Duoro River Valley Cruise

A Journey through Spain and Portugal
Optional 7 night Duoro River Valley Cruise

Sunday 4 to Sunday 11th October 2020

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Tour Itinerary

Sunday 4 October: Porto, Entre-os-Rios

There’s much more to Portugal’s second city than its eponymous fortified wine—historic architecture, cutting-edge design, fabulous food and wine, and a hip, laid-back vibe. Discover its many charms with your choice of distinctively different tours today. Portugal’s second city (after Lisbon), Porto gave its name to the nation’s most famous export, Port wine, and to the nation itself. The city is a fascinating combination of historic buildings and cutting-edge architecture, tradition and vivacious modernity. You must choose between two distinctive—and distinctively Portuguese—ways to explore Porto.

The ship sets sail after your tour, cruising up the Douro toward Porto Antigo.

In the evening, a special Gala Dinner will be prepared for you. **Choice of Porto city tour or “Do as the Locals Do” Porto walking tour

Monday 5 October: Entre-os-Rios, Régua, Pinhão

As you cruise along the river today, take note of the little chapels you see along the banks. Though the river is slow and calm now that it has been tamed by dams, it was once extremely hazardous. These tiny chapels mark spots where entire rabelo boat crews perished attempting to get their cargo of Port wine to Porto. Today we learn about wine, which has been cultivated in the Douro River Valley since ancient Roman times. Get a crash course on the history of Port during your visit to the Douro Museum.

**Featured Excursions: Douro Museum / Lunch at a local quinta.

Tuesday 6 October: Pinhão, Vega de Terrón

Feel the centuries fall away as your ship winds its way through the pristine, dramatic, UNESCO-protected landscapes of the Douro River Valley. Head ashore for a choice of excursions, a tasting at a prestigious port wine estate or a vineyard hike with a wine tasting at a local quinta.

**Choice of Quinta do Seixo guided tour with tasting or Vineyard hike and wine tasting at a local quinta

Wednesday 7 October: Vega de Terrón (Salamanca), Barca d’Alva

What adventures await you in Spain today? The ship docks near the Spanish border today, where you may head across the country to the historic university town of Salamanca—the “Golden City”—famous for its sand-coloured buildings and abundance of churches.

**Featured Excursion: Salamanca – the Golden City and Spain's oldest university.

Friday 9 October: Barca d’Alva, Régua

A tiny village surrounded by mountains, Barca d’Alva is your base for today's adventures. Go medieval today at Castelo Rodrigo, both the name of a hilltop castle as well as the village that surrounds it. It has been singled out as one of Portugal’s 12 historic villages for its medieval beauty.
The view from the top is incredible and the village is a charming place to ramble, relax and replenish. Or, if you wish, you can also lace up your hiking boots and unleash your inner Indiana Jones with an up-close gander at some prehistoric carvings during a visit to Portugal’s first archaeological park, Foz Côa.

**Choice of Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley or Castelo Rodrigo

Saturday 10 October: Régua (Guimarães), Porto

Guimarães or Porto? That’s the question of the day today (you really can’t go wrong either way). Guimarães is the town where Portugal was born and its well-preserved architecture and stylish young residents make it a pleasure to visit. Or opt to explore one of Porto’s oldest neighbourhoods, picturesque Ribeira, considered the soul of the city. A tough choice awaits you today: Do you venture off to historic Guimarães, Portugal’s first capital, or do you stay in Porto and explore the Ribeira district on foot?

**Choice of Guimarães city tour or Porto surprise discovery tour. A special Farewell Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.

Sunday 11 October: Dubai – Australia in flight meals

This morning you shall transfer to Porto Airport for your flight to Dubai via Lisbon. You shall overnight at the hotel within the Dubai Airport.

Monday 12 October: Dubai – Australia in flight meals

Morning departure from Dubai to Australia.

Tuesday 13 October: Australia in flight meals

You shall arrive in Melbourne in the morning and will be met and transferred to Gippsland.

Tour Details

Debuting in April 2020, S.S. São Gabriel will be the newest ship on the Douro river. Designed to embody the beautiful Douro River Valley region, this ship will offer more lavishly appointed suites than the Queen Isabel and bring the destination to life through its décor and delectable food and wine. Butler service will be added onboard, giving guests the option to dine at any time they’d like while enjoying the ship.

S.S. Sao Gabriel Overview

Designed specifically to navigate the narrow Douro river in Portugal, the all-new S.S. Sao Gabriel brings the best of the region to life with public rooms, decor and cuisine all designed to highlight this famous epicentre of port wine production.

Carrying 100 passengers in 50 cabins, all of which offer river views, S.S. Sao Gabriel offers cruisers plenty of niceties, like an onboard swimming pool, a small spa and fitness centre, and a small gift shop.

A panoramic lounge situated all the way forward offers 180-degree views of the Douro River Valley, and like all Uniworld vessels, all beverages onboard are offered on a complimentary basis.

