MS Infante Don Henrique: the most recent refit of the five Douro ships, dated 2026
The MS Infante Don Henrique carries 138 passengers, the highest figure among the 5 ships CroisiEurope operates on the Douro, with 25 crew. She is 75 metres long and 11.40 metres wide, across 3 decks. She was built in 2003 and her refit is dated 2026, the most recent on the river, ahead of the MS Vasco de Gama refurbished in 2025. Between a 2003 hull and a 2026 fit-out, what you touch on board is new even if the ship is not.
The pool, and what it is actually worth
The sun deck of the MS Infante Don Henrique has a pool, surrounded by armchairs and loungers. On European river ships the feature stays rare: space is short, weight counts, and most lines would rather lengthen the sun deck. The Douro is the exception — all 5 ships CroisiEurope operates there have one. Of the 60 vessels the line publishes, only 12 have a pool, and 5 of those sail this single river.
It is not a lap pool and nobody will be swimming lengths. It is a place to sit in water after a day at 35 degrees among terraced vines, and on the Douro in July that detail changes the character of the late afternoon. It does not separate the 5 ships from each other, since they all have one: what separates them is the year.
The layout
All meals are served in the restaurant, in a single sitting. The lounge-bar occupies the forward end of the middle deck, and that is where evenings, games and aperitifs happen. The sun deck, with its pool, armchairs and loungers, completes the arrangement. The 3 decks bring the lift CroisiEurope reserves for this class: after a hillside quinta visit, you quickly understand why it matters.
The figures, so you can compare the 5 Douro ships without a brochure: 75 metres long, 11.40 metres wide, 138 passengers, 25 crew, 3 decks, built in 2003, refurbished in 2026. All 5 sit between 75 and 80 metres and between 132 and 138 passengers, so the capacity spread tops out at 6 people. What really separates them comes down to 2 numbers: build year, from 2002 to 2017, and refit year, from 2015 to 2026.
What the name carries
Infante Dom Henrique, known in English as Henry the Navigator, barely sailed at all. He financed, organised and read the reports of those who left, from the south of Portugal, in the 15th century. Everything that followed came out of that methodical organisation: Magellan, Vasco da Gama, and the names carried by the other ships in this fleet. Sailing the Douro on this particular ship, between vines dropping to the water, gives the name a resonance the brochure does not even try to use.
Getting to Porto from Montreal
Porto requires a connection from Montreal-Trudeau, usually through Lisbon, Paris or Frankfurt. Allow a full day outbound. We build in arrival the day before embarkation without exception, and we recommend 2 nights in Porto before boarding.
What is included and what is not
The CroisiEurope formula covers full board, drinks with meals and at the bar, and entertainment. Excursions vary by departure, as a package or individually. Gratuities are not covered. Travel insurance never is, and on a connecting routing it makes more sense. We itemise every line and explain what Quebec's FICAV fund covers before anything is signed.
Who she suits
Travellers going in summer who want water on board, and those who prefer a recent fit-out on an older hull rather than the reverse. Anyone who weighs build year above refit year will find the MS Miguel Torga, delivered in 2017, more interesting. And if Venice tempts you as much as the Douro, compare with the MS Michelangelo. The full fleet is on our CroisiEurope cruises page.
