Emerald Radiance River Cruises

Radiance is one of the smallest ships in the Emerald fleet, purpose-built to navigate the numerous and narrow locks of the Douro River. Its size does present some limitations — unlike the line’s Star-Ships, there are no bicycles onboard and the ship’s small pool does not convert to a theater — as well as some challenges; passenger flow is quickly congested before tours and at mealtimes. However, an intimate environment suits the Douro, which is a more personable river than the heavily traversed Rhine or Danube. A crew-to-passenger ratio of one to three ensures that cruisers benefit from individual attention, and that attention is provided by an entirely Portuguese crew.