RIVER CRUISING
The Tauck of Europe E
Steven B Stern puts the quality of Tauck Tours to the test on a signature Danube voyage
ver since my first river cruise on the Rhine and Moselle in the 1980s, I have been addicted to this genre of cruise vacations. For me, the appeal of these cruises is based
on three factors: 1) The ability to pull into a destination not accessible to an ocean-going vessel and step off into the heart of historic cities and villages. 2) The intimacy and camaraderie of a small-ship experience where the same passengers tour together and spend evenings in an environment conducive to making friends and acquaintances. 3) Enjoying escorted tours free of charge that visit the major points of interest with a narrative from a knowledgeable guide.
I had cruised on most of the major riverboat lines but had heard from many of my cruise-buff friends that the best all-around experience they remember
Winter 2010 / 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING
was on a Tauck European River Cruise. Not wishing to miss out, I booked a cruise last summer on Swiss Sapphire with an itinerary from Prague to Strasbourg. Tauck European River Cruises are a division of
Tauck Journeys, a large tour company who also operate two identical sister vessels, Swiss Jewel and Emerald, with a fourth coming on line in 2011. All these 118-passenger ships are owned by Scylla of Switzerland but are exclusively leased to Tauck for the river-cruise season and are subject to Tauck’s high standards and specifications. Each ship has 14 300sq ft suites, seven accom- modations designated junior suites, and 38 cabins ranging from 150-183sq ft, fully 85 per cent of which have floor-to-ceiling windows with French balconies. The most expensive suites are on Diamond Deck, the top passenger deck, but most accommodations
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