Explorer

AAA
JAN/FEB/MAR 2023 TEXAS MEMBERS EDITION

cruise
issue
ALL ABOARD THE DISNEY WISH
SAILING PORTUGAL’S DOURO RIVER
CRUISE PORT SPOTLIGHT: GALVESTON
 The Year of the
cruise
Greener ships
Over the past decade, the industry has
placed an ever-sharper spotlight on
sustainability. This has been driven by
governments, particularly in Europe and
Alaska, but also by the public.

Devo rocks
Today’s ships are designed to maximize
fuel efficiency. Energy consumption has

the lido
been reduced in almost every area of a
ship’s operation, through streamlined
hulls, optimized engines, LED lighting, Whether you’re a Trekkie, a wine
and more, says Teijo Niemalä, editor and connoisseur, or a child of the ’80s, you
can find a themed cruise that’s right for
publisher of CruiseBusiness.com Magazine.
you. Consider one of these this year.
Ports are installing shoreside electrical
By Jim Benning
The joy of cruising is back. After a rough couple of years, facilities, allowing ships to “plug in” to the
cruise lines have figured out health and safety protocols, local grid, substantially reducing emissions
The ’80s Cruise
while docked. “One of the biggest things
and as ports, ships, crews, and guests have gotten back up Pack your pink leg warmers for Royal
happening is new energy sources,” says Caribbean’s The ’80s Cruise. Devo,
to speed, cruising has reestablished itself as a prime way to Niemalä, who notes that ships sailing Living Colour, and other ’80s icons
vacation. Here’s why. By David Swanson Norway’s fjords will have to be totally perform during the 7-night Mexico
CO2-free by 2026. cruise that leaves L.A. on March 3.

More cruise options that embrace sustainability and education. In Younger fleets
Beatles and Beyond
Fans of the Fab Four and British rock
While the megaships dominate, the range Cozumel, Mexico, for instance, Carnival Cruise In 2020, as the pandemic took hold, cruise
enjoy performances by the Bootleg
of cruise choices has blossomed over the Line offers a tour called Make a Difference: lines offloaded older ships. Faced with a Beatles. Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth
past decade. It’s easier than ever to travel Give Back with Purpose, where passengers cash crunch as cruising came to a halt, departs Tokyo on April 19 with stops
the world on small-ship cruises. In addition, visit a village to meet with Mayan descendants Carnival scrapped 6 of its (then) fleet of 27 that include Kanazawa in Japan and
itineraries sailing well-trod regions, such as and learn about a local orphanage. ships, vessels that entered service in the Busan in South Korea.
the Mediterranean and Alaska, are finding a 1990s. Holland America Line sold its 4 oldest
broader range of ports to call on. Health protocols ships. Recently, Carnival has added Mardi Star Trek: The Cruise
Star Trek aficionados beam themselves
The cruise industry learned valuable lessons Gras and Celebration, and Holland America
onto Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the
variety in shore excursions from the pandemic, says Iain Hay, managing debuted Rotterdam. The result: more
Seas for a 7-night voyage that departs
For years, cruise lines took a cookie-cutter director of Anchor Hygiene Services new ships on the seas than ever before. Los Angeles on February 26 for
approach to shore excursions because, in Limited. “Cruise lines have been held to a They have more features, too—restaurants Puerto Vallarta.
most cases, the tour operator at a given much higher standard,” explains Hay, who overseen by Michelin-star chefs, like Daniel
port sold the same tour to every ship that works with companies to ensure their ships Boulud’s Le Voyage aboard Celebrity Soulful Epicurean
called. Now, cruise lines are differentiating comply with the federal Vessel Sanitation Beyond, and Broadway shows such as the Experience
their wares from competitors, employing Program. “The cruise ships are miles and Tony-winning Kinky Boots on Norwegian AmaWaterways’ first river cruise
independent tour operators to make miles ahead of any hospitality sector that Encore. And, of course, who doesn’t love celebrating Black history and culture in
France departs Arles on August 24 and
onshore experiences unique from line to you see in the U.S.” that “new ship” smell?
sails down the Rhône River to Lyon. The
line and port to port. Silversea Cruises, for By the time cruises came back online in
trip concludes with 3 nights in Paris.
example, offers tours that take a deep dive the U.S. in June 2021, all crews had been
into culinary culture at each port, such as vaccinated, strict testing and vaccination San Diego native DAVID SWANSON’s Essence of Burgundy and
cheese making in Mykonos, Greece. In Nice, standards were established for guests and writing and photography have been Provence Wine Cruise
France, Celebrity Cruises offers a small- crews, and quarantine procedures were featured in the pages of National AmaWaterways’ 2023 wine-themed
group excursion to the medieval village honed. Cruise lines installed hand-washing Geographic Traveler, American Way, itineraries include a 7-night journey
of Saint-Paul de Vence, with lunch at Alain stations outside restaurants on many ships and the Los Angeles Times. down the Rhône and Saône rivers—
Llorca’s Michelin-starred restaurant. and ultraviolet-C lighting in many ventilation paired with Mâconnais, Cornas, and
Côte Chalonnaise wines.
Another recent push: shore excursions systems to disinfect recirculated air.

