Tauck - worth the price?

[moomax6]

We are considering our first river cruise to celebrate our anniversary in 2015. Tauck has been recommended to us and I am wondering if spending the extra money is really worth it. We want to do Paris to Normandy. Any suggestion on the add on days - worth the price or do on own?

Have taken many ocean cruises on Cunard and Oceania so this will be something new. Thank you.

[Stratheden]

Tauck would be one of the top choices in my opinion. They are all inclusive and have an excellent reputation.

 

We are doing a similar itinerary in October and are spending some extra days in Paris as we have not been there before. I know it will not be enough days but we hope to go back next year for a longer stay.

[Got2Cruise]

We are considering our first river cruise to celebrate our anniversary in 2015. Tauck has been recommended to us and I am wondering if spending the extra money is really worth it. We want to do Paris to Normandy. Any suggestion on the add on days - worth the price or do on own?

Have taken many ocean cruises on Cunard and Oceania so this will be something new. Thank you.

Everything is subjective. But if you are used to a certain level of service you might not be happy with a more moderate priced line. It is the same like hotels, some of us need to stay at five star hotels to be happy, while others of us are just as happy staying at a Holiday Inn next door.

[nana541]

Everything is subjective. But if you are used to a certain level of service you might not be happy with a more moderate priced line. It is the same like hotels, some of us need to stay at five star hotels to be happy, while others of us are just as happy staying at a Holiday Inn next door.

 

 

Please don't take this wrong .... But are you saying Tauck is a "moderately priced" line????

Tauck is considered (IMHO and many others in this board) the highest rated River cruise on the many rivers of Europe....

Very confused by your comment.

 

 

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[alexandra cruiser]

for similar cruise type as Oceania..

Scenic...AMA...or Tauck.

Only thing re.Tauck which prevents me from booking is lack of balcony,only have French.

Taking Scenic in June for first time(after 10 other river cruises with major lines).Like the all inclusive features,full balcony, tub,room service,tips for on and offshore too,shore exc....literally everything.

But also loved the AMA new ships with both full balcony and French,good food,et.But not as all inclusive.

So do a comparison.Look at videos,website,reviews,brochures and find out which is best for YOU.

Loved the France cruise,did Paris on own prior for 2 days.BUt had been there a few times before.

Remember, everyone seems to have their own favorites.I try to remain open to new experiences and like to TRY other ones too.You never know when the NEXT one will be your new favorite.;)

[seabreezer]

According to CC river Cruise Guide Tauck would be on par with Crystal if you were to compare it with a sea-going cruise line and it could be compared to a Ritz Carlton hotel. Have never sailed Tauck but may be interested in some point. Would those who have sailed Tauck agree with the "official" CC assessment?

Edited April 27, 2014 by seabreezer

[cruiserfromalabama]

We too were shopping for River Cruises for this August and comparing prices! It ended up that we were thinking about Uniworld and Tauck. We decided on Tauck due to the included days in Paris and all the excursions hitting the mark with what we want to see. We liked the aspect that it was all inclusive(I know that Uniworld is too)and it seems that Tauck goes the extra mile to make their cruises luxury. I don't know if this is true, but according to the reviews I have seen, it is true to most people! Hope to have a wonderful experience and a wonderful trip!

[Got2Cruise]

No, sorry. I meant that if you are used to luxury which is what Tauck is you might not be happy cruising Viking or Avalon. The ports are the same and many of the excursions but the extras that are important to some folks and some folks might think that it is worth paying almost double per couple, might have other folks thinking, no, it is not necessary for me to have an enjoyable vacation. I say this because it is not about how much money you can afford, it is what you find important to you.

 

Please don't take this wrong .... But are you saying Tauck is a "moderately priced" line????

Tauck is considered (IMHO and many others in this board) the highest rated River cruise on the many rivers of Europe....

Very confused by your comment.

 

 

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[jojocmcla]

Our first river cruise in 2009, we cruised Brugge to Amsterdam on Tauck Swiss Emerald. Although that area is flat and more industrialized, so that the river scenery was not as spectacular as the Rhine or the Danube, Tauck was wonderful with all the little 'extras.' We thoroughly enjoyed cruising with them.

That said, we leave tomorrow for Prague. We'll embark in Nuremberg with AMA Waterways, which from advice of a dear friend travel agent and what I've read on CC, sounds like the ship and guest treatment will be just as wonderful as our cruise with Tauck.

[caviargal]

We have not cruised with Tauck but they have a great reputation and we have seen their boats while traveling and they certainly are lovely.

 

We do not need - nor do we wish to pay for - all of the inclusions offered by Tauck. We are DIY travelers.

 

We have cruised with Avalon and AMA. We found the attention to detail and overall quality of our three AMA cruises to be a great fit for our travel style and tastes.

 

For ocean cruises, we are Oceania and Regent fans. For hotels, we enjoy boutique hotels (Sofitel and similar). AMA fits well into that niche and we are very happy with the overall quality and experience they offer.

[Ozjohnno]

Most on this board won't admit it but everyone is biased when it comes to their favourite line and I'm no exception. I've come to learn that it depends on where you live when comparing prices because in Australia, for different itineraries, Tauck is actually cheaper than either Scenic or APT/AMA.

