Tauck has unveiled its 2015 portfolio of European river cruises, adding a new 23-day, three-country itinerary and a new Tauck Bridges family cruise along the Rhine to its roster.
While Tauck still has limited availability on some 2014 river cruise departures, Tauck CEO Dan Mahar said in a statement that travelers will get a better selection of dates, itineraries and cabin classes if they look to 2015.
Among the river cruises that Tauck guests can choose from for next year is the company’s new 23-day “Belle Epoch: London to Monte-Carlo.” The itinerary begins with an included two-night stay at London’s Savoy Hotel, highlighted by guided sightseeing in the British capital and a Tauck-exclusive presentation by Celia Sandys, Winston Churchill’s granddaughter and his acclaimed biographer.
Guests then travel beneath the English Channel to board Tauck’s ms Swiss Sapphire for a nine-night cruise along the Seine that includes a visit to the D-Day Beaches of Normandy, a tour of Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny, tastings of locally produced cheese, chocolate and Calvados, a dinner in a chateau, and guided sightseeing in Paris.
From Paris, guests travel by high-speed train to Lyon where they’ll board the ms Swiss Emerald for a second nine-night cruise, this time along the Rhône. Highlights include tours and tastings at vineyards in Burgundy and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, visits to historic abbeys, a tour of the Palais des Papes in Avignon, a game of petanque with locals in Viviers, and an excursion to meet the cowboys of Provence’s Camargue region. After disembarking in Arles, guests will then travel to Monaco for a two-night stay at the Fairmont Monte Carlo.
Designed specifically for families, Tauck’s second new itinerary for 2015 is the eight-day “Castles on the Rhine: Family Riverboat Adventure” from Basel to Amsterdam aboard Tauck’s new ms Inspire riverboat. Families will kick off their adventures by venturing outside of Basel to travel on the world’s steepest cogwheel train to the 7,000-foot summit of Mt. Pilatus in the Swiss Alps. Cruising along the Rhine on subsequent days, families will also visit sites in France, Germany and The Netherlands including Heidelberg Castle and one-thousand-year-old Reichenstein Castle. Families can also try fondue and chocolate tastings, a French cooking demonstration, a riverside cycling adventure, and a canal boat cruise and visit to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Tauck’s full collection of 19 river cruises for 2015 is now listed on the company’s website, complete with departure dates and pricing, and all cruises are currently open for booking.