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Riviera Douro Cruise Review – Is This Your Perfect Cruise?

Are you considering a Riveria Travel cruise on the Duoro river?

I’ve been a Tour Manager for over 30 years. I’ve taken over 10,000 people on tours and river cruises worldwide, including the Douro.

This review of the Riviera Douro cruise is based on a close look at the itinerary and the river cruise ships.

It includes:

  • Deck plans and cabin details
  • Day by day itinerary with distances travelled and practical information

If you want to find out if a Riviera Douro river cruise is right for you, this will help.

Take a look at this introduction video from Riviera

Riviera Douro Cruise Review

Just before we start I wanted to highlight a couple of things;

  • Before we start I wanted to highlight a couple of things;
  • I based this review on my knowledge and research of the area and the itinerary.
  • Itineraries do change.
  • Please don’t hesitate to contact me for more information.
  • I am a Riviera River Cruise Expert.

a certificate of a cruise

Now let’s look at what is included

riviera douro cruise review pinterest image showing lamego sanctuary, view of the douro valley and mateus palace garden

Riviera Cruise Headlines

  • 7-night cruise
  • Regional flights are available from:
    • London Luton
    • London Stansted
    • London Gatwick
    • Manchester
    • Bristol
    • Edinburgh
    • Dublin
    • Liverpool
    • Birmingham
    • Leeds
  • 7 breakfasts
  • 6 lunches
  • 7 evening meals
  • Transfers to and from the ship
  • All-inclusive drinks with meals including juices, wines and beers. From 6pm, drinks include the cocktail and mocktail of the day. House spirits and mixers, and pre- and post-dinner drinks are also included from 6pm.
  • Captains dinner and drinks reception
  • WIFI on board the ship
  • Entertainment and activities on board
  • Free tea and coffee on board
  • Porterage to and from your cabin

The following excursions are included:

  • Tour of Lamego
  • Visit Figueira Castelo de Rodrigo
  • Sightseeing in Salamanca
  • Dinner at a local Quinta
  • Casa de Mateus Palace visit
  • Tour of a wine estate
  • A tour of Oporto including a port wine cellar visit

Let’s have a look at the prices.

Riviera Douro Cruise Review

Riviera Cruise Pricing

Departures from May to October 225.

Prices range from £1779 to £4559 depending on the date

Riviera Douro River Cruise: Solo Travellers

The cost for single travellers ranges from £2479 to £5641 depending on the departure date.

riviera douro cruise review showing view across to Porto from Vila de Gaia

Now let’s take a look at Riviera’s ships and the deck plans.

Riviera Douro Cruise Review

Ship Details and Deck Plans

  • Riviera use two ships on the Douro.
  • One is the Douro Elegance and the other is the Douro Splendour.
  • They are both similar in capacity, size and layout.
  • Douro Elegance can accommodate 119 guests, Douro Splendour 121.
  • They both have 36 officers and crew on board.
  • There are 4 decks for passengers.
  • There is a lift between upper, main and lower decks.
  • To access the sun deck there is a set of stairs.

lower deck plan for riviera cruise ship

Lower Deck

  • Cabins starting with the number 1 are on this deck.
  • There is also a small gym on this deck.

main deck plan for riviera cruise ship

Main Deck

  • Cabins starting with the number 2 are on this deck.
  • This is where the restaurant is.
  • The small spa is also on this deck.

upper deck plan for riviera cruise ship

Upper Deck

  • This is where most of the cabins are; all the cabins start with the number 3.
  • Access to the sundeck is from here.
  • There is a nice lounge area and bar area with access to a small outside area at the front of the ship.
  • Reception is also on this level.

Sun Deck

  • This is complete with loungers and is ideal for sitting and enjoying the passing views.
  • There is also a small splash pool.

Riviera Douro Cruise Review

Riviera Douro: Cabins

There are several different types of cabins available;

douro river cruise image showing riviera standard cabin

Standard Cabins on Main and Upper Decks

These cabins can have twin or double beds. They have Juliet balconies, which means the large window you see can open. Think of it like a large sliding door rather than a balcony you sit outside on.

They are 14 m² or 151 ft² in size.

douro river cruise image showing riviera standard suite

Superior Suites

Superior suites are larger in size—19 sq. m or 205 square feet.

