Archive for September, 2009

Several companies offer weeklong cruises on the River Douro. The cruises usually begin (and end) in Porto, with included hotel nights in Lisbon before the cruise begins. Tied up alongside the pier near Porto’s wine cellars today is Uniworld’s Douro Queen, which will embark mostly American and British passengers today at 4 p.m. “This has been an amazing year for Douro river cruises,” says Cesario Santos, hotel director on Douro Queen. “It seems that people are suddenly becoming aware of northern Portugal’s beauty and tourism potential. The emphasis in the past has always been on Lisbon and the south.” I can certainly vouch for Santos’ sentiment, and it’s clear that those departing Porto today are in for a real treat, especially with the harvest in full swing in this wine-producing region. “It is a stunning landscape,” says Santos, who comes from Porto. ” You don’t have one single spot on the river that isn’t a ‘wow.’ ”

At Porto’s Cais da Ribeira, diners enjoy the fish restaurants and tascas (tavernas) situated in the charming old buildings along the pier.

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Igreja dos Carmelitas. Built in the first half of the 17th century, the church brings together Classic and Baroque styles, with gilt-carved pulpits and alter pieces.

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In the heart of Porto.

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The Oceania@Sea internet facility is well-equipped, the staff is courteous and helpful, and the classes (in Photoshop and other software applications) are educational and well-conducted. But internet access on Regatta has been a source of frustration for a number of passengers. One couple told me that slow internet access was the topic of conversation last night at their dinner table. That’s a pity. Certainly, I have heard a fair number of complaints too. People are understandably disappointed. More than one person I spoke with had purchased a new laptop or iPhone for using the WiFi on board. But internet is largely non-functional, wired or unwired, at least on this particular sailing. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced slower access – certainly, not since 1989 – and like a few others, I’ve given up altogether on trying to use it, especially at a cost of 95 cents per minute, the highest per-minute cost I know of at sea. However, I never complain without offering solutions, and here are a few suggestions: 1) Manage your expectations. Internet on Regatta likely will be slow and definitely will be slower than what you’re used to at home. 2) Plan to use internet ashore. In Bordeaux, I found WiFi plentiful and free, as I did in other ports. 3) Data enable your phone. I have a Blackberry plan with an unlimited international data plan. Make sure you provision your phone before leaving home, and familiarize yourself with the usage rules. While my AT&T plan gives me unlimited data for $65 per month (a plan that I’ve heard is no longer available), some plans charge per kilobyte accessed. Reasonably priced roaming packages are available from many carriers. Of course, I welcome other suggestions. Please comment with yours. You might ask if our society is too addicted to internet (not likely if you’re reading this online), but in fact internet access on ships now permits people to cruise who otherwise could not. See “Our Ship, Your Office” http://www.avidcruiser.com/blog/2008/07/16/our-ship-your-office/

Most staterooms on Regatta feature balconies, so don’t mistake the photo above for the view from stateroom 7103. In fact, the photo was taken in front of one of the doors leading from the public area on deck five to the partial promenade.

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Following are directions to get from the ship to central Porto. From the quay at Leixoes Port, cross the River Douro to the Mercado metro station, a 10-minute walk across the only bridge you will see from the ship. Purchase a ticket for €2.90 to take you to the city center and back. Be sure to validate your ticket by waving it in front of the yellow machine that reads Validar (validation is electronic). Uniformed English-speaking metro officers were friendly and helpful with the ticket purchase during my visit. From Mercado station, travel in the direction of Estadio do Dragao and exit at Trindade to explore the city center and old city. The journey is about 20 minutes each way, excluding the 10-minute walk.

With deck chairs and lounges like these, it’s tempting not to leave Regatta, docked today in Oporto, Portugal.

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Sunday morning and Regatta has arrived on schedule in Oporto, Portugal. Yesterday, was a relaxing sea day. We’ve had two of those so far on this itinerary, with more to come. Many passengers have told me that they chose this particular sailing because of the itinerary, not only the ports of call but also for the fact that the port calls are pleasantly punctuated by the sea days. Oceania cruisers, in general, are people who appreciate the cruise line’s destination-intensity. Regatta, for example, typically arrives early in port and leaves late. As a pediatrician from New Orleans told me, “Our routine is to get off the ship early, do our tours, come back to the ship, have a nice dinner and crash on the pillows.” I’ve found that to be pretty much the norm. The passengers on this cruise are people who want to extract as much as they can from the destinations while Regatta is in port. Thus, Oceania’s passengers aren’t just cruisers. They are destination-seekers.

In addition to a variety of flavors of ice cream and sorbet, milk shakes, malts and smoothies are served at no extra charge on Regatta.

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