by the Numbers: 2.2 million americans took cruises in 2021, down 85% from pre-pandemic 2019 • 323 pas senger ships sailed globally in 2021 • 46.7 is the average age of cruise passengers

20 | AAA EXPLORER JAN/FEB/MAR 2023

 Insider Tips From
7 Miami
a Veteran Cruiser

t
By the end of 2022, the new Carnival Celebration

r
1 11 was scheduled to start sailing year-round out A few years ago, I had a dream job: I was hired as an

pauo
of Terminal F (redesigned and expanded at an anonymous cruise ship critic for a major publication.
estimated cost of $170 million). And in December I boarded up to 3 cruises a month and my work
2023, MSC Cruises plans to open its new $350 million entailed taste-testing at every restaurant, measuring

10 megaterminal for the MSC Divina, MSC Magnifica, and

new MSC Seascape. In all, 17 cruise lines homeport
cabin square footage, and calculating internet speed.
Here’s what I’ve learned. By David Swanson
56 ships at the world’s busiest cruise port. Cruise the

n
y

Ocea
it
Bahamas, the Caribbean, Central and South America, There’s a ship that’s right for you.

thor
and other destinations. Some say cruises aren’t for everyone,

ntic
but I believe there’s a cruise line for
8 fort lauderdale every traveler and a traveler for every

At la
s around
s a t cruise port Port Everglades’ Terminal 4 is undergoing a $35 cruise ship. Don’t like crowds? Sail on a small ship or a
cation w and
-need va hat’s ne
t-w hat-you 11 cities—w million renovation for Disney, which adds a second riverboat. Don’t care for buffet lines? Almost all ships
9
yon ju s rt s in
Sail awa ok at po ou.
2 th e country. He
re is a lo
the wo rld the ir ships w
ill take y Florida homeport here come November 2023, with
Disney Dream cruising year-round. Viking is nearly
have specialty restaurants. Think cruising is only for
retirees? I did for a long time, but the average age of
where in
ichols 8
By Don N doubling its sailings (from 10 to 17), and the Ritz- cruisers (46.7 years in 2019) has trended downward.
3 Carlton Yacht Collection arrives in February, offering

6 cruises on Evrima. In all, 8 companies homeport more booking at the last minute can
4
Pa

than 30 ships, two-thirds from Celebrity, Holland save money. Cruise lines sell itineraries
cifi

5 7
America, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. Pick from from 18 to 24 months in advance of
cO

Caribbean, Panama Canal, and transatlantic cruises. departure—sometimes even earlier. But
cea

exico
if you’re flexible on where and when you cruise and
M
n

f o f 9 cape canaveral aren’t finicky about the cruise line or type of cabin,
Gul The world’s second-busiest cruise port, Port booking at the last minute can yield terrific bargains.

