Tauck River Cruising

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ms Savor

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Jewel

Fanning Island

We booked the top level cat 7 because we wanted it to be special even though it was expensive, almost twice as much as the lower levels.  The water was low on the river and caused the cruise to turn into a BUS trip.  Tauck did a terrible job of handling this.  For the first six days they bussed us from place to place, packing and unpacking several times.  While on the "BUS excursion" the food was awful, Hungarian buffets and food that was cold and hardly edible.  We paid an exorbitant amount for Cat7 accommodations and all the food and premium drinks, but for these days we sat for hours on busses with only water to drink. The excursions to small towns were very disappointing because due to covid (which had been over for a while), many shops and restaurants were still closed.  When we finally got to the ship, we learned that the upper deck would be closed for the NEXT 6 DAYS bcs of 50+ locks on the route.  Sick of all of this, we bailed.  We had to pay another $2000 to get a flight home early, but it was better than staying on this disastrous trip.

After getting home, Tauck did agree to refund the unused portion of our trip, but would not compensate us at all for the "upcharge" to Cat 7 on the days we were there.  I tried writing to the CEO, but was blocked by his "customer service" team.

Here is a list of things that Tauck should have done to improve this experience:

•	Because the water level issue was not a last-minute surprise, Tauck could have anticipated it and had a ship come from the north to meet the ship from the south, only leaving a small gap to be filled with coach travel.

•	When it is known that the water levels will make the river impassible, offer a full refund or rescheduling prior to having clients leave home for the long journey to Europe.

•	If you must use hotels, offer upgraded hotel suites or at least rooms with a decent view to the category 7 guests, who paid much more than other guests.

•	Instead of buffet food and food “allowances”, have those who paid premium prices enjoy lunches and dinners on their own and provide receipts to Tauck for reimbursement.

•	Provide private cars or limos instead of busses for the clients who paid premium prices.

•	In your advertisement, let people know that many of the small towns were hit hard by covid and might be partially (or half) closed so expectations are not set too high. Passau is just one example of a big disappointment.

•	Do not offer an “organ concert” on the largest and most magnificent organ in Europe, only to have your guests find that the main organ and several others were in disrepair .  You will sit on hard benches for 45 minutes, awaiting a mediocre concert played on a small church organ.

•	In your advertisement, let people know that there are 60+ locks on the voyage and the upper deck will be closed for multiple days during the journey so you will not have the cruising pleasure that you expect.

•	We were also required to get COVID boosters for which we reluctantly complied but were never asked for the proof.  Tauck should not require more than the CDC requires.

Don't waste your money

Jost Van Dyke

We had been reluctant to do a river cruise as we had heard mixed reviews from friends and family who had done them.  We somehow found Tauck through our research and booked the 2 week Amsterdam to Budapest cruise for our first try.  The trip was fantastic in every aspect:  Ship, itinerary, food, crew, tour guides, excursions, cabin, service, and all of the extra touches provided by Tauck.  All options on Tauck are included in the price, so there were no extra charges for drinks or excursions.

     The MS Treasures is a great small river ship, with room for about 100 passengers.  We had 82 passengers, so not quite full.  The common areas are all very nice and well appointed,  Our room was very large with our own sliding door to look outside.  Plenty of US standard electric plugs in the room, and the bathroom was very large for a ship, with a great shower.

     Food options were great.  There were 3 meals offered per day in the main dining room, with breakfast and lunch being a buffet with made to order items as well.  Dinner was seated with a menu, with plenty of options.  Meals ranged from good to excellent and service was outstanding.   There were several wine choices at dinner to complement the meals.  If we didn't feel like going to the main dining room, at the aft of the ship is Arthurs, which offers light fare all day.  A continental breakfast was available in the morning (with coffee and some snacks available 24 hours), several options for lunch and dinner, and snacks available from 11am to 10pm daily.

