Tauck versus Viking in August or September

Wife and I are looking to take our 1st River Cruise. Curious as to which most would prefer. Understand Tauck is more expensive but is it worth the expense. Looking to do the Danube in August or September. Recommendations? Thanks!

Viking is a much larger river cruise company, with more ships so it wouldn't be a surprise that more Cc'ers have sailed with Viking and may recommend. A much smaller subset will have sailed both lines and can offer a well informed opinion. I have a Tauck cruise coming up and all I can say is that it looks fabulous! One usually gets what one pays for.

I also have a Tauck Danube cruise coming up this Spring..Prague to Budapest. Looking forward to experiencing Tauck for the 1st time. As the previous poster stated "you get what you pay for". I hope it exceeds our expectations.

Thanks! We have friends that took a Tauck River Cruise and swear it was the best ever! Hopefully some more CCers will add in their comments. I also believe you get what you pay for.

Only you can decide "if it's worth it". Viking offers a very good product with about 2/3 of their cruisers now repeat customers. It is certainly not a bargain basement cruise. Tauck on the other hand has inclusions that Viking does not. So only you can decide if those inclusions are worth the price differential. Don't think either is a wrong choice.

Wife and I are looking to take our 1st River Cruise. Curious as to which most would prefer. Understand Tauck is more expensive but is it worth the expense. Looking to do the Danube in August or September. Recommendations? Thanks!

There are stickies on this site that offer comparisons of the various cruise lines, very informative.

All the lines are good, each one seems to have it's own niche of fans/repeat cruisers.

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Also look at the size of the ship, number of passengers and crew to passengers ratio. One Viking ship is 135m long with 190 passengers. The Scenic ship I am on is 135m with 168 passengers. IMO make a chart of what is included with the basic fare what is excluded and then decide what is important to you. Ex no tipping on Tauck versus tipping drivers, guides, crew and cruise director on Viking. All the unincluded items can add up so that the more expensive looking cruise becomes more cost competitive.

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Thanks again! Working on spreadsheet now. Also, for an Aug/Sept 2018 Danube cruise when does everyone recommend making reservations by?

I wonder how Crystal's new river ship, Mozart (there are 2 more being launched this year) compares to Tauck? Has anyone sailed on both? We are booked on the Mozart in April and being devoted fans of Crystal's ocean ships I'm expecting great things and by all accounts from the few reviews out there we won't be disappointed. But it would be interesting to know how Tauck compares.

I wonder how Crystal's new river ship, Mozart (there are 2 more being launched this year) compares to Tauck? Has anyone sailed on both? We are booked on the Mozart in April and being devoted fans of Crystal's ocean ships I'm expecting great things and by all accounts from the few reviews out there we won't be disappointed. But it would be interesting to know how Tauck compares.

Crystal Mozart is sui generis. It is twice as wide as other river ships, which allows a much different interior layout but restricts the ship to one itinerary. The other Crystal river ships are new builds to Crystal's specification, but will hew to the normal size limitation of 135m length and 11.5m width.

Our first river cruise was with Tauck last September from Prague to Budapest and it was outstanding. Our selection of Tauck was based on several factors. It was truly all inclusive; all meals were provided during the cruise portion of the trip, even a generous cash allowance on the one day we selected our own restaurant in port for lunch; all tips were included in our fare; all drinks were complimentary throughout the cruise; all tours were included; even bathroom fees were paid by Tauck on tours. Our boat was beautiful and while it was the standard European riverboat size, it held only 130 passengers, compared to much higher numbers with other companies. Likewise, we had 3 tour directors and a cruise director, who coordinated our activities and accompanied the local guides on our tours. Most important to me, though, were the special activities on this itinerary that no other company offered. We had special dinners on 3 occasions,including two private palace dinners that provided lovely meals, a special musical performance, and an after-hours tour of the art in one of the buildings. Tauck's vibe is elegant but unpretentious and always comfortable. We have traveled with them several times and have always been pleased, with many wow experiences. For this Danube itinerary, especially, the additional cost to travel with Tauck was worth it for us.

Whatever trip you select, I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

ConnMom, How was September for the time frame? We're looking at Aug/Sept and not sure which would be better. Did you book air via Tauck or on your own? We've done a lot of Ocean cruising and this River cruise would be a first for us. Looking for a relaxing time.

ConnMom, How was September for the time frame? We're looking at Aug/Sept and not sure which would be better. Did you book air via Tauck or on your own? We've done a lot of Ocean cruising and this River cruise would be a first for us. Looking for a relaxing time.

