MS Douro Estrela

The 2024-built MS Douro Estrela (aka "MS Estrela") ship cruises on the Douro River in Portugal, departing from Oporto. Cruisetour itineraries are out of Porto City (embarkation), but bookings offer departures either from Lisbon (Portugal) or Madrid (Spain). The itinerary route is through the Douro River Valley - Portugal's wine region known as Alto Douro.

Currently, MS Estrela is exclusively long-term chartered by APT Travel Group for its companies and travel brands APT River Cruises and Travelmarvel. The shipowner is Mystic Invest Holding, while the ship management company is the subsidiary company Douro Azul (fleet).

APT plans a second Douro-based riverboat (larger than Estrela, with 80 cabins) to be launched and inaugurated in 2028. MS Estrella is now chartered for both APT and Travelmarvel customers. The second boat will be operated exclusively by APT, while Travelmarvel will continue to operate Estrela.

The vessel is Portugal-flagged (MMSI number 263442283) and registered in Lisbon. The shipbuilder is WestSEA (Viana do Castelo, Portugal).

APT-Travelmarvel officially named MS Estrela in a christening ceremony held on April 17th, 2025, near Porto. The naming event was led by godmother Lucy Huxley (Travel Weekly's EIC/Editor-in-Chief) and attended by David Cox (APT Travel Group's CEO) and Paul Melinis (APT's Managing Director UK & Europe). The special event featured a 4-day exclusive cruise (Apr 14-17) and celebrations held in both Oporto and Regua. The special voyage was attended by 50 VIP guests (APT trade partners and media representatives).

APT cruise passengers are mostly from the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The company offers good value-for-money vacation packages with plenty of inclusions. Cruisetour fares are inclusive of flights, port charges and fees, tipping (onboard gratuities), Internet/W-LAN (wireless), bicycles (carried on the ship). Tea and coffee are available 24 hours, and free of charge. Lunches and dinners come with complimentary local beers, house wines (by the glass) and soft drinks. Shore excursions (sightseeing guided tours) are optional and included in the package.

APT River Cruises are all-inclusive, offering complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including spirits, regional wines, cocktails, aperitifs, beer, juices, soft drinks, premium teas and coffees. The wines are hand-selected by the company's chief sommelier. The beverages are available at any time.

APT cruisetour prices are per person and inclusive of home-to-airport (UK private car) transfers, return flights (from the UK), shore excursions/land tour experiences (led by local expert guides, in up to 16 locations/cities, towns, villages), complimentary beverages (waiter-served) and laundry service, in-suite room service, professional butler service, certified APT River Cruise Director services.

Decks and Cabins

MS Estrela has a total of 58 passenger staterooms (all outside, for max 116 passengers) and 4 decks (3 with cabins).

All cabins are double occupancy and sized from 22 m2/235 ft2 (Owner's Suite with French Balcony) to 15-17-18 m2/160-180-195 ft2 (French Balcony Suite) and 15 m2/155 ft2 (Window Cabin with A Non-Opening Window).

Except Lower Deck's Window Cabins (Category E), all other staterooms are French Balcony (on decks 2-Main and 3-Upper) and each is fitted with a floor-ceiling sliding electric window opening halfway down.

The smallest accommodations (on 1st Floor) have one high-level window (positioned near the ceiling) that can not be opened.

Main Deck's French Balcony cabins are in categories B, C, and CT. Category CT cabins have two separate beds (fixed twins) which are non-convertible to a double bed.

Upper Deck's French Balcony cabins are in categories P and S. Also on Upper Deck (aft) are both Owner Suites.

MS Estrela cabins offer as standard (cruise price-inclusive) amenities en-suite bathroom (single-sink vanity, WC-toilet, shower, under-sink storage, magnifying mirror, hairdryer, shaver socket, robes), hotel beds (Queen-size bed convertible to twins, with premium bedding sets and pillows), bedside tables, wall-mounted reading lamps, LED ceiling lights, wall-mounted HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, movies, Internet/Wi-Fi, ship info channel, real-time bow camera views), phone (onboard calls only - Reception Desk, passenger cabins, wake-up service), mirrored vanity table (writing desk), round table with 2 armchairs, mirrored wardrobe, minibar (refrigerator, tea-coffee making facilities), electronic safe box (in the closet), 220V power sockets, individually controlled air-conditioning, butler service.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

Due to its small size, the Estrela ship has no wellness facilities (Spa/Massage Room, Fitness Room/Gym, Hair Salon/Hairdressing Studio).

One lift (forward-midship elevator) interconnects all cabin decks (1-2-3).

On the Sun Deck (4th floor) is the Bridge/Wheelhouse), a stand for bicycles (used complimentary on land tours/excursions), an open-air Bar Lounge (providing beverages and light food for alfresco dining), an aft putting green (carpet-covered outdoor area for golf practice).. The all-teak Sun Deck is enclosed by metal railings and offers unobstructed 360-degree views of the passing riverside scenery. It also has a shaded seating area for relaxation, covered with a hard roof with installed solar panels that generate energy for some of the boat's systems.

