Yacht-Like Cruising on the New Emerald Sakara

Yacht-like cruising appeals to travelers who seek an intimate, highly personalized and luxurious sailing experience. With that in mind, we love the sleek look of the new, 100-passenger Emerald Sakara. That’s the latest addition to Emerald Cruises’ warm-weather yacht fleet. Owned by Scenic Group, Emerald is a sister brand to Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours.

In a nod to maritime tradition, Emerald Sakara was christened just a few weeks ago. Doing the honors as the official godmother was Kelly Craighead, president and CEO, Cruise Lines International Association, the cruise industry’s trade association.

The new yacht is a sister to Emerald Azzurra, which debuted in March 2022. Both upscale yachts now sail the warm waters of the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Red and Caribbean seas and the Indian Ocean.

One highlight of an Emerald yacht cruise? The new ship offers a focus on active shore excursions and wellness through the EmeraldACTIVE program. That provides a full range of active options for oceangoing cruise guests.

(Shown above is Emerald Sakara, a sleek, yacht-like cruising beauty. Photo by Emerald Cruises.)

Yacht-like Cruising with Emerald Sakara 

Want to know more about Emerald Sakara? Here’s the lowdown!

• The luxury yacht carries 100 guests in 50 deluxe staterooms and suites.
• Accommodations range from 185 square feet to 1,185 square feet.
• Forty-four accommodations offer large, walk-out balconies.
• This Emerald Cruises page provides a good sense of the layout, design and perks of each category of stateroom or suite.
• Lounge chairs and day beds surround the yacht’s open-air infinity pool. It’s an ideal spot for relaxing and enjoying a cocktail from the nearby Aqua Café.
• A wellness deck complete with spa, infrared sauna and gym allows guests to stay focused on their health regimen and fitness goals.
• Best place to watch a sunset? That’s the top deck Sky Bar.
• Situated off the yacht’s stern, a marina platform offers water toys galore. Guests will find kayaks, standup paddleboards, snorkel equipment, SEABOBs and a giant trampoline available to guests when the platform is deployed.
• A crew of 76 strive for attentive, personalized service.

More About Emerald Sakara

Stepping inside Emerald Sakara, guests will find elegant interiors and furniture from Tribu and Gervasoni. As for dining, the La Cucina dining room specializes in fresh, seasonal cuisine — with indoor or al fresco terrace seating. The warm, welcoming Amici Lounge is the spot to socialize and enjoy live music in the evenings.

If you desire to stay in touch with those back home, then yippee! Technology upgrades for this ship include Starlink Internet services.

The Meandering Traveler has experienced this service on other ships at sea. From our perspective, it’s a definite improvement from past cruise industry Wi-Fi set-ups. Anecdotally, we’ve experienced faster, more reliable service on many of our voyages this year.

Yacht-Like Cruising and an Eco-Friendly Vessel

Increasingly, cruise guests desire to sail on eco-friendly ships. Sustainability-wise, Emerald Sakara also employs some of the industry’s latest eco-technology. For example, the yacht’s engines meet IMO tier III emission regulations.

Also, recycled energy is used to heat water for the yacht’s needs. And Emerald Cruises has earned the EU’s Green Passport for its recycling efforts.

New Small Ship: Rivieras Itinerary

So where would The Meandering Traveler go on Emerald Sakara? For a weeklong Mediterranean yacht cruise in 2024, we like the eight-day “French and Italian Rivieras with Corsica” itinerary.

Multiple dates are available. For the May 18, 2024, departure, guests will embark at Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, and sail to Nice, France. So, where does the ship sail on this Rivieras itinerary? The yacht will call at Porto Ercole, Portoferraio and Portofino, Italy; Bonifacio and Calvi, Corsica; and Menton, France.

To give you a sense of the line’s shoreside options, at Porto Ercole, guests might choose the included “Tour of Porto Ercole” or the EmeraldACTIVE “Hiking Tour to Forte Filippo.” Another DiscoverMORE choice, “Siena and Montalcino,” explores the medieval Tuscany; that shore experience carries an added fee and must be pre-booked.

At press time, the “French and Italian Rivieras with Corsica” itinerary was priced from $4,931 per person, double occupancy.

To Learn More about Yacht-like Cruising

For more information about Emerald Sakara and Emerald Cruises’ ocean product, visit this Emerald Cruises page. Itinerary-wise, the two sister yachts offer voyages that visit the Caribbean and Central America, as well as the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

Ready to discuss itineraries, accommodations and booking? Or, just have questions about the yacht-like product? Then chat with a Pavlus Travel personal travel planner.

And for another small-ship, luxury cruise product, check out The Meandering Traveler’s recent look at the French-flagged line Ponant; it offers a mix of ships — a sailing vessel, Explorer-series vessels and a modern icebreaker.

Important Notes from Pavlus Travel