Tauck Small Ship Cruising
Parent company: Tauck, Inc. (privately held, family-owned)
PremiumSee how Tauck Small Ship Cruising describes itself vs how we list it
What to say on a call
Best for
- 1One upfront price covers all shore excursions (Tauck-only, about 15 guests per guide), all gratuities, onboard beverages, airport transfers, taxes and port charges, plus land stays at premier hotels; no options are sold.
- 2Sails on chartered partner ships: mostly Ponant yachts (Tauck's largest cruise partner), plus Silversea, Windstar and Galápagos expedition yachts, usually carrying 200 or fewer guests.
- 322 small-ship itineraries in 2027, from the Mediterranean, Baltic and Iceland to Japan, Alaska, the Galápagos and Antarctica.
- 4Tauck's river cruises have their own profile: Tauck River Cruising (tauck-river).
Payments & cancellations
Final payment
Per cruise line120 days before departure
Final payment is due 120 days before departure; charged automatically if the deposit was paid by card unless the guest opted out. Unpaid bookings may be cancelled and cancellation fees apply.
Deposit
Per cruise line$1,500 pp (most); $1,700 pp (Japan and Antarctica)
$1,500 per person for most small-ship cruises; $1,700 per person for Japan and Antarctica cruises. Non-refundable and non-transferable; due by the Deposit Due Date or the space is released.
Tour pages: cancel within 10 days of the initial deposit with no fee.
Cancellation penalties
Per cruise lineSources differ
Tauck's pages differ on when Cruise Protection can be bought: the 2027 Small Ship General Information says at booking, the tour pages say within 10 days of the initial deposit, and the Travel Protection page says 'up until final payment'. They also differ on the tour-interruption fee.2027 Small Ship Cruising General Information (PDF) Baltic 2027 tour page Travel ProtectionSee details below
Without Tauck's Cruise Protection: 120+ days before departure loss of the deposit; 119-60 days 50% of the tour cost (excluding air); 59-1 days 100%. With Cruise Protection ($749 pp US cruises; $799 pp most small-ship cruises; $999 pp Japan and Antarctica): 120+ days loss of the protection fee only; 119-60 days 25% of the cost plus the fee; 59-1 days 50% plus the fee. Protection must be requested at booking (tour pages: within 10 days of the initial deposit). Time of cancellation is when Tauck receives notice.
In extreme circumstances Tauck may issue a future-travel credit instead of a refund.
Onboard extras & packages
Prices are approximate, per person per day unless noted. Always confirm the current price with the cruise line.
- Gratuities (standard rooms)
- Included (Tauck Director, ship and hotel staff, drivers, local guides)Per cruise line
- Gratuities (suites)
- Included (same for every cabin)Per cruise line
- Drink package
- Varies by ship: included aboard Ponant ships (house wines, beer and spirits; most Tauck small-ship sailings); not stated for Silversea, Windstar or Galápagos sailings; Lupus Mare lists only non-alcoholic drinksPer cruise line
Sources differ
Tauck's pages differ on alcohol aboard its small ships. Its Ponant ship pages and the 2026 Japan release say alcoholic drinks are included; the 2027 small-ship release says only 'onboard beverages'; the 2027 Small Ship General Information and Travel Terms list 'alcoholic and bar beverages' as not included; the Lupus Mare yacht lists only water, coffee and soft drinks as complimentary.Le Lapérouse (Tauck ship page) 2027 Small Ship General Information (PDF) Small-ship fleet page - Premium drink package
- Extra cost on Ponant ships: premium wines (no package sold by Tauck)Per cruise line
- Soda package
- Included (onboard beverages)Per cruise line
- Non-alcoholic package
- Included (water, coffee, soft drinks)Per cruise line
- Wi-Fi (basic)
- Included - basic internet where available aboard (service levels not guaranteed)Per cruise line
- Wi-Fi (premium)
- Not yet verified
- Specialty dining package
- Included (all meals aboard; Tauck sells no dining package or other options)Per cruise line
- Specialty dining (avg per meal)
- Included (all onboard dining is in the fare)Per cruise line
- Fitness classes
- Not yet verified
- Spa / thermal pass
- Spa on Ponant ships; no spa pass or price published
- Air program
- Available - Tauck air for travel from the US, Canada and Australia; on-tour flights included when part of the itinerary (e.g. private charters within Ecuador on Galápagos & Peru)Per cruise line
- Other fees & perks
- Included: all taxes, port charges and fees, luggage handling, airport transfers and shore excursions; no options soldPer cruise line
Accessibility & special needs
- How to tell the cruise line
- Tauck can't give special assistance, so guests who need it must travel with an able companion; Tauck may ask for a doctor's certificate that the guest is fit for the trip. Per cruise line
- Wheelchairs & scooters
- Small-ship itineraries can't accommodate wheelchairs or motorized scooters (tenders, narrow hallways, stairs); an able companion is required for any individual help. Per cruise line
- Medical equipment & pregnancy
- Depends on the partner ship; e.g. on Silversea sailings the ship has a medical center and a doctor on call 24 hours. Per cruise line
Not on the line's site (or not confirmed yet): blind / low vision, deaf / hard of hearing, service animals, guests of size. Ask the cruise line's accessibility team.
