Tauck River Cruise Review

With short notice, I was given the opportunity to experience a Tauck River Cruise during Tulip time. I had never travelled Tauck, had never been to Holland or Belgium and only had one previous river boat experience. With wonderful support of Marie and Bridgett to take care of my clients and all the staff behind me on this adventure, I was ready start packing.

Gayle Takashima and I were able to find a very good air rate into Brussels and out of Amsterdam. Speaking of air, this trip was really great considering we travelled in coach. We departed Seattle at 7:35 am on April 25……my only granddaughter’s 6th birthday. I never thought I would miss one of her special days, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. (Ashlyn got a special watch from me when I returned, along with plenty of Belgium Chocolate.) After a stop in Atlanta, we were on our way for an overnight flight.

Upon arrival in Brussels, there was a Tauck driver waiting for us with our names on his placard. There was one other agent from Sequim who joined us in our sedan for the ride to Antwerp. Our driver packed his trunk full with our luggage and off we went. Originally, we thought we would spend the day in Brussels with the possibility of some sight seeing. Instead we were taken directly to the Swiss Sapphire. We were greeted by Bridget, our Tauck cruise director. We were shown to our cabins where we quickly unpacked. It was wonderful to have our own cabins and made getting ready for the various activities, meals and departures a little more leisurely.

We freshened up a little and headed for the lounge where a lunch for the three of us was served. We had flown from Seattle to Atlanta and then on to Brussels and we were tired. After unpacking and a little rest we were ready to enjoy and learn all we could about the destinations. Beer tasting was on the agenda at 6:00 pm, followed by the safety briefing by Captain Oppelaar and introductions of the crew. Dinner was great. I checked out the computer in the Lido bar and then was off to an early bedtime.

There was only one computer onboard, but that did not seem to be a problem as there was always just a short wait and a puzzle to work on until your turn. The library (4 shelves of books) was right next to the computer and I picked out a book to read and managed to finish it by the end of the cruise.

Breakfast is served either as a full buffet, including omelet’s made to order in the main dining room or an early (6:00 am to 10:00 am) light breakfast in the Lido Bar.

On our first day, we had a demonstration of Tauck’s “Quietvoxes”. These were the greatest. It is a personal audio system used for the walking tours. A lightweight portable receiver is worn around the neck and a comfortable headset with individual volume control allows you to hear your guide’s comments no matter where you are standing. The groups are about 10 to 15 and the “Quietvoxes” are color-coded so you stay with your group. We used these on many of the tours off the boat.

River Cruise Highlights

Antwerp…..The chocolate factory, followed by lunch at a local eatery and what else, but shopping for Belgium chocolates to bring home.

Chateau Neercanne

Maastricht…..Margraten and the American War Cemetery. Each one of us was given a white rose to place on a grave of our choice. This was a very moving time of reflection, memories of loved ones who participated in the war. Next we went the 1700′s Chateau Neercanne for a very unique lunch, complete with a tour of the wine cellars.

Nijmegen…..Walking tour of the Valkof Museum, with its many historical collections. On the way we saw hundreds of bikes. Everyone, old and young bike in Holland and I noticed there were not many overweight people.

Arnhem….We had two choices in Arnhem. I chose the tour of the Kroller Muller Museum and enjoyed Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings. The other choice was for the Airborne Museum, which was very interesting to all who chose this tour.

Deventer/Kampen…..The Day of the Orange…..All the boat staff and crew were decked out in some kind of orange hat, shirt, etc. After our tours in Arnhem, we joined up with the boat in Deventer and sailed to Kampen.

Enkhuizen…..here we visited the Frisian settlement from the year 1289 that boasted one of the world’s largest herring fishing fleets. Later the town was fortified in the 16th century and became a whale fishing town in the 18th century. Enkhuizen still remains much like it was then.

Hoorn…….Visited the Schemer Windmill Museum and a Dutch cheese farm.

Amsterdam…….we had a full day here. First the famous Keukenhof Gardens……finally the tulips. They were absolutely beautiful and the gardens meticulously manicured. We climbed the windmill and had a wonderful dessert and then boarded the coaches for the city of Amsterdam. I would say they highlight of my trip was the Anne Frank Museum. We waited in line one hour and toured the secret hiding place for one hour. I have since read Anne Frank’s diaries and can not believe the life she and her family endured. I know there are many thousands of others who had the same experiences, but it was really an eye opener to see and read about it at this time in my life.

For this alone, I am very grateful that I took this opportunity to sail Tauck and this wonderful river cruise. I doubt if there is anyone I have not shared the experience with since the day I returned home.

Tauck River Cruises

Tauck is first class. The boat was spotless, beautifully decorated and had a very friendly and accommodating staff. They were always there to answer questions, give guidance and share a good time. It is definitely my choice for river cruising and I know from some of my clients and others I met onboard that it is a repeaters type of travel. It only takes once on Tauck to be sold.

After packing on our last night onboard, we departed early the next morning for our non-stop flight home. I lucked out and had both seats of the two seat side on the plane. I did not sleep much because I was engrossed in my book about Anne Frank, but came home with an all new appreciation for my good fortune to be able to travel.

As I look through my photos, I see so much more to say. Such as the amazing locks, especially the one with a freeway under it, the windmills and tranquility along the way.

I know this is long, but it was such a wonderful experience that I wanted to share as much as possible in this report. Everything is included with Tauck………airport transfers, all gratuities, complimentary wine with dinner and beer with lunch and all shore excursions let by the Tauck Directors and local guides, many meals off the boat. Please feel free to ask any questions.

Would I recommend Tauck? Absolutely, every chance I get.

Bonnie Childs
Cruise Specialists
Seattle, WA

Tags: River Cruises

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 at 6:00 am and is filed under Europe Cruises, River Cruises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.