A former royal barge, Titan Travel’s Spirit of Chartwell offers a unique way to sail along the Douro river.
Sitting in a plush red chair with a gold crest beneath a portrait of the Queen, I’m certainly feeling like royalty as a waiter offers me a glass of chilled Champagne. But possibly that’s not really surprising as I’m aboard Spirit of Chartwell.
Carrying just 30 passengers on stately cruises along the Douro, the vessel was in the public eye in 2012 as the gilded barge that carried The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and led a 1,000-boat flotilla down the Thames for the Diamond Jubilee Pageant.
In its previous guise, it sailed on the Thames as a day cruiser and overnight hotel boat before undergoing a £1 million six-month makeover in the run-up the celebrations.
Bought by the Portuguese company Douro Azul, Spirit of Chartwell is now chartered by Titan Travel which offers two itineraries; a seven-night Douro cruise and the same sailing coupled with a stay in Lisbon.
The distinctive cream and chocolate-coloured ship has lost its gilded prow and although the new owner mounted a pair of golden mermaids, they were taken off as they interfered with mooring operations. However, there is still a wonderful royal crest on the outside and the interior remains virtually the same as it was for the royal pageant.
I quickly settled into my cabin, trimmed in gleaming dark wood and with a surprisingly spacious bathroom. There are 14 cabins with fixed twin beds, each named after famous Royal Navy ships, in my case HMS Newcastle, along with one very plush 196 square foot suite with a double bed.
Although standard cabins are compact at 122 square feet, there’s plenty of clever storage space, including room for suitcases beneath the beds. After stowing everything away I go to meet my fellow shipmates, who turn out to be a jolly and mainly mature crowd all excited to be aboard such a unique vessel.
Fizz in hand we start to get to know each other in the elegant, airy lounge surrounded by panoramic windows. During the day, this became a favourite spot to sit and watch the lush green scenery of the Douro Valley, where the once fast-flowing water named ‘River of Gold’ by the Romans has been tamed by a series of locks that include the cavernous 115ft Carrapatelo lock – the deepest in Europe.
A fascinating quirk is the Art Deco signs pointing the way to the cabins – accessed by different sets of winding stairs – don’t relate to the actual number of staterooms on board. This is because they came from the classic 1920s Cote d’Azur Pullman Express train which used to run between Paris and the Italian border. Similarly, some of the train’s beautiful original Lalique glass panels also adorn the ship’s bar and dining room.
Our cruise has the atmosphere of a friendly floating house party. The central lounge is flanked by a lovely piano bar (complete with a resident pianist) who entertains us over cocktails and tries to entice us onto the dance floor.
At the opposite end is the dining room where we circulate tables to mingle with fellow guests. With copious free-flowing complimentary wine during the waiter-served four-course lunch and dinner mealtimes are certainly very convivial!
Afterwards, there is plenty of space to spread out on the sun deck, which has gorgeous steamer chairs and loungers.
Spirit of Chartwell would appeal to clients who want to embark on a relaxing cruise without crowds of people. With 14 friendly crew members, there is exceptional personal service and the captain even changed mooring spots on several occasions to avoid tying up next to other vessels.
The ship is undoubtedly the star of the show on a river cruise where all vessels have to follow a similar seven-night itinerary to the Spanish border and back. So if you’re going to do it why not sail in style on a former barge fit for a queen?
Itinerary
Porto
Divided by the Douro, Portugal’s second city is a place of two distinct halves. The medieval old town, where trams are a traditional form of transport, is topped by the 13th-century fortress-like Se do Oporto cathedral, where Henry the Navigator was baptised, and on the opposite side are the 18th-century port warehouses of Cais de Gaia.
Entre-os-Rios
The sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios is a literal highlight in the town of Lamego. Built in 1750, it is reached by a grand stone staircase flanked by fountains, statues and tiled murals on various landings. Guests are dropped off at the top and have the option to walk down, and meet the coach at the bottom.
Barca d’Alva
From here visit the medieval hilltop town of Castelo Rodrigo for an almond and olive tasting experience. The following morning a full-day excursion takes in the ‘golden city’ of Salamanca, Spain’s oldest university town. After lunch in a five-star hotel, guests can have fun trying to spot the tiny stone frog hidden in the university’s ornate facade, which is said to bring students good luck.
Regua
In the 18th century, Regua was the capital of the port producing region, a trading post where rabelos – traditional Portuguese wooden boats – arrived and departed carrying wine to Porto. Nowadays it is the gateway for an excursion to the grand Mateus Palace, depicted on Mateus Rosé wine labels, which is set in beautiful gardens.
Porto
After a private lunch at the delightful family-owned Quinta da Aveleda wine estate, the ship returns to Porto with time to explore the city independently before the farewell dinner.
Selling Tips
- A quiet one-off vessel with a fascinating history with plenty of appeal for culture vultures, seasoned river cruise clients and first-timers
- The ship only sails during daylight hours so there is no chance of missing any of the sights
- Titan’s VIP door-to-door transfer service provides stress-free travel to and from the airport
Sell it
Titan Travel offers the seven-night A Royal Voyage on the Douro round-trip Porto cruise from £3,099pp and the nine-night A Celebration of Lisbon and the Douro itinerary with a two-night hotel stay in Lisbon from £3,299pp. The price includes all meals, wine with lunch and dinner, excursions, flights from a choice of airports and home pick-up, 0800 988 5166, titanagents.co.uk/trade