For luxury travelers seeking a 2022 or 2023 European cruise, the Iberian Peninsula has a strong pull as it’s “land’s end” in the western Mediterranean. Simply put, it’s far from the current conflict on the continent’s eastern front. Home to Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar (U.K.), the peninsula is separated from France by the towering Pyrenees and is just five miles across the sea from exotic North Africa. Let’s check out a sampling of oceangoing luxury ships that call at Iberian Peninsula ports and what’s new.
Reimagined Ships
As part of the OceaniaNEXT program, Oceania Cruises plans a complete bow-to-stern update for its 1,210-passenger vessels, Riviera and Marina, in December 2022 and November 2023, respectively. Look for lighter, brighter and more spacious accommodations. Suites and staterooms will receive new custom-crafted furnishings, exotic stone, polished wood finishes, Italian marble, new bathrooms with oversized showers, designer accessories and more techie-device plug ins.
Public spaces also will be transformed with a refreshed color palette, new fabrics, designer furnishings and new lighting fixtures. The Grand Bar will be restyled and the Grand Dining Room will gain soft leather armchairs and new carpeting. Plus, guests will enjoy new al fresco dining options including a new Trattoria for wood-fired pizzas, Italian specialties, salads and desserts.
Both ships’ first post-transformation voyage will touch the Iberian Peninsula. For Riviera, that’s a 16-day "Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Caribbean" cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, to Miami, FL, on December 7, 2022. During a port call at Barcelona, Spain, we’d suggest booking Oceania’s half-day “Wellness — Born to Yoga in the Bohemian Quarter” excursion. Guests will walk through Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, practice yoga in a serene studio operated by German model Veronica Blume and stop for photos of Barcelona at a Montjuic hilltop lookout. This cruise also calls at Gibraltar (U.K.), Spain’s Canary Islands and other ports.
On November 13, 2023, the reimagined Marina will debut on a shorter, yet more Iberian intensive “Rhythms of Spain and Portugal” itinerary from Barcelona to Lisbon, Portugal. During this week-long voyage, port calls will include Cartagena, Malaga, and Cadiz, Spain, plus Casablanca, Morocco, and Gibraltar. The ship will also overnight in Lisbon.
In Cartagena, Spain, we’d suggest history buffs book Oceania’s half-day “Roman Cartagena” excursion. During this in-depth experience, cruisers will peruse the second century B.C. Roman theater (rediscovered in 1988) with seating for 6,000, explore the House of Fortune, which is a recreated Roman home, and view Roman artifacts and mosaics at Cartagena’s Municipal Archaeological Museum.
Sister line, ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers an appealing, 10-night “Idyllic Iberia” cruise this year from Barcelona to Bilbao, Spain. Departing June 6, 2022, the 680-passenger Seven Seas Voyager will sail into Palma de Mallorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands, four mainland Spanish ports — Cartagena, Malaga, Cadiz (for Seville) and Gijon — as well as Portimao and Lisbon, Portugal.
Another Iberian option? Sailing from Southampton, U.K., to Barcelona (Tarragona), Regent Seven Seas’ “Joyous European Journey” itinerary will depart September 24, 2023. Port collectors likely will appreciate the 732-passenger Seven Seas Splendor’s call at La Coruna, a lesser visited, northwestern Spanish port. Also, the ship will call at Spain’s Bilbao, Motril (for Granada) and Alicante; Leixoes (Porto) and Lisbon (overnight), Portugal; Palma de Mallorca; Gibraltar and such other ports as Bordeaux (overnight), France.
New this year, Regent Seven Seas is introducing specialty shore excursions, including architectural design tours. A “Behind the Design — La Coruna Highlights” excursion will offer commentary by an architectural historian about two ultramodern structures. First, cruisers will visit Domus, the seaside science museum. Its futuristic façade resembles a full sail, while the back of the museum is jagged in design, akin to a rocky shoreline. Secondly, they’ll head for “The City of Culture of Galicia,” a cultural complex in Santiago de Compostela with design contours that appear to be part of the rolling countryside.