I just note that river cruises aren't really relaxing. You can be quite busy during the days.

I would highly recommend late September all the way through October if you want to encounter slightly fewer crowds and to enjoy milder weather. Others can comment on river levels which could be an issue.

Low water seems to first hit the area of the Danube near Passau. Our ship could not go all the way to Nuremberg the first week in Sept. Also it was in the upper 80's temperature wise. If traveling in August or Sept, choose a ship with a shallow draft.

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Low water seems to first hit the area of the Danube near Passau. Our ship could not go all the way to Nuremberg the first week in Sept. Also it was in the upper 80's temperature wise. If traveling in August or Sept, choose a ship with a shallow draft.

 

 

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If low water levels/the ship's draft may become an issue I'd consider Ama. Their ships have shallower drafts than the ships of other lines.

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I've not sailed Tauck or Viking, but wanted to offer advice in general. I prefer Europe in the fall when the students are back in school and crowds in general are lighter. Also the weather is more conducive to touring (cooler), in my opinion.

As far as airfare, if the cruise involves different embarkation and debarkation ports, I've found better airfares thru the cruise lines. For example, on my Budapest to Passau cruise on Uniworld, I priced airfare at $1,300 but the cruise line got it for me at $851. Quelle difference! Of course, I live in Nashville and those in larger cities such as NYC, LA, Boston, etc. may have more flexibility in finding suitable flights.

Roz

While I generally agree with the comment that there are more children on cruises during the summer, I don't think that is true for river cruises. We cruised the Danube last July and there were no children on board nor did we see many on other ships. This probably is due to the small size of the river ships and that they do not have children facilities or programs. On the other hand, we saw many children on the land tours, probably with their parents on car trips.

When we take land trips to Europe we do prefer the fall for comfortable weather & when the children are back in school and cities are less (but not empty) crowded.

I would also look at AMA - they do an excellent job and their ships don't seem to have problems with water levels like the Viking ones do. I personally think Viking is over rated but that is my opinion. They do seem to have a lot of problems with the water levels. My family and I did a Tauck Bridges family tour on one of their river cruises last year and although we had a good time, I honestly prefer AMA. Having said that, we have booked another Tauck river cruise for next year but that is because it starts in Berlin and ends in Krakow, which is an itinerary I think we will really enjoy.

Go with Tauck over Viking or look at an AMA cruise - you won't be sorry.l

I didn't mean to imply that the students (children and young adults) would be on the cruise. Summer is a popular time for students and families to be touring in general. Fewer crowds at popular tourist spots during the fall and winter.

Roz

Just a plug for our Tauck vs. Viking story. Done both within the past eight months; they are pretty different in what they include and offer: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2586

Great article. I don't understand why the OP narrowed it down to these two brands. There are several in between

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Turk 1, our Tauck cruise started at the end of Sept., ending the second week of October. It was generally cool, but never cold. Unfortunately, we had a fair amount of rain, so after embarkation day, which was sunny and warm, people did not use the outdoor decks. The weather never bothered us; only 1 afternoon required rain gear. I think we had more rain than is usual for the period in which we traveled.

Regarding air, we originally reserved through Tauck, which had a decent price; however, in June, we found a price that was significantly less expensive, so we cancelled the Tauck air reservation. Until Tauck actually books the tickets, shortly after final payment, they allow you to cancel without any financial penalty.

We loved last year's Danube cruise so much that we are currently in the process of booking a Paris-Normandy cruise for this September. We are trying Ama this time; Tauck is fully booked and we have heard great things about Ama. I can't wait and am gathering as much info on Cruisecritic as I can. This website is great!

We loved last year's Danube cruise [on Tauck] so much that we are currently in the process of booking a Paris-Normandy cruise for this September. We are trying Ama this time; Tauck is fully booked and we have heard great things about Ama. I can't wait and am gathering as much info on Cruisecritic as I can. This website is great!

Your comparison review is awaited with baited breath! Because Tauck is so small we don't get many reviews, and the direct comparison to AMA will be very valuable.

Tauck...without a doubt! We sailed on Tauck several times and loved them all. What is, for me, most important is how you are treated when things are not going well (low water levels, etc.). We experienced this issue on Budapest to Amsterdam trip and Tauck handling was superb! They made the necessary adjustments and we had the trip we expected to have...not a bus trip as some others.