Douro Azul, a Porto-based river cruise company, is expected to order another two hotel boats from Aveiro shipyards worth €37.3m, partially funded by Portuguese government grants.

Two hotel boats, expected for delivery next March, are already being built by Aveiro shipyards for the same company, also with financial backing from the government.

Douro Azul director Mário Ferreira told Lusa news agency yesterday that it was almost certain Aveiro would be chosen to build the new vessels “for economies of scale and the excellent job they are doing”.

The new boats are expected to create more than 150 new jobs and maintain just as many.

One of the main conditions for government support is that 45% of the investment will be lent over 10 years at 0% interest.

Ferreira said all the new boats would be operated in Portugal, bringing to 12 the total of boats sailing on the 200-km Douro. In comparison, there are 290 cruise boats on the Nile, which spans 300 km of navigable river.