CAA Niagara Travel Consultant Lori Cecchini, just came back from a fabulous Tauck adventure and was keen to share her adventures with CAA Travel blogger Liz Fleming.
Liz - Was this your first river cruise?
Lori – I’ve sailed with Avalon and Viking but this was my first Tauck cruise and I loved it! We had two pre-cruise days in Prague, then saw places like Regensburg or Munich, Grein, Dürnstein, the Wachau Valley, Cesky Krumlov, and Bratislava, ending with two nights in Vienna.
The attention to detail was incredible - a notch above what you’d expect. For example, instead of just a pre-cruise dinner in Prague, we had a lovely rooftop cocktail party and dinner. On shore excursions, we skipped all the lines – no waiting and Tauck provided three tour directors in addition to the cruise director.
What did you enjoy most about the ship?
The staterooms were spacious, luxurious, modern and stylish – but my favourite feature was the service. It was absolutely 110 percent all the time.
How would you describe the dining experience?
Every day, there were great regional specialties and top-quality wines, but what really made this experience different from other river cruise ships was Arthur’s – a second, casual restaurant open for lunch and dinner with no reservations necessary. There were no set seatings in either of the two dining rooms – a really great feature – and Arthur’s was open between meal hours for coffee and snacks. Certainly, no one was ever hungry! You could have snacks and drinks delivered anywhere on the ship from 9am-11pm.
What did other guests have to say?
I didn’t hear anything that wasn’t positive - most people were on their fifth, sixth, or seventh Tauck cruise/tour! They loved the unique places we visited and really appreciated the all-inclusive nature of the cruise. If you can believe it, in both Prague and again in Germany, each guest was given cash to buy lunch ashore. We’d assumed we’d be buying lunch for ourselves – what a great surprise!
How was the onboard entertainment?
There was everything from pottery classes, sommelier demonstrations, and a lecture on famous women of WWII! While we were sailing the gorgeous Wachau Valley in Austria, the onboard tour guides broadcast an entire historical and cultural summary over ‘Radio Wachau’. We had entertainment every night as well as port talks and lots of local performers came aboard. My favourite was a trio that sang songs about the various places guests were from. To keep people involved in the evening activities, specialty desserts were served upstairs in the lounge.
What sets a Tauck cruise apart?
Service, attention to detail, the all-inclusive aspect, unique tours and experiences! When you’re booking, don’t look just at the price. Remember - you get what you pay for and tips, premium alcohol, optional shore excursions, and WiFi won’t cost extra. Tauck also offers family options like triple cabins, which aren’t always available on river cruises.
Any advice for first-timers?
Get the Tauck app on your cell phone so you can search the tour and make requests.
Oh….and pack something dressy! The finale of our cruise was a gala night in the Palace Palavinci in Vienna, complete with champagne, opera singers, a symphony, and white-glove service. Everyone dressed up and it was an amazing night!
To learn more about Lori’s trip and what sets Tauck apart, email lcecchini@caaniagara.ca or call 905-322-2721.