Tauck River Cruising
Parent company: Tauck, Inc. (privately held, family-owned)
PremiumSee how Tauck River Cruising describes itself vs how we list it
What to say on a call
Best for
- 1One upfront price covers privately guided shore excursions, all meals aboard, unlimited wine, beer and premium spirits aboard ship, Wi-Fi, all gratuities, airport transfers, port charges and taxes; Tauck sells no options.
- 210 riverboats sailing exclusively for Tauck on the Danube, Rhine, Main, Moselle, Rhône, Seine, Douro and the Belgian and Dutch waterways, carrying 84 to 130 guests; ms Reverie and ms Saudade arrive in 2027 and ms Harmonie in 2028.
- 3Every riverboat has 300 sq ft Tauck Suites (22 on each 135 m boat), and Tauck says 75% of cabins are 225 sq ft or larger.
- 4Tauck's small-ship ocean cruises (chartered Ponant, Silversea and Windstar ships) have their own profile: Tauck Small Ship Cruising (tauck-ocean).
Payments & cancellations
Final payment
Per cruise line120 days before departure
Final payment is due 120 days before departure. If the deposit was paid by credit card, final payment is charged automatically unless the guest opted out at booking; unpaid bookings may be cancelled and cancellation fees apply.
Deposit
Per cruise line$900 pp (European river cruises)
$900 per person for European river cruises, non-refundable and non-transferable, due by the Deposit Due Date or the space is released.
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 tour pages say within 10 days of the initial deposit, the 2027 River Cruising General Information says at time of booking, and the Travel Protection page says 'up until final payment'. They also differ on the tour-interruption fee ($100 per missed overnight in the General Information, $40 per day on the tour pages).2027 River Cruising General Information (PDF) Seine 2027 tour page Travel ProtectionSee details below
Free within 10 days of the initial deposit. After that, by days before departure. Without Tauck's Cruise Protection: 120+ days loss of the deposit ($900 pp); 119-60 days 50% of the cruise cost (excluding air); 59-1 days 100%. With Cruise Protection ($799 pp for European river cruises; $699 pp on Tauck Bridges family river cruises): 120+ days loss of the protection fee only; 119-60 days 25% of the cruise cost plus the fee; 59-1 days 50% plus the fee. Protection is optional, must be bought at booking (tour pages: within 10 days of the initial deposit) and is refunded money-back to the original form of payment. Time of cancellation is when Tauck receives notice.
In extreme circumstances Tauck may issue a future-travel credit instead of a refund.
What's included on board
Prices are approximate, per person per day unless noted. Always confirm the current price with the cruise line.
- Guests per ship
- 84 to 130 guests (Douro boats 84; 110 m boats 98; ms Serene 124; 135 m boats 130)Per cruise line
- Gratuities
- Included - all gratuities (Tauck Directors, local guides, ship crew and wait staff)Per cruise line
- Beer & wine
- Included - unlimited regional wine and beer aboard ship, all dayPer cruise line
Sources differ
Tauck's legal documents disagree with its river pages. The Travel Terms & Conditions and the 2027 River Cruising General Information list 'alcoholic and bar beverages' among personal expenses not included; the river inclusions page, FAQ, ship pages and tour pages say wine, beer and premium spirits are included aboard the riverboats.Travel Terms & Conditions 2027 River Cruising General Information (PDF) Distinctively Inclusive - Premium drinks
- Included - premium spirits aboard ship; no drink packages soldPer cruise line
Sources differ
Tauck's legal documents disagree with its river pages. The Travel Terms & Conditions and the 2027 River Cruising General Information list 'alcoholic and bar beverages' among personal expenses not included; the river inclusions page, FAQ, ship pages and tour pages say wine, beer and premium spirits are included aboard the riverboats.Travel Terms & Conditions 2027 River Cruising General Information (PDF) Distinctively Inclusive - Wi-Fi
- Included - complimentary, unlimited Wi-Fi 24/7 (service levels may vary)Per cruise line
- Dining
- Included - all meals and snacks aboard, in two venues (The Compass Rose main dining room and casual Arthur's), plus Tauck-arranged dining ashorePer cruise line
- Premium dining
- Included (no extra-charge restaurants; the alternate casual venue Arthur's is complimentary)Per cruise line
- Included tours
- Included - a choice of privately guided small-group shore excursions in every port, plus Tauck-exclusive events (e.g. palace and château evenings)Per cruise line
- Extra tours
- Not offered - Tauck sells no optional tours or other optionsPer cruise line
- Transfers
- Included - all on-tour airport transfers (whether or not air is booked through Tauck), plus select train-station transfersPer cruise line
- Air program
- Available - Tauck air services for travel from the US, Canada and Australia (not included in the cruise price; on-tour flights are included when part of the itinerary)Per cruise line
- Pre/post land tours
- Hotel stays built into many itineraries (e.g. two nights each in Prague and Budapest on The Blue Danube); extra pre/post nights bookable through Tauck at added costPer cruise line
Accessibility & special needs
- How to tell the cruise line
- Tell Tauck as soon as possible about any medical condition that may limit participation (after checking with a physician); Tauck passes it to the Tauck Director. Per cruise line
- Wheelchairs & scooters
- River itineraries cannot accommodate wheelchairs or motorized scooters, and Tauck gives no individual assistance, so guests needing help must bring an able companion. Elevators never reach the Sun Deck: on Esprit, Treasures, Emerald and Sapphire they run only between Ruby and Diamond decks; on Grace, Joy, Savor, Inspire, Lumière, Serene and Andorinha between Emerald and Diamond decks. No chair lifts. Per cruise line
- Service animals
- Not accommodated on any river cruise Per cruise line
- Medical equipment & pregnancy
- No doctor on the riverboats (the boat docks for an ambulance in an emergency); no medications sold aboard. Travel Protection includes a 24-hour emergency assistance line (Carefree Travel Assistance). Per cruise line
Not on the line's site (or not confirmed yet): blind / low vision, deaf / hard of hearing, 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
entryCategory 1 and other smaller river-view cabins (about 150-183 sq ft)
Per cruise lineSmallest cabins about 150 sq ft (e.g. ms Esprit: eight 150 sq ft cabins, plus 182-183 sq ft cabins). Category 1 has no single supplement for solo travelers.