Again, they have a Juliet balcony.

douro river cruise image showing stern cabin

Standard Cabins on the Lower Decks

Standard cabins on the lower deck are a little smaller. They are around 12 sq. m (130 square feet).

Now that we know about the ships, let’s check out the itinerary Douro, Porto & Salamanca cruise.

riviera douro cruise review image showing view across douro from vineyard

Riviera Douro River Cruise: Day By Day

Here are a few things to know about the cruise:

  • The cruise travels along the Douro River from Oporto to Barca d’Alva and back again.
  • The total distance between these two points is approximately (206 km) or 135 miles.
  • Most of the excursions are via coach and include a bit of travelling up and down the river.

Think of this holiday as a touring holiday. Some of the touring is by coach, and some is by the river cruise ship.

Riviera Douro Cruise Review

Day 1 – Porto

On the first day, you will travel from the UK to Porto or Lisbon.

The transfer time from Lisbon Airport to Porto is around 4.5 hours.

The transfer time from Porto Airport is around 40 minutes.

You will need to take your luggage out to the coach for your transfer to the ship.

If your flight arrives before noon, you can’t board the ship. It will be doing a changeover from the previous cruise.

Once you reach your ship, someone will take your luggage from the coach to your cabin.

There may well be some time to explore Vila Nova De Gaia.

Vila Nova is on the opposite side of the river from Porto. There is a pretty riverside promenade area, shops, cafés, and a funicular.

Check out things to do in Vila Nova De Gaia

Dinner is on board tonight. The ship remains moored at Vila Nova overnight. This gives you the chance to explore a bit more after dinner if you’d like.

riviera douro cruise review image showing mateus palace in the background with lack and sculpture in the foreground

Day 2 – Mateus Palace

Today the ship will cruise from Vila Nova de Gaia to Régua. The total distance travelled by ship is around 80 miles (130 km).

The distance covered will likely mean an early departure.

The ship will cruise out of Porto and under the bridges.

At around 28 km from leaving, you will go through the Crestuma Lever Dam. The height of the dam is 25 metres or around 82 feet.

Check out my videos that I filmed when I was on a very similar Douro cruise.

It’s amazing that the boat can fit through!

Before arriving in Regua, you will pass through the Carrapatelo Dam.

The height of the dam is 57 m (or around 187 feet).

This is a much bigger dam than the first, and a real engineering feat.

If you can view from the front of the boat. The huge lock gates seem even larger from this vantage point!

After lunch on board, there is an excursion this afternoon to Mateus Palace.

Mateus Palace Excursion

This excursion lasts around 3.5 hours.

It’s about a 45-minute drive to Mateus Palace.

Did you stick candles in those lovely rounded bottles a few years back?

You weren’t the only one—I did, too!

The gorgeous Mateus Palace is the home of that wine. The label might even be more famous than the wine.

The visit includes a guided tour of the inside of the palace and a chance to explore the lovely gardens outside.

Riviera Douro Cruise Review

Quinta da Pachecha Dinner

This evening there is a dinner off the ship at Quinta da Pachecha.

This beautiful wine estate is set to the south of the Douro River.

It is not clear if you will return to the ship before you go to dinner.

The Quinta is 2.5 km from the Douro River bridge at Regua.

During the evening visit, there will be time to wander the estate, which is also a wine-themed hotel. They have wine barrels as accommodation, too!

The meal will have matching wines served throughout.

Riviera Douro River Cruise: Day 3

After spending the night in Regua, the ship cruises from Regua to Pochino.

The distance is around 101 km.

Again, as this is quite a long cruise. It may well mean the ship making an early start.

During this part of the cruise, you will pass through the Regua Dam. This dam is 41 meters or around 134 feet high.

After spending the night in Regua the ship cruises from Regua to Pochino.

The distance is around 101 km.

Again as this is quite a long cruise it will mean an early start.

During this part of the cruise, you will pass through the Regua Dam. This dam is 41 metres or around 134 feet high.

Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo Excursion

During the afternoon, there is an included visit to Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo.

It’s around 30 minutes’ travel time from the ship to the castle.

Castelo Rodrigo is a pretty village that sits on top of a hill.

It has a church, some nice, pretty streets, and small cafés to enjoy.

Castelo Rodrigo has many cobbles, uneven paths, steps, and inclines.

In the evening, you will see a traditional opening of port wine.

riviera douro cruise pimage showing view from high in the hills back down to the douro river

Riviera Douro River Cruise: Day 4

There is a morning sail today from Pinhão to Vega de Terrón.

