Portugal River Cruise + Spain

 

Portugal’s River of Gold

Spring 2022

      

           

Viking River Cruises are a favorite travel option: Marjorie & I have cruised together 5 times, plus another for each of us with a sibling. Susan, M’s cousin Jim’s wife, called with an itch to do Viking’s “Portugal’s River of Gold.” We enjoyed traveling with Susan & Jim in Andalucia Spain (2015), so our interest was piqued. Been to Lisbon and nearby areas (2005), but other parts of this trip looked plenty interesting.  Everything set for early August 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic. We already had a tour cancelled in May cancelled; ironically, highlighted by the Oberammergau, Germany, Passion Play begun some 400 years ago as a promise to God if the village was spared from the plague. We rescheduled for July 2021, but COVID causes another cancelation. Both times Viking gives a voucher for re-booking worth 125% of what we’d paid, a nice bucket of cash to pay for some extras. Another rebooking for April 2022. The pandemic ebbs & flows, but protocols put in place by Viking lend some confidence: required vaccination documented by Verifly Vaccine Certification phone app, predeparture health survey, negative COVID test within 72 hours of 1^st flight, frequent on-ship testing. In addition Portugal requires a Passenger Locator Card before arrival. International travel is so complicated now! But by now Viking has done over 2 million tests for over 100,000 guests & crew; they conclude: “We believe there are few places one can go that are as safe as a Viking ship, where every person is fully vaccinated and is tested up to daily.” So it looks like this is actually going to happen!