But no matter how different the motivation, Tauck river cruising has a way of bringing everyone of every age and generation together to share . A View with a Room. River Cruising Along The Rivers of France Whether the Seine, the Sane or the Rhne, on a river cruise with Tauck you'll feel it the moment you step ashore in village and towns - that palpable realization of the true meaning of joie de vivre, enjoyment of life. Do they have bicycles? The cabins are large with King-sized beds, which is a rarity in river cruising. (I admit that I travelled solo, so I wasn't sharing with anyone else.). Scenic offers butler service to passengers in every cabin, with set services according to the cabin category. Cons: Cocktails are pricey and not included; a martini or a Manhattan will set you back about $12 dollars. Tauck has its headquarters in the United States, and most of its passengers are American, with a smattering of Brits and other nationalities. Tauck vs AMA Waterways Compared | Travelstride Those are also offered all day, not just at mealtimes, which is a nice addition. RIVER CRUISE BRANDS - Harr Travel Drinks are only complimentary during lunch and dinner and gratuities are not included in the price. The 10 Best River Cruise Lines - Travel + Leisure While other river cruise cabins shove your bed against a wall for a view of the other wall, our Comfort Collection Beds SM beds face the widest-opening, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in river cruising. AMA has a modern fleet like Avalon and offers a few things that Avalon does not and that we would enjoy including bicycles, in room free internet and movies, tables for two in the dining room, and an onboard masseuse. But if you think this a Disney river cruise would be all about the kids, you're wrong. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Last minute changes OK. Uniworld stands out immediately for its impressively designed interiors; each ship is themed to the areas that ships sail through. Both offer more inclusions than their competitors and both carry fewer passengers than most river lines, ensuring that service remains at a high standard. The Panorama Dining Room serves daily four-course la carte dinners along with complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks, or guests can choose the more casual Panorama Bistro or Sky Grill. You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here. If you're able to provide your travel agent's contact info, I may be able to work with him or her to recommend a cruise that is best for you. Go to the Cathdrale Notre-Dame of Strasbourg for a private organ concert. Pros: The cabins are large and all have floor-to-ceiling windows. Notable Excursions (note, these excursions are not included and involve an extra fee): COVID-19 vaccinations are required for all guests and crew. They are also one of the most affordable river cruise options. Cons: There are different levels of service depending on the cabin category you book. Families will appreciate adjoining cabins, which are a rarity for a river cruise line. Onboard enrichment on both lines is based around the destinations visited. While both lines have bikes onboard, Scenic utilizes them more, offering guided bike rides in most ports. 2 spot with an eye-popping score above 96. Passengers often get a choice of excursions, both of them included. Cons: The ships aren't "Imagineered." Indulge in regional cuisine on Viking ships flavored with herbs grown in an on-board garden, though familiar classics are always available. We can chat later about other destinations. Viking has more weeklong cruises than Tauck and sails in more places and on more dates. A river cruise is an all-inclusive journey where you unpack once but visit many destinations. Read on for our look at .css-hghiur{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-medium);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;cursor:pointer;color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);}.css-hghiur:focus-visible,.css-hghiur[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-hghiur:hover,.css-hghiur[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;}Viking River Cruises vs. Tauck and some ideas of why you should pick one over the other. Unique to riverboats is the two-level theater, the Grand Saloon, found on the American Queen. The pours at lunch and dinner are generous, so if you're not a liquor drinker -- or don't like alcohol at all -- you might not need all the extras that Tauck provides. Book their "Open-Air Balcony" and enjoy wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows that open for fresh air. The line also offers a "bite to eat" snack menu that can be delivered to your cabin as room service, or to any of the lounges as a small plate. One nice perk: heated floors in the bathroom. They are comfortable but not luxurious or particularly interesting. Viking also has an alternative restaurant, the Aquavit Lounge, but it's much more limited in its menu and only serves food during certain hours. Scenic and Tauck are both lines that carry