     The lounge at the front of the ship was the main hang out place.  Drinks were great and plentiful, the bar staff was great and most days there was some sort of entertainment in the evening.  We had singing groups, bands, lectures and other fun things either before or after dinner depending on the port.  There was also a Karaoke night, and a couple of dance nights.

     Most days were relaxing, with river cruising in the morning arriving in a port at mid day, and then off ship tours in the afternoon.  Usually the off ship tours started with a Tauck provided local guide providing a walking tour of the city for 1-2 hours, followed by free time before heading back to the ship.  On several of the stops the Tauck tour directors had arranged something special, like beer and sausages in a beer garden, wine and lunch at a wine fest, or some other diversion to see the local culture.  If the day involved a bus ride from the ship to the city and back, typically the Tauck tour directors would bring back some local treat for everyone on the bus.  We had a couple of unscheduled stops because there was time, which added some interesting sights.  We had 2 days where we had to be off the ship relatively early (8 am) in order to do an all day excursion, but it was worth to to travel to Salzburg!

     The rivers were very interesting.  We viewed castles on the Rhine, narrated by a cruise director.  We passed through a total of 68 locks of various heights on the Main and Danube Rivers.  This meant for a part of the cruise the very top deck was closed to accomodate going under the bridges, but far forward the upper deck was low enough to allow us to sit outside while passing under bridges (as long as we stayed seated!).  It was interesting watching the wheelhouse move up and down on hydraulics to accomodate the bridges.  Some locks had a total of 81 ft of lift!

     The highlight of the cruise was the visit to Vienna.  Touring this beautiful city was great, topped off with  a private Gala in the Palais Pallavicini, complete with a 5 course meal, and live entertainment from a string quartet, opera singers, ballet dancers and other musicians,  A truly elegant night.

     We would highly recommend Tauck and this itinerary.  Every stop was fantastic and every aspect of the service and ship was incredible.  We have booked another Tauck river cruise for 2024.

Tauck is our new standard for vacations

We have just returned from our unforgettable, glorious, spectacular 14 night river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.

After we had booked our holiday we read some unfavourable reviews and began to wonder what we may be in for. We had no need to worry, everything about the holiday was fabulous. The small ship was luxurious and elegantly furnished. the restaurant food, delicious. with a large variety that changed each day to suit the country. The staff were incredible and dedicated to making sure all passengers enjoy their holiday. The day tours extremely well organised. and just the right amount of tour and free time to wander about in the towns. Just everything was perfect. We saw a review that said the wines were bad, We were served to most spectacular wines especially chosen by our lovely maitre d, Andreea each night, the champagne was Moët and Chandon, ( which you could have with breakfast if you so wished. We discovered Pina Calada cocktails were extremely tasty !. Each time I have one in the future I will be reminded to my tauck river cruise.

The only advice I would give is that most of our passengers were between 50 and 80, so possibly it would not appeal to the younger person. Many thanks to all the staff on board that made our holiday memorable.

Would we book with tauck again..... You bet ya!......

Extraordinary holiday.

We had a great experience years ago on a Tauck Bridges tour and decided to do the Budapest-Amsterdam cruise, and were not disappointed! This newly refurbished ship was beautiful, with no detail forgotten. Our Ruby Deck, level 6 room was fabulous, with plenty of storage for a two week cruise. The one complaint- the closet for long clothes was not long enough. The bathroom was surprisingly large, with Molton Brown supplies,  fresh flowers, and 2 shower heads.  The super-comfortable bed faced the floor-to-ceiling windows and the positionable tv (the videos available were thoughtfully chosen to reflect the area where we were traveling- The Woman in Gold, The Diary of Anne Frank, etc etc, along with a choice of recent hits).Fully stocked mini fridge and Kureg-type coffee maker were available. 

Meals were perfectly portioned and delicious, with daily selections reflecting the local area; Argentinian beef filets, chicken breast, and veg meals were always available. Desserts were perfect- a few bites to round off a nice meal. 

