cole

it seems very popular! I would be interested to know what it is that appealed to you most.

Many thanks

The beautiful villages along the way and of course, the Rhine Gorge with castles on both sides of the river. One of the best voyages!

Cole

Review for Douro River Cruise “Port Wine & Flamenco” on the AmaVida

 

Embarkation: July 25, 2017

Background about us and our travel experience:

This was our 3rd river cruise with AmaWaterways (prior: Danube and Seine.) We have done a bit of traveling in Europe, a mix of ocean cruises, scheduled tours, and some “do it yourself” and driving. We’re an active couple, still working to support our travel habit. We chose this itinerary because we had never seen Portugal and wanted to see more of Spain. We do enjoy wine, and visiting the wineries was of interest, but not the primary reason.

Air travel: Booked our flights about 4 months in advance, with Air France. Los Angeles to Lisbon, with a short layover in Paris. Smooth, no problems.

Transportation from Lisbon Airport to hotel: We went right out the doors at the airport and got in the queue for a taxi. I think it was under 15 euros to the hotel.

 

Pre-cruise extension with AmaWaterways:

We opted to do the pre and post cruise extensions with AmaWaterways. We had never done this before, we typically DIY before and after a cruise. The extensions are expensive, but I am pleased with what we experienced and quality of the hotels and excursions.

Lisbon:

We arranged with the hotel that AmaWaterways used in Lisbon, The InterContinental, for an additional night because we wanted to arrive a day before to have a full day (Friday) on our own. The hotel was very lovely, rooms were large and comfortable, and the restaurant was good. However, it is located away from the city center. So we chose to utilize a taxi. Taxis are very cheap and reliable, typically under 7euros for just about anywhere we wanted to go.

 

We’ve learned that it is good to arrive at least a day ahead to get acclimated and minimize the effects of jet lag. We like to begin our trip feeling rested.

 

(Friday: we had to ourselves, we met up with a friend who happened to be in Lisbon, did a walking food tour and a Tuk-Tuk city tour. We ate dinner at Mercado Time Out… highly recommend.)

Welcome Cocktail with the Cruise Manager and fellow passengers

There was a scheduled meeting on Saturday evening at 6pm at the hotel for us to meet our Cruise Manager, Christian Abker, and fellow passengers who were also doing the pre-cruise excursions. Everyone was friendly and a group of us decided to walk together to a restaurant suggested by Christian.

Dinner in Portugal and Spain is typically served around 9 or 10pm. So, when our group of about 15 entered the restaurant at around 7:30pm, we were considered very early.

 

Breakfast included at hotel:

The buffet had the typical European breakfast offerings, scrambled eggs, cold cuts, cheeses, yogurt, fruit, pastries, cereal, etc. Special orders for breakfast was also available. The food was average, espresso was very good.

 

Pre-cruise excursions:

Lisbon City Tour (Sunday): I won’t go into detail about the tours, only to say they were well organized, and travel by coach was very comfortable, we enjoyed them. The rest of the day and evening were on our own. We shared a cab and went to dinner with some of our fellow passengers.

 

Sintra (Monday): Great excursion, we visited Pena Palace, great views. The other excursion in the afternoon was a wine tasting. We decided to skip that and went (on our own) to Quinta da Regaleira an estate classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

 

We were glad we skipped the wine tasting to see the amazing Quinta da Regaleira. I was actually surprised it wasn’t part of the AmaWaterways tour because it is so beautiful, with lovely gardens, waterfalls and a forest-like atmosphere.

 

Note: That is one of the great things about the excursions with AmaWaterways… as long as you tell your guide that you want to do something else, and meet back up at the designated time, it works out well.

 

Train to Porto to embark the AmaVida (Tuesday):

We had to put our luggage outside our hotel room door by 9am, for them to collect and put on a truck. (The luggage truck would drive to Porto while we were on the train.) Cruise Manager, Christian, was great about explaining all the details for our transportation, having us identify our luggage before it was put on the truck, etc.

