nonsmoking.
Age rules
Emerald is built for adults: there are no children's facilities, no kids club and no babysitting on any ship or yacht. Age is counted on the departure date.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing, river and yacht | 18; anyone younger must travel with an adult and share that adult's suite or stateroom |
| River cruise booking terms (as reproduced by U.S. resellers) and the river ticket contract | Guests under 21 travel with, and share accommodation with, an adult over 21 |
Stateroom assignment
Every suite and stateroom needs an adult in it: a guest under 18 must share with the accompanying adult, and the river ticket contract requires that adult to be over 21. Emerald does not assign a cabin to minors on their own.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| River Star-Ships | No minimum age published; children under 12 are not encouraged and are accepted or rejected at Emerald's discretion, with U.S. resellers' copies of the river terms saying under-12s are not eligible except on select Christmas market cruises |
| Emerald Azzurra, Emerald Sakara and Emerald Kaia | Same under-12 rule at Emerald's discretion; the ticket contract also lets the carrier limit the number of guests under 3 on board |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Europe river sailings and Mediterranean, Adriatic and Red Sea yacht sailings | Emerald publishes no drinking age; crew follow responsible-service rules and the local legal age, 18 in most of the countries Emerald visits (lower for beer and wine in Germany and Austria) |
| Mekong river sailings and Caribbean, Central America, Seychelles and Asia yacht sailings | Local legal age of the embarkation country; Emerald's crew can refuse service to anyone |
Good to know
- You may bring your own wine or spirits on board for your stateroom; Emerald asks that personal drinks are not consumed in the lounges, bars or restaurants.
- Emerald's yachts and river ships have no casino.
- Guests must be able to board and leave the ship, manage the gangway and walk the excursions without assistance; Emerald does not carry wheelchairs or scooters on the river ships and recommends travel protection on every booking.
- Emerald has no published pregnancy cutoff; tell us before booking and we check the sailing with Emerald.
- Emerald reserves the right to decline a booking for any child under 12, so ask us to confirm a family booking with Emerald in writing before you pay the deposit.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your invoice's final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it; Emerald's date moves with the fare type you book (90, 120 or 150 days, or 10 months on a Preferred Fare) and a missed one cancels the booking and keeps the deposit.
- Before final payment we watch for Emerald's next offer and move your booking to it when Emerald allows, so you never overpay for the same suite.
- We handle cancellations, date changes and stateroom moves with Emerald directly and tell you the exact charge, in dollars, before you decide; where it helps we price the Flexible Booking Plan or the Penalty Relief Program at booking.
- Flights, pre- and post-cruise extensions, drinks packages and Allianz travel protection go on your invoice if you want them, and your Scenic and Emerald Rewards number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Emerald's own offers where Emerald allows it, not available booking direct. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against Emerald Cruises's own pages: Yacht Cruise Terms and Conditions (United States), Booking Policies: Flexible Booking Plan and Cancellation Penalty Relief Program, Europe river cruise offers (Full, Select and Preferred Fare terms, inclusions), Luxury yacht cruise offers (Full, Select and Preferred Fare terms, inclusions), Terms and Conditions index (U.S. Booking Terms May 2026 and Passenger Ticket Terms flipbooks), Nonperformance of Cruises (refund claims, U.S. ports), Travel Protection (Allianz), River Dining and Beverages (included drinks, package prices), Emerald FAQ (bring-your-own alcohol), Emerald FAQ answers on gratuities, dress and Wi-Fi as reproduced by TourRadar, Vacations To Go: Emerald river deposit, final payment and late booking fee, Affordable Tours: Emerald policies (river cancellation ladder, age rules), ROL Cruise: smoking rules by line (Emerald river and yacht), Emerald river Passenger Ticket Terms (Australia edition; age clause). These terms are the ones Scenic Tours (USA), Inc., doing business as Emerald Cruises, publishes for bookings made in the United States: the Yacht Cruise Terms and Conditions on emerald.cruises, the Booking Policies page (Flexible Booking Plan and Cancellation Penalty Relief Program) and the fare terms printed on Emerald's current U.S. offers. Emerald's full U.S. Booking Terms and Conditions (May 2026) are published as a flipbook, so the river deposit amount and river cancellation ladder below come from U.S. resellers that reproduce them; your invoice is the authority. Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and Canada have their own conditions. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Emerald Cruises policy FAQ
How much is the deposit on an Emerald cruise?
When is final payment due?
What does it cost to cancel?
Is the Emerald deposit refundable?
Are gratuities included on Emerald?
Does Emerald have formal nights?
Can children sail on Emerald?
What is the drinking age on an Emerald ship?
Ask a Emerald Cruises specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.