Most people gathered in the Panorama Lounge for drinks and amuse bouche in the afternoons and before and after dinner; a pianist played and several times local musicians were brought aboard.

The tours were a good length- usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The option was given to walk into town or ride a bus to the city center- the walk was usually no more than 15 minutes. The group was usually split into 2 to 3 smaller groups; we were given a small “vox” to wear with earbuds (provided)- there was no straining to hear the local tour guide.  We were usually given time in each city to explore on our own, or to return to the ship. 

There were no “snoozer” cities on this cruise as we have had on previous cruises- we enjoyed each day!

Experienced traveller- great cruise!

This was our first Tauck cruise.  The staff, food, and service were outstanding.  Unfortunately, the cabins were not.  We were later told that other ships Tauck uses from the Scylla Line had been updated to enlarge the cabins.  We were surprised at the lack of space in our cabin, especially for the premium price, compared to those on other river river cruises where we paid less.  The French balcony door opened only halfway.  It was so heavy that one needed two arms and a strong push to open it.  There was not nearly enough counter space.  Also the sides of the bed were far too close to the wall and glass French balcony window and the nightstands barely fit. Shore excursions varied, probably due to the destinations.  Budapest is a gem; Belgrade and Bucharest are not.  Too many ugly, drab Soviet apartment buildings and ever-present graffiti detract from the few scintillating structures popping up among them. Our trip to a Croatian town obliterated during the Balkan War still showed the scars, including an eery bombed-out train station with the town sign dangling in one piece.  Our visit to families in the area who shared stories of their evacuation and photos of what was left of their homes was a highlight of the trip, especially since Tauck kept the groups 8-12.  It would have been better to spend more time in the vibrant town of Novi Sad, the largest town in Northern Serbia, than in Belgrade. The dinners at palaces in Budapest, Belgrade, and Bucharest's monstrosity (2nd only in size to the Pentagon among world government buildings) were quite pleasant and somewhat worth the much higher price Tauck charges for this trip to the Black Sea. Also, Tauck clients seemed to be in their 70's.  Self-exploring adventurers they were not.

Wait until Tauck ms Treasures has been Updated

To be honest, my bad, I did not do my research. I was told this was a 5 star experience and book based on my thoughts of what 5 star meant. Therefore, This is a difficult review to write.  The staff was excellent, helpful, friendly, experienced, a pleasure to be around.  If I was 80, it would have been a good trip. But I'm 60, also known as the new 40. Tauck does not cater to 40 year olds.  Tauck caters to the geriatric group that likes all-inclusive programs. It was extremely expensive and disappointing. Not at all good for young families. 

The workout room is in the bottom of the boat, what little equipment there is it's failing, it is hot, no view, lots of tv's but no individual sound system, very noisy, tiny.

The Massage therapy room is next to the workout room. Very little room for the therapist to work, noisy due to proximity of workout room, being on the bottom of the boat, and toilets flushing. 

The food is adequate, but I would not put it high on my list of places to eat.  We ate ashore as often as possible. So much for that all-inclusive price!  I will say the Indonesian chef cooking makes great Indonesian food!!

Our cabin is excellent and the service we have gotten has been fabulous!! But again, it better be! We paid an exorbitant price for it! Seriously, look on Tauck tours and see what category 7 cost!

There are 10 bikes available, 3 broke making it 7, for 118 people. Talk about first come first serve!  And that is given you get a chance to ride! I think we will get 5 days out of 15. On the day we were stuck on the boat for over 24 hrs (not good for active baby boomers) we were told no biking. There would be no place to stop.  Although the boat captain was able to pick up and drop off entertainment during the day along the way. FYI, our group on bikes was faster then the boat on water.  We would most certainly have beat the boat to the meeting location.  

All-inclusive! I know what that means now! You can have all the bad wine you want!!  Tauck saves the good stuff for the cruises that are not all inclusive!  We are foodies and wine goes with that. I would gladly pay a premium additional for a good glass of wine. But again, if you knew the price I paid, you would have expected it to include fine wines. 

