What is the"Crystal" of the river cruise world? The "Oceania" ? the "Celebrity" the

[nyfeds]

Hi Mimie and welcome home! Seems like yesterday I was sending you bon voyage wishes.

 

So very pleased to hear that your Tauck river cruise was all you hoped for and so much more. Comes as no surprise, as Tauck is a class act. Repeat guests speaks volumes for Tauck or any top quality company in the travel and hospitality industry. We'll be taking a land tour with Tauck through New Zealand in November and can hardly wait to return to Tauck touring, having toured with them several years ago. We devoted much travel time to ocean cruising and river cruising. Ready now to get back on land, specifically as we feel land touring is more comprehensive when visiting New Zealand.

 

A Tauck river cruise to Egypt is high on our list, as well.

 

Eager to hear further details when you get settled in. Take care. Our best to you both!

[rogerdawhip]

Concerning the comment about Vantage only selling to U.S.citizens. Both Vantage and GCT will sell to anyone but they only accept US dollars, only have gateway cities for their air in the US, and only speak English on the ships. I have traveled with passengers from both South Africa and New Zealand on GCT.

 

Vantage and GCT not using TAs is one of the big selling points for me. They can keep the price down this way be eliminating the middleman. Many posters on CC will book cruises only with TAs so the usually go with AMA, Avalon, Viking or Uniworld. Everyone has their own opinions on TA vs no TA.

[Ozjohnno]

Just returned from a Tauck rivercruise - Belgium to Amsterdam. It was 1st class. All inclusive, great personalized service, wonderful food, etc. We were 1st timers on a Tauck tour (the majority were Tauck loyalist & very friendly- which says a lot). We would definitely tour with them again. Many of the guests also cruise on Regent or Crystal for ocean cruises. Tauck leases the boats and the rooms are smaller than AMA - but we didnt really spend a lot of time in the room. Also, no "selling" of optional tours. They included some nice touches including lunch at a Chateau (not just dining on the ship); and flexibility - (they changed the Captain's farewell dinner to an earlier date, due to the number of guests who had early morning flights on departure).

 

Previous river experience was on AMA (Budapest to Prague). New ships, good itinerary, food - was hit and miss. Not on same level as Tauck.

 

Hope to write a more comprehensive review of our Springtime in Holland trip. Highly recommend Tauck as an option. Hope to book an Egypt or China trip with them in the future.

 

Nice to read such a positive report. As we're considering Tauck for our river cruise next year could you please tell me if there were any Australians on your cruise or was the tour group all from Nth America?

[mimie]

Ozjohnno,

This particular trip was N. Americans. Hope that doesn't deter you :). Check Tauck out - I am sure you will not be disappointed.

 

Nyfeds,

Thanks for the welcome back - it was a great trip. You must be excited about your Tauck adventure to New Zealand. Spoke to others on our trip who had gone to Australia & New Zealand with Tauck and they loved it.

 

Sheila,

13 Tauck trips - wow! Your upcoming trip sounds fantastic! Hope you have a fabulous time. Glad to hear that the Egypt/Jordan trip was great. It is definitely on our list, along with China, S. America, Africa, Australia/N. Zealand, etc. Guess I will have to go back to work on Monday to make it happen....:rolleyes:

[newlondon]

Ozjohnno, We did Tauck from AMS-BUD in August of 2009. I reviewed a while ago. Your question about Aussies is a good one. Our cruise was only about 50% full--62 out of 118--but there were 4 couples from Australia. In addition we had 6 South Africans as well as couples from South America and the UK. It was a very diverse group.

I can't recommend Tauck highly enough, both for the cruise and the passenger consist.

[nyfeds]

Ozjohnno, We did Tauck from AMS-BUD in August of 2009. I reviewed a while ago. Your question about Aussies is a good one. Our cruise was only about 50% full--62 out of 118--but there were 4 couples from Australia. In addition we had 6 South Africans as well as couples from South America and the UK. It was a very diverse group.

I can't recommend Tauck highly enough, both for the cruise and the passenger consist.

 

Cruise/tour diversity really makes a journey for us. When we cruised with AMA, the ship was about 85% American, 15% Canadian. We really enjoyed the company of the Canadians. However, we would have really welcomed a more diverse mix of passengers. AMA clearly caters to the American market and palates. Dining experiences were fair, at best. The Amacello "chef" was Austrian and could barely prepare a decent Weinerschnitzel. Americanized cuisine in Europe is a deal breaker for us.

 

Mimie, did you find Tauck's cuisine more to your liking? We both felt the same about the dining inconsisentcies on AMA. How many people were on your cruise? I'd like your assessment of the touring and quality of the guides, please.

[MVPinBoynton]

Our AMA trip was quite diverse with many from Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Unlike nyfeds experience, we and the people we met on the cruise thoroughly enjoyed the AMA food. But with food, everyone has different tastes.

