MS Fernao de Magalhaes, 7 Night The Douro River, the spirit of Portugal ex Oporto (Porto), Portugal Return

Visit Spain and Portugal connected by the Golden River. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Douro opens its doors where you will discover terraced vineyards, typical villages, quintas and their wines all along the river. Explore Salamanca, named as “the small Rome” classified World Heritage by UNESCO, don’t miss out its cathedral. Embark for an unforgettable journey through these magnificent countries.

Day 1
Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 5:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. After dinner, the evening is free to do as you please.

Day 2
Join us for a guided tour of Porto followed by a wine tasting session in the cellars at Vila Nova de Gaïa. The afternoon will be spent sailing.

Day 3
Take part in our excursion to Vila Réal, a town with a great variety of religious buildings and architecture. We'll stroll through the formal gardens at the Mateus Palace. The afternoon will be spent sailing. Enjoy an evening of Flamenco entertainment.

Day 4
Join us for an excursion to Salamanca (lunch included). We'll visit its unusual cathedral and its famous university dating back to 1218, making it one of the oldest in the world. We'll return on board after our tour and enjoy an evening of entertainment.

Day 5
This morning will be spent cruising. We'll set off on our excursion along the Porto Wine Route: we'll discover the vineyards famously arranged in rows as well as small typical villages, followed by a wine-tasting session in a true Portuguese quinta. Tonight's our gala evening and dinner.

Day 6
Join us on a guided tour of Lamego. The afternoon will be spent sailing towards Porto. Enjoy an evening of Fado entertainment.

Day 7
Enjoy time at leisure this morning to discover Porto at your own pace. Afterwards, join us for an excursion to Aveiro, a charming medieval town surrounded by salt marshes, beaches and lagoons. Enjoy an evening of traditional folk entertainment.

Day 8
Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.

Named after the famous Portuguese navigator (better known as Magellan) who completed the first journey round the world, the MS Fernão de Magalhães sails on the Douro. Passengers can admire the unique landscapes, sculpted by nature and shaped by man, all along an enchanted valley where the famous port wine is produced. Completely renovated in 2015, the MS Fernão de Magalhães is an intimate-sized standard ship, measuring 75 meters long and 11,40 meters wide. It can accommodate 138 passengers, in 71 cabins spread over three decks. The size of each cabin is between 11 m2 and 14 m2, offering amenities and providing guests with all the comforts they need during their stay. The majority of the cabins are located on the upper deck and have large panoramic windows. Those on the middle and main decks have large windows. The decoration is stylish and its atmosphere both elegant and friendly, and in perfect harmony with its surroundings. The pastel shades refer to the region’s “douceur de vivre” and the green hillsides. The restaurant is located on the main deck and offers a delicate cuisine in a refined setting, where large windows allow guests to fully enjoy the panorama. Situated on the middle deck is the lounge / bar with a dance floor. The sun deck has a pool with comfortable sun loungers and a large shaded area, the ideal place to relax.

CroisiEurope has a fleet of Prestige category boats with cabins, which ply the most beautiful rivers in Europe. Spacious and light, they offer a welcoming and refined setting. Accommodation capacity varies from 100 to 180 passengers depending on the boat's design. At the cutting edge of technology, their facilities offer comfort and safety.

Carefully maintained and partially renovated each year, the CroisiEurope fleet is largely made up of recently built vessels, less than five years old, all with Veritas certification. The leading European river tour operator, our company owes its international reputation to its seriousness, its dynamism, its sense of innovation and its recognised value for money of long standing.

Vessels are rated four-star and food is superb – as you’d expect on a French-owned cruise line, staffed by French chefs and with top French and German wines aboard. One cruise of the Rhone and Saone Rivers in France concentrates on gastronomy and traditional French cusine, visiting Collonges Abbey, renowned for its great French chef, Paul Bocuse.

CroisiEurope is a family-owned and operated firm, with brothers and sisters running different aspects of the company and keeping a close eye on all operations to ensure excellence.

River cruising offers much free fun. Wake in the morning and observe the passing riverside scenery through your cabin window – perhaps from your bed. Gaze upon village churches or a patchwork of fields sparkling in the morning sun.

CroisiEurope’s network traverses a phenomenal number of European rivers and waterways. They range from the Guadalquivir and Guadiana (flowing through Spain and Portugal respectively); the Douro in Portugal, the Po and Venice Lagoon in Italy; the Rhone in Provence, plus the Seine from Paris to the Normandy Coast. And there’s more: the Moselle, the Neckar, the Saar, the Oder, the Havel, the Baltic Sea, the Camarge, the Rhine, the Main and the mighty Danube; the Tisza and the Black Sea; the Belgian and Dutch waterways. Everything from tulip time in Holland to Christmas Markets in Germany.

Drinks included with on board meals: mineral water, house wine, beer, fruit juice, and tea or coffee.