Emerald Kaia Successfully Completes Sea Trials

Vancouver, BC, January 15, 2026 – Emerald Cruises & Tours has reached a significant milestone in the build of Emerald Kaia, following the successful completion of sea trials in Halong Bay, Vietnam. This major step brings the next-generation of super yacht closer to entering service and reflects Scenic Group’s commitment to quality, innovation and delivering unique luxury guest experiences across its growing fleet.

The yacht’s first trials in open water have confirmed performance, manoeuvrability and overall seaworthiness. Conducted from the group’s shipyard in Halong Bay, Emerald Kaia’s trials are in advance of her inaugural Cyprus to the Acropolis sailing, the 11-day itinerary departing Limassol on April 4, 2026.

Designed for a relaxed luxury yacht experience, Emerald Kaia welcomes only up to 128 guests, purpose-built, with expansive lounges, terraces and decks, featuring Missoni decor and furnishings. New interconnecting suites provide added flexibility for families and groups, while generously sized staterooms and suites deliver contemporary comfort.

Guests will enjoy an all-new Observation Sun Deck featuring an additional Spa Pool, sun loungers and shaded areas – an inviting space to take in sweeping coastlines, unwind between ports and toast sunset at sea. The innovative indoor/outdoor gym featuring state of the art wellness equipment is located adjacent to the marina platform, for guests to stay active with fresh sea air and then cool off with a refreshing swim directly from the platform.

Emerald Kaia will also debut a new design for its signature restaurant La Cucina. Guests will enjoy, a vibrant open kitchen that brings added energy and connection to the culinary experience, alongside the new Night Market Grill – an intimate private dining experience for just eight guests.

James Griffiths, Scenic Group General Manager, Ocean Operations, says, “This milestone is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in the project. Operationally, this sea trial has delivered excellent results and allows us to proceed with the final phase of commissioning with confidence. We look forward to welcoming guests on board Emerald Kaia in April 2026.”

With sea trials now complete, the next milestones for Emerald Kaia include final fittings, delivery and her highly anticipated inaugural sailing in April 2026. Emerald Kaia will join Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara in the Emerald Yacht Cruises fleet, ahead of future sister yachts Emerald Raiya (2027) and Emerald Xara (2028).

Emerald Cruises
Emerald Cruises offers a diverse lineup of river and yacht cruises across four continents. On the world’s rivers, Emerald Cruises sails eight branded Star-Ships in Europe and one on the Mekong in Southeast Asia. Their first 100-guest, luxury ocean yacht, Emerald Azzurra, debuted in March 2022, and twin sister-yacht Emerald Sakara launched in August 2023. Emerald Kaia will join the fleet in 2026, welcoming up to 128 guests, closely followed by Emerald Raiya in 2027. All yachts sail the warm waters of the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Caribbean Seas and the Indian Ocean. The brand offers innovatively designed ships, outstanding service and a focus on active shore excursions and wellness through their signature EmeraldACTIVE program. Emerald Cruises was recognized in the 2023 Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards as a favourite river cruise line and voted the #1 small ship cruise line for their fleet of luxury ocean yachts.

Emerald Cruises is part of Scenic Group, which includes Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Mayflower Cruises & Tours and Emerald Tours. Emerald Cruises can be found on X (former Twitter) as @emerald_cruises, on Facebook as EmeraldCruisesGlobal and on Instagram as @EmeraldCruises.global.

Founded in Australia, Scenic Group has established a strong presence in Canada, with its head office located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company employs over 60 people across the country, including an all-Canadian Contact Centre dedicated to supporting both travel advisors and guests. By leveraging global expertise alongside a local presence, Scenic Group is able to deliver high-quality service and support tailored to the needs of Canadian travellers.

For more information or to book an exhilarating voyage with Emerald Cruises, please visit www.emeraldcruises.ca or call 855- 444-0161. Travellers can also book through a Professional Travel Advisor.

Contact:
Andrea Mancini
ScenicGroupCA@casacom.ca