Customer reviews and feedback
The feedback and reviews we receive from our customers are very important to us – they help us to continually improve and deliver the very best holiday experience.
What our customers say about our service:
It was very easy to book and make…
It was very easy to book and make decisions on what will work for us.
Great staff boat was ready and clean
Great staff boat was ready and clean
Excellent boat and extremely helpful…
Excellent boat and extremely helpful staff at Branges. The Seille river is beautiful and underrated. Nice towns on the Sloane to stop off at.
We spent a fantastic week cruising the Rideau Canal
We spent a fantastic week cruising the beautiful Rideau Canal with Emerald Star. We’ve used Emerald Star before, but this was our first time in Canada, and it certainly won’t be our last.
We received such a warm welcome from Veronica and her team. Danielle and Troy gave us a thorough and informative check-in, and then Igors showed us around the boat. He was incredibly friendly, patient and helpful, taking the time to make sure we were completely comfortable with everything before we headed off. A really lovely start to our holiday.
The boat was spotlessly clean, comfortable and very well equipped, with pretty much everything you could need in the kitchen.
The Rideau Canal itself is absolutely beautiful. There are so many lovely cruising areas and villages to stop and explore, and we saw turtles, chipmunks and even raccoons along the way.
The Canadians we met were wonderful, and a special mention has to go to the Parks Canada lock staff, who couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful. They really added to the whole experience.
We absolutely loved this trip and came home with some fantastic memories. We’re already talking about returning in the spring!
Relaxing, gorgeous and fuss-free
From booking, through to collection of the boat, steering practice, practical suggestions, the experience was fuss-free and friendly. The Flanders route is spectacular and the harbourmasters are helpful and courteous. Facilities at the jacthhavens were good – we did find the facilities at Flandria, in Brugge to be the best of the lot. All in all, an incredibly relaxing holiday, and seeing these gorgeous cities from the canals is a unique experience.
All questions answered and fast
All my questions are answered and quickly
So far so good
So far so good! I am just a little nervous piloting a big boat like this, but have ocean sailed a 53’ before and had no worries in England on a narrow boat.
This was our first experience with Emerald Star – it won’t be our last!
This was our first experience with Emerald Star, and it won’t be our last. Every step of the process, from booking to check-in to our final check out and debrief was a delight. All of the staff were friendly, super helpful, and extremely knowledgeable. I loved that they were able to provide an orientation that met our level of expertise, so we learned everything we needed to know to safely operate the boat and were able to get on the water quickly. They resolved questions I had when we were underway, and when our horn broke, a technician travelled to us to fix it and get us back on our way in almost no time. And we loved the suggestions they gave us for getting the most out of our itinerary.
Enjoyable & relaxing 😎
We have booked with LeBoat a few times now for trips both in the UK and in France and each time we book, Marcus is so helpful, making booking pretty easy. Looking forward to our next trip in 2027!
Effortless booking experience
Effortless booking experience. Very courteous staff, highly knowledgeable on the region requested and the fleet. Highly recommend.
Amazing experience with Emerald Star
Great company to deal with. From the email support, the staff on site to the beautiful boats. I highly recommend booking a trip with Emerald Star. I will be doing this again in the future.
Amazing experience with Emerald Star
We had an amazing experience with Emerald Star. The boat was very comfortable for our family of four, and the staff were great throughout. We also had a small accident, and everything was handled quickly, smoothly, and with no stress. Would definitely recommend!
Emerald Star remains our top choice
We have used Emerald Star for all of our trips, except the first one. Over the years, our experience has been great, and this one epitomised all we have come to expect from the company. Annalisa at the base was most helpful, going above and beyond for us. We completed early check in which is well worth doing if you are going to be in this region.
We’ve been on a Emerald Star before an…
We’ve been on a Emerald Star before an absolutely love the experience. It was very hot in France, but it was still magical. Everyone is so helpful with reservations and learning how to work the boat that we made another reservation in Italy. So excited for that.
As first-timers
As first-timers, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect when planning a self-drive boating holiday, but Emerald Star exceeded our expectations.
