Scenic Azure Douro river cruise
Having sailed down the Douro river on her sister ship, the Emerald Radiance, we joined the Scenic Azure at the furthest inland point of a Douro river cruise, at the Spanish border. As soon as we boarded the Azure we were enveloped by a sense of indulgence and luxury. The reception area of the Azure is large, open and airy with white marble flooring offset with some rather eye catching artwork adding a splash of colour and intrigue. The reception desk itself contrasted nicely with the glossy white floor, being black mottled marble with two large pieces of art bringing colour to the wall behind the desk.
We were welcomed onto the ship like we were coming home with just the right level of attentive friendliness. After a brief introduction to the reception team and hotel manager we were greeted by our fabulous butler, Fabio, who walked us the short distance from reception to our balcony suite room just down the corridor, room 303. Our suite was gorgeous with a fruit platter and bottle of champagne waiting for us upon entry.
The Azure balcony suite is spacious and beautifully appointed with a large wardrobe, under-bed storage and a substantial, luxurious bathroom. The balcony is separate from the room with the option of a glass divider though we imagine this is rarely used. The beds are sumptuously soft with the moist exquisite linens and an adjustable bed with both foot and head inclines, perfect for sitting up in bed with the window down taking in the gorgeous views as you sail down the Douro. Fabio spent an age with us going through all of the minuti of the room, including the numerous lighting options, before cracking open the champagne and inviting us to take a toast.
We quickly unpacked so that we could catch the lunchtime service in the Crystal Dining room. The dining room was situated on the deck below reception and is open seating at either tables of four or six for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast and lunch offer a mix of buffet food along with hot dishes made to order and dinner is a 3 course affair with a choice of a few dishes for each course. The glossy, minimalist design throughout the ship continues here with a palate of greys, creams and black shrouded in natural light streaming in through the large floor to ceiling windows along both sides. The unusual artwork continues here with a rather lovely wall of ceramic sardines, a foodie obsession amongst the locals in Porto.
As with most river cruises we started out first evening on board the Scenic Azure in the Panorama Lounge for a daily briefing with our cruise director, Filipe, who has to be one of the friendliest cruise directors we have ever come across. The Panorama Lounge is the hub of the ship and houses the large, all inclusive bar, tended to by the fabulous and very skilled mixologist, Vàitor and the lovely Ana, who between them made sure we never went thirsty. The lounge itself offers amazing river views from the large panoramic windows and comfortable tub seat and sofas. Centre piece of the lounge is the well stocked self service drinks station and the River cafe, a tempting little food cabinet which is stocked with delicious little snacks from early in the morning until late at night. It also boasts a lovely shiny grand piano which is regularly used by the on board pianist or occasional local bands who are invited on board to entertain guests.
Waking up the next morning for our first full day on board we had arrived in Pocinho and after a delicious breakfast in the main restaurant we boarded our coach to drive the 30 minute ride to the local village of Freixos de Numão. Arriving at the village we were met by a local guide who walked us around the village before taking us to one of the oldest houses in the village, lived in by the same family for the last 400 years. We were shown around the ground floor of the house and then taken to the back yard for a cooking demonstration by the grandmother, ably assisted by her adorable grandson, of delicious caramelised almonds, which we tasted accompanied by their own port wine. There was then some free time to wander around this deserted little village before boarding the coach to make the return journey back to the ship.
Back on the ship we all headed up to the top deck for a bbq lunch. The Sapphire deck is the outdoor top deck of the Scenic Azure and is the perfect place to enjoy the gorgeous scenery as you sail along the magnificent Douro valley. It is luxuriously appointed with comfortable sun-beds each adorned with an always welcome cushion, and a large shaded area with plenty of tables and chairs to accommodate all guests. There is a small pool, perfect for cooling down in the Portuguese summer surrounded by deep sofas on two sides inviting guests to lounge on and enjoy the view surrounded by water, with the pool on one side and the river on the other.
Our delicious bbq lunch consisted of traditional Portuguese sausage and sardines, as well as chicken and ribs, served along with some delicious salads. Before dessert was served there was a crew parade with every single crew member (apart from the two night workers) taking part and best of all, they all briefly took their masks off so we could see their lovely faces before finishing off with a crew rendition of a traditional Portuguese song. After lunch we set sail again for our next destination, Pinhão. But there was no time for relaxing, with the crew keeping us entertained with a Pastel de Natas cookery demonstration and a talk on the history of cork in the region.
