The Douro River, the spirit of Portugal (port-to-port cruise)

After purchase, you will receive a Booking Confirmation and Passenger Information Form by email. Within 24 hours of purchase you need to send us a copy of your passport together with your Passenger Information Form.

After purchase, you are required to make a deposit or full payment for your order. Please note most of our deposit is non-refundable. Please check your booking and your invoice for the Terms and Conditions which apply specifically to your booking.

If you would like to cancel your booking, please refer to our cancellation terms.

Please notes:

• Any special requests, preferences MUST be clearly stated in your Passenger Information Form
• Any change requested after submitting your Passenger Information Form cannot be guaranteed, is strictly subject to availability and will incur surcharges

European river cruises*

• All cabins are tastefully decorated and equipped with air conditioning, central heating, shower / toilets, satellite TV, safe, hairdryer— each providing a view of the river. Some cabins have French balconies or private terraces.
• Our fleet of Premium ships offers additional comfort providing more space in the cabins.

Customers can choose between 3 categories of cabins:

• Category A: premium location
• Category B: intermediate location
• Category C: standard location (close to public areas such as entrance, restaurants, public lavatory) - same size or sometimes slightly smaller than Cat A & Cat B cabin
• PRM Cabin: Cabin for passengers with reduced mobility. This cabin is not recommended for passengers without mobility difficulties.

*The above cabin description is applicable to all ships except the canal barges, the ocean ships and the fleet of exotic river ships outside of Europe.

On European river cruises, your meals are carefully designed and planned, and menus are developed in the pure tradition of fine French gastronomy. Each meal on your cruise will give you a delightful experience of French haute cuisine. For our gastronomic cruises, such Michelin-starred greats as Marc Haeberlin and the expert staff surrounding Paul Bocuse have been happy to join forces with CroisiEurope to take you on a memorable culinary voyage.

For cruises outside of Europe, our Chefs prepare local cuisine, colorful and tasty, while adapted to Western tastes.

Buffet Breakfast

• Your day will start with an impressive self-served buffet breakfast in the onboard restaurant, which may include pastries, coffee, tea, juice, breads, jams and jellies, a variety of sausages and cold cuts, eggs, fresh fruit, and yogurt.

Lunch & Dinner

Lunch can be either buffet lunch or sit-down meals, while dinner will be 3-course sit-down meals. A menu of local specialties is prepared on a daily basis from fresh ingredients.

• Please state your specific needs at the time you make your reservation (food allergies or special dietary needs)
• Both lunch and dinner meals are paired with excellent complimentary wines. Complimentary wines may not be available for cruises outside of Europe. Check specific inclusions for your cruise.

Special Occasion

•  Please let us know your special occasion requirements – such as cakes, champagne, or flowers – at the time of booking and ideally one month or more before departure, and we will do our best to accommodate your wishes

European river cruises

Onboard staff and crews speak French, English and many of them speak other major European languages such as German, Italian and Spanish. Notices and announcements are in French and English, as well as other languages based upon the needs of the passengers on board.

River cruises outside of Europe

Onboard staff and crews speak English and local languages.

For European river cruises, two optional different excursion packages provide guests, who are looking for new experiences, adventures and sensations, with a range of dynamic, fun-filled and out-of-the-ordinary activities. Make your choice between these two options:

• CLASSIC Package: Containing classic excursions based on culture, architecture and history. We’ve revamped several of our tours to give you a more authentic experience!
• DISCOVERY Package: Discovery tours are for the adventurous, the offbeat, or those who are looking for something new.

It is recommended to book optional shore excursions prior to your cruise to ensure their availability and to benefit from cheaper prices than buying them on board.

Excursions on European canal barge cruises and exotic river cruises outside of Europe are included (except certain optional excursions).

Tipping customs vary from country to country and culture to culture, and we understand that tipping is a way for passengers to show appreciation for services, quality and attention received during the cruise whether it be for the meals, rooms, reception or visits. To leave a tip, please use the envelope found in your cabin your last evening on board, and place this envelope in the specially designated box in the reception area as you disembark with the understanding that tipping is entirely at your discretion.

