Tauck may have come a bit late to the river cruise party but it was worth the wait. The Tauck travel company was founded by Arthur Tauck in 1925 but only started offering river cruises in 2006. But holy moly, Tauck is blowing it out of the water.

Since Tauck came late to river cruising, most of its ships are on the newer side. In 2015, Tauck will launch the ms Esprit, one of its Jewel-class riverboats. Tauck ships hold between 118 – 130 passengers. Most ships that size carry 140 – 160 passengers, so you’ll get a more intimate feel onboard a Tauck ship.

And Tauck is one of the only river cruise lines that caters to the entire family.

The Cabins

Cabins sizes are 150 square feet (category 1-4 cabins), 180 square feet (category 5-6) and 300 square feet (category 7).

Category 1-2 cabins come with windows, which you have to jump up to see out. The rest of the cabins come with French balconies and the fancy schmancy category 7 cabins come with two French balconies.

 ms Inspire or ms Savor Cabins

If you sail on the ms Inspire or ms Savor, you’ll get completely different and in my opinion, better cabin sizes.

Category 1 still comes in at 150 square feet with the “jump up so I can see” windows.

Category 2 comes in at 150 square feet but you get a French balcony.

Category 3 is the most innovative. It’s a 225-sq, ft, split-level loft cabin. How cool is that?

Split-level loft cabin

Category 4 -5 (Diamond Deck) are 190-sq. ft.

Cats 5 (Ruby Deck) – 6 are 225-sq. ft.

And Category 7 comes in at 300-sq. ft.

 

Here’s what comes with the cabins:

Marble bath with shower.

Molton Brown toiletries.

Refrigerator stocked with complimentary water and soft drinks replenished daily.

Terry-cloth bathrobe and slippers.

32” LED TV.

Under-bed luggage storage.

400 thread count cotton linens.

Duvets and pillows with hypoallergenic 90% down filling.

And the ever present hair dryer.

What Do I Get?

Possibly the funniest picture of a fitness center I’ve ever seen. It looks like a publicity shot from a bad sitcom. Or she’s going to kill him.

Tauck river cruises are all-inclusive. You’ll get:

Unlimited beverages. All beverages. Beer, wine, coffee, tea, soda.

Free Internet.

A fitness center.

A Jacuzzi.

Laundry service.

Bikes.

Private excursions.

Select meals in local restaurants on shore (Love this).

All service charges, taxes, luggage handling and applicable fuel surcharges.

Special onboard events from a galley tour, dance & music performances, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and more.

You get to stand in a bucket

Dining

What my birthday dinner looks like

Breakfast and lunch are buffet and dinner is casual, with 4-5 entrée options and at least one vegetarian option.

Family Friendly

What I love about Tauck is how they cater to the entire family. While other cruise lines cater to the 55-year old and over crowd, Tauck wants the whole family to have a good time. That’s probably why Tauck is a two-time winner in Travel and Leisure’s Top River Cruise For Families category.

Tauck offers three Family Cruises:

Castles on the Rhine: Family Riverboat Adventure

Blue Danube: Family Riverboat Adventure

Bon Voyage: France Family River Cruise

These cruises feature such events as a scavenger hunt in the Louvre; family cooking demonstrations; dinner at the thousand-year-old Reichenstein Castle; becoming “French for a Day” aboard the riverboat with French language lessons, songs, a cooking demonstration and a chocolate tasting; a ride on a giant ferris wheel; a strüdel making class, and much much more. Tauck is really breaking the mold on river cruises.

Awards

Travel and Leisure: 2009 – 2014 “World’s Best River Cruise Lines” (ranked #1 in 2011, 2013, 2014)

Magellan Awards: 2012 – Magellan Gold Award (River Cruising – overall); Magellan Gold Award (ms Treasures riverboat)

CruiseReport Editor’s Choice Awards: 2012 – “Best Luxury River Cruise Line”

 

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