We did the pre-cruise two night stay in Lisbon (most people did), and we also did a pre-pre four night stay in the Algarve on our own. Portugal has a rich and interesting history and culture, which most Americans don't know much about. All of our guides were excellent, and we thoroughly enjoyed learning about the music and dance traditions during our trip, as well as the historical events. We also did the two night extension to Santiago de Compostela, Spain which we high recommend...another historically interesting location.

The staff was well trained to anticipate the passengers' needs, and were kind and friendly to the mostly senior guests. The food and wine were excellent, and the cabin was comfortable. The biggest surprise to me was how intense the activities were, especially compared to the longer, typically two-week European river cruises.

Because the interesting day trips are 'up the hill', most days begin with a journey by bus. The towns at the river are not very interesting for tourists, other than Porto. Read more