mid225 sq ft cabins
Per cruise line225 sq ft; Tauck says 75% of its cabins are 225 sq ft or larger (80% on ms Lumière).
luxuryTauck Suites (300 sq ft)
Per cruise line300 sq ft with separate seating area, walk-in closet, large bathroom with separate shower and two French balconies; 22 per 135 m boat, 14 per 110 m boat. On the 135 m boats (Category 7) they add American breakfast room service and a shipboard credit.
Loyalty program
Not yet verified
None found. Tauck publishes no loyalty program for its river or small-ship cruises.
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: all on-tour airport transfers on arrival and departure, whether or not air is booked through Tauck, plus select train-station transfers.
Which ports: Tauck river cruises usually start or end with hotel nights in the gateway city (e.g. Prague, Paris, Porto); transfer details are in each itinerary and the final documents.
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
A tour operator's cruise, fully guided
Per cruise lineTauck is a guided-travel company, not a ship operator: Tauck Directors (up to 4 per river cruise) travel with the group on board and ashore, and the price covers excursions, gratuities, drinks aboard and transfers with no options sold.
Solo travelers: no single supplement in Category 1
Per cruise lineOn every European river cruise departure the Category 1 single price equals the per-person double price; some other cabins carry $1,000 per-cabin solo savings on select departures.
No wheelchairs or scooters; bring an able companion
Per cruise lineTauck's river itineraries can't take wheelchairs or motorized scooters, and Tauck Directors can't give one guest ongoing help, so guests who need assistance must travel with a companion who can provide it. Some boats have no lift to every deck.
No doctor or service animals on the riverboats
Per cruise lineRiverboats carry no doctor (the boat docks for an ambulance in an emergency), sell no medications, and can't accommodate service animals on any river cruise.
Ages and family departures
Per cruise lineAt least one guest must be 21+ to book; Tauck recommends children be 8+ on regular departures. Tauck Bridges family river cruises take children from age 4.
Resort-casual evenings, one or two dressier dinners
Per cruise lineEvenings aboard are resort casual (no shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops or sneakers at dinner); each cruise has one or two special-occasion dinners where a sport coat and tie or a dress/pantsuit is suggested.
Fleet
- Ships
- 10 riverboats in service in Tauck's European 'Destination Fleet' (Oct 2026): ms Joy, ms Savor, ms Inspire, ms Grace and ms Lumière (135 m, 130 guests); ms Serene (125 m, 124 guests); ms Treasures, ms Esprit and ms Sapphire (110 m, 98 guests); ms Andorinha (80 m, 84 guests, Douro). 3 more due 2027-2028.Per cruise line
- Newest ship
- ms Lumière (135 m, 130 guests, Rhône; christened in Lyon on March 27, 2026) and her smaller sister ms Serene (125 m, 124 guests, Seine), both new in 2026.Per cruise line
- Ship classes
- 135 m riverboats, 130 guests (ms Joy, ms Savor, ms Inspire, ms Grace, ms Lumière; ms Harmonie from 2028), 125 m riverboats, 124 guests (ms Serene; ms Reverie from 2027), 110 m riverboats, 98 guests (ms Treasures, ms Esprit, ms Sapphire), 80 m Douro riverboats, 84 guests (ms Andorinha; ms Saudade from 2027)
Coming soon
All new ships- ms Reverie2027 · Seine Now sellingPer cruise line Preview
- ms Saudade2027 · Douro Now sellingPer cruise line Preview
- ms Harmonie2028 · Rhône Not yet on salePer cruise line Preview
Where they sail
Last full review: 8 Oct 2026·Last updated: 8 Oct 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.