Christian and a tour guide escorted our group and rode with us on a bus to the Santa Apolonia train station, where we had an assigned train-car for our ride to Porto. Very smoothe and another chance to get to chat with fellow passengers.

 

When we arrived in Porto, a bus was waiting at the train station to take us to the dock to board the AmaVida. We checked in, smooth and quick, and went directly to our stateroom. Our luggage was already inside our stateroom.

 

The ship:

The AmaVida is a little smaller, with a capacity for 106 passengers. Our cruise was not full, with only 71 passengers on board!

Side bar: I don’t know why the ship wasn’t full, because just 2 weeks prior to the cruise, our adult daughter said she would like to go. When I called to inquire about availability, I was told there were only 2 rooms left, and they would not offer the solo discount. Another passenger we met on the cruise told us a similar story. It seems to me that it would be better to offer a discount to a solo traveler than have empty rooms.

 

Our stateroom was on the Porto Deck, room 315. It was small but we found plenty of space for our belongings. We had a tiny balcony, but really did not use it while in port. In fact, we were tied up to another ship several times, so we were unable to use it.

 

This is my only complaint about the ship: When we were tied up to other ships while in port, our stateroom would have a very strong odor from the diesel exhaust and sewer gas. We noticed it as soon as we entered the room. I went to the desk that evening and told them, but they said it would get better. It didn’t. The next day, we were still tied up, and again, the room really smelled bad. Again, I went to the front desk. This time I asked the attendant to come with me and see for himself. He admitted that the smell was strong, and all he could do is apologize. I wondered why they didn’t offer us another room, as we knew the ship wasn’t full.

I asked our fellow passengers if their staterooms had the odor, and some did, others did not.

 

We spent 2 nights on the boat in Porto, tied up to 2 other boats. Once we left Porto, and set sail, we didn’t notice the odor anymore.

Onboard entertainment:

One night we enjoyed listening to a “tuna.” A tuna is a group of university students in traditional university dress who play traditional instruments and sing serenades. They were funny and entertaining.

 

Another evening, there was a flamenco show. It was good, but it didn’t compare to the show we saw in Madrid.

 

Crew and service:

The crew were friendly and work very hard. The captain, Bernardino Pereira, was visible throughout the cruise. It seemed to us that the waitstaff in the dining room was short-handed compared to other cruises we have done with Ama.

 

AmaWaterways Tour guides:

Our tour guide for Portugal, Laura, was outstanding. She was very knowledgeable and interesting. She was a former teacher, and it was easy to listen to her while on the bus and at the different sites. Truly one of the best guides we have ever had.

Food and wine:

I know food is subjective… we were quite happy with the food offered at all meals. We found variety and choices on the menu to be very good. The wine was good and flowed generously at meals.

One evening at dinner, I didn’t care for the red wine being served, and when I told the server, he replied that was the only red they were serving. Later, in the lounge bar, I mentioned that to the bartender. He frowned and said the server should have found a different wine for me! I thought so, too!

Side bar: Everyone has an opinion on food. In a conversation with other passengers, I said I thought the food was very good. One lady adamantly announced that it was the worst food she has ever had on a cruise. I was a bit surprised. Throughout the cruise, I did notice that she complained about everything.

The itinerary / ports:

I won’t describe each port and excursion because the descriptions can be found on the website. We enjoyed every port and excursion that we went on. The wineries with lunches were super good! The scenic cruising on the Douro river is simply beautiful and so relaxing.

 

Some quick highlights:

Sunset in Porto is stunning! The beautiful tiles in the train station in Porto, not to be missed.

Entre-os-Rios/ Regua, Portugal - leisurely sailing the Douro River, then a visit to Mateus Palace, built in the 18th century. The gardens are stunning.

Lamego. Incredibly beautiful! It's one of the major points of pilgrimage, with 600 steps up to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies.

Guimaraes, Portugal- One of the most historic towns in Portugal, and a UNESCO world heritage site. We went to Quinta da Aveleda with it's beautiful gardens and where they're known for green wine.

