Douro River Cruise Prices is part of a continuing series of comparison charts and articles featuring European River Cruises offered by world class river cruise lines. Our goal is to provide a True Per Diem for each cruise, or the daily cost breakdown of the trip once all extra fees are added to the cruise fare.
Comparison charts serve as a guide and attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions from our readers:
- What does a Douro river cruise cost?
- How does the cruise I am looking at compare to Douro river cruises offered by other companies?
- What is the price for an entry-level cabin?
- What’s the price for an upgrade?
- What’s included in a 2025 Douro River cruise?
- What incentives are there for 2025 Douro cruises?
Our goal is to provide a True Per Diem for each cruise, or the daily cost breakdown of the trip once all extra fees are added to the cruise fare.
Why Cruise The Douro?
Most Douro River cruises begin and end in Porto, one of Portugal’s oldest and most charming cities. Some cruise lines offer pre-cruise tours of Lisbon, Portugal’s hilly coastal capital. An overnight stay in Lisbon is included in the Viking River Cruises’ Douro itinerary. In addition, some Douro river cruises include a visit to Salamanca, Spain or offer a post cruise package there – or to Madrid.
The Douro River Valley is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, where wine has been produced for the past 2,000 years. The river meanders through Portugal’s dramatic mountains, vineyards, and olive groves. Excursions along the way include stops at historic villages with charming architecture. Itineraries include dining and port wine tastings at Quintas, the ancient rural vineyards. There are also guided tours of quaint historic towns and museums.
Understanding The Pricing Charts
The prices in this chart are based on double occupancy. The upgrade costs for a cabin with a balcony are per person. The value of the incentive is broken down per day, per person. True per diem will include the savings of incentives/discounts offered at the time of research as well as the imputed value of items that are not included.
Prices and details reflect information available at the time of research. Cruise lines offer varying incentives with differing time limits or deadlines, and it is best to check with a travel agent or the cruise company’s website. The incentives that are included in the charts were current at the time they were compiled and may no longer apply or there may be a new special offer.
Douro River Pricing 2025
| AmaWaterways | Avalon | CroisiEurope | Emerald | Riviera | Tauck | Uniworld | Viking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | AmaDouro | Alegria | Gil Eanes | Emerald Radiance | Douro Elegance | MS Andorinha | S.S. São Gabriel | Viking Hemming |
| Rate | $4,399 | $4,299 | $2,989 | $9,190 | $3,099 | $5,890 | $4,899 | $4,299 |
| Sailing Date | August 5, 2025 | August 6, 2025 | July 17, 2025 | August 9, 2025 | August 7, 2025 | August 8, 2025 | August 10, 2025 | August 3, 2025 |
| Nights | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| Itinerary | Enticing Duoro | Vida Portugal: Vineyards & Villages | Lisbon, Porto and The Douro Valley | Secrets Of The Douro | History Of The Douro | Villages and Vintages: Cruising the Douro River Valley | Douro River Valley | Portugal’s River of Gold |
| Cabin Category | Category E | Category E | Category B | Category F | Lower Deck Cabin | Category 1 | Classic | Category E |
| Square Footage | 161 | 172 | 139 | 153 | 129 | 150 | 135 | 155 |
| Per diem | $628 | $614 | $427 | $1,313 | $443 | $841 | $700 | $478 |
| Port Charges | $33 | $30 | Included | Included | Included | Included | $33 | Included |
| Gratuities (on ship) | $18 | $18 | $18 | Included | $18 | Included | Included | $18 |
| Gratuities (on shore) | $2.50 | $2.50 | $2.50 | Included | $2.50 | Included | Included | $2.50 |
| Beverages | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Current Incentive | $500 | $500 | N/A | $5,595 | N/A | N/A | $490 | $200 |
| Value of Incentive | $71 | $71 | N/A | $799 | N/A | N /A | $70 | $22 |
| True Per Diem | $611 | $593 | $448 | $514 | $463 | $841 | $663 | $476 |
| Per Diem/Square Foot | $3.79 | $3.45 | $3.22 | $3.36 | $3.59 | $5.61 | $4.91 | $3.07 |
| Balcony Upgrade | $1,399 | $1,449 | $222 | $550 | $1,300 | $1,750 | $3,000 | $1,700 |
| Balcony Per Diem | $810 | $800 | $479 | $592 | $649 | $1,091 | $1,091 | $665 |
| Updated 3/12/2024 |
* Per Diem – The rate divided by the number of nights on board, indicated per person but based on double occupancy. Solo travelers will, in most cases, pay single supplements.