For the ultimate in Spain touring, Luxury Travel Advisor suggests adding on Regent Seven Seas’ five-day “Journey to the Heart of Spain” post-cruise stay, escorted by an English-speaking tour guide. The package includes an English-speaking tour expert, breakfasts, lunches some days, luggage handling at hotels and more. On the first day, guests will explore Barcelona’s Poblet Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the medieval village of Montblanc and Zaragoza, the province’s capital. They’ll then stay one night at the Hotel Alfonso Zaragoza (or similar hotel).
On day two, cruisers will tour Zaragoza’s Old Town and the ancient town of Medinaceli, before heading to Madrid to check into the Melia Madrid Princesa or a similar hotel for three nights. The next day, they’ll visit Toledo, another UNESCO World Heritage site; the city’s Gothic cathedral is home to two El Greco paintings. On the fourth day, guests will tour Segovia and visit the 16th-century Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
Designed by Miami’s Studio DADO, Regent Seven Seas’ new, 750-passenger Seven Seas Grandeur, debuting in November 2023, will sail a 14-night Mediterranean cruise roundtrip from Barcelona on April 24, 2024. Among the port calls are Valencia and the Balearic Islands, Spain, plus cruisers can explore the Iberian Peninsula on a pre- or post-cruise stay; other port calls are elsewhere in Europe. One new touring option in Valencia is the three-hour “Behind the Design — Valencia” excursion guided by an architect.
Earlier this year, ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises christened its third Muse-class ship, the new 596-passenger Silver Dawn, in Lisbon, Portugal. Most notably, the ship debuted Silversea’s new, Roman-inspired Otium spa. Think spa pampering but with touches of decadent indulgence — much as the ancient Romans did lounging around their villas with servants pampering them. Otium offers many new spa treatments — including four new 100-minute treatments — but it also serves up champagne on ice and sweet treats in the spa’s Relaxation Room.
One of those new 100-minute treatment is the signature “Eternal Youth Facial,” which supercharges skin with bio-electric energy and sub-zero therapy. This treatment uses technology not previously available in Silversea’s spa. For example, the guest’s eyes are targeted with “cryosculpting” to reduce puffiness and crow’s feet, and to instantly refresh. Another new 100-minute treatment is “The Otium.” Warm, fragrant oils infused with shea butter, raspberry and chamomile are drizzled onto the body in soothing, sweeping movements. Mineral-rich pink salt stones, natural bamboo and calabash help stimulate skin and release tension.
A nifty Otium off-shoot is that the indulgence concept extends to several new suite services. If guests are planning a movie night or social get-together in their suite, they can order truffle-flavored popcorn or “comfort foods” from a new menu. Or, while relaxing on their private balcony, they can ask their butler for such new Otium-focused services as a blanket and hot chocolate in cool weather or, alternatively, suntan lotion and a cool drink on a hot day.
Silver Dawn is also the second Silversea ship (following sister Silver Moon) to offer new S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) programming. More Bourdain than Michelin in style, this new culinary program dives deeply into dishes and drinks popular with “the locals” in ports visited on each specific itinerary. From the onboard S.A.L.T. Bar and S.A.L.T. Kitchen for cocktails and dinner, respectively, the program extends to S.A.L.T. Lab culinary classes and time ashore on S.A.L.T. Excursions.
For a rich line-up of Iberian Peninsula calls, one option is Silver Dawn’s April 4, 2023, departure from Lisbon to Civitavecchia (Rome). Cruisers will go ashore in Cadiz (for Seville), Malaga, Valencia and Barcelona, Spain. On that 12-day itinerary, the ship also will call at Palma de Majorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands; Tangier, Morocco; Portofino, Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Marseilles, France.
In addition, Silver Dawn will operate a 12-day itinerary with port calls in northern Portugal and Spain. Departing May 5, 2023, from Lisbon, the ship will sail to Southampton, U.K. with port calls in Leixoes (Porto), Portugal; La Coruna, Vigo and Bilbao, Spain; and then three French ports and Guernsey in the U.K.’s Channel Islands.