lower passenger loads than most of their competitors and have put a significant effort into upgrading vessels. All Inclusive French River Cruises 2023/2024 | Tauck It's easy to see the world's sights. AmaWaterways has a diverse selection of excursions, from low key to active experiences. Choose Tauck for an all-inclusive river cruise with structured tours and concierge-style service. Most cabins also have a French balcony, which allows the rooms themselves to be larger while still letting in fresh air. One thing both lines have in common is that they use modern coaches branded with the line's logo and photos of the ships or exotic locations (making them easily identifiable in a crowd of coaches). The best river cruises were selected based on the following criteria: Typical starting price: $724 for 3 nights (per person based on double occupancy $241 per night, all-inclusive), Where they sail:Danube, Rhine, Seine, Moselle, Mekong, Nile, Rhne, Ganges, Main, Saone, Amazon (Peru), Specialty cruises: Photography, storytellers, wine, beer, culinary, garden, Christmas market, Jewish heritage. The summer months will be far warmer, while the December cruises are cold but come with the added bonus of experiencing Christmas festivities. Scenic **: Inclusions are for all guests, regardless of ship or suite. Tauck also revamped its five older Jewel-class ships, which are smaller than the Inspiration vessels, and reduced the capacity from 118 to 98. Their line U by Uniworld is curated for the "active" guest. The cabin window is wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass that stretches 11 feet wide and opens up 7 feet wide, thus basically turning your room into a veranda. There is one single cabin that is 129 square feet, and one wheelchair-accessible cabin. Choose Tauck ifyou want an all-inclusive river cruise with more extras and a higher-end feel -- and don't mind paying for it. About Viking - do they have open seating for dinner? The reason why Scenic fans might not know Tauck, and vice versa, stems from the companies' headquarters. We handle our own travel arrangements by choice and prefer to book our own hotels and make our own way to the boat. Special diets can be catered for with advance notice and menus are labeled for people with dietary restrictions. They also tend to have more inclusions than a traditional cruise. And yes, Sunny is her real name. While many cruise lines have a strict dining schedule, these ships offer several different onboard restaurants. It depends on what you are looking for in your vacation. Uniworld has bicycles, and there is an included excursion every day, although there are also optional excursions. In Europe, the Danube River and the Rhine River are two of the most popular cruises for first-time river cruisers. The only Tauck employees onboard are the four cruise directors. Tauck not only has a cruise director onboard its ship, but it has three additional Tauck guides who give the daily briefings, attend the shore excursions (although local experts actually give the tours), hand out spending money or give you a rose to place at the gravesite of a veteran in an American military cemetery. 1) Avalon's Rhine & Moselle on Affinity (Amsterdam to Basel, 14 days) 2) Tauck's Rhine & Moselle (Amsterdam to Basel, 13 days) 3) AMA's Europe's Rivers & Castles (Trier to Nuremberg, 7 days -. Experience the "Wild West" of France in la Camargue with farm-fresh meals, local music, and a horse show. As part of its company's commitment to making your time in port seamless without having to deal with worrisome currency issues, the line gives each passenger 20 euros to buy a meal when an excursion spans the lunch hour. All of the cruise lines selected offer intriguing and interesting excursions that are included in the price (except for the American Queen Steamboat Company), from a private tour of the Louvre to kayaking down the Mekong. The line's revamped older ships have 49 cabins: eight measuring 150 square feet, four measuring 183 square feet, one measuring 182 square feet, 20 measuring 225 square feet and 14 suites measuring 300 square feet. Choose from a wide variety of accommodations from well-appointed suites to small no-frills single staterooms that are a mere 80 square feet. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. 1) Avalon's Rhine & Moselle on Affinity (Amsterdam to Basel, 14 days), 2) Tauck's Rhine & Moselle (Amsterdam to Basel, 13 days), 3) AMA's Europe's Rivers & Castles (Trier to Nuremberg, 7 days - cruise only, or with Paris at beginning and Prague at the end to make 12 days, 4) Vikings' Vineyards & Vistas (Trier to Wurzburg, 7 days, or with Paris and Prague, like AMA above, called Cities of Light)- I did read Ruth's recent posting about that one. It's a true gourmet experience, with well-thought-out and unusual wine pairings. Save up to $2,800 per couple off the cruise price of Europe sailings. In 2023, they will launch Seven River Journeys which will cover seven rivers and 14 countries over the course of 45 nights (starting at $24,999 per person, double occupancy).