From our very first inquiry to the moment our trip became a reality, Alejandra was absolutely wonderful to work with. She guided us through the entire process with incredible patience, answering all our questions and making sure we felt completely comfortable booking this trip. Most importantly, there was never any pressure, which made the planning process entirely stress-free.
When we arrived at the base, we received the exact same level of care. A huge shout-out to Troy, Mike, and Igor for their incredible patience during our briefing. They made sure we were completely comfortable and filled us with the confidence we needed to start our trip on the water.
The trip itself was an unforgettable adventure. The exceptional staff and the overall experience were fantastic, and we are so glad we took the leap.
We would highly recommend Emerald Star to all our friends and family, and we can’t thank the team enough for making it happen!
Awesome support and prep from Emerald Star and the Beautiful Rideau Canal!
What made our experience great was the excellent preparation that we had before the trip. Together Emerald Star staff helped us to plan our itinerary, review the boat, its interior and learn how to operate it. As we were brand new boaters, we even had someone on the boat with us to guide us through the first small bit of the trip.
So much useful information!
We started looking a while ago at river cruising holidays. The Emerald Star website provides so much helpful information and options that we have booked a group holiday with the company.
After booking, a wealth of detail is available in the website to help us prepare for our cruise.
We have just returned from a weekend on…
We have just returned from a weekend on an emerald star cruiser. It was our first time to embark on such a break. I had no real boating experience.
The boat is relatively simple to drive. We were instructed by Michael on how to drive and use all the appliances etc. He instilled confidence in us that all was going to be straightforward.
We spent the first night in Terryglass and had a lovely dinner in Paddy’s bar. The next day we cruised to Ballina/ Kilaloe where we enjoyed another lovely evening. On Sunday we went to Garrykennedy via Mountshannon. All the stops were great fun, other boaters helped us to dock when help was needed .
We had an incident where through our negligence a rope got wrapped around one of thruster propellers.
The staff of Emerald Star/ Emerald star were really good about this and after we left they had to take the boat out of the water and remove the rope. They refunded our deposit in full and didn’t charge us for the inconvenience which shows that they are an honourable organisation.
Overall I found Emerald Star to be an efficient, friendly company and I and my family would be very happy to hire a cruiser off them in the future.
Daniel Murray
Canal and river were both wonderful
Canal and river were both wonderful
Canal and river were both wonderful
Canal and river were both wonderful
My husband and I had no boating experience but have…
My husband and I had no boating experience but have lived in and around the Rideau Canal and the lakes of Ontario for many years without any real way to access them and travel on them. Emerald Star made our dream come true! We celebrated our 20th anniversary by learning to pilot a boat and travel through the beautiful lakes and rivers. We stayed overnight moored to out of the way islands and by quaint little towns that you cannot easily see or get to from roads. We had fun cooking in the boat kitchen and enjoying coffee while the sun rose and tea while the sun set, just outside the big boat windows. Best of all we were not anxious about the boat or operating it due to the excellent preparation and training we received from the Emerald Star staff at Smiths Falls. Troy gave us the details upon arriving at the office, Igor introduced us to the boat and was a patient instructor for us new boat pilots and Mike helped us get underway. Lock staff were also super friendly and helpful along the way. Fellow Emerald Star boaters and other boaters were also fun to chat with. Special thanks goes to Igor for his great training and alleviating our fears when we called him while on tour with our questions!
Needs more printed guides on refrigerator, better fenders a place…
Needs more printed guides on refrigerator, better fenders a place to tie up short term mid lake
Laggan Lock is an easily accessible and convenient location to…
Laggan Lock is an easily accessible and convenient location to start your Caledonian Canal holiday. Staff are helpful and friendly and the moorings are sheltered and provide easy access to both the canal, Loch Lochy and Loch Oich.
Great experience
Great experience
Smiths Falls Base was excellent with an amazing staff!
Smiths Falls Base was excellent with an amazing staff!
The beds were not very comfortable, the service was terrific.
The beds were not very comfortable, the service was terrific.