While in Porto, one appealing option for wine aficionados is Silversea’s “Douro Valley Wine Tour” excursion. Following a one-hour drive to Amarante, an enclave for artists and writers over the years, cruisers will take a guided walking tour, cross the old Roman Bridge and view historic churches and rustic merchant shops. Then, they’ll enjoy a drive through the vineyard-laden Douro Valley to the Quinta do Crasto Estate. The highlight will be a delicious, three-course lunch paired with five wines, served within the estate’s family dining room.
Ultra-luxury Seabourn also will explore the Iberian Peninsula. On October 9, 2022, the 458-passenger Seabourn Sojourn will depart on a 14-day “Iberian Autumn” sailing between Barcelona and Lisbon. The ship will call at Valencia on the Spanish mainland; Palma de Majorca and Mahon, Menorca, Balearic Islands; three ports in France; return visits for more time in both Barcelona and Valencia; followed by calls in Cartagena, Malaga and Leixoes (Porto). It also calls at Gibraltar, where guests can go ashore to the top of “The Rock” and have stellar views of the Mediterranean sea and North Africa beyond.
As the official cruise partner of UNESCO World Heritage, Seabourn offers “Splendor of Porto: A UNESCO Partner Tour.” Cruisers will take a walking tour of historic Porto, visit the Palacio da Bolsa or Stock Exchange, and see the Gothic Sao Francisco Church, glittering with an elaborate, gilded, carved wooden interior. Then they’ll be transported across the river to Gaia for a port wine cellar tasting, followed by a panoramic city tour.
If cruisers opt to reserve a private car and driver with Seabourn or independently, Porto has many savory Michelin-star restaurants. Luxury Travel Advisor recently “lunched” at the one-Michelin-star Cantinho do Avillez, a casual, urban bistro in Porto. As Chef José Avillez’s first culinary venture beyond Lisbon, it serves up yummy seafood and contemporary “takes” on Portuguese favorites. Reservations are highly recommended.
For a shorter fall getaway, one enticing option is Seabourn’s seven-night “Iberian Gems” voyage on October 16, 2022, from Barcelona to Lisbon. Seabourn Sojourn will call at Valencia, Cartagena, Malaga, Gibraltar, UK, and Leixoes (Porto). While Malaga is a gateway for a trip to Granada and its magnificent Alhambra Palace, for those who’ve “been there, done that,” another choice is Seabourn’s “The Very Best of Cordoba: A UNESCO Partner Tour.”
Travelers will visit Cordoba’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Three of Cordoba’s Roman city gates still survive today, but the city’s glory period is reflected most in its structures built after the eighth century A.D. and during the Moorish conquest. Simply put, the Moors built palaces and public buildings to rival those in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkiye), Damascus in Syria and Baghdad, Iraq. In the 13th century, Cordoba’s Great Mosque became a cathedral and new defensive structures were erected. Seabourn excursion participants will see many historic sites, take a guided walking tour through the Jewish Quarter’s narrow-and-winding streets and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
Destination-focused Azamara will operate a 10-night “Wine and Culture” voyage between Southampton, U.K. and Lisbon, Portugal. Departing August 30, 2022, the 704-passenger Azamara Quest will call in France before visiting Bilbao, Gijon, La Coruna, Leixoes (Porto) and Lisbon. Post-cruise, guests can add on Azamara’s two-night Lisbon stay.
In Porto, a fun Azamara shore excursion is the three-hour “Porto by Tuk Tuk” tour to the São Bento Train Station, famous for its interior blue-and-white tiles, and the 12th-century Cathedral of Porto. In Lisbon, cruisers might opt for the “Walk Through Lisbon with Wine Tasting” excursion; guests will take a narrated walk along old Lisbon’s cobbled streets before stopping for wine tasting at one of the pretty squares.
