Tauck has officially welcomed ms Treasures and ms Esprit back into its riverboat fleet in April 2018 following a massive reconfiguration of the vessels' interior spaces that has resulted in enlarged cabins and reduced passenger count.
The Treasures and Esprit are the last of Tauck's four 110-metre ships to undergo the radical transformation.
Tauck's two other 110-metre ships, ms Sapphire and ms Emerald, were similarly reconfigured a year ago, and returned to service in time for their 2017 sailing seasons.
With the reconfigurations, Tauck continues to prioritise creating larger cabins and roomier public areas for its guests, rather than taking the more conventional approach of maximising passenger count.
The Treasures and Esprit were fully gutted in a 'down-to-the-studs' refurbishment, with the most dramatic change occurring on their Ruby (middle) Decks, where 30 14-square-metre cabins in each ship's original configuration were replaced by 20 larger cabins measuring 21 square metres.With the total number of cabins reduced from 59 to 49, each ship's overall capacity has been reduced from 118 passengers to 98 per vessel – a 17% reduction.
The Treasures and Esprit will sail on Tauck's cruises along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, including its popular 'Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat' itinerary.
With the enhanced comfort resulting from larger cabins and fewer guests, the company expects this 14-night journey (which also operates from Budapest to Amsterdam) to become even more popular.
"With this year's reconfiguration of the Treasures and Esprit – and with identical transformations last year of the Sapphire and Emerald – we've reimagined and enhanced half of our riverboat fleet," said Tauck CEO, Dan Mahar.
"Now more than ever, we believe that we have the finest, most elegant riverboats on Europe's rivers. Yet with that being said, we continue to maintain that what truly distinguishes Tauck river cruises is our 93 years of destination expertise, and our unmatched ability to tell the cultural and historical stories of the places we visit. The onboard experience we deliver is the perfect complement to those signature Tauck experiences our guests enjoy ashore," Mr Mahar said.
In addition to the 20 new 21-square-metre cabins, each of Tauck's 110-metre ships already boasts 14 28-square-metre suites. As a result, cabins measuring 21 square metres or larger now account for 69% of all accommodation – the highest percentage of such cabins on any 110-metre riverboats in Europe.
Even with the lowered passenger count, Tauck continues to staff each ship with a Tauck Cruise Director and a full complement of three Tauck Directors. By contrast, other lines often have just a single cruise director attending to the needs of up to 190 passengers.
Another significant enhancement can be found on the Treasures' and Esprit's Diamond (upper) Decks, where the ships' second dining venue, The Bistro, has been upgraded with its own dedicated kitchen and chef.
On each ship, the Bistro has been renamed Arthur's in tribute to Tauck Chairman, Arthur Tauck Jr., and its expanded menu will continue to provide more casual alternatives to the fine dining selections offered in the ships' main Compass Rose restaurants.
Tauck introduced the concept of a second riverboat dining venue in 2006 and the enhanced Arthur's restaurant is already featured on Tauck's four 135-metre ships.
Bookings are to be directed to your travel agent or Tauck Australia on 1300 732 300 or reservations@tauck.com.au
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