Riviera returns with Douro sailings

Riviera Travel has completed its first river cruises in 18 months with two eight-day sailings to Porto and Salamanca. 

A total of 120 passengers were on-board the voyages, which featured excursions to a Porto vineyard and the old city of Salamanca, an official Unesco World Heritage Site, as well as guided tours of local landmarks, including Castelo Rodrigo and Mateus Palace gardens.

Riviera will now operate a series of river cruises across Europe up until early November.

Katja Hildebrandt, Head of Product River & Ocean Cruise at Riviera Travel, said: “Our Douro cruises were the perfect first sailings back, as our guests really did feel they were away-from-it-all as they visited some of Iberia’s most beautiful towns, gardens and vineyards.

“We can’t wait to welcome more people back on-board, as our European river cruises return to some of the most beautiful destinations along the likes of the Seine, Rhone and Danube.”

Cruise passenger Sally Harper said: “The organisation that Riviera have put into this has been absolutely second to none; I can’t fault it. This is the second trip we’ve done with Riviera, the first one was Croatia, but this is the first river cruise I’ve ever done and it’s gone beyond my expectations.

“The river is spectacular. Everybody told us to expect a beautiful river and this has just blown me away. The food is great and the staff are so friendly, everywhere is so immaculately clean. We’ve felt really safe and secure at all times.”

Emerald Cruises resumed sailings on the Douro on July 31.