Portugal and France river cruises, flying out Aug. 31 2021

[Gourmet Gal]

So all Pax were fully vaccinated?

[terry&mike]

We arrived into Bordeaux with no issues at all. They did not ask for our health questionnaires that were stated we needed to fill out and bring. They did not ask for our Pass Sanitaire, which we haven’t received yet. EasyJet checked our vaccination cards before boarding but they weren’t checked when we landed in France. Just a quick scan of our passport through a machine, and done. 

[terry&mike]

1 minute ago, Gourmet Gal said:

So all Pax were fully vaccinated?

Yes, you must be fully vaccinated to sail AMA right now. 

[Gourmet Gal]

Anymore info you care to share about the ship on the Douro?  I believe it’s a new one, correct?  How was the service, decor, layout?  Was the bed comfortable and was there enough storage in the stateroom?  Sounds like the excursions were great - did you like the guides? Other than the long bus ride in Spain, how long was the average ride?

 

[terry&mike]

6 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Anymore info you care to share about the ship on the Douro?  I believe it’s a new one, correct?  How was the service, decor, layout?  Was the bed comfortable and was there enough storage in the stateroom?  Sounds like the excursions were great - did you like the guides? Other than the long bus ride in Spain, how long was the average ride?

 

The ship was very nice. It was built in 2019 and holds 102 passengers.
The cabins are in line with river cruising sizes, which means you’ll want to bump up to a balcony if you want something that feels a bit more roomy, balcony cabins are probably the equivalent of a smallish hotel room size. We were in a C, which is just below a true balcony cabin. It has a floor to ceiling window which you can lower electronically to the half way point, allowing for a sort of Juliet balcony feel, but not quite. We had 2 closet cubicles of about 22 inches wide each, a long thin desk top like space, a cubby with 2 shelves, and then 4 other assorted shelves. There were 2 nightstands, each with 2 small drawers and a shelf. There was a small table with 2 chairs by the window. For many this would be tight space for storage, we pack on the light side so there was room for our stuff. I always start by taking all of the room items that are spread about that belong to the ship and group them together  (alarm clock, slippers, laundry bag), then I position my stuff where I want it. 
 

The bed was super comfortable, firm but not hard. Has a soft duvet, but you can swap for sheets and a blanket. Has 2 nice pillows per person, but you can swap for other pillow styles. In the room you will find 2 robes, slippers, hair dryer, small refrigerator, safe, umbrella, ink pen, alarm clock, shampoo and shower gel. Also lotion, hand wash gel, and facial bar soap. 
 

The decor is streamlined, clean modern lines but more to classic rather than hard contemporary. Dark woods and pale walls, linen lamp shades. Warm and inviting without being in your face. Almost unremarkable in its simplicity, but in a good way. 
 

The bathroom has marble in streaked black paired with streaked white marble. Lots of light and large mirrors. Not a lot of counter space, but a storage shelf below the sink. The shower was small, but modern lines with glass shower doors. Usually was fine but sometimes the water temperature would fluctuate. 
 

The staff was spectacular. I cannot say enough good things about them. Pleasant, happy, helpful, kind, efficient, professional. The service in every department was very good. 
 

The rooms were serviced twice a day.
 

The restaurant service was spot on, never an issue with quality of food, service pace, orders being correct. Each day a different red and white wine from the region were served. Before dinner was always a Sip and Sail cocktail hour with open bar on many standard cocktails. 
 

There was an onboard piano player who was very good, but there was no dancing as currently Portugal does not allow that due to Covid. 
 

Please let me know what I missed, or any other questions. 

[terry&mike]

6 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Anymore info you care to share about the ship on the Douro?  I believe it’s a new one, correct?  How was the service, decor, layout?  Was the bed comfortable and was there enough storage in the stateroom?  Sounds like the excursions were great - did you like the guides? Other than the long bus ride in Spain, how long was the average ride?

 

Forgot this question - the bus rides tended to be about 45 minutes long. The Douro Valley is a bit different in that there are incredibly beautiful large terraced fields of grape vines going up the hills from the river, with towns and quintas a bit up some winding rooms and perched on the hill. There were a couple of towns that were down low at the river level, and walkable from the ship (Pinhao, Porto), but most involved a 30-45 minute bus ride. The distance is not far, but roads are small and winding. 

[terry&mike]

We walked from our apartment to the Scenic Diamond, docked just a few blocks from us, arriving at 10:15am. We left our luggage and took a stroll around the beautiful old town of Bordeaux, visited a market with many food vendors by the river, strolled through the public garden. 
We returned to the ship around 12:15p, and were able to check in and our room was ready. 
We are in cabin 205, a balcony cabin on the Sapphire Deck. The storage in the room is a bit more than the AMA ship we just left, and the storage in the bathroom is much more. 
The overall feel is more elegant and high end, and the service feels more polished. 
There are 88 guests booked for this 10 night sailing, known as Beautiful Bordeaux, but the ship usually has 150 passengers. 
We enjoyed a light lunch and champagne, and unpacked and settled in. 

