After the ship’s star-studded inauguration in Porto, she visited several Portuguese towns on first cruise
By
Elly Yates-Roberts |
International river cruise company CroisiEurope has officially launched Amália Rodrigues on her first cruise on the Douro, Portugal.
On 19 March, the brand’s founding family inaugurated Amália Rodrigues in Porto with many French and Portuguese celebrities. Among the guests were the ship’s godfather Marco Martins, mayor of the city of Gondomar, which often welcomes CroisiEurope ships, and her godmother Maria Alexandrina Quaresma from the Amália Rodrigues Foundation, which celebrates the famous Portuguese singer.
Following the naming ceremony, Amália Rodrigues left Porto for her first cruise, making calls in the Portuguese towns of Regua, Pinhao, Vega de Teron and Barca d’Alva, before returning to Porto.
Built at the Meuse and Sambre shipyard in Namur, Belgium, Amália Rodrigues is the sixth ship to join CroisiEurope’s fleet on the Douro and has been designed to incorporate colours and shapes reminiscent of the Mediterranean, along with natural lighting, open spaces, designer furniture and modern décor.
The 80-metre, three-deck ship can accommodate 132 passengers in the onboard cabins which include four suites – two on the upper deck with terraces – as well as a cabin for guests with reduced mobility. In addition, all 58 cabins on the middle and upper deck have French balconies with large windows so guests can enjoy the local scenery. The ship also offers a lounge, panoramic restaurant, shop, a sun deck with sun loungers and a swimming pool.
Between April and October, Amalia Rodrigues will provide river cruises on the Douro, sailing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Spanish border. The ship will cruise six- and eight-day itineraries through the Douro Valley, one of the oldest wine regions in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001.