Early cruise on Douro?

[Bruce456]

We are planning a river cruise on the Douro in early 2016.

The calendar options for us are mid-late April or mid June.

I don't know Portugal. Is 20 April too early? (It seems to be the first cruise of the season.) Is it likely to be cold? Are the river levels OK at that time of the year?

Is mid June getting a bit warm?

[Host Jazzbeau]

One thing to keep in mind is that many reports from the first cruise of the season (all lines, all itineraries) are that the crew hasn't gotten into their rhythm yet so service isn't always up to par.

[caviargal]

Since the lines that operate in this area charter the vessels they sail I am not sure I would anticipate the same experience as one could expect elsewhere in Europe, even on the same line.

 

We are looking at a possible Duoro cruise with AMA in April of next year, one of the wine itineraries. What we are not sure about is the amount of daytime sailing involved and the longer bus rides in each port. Neither are highlights for us, but the great wines in this area may be enough to overcome the downsides.:)

Edited May 21, 2015 by caviargal

[Canal archive]

We did the first cruise last year down the Seine with Scenic on Scenic Gem, the crew where fantastic they had all worked for Scenic on other routes the only question mark for us was the cruise director, sure she did her job very well but did seem at times quite flustered. Next year Scenic start cruising the Douro on their own ship which is even smaller than the Gem, hum maybe!

CA

[pinotlover]

We are doing Uniworld for this cruise this September. From earlier research, it is my opinion you stand a much higher risk with water issues an implement weather in April. June will be warm, but still pleasant most years. I would not risk my vacation on April.

[Bruce456]

Thanks everyone. You have confirmed my instincts. It is probably not worth taking the risk of a first cruise of the season in April (despite the nice wine itinerary!)

[cole]

We did an April Douro cruise with Uniworld last year and it was wonderful. The weather was great, cool, sunny and the vineyards were just starting to bud out, so the scenery was beautiful I would imagine that a Fall cruise would be spectacular due to the colors of the vineyards, but we wouldn't hesitate to do an April cruise again on the Douro. The staff was great and the tours (wine and port) were great. So, here is a "yes" vote for April.

Cole

[Los_Pepes]

Hey Cole,

 

Have you sailed other Uniworld routes? I ask because we have sailed a few and I am trying to get an understanding of the differences in quality on Uniworld charter vs. Uniworld owned and operated.

 

Thanks!

[cole]

Hey Cole,

 

Have you sailed other Uniworld routes? I ask because we have sailed a few and I am trying to get an understanding of the differences in quality on Uniworld charter vs. Uniworld owned and operated.

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, we did the Seine/Rhone cruise a couple of years ago. Honestly, I couldn't tell any difference between the quality of service on the ship owned by Uniworld and the one on the Douro (I believe all ships on the Douro are leased). The staff members on both were great. We have done both Uniworld cruises and Avalon and loved them all. Just finished the Elbe with Vantage and that was enjoyable. If Uniworld or Avalon had had a ship on that river we probably would have chosen one of them, but we felt that Vantage was the best choice for us when comparing the other available choices on the Elbe.

Cole.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I've been in Portugal in late March and in June. March wasn't cold really, quite pleasant actually, but it did rain somewhat. I could only imagine that April would be nicer. June in Porto and north was very nice, pleasantly warm, Lisbon somewhat muggy by then.

[Los_Pepes]

Yes, we did the Seine/Rhone cruise a couple of years ago. Honestly, I couldn't tell any difference between the quality of service on the ship owned by Uniworld and the one on the Douro (I believe all ships on the Douro are leased). The staff members on both were great. We have done both Uniworld cruises and Avalon and loved them all. Just finished the Elbe with Vantage and that was enjoyable. If Uniworld or Avalon had had a ship on that river we probably would have chosen one of them, but we felt that Vantage was the best choice for us when comparing the other available choices on the Elbe.

Cole.

 

Thanks Cole. I also have been considering an Elbe cruise. I appreciate the response.

[stanc3]

We just returned from a Uniworld cruise from Lisbon to Madrid. It was wonderful with only a couple of rainy days. We left mid April and most days were in the mid 60's, perfect for touring. Cruising on the Duoro is an entirely different experience than the Rhine or Danube. The boat is rarely docked at a big town. Yes, there were a lot of bus trips to wineries and small towns, but we enjoyed each and every experience. The leased boats are smaller, so less passengers. Since you sailed during the day, we were able to experience the most

gorgeous scenery. This was a wonderful trip and would highly recommend it.