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4. MS Vasco de Gama

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MS Vasco de Gama

Named after the famous Portuguese navigator who discovered the route to India, MS Vasco da Gama sails on the Douro. Passengers can admire the unique landscapes, sculpted by nature and shaped by man, along an enchanted valley where the famous port wine is produced.

Completely renovated in 2014, this intimate-sized ship measures 75 meters long and 11.40 meters wide. It can accommodate 142 passengers in 71 cabins spread over three decks. The size of each cabin is between 11 m2 and 12.50 m2, offering amenities and providing guests with all the comforts they need during their stay. The majority of 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. Located on the main deck, the restaurant offers a delicate cuisine in a refined setting, where large windows allow guests to fully enjoy the panorama. The lounge / bar with dance floor, located on the middle deck, welcomes passengers during evening entertainment. A swimming pool and comfortable sun loungers are provided on the sun deck, with a large shaded area, the ideal place to relax and admire the surrounding landscapes.

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Accomodation Types

Enjoy the comforts of home onboard with CroisiEurope. Cosy, tastefully decorated cabins greet passengers like a home from home. After dinner, retire to your private cabin in comfort for the night; all cabins are tastefully decorated and are equipped with all amenities required for your comfort.

Cabins

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Deck Plans

Enjoy the comforts of home onboard with CroisiEurope. Cosy, tastefully decorated cabins greet passengers like a home from home. After dinner, retire to your private cabin in comfort for the night; all cabins are tastefully decorated and are equipped with all amenities required for your comfort.

Sun Deck

Upper Deck

Middle Deck

Main Deck

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Dining

The only "floating" hotel structures of its type in France, CroisiEurope reigns supreme over the kitchens on its boats. In charge of the company's Chefs, Alain Bohn manages and designs his cuisine and specific menus in the pure tradition of French cooking with his passionate kitchen teams. From time to time, CroisiEurope joins forces with a number of renowned Chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Marc Haeberlin or Emile Jung to organise gastronomic cruises full of taste and flavour.

Dining aboard a CroisiEurope cruise is always a pleasure. Food is taken seriously and it shows. You'll soon become firm friends with your waiter and you'll quickly come to admire the choices made by world-renowned sommelier, Serge Dubs.

Restaurant

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Entertainment

CroisiEurope ensures that there are a number of activities and events onboard that guests can take part in. These include pre-dinner games and dinner dances along with a number of events in the ship’s lounge.

Lounge Bar with Dancefloor

Sun Deck

Gift Shop

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Enrichment

On board programmes are offered which provide guests with understanding of their destinations, from lectures and demonstrations to special themed dinners.

Local musicians and other experts are invited onboard occasionally, or guests may choose to go ashore for some local shows and activities during evening or overnight stays.

Excursions

We offer on all our cruises numerous and surprising excursions. You may prefer to stay aboard our cruise ships and enjoy the tranquillity, but we have an extensive range of excursions we offer that are great ways to discover each country in detail. (All excursions are optional)

Always with the help of our guides, you will visit tremendous cities, picturesque landscapes, and great activities with our bike rides, scenic tours, tastings, whole days visits or evenings out to appreciate the cities by night.

To offer you the best experience, we offer classic or discovery excursion packages, the latter offering atypical tours, original themes or even helicopter flights.

Below, and by destination, take a look at the sumptuous tours you could do during your cruise in the most beautiful countries in the world, be that in Europe or beyond.

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Health & Fitness

Fitness

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Kids & Teens

Please note: There are no children's facilities on board.

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Useful Information

Age Restriction

Reservations from minors shall not be accepted by the travel agency but must be made by the parents or other adults of more than 18 years of age with the necessary authorisations. Minors of under 18 years of age are not permitted to travel on board unaccompanied. They must be accompanied by parents or adults of more than 18 years of age. No alcoholic beverages shall be served to minors on board. Proof of the customer’s age may be requested by the ship’s personnel.

