ms Gil Eanes

MS Gil Eanes cruise ship sails on the Douro River in Portugal’s renowned wine region. Itineraries are round trips departing from Oporto, Portugal. This riverboat operates alongside CroisiEurope’s other Douro ships: Fernao De Magalhaes, Vasco de Gama, Infante Don Henrique, Miguel Torga, and Amalia Rodrigues.

Cabins

MS Gil Eanes has a total of 66 cabins (all with river views), including 4 suites and 1 cabin adapted for guests with disabilities. The accommodations are divided into four categories and spread across three decks: Main Deck (8 doubles), Middle Deck (21 doubles, 2 suites, 1 accessible cabin), and Upper Deck (32 doubles, 2 suites with balconies).

Main Deck staterooms feature non-opening river-view windows.

Middle and Upper Deck cabins have French balconies with sliding glass doors, while the two Upper Deck suites offer private verandas (terraces).

Each stateroom includes a private bathroom (toilet, sink, and shower cabin), wardrobe, satellite TV, radio, telephone (internal calls only), hairdryer, personal safe, and individually controlled air conditioning.

Shipboard Facilities

Onboard amenities include a lounge with a dance floor and bar, a main dining room (Gil Eanes Restaurant), an upper-deck lounge with a terrace, and a sundeck relaxation area with shaded seating, loungers, and deckchairs. Additional facilities include a gift shop, library, elevator, and complimentary Wi-Fi. The Gil Eanes cruises mainly in Portugal, with optional excursions to Spain. Departing from Porto on round-trip itineraries, the ship offers CroisiEurope’s renowned gourmet dining, paired with themed excursions featuring regional food and wine tastings—allowing guests to fully experience Portuguese cuisine and wines along the Douro Valley.

CroisiEurope Douro River Cruise Itineraries

MS Gil Eanes offers the following Douro River cruise itineraries from Porto:

• (Code PPH_PP) "Porto, Douro Valley, and Salamanca" (Portugal and Spain) — 8 days with two overnights in Porto (after embarkation and before disembarkation).
• (Code POC_PP) "The Douro River" (cruise-only; flights and transfers not included) — 8 days with one overnight in Porto before disembarkation.
• (Code POC) "The River Douro" (including flights and transfers) — 8 days with two overnights in Porto (after embarkation and before disembarkation), airport transfers (to/from the ship), and round-trip flights between France and Portugal.

Typical excursions featured on Gil Eanes cruises from Porto include:

• (Day 1) Porto — embarkation, welcome cocktail, optional guided tour with wine tasting
• (Day 2) Regua (afternoon arrival, overnight stay) — Lamego guided excursion
• (Day 3) Vila Real (bus tour to Casa de Mateus), re-boarding in Pinhao, evening arrival in Barca d'Alva (overnight stay, onboard flamenco show)
• (Day 4) Arrival in Teron (Spain) — Salamanca excursion (UNESCO site), re-boarding in Vega de Teron, evening arrival in Senhora de Ribeira (overnight stay, themed entertainment)
• (Day 5) Ferradosa — "Wines of Porto" vineyard route and wine tasting, afternoon cruise through the Douro Valley to Entre Os Rios (overnight stay, gala dinner)
• (Day 6) Douro Valley cruise to Porto (afternoon arrival, overnight stay) — optional guided tour, Fado music performance onboard
• (Day 7) Porto (free time) — Aveiro afternoon excursion, overnight stay, folklore-themed entertainment onboard

CroisiEurope also operates the Douro riverboats Infante Don Henrique, Fernao de Magalhaes, and Vasco de Gama.

MS Gil Eanes cruise fares are per person, based on double occupancy. Prices are indicative and may vary depending on booking conditions, travel agency promotions, special offers, group reservations, or last-minute deals.

CroisiEurope Portugal fares include all beverages (coffee, tea, juices, soft drinks, and wine and beer at lunch and dinner). However, shore excursions and optional tours are available at an additional cost.

The CroisiEurope cruise company is family-owned and based in Strasbourg, France. Established in 1976, this premium line manages every aspect of its cruises—from vessel design and construction to cuisine and hotel services. CroisiEurope is one of Europe’s largest river cruise operators.

CroisiEurope river cruise fares include soft drinks and alcoholic beverages (wine and beer with lunch and dinner year-round). During Europe’s high season (April through October), the line also offers all-inclusive drink packages. However, unlike most other river cruise lines, CroisiEurope charges an additional fee for shore excursions.

The Gil Eanes ship sails on the Douro River in Portugal and Spain. Her sister ships include CroisiEurope’s Cyrano de Bergerac, Gerard Schmitter, L’Europe, and Vivaldi, as well as the company’s other Portugal-based vessels Fernao De Magalhaes, Infante Don Henrique, and Vasco de Gama.

Other major European river cruise operators also sail in Portugal, including AmaWaterways with the AmaVida, Viking Cruises with the longships Hemming, Torgil, and Osfrid, as well as Scenic Azure and Uniworld’s Queen Isabel.

Named after the explorer Gil Eannes (1395–1445), the ship was christened on April 17, 2015, in Porto. The godmother, Mrs. Isabel Morais, is a wine and tourism manager at Sogrape Vinhos SA (a Portuguese winery), and the godfather, Mr. Eduardo Vitor Rodrigues, is the Mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia.

Note: You can view CruiseMapper’s full list of river cruise ships and riverboats in the “Itinerary” section of our River Cruises hub, where all companies and their fleets are listed.