We chose this wine river cruise as it worked with our dates for a wedding we were attending in Lisbon. We caught up with the pre-Douro River trip as they left Lisbon and took the train to Porto with them- using the company's transfer. Sonya- our cruise director for the week was very organized and connection was flawless. Cruise was well-organized, very active pace and lots to see and do. Activity level for participants was decided on your own- hikers, regular walkers, gentle walkers or people that just wanted to stay on the boat and see the gorgeous views. Individual guides went out with the buses and were very knowledgeable and great command of English. Professional and efficient- but friendly as well. Itinerary was a mixture of history, fun and interesting places. Top notch visits to wineries and spectacular scenery. Food on board was delicious- wine plentiful. Sevice was excellent on board- dinner at times was a bit slow in getting everyone served but staff was efficient and worked hard! Christian, Alex and Natalie were wonderful. Marius at the bar was fun and remembered your drink of preference. Cabin stewards kept your room spotless and plentiful towels and toiletries. L'Occitane toiletries were wonderful! Gym was tiny- one room.....and no window as well as teeny pool upstairs, but seats were plentiful. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the location. We wanted to go to Portugal and we used AmaWaterways in the past. It was also a Wine Cruise. This was a wonderful cruise. The weather was superb and the excursions were very enjoyable. The Cruise Manager (Mariana) was one of the best and we hope to sail with her again. She handled a slight crisis (accident on the rails) and did not affect our trip at all. For those who are used to a larger ship, be aware this ship is limited in size due to the river and locks. However, they make use of the space wisely. There was very little free time so be prepared to be on the go. The staff is very friendly and adds to pleasure of sailing with Ama. The excursions in Lisbon and Madrid were very enjoyable. There were some glitches with the billing but it was the first cruise of the season and a lot of the staff was new. The embarkation went well. One criticism was the change of buses in Salamanca - we had to change buses and the place we were to have a comfort break did not seem prepared for us. We had to leave hand carried items without knowing for sure how it would be secured. Also, the new buses we had to ride on to Madrid were not comfortable, no leg room. Read Less

This river cruise is different from most of the others in Europe in that it focuses on the Port wine trade and the vineyards that supply it. The cruise goes through locks at 5 hydroelectric dams completed only in 1985. Highlights: * Cruising the upper Douro with the views of the steep sided vineyards * Visits to the vineyards * Day trip to Salamanca * Oporto city * Superb Cruise Director and wonderful staff and guides who, without exception, were friendly and helpful. Lows: * Food was distinctly average and worse than comparable sea cruises * The wine was poor - nearly all cheap Douro wines - the selection was a poor advertisement for Portuguese wines and were not of a standard expected at the prices paid for an Ama Waterways cruise. The Port provided at the and of the meal was also unacceptable given that, because of the itinerary, many people on the cruise would be Port lovers. Read Less

We've done many river cruises and enjoyed them all. But this cruise on the Douro River between Spain and Portugal with AMA was by far the best! Having traveled on Viking and Uniworld before, we'd choose AMA again. The food was exceptional, the service excellent. There was no "nickel and diming" over water, cocktails or wine. The layout of the cabins was superior to other ships. The deck was spacious - most on board spent much of their travel time up there. The ports and side trips were all interesting, educational and had lots of options to choose from. They included wineries; fishing villages; beach areas; picnics; Fatima; Castelo Rodrigo; and many more. Portugal was beautiful! The three day pre-cruise in Lisbon was well-planned. We stayed at the Intercontinental which was convenient to all the areas we wanted to see. Our cruise manager Mariana was professional and very helpful. I'd highly recommend this cruise! Read Less

I just returned last night from the Douro River Cruise on AmaVida. And I have a lot to say! First, the area is beautiful. We went to dinners at local wineries and they were, for the most part wonderful. The tours are the usual church, museum lot. There is very little free time if you want to shop or explore on your own unless you skip a scheduled tour. The Ama Vida was sorely understaffed. So much so that at the first port they brought in more help. They had very little help at the bar throughout the cruise. The rooms were really small...........and I have been on other river cruises. The shower ran hot and cold all during your shower. The food was the same every day at lunch and breakfast. The dinners did not have much of a selection and were mediocre at best. the dining room was very small and it was so loud you couldn't hear the people at your own table. It was very difficult to get waited on in the bar. There was a bug problem in the dining room. It was so bad I took pictures of the light fixtures containing dead bugs! We asked questions of several of those in charge about various things and got different answers each time. Ama Vida is very expensive and not worth the price. One of the staff told us the best line for the Duoro River is Viking. The only saving grace is that we travelled with a great group of friends and made the best of the situation.   Read Less