Viking River Cruises guided us through a cruise of a lifetime. Portugal and the Douro River Valley were beautiful and we saw so many amazing sites and learned so much about the Portuguese culture and country.. We did the pre cruise stay in Lisbon, and a private car met us at the airport and took us to the hotel. The city guides were outstanding as was the Hotel Lisboa Tivol and especially the Skyview Bar on the top floor patio, which provided a beautiful view of the city, light dinner and excellent wine to end each day of our stay. We were transported to our mini long ship in Nuevo de Gaia and Porto by very modern bus with wifi. The program Tour Director during the cruise , Carmen, was gracious, informative and had a great sense of the history and culture of Portugal. We learned so much about the country and were very impressed with her organizational skills and knowledge.

The stateroom was very comfortable and storage was great and the bed very comfortable. We had a veranda room and the weather so nice, we made good use of it and our views were never obstructed. The Torgil sailed only during the day and docked at night. We could not have been more happy with our compact accommodations . The dining room and the food served also exceeded our expectations! We loved the Portuguese cuisine and many choices at each of our meals.. The wine served at lunch and dinner was also quite good and the wine steward was most helpful in finding a wine suitable for each meal and our own tastes. The chef was superb and the food always cooked to perfection and service was wonderful. We enjoyed the fresh salad ingredients on the buffet for lunch and a choice of three entrees were also included for those who prefer heavier meals at mid day. The breakfast buffet was also varied and ordering from menu was also encouraged. Steaks and fish were cooked perfectly and we were never disappointed with our meals, including those provided off ship. The included day tours and guides were wonderful. Every day was a real treat and we also enjoyed our fellow guests on the cruise.

We took the optional tour to Grimares but extra time in Porto would also have been good, there was so much more of Portugal we would have loved to see and enjoy, but felt Viking River Cruise provided a wonderful and varied experience that was enhanced by the wonderful tour guides. And the day trips,to Salamanca, QUintos du Sextos, Coimbra , Lamego, Castello de Rodrigo, Mateus, and others were well planned and interesting. The wine tasting tours in Gaia and Sandeman were very touristy but informative. The actual tasting was so rushed and we were not fans of the ports being served but when in Portugal you really should taste the port! And one evening we had the added treat of a demonstration on opening a bottle of 20 year old vintage port using fire and ice. This Vintage Port was also served after dinner that night and we became fans of quality port. We extended our tour to visit Braga and Compostella de Santiago and this was the perfect conclusion to our vacation. We would happily repeat the Douro River Cruise. Portugal is a wonderful welcoming country to visit and Viking and their connections to the people and various sites made this a very memorable trip.