Feedback or review
Has anyone returned from this new itinerary and want to share some feedback for those of us looking forward to this trip over the next few months? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the ship, itinerary, food and tours. Any insight would be appreciated.
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Comments
We were on ms Treasures. I think most cruises of this itinerary, going forward, will be on other ships. I was very happy with Treasures, though. The only flaw I could find with it was that the room phones were new, corded, and lightweight such that when I lifted the handset, the base jumped around like a Chihuahua!
The service varied from very good to excellent, and the meals were almost always very good. Desserts were consistently excellent!
Highlights: The Last Super, lunch at Locanda dell'Isola on Lake Como, stork-watching in the Alsace region (not an official activity), dinner at Schloss Vollrads, Rudesheim (everything there), and The Sandy Quartet (on board entertainment, one night).
The only real low-light, I think, was lunch on the canal boat in Amsterdam. The meal was fine, but there was no reason to have lunch on a canal boat. It was uncomfortable, and because it was enclosed in glass, it was difficult to take photos - especially if you were facing the stern and could not see what was coming up. Much better would be to have lunch elsewhere, and a canal boat ride on an open boat where everyone faces forward.
All sorts of terrible photos (I am a terrible photographer) and video here:
http://bd-foto.com/bdfoto/bdfoto2.php?user=drib-v&coll=305
Note that in the last album are the daily programs as pdf files. (My site host is cheap with not enough bandwidth, so if you click too fast through photos, it might stop occasionally.)
I also blogged the trip, but I won't post a link to that here because it is probably too colorful for the Tauck board. But it is searchable if you're a little creative with your search terms.
This was our 4th Tauck tour, and compared to the others, a disappointment. While the countries, cities, and towns we visited were lovely and worthwhile, as were most of the activities, and the MS Inspire and it's crew were delightful, the three tour directors on this trip imparted little or no information in advance regarding the possible physical challenges of some of the activities and tours included in the trip, nor did Tauck mention anything about steep inclines and stairs (four flights to get to lunch in Zurich) in their "PACE 2" description. We felt that there was an overall feeling of "unorganization".
It also greatly concerned my husband and me that our group was given no way to get in touch, in case of emergency, with our tour directors when they were not in the hotel in Milan. On all other trips that we've ever taken...both on Tauck and with other companies...we were always given a cell phone number or some way to contact our director if absolutely necessary. Our directors on this trip told us that they did not have to give us their number, and a Tauck rep has since told me that they are correct...there is no Tauck policy on this; it is up to the individual director. We feel this should be rectified. If a tour director, responsible for up to dozens of people, has no way of being reached if there has been an accident or other major problem, this becomes a true safety issue. While I certainly understand a tour director not wanting to give out his/or her personal cell phone number, Tauck should issue a business cell phone to at least one of the tour directors to be used when necessary.
Nita mentioned the disappointment in the Schloss, and we are in complete agreement. We would also suggest that the wine tour of Alsace not include the Organic Winery that we visited. While very interesting and a great concept, the wines were barely drinkable....at least for some of us.
Even with all of the negatives, we do not regret taking this journey as we saw some beautiful sights, experienced some wonderful adventures, and met many terrific people.
We just hope that Tauck will do what needs to be done to make it even better and safer.
PS If you get the opportunity to go on the culinary tour of Dusseldorf with James....take it!!!!!
I am disappointed to here about the lack of helpfulness about the Tour directors. However. Giving out cell phone numbers is a very recent thing. Tauck supplies a 24 hour emergency number for all tours but thankfully we have never had to use it. I guess that having the telephone number of the hotel on your person would be better than nothing. I wonder if these particular individuals have been the subject of being contacted too frequently in the past for very trivial reasons which may be why they were reluctant to give out the cell numbers. Maybe it was just this particular tour group? I suspect they can suss out a group very quickly and figure out whether it is going to be a group who demands a lot of attention, I just don’t know.
Regarding the long bus trips to attractions, that is not a surprise to me, I would expect it, particularly with how popular River cruising has become. I also would realize that strolling into town for dinner is something I would not expect to be able to do on a cruise—- to do that you have to do the land tours which give you lots more free time and generally you cover more of the sites.
I would also like to hear more of the negatives, I have had reservations about being with such large groups even when they are split up amongst tour directors. I wonder if this will be our one and only river cruise or will we become addicted as most people are.
Hopefully the bad apples alluded to by other posters will be rooted out by next year. We have had nothing but cordial pros on our previous Tauck trips.
Before we take a Tauck or any trip we thoroughly research the area. It appears you did not do this. Tauck is always more than happy to give you additional details- they are just a toll-free call away. A quick look at a map is a clue that all places of interest are not along the river banks, and you must get there somehow- train or bus. And yes, Europe has traffic which Tauck nor anyone else can do anything about. I think a real clue of what kind of traveler you might be is your statement, "Dusseldorf, where we did have a chunk of time, does not rival Beverly Hills or NYC."
