Call us free on 0800 023 1273
Mobiles / International call 0203 371 7641
In 2016, Scenic became the first non-Portuguese company to operate on the Douro River without a European partner or chartered ships. That means the Australian line is free to uphold its high standards in crew, service, dining, touring and onboard accommodation.
The purpose-built ship is shorter and narrower than Scenic's other vessels in order to navigate Portugal's winding river and its many locks, but it still feels spacious and easy to get around. Despite the smaller size, Scenic Azure does not lack any of the frills to which past passengers have become accustomed. It has a plunge pool on the sun deck, butler service for all cabins and six dining options. Then there's the long list of inclusions, from the free drinks to a complimentary bag of laundry (same-day service in most cases).
Adding to the luxury experience is a crew-to-passenger ratio of almost 1:2. Most crew are Portuguese, friendly and passionate about their country. Their affable nature bolsters the relaxed vibe onboard, while the department leaders keep everything running smoothly.
With a maximum of 96 passengers and only one lounge, mingling happens easily -- especially before and after dinner. Restaurant tables are set for two, four or six, allowing couples or solo travellers to sit together or move around each day.
While sailing, passengers like to watch the scenery from the sun deck, which is the best vantage point for panoramic views of the valley. However, it can be very hot, even in the shaded area, particularly in July and August.
The ship's décor is clean and contemporary, with a lot of black, white and gold. Keep an eye out for the Portuguese art, such as a wall of sardines in the main dining room. Cabins are compact and have en-suite bathrooms and comfortable, adjustable beds. All but six have enclosed balconies, known as sun lounges, with floor-to-ceiling windows that can be opened halfway down with the touch of a button.
Scenic Azure would suit couples who appreciate good food, wine, mountain views and a slow pace.
In the hot climate of Portugal, passengers dress for cool comfort. Men wear shorts and T-shirts, but are asked to wear trousers at dinner; a short-sleeved shirt is OK, and jackets and ties are not required. Women dress casually by day and might change into something smarter in the evening. A light cardigan or shawl is recommended to cope with the chilly air conditioning. A hat and sunglasses are essential for tours. Bring your swimwear if you plan to take a dip in the pool.
Almost everything is included in the cruise fare -- alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, tips, shore excursions, butler service for all cabins and 1 kilogram of laundry. For purchases of fine wines and port (not on the complimentary list), massages and extra laundry, the onboard currency is the euro.
Shore Excursions
Daily shore excursions are included in the fare. Most morning tours run from around 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Additional afternoon options are also complimentary and can be reserved ahead of time. A trip to Salamanca, Spain, is an all-day affair involving a two-hour coach drive each way.
Scenic's two tour escorts, who accompany each excursion, are Portuguese, knowledgeable and fluent in English. The two escorts and a hotel director also remain on the ship throughout the whole cruise.
Daytime and Evening Entertainment
Yoga and stretching classes are offered on the sun deck at 7 a.m. When in port, one of the wellness staff leads a morning walk. Before and after dinner, the resident pianist plays pop and rock music in the lounge. On one night, a local band comes aboard to perform traditional music. Other nights include a show by the crew and a music trivia quiz, which involves (voluntary) audience participation on the dance floor for bonus points. On one day, a lunch barbecue is held on the sun deck, weather permitting.
Enrichment
The daily afternoon program includes one session on most days: a port talk by the hotel director, a Portuguese culture or language lesson by the tour escorts, a cooking demonstration by the chef and a cork jewellery and handbag presentation by a local designer (who also sells her products for reasonable prices). No fees or advance registration are required.
Panorama Lounge & Bar (Diamond Deck): Used for quiet relaxation by day, the bar is busiest just before dinner for the daily port talk. Most people drink beer, wine and cocktails, and many like to experiment with the local sweet spirits and port tonics (a refreshing mix of port wine, tonic water and lime). The décor is modern, with comfy couches, chairs and tables. At the furthest end from the entrance (actually the front of the ship) is a quieter terrace overlooking the bow.
The top deck, lined with artificial grass, is the best spot for a 360-degree view of the surroundings. The pool is naturally heated by the Portuguese sunshine but remains cool enough to provide some relief from the region's hot weather, even if just to soak your feet in the water while enjoying the view. Deck chairs surround the pool and the front section of the deck; the mid-section is shaded and has 15 tables, each with four chairs. For serious sunbathers, four loungers are positioned at the back, adjacent to a roped-off crew area.
