We eagerly awaited our Tauck family trip as we had an extremely positive experience in the past. This was anything but positive- the boat was not able too maintain comfortable temperatures in the heat we experienced, the food was bland and even inedible at times- we ended up eating plain pasta and cucumbers off the kids salad bar, the nightly entertainment was nonexistent and disappointing. The service on the boat was fine, we just wished we had spent a week in a comfortable hotel room and missed an actual authentic and fun experience eating real French food and immersing in French culture. This was in No way a good value- we have deep regret trusting this company and we won't do it again. CAVEAT EMPTOR- this trip was the budget express. We are now looking to travel with reputable companies that stand by their name and product- it's not the cost, it's the quality of what is delivered. This was truly disappointing. Read Less

This is my first Tauck trip and it did not disappoint in terms of service and the overall quality of what was offered. I did the 14 day Seine river cruise trip from Paris to London in July 2017. In practice this is only 9 days on the river boat and 5 days in hotels in Paris and London. The Tauck tour directors were helpful and friendly and I could not fault them. The whole trip was well organised and any glitches quickly dealt with. There were a number of 'small surprises' along the way which were appreciated and made you feel like you were valued and getting a high quality product - arguably you have already paid for these additional extras as part of the fare, however if you are looking for a trip experience which is above the essentials Tauck delivers. Scylla who own and operate the river boats offered an equally great product. Staff were professional and friendly - as good as I have experienced anywhere. Food quality and variety was much better than I expected and the wines were of a good standard. My main complaint about dinner service is that it is very rushed - given there is very limited entertainment on the river cruise, dinner should be made in to more of an event. What is the rush? The ship has recently been refitted and therefore it was fresh and modern. As mentioned this is a 14 day 'cruise' but only 9 nights on board the ship. The other nights are spent in hotels in Versailles and London. Accommodation in London was at the Savoy and I am pleased to have experienced this lovely hotel. The Waldorf in Versailles was ok but nothing to rave about. I would have much preferred to spend the full 14 days on ship. The packing up and moving involved in shifting really broke up the holiday (I was not the only person who felt this). The Seine is a short river, however there is much to see and I would have preferred a less frenetic pace of the land tours (see comments below). It is not that I am infirm - I just like to balance on board relaxing with touring. 14 days with the same land experiences spread out would have been much better. I am experienced ocean cruiser and this was my first river cruise. To compare the two products: - I travel on five star all inclusive ocean cruises and the service and staff were equivalent. I took a basic suite (ie: port hole only) and this room size was fine for me as a single person. I would not recommend it for two people (although a number of people did share on my trip). The room is very small and closet space is limited. - Entertainment on the river cruise was, as expected, very basic and 'touristy'. I really missed entertainment at night which is a big part of the enjoyment for me on an ocean cruise. This will impact on my personal decision as to whether to take another river cruise. If however you are happy to go to bed early and don't value night time entertainment then this would not be an issue for you. There was a pianist who was very good. I would have liked a more contemporary suite of music - just because I am in my 50s doesn't mean I only want to hear stuff written over 20 years ago. - The absence of rough seas is a real advantage on a river cruise especially if you get sea sick. There is always something to look at as you pass along the banks and this is pleasant - There is a lot more emphasis on 'off ship' activities on the river cruise. While you are able to stay on board with no issues, I found the level of activity which kept you off ship a bit excessive. I like to spend half a day on shore and half a day relaxing on ship which is very achievable on ocean cruises. Given the on shore program (which I wanted to do) there was only limited opportunity for on ship relaxation and I would have liked a greater balance. Overall - I was not disappointed in the Tauck product. They lived up to their reputation. The extra you pay is worth it. The newly refurbished ship is lovely and it is very relaxing and easy to get around. Read Less

Just returned from an 8 day cruise on the Swiss Saphire, she is owned by Tauck, but on this occasion had been chartered by Riviera Travel. She is a lovely boat (?ship?), fairly newly built and carries 120 passengers. We were in a cabin on the 3rd deck in one of the stern cabins, these cabins are larger than normal, the other cabins on the 3rd deck are double size. She is very well maintained and kept very clean. Our cabin was spotless. The beds are comfortable, but only 3feet which feels very narrow. The duvets are pretty heavy and the pillows are too soft, but overall we slept well. The shower room is a reasonable size although the shower itself is not very big, decent Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries. We had complimentary slippers and dressing gowns, but I later learned that not all the cabins had them, the passengers on the lower decks didn't have them which I thought pretty mean as this was not a cheap cruise. The dining room is open seating with tables for four or six, so you can eat with different people each evening if you want, the food was fine and the service was excellent. There was no drinks package available but we found the drinks prices pretty reasonable, high street prices. There is a coffee machine in the bistro at the stern on the 3 rd deck, with good coffee plus tea and cookies. Breakfast was the usuall juices, cereals, continental cheeses and meats plus cooked sausages bacon etc. The bacon is very crispy which is an American specialty, i like my bacon crispy, but maybe not to everyone's taste. There is a chef making fresh omellettes but these have to be ordered from the wait staff. Lunch was either in the dining room for a buffet lunch, or in the bistro for a light lunch. We usually ate in the bistro, it was enough for us, but the light lunch consisted of soup one cooked mains and some salad, the menu could have been better. A nice touch was the bistro had a set Italian menu in the evening and you could book a table if you wanted a change from the restaurant. The staff were universally excellent, especially Corinn the hotel manager and Christian the restaurant manager, they were everywhere, especially Corinn, she would be serving in the dining room or serving afternoon tea or at the reception desk, she was really excellent. Our couriers Tony and Alex were also excellent, we had Tony on our bus and he was very knowledgeable and interesting. We enjoyed all the excursions especially Monet's garden in Giverny that is really special. We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise and would unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone. Read Less

I chose this cruise because of the before and after days along with the visit to the Normandy beaches. Two days in London before the cruise, then the TGV under the channel to Paris for the cruise, then a stay in Versailles after the cruise. As usual with Tauck, we were pampered from start to finish. Everything was taken care of for us and the price was all inclusive. Although the ship is not new it didn't show the normal wear and tear you would expect. The crew was very attentive and embarkation was a breeze. When we finally sailed from Paris the Captain lowered the wheelhouse and backed the ship up near the Eiffel Tower for a photo op before heading for the coast. Traveling solo, I took advantage of their single supplement waiver and berthed in a lower deck cabin 102. I was all as advertised and more than enough for me. Had my wife been with me it would have taken a little coordination to bathe and dress. The dining was excellent with a nice variety and use of local products and wine selections which were included as well. Service was impeccable no matter where you were on the ship. The entertainment and activities were about what you would expect for a small ship but were highlighted by guest lecturers. The Ports of call were varied and the Shore excursions excellent. We even had private tour times in Monet's garden and the Van Gogh house. I only wish we had more time at the Normandy Beaches. I would definitely recommend this trip and may even take it again myself. Read Less

We just returned from our 3rd Tauck trip and in the past we could never say a bad word about them - this trip sure changed that. The Tauck land portion was up to their usual standards, but unfortunately the Swiss Emerald was certainly not. The staff was very uncaring, and not at all what we expected. Our room wasn't cleaned several times during the cruise and when we complained the response was, in a word, surly. Service in the restaurant was very poor. Once they took your order you didn't see the staff again until the food was served, and then if there was anything you needed (like a 2nd glass of wine) you had to literally get up and go find someone. Also, the menu was very limited with only two choices of entree's most nights, no salads, and the only appetizer was of their choice. There are many other choices on the rivers in Europe but Tauck shouldn't be one of them.   Read Less