Douro 2018 - different itineraries on different lines

We are looking at booking a Douro river cruise May/Jun 2018 - have never done a river cruise before. It seems that these get booked up pretty quickly as there is currently little availability for 2017 so I'm starting to do some research in advance of 2018 dates being released - does anyone know when this normally happens?

We want to spend some time in Porto at the start or end of the cruise so are not necessarily interested on ones with Lisbon extensions but the key will be to start or end in Porto. When I first started looking I thought that the stops and itineraries with excursions looked pretty similar sop I was just looking at dates and lines but now I'm not sure. We were thinking about Emerald but having read a review on Viking and then had a closer look at the itineraries, Viking seems to cover a lot more e.g. as visit to "Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo" from Barca d'Alva which I can't see on Emerald at all.

So I need to do a lot more research but I wondered if anyone else here had already looked at this & compared itineraries? I also liked the look of Ama Waterways but their Porto to Porto cruise (Enticing Douro) has no dates in May & only 1 in Jun.

The different cruise lines do offer different itinenaries. Some stops, on Viking, have to be paid for as extras, whereas on Uniworld they are included. Something else to consider. Also Uniworld is all inclusive with tips and beverages include in the fare, whereas Viking isn't. A lot of differences between the different cruise lines. I'd recommend taking a look at Uniworld. We did the Douro on them last Fall and it was a wonderful experience.

We are looking at booking a Douro river cruise May/Jun 2018 - have never done a river cruise before. It seems that these get booked up pretty quickly as there is currently little availability for 2017 so I'm starting to do some research in advance of 2018 dates being released - does anyone know when this normally happens?

 

We want to spend some time in Porto at the start or end of the cruise so are not necessarily interested on ones with Lisbon extensions but the key will be to start or end in Porto. When I first started looking I thought that the stops and itineraries with excursions looked pretty similar sop I was just looking at dates and lines but now I'm not sure. We were thinking about Emerald but having read a review on Viking and then had a closer look at the itineraries, Viking seems to cover a lot more e.g. as visit to "Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo" from Barca d'Alva which I can't see on Emerald at all.

 

So I need to do a lot more research but I wondered if anyone else here had already looked at this & compared itineraries? I also liked the look of Ama Waterways but their Porto to Porto cruise (Enticing Douro) has no dates in May & only 1 in Jun.

We had a wonderful cruise and tour with Vantage in May. The Douro Valley is amazing. Also, we loved Porto. We stayed a couple of extra days in Porto after our cruise. I highly recommend a the absolutely best B&B ever in Porto. It is called the In Patio Guesthouse. It only has five rooms, but the entire building has been recently renovated with spacious, modern rooms. The breakfast is special. Don't miss this opportunity.

It cost us about 95 Euros per night. It is centrally located and near the river and many good restaurants.

Our cruise with tour started in Lisbon and we had three nights there with two full days, one to tour the city and the other we visited Sintra. In route to Porto, we stopped at an ancient walled city called Obidos, also some other great stops on the way to Porto.

Our cruise included a bus tour of Salamanca, Spain, which was great.

When I researched for selecting our cruise, Vantage was the best deal for the lowest price. We also looked at AMA and Viking.

Many of the cruise lines use the same ships owned by the Porto Azul company, a Portugese company, while others do have their own ships, I think also leased from the same company, but used exclusively for that company.

We found the crew and staff on our ship was great as were the Vantage tour leaders.

Here is my review http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=535267

AMA Waterways has their 2018 schedule out, which you might want to check. I don't think the other lines have theirs out as of yet, but we are also looking to see what they offer. We did the Douro with Uniworld 2 years ago (loved it)and we started in Lisbon and ended in Porto (which is basically round trip), so you could opt to spend extra nights in Porto on that itinerary if you chose. We are wanting to begin in Madrid and end in Lisbon and go in the fall which should be beautiful. Also, I believe that the companies basically offer the same itineraries other than the pre-cruise and post-cruise options.

Cole

We chose AMA for our Douro cruise this year as we preferred the size of their cabins to those on Uniworld. Viking is not an option for us as we are not interested in the line. Scenic also offers sailings in Portugal and is fully inclusive.

We found the scenery to be stunning but were not fond of the long bus rides daily as well as the inability to walk into ports from where we docked. It is an itinerary we will not repeat.

I would like to return to Portugal but this time will explore the coast, either on a small ship cruise (Windstar, Oceania, Regent) or on a land trip.

We are booked on Viking for their River of Gold Portugal river cruise on the Douro. We depart 3 Nov. Got the last cabin available on this particular departure date. We were able to negotiate with Viking for a discount since we wanted to go in October (no cabins available) and the cabin we did book is not in a very good location.

I am on the Scenic Azure end of April this year. I choose Scenic because the cruising itinerary is 11 days instead of the 8 with the other lines. Also, the itinerary was really interesting. I am also doing the Lisbon extension.

I have only cruised with APT (Amawaterways), before so this will be my first time with Scenic.

Scenic owns and operates their own boat, which is not the case with most of the other lines on the Douro.

Hello,

Starting this Spring CroisiEurope will have 5 ships on the Douro River, with the launch of the MS Miguel Torga.

You'll have the choice of 8 day itineraries for those wanting to cruise the full length of the Douro and visit Salamanca, or a 6 day itinerary, perfect for a quick cruise at the end or beginning of a longer trip in the Iberian Peninsula.

With two classes of ships in our fleet, we really have options for everyone.

We're on a June Douro sailing with Viking and are looking forward to the experience. We've had one sailing with Viking in the past - their inaugural year in Bordeaux - and we could not have asked for a more pleasant journey. We enjoy travel, food, and wine and expect this itinerary, along with our pre/post-cruise stays in Lisbon and Porto, to be a good introduction to the cuisine of Portugal.

Hello,

Starting this Spring CroisiEurope will have 5 ships on the Douro River, with the launch of the MS Miguel Torga.

You'll have the choice of 8 day itineraries for those wanting to cruise the full length of the Douro and visit Salamanca, or a 6 day itinerary, perfect for a quick cruise at the end or beginning of a longer trip in the Iberian Peninsula.

With two classes of ships in our fleet, we really have options for everyone.

Hi - Do you market through anyone in Canada? I am interested in CroisiEurope, and would like to see a brochure if one is available. We are interested in the Douro, but many sailings already sold out for this year.

Fran

We're on a June Douro sailing with Viking and are looking forward to the experience. We've had one sailing with Viking in the past - their inaugural year in Bordeaux - and we could not have asked for a more pleasant journey. We enjoy travel, food, and wine and expect this itinerary, along with our pre/post-cruise stays in Lisbon and Porto, to be a good introduction to the cuisine of Portugal.

Smokinmike -- if you get a chance, can you peak into cabin 221? We are on the Hemming in Nov sailing the Douro. This was the last cabin available and we got it with a discount, so I'm wondering if it has issues. There is some kind of storage or mechanical room on one side of it. Thanks!

Will do.

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