The ship has a reception/guest services desk that is staffed 24 hours.
There is a small spa offering facials, massages and hairdressing.
The fitness centre is a small room with just enough space for a (brand new) treadmill, stepper and rowing machine. At 7 a.m. most mornings, you can join a yoga or stretch class on the sun deck or take a walk in port led by one of the wellness staff. A walking track stretches around the edge of the sun deck and can be used after 8 a.m. so as not to disturb sleeping passengers in the cabins below.
Six dining options are available for no extra charge, which is impressive for such a small ship. We found the food quality to be excellent, with a good selection of Portuguese specialties using local ingredients as well as meals that you would be used to eating at home. Breakfast was the same every day, but there's a wider variety at lunch and dinner and little repetition over 10 days. Room service and snacks in the lounge are available 24 hours. The chef also happily obliged when we went off menu and asked for peri peri chicken (a spicy Portuguese/African dish) to be delivered to our cabin at 10 p.m.
In addition, the Douro River itinerary includes a top-notch barbecue on the sun deck (once per cruise, weather permitting), dinner at an atmospheric cellar restaurant in Porto and a tapas lunch in a hotel in Salamanca, with flamenco dancers.
Crystal Dining (Sapphire Deck): This is the main restaurant where most meal services are served (it's closed in between these times). The entrance is lined with wine bottles and the walls have rows of colourful porcelain sardines, a cute touch.
Breakfast and lunch are buffets, but waiters are always on hand to fetch drinks or other special requests. They will remember your name, your preferred coffee or cocktail, and any dietary needs.
At breakfast (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) you can also ask your waiter for freshly cooked poached eggs or the special of the day; or order an omelette from the chef at the buffet counter.
At lunch (generally from midday to 1:30 p.m.) there are several types of meat, seafood, pasta, vegetables, salads, soups and desserts. One of the chefs is stationed at a carvery to cut slices of pork, veal or beef; next to him (in the right corner of the counter as you walk in) is always a local dish to sample the region's cuisine. Keep an eye out for Portuguese favourites such as grilled sardines, Bacalao Pil Pil (cod fish confit in olive oil and vegetables), rojo (pork stew), and bifamos (bread with sliced pork).
Dinner (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) is a la carte, meaning passengers sit down and order from a menu that changes daily. Dishes made with locally grown ingredients are marked with an (L), vegetarian is (V) and a healthy choice selection is listed at the end. Inform your waiter if you have any allergies or intolerances.
Table D'Or (Sapphire Deck): At the back of Crystal Dining is a table for 12, where the dozen diners get treated to a degustation dinner of five courses and six fine Portuguese wines. It's like the Captain's Table, but without the Captain. One of the butlers introduces the food while the other explains the wines. Foie gras terrine, slow-roasted beef tenderloin and a dessert trio are among the dishes. This option is only offered once per cruise to passengers staying on the Diamond Deck or in a Junior Balcony Suite on the Sapphire Deck. Highly recommended; reservations are essential. (Table D'Or is known as Table La Rive on other Scenic ships. D'Or is derived from Douro, meaning "gold.")
Portobellos (Diamond Deck): Located at the front of the ship within the Panorama Lounge, this intimate space is reserved for dinner each night. Every table (for two, four or six people) is near a window and within view of the chefs so you can watch the preparation of your meal or admire the passing scenery. All passengers are entitled to try this "more premium" experience once per cruise. Bookings are essential.
Unlike the Portobellos Italian restaurants on other Scenic ships, Azure's version serves Portuguese cuisine -- but it's not the traditional dishes you might expect. The appetizer is a zucchini soup; the three mains are salmon (from Norway), beef (from the United States) or a mushroom and asparagus Bulhão Pato (clams in a garlicky broth); and the two desserts are chocolate cake or banana yogurt with nuts and cream. But the banana is from Madeira, the amuse-bouche melon cocktail is soaked in local port and the Atlantic bay scallops come with market greens, herb olive oil and red beet "air." The food and service were superb and servings were sensibly sized.
River Café (Diamond Deck): Also in the Panorama Lounge, this is a pop-up station of soup, toasted sandwiches and other snacks. It's open from 6:30 a.m. for early risers (sweet pastries and fruit) until late afternoon.