Disabled Facilities

All passengers shall ensure that they are medically, physically and / or in a psychic way fit to undertake a trip without endangering their life or the life of others. No medical services are offered aboard our ships. Any passenger with a physical or mental incapacity, limited capacity of mobility, having an illness requiring treatment or medical care, or pregnant women should inform the travel agent at the time of booking. No reservations can be accepted for passengers whose physical or mental condition is likely to render their participation in the cruise or in the vacation impossible or dangerous for themselves or others, or who require forms of care or assistance impossible to guarantee aboard ship, notably because of unsuitable infrastructure. Some suppliers (hoteliers, airlines and cruise companies, etc) may require a medical certificate confirming that the passenger is fit to travel or they may refuse to accept the booking if they feel that they will be unable to guarantee any assistance or treatment deemed necessary for the health and well-being of the passenger. Participation in the voyage and in excursions is subject to the condition of the passenger having sufficient mobility. If necessary, the disabled may be accompanied at their own expense to obtain the required assistance.

If CroisiEurope considers it strictly necessary for the safety and comfort of the passenger, bookings of persons with disabilities or reduced mobility will be subject to the condition that a companion able to assist the disabled or mobility-impaired passenger be present. This requirement is entirely dependent on CROISIEUROPE’s assessment of the safety related needs of the disabled or mobility-impaired passenger and may vary from one route to another and/or from one boat to another.

If the disabled or reduced mobility person requests and requires special assistance (care, supervision), they must be accompanied by a companion who can provide the required assistance at their own expense.

All personal accidents, diversions or forced stopover costs disrupting the course of the cruise shall be at the liability of the passenger having concealed his unfitness to travel.

We recommend the wearing of footwear suitable for life aboard and for excursions with non-slip soles.

Some vaccinations, although not mandatory, may be recommended by health authorities.

Smoking Policy

For safety reasons, it is forbidden to smoke on board any of our fleet , as it is a closed environment. However, smokers are invited to go to the sun deck, where ashtrays are provided.

Dress Code

During the day, you will be more comfortable in a casual outfit.

We advise you to bring clothes that are not very wrinkled, or that can easily be transported after ironing at your house, because there are no ironing facilities on board our fleet.

Remember to dress according to the weather, the season and the environment of your cruise: light suits and swimsuits for warm weather; sweater or jacket for cooler weather; sweatshirt, rain gear and small umbrella.

Do not forget to bring comfortable walking shoes in your suitcase. They will be very useful during our excursions!

Regarding dinners, cocktails and galas, it is advisable to dress up a little more without the need, for gentlemen, necessarily to wear a jacket and tie.

Finally, on any excursion, when you visit places of worship, make sure to opt for an appropriate outfit, neither too light nor too undressed, so as not to be prohibited entry.

Special Dietary Requirements

Please inform us at the time of your booking whether you require a special diet or suffer from allergies. Our cook will offer you a fully adapted and tasty menu.

Taking Care of Our Environment

CroisiEurope’s longstanding environmental position focuses on nature as our most valuable asset.

We consider ourselves pioneers in our field, as our commitment to protecting the environment goes above and our legal obligations. We are continually reflecting on how we can expand our green efforts.

After conclusive tests carried out on the Seine River with our partner AS Energy, our ships now use GTL fuel. Gas-to-Liquid fuels combust more uniformly and result in lower emissions.

Here are other environmental initiatives we would like to share with you:

