The Douro is one of Europe’s fastest-growing river cruise routes, running from Porto up through the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley. Around 30 hotel ships sail it today, and several operators had new ones planned for next year. In March, APDL, the port authority that governs the waterway, wrote to the cruise lines to tell them the river had reached its maximum capacity for hotel ships.
The limit is not set by demand but by the river itself: the lock system and the operating conditions put a ceiling on how many ships can pass. Vessels already sailing continue, but no new operations will be approved until APDL has finished assessing what the waterway can actually carry. Travel agents who sell the route have publicly welcomed the decision — the quiet is part of what they are selling.
So…:
Where does the ceiling sit in what you sell, and who gets to decide it?
Source:
Picture:
APDL – Via Navegável do Douro (press)