Douro Azul named Europe’s leading river cruise company for the fourth consecutive year.
If you’re someone that gets to take all the vacations you want, then you probably don’t understand the pressure that comes with making sure you get every single trip you take right. For the rest of us, however, we know what it’s like to obsess and ache over making sure that next holiday brings you as much relaxation and happiness as it possibly can. You could opt to go the route of many and stick to the same vacation you know you love every time. While there’s not necessarily anything wrong with this (I mean, if it works, it works), it is a big wide world out there, and there’s lots to see and do. So, how do you make sure your next trip is going to tick all the boxes if you’ve never taken it before? Going with a consistent award winner is a great start. Don’t worry, we’re not going to leave you high and dry looking for options—you did come here for a reason. Please allow us to introduce Douro Azul: Europe’s Leading River Cruise Company.
Okay, so any company like Douro Azul that’s been voted Europe’s Leading River Cruise Company four years in a row (and once before that, as well) is far from obscure. That said, as they and their parent company, Mystic Invest, are located on a different continent than my average reader, I’m going to go ahead and recap what makes them so excellent as though you maybe haven’t heard of them.
Established in 1993 with a single riverboat, the VistaDouro, Douro Azul has steadily grown to now boast twelve boats traveling the Iberian Peninsula’s gorgeous Douro River. Those who love beautiful vistas, fantastic wines, elegant cabins and suites, and onboard amenities that go far beyond what’s typically offered on ships of their size will absolutely want to check out this fantastic company for their next vacation.
Upcoming Itineraries
If all of this has piqued your interest and you’d like to see what Douro Azul has coming up for next summer, I recommend looking into these cruises aboard the Spirit of Chartwell.
Their first option is the shortest at about 4 days and scheduled to disembark on the 7th of June.
Douro Azul’s Spirit of Chartwell 4-day Cruise Itinerary
Day 1
Start: Vila Nova de Gaia
End: Vila Nova de Gaia
Daily Highlight: City Tour with a visit to a wine cellar
Day 2
Start: Vila Nova de Gaia
End: Pinhão
Daily Highlight: Dinner at local “Quinta” (wine estate)
Day 3
Start: Pinhão
First stop: Régua
End: Entre-os-Rios
Daily Highlights: Tour of Palácio da Anadia and Casa de Santar Gardens & Portuguese music show on board
Day 4
Start: Entre-os-Rios
End: Vila Nova de Gaia
Daily Highlight: Debarkation (not a highlight, just the most significant thing happening that day)
So, yeah, pretty perfect if you’ve got a long weekend in the area, or you’d like to cap the trip with a few days on the ground.
The other itineraries onboard the Spirit of Chartwell cover various dates through 2019 and 2020 and last about 8 days.
Douro Azul’s Spirit of Chartwell 8-day Cruise Itinerary
Day 1
Start: Vila Nova de Gaia
End: Vila Nova de Gaia
Daily Highlight: Welcome cocktails!
Day 2
Start: Vila Nova de Gaia
End: Entre-os-Rios
Daily Highlights: Porto city tour with a visit to the cellars & Vintage Port ceremony
Day 3
Start: Entre-os-Rios
End: Régua
Daily Highlights: Tour to Lamego & Dinner at a wine production Quinta
Day 4
Start: Régua
End: Barca d’Alva
Daily Highlights: Tour to Castelo Rodrigo & Portuguese music show on board
Day 5
Start: Barca d’Alva
End: Barca d’Alva
Daily Highlights: Tour to Salamanca with lunch Flamenco show & Barbecue dinner on board
Day 6
Start: Barca d’Alva
End: Régua
Daily Highlights: Tour to Mateus Palace and Gardens & Lecture: Portugal Today
Day 7
Start: Régua
First stop: Entre-os-Rios
End: Vila Nova de Gaia
Daily Highlight: Visit and lunch to Quinta da Aveleda
Day 8
Start: Vila Nova de Gaia
End: Vila Nova de Gaia
Daily Highlight: Debarkation (still not a highlight, just the biggest thing happening that day)
Obviously, these are the options most would want to go for, as they cover the same ground as the shorter trip, plus quite a bit more. Of course, I can’t imagine anyone coming off either of these amazing cruises and feeling anything other than totally fulfilled. That said, to book a trip for yourself, just head over to Douro Azul’s site here.
For those that feel like they’ve maybe seen and done all there is to do in this particular area of the world and want to check out other ideas from Douro Azul’s spectacular parent company, Mystic Invest Holding, you can take a look at the latest addition to their repertoire, Mystic and Niko Cruises here and here, respectively.