1 Seattle 4 San Diego Canaveral has just added the world’s largest cruise
Sailings are all about Alaska, For the 2022–2023 season, Disney is nearly tripling its Disney Wonder ship, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, to its Sailing solo? There’s a cabin for you.
with cruises departing from April to cruises (from 19 to 55) and will bring in Disney Magic for fall sailings. After a long homeport fleet for year-round sailings. And in 2023, Historically, cruises are priced per
October. Seven cruise lines homeport absence, Princess is back with Diamond Princess, but only through February. Marella Discovery, MSC Seashore, MSC Seaside, and person but based on double occupancy.
14 ships, led by Norwegian Cruise Line Five other cruise lines homeport ships here, with Holland America leading the Norwegian Prima join the fleet seasonally—a fleet of 13 Solo travelers can pay up to twice as
(NCL) with 4. pack with 7. Cruise Mexico, the Panama Canal, South America, the South Pacific, that also includes Carnival and Disney ships. Cruise the much for a cabin. But cruise lines today recognize
Hawai‘i, the Pacific Northwest, and California’s wine country. Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. the need to cater to solo passengers and are carving
space for them on newer ships. These cabins are
2 Los Angeles
For the first time in a decade, 5 Galveston 6 New Orleans 10 Baltimore generally snugger, and many are inside (with no
Celebrity is cruising a full season, In November 2022, construction Carnival sails year- Carnival Legend and Royal Caribbean’s view). Of the big cruise lines, Norwegian is ahead
with Celebrity Solstice through May wrapped up on the port’s third cruise- round with Carnival Glory Enchantment of the Seas homeport year-round. of the game, having launched its “studio” cabins
and Celebrity Eclipse in the fall. Royal ship terminal, a $125 million home for and Carnival Valor; while Cruise the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada’s East Coast, on the Norwegian Epic in 2010. You’ll also find solo
Caribbean sails year-round; Princess Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. In Disney (Disney Magic), NCL the Caribbean, New England, and the Southeast U.S. accommodations on the newer ships of Celebrity,
Cruises and NCL seasonally. Cruise December 2022, NCL was scheduled to (Norwegian Breakaway), Royal Caribbean, and Holland America.
Mexico, Hawai‘i, and the Pacific Coast. sail into town with its new Norwegian and Royal Caribbean 11 New York
Prima, and Princess was set to return after (Radiance of the Seas) This spring, Carnival Venezia and MSC Meraviglia Proper packing matters. Create a
checklist of what you’ll need well before
3 Long Beach a 6-year absence with Ruby Princess and, operate seasonally. Cruise start sailing year-round out of the Big Apple, where 7
Carnival owns and operates this coming this March, Regal Princess. All the Bahamas, the Caribbean, cruise lines homeport 13 ships at 2 ports (in Brooklyn you start packing. Must-have items, such
cruise terminal, with year-round sailings 4 ships will cruise seasonally. Come fall, Mexico, and the Panama and Manhattan). Pick from Bermuda, Canada, the as medications, go in a day bag to carry
on Carnival Panorama and Carnival Carnival will add year-round sailings on the Canal. Additionally, American Caribbean, transatlantic, and New England cruises. on the flight and onboard the ship. And because it
Radiance, and seasonal cruises on new Carnival Jubilee. These 4 lines, plus Cruise Lines, American may be hours between embarkation and accessing
Carnival Miracle. Cruise Mexico, Disney, will homeport 13 ships in 2023. Queen Steamboat Company, your cabin (and luggage), carry on a bathing suit if you
Catalina Island—and new for 2023, Cruise the Caribbean, Mexico, and the and Viking Cruises offer Dallas-based DON NICHOLS is the former editor-in- want to enjoy the pool while still in port, a good idea
Alaska and Hawai‘i. Panama Canal. Mississippi River cruises. chief of Private Clubs magazine. especially if you’re cruising with kids.

