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4. MS Douro Splendour

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MS Douro Splendour

Constructed with the very latest technology and a strong environmental ethic in mind, yet simultaneously retaining a classic, refined elegance reminiscent of cruising from a bygone era, this five-star, fully-air-conditioned river cruiser has been purpose-built to fit the unique size limitations of the Douro’s five locks and features all the facilities you would expect in a top-class hotel and more so your cruise will be as relaxing as possible and your stay on board will be a uniquely memorable one.

Accommodating just 121 guests in the most exquisite of surroundings, the ship’s spectacular design and high specification ensures this vessel feels exceptionally light and airy. The generous ratio of 4:1 guests per crew member ensures a first-class personal service plus the friendly ‘small ship’ feel so beloved of Riviera Travel cruise aficionados, enables the ever attentive crew to revel in taking care of all those little things – leaving you to simply sit back, relax and enjoy every minute of your sensational river cruise experience. 

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Accomodation Types

All the outside facing cabins on the MS Douro Splendour are finished to an exceptionally high standard with superior quality fittings in the most refined taste. Chic styling is evident throughout from the moment you open your beautifully polished hardwood door and step inside your luxury home for the next 7 nights; polished wooden furniture is complemented by fine fabrics, in warm, relaxing colours, uniquely designed and created for the MS Douro Splendour whilst ‘hotel style’ twin beds with individual bedding which can be moved together or separated accordingly, will ensure a good night’s sleep in the finest crisp linens.

The sparkling marble bathrooms, beautifully designed, all feature shower with fully glazed screen, WC plus fluffy towels and bathroom cosmetics. The living area has two comfortable chairs and a table plus a small desk. All cabins enjoy the benefit of individually controlled air-conditioning, flat screen high-definition satellite TV, hairdryer, safe, telephone, and tea and coffee making facilities.

The Upper Deck and Main (middle) Deck have full floor to ceiling windows which slide down halfway, whilst Superior and Deluxe Balcony Suites on the Upper Deck feature an outside balcony so you can watch the stunning river scenery drifting past without leaving the comfort of your cabin!

Deluxe Balcony Suites

Superior Balcony Suites

Standard Cabin - Upper Deck

Standard Cabin - Middle Deck

Stern Standard Cabin - Middle Deck

Standard Cabin - Lower Deck

Stern Standard Cabin - Lower Deck

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Deck Plans

All the outside facing cabins on the MS Douro Splendour are finished to an exceptionally high standard with superior quality fittings in the most refined taste. Chic styling is evident throughout from the moment you open your beautifully polished hardwood door and step inside your luxury home for the next 7 nights; polished wooden furniture is complemented by fine fabrics, in warm, relaxing colours, uniquely designed and created for the MS Douro Splendour whilst ‘hotel style’ twin beds with individual bedding which can be moved together or separated accordingly, will ensure a good night’s sleep in the finest crisp linens.

The sparkling marble bathrooms, beautifully designed, all feature shower with fully glazed screen, WC plus fluffy towels and bathroom cosmetics. The living area has two comfortable chairs and a table plus a small desk. All cabins enjoy the benefit of individually controlled air-conditioning, flat screen high-definition satellite TV, hairdryer, safe, telephone, and tea and coffee making facilities.

The Upper Deck and Main (middle) Deck have full floor to ceiling windows which slide down halfway, whilst Superior and Deluxe Balcony Suites on the Upper Deck feature an outside balcony so you can watch the stunning river scenery drifting past without leaving the comfort of your cabin!

Sun Deck

Upper Deck

Main Deck

Lower Deck

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Dining

Start your morning with a full English Breakfast or opt for a lighter bite like fresh fruit and cereal. For lunch, enjoy the selection of sandwiches, burgers and pasta dishes. At the end of the day, sit down to a carefully crafted four-course à la carte dinner featuring familiar dishes as well as soon-to-be favourites inspired by the destinations you visit.