On select days, alfresco lunch is served at the covered Lounge (midship on Sundeck). If weather permits, passengers can participate in group exercise classes organized here in the mornings.

Among the ship's most prominent features is the heated swimming pool (depth ~1 m / 3 ft) located midship. Around the pool, there is a large sunbathing area with loungers, deckchairs and sun beds. The pool is fitted with a swimming machine that generates an adjustable water current flow for resistance swimming (aka "endless swimming").

On the Upper Deck (3rd floor) is the Lounge & Bar (show lounge with a nightly live entertainment program) also serving early and late Breakfast and light Lunch (salads, sandwiches, cold meats, cheeses, desserts, beer, and wine by the glass). The Lounge features large panoramic windows (floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall) for unobstructed observation, a dance floor, and a grand piano for the live evening show. The entertainment program offers live performances by local artists (dancers and musicians). The Lounge & Bar serves the company's enrichment program with wine and food tastings (Portuguese wines and food specialties), workshops, classes, and demonstrations. Depending on the visited ports along the Douro River cruise itinerary, at the Lounge are also hosted tours/excursions- and culture/history-themed lectures and multimedia presentations.

In the Bar Lounge there is a 24-hour Coffee Station with complimentary specialty coffees/teas, light snacks, and juices.

In the Lobby area (Deck 3 midship) is the Reception Desk providing 24-hour guest services (assistance, information on excursions and tours, daily scheduled activities), cashier services, onboard cruise booking) and the Gift Shop (selling special occasion gifts, traditional Portuguese souvenirs, and some convenience goods).

On Main Deck (2nd floor) is the Restaurant (an open-seating Main Dining Room). The venue is complimentary and offers buffet-style Breakfast and waiter-served Lunch and Dinner (3-course menu). Lunch and Dinner menus also feature free-flowing Portuguese wines and traditional Douro Valley cuisine specialties. Table capacity varies (4 to 6 passengers per table). The Restaurant features panoramic floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows, premium dining amenities, superb food quality and presentation, and attentive service by professionally trained staff.

APT-Travelmarvel Douro Itineraries

MS Estrela's cruisetour itineraries are two: the 14-day "Douro Delights with Madrid and Lisbon" itinerary (by APT River Cruises) and the 11-day "Lisbon with Douro Discovery" itinerary (by Travelmarvel).

APT's "Douro Delights with Madrid and Lisbon" itinerary starts with Lisbon (DAY 1-2/overnight), Lisbon travel to Sintra (DAY 3), and continues to Coimbra and Porto (ship embarkation on DAY 4). From Porto (DAY 5) starts the Douro voyage visiting Entre-Os-Rios (DAY 6), Regua (DAY 7, tour to Quinta da Pacheca for a lunch and wine tasting), Regua/Pinhao (DAY 7, tour to Vila Real's Palacio de Mateus), Pinhao (DAY 9, tour to Quinta for food and wine tasting, Captain's Farewell Dinner onboard), Barca D'Alva/Vega de Terron (DAY 10, tour to Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo), Vega de Terron (DAY 11, ship debarkation, travel to Salamanca and Madrid), Madrid (DAY 12-13-14/overnight, tour to Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Prado Museum, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium). From Madrid is offered a flight back to the UK.

Travelmarvel's 7-night "Douro Discovery" itinerary is a roundtrip from Oporto visiting Regua/Lamego/Pinhao (DAY 2), Vega de Terron and Castelo Rodrigo (DAY 3), Salamanca and Barca d'Alva (DAY 4), Pinhao (DAY 5), Regua/Mateus Palace/Entre-os-Rios (DAY 6), Vila Nova de Gaia/Porto (DAY 7) and the debarkation is in Porto (DAY 7-8/overnight). From Oporto is offered a flight back to the UK.

The 8-night "Douro Delights" itinerary is the short version of the Porto-Madrid route. The voyage starts in Porto (DAY 1-2-3, ship embarkation, overnight stay onboard) and continues to Entre-os-Rios (DAY 3), Regua (DAY 4-5 overnight), Pinhao (DAY 5-6 overnight), Barca d'Alva (DAY 7, travel to Vega de Terron), Vega de Terron (DAY 7-8 overnight, ship debarkation), travel from Vega de Terron to Salamanca and Madrid (DAY 8-9 overnight), and ends in Madrid (DAY 9).

APT's 23-night/24-day "Spain and Portugal Delights with Douro River Cruise" itinerary starts in Barcelona and ends in Madrid. Before the Douro voyage, tourists visit Barcelona (DAY 1-2-3 overnight), travel to Madrid (DAY 3-4-5 overnight), Cordoba (DAY 6), Cordoba to Granada City (DAY 7), Granada (DAY 7-8-9 overnight), Granada to Ronda and Seville (DAY 9), Seville (DAY 10-11 overnight), Seville to Algarve (DAY 11), Algarve (DAY 11-12-13 overnight), Algarve to Lisbon (DAY 13), Lisbon (DAY 14-15 overnight), Lisbon to Sintra (DAY 15), and finally travel from Lisbon to Coimbra and Porto (DAY 16, ship embarkation).