Emerald Waterways was founded in 2013 by Glen Moroney,[3] as a division of Scenic.

[4] It offered its first cruises on the rivers of Europe in 2014 on the 180-passenger Emerald Sky.

[5] In 2018, the company announced its first non-European ship, the 84-passenger Emerald Harmony, to provide cruises between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Siem Reap, Cambodia.

[6] It also announced its expansion into yacht cruising, chartering the MV Adriatic Princess to offer cruises on Croatia's Dalmatian coast on the Adriatic Sea.

In addition, it announced an upcoming launch of Emerald Azzurra, the first ship launched by Emerald Yacht Cruises, providing ocean cruises to the Adriatic, Mediterranean and Red Sea.