48% of cruise passengers worldwide hail from North America • 10 cruise ships are powered by liq uid natural gas • 25 additional liquid natural gas ships are under construction or on order
Wish
Wish
List
Home port:
Port Canaveral, Florida

Maiden voyage:
July 14, 2022

Tonnage:
About 144,000
gross tons

Length: 1,119 feet

Beam: 128 feet

Draft: 27.2 feet

Fulfilled
Height: 221 feet

Fuel: Liquefied
Natural Gas

Crew: 1,555

Passenger capacity:
A multigenerational family finds 4,000

something for everyone aboard Staterooms: 1,254

(including 53 concierge
staterooms and
the new Disney Wish 23 concierge suites)

By Fran Golden

A
s we were about to board the This cruise seemed the perfect op-
new 4,000-passenger Disney portunity to lock in quality time with
Wish in Port Canaveral, Flor- my 35-year-old tech-exec son and my
ida, my 5-year-old grandson oldest grandchild, making sure that
George pulled me close and George really got to know Grandmom
declared, “Grandmom, this is the best Fran. I am cynical by nature, but seeing
day of my life.” the world through the eyes of a child
Looking up at the cruise ship, with gave me a new perspective on cruising.
a figurehead of Rapunzel on the stern
and 60 feet of hair flowing behind her, On a storied ship
he then turned to my son Eli and ex- I was awestruck as we stepped into
claimed, “Dad, you said the ship is Disney Wish’s lavish 3-deck-high
bigger than a house. It’s bigger than Grand Hall, equipped with an elegant
the world!” staircase and a sparkling chandelier
Hearing George’s wonderment, I inspired by Cinderella’s story. Memo-
couldn’t help but smile—an inclina- ries of beloved Disney tales filled my
tion that would rarely fade during our head as it became clear we were in
3-night sailing to the Bahamas with a a floating fantasyland. Deep down, I
stop at Disney’s private island, Cast- was still the little girl enthralled by Dis-
away Cay. Even for me, a veteran cruise ney princesses.
writer, this embarkation day was partic- Nearly every space on the ship tells
ularly sweet. George and his dad, mom, a story from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars,
MARK ASHMAN

and baby sister live in a landlocked town or Marvel movies, and characters
some 450 miles from me, and we don’t from each interact with and entertain
see each other as much as we’d like. passengers, from seniors to toddlers.

24 | AAA EXPLORER JAN/FEB/MAR 2023 JAN/FEB/MAR 2023 AAA EXPLORER | 25

 Eli to launch into an explanation of Disney anima- screens showed galaxies whirring past, I tapped
tronics while we munched on a Nordic-inspired into a memory of him as a kid, using his prized Star
menu that included smoked salmon and braised Wars lightsaber to chase his older sister around
meatballs with lingonberry chutney. the house. I was proud of the man he’s become,
Although the dining experiences aboard the at the same time marveling at how quickly the
Disney Wish cater to kids, the sophisticated menu years have flown.
also pleased us adults. So even though George on
Day 1 declared that he’d be eating burgers, or as he Together time
put it, “meat and bread, plain meat and bread,” Eli “Adult time” aside, the Disney Wish promotes to-
and I had plenty of choices. At Worlds of Marvel, I getherness. In our spacious, deluxe veranda cab-
ordered seared turbot fillet with sweet pea puree in decorated in a Princess and the Frog motif (all
and roasted heirloom carrots; Eli had a Delmonico the cabins have fairy-tale themes), George was
rib eye with black truffle butter. thrilled to discover that he slept on a bunk that
The third restaurant was a change of pace: 1923, pulled down from the ceiling and was accessible
a tribute to the golden age of animation decorat- by a ladder. Eli had a single sofa bed. For privacy, I
ed with nearly a thousand cartoon sketches and could pull a curtain between the 2 sleeping areas.
props. It felt like a classic family dining experience. One night, all 3 of us snuggled on my queen bed
to watch Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. I felt
nostalgic. I’d watched the movie with Eli
when he was George’s age and was de-
lighted to share the experience again with
my grandson.
We shared many other experiences,
both real and virtual. The ship’s giant out-
door movie screen, 2 movie theaters, and
Broadway-style musicals made it easy.

