A trip down the Seine a few years ago was enough to convince me that river cruises are great for solo travelers. My latest trip, a cruise through the Douro Valley on a brand new, custom-built ship with Avalon Waterways, took that up a notch and cemented my affection for this style of travel.
This new ship, the Avalon Alegria, embarked on her inaugural cruise in April. She was christened by her godmother, actor and comedian, Cheri Oteri. I missed her by one day, boarding the ship in Porto for an abridged 4-night trip before the first regular scheduled cruises began.
This was my first trip to Portugal, and cruising on the Douro was a beautiful way to start it. There was quite a bit of rain at the beginning of April, so there were some things I passed on, such as trying out Avalon's first roof deck pool, but the design of the ship really lent itself to enjoying the scenery, rain or shine. In addition to the roof deck, which has seating for all passengers, there is a covered Observation Lounge (what I thought of as the “front porch”) with tables and chairs and even a swing (!) plus individual balconies. The huge Panorama Lounge and the cozy Club Lounge, and even the dining room, for that matter, have full, clear views of the Douro Valley from every vantage point.
It was a real treat to be among the very first passengers to enjoy this ship and this new route for Avalon. Let me share with you some of the highlights of my experience.
What's Special About the Avalon Alegria?
Alegria is a Portuguese word that means “happiness” and the ship is designed to promote it in many ways. Here are some of the special features of this new river cruise ship that make it perfect for solo travelers – or any travelers, for that matter.
- Smaller ship, fewer guests, more space. Because of the size of the Douro River, ships necessarily have to be narrower to navigate through. Because of the bridges, the height of the ships is also limited. Somehow, the Alegria still manages to feel spacious both in the common areas and the cabins. With only 51 cabins – 14 staterooms and 37 panoramic suites – and a maximum of 102 guests, you can always find space to congregate with others or spend quiet time alone.
- 2 floors of panoramic suites. One of the ways that Avalon has maximized the available space without reducing the square footage of cabins is with open–air balconies and wall-to-wall panoramic windows in all Panorama Suites. In essence, you can slide open a floor to ceiling glass wall for a wonderful indoor-outdoor experience, leaving you with 30% more space than the average cabin.
- Unobstructed views. The Alegria is built around the views with no obstructions, even in the dining room and the lounge. Floor to ceiling windows are everywhere! In 80% of the cabins, the bed faces the view, so you can enjoy watching the world go by without even getting up.
- Even the cheap seats are great. We've all seen ship cabins that look like dark closets. Not on the Alegria! I was pleasantly surprised at how bright and roomy the staterooms on the lower deck were compared to others I have seen. Some solo travelers on river cruises choose the less expensive, smaller cabins because they don't plan to spend much time in them anyway. In this case, even though they are less expensive, they are still very nice.
- Excellent, strong Wi-Fi. A frequent complaint on ships has been about poor quality or expensive internet access. Because more people work as they travel these days, reliable and consistent Wi-Fi is a priority on this ship. I can vouch for the fact that it worked perfectly for me, even on a ship full of constantly connected guests.
- Commitment to the environment. Avalon has made a real commitment to sustainability. There are no single-use plastics or amenities on the Alegria. All lighting is LED, and whenever possible while docked, they use shore power. Two trees are planted for every passenger to offset their carbon footprint. There is no bottled water available on the ship, nor is it provided on excursions. This is replaced by water stations around the ship and if you forget to bring your water bottle (I lost mine somewhere between Toronto and Porto), don't worry, they've got you covered!
- Thoughtful touches. One of my pet peeves when it comes to travel accommodation is poor lighting and awkwardly placed mirrors in bathrooms. The lighted magnifying mirror in my surprisingly roomy bathroom was very much appreciated. In fact, the only thing I would have changed is the placement of the hand soap and lotion. The drinking glasses were directly beneath them, so I was dripping water and soap into them every time I washed my hands. As it happened, though, I never had any need to use them as I had additional glasses in the sitting area of my cabin.
- Multiple levels of comfort. I've never encountered this before, but on the Alegria, you can choose from four levels of firmness for your bed. Too soft? Too hard? Let the staff know and it will be changed for the next night. You can play Goldilocks until you get it just right for you. Likewise, there are different types of pillows to choose from.