Pinhao, Portugal - a tiny and beautiful port, with spectacular views of the steep terraced Douro valley vineyards. We went to Quinta da Avessada for a fantastic Portuguese lunch in the vineyard and later, to Sandeman estate, known for it's Port wines.

 

We disembarked in Vega Terron and those of us who were going to do the post extension, took a bus to Salamanca before going to Madrid.

 

Wow! Salamanca, Spain, is beautiful! A UNESCO site, it is one of the most important university cities in Spain. The University of Salamanca, was founded in 1218, and is the oldest university in Spain.

 

From Salamanca, we took a bus to our hotel in Madrid:

The Westin Palace in Madrid was beautiful! Location was perfect for walking to many of the sites, situated across from the Prado. Great restaurants in walking distance.

 

After being in our tiny stateroom for a week, our room at the Westin felt like a mansion.

Breakfast buffet in a gorgeous setting included. Very good variety, with the option of having omelettes and other items cooked to order.

Post cruise extension in Madrid

AmaWaterways Tour guides in Spain:

We were not impressed with the guides we had in Spain.

 

We did a Madrid city tour and had free time later. We went with fellow passengers to a wonderful place for dinner.

 

AmaWaterways arranged an optional excursion in Madrid. Dinner and a Flamenco show. It was outstanding. The food was excellent, Michelin chef. The flamenco was incredible. They allowed us to take photos and videos only for the first dance, which was very kind of them.

The excursion to Toledo was one of my favorites. What a beautiful place!

We really enjoyed the cruise and the pre and post extensions in Lisbon and Madrid. AmaWaterways did a nice job with the excursions, well organized, interesting, etc. We will probably not return to Lisbon, it was nice but nothing I would need to see again. The Douro Valley is very pretty and we enjoyed the ports.

 

Madrid and the day-trips to Toledo, Salamanca, etc. were really amazing. In fact, I would go back to Madrid in a heartbeat. There are several other places we would like to visit surrounding Madrid... like Segovia, Avila and others. Madrid is very clean and the architecture is beautiful, great museums, very good restaurants, and people were friendly.

We arranged with the hotel, The Westin Palace, for an additional night because we wanted to stay a day longer to have a day (Friday) on our own. We went to the Prado, the Royal Palace, Buen Retiro Park, Plaza Mayor, Cristal Palace and the bullfighting ring.

Our fellow passengers:

We had the best time with the people we met on this cruise. I strongly believe that meeting people on the pre-cruise extension bonded us together. There were about 10 of us that really hit it off and we palled around together on excursions, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, met on deck to watch the scenery, etc. We’ve exchanged emails and friended each other on social media, and perhaps someday our paths will cross again on another cruise.

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Hope this is helpful. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them.

Great Review. We did the Lisbon to Porto with Uniworld a couple of years ago and enjoyed it so much, returning in the fall of 2018 with Vantage (Madrid pre-cruise) in order to experience the harvest and fall colors. It is a great river to cruise.

Cole

In the US a standard circuit breaker is 20 amps. Outlets specifically for shavers are probably limited to 0.1 amp - not enough power (= volts x amps) likely to kill you.

Thanks for clearing that up. I could never figure out the difference.

Cole

Because, typically, hair driers require more power than shavers.

 

Plugging in (and turning on) an appliance that uses higher power than a shaver (usually a low power appliance) can blow the circuit.

My question should have been why is it not dangerous to use an "electric" razor in the bathroom where there is water when the purpose for not having an outlet for a hair dryer in the bathroom was because there is water there. I would imagine either way of getting electrocuted would be the same. (just kidding).

Cole

I just returned from onboard the AmaVida - the Douro River cruise.

 

I can't address the curling iron because I don't use one. However, the HAIR DRYER provided by AmaWaterways worked just fine. BUT, there is no outlet in the bathroom. (I get that, they don't want the risk of using electricity around water.)

 

I had to unplug the lamp on the desk and use that socket. Then, I had to lean way over the bed where the mirror was located to see myself and dry my hair. There was a socket in the entry way, but that was not close to a mirror.