Main Restuarant

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Entertainment

Boarding via the welcoming entrance lobby on the Upper Deck, immediately you will be struck by the crisp, contemporary yet classically stylish décor befitting this five-star ship.

Complimentary tea and coffee is always available here too and there is a small boutique stocking a selection of essentials and souvenirs.

Lounge and Bar

Boutique Gift Shop

The Sun Deck

Reception

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Enrichment

One of Europe’s best kept secrets, explore the sleepy villages and medieval towns unchanged for centuries, amongst the breathtaking rolling hills and terraced vineyard slopes of the stunning Douro Valley.

Unlock the flavours of Portugal and Spain on a cruise through the rolling hills and terraced vineyards of Douro Valley. Explore the sleepy villages and medieval towns and discover the delicious dishes they're famous for.  

Excursions

We are a well-travelled collective - made up of our guests as well as our team. We'll admit it - we're obsessed with travel.

But that's not our only interest. We also love architecture, history, the arts, and gastronomy - everything that makes a culture unique. And we plan our itineraries to ensure we're catering to those interests. Perfecting every excursion to ensure you get the most out of your onshore adventures.

Most days are filled with full or half-day excursions. Whether that's a city tour, an introduction to a brand-new town or a more in-depth visit to a specific landmark or attraction. You'll see the very best of every destination. Not just the legendary locations, we'll uncover the top-secret local spots too.

World-famous landmarks
You'll get to experience some world-famous destinations in the company of our passionate local guides. Sites like the Benedictine Melk Abbey on the Danube, spectacular Pont du Gard on the Rhône, Keukenhof Gardens - the world's largest flower gardens - on the Dutch Waterways and Cologne with its cathedral, the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe.

A taste of your destination
Food has the uncanny ability to reveal the softer parts of the destination most tourists overlook. Recipes passed down through the generations slowly become ingrained within a culture, featuring fresh local produce and traditional cooking techniques. Our excursions often include delicious local produce perfected over centuries - sample cheese in Switzerland and chocolate in Germany (it's not a cruise for those watching their weight), wine tasting in the world-famous wine region of Burgundy and port in the port wine cellars of Porto.

For even more, why not choose one of our Gastronomy themed departures?

Authentic cultural experiences
Our river cruise itineraries deliver authentic and engaging moments to fully immerse you in the culture. You'll remember being seduced by the fiery passion of flamenco dancing after a cruise along the Douro. Hold on to that feeling of wonder you felt as you watch the glassblower creating the most beautiful vase out of a glowing mass. And tell the stories you heard during a Hungarian folklore show to your grandchildren at bedtime. The memory of these authentic cultural experiences will last a lifetime. 

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Health & Fitness

Gymnasium

Spa

Pool

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Kids & Teens

Please note: there are no dedicated kids or teens facilities onboard.

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Useful Information

Accessibility

How do I make a special request regarding my mobility?

We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us.
If you have any concerns or special requests you would like to make regarding your reduced mobility, we encourage you to contact us or call 01283 688 206 to discuss these concerns. View our opening hours.

Will there be lots of walking required?

We include guided tours, however due to the natural terrain of the locations we visit these may be a challenge for anyone with reduced mobility.

Are there any accessibility challenges on the excursions?

We also sometimes use different modes of transport to complete our itinerary which includes, though not limited to: boats, trains and jeeps. These may also pose a challenge for anyone with reduced mobility.

Can I take my own wheelchair with me on board?

Our ships are not adapted for wheelchair access. If you are intending to take a wheelchair or mobility scooter with you, it is essential that you contact us to let us know.
Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be used on excursions but they cannot be used on board the ships due to safety reasons and must not be left in corridors, the lounge or restaurant or any other public areas.
They must be stored in your cabin.

Will I be able to get on and off the ship with ease?

Due to popularity of river cruising when there is more than one ship in port, the ships could be moored alongside each other.
If our ship happens to be moored away from the landing pier disembarking could involve walking across gang planks and the sun deck of other ships.
Passengers must be able to walk on and off the ship themselves, without the use of crutches or other aids, as gangplanks can be positioned at a steep angle.

