The Douro River has reached capacity for river ships, according to a letter that Port Authority of the Douro sent to river cruise lines in March.
The authority told operators that the maximum capacity for "hotel ships" on the Douro River has been reached due to issues regarding lock usage and operational limits, according to a copy of the March 31 letter obtained by Travel Weekly.
Additional cruises cannot be authorized, the authority wrote, until the authority completes a review of operational conditions. The authority did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the letter, nor did river cruise lines.
New Portugal cruises planned
The Douro flows through Portugal's wine region of the Douro Valley. Douro cruising has exploded in popularity in recent years, with lines adding ships to accommodate demand.
Just last year, Riviera Travel introduced a ship there, as did AmaWaterways and Viking. Next year, Scenic, Emerald, Uniworld and Tauck each plan to add a vessel there. Come 2028, AmaWaterways will debut the AmaGaia on the Douro, and Amadeus River Cruises will sail its first ship in the region.
Uniworld said that it was not impacted by the authority's decision.
"Operations are continuing as planned for 2027 and beyond," the line said in a statement. "The brand looks forward to welcoming guests onboard the new S.S. Sao Rafael next year."
During a Cleveland Research panel, Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh briefly addressed the pause, saying that newbuilds would be suspended as the port authority assesses capacity constraints. But, she admitted, it could be a sign of what's to come as the river cruise industry shows no signs of slowing down its growth.
"I think you're going to see a lot more policy backlash," she said. "I think you're going to see a lot more taxes and other implications that are going to impact both river and land programs across Europe."