VANCOUVER — Emerald Cruises is one step closer to launching its first superyacht, taking delivery of the Emerald Azzurra earlier this week.

The 100-guest Azzurra, the first of the brand’s two superyachts, departed Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam on Feb. 9 for Aqaba, Jordan where it will welcome guests onboard its inaugural sailing on March 11, an eight-day itinerary in the Red Sea. From there, the superyacht will transit the Suez Canal to embark on a series of sailings in the Mediterranean and along the Adriatic coast over the summer before returning to the Red Sea next winter.

Upon taking delivery of the Emerald Azurra, Glen Moroney, Founder and Chairman of parent company Scenic Group, said: “Today marks a major moment for our team at Emerald Cruises as the first in our fleet of ocean-going superyachts takes a giant step towards completion. We look forward to welcoming our first guests onboard Emerald Azzurra and we are confident she will exceed all expectations. The demand has been unprecedented with her inaugural season almost fully sold.”

A first for yacht cruising, Emerald Azzurra features an infrared sauna for longer, relaxing guest experiences. Of the 50 luxurious suites, more than 88% boast balconies, with more space per guest than similar vessels of tits size. The yacht also features a large infinity pool, spa, gym and marina platform, with SEABOBs, paddleboards and snorkelling equipment available for guests. A fleet of electronic bikes from Gocycles is also available onboard.

Emerald Azzurra’s sister yacht, Emerald Sakara, will follow early next year.

Also this week, Emerald Cruises has announced a sweetheart of a deal in celebration of Valentine’s Day.

From now until Feb. 15, 2022, travellers booking select European river cruises will receive a Valentine’s bonus of a free extended drinks package (value of up to $600 per couple on a 15-day sailing). Plus, guests booking cabins in Category C or above will receive 25% off the cost of the booking per couple, and those who pay in full six months prior to departure will receive an additional 5% off per couple.

This offer applies to all 2022 European river sailings (excluding Russia and Portugal), like the eight-day ‘Sensations of Lyon & Provence in France,’ priced from $3,924 per person, and the 15-day ‘Splendours of Europe’ between Amsterdam and Budapest starting at $5,682 per person.

All bookings made by March 31 also come with the line’s Flexible Booking Policy, which allows guests to defer travel plans and transfer to an alternate departure date or itinerary up to 60 days prior to departure with no Emerald Cruises fees.

Earlier this week, Emerald Cruises opened bookings for its 2023 Europe river cruise collection, which includes such new offerings as the 11-day ‘Grand Danube’ river cruise from Passau to Belgrade as well as new city-stay extensions in Copenhagen, Munich and Seville. The company’s first ocean-going vessel, the 100-guest superyacht Emerald Azzurra, is set to debut in early 2022 in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Black and Red Seas.