Entertainment has been a 50/50 proposition. Some was really bad and some was...ok. Some has been very informative. 

I traveled with my husband and a large group from Budapest to Amsterdam in October. (Currently on cruise) October north is a bad idea in itself. Wet cold rainy and a bit dreary. And the price was the same for this week as it was for two weeks ago going south. My bad. 

So, you know what twenty 60 yearolds due when locked up on a cruise on a rainy day? Drink. And then cause problems and by now day 11 would all jump ship if we could!!

I do not blame the staff or crew for this disappointing cruise. They have been excellent! They are only working within the confines of Tauck policy and procedures. I did not do my research. I hate all-inclusive destination resorts, not sure why I thought this would be better/different! 

Bottom line, Tauck needs to hear this... They are not catering to a generation with money that has another good 10-20 years of active traveling! The idea of not having to pack everyday to move on to next town is attractive, but I will be looking to other cruise and travel companies for my next vacation. It won't be Tauck.

At 60, we are too young for Tauck!

Travel agent and friends had recommended Tauck but I was very disappointed in our experience.  We had booked same category 6 cabin ( 2nd highest) as our friends and it was a terrible cabin and the worst customer service ( NONE). We were in cabin 318 at rear of ship and friends were in 302 ( same category  and price) but the comfort level was worlds apart. This Cabin and the one across from us had noises almost every evening from the engine starting up ,from staff walking on roof above us ,and vibrations from the engines. Our first night we had the noise and vibrations so bad the bathroom door would't stay shut and things were falling off our table. The hotel manager (who is not a Tauck employee) came down and switched out the glass table and had the bathroom door worked on. But the main issue of noise and vibrations were with us every night. I could not leave a glass of water on the nightstand. I ended up taking sleeping pills most nights. The Tauck cruise host never talked to us or asked how it was and the hotel manager ignored me for the rest of the cruise. When you go thru 61 locks, the ship is stopping and starting engines a lot and mostly at night. I emailed my travel agent day 2 and she supposedly contacted Tauck. My friend asked about moving to another cabin as there were 4 empty cabins on our deck and was told if wanted to pay the difference she could move. I NEVER asked about a new cabin and never was offered any cabin change. For the price we paid it was a big disappointment and ruined the cruise for me. Our neighbors across also had same issues and we would commiserate every morning . So DO NOT book these cabins and I think Tauck needs to rethink their pricing. These 2 back cabins should not pay the same as the forward ones. Several people told me their travel agent had advised against these cabins when they heard our story. Wish my travel agent had. 

The cruise was good otherwise-Vienna was very special evening and the tour in Amsterdam of museum and canal cruise were great. Also enjoyed the evening entertainment they brought in. Due to water level, the roof deck was closed for over 8 days so it was crowded on the forward deck and limited viewing options outside. Also wish there had been more personal time to wander cities. Felt like we would get on bus, have tour, take 30 minutes to wander, then back to bus then back on ship. Food was ok ( not as good as Seabourn or Silver Sea ). Several of us had to trade off time as only 2 treadmills. The young serving and room staff were great. Most local guides good altho 2 were very insensitve to guests by walking too fast for the group and not paying attention to if everyone was following. Had to go tell her she had left 2 people back across a street.  Two of the Tauck directors were excellent both in providing good Discovery briefings and commentary while sailing.  My impression would have been much better and I might consider Tauck again if there had been any customer service regarding our room. Our friends did enjoy their cruise as did the majority of the guests. One difference on Tauck vs other lines I have cruised with is they don't own the ship- only 4 Tauck employees are on board to assist, rest of crew are with the ship. So neither one feels responsible or willing to handle customer issues was my perspective. Different bosses.

Terrible upper category cabin on Tauck river cruise- Don't book it.