The wonderful crew parade
That evening started with a sundowners cocktail party on the top deck as we arrived in Pinhão which meant that after dinner we were able to have a wander around the village before coming back on board for that evenings entertainment from the three Pina brothers who treated us to some traditional Portuguese songs. This entertaining trio captivated their audience, encouraging us all take part in their show, resulting in a rather raucous evening involving dancing and musical participation on drums, triangles and tamborines.
The next morning there was a tour to a local wine estate with port tasting but we chose to stay on board, with quite a few other passengers choosing to do the same and the weather being glorious there were quite a few people on the top deck enjoying the sun and views as we sailed to Regua where we would briefly stop to collect the other guests returning from their morning excursion. Once everyone was back on board we set sail for Porto, enjoying a cheese and charcuterie tasting as we sailed down the river.
Arriving into Porto we had a special evening lined up, starting with a farewell cocktail party followed by an early Gala dinner, then a musical recital at a nearby church. After a delicious dinner we all gathered in the lounge for the short walk to the church. Upon entering the church it was impossible not to be impressed by the outrageously over the top decorations, with magnificent gold leaf coated wooden carvings adorning every wall. We took our seats and were soon joined by the string quartet who started the concert with an orchestral piece before being joined by a soprano and a baritone who then entertained us over the next hour with a mix of classical, operatic and contemporary songs. But our evening didn’t end there, back on the ship the on board pianist carried on the entertainment as we ordered snacks from the room service menu and continued our party in the lounge.
Following a late night we had an early start for a full day in and around Porto which started with a coach ride to the Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) where we had a guided tour of some of the grand historic rooms. Back on the coach our next stop was the railway station where we were able to admire the ornate entrance hall, decorated in classic blue Portuguese tiles, before being dropped in the city centre. We had a couple of hours to grab a coffee and wander the pretty streets before heading back to the ship in time for lunch.
For our afternoon excursion we had chosen the option to visit the historic town of Guimarães, home of the grand 15th century Palace of the Dukes of Braganza which was abandoned in the 16th century before being renovated in the early 1900s. We spent nigh on an hour touring the renovated palace before walking the short distance into the town which, it being a Saturday afternoon, was full of locals enjoying the late summer weather, eating and drinking in the street side cafes. We had some free time to wander around the pretty streets and get a drink before meeting up again for our journey back to the ship.
For our final evening on board the Scenic Eclipse, Fabio our butler had reserved us a table at the Portobellos restaurant located next to the Panorama lounge and managed by the butler team. At lunchtime Portobellos serves as an informal venue to grab a light lunch but in the evening it is transformed into an intimate venue serving a delicious traditional tapas style Portuguese tasting menu, paired with local wines and port. We started the evening with a fish and cheese charcuterie board which was swiftly followed by a meat and corniche board. Next up were sautéed mushrooms served with a local rye and honey bread followed by a traditional Portuguese chicken broth. The highlight of the meal was the melt in the mouth beef tenderloin main course, served with a prosciutto crisp, punch potatoes and spinach. For dessert there were three different Portuguese custard puddings including a large Pastel de Nata, with the butler team serving us up with a small piece of them all before finishing our evening with a lovely glass of port. After a long and leisurely dinner we headed to the lounge for a couple more final drinks with our fellow travellers whilst listening to the live piano music. Then it was time for us to turn in for our last night in our sumptuously comfortable bed before we reluctantly said good bye to the luxurious Scenic Azure and her amazing crew the following morning.
Thank you to our preferred travel partners Panache cruises and Scenic Cruises who invited us to join the Scenic Azure for the second part of a 7 day Douro river cruise and paid our cruise fare and transfers.
If you enjoyed this blog why not take a look at our accompanying journey on board the Emerald Radiance.
If you are interested in booking a cruise with these or any other luxury cruise lines then we would recommend contacting a connoisseur at our trusted cruise partners Panache cruises - please mention that you have been referred to them through Visit With Us.
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