For those seeking the ultimate in Iberian Peninsula exploration, Azamara’s 13-night “Spain Intensive Voyage” from Bordeaux (overnight), France to Barcelona departs September 17, 2022. The 702-passenger Azamara Pursuit will call at seven port calls in Spain — Bilbao, La Coruna, Vigo, Malaga, Cartagena, Valencia and Seville (overnight). Yes, this ship is small enough to sail directly to Seville, while larger ships instead use Cadiz and transport guests via motorcoach to Seville. The ship will also call at Lisbon and Gibraltar.
In Cartagena, equine fans should check out Azamara’s three-hour shore excursion, “The Beauty and Grace of the Andalusian Horse.” Cruisers will get an up-close look at Spain’s famous dancing horses during a visit to a local ranch where they’re bred and trained. In Valencia, we’d suggest the four-hour “Silk Exchange: UNESCO World Heritage” shore excursion. Travelers will visit Valencia’s silk museum, a Valencian silk shop, the Central Market and the 1492-era Valencia Silk Exchange, a superb example of Gothic civil architecture.
New luxury brand, Explora Journeys, owned by MSC Group, will sail its 11-night “Inaugural Journey into History” voyage from Barcelona to Piraeus (Athens), Greece on May 31, 2023. Explora I, the first of four ships planned by the new luxury operator, will call at ports in France, Italy, Turkey and Greece. Guests will discover that the new vessel offers sizable interior space. Its 461 all-oceanfront accommodations provide a minimum of 377 square feet, quite robust. In addition, Explora I has significant outdoor deck space.
Perhaps cruisers desire an even longer inaugural voyage? If so, they can choose the 25-night “Inaugural Grand Journey into History” sailing on that same date. Sailing roundtrip from Barcelona, it visits the same countries mentioned above but also adds in additional port visits in Turkey, the Greek Isles, Malta and Ibiza.
But for those seeking a robust array of Iberian destinations, we’d look at Explora I’s sailing from Piraeus (Athens) to Lisbon, Portugal, departing June 17, 2023. That 15-night “Extended Idylls of Southern Spain and Portugal” features calls at Barcelona, Malaga, Cadiz (for Seville), Ibiza and Portimao, prior to the Lisbon arrival. A separate, shorter version of that journey, the seven-night “Moorish Gems of Andalusia, the Algarve and Lisbon,” begins in Barcelona on June 25, 2023, and ends in Lisbon.
Viking’s eight-day “Iberian Explorer” voyage on the 930-passenger Viking Venus, operates from Barcelona to Tilbury (London), U.K., departing January 12, 2023. Along the way, cruisers will go ashore in Spain at Cartagena (Murcia); Malaga, the gateway to magnificent Granada or coastal boutique shopping; and Vigo along northwestern Spain’s Atlantic coast.
One fun Viking excursion is “Vigo by Segway,” as guests will zoom through the city via a two-wheeled electric Segway. Alternatively, those with a food-and-wine bent should check out the line’s “Galician Roots and Wine Tasting” excursion; it features sampling of wines at a local winery and sightseeing in the Galician region. Another tasty choice is the “Rias Baixas Tapas Workshop,” where Viking guests will learn how to make regional tapas. Viking includes four guided tours in this itinerary’s cruise fare.
Viking also offers a series of “Trade Routes of the Middle Ages” voyages between Bergen, Norway and Barcelona. Guests will sail on either the 930-passenger Viking Jupiter or sisters Viking Venus, Viking Mars or Viking Neptune. What’s nifty is that these 15-day voyages offer guests both a northern European/Scandinavia perspective and a totally different experience within the sun-drenched Iberian region.
The southbound departure will start with a shipboard stay overnight in Bergen. Then the Viking ship will spend a day at sea, before calling at Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Zeebrugge (Bruges) Belgium; Le Havre (for Paris), France; Portsmouth and Falmouth, U.K. After another day cruising the Atlantic Ocean, guests will go ashore at Leixoes (Porto) and enjoy another sea day before the ship visits Malaga (for Granada), Murcia (Cartagena) and Barcelona (overnight).