 

Several ladies onboard were talking about the inconvenience of where the placement of electrical sockets are in the stateroom. At least on the AmaVida, there are no sockets close to mirrors!

But don't they have an outlet that says "electric razors only"? Why is it OK to use an electric razor, but not a hair dryer. I have never been able to figure that one out.

Cole

Avalon's new Active Discovery on the Rhine is an example of a new set of activities on the Rhine. It goes from Amsterdam to Frankfurt and features activities like the Roman archaeological park in Xanten, a coal mine tour in Duisburg, and other more active excursions (a running tour of Amsterdam?).

 

http://www.avalonwaterways.com/river-cruise/active-discovery-on-the-rhine-southbound/waw/?nextyear=true

That sounds like maybe some companies are at least looking at added experiences in the ports. Exciting!

Cole

I realize there are still some folks who have never taken a river cruise, but there are many, many of us who have taken lots and because there is a limited number of rivers, it sure would be great if the companies would start considering doing things a little differently at the usual ports to entice us to return. Having done the Rhine, Danube and Douro twice, I am hoping that in the near future - even if the river is the same - maybe the excursions that will be offered will be a lot different. Anyone else feel the same? :)

Cole

Are you aware that standard European electricity is delivered at twice US voltage (220 versus 110 volts [there is also a frequency difference, but that is immaterial for resistance devices]). While most electronic devices have built in transformers to handle both voltages, electrical resistance heating devices do not. Some, but not all, electrical resistance heating devices do have a non-automatic mechanical switch, which IF ENGAGED, will limit your US device to operate only on low power (which given the increased voltage in Europe will be equivalent to high output in the US). If you don't have a mechanical switch, or don't engage it, and run the iron on medium or high, it WILL catch fire. People who think that all curling irons are the same are precisely the reason the company wants you to use theirs which is designed for Europe.

I am one step ahead of you. Several years ago I purchased a curling iron with the 220 plug - so my curling iron meets their standards. I would advise any lady who plans to travel to Europe frequently to also invest in one. I believe I purchased mine in a local beauty supply store, but of course, you could always go shopping when you arrive in Europe.

Cole

What is the difference between a "personal curling iron" and a curling iron that you get at reception? I thought a curling iron was a curling iron. ;p

Cole

Hi, Has anyone here sailed Viking's Elegant Elbe cruise?

We've had limited cruising experience--- a great Alaska cruise and tour on HAL and a small boat cruise to the Greek islands and Turkey on Variety, a small Greek line.

 

We are new to river cruising and considering combining one with a family heritage trip to Poland in October, 2018. Viking offers an Elegant Elbe itinerary focusing on East Germany, and has an extension to Krakow and Warsaw by land that sounds good. Friends (who are VERY discriminating) have raved about Uniworld too, so my husband asked me to check into river cruising with Viking and Uniworld. Comments/advice would be appreciated! This is a special trip since this year both of us have recovered from cancer, and are turning 65 next year. TIA!

We did this itinerary with Vantage and loved it. You might want to check them out. If Uniworld offers it, you won't be disappointed. We were not offered the extension to Poland and would have loved to have had it.

Cole

I recently received my river cruise documents and noticed in the information that you can't bring curling or straight irons on board. I am not a diva, but need my straightening iron. Does anyone know if it is easy to use the irons that AmaWaterways states are available on ship? Also, do I need to bring my own hairdryer? First river cruise and not familiar with all of it yet. Thanks.

Are you sure they don't mean irons and not curling irons? Most cruise ships, large and river, don't allow them. I have always taken my curling iron and had no problems. Several years ago I purchased one with a European plug and don't have to worry about a converter/adapter for it. Of course, they generally don't have an outlet in the bathroom, so using it is generally at the desk in the cabin.

Cole

As there is no nite time sailing, you may find it difficult to plan for private tours along the river.

I agree about evening tours along the river. We have done this before and loved the fact that we sail during the day. Actually, we were thinking about Madrid, Lisbon and Porto (we are in port at Porto for two evenings I believe).

