After many ocean cruises we thought we would try a river cruise and booked this one through Archers Holidays. We were very very please with the ship, the food, the excursions but above all the attitude, friendliness and professionalism of the crew in all departments. The cabin provided ample space and was clean and comfortable. The bathroom was a little tight on space but again very clean with plenty of towels and toiletries. The food was excellent and as the menu is available in advance it was easy to let the Purser know when there was something you did not eat. I am not a great fish eater and had a fabulous steak one day to replace a fish dish at lunchtime. The service in all areas was first class and every member of the team made you feel like an individual. Ok some of the entertainment was low key but always well presented and supported local artistes. Read Less

Having done a river cruise last year we thought that we would try another one & consequently we went on this one. Embarkation went very smoothly, although some passengers who flew from the U K arrived too early to get on the boat (boarding from 4 pm) & were "dumped" in a hotel in Porto in very hot conditions 4 hours before they could board.This is hardly a good way to start a holiday as some of them had been up at 3 am. We occupied a lower deck cabin which was very clean but obviously quite small, but had the advantage of being on the same deck as the restaurant.Paying a supplement for a higher cabin is not worth the extra. Everyone is allocated a table in the restaurant which they keep for the week, which worked well for us but may not suit everyone. The standard of food overall was very good, but lunch & dinner was 4 courses with no choice other than vegy on request.We found 4 courses at lunchtime was too much when a buffet meal would have suited most people. Evening entertainment was very good with both Portugese & Spanish traditional music. As usual the excursions were a complete rip off & dont be taken in by the tour operators who try to persuade you to book a package before you go. All the trips were available on board & if anyone would like more info then e-mail me at barrylonghurst@hotmail.com. The boat only sails at night as the river is quite narrow & shallow in places & when it ties up you will find that there is no where to go ashore. The staff were friendly & efficient & mostly well trained. The overall standard of the cruise was very good & we would certainly do another one. do another one. Read Less

Wishing to cruise the Duoro River, and finding this Croisieurope offering with hiking excursions made this a perfect choice....and it was. The trip was great. Boat was well maintained and clean. The staff were friendly and willing to always help with explanations and advice. The English-speaking walking guide, Rick, did an outstanding job. The food and food service was fabulous. And last, I cannot say enough about the young woman, Susanne, in charge of customer service, housekeeping and wait staff. The local folk dancing on the last evening was very enjoyable. Matthew the Croisieurope USA was also very responsive and helpful. Whole experience is highly recommended. Too bad they are not able to offer more of the hiking cruises in this region. You should note that the Duoro River is shallow and narrow. For this reason, the boats are not allowed to sail at night, as we had experienced on other river cruises, and do all their sailing during daylight. Read Less

We fancied the Douro. Very beautiful but there are no towns to stop at so you moor in the middle of no-where! We did stop at Regua for 45 minutes so could not get off and explore. Staff all very helpful. Very clean ship and quite comfortable, bathrooms have a very high step to get into and out of. Food very poor. No choice. miniscule portions of meat. The vegetables had been cooked for hours and wete soggy and seved in teaspoonfuls! Puddings came from Tesco or similar. Will not go with this compan again although the free drinks are quite good. Transport to and from ship badly organised. For instance on the way home a lot of people were on the same flight. This entailed a coach and 4 taxis although all could have fitted in one coach. I counted 8 coaches which would take 400 people but 2 ships at 140 each would only need 6 and no taxis of which there at least 10. For the sake of the environment changes have to be made. Read Less

This was a great trip. The service was outstanding. The accommodations were better than expected because I am used to the large cruise ships but was pleasantly surprised. I wish to commend the Captain Helder Conceicao for a smooth ride. Purser Susana Melo was wonderful she did a great job and was so nice to me and tried to help in every way! The entertainment director Tania da Silva kept us entertained and organized for all the great and interesting excursions. Loved the traditional Portuguese dancers and Fadu singers. Rooms were kept clean cabin stewardesses did a great job. Our chef Alexandre Kowalski had a great menu enjoyed by all and he was very accommodating to those who had food issues. Our waitress ans waiters took great care of us at every meal. Would take this trip again. Thanks to and congrats to Croisieurope for a wonderful trip. Read Less