Let’s
George and I passed on the ship’s water-
Above: Disney (Confession: George had to school me on some collects Marvel characters, and although he’s too slide but enjoyed watching Eli scream his
Wish’s 3-deck-

Go!
of the characters in Disney’s expanded brand uni- young to have seen most of the movies, he knows way down.
high Grand
verse.) He was delighted whenever costumed char- all about Ant-Man, Black Panther, and others. His I screamed, too, as I rafted down the
Hall. Far
right: Worlds acters appeared but preferred to view them from litany of Marvel characters had me reeling in their AquaMouse, an impressive 760-foot-long
of Marvel afar. Once, when Cinderella waved from a lobby sheer number. log flume with some 65 squirting jets, Mick- Disney cruises
restaurant. balcony, I suggested that George call her name to George’s joy was infectious as we entered the ey and Minnie animation, and a track that depart from 8
get her attention. “Grandmom, she has a right to restaurant. He was eager to see how the Aveng- winds around an upper deck and ends with U.S. ports, as
wave at who she wants to,” he replied. I was prop- ers Quantum Core device on each table would, a big, wet drop. well as ports
erly chastised. in his words, “shrink things.” As we were seat- Grown-up time Most joyful for me, however, was an analog mo- around the
But George quickly forgot his shyness when he ed, George warned us not to push the device’s One night, after George munched on “meat and ment: seeing George swimming in the ocean for world. Prices
spotted the tube slide leading to the youth pro- buttons—and then he pushed them 20 times. bread” from the ship’s open-air food court and the first time at Castaway Cay, Disney’s dreamy for a 3-night
grams offered in the center of the ship. At Disney’s On screens around us, a supervillain was at- then was happily ensconced in the Oceaneer Club white-sand island. At first, he timidly waded into cruise aboard
Oceaneer Club for children 3–12 years old, George tacking the ship. George was soon engrossed by for the evening, Eli and I set off for a mother-son the clear, warm, turquoise water. But when he the Disney Wish
found his favorite space in a room decorated as a headliners Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and The Wasp date at Palo Steakhouse, 1 of the ship’s 2 “specialty spied other kids with floats, he asked Eli to grab start at about
$1,900 for 2
Star Wars spaceship’s cargo bay. There he used a (Evangeline Lilly). dining” restaurants with separate pricing. Both are him one too, and he immediately jumped in. I felt
passengers,
data pad to study such movie creatures as a dian- As we left the dining room, George, holding Eli’s themed on Beauty and the Beast and restricted buoyed by the sight.
based on double
oga (trash monster) in a jar and a porg (a beakless hand, asked, “Will Ultron come back? If he does, to ages 18 and up; the fancier option, Enchanté, As we departed Castaway Cay, “When You
occupancy.
bird) in a cage. He has never seen the movies, but will you defend the ship?” Eli reassured him that is helmed by Michelin-starred French chef Arnaud Wish Upon a Star” blared from the ship’s horn and
surely will want to now. he would. Lallement, and priced accordingly. I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing George enjoy new
Your AAA
George was also fascinated by if not quite as While the ship has several classy bars that adventures made me smile. Watching my adult son
travel advisor
Food, family, fun
FROM LEFT: AMY SMITH; STEVEN DIAZ