Many luxurious small ships also offer enticing Iberian Peninsula itineraries; see page 27, for Spain and Portugal voyages from six cruise lines. Premium Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises also have Iberian options, and for multigenerational family cruising, Royal Caribbean International’s 2,191-passenger Jewel of the Seas, is among contemporary ships visiting the region. That ship sails from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on September 9, 2022, to Barcelona. Calls include one Belgium port; Vigo, Malaga and Valencia, Spain; and Madeira (Funchal), Portugal.
More Intimate Vessels Also Sail to Enticing Ports in Spain and Portugal
Small upscale ships also sail along the Iberian Peninsula. In 2023, Scenic’s luxurious, 228-passenger Scenic Eclipse will sail an “Incredible Iberian Discovery” itinerary between Lisbon and Barcelona; departures are April 13, May 29 and September 30. One highlight? This Discovery yacht can sail directly into Seville (rather than dock at Cadiz, as bigger ships must). Scenic Eclipse also will call at Portimao, Portugal; Puerto Banús, Malaga and Cartagena, Spain; and Spain’s Balearic Islands. One complimentary evening Scenic Enrich guest experience is an equestrian flamenco show with dancing and the Andalusian School Spanish horses.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will debut its first superyacht, the 298-passenger Evrima, later this summer, and it just announced that it’s also building two, slightly larger new-build superyachts, Ilma and Luminara, arriving in 2024 and 2025. On October 29, 2022, Evrima’s seven-night “Barcelona to Lisbon” voyage will call at Valencia, Malaga and Alicante, Spain as well as Tangier, Morocco and Lisbon (overnight). By adding on the preceding voyage from Nice, France to Barcelona, Spain, on October 22, 2022, cruisers also can go ashore at the less-visited Roses, Spain. There, we’d suggest a tasty lunch ashore of “suquet de peix,” a potato-based Catalan fish stew that pairs nicely with a regional Empordà wine.
Boutique Windstar Cruises’ 312-passenger, recently updated Star Pride will sail a 10-day “Souks & Sherries: Iberia and Morocco” voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon on June 17, 2022. Calls include Cartagena, Malaga and Cadiz, Spain, as well as Portimao, Portugal, and Gibraltar, U.K. In Portimao, Windstar’s cruisers who take the four-and-a-half-hour “Portimao, Wine Tasting & Charming Silves” shore excursion will visit Quinta dos Vales for a winery tour and tasting, before touring Silves, a former provincial Moorish capital.
Small-ship, luxury Ponant offers an 11-night “Fortified Cities of the Atlantic and the Iberian Peninsula” from Honfleur, France to Lisbon, Portugal on September 20, 2023. The 184-passenger Le Champlain’s itinerary will include calls in Bilbao, Vigo and Leixoes (Porto). Nestled within the Spanish Basque country, Bilbao is an avant-garde city with incredible architecture. Cruisers can opt for a cable car ride to Bilbao’s Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, or explore the old city’s narrow streets, Ensanche district and Vizcaya bridge, the world’s first transporter bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Luxe-adventure Atlas Ocean Voyages’ new, 196-passenger World Navigator will sail a seven-night voyage from Barcelona to Malaga, Spain on October 1, 2023. Calls will include Valencia, Alicante and Almeria (Granada) in Spain, plus Melilla, a Spanish port in North Africa. Often overlooked within Andalusia, Almeria is a gateway to Granada’s Alhambra and also Cabo de Gata National Park’s sand dunes, cacti and mountains. Northwest of Almería is Desierto Tabernas, Europe’s only desert; it was the movie setting for the Sergio Leone “spaghetti western” flicks starring Clint Eastwood.