 

We're off on a back to back Tauck holiday starting in early August that finishes with a cruise down the Rhone. We sailed with Tauck in 2011 and as I wrote in my review that year I couldn't imagine a better river cruise company than Tauck. I like the fact that Tauck is truly all-inclusive. I also realise that others like AMA, Scenic and Uniworld are also advertised as all-inclusive but I've yet to experience their definition of that. I guess as an Australian I get the best of boat worlds. America's most expensive and best river cruise company at prices better than their Australian competitors. Life can sometimes be sweet.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Most on this board won't admit it but everyone is biased when it comes to their favourite line and I'm no exception. I've come to learn that it depends on where you live when comparing prices because in Australia, for different itineraries, Tauck is actually cheaper than either Scenic or APT/AMA.

 

We're off on a back to back Tauck holiday starting in early August that finishes with a cruise down the Rhone. We sailed with Tauck in 2011 and as I wrote in my review that year I couldn't imagine a better river cruise company than Tauck. I like the fact that Tauck is truly all-inclusive. I also realise that others like AMA, Scenic and Uniworld are also advertised as all-inclusive but I've yet to experience their definition of that. I guess as an Australian I get the best of boat worlds. America's most expensive and best river cruise company at prices better than their Australian competitors. Life can sometimes be sweet.

 

Don't rub in it. ;) I'm thinking about trying Tauck even though as an American it would be the most expensive line for me -- it sounds that good.

[hoopman]

Don't rub in it. ;) I'm thinking about trying Tauck even though as an American it would be the most expensive line for me -- it sounds that good.

 

We are going on our first river cruise with Tauck in July. Two days in Monte Carlo then 8 days on the river and Two days in Paris. We're adding on another three days in Paris. We like the all-inclusive feature and we like to be spolied when on vacation.

[Ozjohnno]

We are going on our first river cruise with Tauck in July. Two days in Monte Carlo then 8 days on the river and Two days in Paris. We're adding on another three days in Paris. We like the all-inclusive feature and we like to be spolied when on vacation.

 

We're doing the reverse itinerary, starting in Paris, in late August. We've sailed with Tauck before and you will certainly get spoiled.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

This seems to be a rhetorical question. How could anyone possibly give an answer to it? People have different financial situations. And people place different values on things like river cruises. You can have a multi millionaire that doesn't feel the extra cost of Tauck is a good value and you can have an average middle class family that likes to splurge every few years. Each of us must decide for ourselves what type of experience we want and what we are willing to pay for it.

[gregdude]

We have not done a river cruise before, but have done many ocean cruises and land tours. Our land experiences with Tauck have been very positive and so we have booked a Rhine cruise with them. For us the "all inculive" concept is fantastic. You know what you are paying up front, no add on excursions or upgraded drinks to think about. They also, based on our land tours, provide an excellent product in every respect. I do agree that budget must be a consideration, but for us peace of mind is worth the extra price.

[CEV426]

For what it's worth, I just had a conversation with a fellow Viking passenger. She had previously sailed with Tauck and Viking (this was her 2nd Viking cruise) and she preferred Viking.

She indicated while that Tauck excels at land tours, she thought she had a better overall cruise experience with Viking. Tauck does not own their ships.

[Ozjohnno]

For what it's worth, I just had a conversation with a fellow Viking passenger. She had previously sailed with Tauck and Viking (this was her 2nd Viking cruise) and she preferred Viking.

She indicated while that Tauck excels at land tours, she thought she had a better overall cruise experience with Viking. Tauck does not own their ships.

 

As I replied to you on another thread - I'm sorry but that is not correct. Anyone who genuinely believes that the Viking river cruise product is better than Taucks is not telling the whole story.

[CEV426]

As I replied to you on another thread - I'm sorry but that is not correct. Anyone who genuinely believes that the Viking river cruise product is better than Taucks is not telling the whole story.

 

Sorry, I didn't see the other post.

I didn't say that Viking was a better product, I said that one person preferred Viking to Tauck's river cruise experience.

 

I was personally skeptical about Viking thinking that it was the Carnival of river cruising. I was assured by TA that it was not. We chose Viking b/c, they have so many sailing dates that it made it more convenient for our tight schedule.

[English Voyager]

Not long now until my Tauck Cruise on the 15 May from Bucharest to Amsterdam.

 

This will be my first river cruise, and my choice of Tauck was influenced by their reputation for holidays here in the UK, and the fact that it truly was all inclusive.

 

Tauck's river cruise programme may be a minnow compared to that of Viking, but it being small should, in theory, enable the Company to exercise greater control over quality

of the product/experience.

[notamermaid]

Hello English Voyager,

 

this sounds a great itinerary. I would not want to compare the cruise companies as I have not been with any of them that cater for the English-speaking world.

 

I do find Tauck's itinerary for the 8-day-cruise Basel-Amsterdam more appealing than Viking's. My perspective is a little biased, of course, as I live on the Rhine.

 

If you have never been to the Rhine area and are open to everything, there is not much between them.

 

One thing that definitely appeals to me is the fact that Tauck - from what I have read - sails the stretch downstream form Koblenz during daylight (in Spring and Summer). That way a WWII-history buff can see the sites of the Urmitz bridge and the Remagen bridge in daylight. A minor thing, but might make all the difference for that fan. Worth asking Tauck or one's TA about, just to confirm.

 

Viking definitely always sails that stretch during the night.

 

notamermaid

 

A mild, sunny day in the Middle Rhine valley today. No rain, windy.