taken with Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, a would have been perfect for a nightcap, we were play like a kid made me smile.
can provide
Because George had seen a promotional preview musical dinner theater with live characters from the in the mood for something different. Passing By the end of our cruise, my cheeks hurt.
trip-planning
of the Disney Wish online before the cruise, his Frozen movies, including Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff, through a whooshing door, we entered the Star information.
No. 1 goal was to dine in the Worlds of Marvel singing hit songs such as “Let It Go.” “Hey, I know Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, where we sipped in- Visit a branch,
restaurant and see its show, Avengers: Quantum that guy,” George shouted when he spied Oaken, tergalactic drinks that glowed or smoked. The FRAN GOLDEN and her family sailed aboard the call (800)
Encounter. The restaurant is 1 of 3 in the ship’s the housekeeper character. It was all wonderment small bar decorated as a luxury space yacht has Disney Wish from Florida to the Bahamas on a 814-7471, or go
AMY SMITH

rotational dining system, and passengers are until he examined the snowman, Olaf, and saw a giant windows with views of the cosmos. As Eli 3-night preview cruise for invited guests, prior to to AAA.com
assigned a different venue each night. George zipper. “It’s just a robot,” he declared, prompting led the crowd of about 2 dozen in cheering as the the ship’s official launch in July. /explore.

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 My Darling
DOURO
Two friends get an education in wine and
resilience on a river cruise in Portugal
By Al ison Gee

PPOHUDKA/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Sunset over Porto and the Douro River, Portugal

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 Aboard the AmaDouro
he contessa was not what I expected her to be.
On a perfect summer morning in Portugal’s Douro
Valley, I stood at the Hotel Rural Casa dos Viscondes
da Várzea in a black dress and heels, waiting to meet her. mere 102 shipboard revelers. As a result,
The night before, during the maiden-night briefing aboard AmaDouro cruises sell out quickly.
AmaWaterways’ AmaDouro, Cruise Manager Fintan Kerr had With a smaller group, the daily excur-
informed us passengers that this contessa, Maria Manuel Cyrne, sions and nightly dinners took on a
was “larger than life. She’s simply unforgettable.” charming, intimate ambience. Indeed,
That much I could surmise after touring a few of the 150 acres of we cruisers quickly learned each
the contessa’s estate along with some 63 other AmaDouro cruis- other’s names. Paso Robles wine-
ers, including my close friend and cabinmate Sophie. The palace maker Steve Cass (a former Charles
was replete with 27 bedrooms, a gold-leafed family cathedral, and Schwab vice president who trans-
a pigeon mansion (yes, a manor where feathered messenger birds formed himself into a much-lauded vint-
reside). A fantasy image of the Portuguese royal was fixed in my ner) and his lovely piano-playing wife,
mind—that of a Chanel-clad, coiffed beauty who no doubt spoke Alice, even hosted 2 wine talks about
with an Oxbridge accent. Portuguese and California wines—and
Instead, Contessa Maria was a brassy bottle blonde, wearing a shared bottles of Cass Winery’s excel-
bright blue Zara shirt (“19 euros!” she cooed) and worn black slacks. lent cabernets and viogniers at curated
When we caught up with her in the palace kitchen, she was doing wine-paired dinners. “Come join us!”
the dishes. Born into an aristocratic family, Maria grew up “like a became my favorite refrain each eve-
princess in a palace,” but a coup—the 1974 Carnation Revolution— ning as Steve and Alice beckoned us to
stripped her elite clan of its palatial property and sent Maria, sud- their table. Every night, we indulged in
denly a pauper, into hiding as a university student. Eventually, Maria
transformed a love of fashion into a retail empire, married another
sumptuous 4-course meals—one favor-
ite offering was beef medallions with
Welcome to Portugal’s Douro Valley—a lush, expansive
fallen noble, and finally snagged the palace. But even fairy tales
come with bills, and Maria was determined to pay them.
béarnaise sauce, and a shockingly sat-
isfying banana split. On a Portuguese- dreamland of sprawling vineyards and red-tiled quintas
When Sophie and I broke away from the group to chat with themed night, we had braised farinheira
her, Maria grabbed a soapy wineglass, looked me in the eye and sausage, cabbage soup with chorizo,
declared, “My darling, I will do what I need to do—even if it means and ovos moles pastries. 
working until 5 a.m. like I did last night. I am not going to lose a Kerr told me that the AmaDouro’s
palace again.” She toweled off her hands and handed us flutes of Portuguese executive chef had crafted
sparkling wine. “Now let’s make a chin-chin and celebrate life!” a menu that delivered his country’s ter-
Welcome to the Douro Valley—a lush, expansive dreamland of roir on a plate. “These meals are not
sprawling vineyards and red-tiled quintas (wine-growing estates), spontaneous,” said Kerr. “The chef
gleaming palaces like Maria’s, and hushed medieval towns. The wants to give cruisers the broadest pos-

