Viva Cruises to introduce Douro sailings for 2025

Viva Cruises will sail on the Douro for the first time in 2025.

The Dusseldorf-based river cruise operator has released its 2025 brochure featuring 64 itineraries, including new themed cruises.

Scheduled to enter service in May, the line’s newest ship, Porto Mirante, will sail on the Douro in 2025, offering sailings to and from Porto with overnight stays in the city.

More: River specialist Viva Cruises joins Clia

Viva One, Viva Two and Viva Enjoy will sail from January 2025, with Viva Two offering five-night trips to and from Passau in Germany as well as five-night crime-themed cruises.

Viva Enjoy, which will launch in autumn this year, will connect Amsterdam, Budapest and Vienna in a first for the line with new seven, 10 and 14-day itineraries. The ship will also offer wellness trips to and from Frankfurt.

The line is adding a theatre cruise to its 2025 programme on Swiss Ruby, which is scheduled to undergo a renovation over the winter.

New ports of call have been added for 2025, such as Lelystad, Middelburg and Bruinisse in the Netherlands; Braubach in Germany; and Leverinho, Regua, Vega Terron and Pinhão in Portugal.

Viva Cruises has also added more departures from Vienna for 2025 “in response to increased demand from international customers”, it said.

Chief executive Andrea Kruse said: “We recorded increased demand last year, particularly from international markets.

“We want to meet this demand in the coming year with new departure and landing ports, new routes and new content.”