Will there be assistance available on board?

River cruises operate with a smaller crew than ocean cruises and do not have the crew available to personally attend to passengers with reduced mobility, therefore a travelling companion would need to be able to help with any physical needs.

Are there any accessibility challenges on the excursions?

The itinerary we include with our river cruises involves shore excursions visiting places with cobbled streets which can be on an incline making navigation of these streets difficult for anyone with reduced mobility.
If you can’t do many shore excursions, river cruising in Europe can still be very enjoyable and worthwhile. Cruising down the Rhine, Danube or any of the European rivers we offer gives you the opportunity to take in the spectacular scenery and there is a lot to enjoy from the comfort of the ship. Please contact us with any concerns you may have.

Are there lifts between decks?

Whilst most of our ships have a lift on board, it does not operate to all decks.
We include mobility information regarding lifts between decks on each ship under the deck plan section of the page. You may wish to view all of our ships before booking.

Can I arrange airport assistance?

We are able to arrange airport assistance for anyone with reduced mobility.
This is a free service which must be arranged with the airline prior to travel.
If you would like us to arrange this assistance for you, it needs to be pre-booked more than 48 hours before your flight departs.

Eurostar accessibility

If you have reduced mobility and are travelling on one of our Eurostar tours please call 03432 186 186 and use the ticket reference in your Travel Docs.
Should you need to travel in your own wheelchair, Eurostar does have specially adapted wheelchair spaces which need to be pre-booked.
If you would like assistance at St. Pancras we can make Eurostar Assist aware of this requirement, you would then need to make your way to the Eurostar Assist desk at St. Pancras at least 60 minutes prior to your departure.

Special Dietary Requirements

The minimum age limit is 12 years old at the date of departure.
We reserve the right to limit the number of children on any particular cruise.
Any minor must be accompanied by and share a cabin with an adult aged 21 or over.
If the adult is not the minor’s parent, a ‘Parental Consent Guardianship Form’ must be signed by a parent or legal guardian prior to sailing.

Dress Code

There is no requirement to bring formal dress - smart/casual is acceptable for both day and evening as there is no dress code enforced.
However, men are requested not to wear shorts for dinner or vest tops at any time in the dining room. You may wish to wear a jacket and tie for dinner.
The Chef's Dinner offers the opportunity, should you wish, for more special attire

Medical Facilities

There are no on-board medical personnel, although specific crew members will have basic first aid training. However, the ship can stop at any time to transfer any passenger requiring emergency medical attention to local medical facilities.
If you have any concerns about your health whilst on tour, please see your Cruise Director or Concierge. They will be able to advise you about chemists and availability of doctors, etc.
In an emergency you could always phone our emergency number as issued on your itinerary. 

Laundry Service

A limited laundry service is available on board, except on the day of disembarkation. A dry cleaning service is not available.

Smoking and E-Cigarette Policy

Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted anywhere on board except for designated areas on the sun deck.
More and more countries in Europe are adopting a stricter legislation on smoking in public places. Smoking is not allowed on any public transport and there may be other restrictions in hotels, bars and restaurants.

Age Restrictions

The minimum age limit is 12 years old at the date of departure.
We reserve the right to limit the number of children on any particular cruise.
Any minor must be accompanied by and share a cabin with an adult aged 21 or over.
If the adult is not the minor’s parent, a ‘Parental Consent Guardianship Form’ must be signed by a parent or legal guardian prior to sailing.

Air Conditioning

Our ships are fully air-conditioned throughout. Each cabin has individual air-conditioning and heating controls.