Tipping is not compulsory and is not included in this package. We believe that if you choose to tip, you should only pay for the service you receive. In general, tipping is widely accepted as a way to show your appreciation of good service but is not compulsory. Tipping is expected and often makes up a large part of people's wages.

If you are travelling on a river cruise and happy with the services provided by your crews and service onboard:

- Recommended tips - For the crews and guides - $10US per day per passenger.

Smoking is not permitted inside all ships.  You may smoke in designated smoking areas on deck only.

Pets are not allowed on board.

Free wi-fi is available on all ships in the reception area and lounge bar on most ships. On the newest ships such as the Ms Gerard Schmitter, the MS Cyrano de Bergerac, the MS Lafayette and the fleet of four hotel barges, Wi-Fi is available throughout. For exotic river cruises outside of Europe, wifi may not be available when cruising in remote areas.

Your ship’s emergency telephone number will be provided in your on-board documentation, so that your family may reach you in the event of urgent need or emergency. If you would like to make or receive phone calls on a non-emergency basis, we recommend that you make arrangements with your mobile phone provider for more information.

You’ll be most comfortable during the day in smart casual clothing.  You may wish to bring items that do not wrinkle easily, or that transport well after being ironed at home, as there is no iron provided on the ship.  Bring a variety of clothing for the environments expected during your cruise, including light clothing and bathing suits for hot weather, a sweater or jacket for cooler weather, and of course a raincoat and/or small umbrella.

Please check the weather for your specific cruise countries, as the weather can vary quite a bit between the northern and Mediterranean areas.  Don’t forget to bring comfortable and sturdy walking shoes for sightseeing excursions.

For evening meals, as well as for cocktails or gala events ‘casual dressy’ clothing is appropriate.

On European river cruises, the primary currency is the Euro. Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards are accepted. There are no currency exchange facilities on-board, so please ensure you have sufficient cash before boarding. Traveller’s cheques are not accepted.

On exotic river cruises outside of Europe, the primary currency is the US Dollar. Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards are accepted. There are no currency exchange facilities on-board, so please ensure you have sufficient cash before boarding. Traveller’s cheques are not accepted.

Onboard electrical service is 220V; most standard American electrical appliances are 120V.

If you have any items that require electricity you must bring a two-pin plug European adaptor that will fit your item.  Many items such as cell phone chargers come already equipped with international adaptors – check the equipment that came with your cell phone.  In addition, you may find that you need to bring adaptors for other items such as your own razor, electric toothbrush, or curling iron (220V hair dryers are provided in each cabin).

For exotic cruises outside of Europe, an adaptor to the local plug standard is recommended.

While your  cruise is all about discovering wonderful destinations, on many days there will be entertainment activities to add an extra dimension to your voyage. A traditional evening of entertainment with a “Titi Parisien” theme or an evening with songs and guitares that capture the spirit of La Camargue. Dinner in Spain may be accompanied by a guitar player from the region. A classical string quartet could come aboard in Germany, or an entrancing fado singer in Portugal. On the Volga, you can choose to take part in a tea drinking ceremony or Russian classes. Or simply do nothing except relax to some light music in the lounge. In exotic river cruise, cooking class or destination lectures are available. 

Our cruise products DO NOT include Travel Insurance. Travel insurance is not included in our tours, cruises, day tours, private tours, group tours, transfers, and any of our packages.

For your protection, we strongly recommend that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance for your travel arrangements (without limitation) that include coverage for medical expenses, loss of luggage, cruise, land content and airfare charges that may occur. You need to provide us your Travel Insurance details upon booking, or at least before 30 days prior to your departure.

If you do not have travel insurance prior to your departure, we retain the rights to refuse boarding/joining our tours or cruises. We might refund / provide travel credits for you, less any unrecoverable fees including but not limited to admin fees, visas fees, other suppliers’ cancellation fees. We won’t be held liable for any costs associated with this matter.