Very pleasent and enjoyable 7 nights on the river Shannon…
Very pleasent and enjoyable 7 nights on the river Shannon on the Clipper.
Laggan employees were amazing. Absolutely top notch.
Laggan employees were amazing. Absolutely top notch.
We were met with a warm welcome. We were given…
We were met with a warm welcome. We were given a very thorough introduction to Emerald Star, how they operate and then the boat itself. We were left in no doubt that if we encountered a problem we should not hesitate to contact Emerald Star Messac. We set off in our boat feeling comfortable with how it operates and confident that any problems would be swiftly sorted out. We encountered no problems.
This was a wonderful way to see central Ireland and…
This was a wonderful way to see central Ireland and go to towns and sites a little off the tourist path. The staff was excellent about helping us plan our trip and stops.
Easy cruising through the locks and along this beautiful historic…
Easy cruising through the locks and along this beautiful historic canal.
Great route for first time boaters like us. few locks,…
Great route for first time boaters like us. few locks, a couple of them automated, so easy to operate, great towns, loved Cognac and Saintes. The Charente is simply beautiful
Facilities are nice. The Eagle Barge is great for evening…
Facilities are nice. The Eagle Barge is great for evening drinks.
Very enjoyable experience Relaxing Staff very friendly upon arrival The…
Very enjoyable experience
Relaxing
Staff very friendly upon arrival
The scenic views along the way
Everything you need is on the boat
Top notch…
Top notch…
Excellent helpful staff
Excellent helpful staff
Our Clipper boat was clean, comfortable and well equipped. It…
Our Clipper boat was clean, comfortable and well equipped. It provided a stable platform and was relatively easy to control with adequate power for the conditions. The beds were very comfortable, bed linen freshly laundered, and en suite bathrooms were more than adequate.
For the two of us this was a very comfortable…
For the two of us this was a very comfortable boat. It was easy to navigate down the rivers in Brittany. Overall, we had a very enjoyable holiday.
The Horizon 5 is only a couple years old. It…
The Horizon 5 is only a couple years old. It felt like a brand new boat. With 3 couples, Ed had plenty of room to spread out and stash our luggage in the spare rooms. This boat is big, but the side thrusters made it incredible easy to maneuver into tight docking spots. Loved this boat.
Boat so roomy
Boat so roomy
A very spacious comfortable boat, handled better than I expected.
A very spacious comfortable boat, handled better than I expected.
Great boat, incredibly comfortable, with enoguh space. The same model…
Great boat, incredibly comfortable, with enoguh space. The same model with modern upgrates would be unbeatable. If you are a family of three like us, or even four, it’s the perfect fit.
The boat was easy to handle. Plenty of room
The boat was easy to handle. Plenty of room
Lots of room Comfortable Clean Kitchen had all we needed
Lots of room
Comfortable
Clean
Kitchen had all we needed
Very good…
Very good…
Old fashioned but well designed and spacious for 4
Old fashioned but well designed and spacious for 4
We had a wonderful time and will definitely do it…
We had a wonderful time and will definitely do it again
Great boat.
Great boat.
Comfortable space
Comfortable space
Excellent boat for 2 people or a couple with 2…
Excellent boat for 2 people or a couple with 2 children. Boat was well equipped and handled very well. Thank goodness for bow and stern thrusters.
The boat soon became home. It had everything we needed…
The boat soon became home. It had everything we needed and living with 6 adults and 4 children was easy on this boat. The boat was quite large but the bow thrusters made manoeuvring easy. Altogether a really good experience.
The Elegance Boat had everything we needed
The Elegance Boat had everything we needed
Fantastic boat. Spacious and practical. Two separate and large cabins.…
Fantastic boat. Spacious and practical. Two separate and large cabins. Perfect for us. Never boated before and this was generally fine. At 36ft, it seemed huge, but it got easier to control with more practise.
I would take this boat again and recommwnd it to others.
we were the crew of 2. For 2 people boat…
we were the crew of 2. For 2 people boat is very comfortable and easy to control. Adding of the
stern and bow thrusters is very welcome feature compare to the boat we used in our 2016 trip by LeBoat on Thames River in England.