Drinks Packages

We have a drinks package included for all European river cruises in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Superior Drinks Package

• For all 2024 and 2025 European river cruises:
• Over lunch in our restaurants enjoy unlimited drinks from a choice of:
• Red, white, rosé and sparkling house wine, including non-alcoholic
• Draught beer, including non-alcoholic
• A selection of soft drinks and juices

Then from 6 pm until midnight in our bar and restaurants, enjoy all of the above, plus unlimited drinks from a choice of:

• Our cocktail and mocktail of the day
• House spirits and mixers (including gin, vodka, rum and whisky)
• A recommended regional wine during dinner
• Martini & Sherry pre-dinner
• Port & Brandy after dinner

All-inclusive drinks package

• Available on 2026 European river cruise departures
• Available from 10am to midnight each day:
• Red, white, rosé and sparkling house wine, including non-alcoholic​
• A choice of draught beer, including non-alcoholic​
• A selection of soft drinks and juices​​
• Our cocktail and mocktail of the day​
• House spirits and mixers including vodka, gin, rum, whisky, martini, sherry, brandy, port and Baileys (excluding liqueurs)
• Daily recommended wines ​
• Tea and coffee from the bar 

Responsible Travel

As a travel company that curates holidays across the globe, we’re acutely aware of how important it is to look after the world we live and travel in.

We see the impact that travel can have when it’s used as a force for good to give back the destinations we visit. It’s essential to protect the world we love exploring for future generations to enjoy.

As the UK’s leading curated tour and river cruise operator, we have an important role to play. We have an ethical obligation to ensure the way we work is based around a solid Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy (excuse the jargon! We prefer to call it 'Doing The Right Thing') and we’re also in a privileged position to be able to influence our partners and suppliers to ensure our efforts aren’t just surface level.

Responsible Travel has become increasingly important to both Riviera Travel’s guests and staff, but we absolutely want to avoid greenwashing – the act of making it seem like a company is being sustainable and ethical to attract eco-conscious travellers – and do something that’s genuinely impactful and meaningful. This is one of our guiding principles. The other fundamental principle is that we don’t want to compromise Riviera Travel guests experience. Your enjoyment of your holiday is our top priority, so we’ve put a lot of time and effort into creating four Responsible Travel Pillars that considers both our guests’ experiences and our impact on the planet.

Our Responsible Travel Pillars

Sustainability
Our goal: Halve our business use of paper and plastics

Our ambition is to reduce our paper and plastics usage by 50% by 2025 by better using technology to allow us to rely less on printed materials, developing an enhanced digital brochure, and replacing plastic luggage tags with quality reusable tags.

Operating Ethically
Our goal: Setting high standards for ourselves and our suppliers

We're rolling out a Supplier Ethics Policy which sets out our minimum standards of how our partners should conduct themselves, as well as a Hotel Sustainability Checklist, to gauge the sustainability efforts of our hotel partners.

Carbon Footprint
Our goal: Reduce our carbon footprint by 20% within 5 years

Working with eCollective, our ambition is to reduce our carbon footprint by 20% by 2028 - including customer travel and within our business - by setting short- and long-term goals both at our office and on our holidays.

Charity
Our goal: Make a meaningful contribution to a charity we believe in

We will be supporting our new charity partner Practical Action with £1 donated for every guest who travels with us, and also offering our customers the opportunity to round up their booking to give an additional donation if they wish.

River Cruise Assurance

What is River Cruise Assurance

• While the majority of trips pass without incident, our River Cruise Assurance explains what we do to keep your holiday going and the compensation we pay if we are unable to do so when river conditions, industrial actions, mechanical faults, or other factors impact your cruise.
• It’s all included in the price of your holiday, with nothing extra to pay, giving you another reason to book with Riviera Travel with confidence.
• Please note this assurance applies to European river cruises. For cruises outside Europe and for our land-based tours please refer to our booking conditions.