FROM TOP: COURTESY AMAWATERWAYS; SIMON DANNHAUER/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

557-mile Douro River, which connects the valley’s villages and sible experience of his country—so that
cities, not only sweetly ferried us up some 131 miles of naviga- means rustic stews and locally sourced
ble water but also offered us a window into the Alto Douro Wine fish.” This was not just a “moveable
Region, the world’s first demarcated wine zone. This is where the feast.” It was a floating one.
Portuguese—and, notably, the British—have been making port wine This weeklong cruise could not have
for centuries. In the Douro, grapes are still hand-plucked from vines come at a better time—for Sophie or for
and squashed in vats by local and Romanian feet. With each stop me. Like the contessa, neither one of us
on our weeklong cruise, we ventured deeper into the country’s was in the place where we thought we’d
beating heart. be at this stage of life. I met Sophie in
Hong Kong in the late 1990s. There, we
Boutique Appeal were journalists and close friends but
I had journeyed from Los Angeles to the Douro Valley to check also, strangely, social rivals. She had
out the AmaDouro, a boutique luxury vessel specially designed to divorced her lawyer husband, whom
sail the Douro River. For one, the length of the ship was reduced she’d met in the former colony decades
from the typical 443 feet to 260 feet so it could fit into the riv-
er’s locks and maneuver its shallows and narrows. These leaner
ago. But now she was tussling between
2 handsome suitors who, conveniently,
Vineyards along the Douro River
dimensions meant scaling back the number of passengers to a lived in different countries. I had just left

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 Atlantic Ocean
Clockwise from left:Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios;
Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor; Mateus Palace’s topiary garden families still stroll every evening, sud- sky a canopy of eternity. The riv- Porto Do uro rive r
Pinhão
Salamanca
denly transported us to the 1600s. Don er’s green waters teeming with Lamego

Quixote  author Miguel de Cervantes European sea bass flowed briskly

SPAIN
attended university here,  and the past us and, as I lifted my face into Madrid
town squares were the scene of many the wind, an earthy whiff of brine portugal
medieval duels. In fact, on the gran- filled my lungs. I thought about
rive r
ite churches and university buildings, what the contessa had shared

s
gu
ta
you can still see the slash marks where earlier: There is no use clinging
knights had sharpened their swords.  onto something that is no longer
yours. You have to take action if Lisbon