Cole

And it would be great to see the dailies. Bet we wouldn't be the only ones who would appreciate seeing them.;)

Hope you get some information. We'll be doing the same itinerary next year (March 31 departure) with the Madeira extension. If you like, I can add you to the "All Vantage" roll call thread. Just give me your departure date. If I get any more information, I'll post it, but in my experience it's pretty unusual to get this info before cruising. Occasionally someone will scan the dailies and post a link to them, but it's pretty rare.

Thanks - we are already on the Roll Call. Our departure isn't until October of 2018, but what can I say - I plan early! I realize that I might just be shooting in the dark, but hopefully someone will provide us with that info. This is our second time to do the Douro, but ending in Lisbon rather than beginning there.

Cole

We will be on the Douro with Vantage at a later date, beginning in Madrid and ending in Lisbon. If there is anyone who is currently or in the near future taking this cruise, could you copy your specific itinerary - meaning time you arrive in a port and when you leave for the next port. We are trying to decide if we want to book any private tours in a variety of ports, but unable to do so if we don't know when we arrive and/or leave. Thanks so much in advance for your help.

Cole

As we get closer to our departure on Viking for a Duoro River cruise, I'm wondering why there aren't more posts and reviews on this trip. Several companies offer this trip, and with Viking, very popular. We got the last cabin on our trip and we booked a year in advance! Even on the Viking page, there are no recent reviews; last one posted was from 2014. I found a couple 2017 reviews from passengers on Uniworld, and a few from 2016 on Viking on this site. If this river is so popular, why isn't it mentioned more in this forum....just wondering.

Good question - but I have no answer. I can tell you that we did this cruise in 2015 and enjoyed it so much that we are returning next year, but in the fall so we can see the harvesting of the grapes. Beautiful scenery and you will be sailing from one port to another during the day, so you get to enjoy that scenery. Be sure and come back and give your review after you return.

Cole

Hi, I have several food allergies, including dairy protein, but cannot drink my 'required' ;)daily coffee black. Does anyone know if Avalon will follow through on a request to have almond or soy milk on board? If so, what department should I make sure I communicate with before leaving for the cruise?

Thanks!

Have you considered taking your own powdered almond milk just in case? That was you can be assured of having that important cup!

Cole

There are choices listed for Paris, Trier and Prague but none of the other stops are even showing up on the excursions page.. Some are included and some are an extra charge. In your experience, were the included tours well done?

 

 

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We just returned from our third Avalon cruise and all excursions, whether included or optional have always been well done. The optional excursions have always been well worth their charge (in our opinion). You will love Avalon!

Cole

Should they be booked prior to cruising or onboard?

 

 

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If you are referring to the optional excursions, those can be booked prior to boarding. We generally make our choices of optional excursions before boarding due to the fact that you can pay for them when you book and you pay US $ rather than Euros.

Cole

Just curious on the cost of drinks on avalon

I know they serve beer and wine with lunch and dinner

My BF prefers rum & coke

We are considering a Budapest to Prague cruise next July

They have a very good offer that includes air and 2 nights in Prague and 3 nights in Budapest

If you order alcohol at lunch, you will be charged. It is available free of charge at dinner. Bar drinks at dinner will be charged to you. When we would order two glasses of wine, the charge was 10.20 (unless it was happy hour and then they would be 1/2 that cost). Looking at our final bill, it looks like the drinks vary from around

$5.00 each. Maybe someone else has more specific information, but hopefully this will help a little.

Cole

We are considering Viking Passage to Eastern Europe in Oct 2017 and have questions. We like Viking, so suggestions of other lines probably will fall on deaf ears. We are interested to know:

 

1. Is this itinerary one that is risky for water levels in early Oct?

2. Anyone take this Viking itinerary and have comments about it?

3. Any comments on these ports (we'll also check the Ports thread):

 

Budapest -- hotel stay included (We're already sold on this city, but if you have more to add...)