• Installation of water-saving devices on our ships that reduce freshwater consumption by 35% and, as a consequence, the amount of wastewater produced.
• Installation of on-board water fountains that filter public water and transform it into quality drinking water, saving 23 tons of plastic per year.
• Installation of wastewater evacuation systems on our entire fleet that are emptied into wastewater treatment facilities or urban sewer systems during ports of call.
• Installation of a wastewater recipient connected directly to the city sewer system at the CroisiEurope dock.
• All of our ship engines (Green Ship Label) respect the strictest European standards against pollution to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• The latest onboard technology helps limit fuel consumption when cruising.
• We have insulated the ventilation in our engine rooms to reduce noise pollution.
• At ports, we systematically connect to power supply terminals (Powerlock connectors) whenever possible, and for our own docks, we are investing in these newer installations. In addition, most of our ships are equipped with energy-efficient electrical devices.
• In winter, our ships are moored at river ports with electrical terminals that power the vessels, which helps reduce noise and pollution.
• In Paris, we are providing excursions on electric buses that are quieter and pollute less, to everyone’s advantage.
• For the replacement of bath towels, we are trying to raise our passengers’ awareness using written messages and announcements.
• CroisiEurope follows the criteria outlined by Imprim’Vert in regards to environmentally friendly printing. All of the documents printed at our company is done so with vegetable-based inks on unbleached paper.
• All of our waste is sorted and compacted on board before being recycled.
• All food waste and biowaste are collected and converted into biogas by specialised companies.
• Used engine oil is collected and transformed by onshore specialists.
• We use biodegradable and environmentally friendly cleaning products.
• Exterior paints contain no pollutants.
• Plastic straws and cups have been replaced by biodegradable paper.
• Our company is affiliated with E2F, Entreprises Fluviales de France which brings together players in our sector to orchestrate collective actions regarding the immense challenges that lie ahead.

Wi-Fi & Internet Access

All the company's European fleet are equipped with free Wi-Fi for passengers. This internet connection is available in all lounges / bars and receptions. The Wi-Fi is free to use.

For passengers who do not have computer equipment, we have equipped each boat (except those on the Volga, Mekong, and Africa) with a touch pad that can be lent to them when needed.

Languages on Board

The official languages ​​on board our ships are French and English.

Our team members and tour guides speak English fluently. They also speak other major European languages, such as German, Italian and Spanish.

Indeed, CroisiEurope has more than 19 different nationalities among its employees (French, Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Filipinos ...)

On board, menus, information about the cruise, shore excursions, and important messages are communicated in French and in English. They may also be advertised in another language, depending on the nationality of the passengers on board.

Health

There is no nurse or doctor on board the boats of our fleet. In the event of an emergency, the purser will contact the nearest hospital or medical service, the boat will make stop-over so that medical care can be provided as quickly as possible to the person.

A defibrillator is available on board each boat. On board, at least two people hold the Lifeguard Rescuer at Work certificate and have been trained to use this device.

If you are worried about a health problem, please consult your doctor before going on your cruise and undergo a complete check-up. We remain at your disposal in case of emergency.

Finally, do not forget to bring any medication packaged in their labeled boxes) and the corresponding prescriptions. Have them renewed if necessary before your departure.

Safety on Board

All our ships (except the African Dream) are certified Bureau Veritas.

Life jackets and life buoy are located in your cabins as well as on the sun deck.

During the presentation of the crew, all safety instructions will be provided.

Animals are not accepted on board.

Persons with Reduced Mobility: Adapted Cabins

CroisiEurope welcomes passengers with reduced mobility and endeavours to facilitate their access to both the facilities on board and on the available excursions. Before booking, our company requires passengers with reduced mobility to mention their specific needs to their travel agent, so that they can be offered the most suitable ship.

People with reduced mobility or have trouble getting around can benefit from adapted cabins on some of the boats in our fleet.

Please note that our three-deck ships have lifts allowing direct access to various bridges, as well as the dining room, lounges and toilets suitable for reduced mobility people.

Our ships with 2 decks, meanwhile, are well thought-out in terms of layout, so common facilities (restaurant, lounge bar, reception) on one level: the main deck, which also has cabins.

Some of our excursions can cause difficulties for people with reduced mobility (walking for several hours, destabilising floor coverings, elevation, etc.), participation in some excursions and travel is subject to the sufficient mobility of the passenger.

With the help of http://www.specialneedsatsea.com/ we may be able to arrange further assistance on request.

Please contact your travel agent for any additional information.