During this part of the cruise, you will pass through the Valeira Dam, which is 48 m or around 157 feet high. You will also pass through the Pocinho Dam, which is 49 m or 160 feet high.

You will then arrive at Vega de Terrón, right by the Spanish/Portuguese border. It’s the farthest point for river cruise ships.

It functions as a mooring point instead of a town or village.

Salamanca Excursion

After breakfast, there is a free excursion to Salamanca, an inland Spanish city.

This excursion lasts 10 hours.

It is a walking grade 4 with a standing/walking time of 60 minutes.

It is around 121 km or 75 miles between Vega de Terrón and Salamanca.

The first part of the journey involves a climb up over the hills. This part of the road is quite twisty, but once out of the Douro Valley, the road is straighter and more level.

The journey takes around two hours.

Important Note;

There may be no stops en route to Salamanca. It might be worth checking this information in advance if it is important to you.

Salamanca is a UNESCO-listed city in Spain. The city has one of the oldest universities in Europe and two cathedrals. The city has a pedestrianised area to make exploring even more enjoyable.

There is free time on arrival to explore the city centre.

There is lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch there is a flamenco show, so you can enjoy some Spanish culture too.

In the afternoon, there is a guided tour of the city.

Later in the day, you will take the 2-hour journey back to the ship.

Here’s my video of the view across the Douro Valley from a viewpoint in the hills on the way to Salamanca.

Riviera Douro River Cruise: Day 5

Today, the ship cruises from Vega de Terrón to Régua.

This is about 100 km or 62 miles.

Most of the daytime will be cruising today.

This is a great opportunity to enjoy the ship. The sun deck is always a great spot on a day like this.

This evening, there is another visit to a quinta to learn about wine production and to try some more wine, of course!

lamegodourorivercruiseinsta

Riviera Douro River Cruise: Day 6

After breakfast on board, there is an excursion to beautiful Lamego.

This is about 10 km (or 6.5 miles) away from the ship.

Lamego Excursion

Lamego is a pretty town, with an even prettier sanctuary perched on the hill above it.

Many people come to climb the 700 steps, either on foot or on their knees.

There is a funicular that takes you to the side of the sanctuary.

There are lovely views, plus a café and some small stalls.

If you plan to walk, there are some very large (i.e., deep) steps and also a lot of uneven steps.

This evening there is a chef’s dinner followed by a Portuguese folk show on board.

After lunch on board the ship, you spend the afternoon cruising to Caix do Lixa. It is about 100 km or 62 miles.

Douro River Cruise: Day 7

This morning you will cruise back into Vila Real.

Don’t miss cruising under the bridges as you come back toward Porto.

This morning there is a visit to a port wine cellar.

Port Cellar Excursion

You will walk from the ship to a nearby wine cellar for your chance to learn even more about port production. There will also be another chance to try it as well.

After lunch on board, there is a tour of Porto.

Oporto Excursion by Coach in the Afternoon

In the afternoon, there is a tour of Oporto. It is famous for its wine. It also inspired J.K. Rowling. If you see university students on your tour, you will see why!

Most of the tour will be on the coach, with some stops along the way.

You will visit Sé Cathedral. There, in 1387, Philippa of Lancaster married King João of Portugal.

Here is a video showing Oporto and Vila Real and the lovely views of the bridges over the River Douro.

Douro River Cruise Day 8

This morning, after breakfast, you will disembark from your ship. Then you will travel to the airport for your flight back to the UK.

Generally, groups have to be at the airport 2.5 to 3 hours ahead of the flight departure time.

If your flight departs at 8 am, you will need to be at the airport at 4:30 am and 5 am. This means leaving the ship at around 4:00-4:30 am.

The ship likely won’t serve a full breakfast for such an early departure.

The staff will transfer you to the airport for your return flight home.

Riviera River Cruise – Conclusion

  • Riviera offers great value for cruises on the Douro.
  • They also offer regional UK flights which could make travelling to the start of the tour easier.
  • Their single supplements are low (they also do promotions with no single supplements during the year)

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Portuguese Government Site About the Navigation of the Douro River

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Australia Tours review – 2 coach holidays compared with detailed itinerary review and helpful tips and advice

If you want more help finding your perfect coach holiday then check out my Coach Holidays page

Further Reading

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