- Amadeus River Cruises will enter the Douro River in 2028 with a new ship
- The line launched the Amadeus Aurea this year and expects delivery of the Amadeus Mira next spring
- Around half of Amadeus guests come from North America
- The company aims to be a boutique floating hotel
- Investments include hybrid propulsion systems and better onboard treatment plants
Amadeus River Cruises is heading to Portugal’s Douro River in 2028 with a new ship, following the launch of the Amadeus Aurea this year and the expected delivery of the Amadeus Mira next spring. Marcus Leskovar, executive vice president of Amadeus, stated the family-owned line will add the Douro River in Portugal to its portfolio with a brand new ship there.
Leskovar stated the line also introduced new experiences this year, such as wine cruises on the Rhine and Danube, in response to a shift away from its traditional Baby Boomer base toward Generation X and younger travellers. Around half of its guests come from North America, with the rest drawn from international markets including Japan and Australia. What sets Amadeus apart, he explained, was that it was a truly European brand.
Rather than going all-inclusive, the company aims to be more of a boutique floating hotel and less of a floating tour bus. The owners have kept investing in the fleet. Those investments include hybrid propulsion systems, reduced plastic and better onboard treatment plants. Leskovar stated guests were getting younger and more adventurous, fuelling demand for theme cruises aimed at foodies, history buffs and wine lovers.
Marcus Leskovar shared “We are going to add the Douro River in Portugal to our portfolio. And then we have a brand new ship there. A lot of our friendly competitors are companies that operate in Europe, but they’re not European. So that’s the difference. With us, we are also family owned, which is really a big exception. We’re essentially operating in our own backyard.”