Curtailment – having to come home early

• If the disruption is such that we are unable to continue your holiday, we may decide to terminate the cruise.
• In this instance we will, at our cost, transport you back to the UK if you originally travelled with us. If you made your own way to the ship embarkation point, we would return you at our cost to the original disembarkation point, or the nearest major European city if you prefer. Please note if you join our outbound UK flight or make your own way to the ship embarkation point, having first flown in from another country, we strongly advise that you take out travel insurance to cover your originating flight into the UK or Europe.
• If your holiday is cut short, we will also automatically refund you on a pro rata basis for each full 24-hour period of your holiday that has been lost. For example, if you have lost 3 complete days on an 8-day holiday, we will refund you 3/8ths of your original purchase price.

Cancellation prior to departure

• Our shipping company partners constantly monitor river conditions. Whilst we will try to give as much notice as possible, please note that forecasts tend to be short, as river conditions can improve quickly, and hence the shipping company may make a final decision close to departure.
• If it is looking likely that your cruise would be significantly disrupted across multiple days, we will attempt to provide an amended or alternative cruise of equivalent quality. If we are able to do so we will endeavour to contact you at least 48 hours before departure to ask if you want to go on the alternative.
• If no alternative cruise of equivalent quality is available, your holiday will be cancelled. In this instance, you will be refunded the full cost of your holiday.

How do I cancel my booking?

If you wish to cancel your booking, please inform us as soon as possible by:

• Emailing cancellations@rivieratravel.co.uk, or
• Writing to Riviera Travel, New Manor, 328 Wetmore Road, Burton on Trent, DE14 1SP
• Please note you will be liable to pay the cancellation charges detailed in our Booking Conditions.

Disruption - Delays to your cruise

If progress along the river is disrupted, we will endeavour to keep your holiday going by doing one or more of the following:

• Remaining moored another night, postponing departure to the next day.
• Arranging excursions to the itinerary destinations or equivalent alternatives by coach, with no more than 2 hours journey each way.
• Swapping ships – transferring you past the affected part of the river to join another ship. The maximum length of coach journey we will undertake to do this is 4 hours.
• If we are unable to do the above, or despite doing them your holiday itinerary is delayed or significantly disrupted, we will automatically compensate you for every complete 24 hours affected.

Cabin Grade Maximum compensation per complete 24hrs per person

Lower Deck £80

Middle Deck £100

Upper Deck £120

Superior and Deluxe Suites £140

Please note we will not pay compensation if the delay is due to civil or military hostilities, or for any other losses incurred beyond the cost of your holiday.

Holiday Information

Running order of itineraries

• Occasionally we may have to change the running order of the holiday itinerary.
• This may happen on short notice, and could be due to several reasons such as; public holidays, festivals, weather, traffic conditions or other operational reasons.
• On the rare occasions this may happen we will advise you as soon as possible and act in your best interest to ensure your holiday enjoyment is not compromised.

What is the likely age range of the group?

• We believe age is just a number, and so do the people who travel with us!
• Age composition on our holidays varies, and your holiday may be shared with travellers in their 30s right up to those in their 80s, or even beyond.
• What unites all our guests is their adventurous spirit, insatiable curiosity and desire to not just see, but explore the world with like-minded travellers.

Holiday extras

Our Travel Concierge service can organise door-to-door transfers, additional nights at an airport or destination, departures from regional airports and more.

Riviera Travel have teamed up with Holiday Extras to offer you great prices on fast track, airport lounges, airport hotels and parking. Visit www.rivieraextras.co.uk or call 0333 038 9879 for more information.

Weather

Our sales advisors are happy to provide advice on weather in our destinations.

However, weather patterns are becoming less predictable, and we cannot be held responsible for any disruption to your holiday itinerary due to bad or unseasonal weather conditions or pay compensation/refunds for any alternative arrangements or property damage.

Contact us for more details.

Do I need travel insurance?

• It is important that you have adequate travel insurance, to ensure you are protected before you travel and whilst you are away on holiday.
• Should you require a quote for your Travel Insurance, we can refer you to Holiday Extras. For more information on Holiday Extras or to obtain a quote, you can: Go to their website www.rivieraextras.co.uk, or Call them on 0333 038 9879 and quote code V4744 to speak to a friendly advisor