Deck With a View you want to move forward. I loos-

While our excursions were educational ened the rose from my hair, tore it
and eye-opening, some of our best into petals, and let them float like pink
moments took place on the ship’s deck, teardrops into the wind.
where Sophie and I met every after- During one of our final excursions,
noon. Case in point: “What’s that?” to Lamego, we followed an ancient trail up 686 stone stairs
Sophie gestured to a fuchsia rose to the stunning hilltop church of Santuário de Nossa Senhora
pinned behind my ear, as we tossed dos Remédios. Although not everyone made it to the pin-
our towels, lip gloss, and books onto a nacle, Sophie and I did, bounding up like lithe gazelles in our
pool chaise. sundresses and sandals. On our audio headsets, Mira told us
“It’s from one of the cruisers. He that pilgrims braving the climb prayed to be healed from polio,
a 23-year-marriage to an Indian aristocrat. My oversize suitcases our guide’s insightful commentary as we gave it to me and just said, ‘Beauty.’ ” cancer, infertility—the list went on.
were stuffed not only with my favorite dresses, evening clutches, fanned out to the valley’s palaces, topi- Sophie raised her flawless brows. So when we entered the church, I went straight for the
and too many novels, but also memories and regrets, which I hoped ary gardens, and wineries. “Oh, don’t get your knickers in a electric prayer candles, dropped a euro in the slot, and as the
the ever-constant river and the sight of its pastoral shores—lined as Sometimes, to reach our excursion twist,” I said, rolling my eyes. “He’s like lights flickered on, claimed 10 prayers.
they were with white-washed farmhouses, chestnut and olive trees, destinations, we would journey for an 78—only slightly out of my range.” “So, Ali, what did you wish for?” Sophie inquired, as she
and horses and vineyards—would gently soothe.  hour or more in AmaDouro’s luxury Sophie grabbed my hand and sashayed up to me. “World peace, of course, robust health,
coaches, during which our impecca- pulled me to the ship’s rails. This was and ... everlasting love,” I answered. “Fine choices,” she said,
A River Runs Through It bly educated Portuguese guide, Ines our afternoon ritual—to gaze out onto winking a sparkling green eye. “Now be a darling and move
Truth be told, I was skeptical about taking a river cruise. I had been Mira, who had lived in the Douro for the water and beyond, into the mid- over, so I can use those other 7.” And I did.
a foreign correspondent who (more than once) had ridden a yak years, would dazzle us with her regional dle distance. The verdant banks, with
through a small Chinese village on a quest for a story. Would cruis- knowledge. I loved learning that Mira’s their wooden plows, brick wells, and
ing at 10 mph on a stunning but uneventful river prove to be a multigenerational family not only kept medieval churches, were a tableau ALISON GEE is the author of the memoir Where the
snooze? What could an adventurous traveler like me take away a yard full of working chickens but also of human ritual and resilience, the Peacocks Sing: A Palace, a Prince, and the Search for Home.
from such a manicured experience? More importantly, what could made their own olive oil every year using

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SERGEY PETERMAN/STOCK.ADOBE.COM; ALISON GEE (2)

I learn about life?  pickings from their backyard trees.
“Ocean and river cruises are very different,” explained Cruise On the third day, we docked over-
Manager Kerr. “On a river cruise, you can always see something night at Pinhão. In the morning, we vis-
interesting on the nearby shore—you’re never very far from the cul-
ture you came to explore. We are always passing through some
special place—a hamlet, a village, a quinta, a vineyard. And because
ited the iconic Mateus Palace, where
we idled in the topiary garden and
learned about port: The sweet red
Sail On
AmaWaterways runs Douro
we sail right up to the villages, it’s easy for us to launch into really wine is usually made by adding a con- River cruises from March
special excursions, sometimes deep into the heart of the valley.” centrated wine spirit, like brandy, to a through December, when
Every morning on the AmaDouro, I could count on 3 things: port wine base. The resulting libation passengers can enjoy
One: My custom-ordered mushroom omelet served by my has a higher alcohol content, which is Portugal’s charming Christmas
ever-cheerful waiter at my favorite sun-streaked table near the one reason port is generally served in markets. Rates for the
COURTESY AMAWATERWAYS

picture windows. small glasses—and also why Sophie and Enticing Douro 7-night cruise
Two: Sophie in her white tank top and tennis skirt coming in from I were often passed out on the ship’s start at $3,399 per person
the pool deck. “I watched the dawn fog roll off the water, then did chaise lounges in the afternoon. based on double occupancy.
some yoga, meditation, and spontaneous dancing,” she’d say as I On day 4, we rode a luxury coach for AmaWaterways also offers
a cruise/land package that
tried hard not to reply with a frozen smile: “Okay, crazy person!” 2 hours to Salamanca, Spain, a medieval
includes 3 nights in Lisbon.
Three: The sudden 8:30 a.m. rush of excursion-goers, toting town north of Madrid. Walking around
water bottles, hats, and audio headsets that allowed us to hear the Plaza Mayor, where the town’s

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