Emerald Waterways to do yacht cruising

River cruise line Emerald Waterways will diversify into ocean cruising in 2019
with the addition of a 36-passenger yacht that will cruise the Adriatic Sea in
2019. 

A series of weeklong, one-way cruises will sail between
Croatian cities Dubrovnik and Split.

The yacht is a newbuild that will operate under the name
Adriatic Princess. It will be chartered between April and October 2019.

Lisa Norton, Emerald’s vice president of brand management,
said the onboard meal program will be less inclusive than on the line’s river ships, enabling passengers to take advantage of onshore dining options. The
seven-day cruise will include six lunches and two dinners. 

Emerald is starting to accept pre-bookings for the ship this
week, and exact pricing will be announced when bookings open at a later date.
Norton said she hopes to offer a $2,995 lead-in price for July departures and $3,795
during the high season. The price will be paired with $495 roundtrip air from
more than a dozen U.S. gateways.

Emerald also will package the yacht cruise with a river
cruise.

Australian company Scenic Tours launched Emerald Waterways in
2014. Emerald has seven ships sailing European river cruises.