TUI River Cruises rolls out first new-build ship, TUI Luzia – coming to the Douro in summer 2027

TUI River Cruises will launch its largest summer programme yet with the sailing of its first new-build ship, TUI Luzia, down the River Douro in Portugal in summer 2027. 

Marking a new era for the river cruise brand as the first-ever purpose-built ship, TUI Luzia (meaning ‘light’ in Portuguese), will accommodate 111 guests, spread across four spacious decks as it sails along the Douro in its inaugural season. All guests will receive TUI’s signature ‘Full Board Plus’ offering as standard, which includes all meals, entertainment and a selection of local alcoholic drinks. 

TUI Luzia will accommodate 111 passengers across four decks, including a stylish top deck complete with a shallow pool and sun loungers and ‘Cinder’ – a bar and dining area open every day for drinks and self-serve lunches.

Other venues on the ship include Novo, the main lounge bar, Retreat, a hybrid area offering a juice bar and space for wellness classes such as yoga and pilates in the daytime, as well as an intimate lounge bar for a quiet tipple at night.

Sorriso, TUI Luzia’s main restaurant, will serve all meals from breakfast through to dinner, while Vinha, a Portuguese-inspired alfresco dining space, will be where guests can tuck into à la carte dinners in the evening, and by day, use it as a space to unwind and watch the world go by.

There will be 56 cabins in total, with categories ranging from Super French Balcony cabins to single cabins.

A selection of seven-night sailings on the famous Portuguese river will be available from summer 2027 onboard TUI Luzia, with relaxed daytime sailing and shore experiences each day. The ship will sail in five beautiful destinations along the Douro, with the ‘Douro Discovery’ round-trip itinerary starting in Porto, before arriving in locations based in the UNESCO-listed region: Entre-os-Rios; Peso de Regua; Vega de Terron (for Salamanca, Spain) and Barca d’Alva. There will be flight options with TUI partner airlines to Porto to join Douro cruises.

– READ MORE: Inside TUI’s largest-ever river ship –

In addition to the launch of  TUI Luzia, TUI River Cruises will be offering two new ports of call in the summer 2027 season on TUI Aria with ‘Dutch Delta Discovery’ sailing the Dutch & Belgian Waterways to the city of Zaandam, Netherlands, known for its traditional green wooden houses and on TUI Maya with ‘East Danube Delights’ visiting Aljmas, Croatia, a picturesque village known for its unique modern swan-shaped church nestled aside the Danube River.

A range of durations, including short cruises with three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 11, 14 and 15 night sailings across the River Danube, Belgian & Dutch Waterways, Rhine and Moselle throughout summer 2027, make it a particulalry appealing choice for first-time cruisers.

Katy Berzins, Head of TUI River Cruises commented: “We’re thrilled to introduce TUI Luzia, our first new-build ship, which will sail the stunning River Douro in Portugal – a brand-new destination for TUI River Cruises.   

“This marks a major milestone as we launch our biggest summer programme to date, with more itineraries, more durations, and exciting new ports of call across Europe. From the charming villages of Croatia and the Netherlands, we’re giving guests the opportunity to explore Europe’s rivers in a way that’s more flexible, immersive and exciting than ever before.” 

Prices start from £899 pp for a ‘Grand Capitals’ three-night sailing on TUI Maya in summer 2027, with all summer 2027 itineraries available to book from Thursday 16 October 2025.

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