First the good points.   The interiary was great, especially with a second day in Vienna.  The two special evenings - one in Budapest and the second in Prague -  were very well organized, enjoyable, and  memorable.  The rooms were large and well kept.  The tour guides and excursion staff were excellent, knowledgable, and very friendly.  They were always available to help out or answer questions.  The spa and hair salon was a great touch.  

Next, many areas were disappointing and need improvement based on previous river cruises with two different lines.  

The Cruise Director was inadequate and did nothing to enhance the guests experiences. We were not really sure what his actually role was.  The food in the dining room was nothing special, in general only fair, and one night the beef was ineatable.  The  lunch and breakfast buffet was fine but not excellent.  Even the selection was disappointing.  The wines were not good nor was there an excellent reserve for those who wished to purchase wine at an additional cost. The Dining room staff needs additional training and were not even very friendly.  Overall,  the staff on the ship was, at best only adequate.  Lastly,  the ship was newly commissioned and we  expected a twist of flair and elegance.   I would say the decor was basic, boring, almost dated, and rather low scale.  Even the  art work was bland. 

For those travelers  needing special assistance this is definitely not the line for you.

Disappointing Trip

Last year I took a cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, with Tauck Treasures. I had paid so much money, and I was told that my experience with this company was going to be "FIRST CLASS, WHITE GLOVE TREATMENT". First of all, I had to book with Intercontinental in Amsterdam in order to be picked up at the airport: not good! Then, as soon as I entered into the cabin, very bad impact! It was a dungeon, I could not even look out because the windows were so high! To get to my cabin I had to go down some spiral stairs, dangerous and uneven! Other complaints: the guides are very skilled, but they don't show much.
Food: awful in the boat ride in Amsterdam. One waiter was blowing his nose for breakfast one morning: he had a cold! The lady in charge of special diets was told that I needed a low sodium diet, and she put salt on a plate she brought for me, right in front of my eyes! She kept on forgetting to bring food she had promised, and this happened almost every day! No entertainment at night: it was so boring!
Itinerary changed a lot, and many cities in the list were never covered. A lot of disorganization in the ship, we had to pick out a color of bus every morning: what a waste of time!
My experience was far from being first class: I could have taken Grand Circle with 35% off the price I paid with Tauck!!!!!!!!! Tauck will not see my face anymore!!!

WORST CRUISE I HAVE TAKEN WITH OUTRAGEOUS PRICES!

After 5 days in Paris pre-cruise, we landed in Amsterdam on an overcast, rainy day but the weather got better as the holiday went on.  Our Tauck representative was in Arrivals waiting for us and within minutes he had us aboard a Tauck coach which we would find out later would be one of three Tauck coaches that followed the boat to the Austrian border and on our way to the MS Treasures.  On arrival at the dock we were met with umbrellas and escorted aboard.  It only took a few minutes for our paperwork to be completed and we were shown our cabin  209  on Ruby deck.  Now I have to admit that before we booked our cruise the only thing that worried us was the size of the cabin  150sq ft.  Our fears were misplaced.  The cabin is so well designed that its size became irrelevant.  There is a huge amount of storage space and the bags fit nicely under the bed.  The bathroom is beautifully appointed with the most modern equipment but to be fair it is only a one person at a time bathroom.

During our first meeting with the Tauck staff on board it was explained to everyone that Tauck is a Tour company and not a river boat company.  The ship is owned and crewed by Scylla.  They have some 17 boats cruising the rivers of Europe and 4 of those have been designed to accommodate the wishes of Tauck.  There were only 4 Tauck staff on board our cruise director, Steve and 3 Tour Directors, Nicole, Glorija and Jeremy.  The big advantage of having one tour director for every 30 or so passengers would become very apparent in the days to come.  We discovered that there were 106 passengers, a little under the maximum capacity of 118, made up of 88 from the U.S. 2 from Bermuda, 4 from NZ, 6 from Canada and 6 of us from Australia.