 

Kalocsa (yes, I'll buy paprika!)

 

Osijek

 

Belgrade

 

Iron Gate (not a port per se, but looks amazing in photos...)

 

Vidin

 

Veliko Tarnovo

 

Bucharest- hotel stay included

 

 

Thank you!!

We just returned from this river cruise (last night) on Avalon, but the ports are the same. Here are the Cliff Notes from our trip:

Budapest, a beautiful city (especially at night) and we did an optional walking food sampling excursion one afternoon which was excellent. The city tour of course, was a bus tour (the only way you can really get a feel of the city) with a couple of photo stops. Boarded the ship the second day and we were on our way.

As one person said, it is more rural than the other river cruises, you don't see the charming little villages along the way and most ports or very industrial with a bus trip to the focus of the day.

It was a very eye-opening cruise since the countries are still struggling to rebuild after the Communistic rule. Many deserted factories, apartment buildings and collapsing structures. The beautiful churches and architecture that you experience on the other rivers are few and far between since the Communists felt these were seen as not reflective of their values and had been bulldozed down and replaced by their concrete structures.

You really need to take all of this into consideration as you begin your journey and learn from their experience. They are very strong people, fun loving and quite humorous. As we know - laughter can be very refreshing even in the worst circumstances. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer.

Cole

DW and I are booked on a Scenic Amsterdam-Budapest cruise later this year. Airport/ship transfers are included but not for us as we are flying in a few days early and out a few days post the cruise. I had expected we would get a transfer from the hotel to the ship and ship to hotel but our TA says no. Is this others' experience as well? Not a major issue at all but.....

We generally always book our own transfers since most cruise lines charge way above what you would pay a cab for the same trip. Our Budapest transfer was booked through Viator and for the two of us being picked up at the airport and delivered to the hotel is $75. We booked an automobile a little larger than a sedan due to luggage, etc. Since you are departing from the hotel in Budapest, I am sure that they will be able to get you a cab for the trip.

Cole

We will be on the Budapest to Bucharest cruise beginning June 9 and was wondering about river level in that direction. Anyone have any information?

Cole

Any help would be appreciated. I am visiting my niece who lives in Germany near Frankfurt before my cruise on Amawaterways. I can get some nice airfare through using points but can't do multicity. So I'm going to need to take a different airline since Delta doesn't go from Nuremberg to Frankfurt. My big question is will I have enough time if I take a United flight from Nuremberg at 7 AM and gets into Frankfurt at 7:50 AM. I will probably have to pick up my luggage and then get my luggage on my flight to the USA which would be at 10:30 am.

If you can't book with a skymiles partner with Delta (they would book your luggage through Frankfurt), and you are going to have to book with another airline - why not go with Lufthansa, which will leave Nuremberg at 6:00 and arrive in Frankfurt at 6:50, giving you an additional hour of breathing room to retrieve your luggage and check it with Delta? An extra hour would cause less anxiety. And the flight is $130 one way. Just an idea.

Cole

Avalon......On the Budapest to Amsterdam cruise, and our weather has been wonderful--sunny in the 70s, light rain only out of Nuremberg.

 

The Passion is lovely, staff excellent. Bathrooms are great--no entry curb to trip over and no need for a night light.

We board on the 9th leaving Budapest and ending in Bucharest. Greatly looking forward to this part of the Danube and know we will be thrilled with the Passion. Thanks for the information. Any suggestions related to the kind of $$$ when in Budapest.

Cole

After years of reading threads about the Elbe river and the problems associated with trying to actually be on a ship that sails, I saw part of it as we were driving from Dresden Germany to Meissen. It is narrow and as they say, it is not much of a river. I even saw the Viking ship Beyla as it slowly navigated very close to the shore. Later we saw the Beyla as it was moored bear Dresden.

I was glad we were on a planned land tour rather than a inadvertent land tour.

We were worried prior to our Elbe river cruise (we did it with Vantage), but I guess we were fortunate, we had no problems navigating the river and wouldn't hesitate to book that trip again in the future.

Cole