Tauck's Two For 2014

Tauck has revealed the names of its two new riverboats that will debut next year, and announced that the duo will each be considerably longer than the four sister-ships currently in the company’s fleet. 

The newcomers will be MS Inspire and MS Savor,and will measure 443ft long, compared to Tauck’s existing ships which each measure 361ft. But, despite being 23% longer, the two newbuilds will only accommodate 130 guests each, or just 10% more than its current fleet (like MS Swiss Emerald, above). 

 

CEO Dan Mahar explained: “Our existing riverboats – what we’re now calling our Jewel Class vessels – already have the lowest passenger-to-ship-length ratio on Europe’s rivers. The two new riverboats – our Inspiration Class vessels – actually raise the bar even higher.

 

“When these ships launch next year they’ll each have just 130 guests aboard, whereas other major lines carry up to 190 on the same length ships. That’s an additional 46% more passengers aboard ships of the same length.  You simply can’t deliver the same relaxed, intimate atmosphere when you put nearly 50% more passengers into the same space.” 

 

Even though Tauck’s newbuilds will have far fewer guests aboard, the the company says they will nonetheless be staffed with more service personnel than any other river cruise line. Mahar added:  “Each Inspiration Class riverboat will have a Tauck Cruise Director and three Tauck Directors aboard to attend to guests’ needs and provide exemplary service. By contrast, other ships carrying more guests are often staffed by just a single cruise director.”

 

The Tauck Directors will also accompany shore excursions, according to Mahar, where they’ll divide guests into small groups of no more than 25, with each group personally guided by a local expert.  “River cruises offer incredible opportunities for authentic, in-depth explorations of each destination, so we place tremendous emphasis on ensuring our shore excursions – all of which are included in our prices – are absolutely world-class.”

 

For more info, call Tauck at 1800 468 2825, or visit www.tauck.com. In the UK, contact the leading river-cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd, on 0800 008 6677.

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Tauck’s Treasures of South-East Asia

Tauck has announced a new 16-day land and sea exploration of Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore centered around an 11-day cruise aboard the new luxury small ship, Le Soléal. Scheduled to launch this summer in Italy, the 466ft ship has a capacity of 264 passengers and will also be featured on selected 2013 sailings of Tauck’s cruise exploration of Iceland.

Tauck’s new “Treasures of South-East Asia” itinerary will kick-off with an included two-night exploration of Hong Kong featuring accommodations at the Kowloon Shangri-La and guided sightseeing, and it will conclude with a two-night stay in Singapore (also with in-depth guided sightseeing) and accommodations at the Marina Bay Sands.

Between their stays in Hong Kong and Singapore, Tauck guests will spend 11 days cruising aboard Le Soléal with ports of call including Hai Phong, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Throughout their journey, guests will enjoy a wide array of unique experiences highlighting the history and culture of South-east Asia, beginning with a dim sum culinary experience, market visits and other activities in Hong Kong.

In Vietnam, guests will travel on a day trip to explore Hanoi, sail on Ha Long Bay aboard a 

traditional junk, and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of My Son. There will also be a tour of the Cao Dai Temple in Da Nang, an  experience of daily life at a Vietnamese school and a local farmer’s home, and an exploration of historic, sprawling Ho Chi Minh City. Tauck’s guests will also learn about Singapore’s rich multiculturalism during tours of its Chinatown, Little India and Little Arabia neighborhoods, and explore its history during a visit to the Asian Civilisations Museum.

The Treasures of South-East Asia journey is priced from $9,990 per person (double occupancy, plus air), with southbound departures scheduled for October 28 and November 19, and a reverse-itinerary, northbound departure slated for November 8. Each departure is virtually all-inclusive, with all shore excursions, gratuities, port charges, airport transfers, luggage handling, onboard alcoholic drinks and much more built into the price.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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Tauck Announces New Mississippi River Cruise

Luxury travel-tour operator Tauck and award-winning film-maker Ken Burns have crafted a new 11-day cultural exploration of the Mississippi River that will launch early next year as part of the company’s “Ken Burns American Journeys” collection. 

The new “Life on the Mississippi” itinerary begins with an overnight stay in Memphis, followed by a 7-night River cruise aboard the newly re-launched American Queen paddlewheel steamboat, and it concludes with a two-night stay in New Orleans. Along the way, guests will be treated to a number of unique cultural experiences and a diverse array of Tauck-exclusive shore excursions.

Tauck will offer both northbound and southbound versions of the itinerary, with the 7-night cruise book-ended by an overnight stay at the famed Peabody in Memphis and two nights at The Roosevelt in New Orleans. Both city stays will be highlighted by Tauck-guided sightseeing, and all of the shore excursions enjoyed by guests during the cruise will be exclusive to Tauck (and, like the city stays, included in the price).

While in Memphis and New Orleans, and during shore excursions throughout the cruise, guests will enjoy an array of unique experiences. In Memphis, they will enjoy a private lecture on the city’s history and culture from a local historian. In Helena, Arkansas, guests will be immersed in local music during a private performance by the Greater First Baptist Church Choir, and during a blues performance at a honky-tonk roadhouse. In Natchez, travellers will enjoy a fascinating progressive lunch at three unique homes, and they will also tour the city’s historic Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church and its African American History Museum.

Tauck’s “Life on the Mississippi” is priced from $4,790 per person, double occupancy, plus flights. Included are all shore excursions and sightseeing, lectures by local experts, entertainment, complimentary wine and beer with onboard dinners, airport transfers, gratuities for ship and hotel staff, most meals, and much more. Tauck will operate departures of the new itinerary from February through June, and in November and December, with special Christmas and New Years departures as well.  

For bookings in the UK, be sure to check with the river-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link or call on 0800 008 6677.

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The Blue Danube - Westbound

Here's a great look ahead to some wonderful European river-cruising in 2013 with upmarket American operator Tauck, with an early-booking sample price of just $4,490 for a 12-day voyage. Here's how they put it.

Glide past fairytale castles and medieval villages aboard MS Swiss Jewel and MS Treasures on one of Tauck's popular Danube River cruises. Explore Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Cesky, Bratislava and Budapest – plus the castle-studded Wachau Valley – taking in views of the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. 

Attend a private Imperial Evening with dinner and music at a palace in Vienna; a wine tasting in Dürnstein; a day in Mozart's Salzburg; or medieval Cesky Krumlov; take an exclusive  private tour of Baroque monastery libraries in Prague; discuss contemporary issues and historic events in Slovakia with a resident expert; and enjoy evenings of cultural entertainment on and off your riverboat. 

In Vienna, see the Imperial apartments at The Hofburg or tour opulent Schönbrunn Palace. Admire frescoes, stained glass windows and stunning architecture as you spend two nights each in Budapest and Prague in city-centre hotels, checking out remarkable bridges, cathedrals, museums and grand Habsburg palaces. It's definitely a Danube River cruise to remember!

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury river-cruise experts.

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