- Plugs in all the right places. Another of my pet peeves is not enough or poorly located electrical sockets and USB ports. Having both on the nightstand beside the bed meant that I woke up on time every morning, fully charged and ready to get off the ship and explore.
The Stunning Douro Valley
While the ship itself is an important part of any river cruise, as amazing as it is, it's not the reason for the trip–obviously, the destination is why we're there. And what a gorgeous destination this is, especially when the sun comes out! The blues of the sky and the greens of the landscape are intense in the springtime sunshine.
On many other cruises, the ship moves at night so that daytimes are spent exploring off the ship. On the Douro River, though, the sailing can't happen at night due to the difficulty of navigating and the number of locks that must be passed through. This means that there is more time to enjoy taking in the extraordinary landscape during daylight hours.
On this cruise, excursions tended to be in the early part of the day, often returning to the ship for lunch, then cruising through the afternoon. You could choose between various activities, such as a cooking demonstration or afternoon tea, or slide open the glass wall in your suite and enjoy a glass of wine, the breeze in your hair, and the lush green scenery.
On the first day, I chose a walking tour of Amarante, one of the oldest villages in Northern Portugal. Our guide led us through the cobblestone streets, tasting traditional pastries and learning a bit about the history of the area as we walked. We toured the stunning São Gonçalo Church, then I sat on a bench and listened to the church bells ring and watched locals arriving for the service. Other options on this day included kayaking for the more active travelers or a visit to Guimãraes.
When we docked in Régua, I chose to visit an aristocratic country estate and met a viscountess, the incredibly charming Maria. While others toured the farm, I wandered through her manor house, drank some wine, and sat by one of several wood-burning fires, feeling like I was on a movie set. On this day, other excursion options included a walking tour exploring the sights and sounds of Peso da Régua & Lemego or hiking above the village of Casal de Loivos. Everyone then met at Quinta Do Bom Fim, where we enjoyed an outstanding lunch designed by Michelin-starred chef, Pedro Lemos, in the heart of the Douro region.
On our final day, back in Porto, I chose to stay on the ship as I was going to spend a week in the city following the cruise. My fellow guests were able to choose between a bicycle tour of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia led by a professional biologist tour guide, visiting the WOW cultural district in Vila Nova de Gaia, the Cork Museum, and a renowned wine cellar, or a walking tour of the historical centre followed by a visit to Palacio da Bolsa, one of Porto's most important monuments. One of the things I like about river cruises for solo travelers is always having the option to skip out on the day's events and spend time alone on the ship.
Why Are River Cruises a Great Option for Solo Travelers?
One of the key words used frequently by Avalon is “choice”. Coincidentally, it's one of the most important components of trips for solo travelers as well.
River cruises used to have a reputation for being for people who just wanted to sit and watch the world go by (not that there's anything wrong with that). But now, especially with Avalon, when it comes to activity levels, you have a number of options. In addition to being able to choose between 3 styles of excursions–Classic, Discovery, or Active–by chatting with your Cruise Director, you can customize something for yourself. For instance, if you have mobility concerns, by alerting the cruise director, you will discover options you might not be aware of. If others are going on a walking tour of Porto, but this is outside your comfort zone, perhaps a tuk-tuk tour would suit you better. If there are (and there are, trust me!) a lot of stairs where your tour is headed, perhaps it can be arranged for you to be dropped off at a different location with a less onerous climb. In my experience, the only thing standing between you and getting what you need is asking for it.
As with all of their river cruises, Avalon waives the single supplement on a percentage of rooms on every departure. What's unusual is that this applies not just to the lowest category of staterooms, but also to the panoramic suites on the Alegria.
I have written in detail about river cruises for solo travelers: why they're a good choice, tips for enjoying your trip, things I've learned along the way. You can read more here: 12 River Cruise Tips for Solo Travelers: How to Make the Most of Your Journey.
Thank you to Avalon Waterways for the opportunity to be among the first guests on the Avalon Alegria. As always, my impressions and opinions are my own, and Solo Traveler maintains complete editorial control over all content.