From our first outing to our last you could go out with the guides or if you preferred, as some did, you could stay onboard the boat as it relocated from time to time.  Having 3 tour directors as well as a cruise director must give Tauck a huge edge over those companies that dont.  We never felt left out of any activity nor could we possibly get lost as our TDs appeared to be everywhere with anything you needed.  Tauck employ the finest local guides at every port of call on the rivers.  They all spoke perfect English, had a wealth of knowledge yet communicated to us in a light and warm manner.  The voxes we used were light and easy to use and it enabled us to stop for a photo opportunity and still listen to your guide.

There were excursions everyday, sometimes two and if we needed a coach to take us up a mountain to see a castle or cathedral the Tauck coaches would be waiting for us.  We got to know the 3 drivers very well and it was sad to see them leave us after we crossed the border into Austria.  It is very difficult to single out any particular excursion as being the best because they were all professionally handled but the night at the Palais Pallavicini for our dinner and concert was simply amazing.  This is Taucks signature evening on the cruise and I believe its what makes Tauck stand apart from its competitors.

Were not foodies but we never had a meal onboard that was not to our liking.  The choices at all meals were extensive so youd have to be pretty picky not to find something you liked.  Breakfast and lunch were primarily buffet style but at breakfast there was the egg station where you could have your eggs as you desired and at lunch there was always a chefs suggestion on the menu.  Dinner was always a la carte and the choices varied every evening.  If you wanted lighter fare or an intimate dinner there was the Lido at the stern of the boat.  We and a couple of our new found friends ate one evening in the Lido and it was like having a private dinner on a yacht.  In all we rated the food as top class.  On one occasion we were to all eat in town and Tauck gave us each 20 euros for our lunch.  That was a huge surprise.

Now we do know a bit about wine and we were delighted to find that we were served different wines every night.  We were eager to taste the differences from the wines we have in Australia and although I can say I didnt fall in love with every wine we drank we did find significant differences in all the local wines and came home very happy for the experience.  Taucks choices were excellent.

At the end of the cruise wed made many new friends and it was sad to say goodbye but Tauck took us to the Hotel and the next morning ensured we got to the airport.  This type of service will be hard to match in the future.

There are a number of companies that claim to be all inclusive but do they do this?   They included a free nights accommodation at the 5 star Le Meridien in Budapest because we were first time travellers. You received 2 free nights if you were a frequent Tauck traveller.  Tauck includes all gratuities for everyone.  They include all transfers whether you booked your air with them or not.  You can drink all the non-alcoholic drinks you like all day every day  absolutely free.  They even have a fridge in your cabin that they stock with your drink requirements and re-stock it every day.   You can drink all the beer you want at lunch and dinner and all the wine you want at dinner.   In fact if you didnt want a pre-dinner drink then your bill at the end of the trip would have been zero.   If you feel like a snack in the afternoons they will provide you with your choice of freshly baked pretzels or a plate of cheeses and fruit or a plate of sweet cakes or even a big bowl of ice cream  all included and delivered to you anywhere on the boat.  Tauck provided us regularly with what they call a Tauck lagniappe (a Tauck surprise).  We had many surprises over the course of our trip my favourite being a Gondola ride over the vineyards and country side of Rudesheim.  Another was a wine tasting in a cellar in Rothenberg.  Now on this occasion a couple of people became claustrophobic in the cellar and had to leave and to their surprise one of our ever present TDs appeared to give them each 5 euros so that they could enjoy a glass of wine upstairs and much more.  The one incident that will always stick in my mind as the ultimate in all inclusive was after an organ recital in Passau a lot needed to go to the toilet.  In Europe most public toilets require a 50cent coin.  Instead of having to find one in your pocket or purse a lovely Tauck TD was standing there giving out 50cent coins.  Now thats all inclusive service.  

We found Tauck to be the most professional company weve ever travelled with and the staff on board Treasures was faultless.  It may take us 3 or 4 years to save up enough to visit Europe again and if we do well certainly go with Tauck again.  They are simply the best.

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