Rare Gourmet Gal Posted June 23, 2017 #1 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Any suggestions on how to use it? I think Tauck is so all-inclusive there may not be anything to use it on. We will be on The Esprit later this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted June 23, 2017 #2 Share Posted June 23, 2017 (edited) We are on the Esprit next year and have an SBC and excursion credit from AMEX Platinum card. We will be using the SBC for the spa and the excursion credit for the submersible. Edited June 23, 2017 by caviargal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gourmet Gal Posted June 23, 2017 Author #3 Share Posted June 23, 2017 We're on Tauck, not Crystal but thanks for your reply anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteTraveler Posted June 23, 2017 #4 Share Posted June 23, 2017 What’s included in the price of a Tauck journey? Just about everything! Virtually every travel expense is included in one up-front price – airport transfers as specified in the itinerary, all hotel and ship accommodations, entertainment, meals as specified in the itinerary, special dinner, land and cruise transportation, sightseeing, shore excursions, luggage handling, most taxes, concierge-style services Tauck Directors, services of local guides and more. All appropriate gratuities for luggage handling, bellmen, doormen, dining room servers, and ship staff are included. Tauck Director and Tauck Cruise Director (if applicable) gratuities are included on all small ship and river cruises and all Tauck Bridges trips. Over 100 cost components are included on every land trip and cruise – which means no hidden costs, no surcharges, no on-tour surprises! I guess spa services are not included and maybe there is a shop onboard where you can buy stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted June 24, 2017 #5 Share Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) We're on Tauck, not Crystal but thanks for your reply anyway. My apologies, as Tauck also resells the Esprit, which is not a Tauck ship. Many Tauck small ship cruises are aboard vessels owned by other companies (Ponant, Windstar). Tauck reserves and resells cabins on the Crystal Esprit, as they do most of their small ship cruise offerings. On their river cruises, they will have a spa and a gift shop and you can use your OBC on either. Edited June 24, 2017 by caviargal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted June 24, 2017 #6 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Tauck charters their river boats through Scylla, a Swiss shipping company, who owns and operates the boats. It’s an interesting arrangement. Tauck staffs with it's own cruise managers while Scylla company, owns and operates the boats. Scylla owns more 20+ ships , so the company has extensive experience with marine, hotel and dining operations on the rivers. Tauck has a long standing reputation as a luxury tour company. It appears to work well for them, unlike the Douro river where most river boats are leased to many lines, and overall experience does not seem to be of the same consistent quality as their vessels elsewhere in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gourmet Gal Posted June 24, 2017 Author #7 Share Posted June 24, 2017 It seems to work well for Tauck no matter the arrangement as they have an outstanding reputation. I liken the arrangement to Four Seasons Hotels which owns very few of their properties yet they also maintain a well deserved excellent reputation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gourmet Gal Posted June 24, 2017 Author #8 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Back to topic, in looking at the Tauck website I see that I can use the credit on laundry as well. I guess that's one of the few things not included in all-inclusive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Got2Cruise Posted June 24, 2017 #9 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Maybe a spa or hairdresser appointment? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gourmet Gal Posted June 24, 2017 Author #10 Share Posted June 24, 2017 The ship has a spa but on river cruises it's hard to carve out the time. I pack so lightly I rarely shop when I travel but perhaps the ship's shop might have something small and appealing. If I don't use all the credit then it's no big deal but at least laundry will be a nice service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitob Posted June 24, 2017 #11 Share Posted June 24, 2017 We are boarding tauck esprit in two days. I asked my ta to give me rebate rather than obc. Other than for laundry obc seemed pretty useless. You might try the same approach Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gourmet Gal Posted June 24, 2017 Author #12 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Would love to hear about your impressions of this ship! Please come back after your cruise and share your thoughts. As for the OBC I will inquire about a rebate instead. I was surprised the OBC was even offered for a Tauck cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitob Posted June 24, 2017 #13 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Will do. Our first river cruise! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted November 27, 2017 #14 Share Posted November 27, 2017 I know this thread is 5 months old, but thought I'd chime in. As to getting any sort of rebate relative to OBC, I don't think they do that. Pretty sure it has to be spent onboard. We had $200 to use, and only managed to use about 2/3 of it. Someone during the course of this thread inquired about using the spa - we did manage to find time to schedule massages (figured a good way to use up some of the OBC) but pretty sure it was during the cruising day. Otherwise the schedule is indeed pretty busy as was already pointed out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted November 29, 2017 #15 Share Posted November 29, 2017 I was on Uniworld recently where pretty much everything is included, and I had $100 in OBC from my travel agency. I bought 2 really nice pairs of handmade earrings from the onboard shop. I had to put a little of my own money towards them because together they were 98 euros. My only other real choice was a spa treatment(s). Roz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted November 30, 2017 #16 Share Posted November 30, 2017 I was on Uniworld recently where pretty much everything is included, and I had $100 in OBC from my travel agency. I bought 2 really nice pairs of handmade earrings from the onboard shop. I had to put a little of my own money towards them because together they were 98 euros. My only other real choice was a spa treatment(s). Roz Yeah....we picked up a bit of jewelry on the Tauck boat, but the real joy was in springing for the 1/2 hour foot massages. LOL Had almost enough money left to have done it again, but simply ran out of time. It was a pretty busy itinerary...typical of any Tauck trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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