It was a great way to see some of Portugal that on your own you wouldn't see. Local guides were great, however the timing for the excursion in Salamanca was wrong and by the time the tour was finished and free time started the bulk of the shops had closed hence only some souvenir shops were still open (Scenic need to rethink Salamanca). The river scenery was pretty impressive and lots of little villages where we had experiences and interactions with the locals included. Butler service and no additional charge for food or any drinks certainly made us feel like we were in the lap of luxury. A couple of occasions where they brought local entertainers on board but mostly the resident pianist/vocalist. He adapted very well to tastes of voyagers, who were predominantly Australians but including Scotts, Irish and Canadians. Communication really easy as all staff had great English language skills.