Scenic Group Unveils New, Larger Emerald Yacht, River Fleet Updates

On the 10th anniversary of its first ever Emerald brand river cruise, Scenic Group unveiled the third ship in its Emerald Cruises yacht fleet, the Emerald Kaia. Unlike the first two superyachts in the fleet, Emerald Kaia will hold 128 guests, 28 more than its fleetmates. The ship, whose name means, pure, will debut in April 2026.

The larger size of the ship allows Emerald to expand several area including the Sky Deck, the ship’s wellness space (which is 50% larger), and even expand cabins, making the floorplan larger by 10%. (Lead-in balcony suites start at 344 square feet.)

Emerald Kaia will also feature higher ceilings throughout the main deck of the ship, coming in at 10 feet high, for an “open and expansive” feeling.

“With the tremendous success of these ships [Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara] and continued strong demand, it only makes sense for us to expand on this unique vacation offering,” said Ken Muskat, managing director, U.S. for Scenic Group, during a press conference at this week’s Seatrade Cruise Global Conference in Miami, Fla.

The 393-foot-long Emerald Kaia will have capacity for 128 guests and 92 crewmembers.

According to Muskat, the decision to expand from 100 passengers to 128 was driven by the desire to provide more space and enable the company to add new amenities for guests.

“What we made sure of is even with the increase in guests, the guest-to-space ratio remains the same,” he told TMR.

Outer decks
On Emerald Kaia, the line’s signature Sky Deck has been expanded to 5,500-square feet and will incorporate a new internal Sky Lounge with custom bar. A new stainless steel spa pool will also be available along with additional seating and cabanas.

At the front of the ship will be an all-new Observation Sun Deck that features lounge chairs and a new-to-the-area spa pool.

New dining option
The yacht’s La Cucina dining venue has also been expanded, with an all-new eight-person Night Market Grill that provides an Asian-inspired menu for an additional fee.

The galley design has also been tweaked to allow diners a window to the action going on behind the scenes.

New wellness options
The wellness space on Emerald Kaia will be 50% bigger than on Azzurra and Sakura, including extra space for both spa and fitness. The spa will have an infrared sauna and larger treatment rooms. The gym will feature an all-new design that, when the ship is in port, opens up to allow for fresh air workouts.

“When they’re done with their physical activities they can simply hop directly into the water for a refreshing plunge from the platform, a very unique experience in the small ship category,” Muskat said.

When Emerald Kaia joins the fleet in April 2026 it, along with Azzura and Sakara, will primarily sail seven-night itineraries in Europe, with a handful of 10- and 11-night options.

“The itineraries have been designed in such a way for guests wishing to sail longer, they can combine multiple voyages and not repeat ports during the combination cruise. The voyages have been curated offer my time ashore with late night and overnight stays.”

In the winter, Kaia will go to the Seychelles.

The entire 2026 and 2027 deployment for all three yachts goes on sail on April 10, 2024.

Refreshed river ships
In order to ensure a seamless experience for guests traveling on both Scenic and Emerald yachts and river ships, the brand is refreshing 18 ships across its both river ship fleets to reflect some of the enhancements currently found only on the yachts.

“With the evolution of our yacht products we wanted to be sure that our river ships carry some of the evolutions to tie the products together,” said Robert Castro, vice president of marketing for Scenic Group, U.S. during the press conference.

The refresh of the ships’ main decks introduces new layouts, furniture, and day-to-night features to its lounge and specialty dining spaces.

Updates have been made on vessels that sail the Rhine, Main, and Danube, as well as the brands’ France river ships.

Scenic I drydock
Also being refreshed is Scenic I, which was first introduced in 2019. Currently in dry dock, the ship is receiving some of the amenities that already appear on Scenic Eclipse II. This includes updates to the restaurant and new outdoor dining seating. The Senses Spa will also get new fitness and wellness equipment, including sauna, salt therapy, and infrared chairs.

“All in all, between the river design updates and Scenic Eclipse dry dock, a multi-million dollar investment into the fleet is occurring ensuring our long term commitment of innovation, growth, and guest satisfaction,” Castro said.

Ultimate Europe cruise & land journey
For the first time in its history, Scenic Group is offering an “Ultimate Europe Cruise & Land Journey” that lasts 59 days and includes three river cruises, one yacht cruise, and two land tours.

Specifically the journey features a 10-day Bordeaux river cruise, seven-day Mediterranean cruise on Scenic Eclipse, three-day land tour in Portugal combined with a 10-day Douro River cruise, a 14-day river cruise on the Rhine starting in Amsterdam, and culminating in a 15-day Scenic land and rail tour of Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Pricing starts at $38,415 per person.