Panorama Lounge (Diamond Deck): Behind the bar is a selection of cakes, tarts and sandwiches, available 24 hours. A self-service coffee machine, tea bags, milk, sugar and jars of cookies are located near the entrance. Complimentary drinks (except for some top-shelf liquor and fine wines) are served all day. Most people don't start on the alcohol until pre-dinner drinks, but there's an interesting menu of Portuguese cocktails and port tonics, plus the usual beer, wine, spirits and liqueurs. The bartenders and waiters do a great job under pressure but they need double the crew at peak times, as it can take up to 15 minutes to get served just before or after dinner.
Room Service (24 hours): A nice treat on your balcony or in bed, room service provides simple food in privacy. Choose from soup of the day, club sandwich, caprese sandwich, BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich), minute steak with fries and coleslaw, hamburger or cheeseburger with fries, garden salad, fruit platter, cheese platter or chocolate brownie. Service is quick (we never waited longer than 15 minutes) and there is no cost or delivery fee.
Like all river vessels, cabins are small but Scenic Azure does its best to live up to the company's "Space-Ship" concept. Most people will stay in a balcony cabin, which has plenty of storage and enough room to walk around three sides of the bed. All but six of the 48 cabins have the trademark "sun lounge," which is an enclosed balcony with windows that stretch almost from floor to ceiling and can be opened halfway to let in fresh air (or closed to seal in the air conditioning). It does eat up a lot of space; however, it's lovely to have this sitting area, protected from the elements, for an in-cabin breakfast or simply gazing at the view.
Blackout blinds and a curtain separate the sun lounge from the rest of the room, which consists of a queen-sized bed, two bedside tables with lamps and a clock, a small desk and chair, double wardrobe, TV (with free movies) and a bathroom with a full-length mirrored door.
The very comfy beds are adjustable so you can use the controls to sit up and read or elevate your feet, which is not something we've seen before on a river ship. Four suitcases can fit under the bed, which can be configured as two singles or joined as a queen.
Each cabin also has a safe, hair dryer, two bathrobes, two pairs of slippers, a mini-bar, ice bucket, bottle opener, two wineglasses and two hooks on the wall near the door. The mini-bar is restocked daily with Coke, tonic water, apple juice, orange juice, red wine, white wine and 50ml miniatures of Smirnoff vodka, Gordon's gin, Ballantine's scotch, Bacardi white rum and Baileys. Bottles of still and sparkling water, Pringles and plain cookies are also replenished every day.
The compact bathroom has a good shower with three showerheads including one hand-held. (Only the Royal One-Bedroom Suite has a bath.) Of course, there's a toilet, sink/basin, a mirrored cabinet, an extendable mirror with a light, a shaver outlet and towels and facecloths that are replaced as needed. Complimentary L'Occitane toiletries include soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. Cotton pads, cotton buds, an emery board and shower caps are also provided. There's adequate storage space in the cabinet and under the sink.
Every cabin has butler service. Butler services include shoeshine; two items pressed daily; serving breakfast, tea and coffee in your cabin; and making bookings for the salon and shore arrangements. Guests in the higher category suites have a more personalised butler service (see below).
Riverview:At 172 square feet, these four cabins on the lowest deck have a window but no balcony.
Balcony: The majority -- 38 out of the 48 -- cabins have this 215-square-foot layout with the enclosed sun lounge. Every cabin receives one free bag of laundry per cruise, and the other butler services mentioned above.
Junior Suite: These four bigger suites, all 247 square feet, have a similar layout, amenities and services as a balcony suite but two additional perks: pre-dinner canapes and the opportunity to hold an in-suite cocktail party with a small number of friends, with drinks and snacks served by your butler.
Royal One-Bedroom Suite: Coming in at 420 square feet, the biggest and most luxurious accommodation has a larger balcony, a living area and a spacious bathroom with a separate bath and shower, and a separate second toilet. Extra perks include a bottle of Champagne upon arrival, unlimited laundry, unpacking and packing of your luggage, evening canapes and newspapers delivered daily. If you so desire, your butler will draw a bath after a long day of sightseeing. Royal Suite passengers can also invite six guests to a cocktail party, held in their room with food and drinks served by the butlers. Scenic Azure has only two of these suites, so book early.