[shoshona2]

Hi to Mimie,

 

My DH is 77 and I'm 72 and we are still working so we can fulfill our "bucket list"! He only has the Taj in India left to make his list of all the modern "Wonders of the World" and Antartica to make it all the continents of the World!!!

 

Happy traveling!!!

 

Sheila

[GrannyLala]

And we just came off of Uniworld. And we gave it very high marks. Taulk is very good but you have to take the land sea package. No river boat will compare with Seabourn Crystal or Regent. But Uniworld n my opinion had the best service over an above AMA./ Don't even consider Viking. The people I found on the river cruies very educated and the age group on the whole 60 and over. Very few under 60. River cruising is at a very slow pace.

DH & I took a Viking River Cruise in 2008 (Vienna - Amsterdam) 15 days, and loved every minute of it. We are both in our mid to upper 40's, and there were several couples close to our age (there were also 3 teenage boys) on the boat with us. We have already booked our 2nd for 2011, Treasures of the Rhine. To say not to even consider Viking is very close-minded. The slow pace of the river cruise is what I look forward to the most, most relaxing vacation I have ever had!

 

Melk Abbey is the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my life!

 

Most of the River Cruise lines are offering wine packages with meals if you book early, we got one with our 2011 RC, as well as special airfare if we decide to use it. Pre & Post packages are great, but research on your own to get a better deal.

[Margate Cruiser]

It's the biggest fleet on the water. Nothing wrong with that. We were on there newest boat last Nov. The Legend. You would think they would have an elevator and a lift to the roof deck like other boats, The public bathroom is not on the same deck as the dinning room. Very poor planing. Ship had about 185 passengers with just 44 in crew. All worked the A off. I really feel sorry for the staff. Then there is the tipping all ships have a ship pool for tipping. But when they said the Captain shares the tips. That got me a little upset. This man makes good money, The Little people should get the lion share. The positive thing was we met some wonderful people from all over and are still in contact. The ship was clean but the dinner meal was poor. They tried to sell us a drink package. Don't go for it. It was like 400.00 a person for two weeks. The best part it was a real bargain. If you are shopping price Viking is your boat. Last month we were on Uniworld. We think they are one of the best. They had 5 bikes all new. They had a masseuse on board. Oh the WIFI on uniworld worked great. 15 euros for the week But if you use there machines (2) they are free. Ifyou are looking for the best that has a great land package included you must go on Tauk. My wife and I travel only on boats for our vactions. We do 3-4 a years. As for ocean boats we love Seabourn and Crystal. We will stay with Uniworld. No we are not travel agents we just like cruising.

[Margate Cruiser]

Was about the Viking Legend.

[nordski]

It's the biggest fleet on the water. Nothing wrong with that. We were on there newest boat last Nov. The Legend. You would think they would have an elevator and a lift to the roof deck like other boats, The public bathroom is not on the same deck as the dinning room. Very poor planing. Ship had about 185 passengers with just 44 in crew. All worked the A off. I really feel sorry for the staff. Then there is the tipping all ships have a ship pool for tipping. But when they said the Captain shares the tips. That got me a little upset. This man makes good money, The Little people should get the lion share. The positive thing was we met some wonderful people from all over and are still in contact. The ship was clean but the dinner meal was poor. They tried to sell us a drink package. Don't go for it. It was like 400.00 a person for two weeks. The best part it was a real bargain. If you are shopping price Viking is your boat. Last month we were on Uniworld. We think they are one of the best. They had 5 bikes all new. They had a masseuse on board. Oh the WIFI on uniworld worked great. 15 euros for the week But if you use there machines (2) they are free. Ifyou are looking for the best that has a great land package included you must go on Tauk. My wife and I travel only on boats for our vactions. We do 3-4 a years. As for ocean boats we love Seabourn and Crystal. We will stay with Uniworld. No we are not travel agents we just like cruising.

For a different take, there was a recent review by Xoe on her Tulips and Windmills cruise aboard the Legend.

[ilovhywd]

Good thread.

 

Can anyone provide a review of Tauck's China tour? Since it involves a brief river cruise, I thought maybe I'd find someone on this thread who has taken this trip.

 

Thanks!

[shoshona2]

Hi,

 

I suggest you go to Tauck's Ask and Share board. Just go to their website http://www.tauck.com and hit on Ask and Share.

 

Sheila

[Redtravel]

I took 4 very good Tauck tours and one very bad tour. Tauck lost me as a customer forever. On my last tour, the tour director did not know her stuff. She was a tour director for kids tours in Italy. It was the worst 2 weeks. We did not get to see many things that were listed in their brochure. We were herded into separate dining rooms at assigned times with a set menu. The eat when you want and with whom you want did not happen on the tour. The tour director ordered people around like they were a bunch of middle school kids. Things were so bad that we called Tauck in Ct. from Europe. The told us to call again when we got back to the states. We did and they couldn't have cared less. Also, several people had problems on the tour. Tauck only aswers phone calls during M-F 9-5 businesss hours. Their emergency phone number is a recording which they responded to 2 days later.