SeaDream Yacht Club’s 112-passenger SeaDream I will operate a seven-day “Spanish Riviera Revealed” itinerary from Barcelona to Malaga on November 5, 2023. Calls include Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Almeria and Cadiz, plus Ceuta, a North African Spanish port and Tangier, Morocco. Good to know? SeaDream I will emerge this month from a multimillion-dollar drydock refresh/update. This is a designated “Wine Voyage” so SeaDream’s guests will also enjoy exclusive wine tastings and a Winemaker’s Dinner with a special menu paired with top cuvées from the visiting winemaker.
For a 15-day voyage with three Iberian port calls, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ 230-passenger, expeditionary Hanseatic Inspiration will sail from Hamburg, Germany to Tenerife, Canary Islands on October 7, 2022. Calls will include La Coruna, Leixoes (Porto), Portimao and Funchal/Madeira, Portugal.
What’s to See and Do in Porto, Portugal?
Oceangoing cruises often call at Leixoes (Porto/Oporto), Portugal, along the Iberian Peninsula’s western Atlantic coast. In addition, river lines including AmaWaterways, Scenic, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Viking River Cruises, Tauck and others also offer Douro River Valley river cruises sailing roundtrip from Porto and adjacent Gaia. Here are Luxury Travel Advisor’s top picks for what to see and do ashore from a recent visit.
Lovely Azulejo Tiles: Azulejo tiles (blue tiles) surfaced as décor elements on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages and Islamic period. In the 1500s, Portugal’s King Manuel 1 brought the tiles to his country from Seville, Spain. Today, lovely azulejo tiles and murals can be viewed inside and outside many historic buildings. Some Porto churches including Capela das Almas have stunningly gorgeous tiles. Definitely, though, we’d recommend spending 15 minutes inside the city’s Sao Bento Railway Station, which has entire walls covered with tiled depictions of battles, royal meet-ups and coronations.
Charming Bookstore: If you’re a fan of old bookstores that “ooze” character, go online prior to a Porto visit and purchase a ticket-voucher to enter Porto’s gorgeous Livraria Lello, often cited as one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores. Sporting a neo-Gothic interior, grand staircase and stained-glass ceiling, this charming bookstore was founded in the early 1900s. In recent years, Livraria Lello was, unfortunately, becoming overrun with crowds until it implemented the fee-based, ticket voucher system to limit capacity. Now, a visit is more relaxing. Choose the priority entry ticket option to avoid waiting in line.
World Exploration: To brush up on the Grand Age of Portuguese exploration, head for the family-friendly World of Discoveries. Spanning three floors, this attraction/museum is hard to describe. It’s a bit theme park, a bit interactive museum. You’ll hop aboard a small boat for a ride around vignettes, where such Portuguese explorers as Henry the Navigator, Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco de Gama are seen as they explore exotic locales around the world. One minute you’re seeing an elephant, a snake and a big cat in the jungle, the next minute, you’re viewing Indigenous people meeting the Portuguese explorers in Asia, Africa or the Americas.
Savory Port Wines: The Douro River Valley is famed for its vineyards. Not surprisingly, there’s a fantastic World of Wine (WOW) experience in Gaia, across the river from Porto; it opened in 2020. Port wine tasting is also on tap in many other spots. We’d suggest heading to Graham’s Lodge in Gaia. We’d recommend true port wine aficionados opt for Graham’s exclusive Vintage Tasting Room for sipping rare port wines.
Stellar Contemporary Art: Travelers who love contemporary art should visit the Serravles Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Alvaro Siza Vieira, a Porto-based architect. Also, at this large Serralves Foundation site, cruisers will discover the newly reopened Art Deco-era Serralves Villa, lovely parklands for strolling, a new treetops experience and impressive exterior sculptures including a gigantic spider and huge garden spade.
Michelin Dining: For river cruisers whose vessel is overnighting in Porto or Gaia, why not head for dinner at a savory Michelin star restaurant? Created by Chef Arnaldo Azevedo, Porto’s Vila Foz Restaurant was newly awarded one star in the Michelin Spain and Portugal 2022 Guide. Diners will savor contemporary cuisine and fish and seafood from the Portuguese coast.
For more Porto activity options, visit visitporto.travel.
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