Never promise an accommodation. Send the request to the line and let them confirm. How to handle these calls → Premium
Upgrade & suite ladder
entryStaterooms (Prestige Staterooms on Ponant Explorers)
Per cruise line204 to 296 sq ft; ocean view, most with private balcony.
midSuites (Deluxe, Grand Deluxe, Prestige, Privilege, Owner's on Ponant Explorers)
Per cruise line296 to 484 sq ft.
Loyalty program
Not yet verified
None found. Nothing on Tauck's pages says a Tauck sailing on a Ponant, Silversea or Windstar ship earns status in that line's own program; don't promise it.
Military & veterans
We couldn't confirm a military rate on this line's official site. Don't promise one. If a guest asks, check with the line.
How military rates work → PremiumAirport transfers
Included: airport transfers on arrival and departure.
Which ports: Varies by itinerary; see each itinerary.
What's offered changes by port and sailing. Check before you quote a price.
Cruise family
Tauck, Inc. (privately held, family-owned)
Loyalty between brands: No loyalty program found for either Tauck product.
No official shared program found. Check with the cruise line before promising anything.
See the whole family →Good to know
Partner ships, Tauck's program
Per cruise lineEvery Tauck small-ship cruise runs on a partner's ship (mostly Ponant, Tauck's largest cruise partner, plus Silversea, Windstar and Galápagos yachts), with Tauck Directors aboard at about 1 per 40 guests and Tauck-only shore excursions averaging 15 guests per guide.
Mostly cultural, some expedition
Per cruise lineTauck splits small-ship cruising into Cultural Journeys (Mediterranean, Adriatic, Iberia, Baltic, Japan, New England/Canada, Great Lakes) and Expeditions (Antarctica, Galápagos, Alaska); most itineraries are cultural.
No wheelchairs or scooters
Per cruise lineBecause of tenders, narrow hallways and stairs, Tauck's small-ship itineraries can't take wheelchairs or motorized scooters; guests who need help must bring an able companion.
Galápagos: 40 Tauck guests max
Per cruise lineTauck's Galápagos cruises carry no more than 40 Tauck guests, with naturalist guides from partner Metropolitan Touring; the family version uses the 90-guest Santa Cruz II.
Dress code follows the partner ship
Per cruise lineDress depends on the ship: 'casual elegance' on Windstar and Ponant sailings, but Silversea's dress code applies after 6 pm, including formal-optional evenings when a jacket is required for gentlemen indoors.
Ages and family sailings
Per cruise lineAt least one guest must be 21+ to book; Tauck recommends children be 8+. Tauck Bridges Galápagos cruises take children from 6, and the Croatia family voyage from 8.
Fleet
- Ships
- No Tauck-owned ships. 15 partner ships are named for 2026-2028 small-ship departures: Ponant (7): Le Boréal, Le Champlain, Le Bellot, Le Lapérouse, Le Bougainville, Le Dumont-d'Urville, Le Soléal; Silversea (3): Silver Moon, Silver Shadow, Silver Origin; Windstar (2): Star Legend, Wind Surf; Metropolitan Touring, Galápagos (2): Isabela II, Santa Cruz II; and the 34-guest Croatian yacht Lupus Mare (Tauck Bridges, 2027).Per cruise line
- Newest ship
- Newest to the Tauck roster: Lupus Mare, a 34-guest Croatian-built yacht chartered for all-Tauck Bridges family sailings from 2027. (Tauck owns no ocean ships; 'newest' means newest partner ship Tauck uses.)Per cruise line
- Ship classes
- Ponant Explorer and Sistership yachts (chartered; 184-guest Le Lapérouse type): Le Champlain, Le Bellot, Le Lapérouse, Le Bougainville, Le Dumont-d'Urville; Le Boréal, Le Soléal, Silversea ships (chartered): Silver Moon, Silver Shadow (388 guests), Silver Origin (Galápagos), Windstar yachts (chartered): Star Legend (312 guests), Wind Surf (342-passenger sailing yacht), Galápagos expedition yachts with Metropolitan Touring: Isabela II, Santa Cruz II (90 guests), Private yacht for Tauck Bridges families: Lupus Mare (34 guests, Croatia)
Where they sail
Last full review: 8 Oct 2026·Last updated: 2 Nov 2026
A full review is when we re-check every fact on this page.
"Last updated" is the most recent check or change to any single fact.
Something wrong or missing?
"Per cruise line" = confirmed on the line's own site.
"Unofficial tip" = from an experienced travel professional; helpful, but not confirmed by the cruise line.