[Gourmet Gal]

All sounds lovely.  Thanks for taking time to write your thoughtful reply.  

[wandb]

Just discovered this thread and have enjoyed reading it from start to finish!

Looking forward to even more of your journey. 

[Divi]

@terry&mike Thank you for posting about your travels. We have been enjoying your descriptions. 
We will be doing our first river cruise on Scenic Jade in October, 2022. I will be interested in your thoughts about the two cruise lines and appreciate you mentioning the differences you have noticed so far.

Have a wonderful time and thanks for taking us along.

[terry&mike]

Last night was a brief introduction to some staff members over cocktails, and a bit of safety protocol. 
Dinner in the dining room was at 7p. Many of the passengers were still arriving to the ship during dinner, and even afterwards. 
The presentation of the food was that of fine dining, and the service very good. We thoroughly enjoyed each of the dishes we ordered, with the chef using unique and well layered flavors, and the preparation being spot on. 
Red and white wine from France was offered with the meal, and both were excellent. 
After dinner we took a stroll along the active Bordeaux river front promenade, and then returned for a nightcap in the bar. 
The house piano player was providing entertainment, and a few couples danced. 
 

[terry&mike]

Today we had scenic cruising in the first half of the day, and moved from the Garonne River to the Dordogne River. 
We ported in Libourne after lunch. 
There was a tour of St Emilion from 2p-6p which was very interesting. We visited an underground church, a lovely old town with cobbled streets, and saw many hectares of wine fields and chateau. 

[Canal archive]

Terry & Mike I put some pictures on the guess where this is thread some were of where you’ve just been. We are in Scotland at the moment you are bringing back so many memories, I want to be there!

[terry&mike]

We are still ported in Libourne, France, and took a beautiful bike ride today from 9a-12 noon through some vineyards and small towns. We went for a tour of the underground cellars and a wine tasting at Chateau de la Riviere, and then biked back to the ship. 
Tonight is the Gala Welcome Dinner.  
The passenger makeup on board is 38 from the US, and 50 from the UK. 

[terry&mike]

Mike’s French Pass Sanitaire finally came through the day before yesterday, mine still has not come through. We applied on August 18. The good news is that it has not been a problem, other than boarding the flight from Portugal to France, and boarding the ship the initial time, we have not been asked for the PS or our vaccine card anywhere. 

[sibongito]

Terry& Mike I enjoy reading your travel adventures in Covid times. Thank you for sharing your experiences, I have learn a lot from your posting. Take care and hope your French PS will arrive soon. Do you need to have another PCR test before you leave France? 

[terry&mike]

3 hours ago, sibongito said:

Terry& Mike I enjoy reading your travel adventures in Covid times. Thank you for sharing your experiences, I have learn a lot from your posting. Take care and hope your French PS will arrive soon. Do you need to have another PCR test before you leave France? 

We will need to have a PCR or antigen test to be able to board our flights home to the US. 

[terry&mike]

The Welcome Dinner last night featured some tasty items such as oysters Rockefeller and Chateaubriand, to name a few. 
 

Today we had a relaxed bike ride in the Medoc region, and visited Chateau Malescasse for a tour and wine tasting of 2 reds. The owner of this chateau has updated the estate with an eye towards modern decor and a few well placed pieces of contemporary art. 
 

When we returned to the ship, a BBQ had been set up on the top deck featuring many different meats and hot and cold side dishes. 

[Gourmet Gal]

I’ve never heard of a BBQ at the dock on a river cruise.  How fun!

[terry&mike]

This evening after dinner we were taken by bus, about 25 minutes, to the Chateau d’Agassac, near Margaux, France. We were given a brief tour of the chateau, which looks like a fairytale castle, while we enjoyed their wine.  Then we were treated to a classical concert by a quartet, which lasted about an hour. 
During the concert, the ship was moved to Bordeaux, and we arrived back around 10:30p.  

[Canal archive]

It’s an Australian company so BBQs are not an unusual occurrence.

[terry&mike]

We were still ported in Bordeaux this morning, so Mike and I were able to take a long walk for several miles after breakfast.
We had all aboard at 10:30a and then sailed under a very narrow clearance old stone bridge. Watching from the top deck was interesting. 

We are now sailing towards Cadillac, France. 
 

 

[terry&mike]

We arrived in Cadillac, France at 3pm and were given a walking tour of the small town and a tour of the Chateau of the Duke. After that we were free to wander or return to the ship. The town is about a 5 minute walk from where we are docked. We will remain here overnight. 

[Daisi]

On 9/15/2021 at 10:21 AM, Gourmet Gal said:

I’ve never heard of a BBQ at the dock on a river cruise.  How fun!

Avalon has outdoor "grills", we had a BBQ on our Rhine cruise.

[Canal archive]

The captain of a vessel has to have special qualifications to navigate the Napolian bridge. Out of interest does your Captain look far to young to be at the helm or a bit like a British Airways pilote?