* Gratuities (on ship) – Some companies include gratuities for crew, others leave it to their guests to take care of gratuities.
* Gratuities (on shore) – Just as with crew gratuities, some companies take care of on-shore gratuities for guides and drivers; other companies leave it to their guests.
* Beverages – Nearly all river cruise companies offer complimentary soft drinks, speciality coffees, beer and wine during lunch and dinner. In between mealtimes, though, you’ll pay for most beverages. AmaWaterways hosts a “Sip & Sail” Happy Hour which includes complimentary cocktails before dinner.
* Optional Shore Excursions – All river cruise companies include complimentary excursions in most, if not all, ports of call. However, some companies offer optional shore excursions for a fee.
* Current Incentive (per person) – Companies offer a range of incentives, from early-booking savings to two-for-ones and reduced or free air. The incentives are always changing so be sure to check with your travel advisor or the cruise company about current offers.
* Value of Incentive (per day/pp) – We’ve divided the amount of the incentive by the number of days on board to arrive at a per-diem value.
* Balcony Upgrade – Nearly all of the entry-level staterooms feature fixed windows.
14 Responses
Thanks for pulling together helpful comparisons. One request: rather than listing a category as “sold out” in a particular comparison category, I would rather know what that cost would be if it were available. Otherwise I do not get the complete picture, such as typical cost of an upgraded room.
Are there beverage plans that include spirits and if not are there supplemental plans? In looking at the various cruise line options for the Douro all seem to include a variety of beverages but only a few to my knowledge include spirits.
I would also like to see single supplement pricing.
Again looking for single supplement information. Thanks
I already saw a comment asking for single supplement information but I want to repeat that request. There are plenty of us out here that need that info, and it’s a growing community. Thanks!
Regarding Douro River cruises, it seems Viking is the only one listed that includes Lisbon. Do any of the others offer Lisbon as a pre cruise extension and if so, how much does the extension cost. Appreciate your input.
Excellent article with one exception. I travel with 2 friends, and we all prefer our own cabin/hotel room. Please include info about single supplements! I think there are more and more solo travelers.
Our recent trip on Danube left us a bit disappointed with Uniworld. Traveling with 3 generations not a good idea in our opinion. I have worked with children for many years because I am passionate about children but find the modern generation too indulged by parents who forget to consider others and check their children. Did a Po river Italy with Uniworld as an introduction to River cruising. It was a wow! Wonderful staff and fully inclusive. They still sell themselves as fully inclusive but they are not!
Thank you for reading and for your comment. You are right, we only featured 8 day/7 night cruises on the Douro in the charts and there are many options for cruises longer in duration. Also adding an extension trip or a pre or post cruise trip to Madrid or Lisbon are options. Appreciate the feedback!
In comparing the cruises, you have rightly shown the Porto to Porto cruises. Some lines deviate from that formula by including Madrid, etc., so to be fair, this list does not cover all the options. But thank you for a well written article.
We’ll look into this. It seems that it may be difficult for us to include air from so many destinations. Do you have an idea of how it can be done?
Sorry. It’s now corrected, showing Douro.
Your chart is titled “Douro —” but the details seem to be for Rhone River trips. Where are the details for the Douro?
You don’t state what the assumed departure/arrival point is for air-flights. I’m sure there’s a huge difference between, say, London-Lisbon and, say, Sydney-Lisbon. Please include (and republish?) these details for cruises where air-travel is referred to in this article. Thanks!