By
Rebecca Gibson |
This article was first published in Itinerary Planning Special Report 2015
Famed for its natural beauty, history and architecture, as well as its strong gastronomic, musical, art and literary traditions, Europe is a popular holiday destination for many travellers. And river cruises, which take passengers to multiple cities and countries in short succession, provide the ideal way to explore the continent, particularly for North Americans.
“For many centuries, rivers were the arteries of Europe so the banks are filled with quaint villages, castles and historic sites, which makes cruising one of the easiest ways for any traveller to satisfy their romanticised fascination with the continent,” says Jennifer Tombaugh, president of Tauck, which was founded as a motorcoach tour company in the US in 1925 and began offering European river cruises in 1999.
In fact, with so many destinations to choose from, deciding where to visit can be challenging, says Tombaugh. Ideally, Tauck aims to offer itineraries that combine visits to renowned destinations with calls in more secluded villages that have fewer tourists. “Although we are partially restricted by available docking facilities, we choose ports where our guests can step off the ship and into the town centre,” says Tombaugh, adding that Tauck and its partners plan voyages 12-18 months ahead. “We also provide exclusive experiences that guests would be unable to enjoy by themselves. For example, they can enjoy an exclusive gala dinner and live music with Eduardo Pallavicini in Palais Pallavicini in Vienna, Austria.”
Despite taking guests to a new destination almost every day, Tauck is careful to ensure its cruises do not focus on simply checking numerous places off a list.
“We don’t offer whistle-stop tours where guests take a few photographs of one famous city in the morning, before hopping back onto the boat to do the same in a different town later that afternoon,” explains Tombaugh. “Instead, we aim to provide each individual with the opportunity to experience the destinations’ cultures in a way that is meaningful to them – whether this is by touring with a local expert, participating in a cookery class, or by exploring on their own.”
Tauck also partners with expert speakers who lead interactive onshore activities to help guests to learn more about the people and customs of the destination. Three Tauck tour directors and a cruise director join each voyage to provide additional information.
“Our speakers often have a personal connection to the people who lived in the places we visit, so they can provide insights that our guests could not get elsewhere,” says Tombaugh. “For example, guests can hear about the personal life of former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill from his granddaughter Celia Sandys when they are in London. Meanwhile, William Lobkowicz shares his family history with guests while they dine at his palace in Prague.”
Tombaugh notes that it can be difficult to berth in busier ports, particularly as Tauck cruises begin and end with a hotel stay. However, this has prompted the itinerary development team to become more creative.
“A couple of years ago we struggled to secure berths for our Paris departures, so now our cruises begin with a day in London and guests then take a train to France to board their ship,” she says. “Now, we are exploring how to use multi-modal transport to provide more unusual city pairings, particularly for when our newbuilds Grace and Joy debut on the Rhine and Danube in 2016. For example, we have a Rhine cruise that starts in Bern, Switzerland, and includes an excursion to Jungfrajoch, which is an uncommon destination for river cruise guests.”
Despite the growing competitiveness of river cruising, Tombaugh believes Tauck’s itinerary planning approach will make its cruises even more popular in future. “While we’re not expanding our fleet as rapidly as our competitors, our all-inclusive prices, crew-to-guest ratio and the unparalleled behind-the-scenes access we provide to guests will help Tauck retain the unmatched loyalty we’ve enjoyed for 90 years in the US, and achieve similar figures among our European guests.”