S.S. Sao Gabriel Dining

Meals are taken in the ship's main restaurant on Cape Verde Deck, which features open seating and cuisine inspired by Portuguese favourites alongside international and North American dishes.

Breakfast and lunch are typically served over several hours, while dinners tend to start at a set time, usually around 7p.m.

Lighter fare and afternoon snacks can be found in the ship's lounge on Azores Deck, which also houses a full-service bar offering specialty coffees, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day.

S.S. Sao Gabriel Cabins

S.S. Sao Gabriel offers five grades of cabin accommodations, from economical river-view staterooms to the ship's four lavish Grand Suites.

Deluxe and Classic staterooms are all located on the Madeira Deck, and all feature fixed half-height window views of the passing river.

Moving up one deck, French Balcony staterooms are similarly sized but replace the small picture window with a French balcony that can fully open.

The uppermost accommodations deck, Azores Deck, houses only Suites and Grand Suites. These boast French balconies and enlarged living space compared with other cabin categories onboard. In a first for Uniworld's Douro river cruises, passengers booking suites aboard S.S. Sao Gabriel will be entitled to the same butler service found aboard Uniworld's other European-based river cruise vessels.

While Uniworld has not announced specific cabin details, features like hand-crafted Savoir of England beds, Egyptian linens, L'Occitane toiletries (or Hermes at the suite level) and interactive flat-panel television entertainment systems with complimentary movies and television shows are pretty much standard issue across the fleet.

S.S. Sao Gabriel Top Deck Attractions

S.S. Sao Gabriel's Sun Deck features an outdoor swimming pool that is perfect for cooling off in the heat of the Douro, which can get hot, particularly during the summer months. Other niceties include plenty of shaded seating, and unshaded options for those looking to work on their tan.

S.S. Sao Gabriel Entertainment

In addition to daily briefings, cooking classes, demonstrations and the odd guest lecture make up the majority of the entertainment onboard. S.S. Sao Gabriel sails a port-intensive itinerary through the Douro River Valley, so expect to be off the ship for much of the day.

At night, a piano player entertains in the ship's main lounge, while passengers mingle over cocktails. Between the heat and the copious amounts of port wine to be enjoyed while on-tour, many cruisers elect to retire to their cabins shortly after dinner.

DINING

All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
Gala Dinner
Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks and mineral water

EXCURSIONS

8 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options, all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
Guided “Do as the Locals Do” program
State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio-headset system on all excursions
Use of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks

EXPERIENCES

2 countries: Spain and Portugal
Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
All transfers on arrival and departure days
All gratuities, both onboard and onshore
Captivating onboard local entertainment
Cultural enrichment, including a Signature Lecture

ACCOMMODATION

7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the branch new SS Sao Gabriel
Beautifully appointed riverview staterooms and suites with hotel-style beds, draped in fine linens with a choice of pillows
Free Internet and Wi-Fi access

EXCLUSIONS

Travel insurance (a surcharge may apply for passengers over 70 years or if there is a pre-existing medical condition)
Expenses of a personal nature like laundry, telephone/fax calls, alcoholic beverages, medical expenses
Any meals not included in the itinerary

SPECIAL NOTES

Flight schedules are subject to change.
The order of the sightseeing may vary depending on local conditions.

Tour Costs

Option 1
Cruise Cost based on French Balcony cabin:
$8,899 per person twin share
$7,280 single supplement

Option 2
Cruise Cost based on Deluxe Cabin:
$6,499 per person twin share
$5,480 single supplement

Above costs only apply if booked and deposit paid by 30 September 2019
A 10% discount applies if paid in full within 3 days of booking by 30 September 2019
From 1^st October 2019, all costs are subject to change and availability
Above costs are only available in conjunction with Gippsland Travel’s escorted tour of Spain and Portugal

*Should you choose to travel on the cruise, a reduction of $840 per person will apply to the main tour cost.

Payment Schedule:

Initial deposit on booking: $1000 per person
Balance of payment due by 12 June 2020

CANCELLATION FEES – applicable to cruise component only

Cancellation fees cannot be credited to another booking. Notice of cancellation must be made in writing to Gippsland Travel Centre. For this tour the following fees apply:

Cancellation notice received prior to tour departure
120 days or more
Cancellation charges per person
$1000 per person for cruise

Cancellation notice received prior to tour departure
119 – 90 days or more
Cancellation charges per person
20% of the tour cost

Cancellation notice received prior to tour departure
89 – 60 days or more
Cancellation charges per person
35% of the tour cost

Cancellation notice received prior to tour departure
59 – 30 days or more
Cancellation charges per person
50% of the tour cost

Cancellation notice received prior to tour departure
Less than 30 days or more
Cancellation charges per person
100% of the tour cost

Cancellation notice received prior to tour departure
No Show
Cancellation charges per person
100% of the tour cost