[shoshona2]

I have taken 13 Tauck Tours and will be on a Tauck River Cruise in July. Sorry you had such bad luck with your guide. Did you write a letter to the President of Tauck when you returned? If so, I'm quite sure he would have given you his apologies and a credit on a future cruise. My friends were unlucky with really terrible weather and a terrible guide who couldn't handle the stress last year and Tauck made "nice" when they wrote him after they returned. Tauck showed that they didn't want to lose their business so my friends are booking another tour for 2011.

 

Sheila

[mike35]

Just a few comments relating to this thread:

 

 

• Deilmann is getting out of the ocean cruise biz as well. Our first river cruise was on Deilmann's Mozart, and it was wonderful.
  
• The ex-president of Deilmann is now senior management at AMA Waterways
  
• My Tauck clients have been unanimous in their praise of the company and the "Tauck" experience.
  
• Viking is the only river cruise line that doesn't include wine with dinner. They run specials that include a wine package on certain sailings, but these are few and far between.
  
• Oceania (sorry to beat a dead horse) has the most loyal and repeat clients of any cruise line. Their itineraries generally sell out shortly after they're announced. We've sailed four Oceania sailings - and we loved every one of them.
  
• River cruising in general is the fastest growing segment of the cruise industry. Most of the companies are building 2 - 3 new ships every year, just to keep up with the demand.
  
• Based on my own river cruise personal experience, I would rate AMA and Avalon at the top; Uniworld a close second, and Viking third.
  

[newlondon]

Mike, Why rely only on your Tauck clients? Take a Tauck cruise yourself and you might change your ratings.

[brownblonde]

Tauck has al ways been known to be a top of the line outfit.

 

We always instilled in our daughter that Nothing In the World is FREE.

 

I think when you don't see added cost you just sometimes feel it is a good thing.

 

I think after 2 long viking trips I couldn't complain. Going on GCT. 7/13/10 so we will see how that is.

 

Our T/A will be going with a group on Avalon early April so we are not sure whether to go or not. Our winters are in Fl. We have found traveling with her no matter what type of trip she plans it is A. o.k.

 

Talking about snobs, everyone paid their price so why would you feel different, your are as good as the next guy.

[UKBayern]

We live in the area and we were in Passau just two days ago. Because we are into cruising, we had a long look at the ships docked. There was a Vantage and a Viking ship there. We noticed a huge difference. The Vantage one was very rusty and did not look very well maintained, the Viking one looked immaculate. On both ships, they were doing a bit of maintanance. The crew on the Viking looked smart, the mechanics working on deck had clean T-shirts with "Crew" on and all were wearing clean matching pants, whilst on the Vantage one they had bare chests and baggy pants.

What first impressions can do, hey?

[Talisker92]

I have been on a few river cruises with Vantage. As far as I am concerned, they have the most "bang for the buck". If you want wine with your meals, believe me, the cruise fare has taken that into account on other lines.

I have written a story about our Budapest to Amsterdam cruise and posted it on our website.

http://home.mindspring.com/~highlandpark/

I also wrote a story about our Xmas river cruise but had to drop it from our site because of space limitations. E-mail me at highlandpark@mindspring.com and I will be more than happy to send it.

Note: the accommodations are not the same as an ocean cruise ship, but we were in an A1 cabin and there was plenty of storage space plus a French balcony.

I have cruised a number of lines, from Norwegian to Silverseas and in between, and we loved the intimacy of the smaller ship on the river cruise.

We will be happy to answer any questions

[AWED23]

Hi Mimie,

 

So glad you enjoyed your first Tauck Tour -- we have been on 13 now and are leaving on July 13th for their Rhine/Moselle River cruise. We are really looking forward to it. Just wanted to let you know that we did Tauck's Egypt/Jordan tour with a Nile River Cruise that was just fantastic!!!! My photos are on my computer and I get a thrill out of seeing them everyday since we have returned. It was an OMG trip!! They don't advertise that much, but go on word of mouth and that's why you met so many repeaters.

 

Sheila

Sheila, You are on the Rhine-Moselle cruise as I write this. That is a great cruise with What is my favorite scenery of all the River cruises we have been on (11)...September 15 We will be with Tauck on their Grand European Cruise. 24 days, Amsterdam, Black se and ending in Bucharest....

[AWED23]

:) Just a word about "Free" wine served on river boats....No, I am neither a wine snob nor a TA. The wines poured aboard River boats varies greatly in quality from line to line in my experience on many different cruises and a variety of of lines. I expect nothing more than an average quality but have been greatly dissapointed on one or two river cruise lines...There is wine and then there is wine...Some operators go out of their way to serve a truly good local wine (Tauck) while a very few must buy their wine by the bucket. Now I feel better....There are many lines with many different Per-Diem price points....:)

[Creeks]

Are any of the river cruise lines 'solo friendly'?

Do they all charge double, or are some less?

thanks,

[franski]

Many will waive the single supplement on certain cruises/dates. You can check the various web-sites, as it is often listed there which dates this applies to.