Spring 2024 Douro River cruise options

[aururab]

We are trying to decide on which cruise line to do a spring 2024 Douro River sailing and feel completely lost with all the options!

 

Other than Tauck (which is out of our budget) all the major lines are close enough on price that it wouldn’t be the deciding factor.

 

Any suggestions for which would be the best cruise line to select? Oh! And we are 2 retired adults, who enjoying walking but not really hiking.

Edited May 14, 2023 by aururab

[Host Jazzbeau]

Budget may still be an issue, but after much research I decided on the Scenic 11-day itinerary called Unforgettable Douro because it includes many more shore excursion choices than any 7-day cruises:

https://www.scenicusa.com/tours/unforgettable-douro/14591

 

[aururab]

We have some other things on the itinerary and can only fit in 7 days! 😞

[Got2Cruise]

I would look at the itineraries very closely. Look at the choice of excursions each day. They are not exactly the same. 

[pontac]

You have added a parameter to your original post - i.e. 7 day cruise limit.

 

Only you can decide what is important to you, therefore I suggest you draw up a chart of the things you want, things that'd be nice but aren't essential and things that you don't want.

 

All the cruises go along the same waterway, so the sights from the boat will be the same, what will be different will be the off-boat excursions, and what is included on board.

[aururab]

Well, given that they are not that far apart on pricing, and we don't need drinks included all day, which would offer the best service and food?

[Host Jazzbeau]

24 minutes ago, aururab said:

Well, given that they are not that far apart on pricing, and we don't need drinks included all day, which would offer the best service and food?

Unfortunately for those who don't care about open bar, the food reviews on Cruise Critic seem to mimic the other amenities – so a rough guide is that the lines with open bar have the best food [Scenic, Tauck, Uniworld].  One exception would be AmaWaterways, which the Berlitz guide has consistently stated spends more per passenger on food than any other river cruise line and which is the only line that is a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs gourmet society.  

 

My personal experience is that AMA has very good food, and that Scenic was just as good if not better [but I haven't cruised the Douro yet, so I don't know if the experience on this river is different from the more central European itineraries]

[aururab]

That is fantastic advice! thanks so much!

15 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Unfortunately for those who don't care about open bar, the food reviews on Cruise Critic seem to mimic the other amenities – so a rough guide is that the lines with open bar have the best food [Scenic, Tauck, Uniworld].  One exception would be AmaWaterways, which the Berlitz guide has consistently stated spends more per passenger on food than any other river cruise line and which is the only line that is a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs gourmet society.  

 

My personal experience is that AMA has very good food, and that Scenic was just as good if not better [but I haven't cruised the Douro yet, so I don't know if the experience on this river is different from the more central European itineraries]

 

[Got2Cruise]

21 hours ago, aururab said:

Well, given that they are not that far apart on pricing, and we don't need drinks included all day, which would offer the best service and food?

I would go with Amawaterways. 

[franski]

We have wanted to do the Douro for years...  But it seldom (if ever) goes on sale - and the sailings sell out quite early.  So - we have booked and sailed other itineraries while waiting for the time and price that suited us (just completed RC #17...  the Mekong).  We are not brand loyal. 

 

Our 45th wedding anniversary is next year - so we decided to bite the bullet and sail the Douro.  I want to be on board on our actual anniversary (May 26th). I also want pre- and post-cruise extensions. This limited our options.  Many only offer pre- OR post....  Many are sold out for May.  We are lucky in that we usually travel Aquarium class so that did allow us a bit more availability. 

 

We were looking seriously at Emerald, but ultimately decided to book with AMA Waterways. The price was a bit more, but  we get an extra day in Madrid.  Although we do need to pay our own gratuities, we get excursions included that are extra with Emerald.  So - the cost equals out.  We got one of only 2 cabins left on the sailing. Now we just need to decide if we want to add on any extra days to Lisbon or Madrid before we start looking seriously at air.

 

Food to me is so subjective...  And we have always had great service.  So that doesn't play heavily when we plan and book.  I pay close attention to the itinerary...

 

Whatever you choose, enjoy the planning - and the trip!!

 

Fran