In April 2025, I received an invitation to the three-night baptism event of APT’s latest ship Ms. Estrelaon the picturesque Douro River in Portugal.
The weather is not good at this time of year, so the ship has already docked from Porto to capture the sunshine, which looks more favorable to predict. The weather in the area is similar to most Europe in April, it may be nice and can be mixed together.
After entering Ms. Estrela, I was delighted to see a well-designed modern boat that was my home for the next 3 days. I was delighted to live in a mid-deck Class B French balcony suite which is not only contemporary and spacious, but also provides a lot of attractive and hanger storage for all my belongings. The suite comes with a full-size window that can be easily opened with the touch of a button. The bed was very comfortable and gave me a good night’s sleep. It’s worth knowing that there was no overnight sail in Douro. So with the boat locked, you don’t have to worry about here that those jingles and various metal noises are locks that can be ride on the Rhine or the Danube.
The next day, I visited the rest of the boat. The sun deck comes with plush, mattress-style lounge chairs that tend to be the best boat these days. Fix green toward the back three holes. Facing the bow, a shaded seating section provides a nice area to enjoy a drink from the bar.
One thing every luxury Douro boat needs to have is a good swimming pool. The pool on Ms. Estrela is a nice size for Douro and is compared to other European River Boat Pools. However, it is a place to calm down, not be able to swim in length, just to be clear. No one tried it in April, but it would be a godsend in my opinion.
The place where you spend a lot of time during your stay is the spacious and spacious main lounge. It offers different seating areas, dance floor and piano, which will be used by musicians on board (hopefully). At the front of the lounge, there is a separate area with spacious horseshoe sofas, creating a nice area for social gatherings. Additionally, stepping onto the stern terrace allows guests to enjoy incredible views of the terraced hillsides and enjoy while crossing the awesome locks of the Douro River.
The christening ceremony finally came out. Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley formally named the ship’s godmother at a fun, relaxing ceremony. After the speeches and blessings of the local priests, everyone celebrated the champagne bottle smashing the bow and arrows of the boat, echoing cheers throughout the boat.
During our 3 special planning days we crossed the stunning scenery of the Douro River, through the impressive Carrapatelo Lock towering above 35 meters. Our trip included a visit to the Quinta da Pacheca wine estate, where we loved the harbor tasting, matching cheese and indulgent chocolate cakes.
On our last night in Porto, APT surprised us with a charming lighting cruise. The city has gradually become fascinated and it does reveal its beauty under the night sky.
I really like the time in Douro. The ship is at a high standard and the staff do a great job of caring for all of us. With high demand for Douro, APT is also building a second ship to start sailing in 2027, which is exciting news. Currently, I am happy to recommend Estrela to our clients for an unforgettable trip along the Douro River in Portugal.
If you want to explore Douro on the brand new APT MS Estrela, please contact us.
Simon
Global river cruise