It is too bad the view along the Rhine was not as you imagined and curse those the locals for having infrastructure and industry needed to support their economy, but 80% industrial views?!?!? It is no different than many places in the US- NYC has power plants, docks and slums, darn it! Travel books, like fashion magazines have clothes and models that are designed to entice you to buy- to visit their resort, country, etc. It is always sunny and the sky beautiful blue, no crowds, idyllic castles, etc. etc. Only Disney, who uses faux everything and has no visible industry or infrastructure, is like that. There are only so many castles in Europe- but you can go many miles, by road or river, and not see any! But, adequate research will tell you that. Most of the locations Tauck or any tour company visits will have many more attractions to see than you will have time for. We could have easily spent 3 or 4 more days in Prague, Vienna, etc., but a 10, 12, etc. day tour can only be, as British said, " . . a taster of what there is to see." To be sure, Tauck tours are not inexpensive, but I challenge you to compare what you get on any other tour for the same amount of money. It sounds to me like it would be better for you to save your money, develop a list of places and things you would like to see, then, contact a private tour guide and see what he would charge to take you there and coordinate lodging, dining, and transportation. Do your research to determine what person or company will cater to, " . . . how we like to travel" so it is not "a waste of time and money." Before you book "any tour anywhere," you should have as much detail as you need to make an informed decision. Why didn't you do it this time?
Of real concern to me is the less than Tauck quality of some of the events and tour directors that are being reported. If the opening dinner does not work then I sure hope Tauck tweaks it. Same goes for hokey (as others have reported) dinner and band at the castle. Tauck needs to fine tune this tour to bring it up to their incredibly high standards.
Not sure if Tauck monitors these forums but hopefully they do and will get the message. They have earned an amazing reputation and customer loyalty but that is only as good as your latest trip. More reviews and forum postings as the recent ones concerning this tour can erode all of the good will quickly.
I guess now the original post has gone, this all does not make sense to upcoming readers. Only the travelers on the Tour and Tauck who should have gotten the Hope and Trust feedback paperwork will get an idea of what went wrong. Individuals have likes and dislikes so that is harder to evaluate. For example the original poster said they were given beef cheeks at dinner and that was disgusting, well guess what, we like beef cheeks!
For the record...and so we are all on the same page....this was copied from Tauck's description of this trip:" LEVEL 2: Guests should be able to easily walk one to two miles, which may include climbing one or two flights of stairs and walking over uneven pavement, groomed hiking trails or cobblestones. Standing up to one hour or more may be required." To my mind of thinking (and I could be wrong...won't be the first time
Also...you mention having gone on a non-Tauck tour to Namibia where one of your fellow travelers was in a wheel chair. In our group of 117, there was one gentleman who could easily walk on his own for short distances, but was pushed in a wheelchair by his wife for longer distances, and also a woman who needed to use a walker on our sightseeing tours (she was aided by her husband and local guides).....neither slowed down the group as far as I could tell (we had no specific groups...it changed daily...so I am not positive on that), nor did the several others who had some knee or other mobility issues. I assume they did not participate in the activities that they would be unable to do.....if they knew ahead of time.
I also agree that everyone should do their homework before booking any trip...especially if he/she is new to that kind of travel (i.e. river boat cruising). As Dinamo admitted in his review....they didn't...and found out after the fact that this was not the kind of traveling they prefer. Lesson learned. They were not blaming Tauck for that.
I am a loyal Tauck supporter who LOVED the first 3 trips we took with them, and who is only giving MY opinion about this particular trip. As I said in my first post....this is a great excursion in most respects, and I am glad we went with Tauck on it. No trip is perfect....none...and though Tauck has shown over and over again that they are a leader in customer satisfaction, there is sometimes room for improvement. They have always been willing to do that, and hopefully will continue.
I hope those of you who have yet to embark on this adventure have safe and enjoyable travels!
Well thanks Dinamo. Yes, like to participate on this forum, like to think that most of my posts are useful to someone. Yes spend time reading here because I like to travel and have found what people say very useful as I have commented in the earlier part of this thread from what you originally said but then deleted. I expressed concern because I am taking the tour next year. This site is the equivalent of my Facebook and it is the only media site I use, it's nice to take a break for a cup of tea or when I wake early to read the Tauck forums and no one has to read my opinions. Never spend time looking at my phone, so in fact I probably am on social media way less than most. Yes, probably sound pompous but have learned a lot by traveling mistakes in the past, so try to research before I go to a new place or take advice from friends. When I used that other tour company I took the advice from a friend, but that friend was newish and did not really know what I am about.
You say it right there to Alan and me, you are a Traveler, your friends should have known this tour was not you. Your travel agent did not do a good job either. I am still confused that as a traveler you did not do the research before your trip. Please enjoy your future travels, that clearly will not be with Tauck and I sincerely hope that the negative comments you and others made about this particular tour have been rectified. On my most recent and first Small Ship tour with Tauck, I learned that Tauck has employed 50 new tour directors this year and perhaps you were subjected to them and maybe they have received further training since or have been dismissed.
Clearly you will have no need to post here again. I was following all Tauck forum guidelines when I made my post, I was not being offensive, I suggest you also read the guidelines. I do have to remind myself of them, but not this time.
A team of TDs/CD that don't gel well can be a problem. On our Rhine/Moselle experience the 3 TDs were great but somehow the communication broke down between them and the CD resulting in confusion and frustration.
I've never been given the TDs phone number. Usually its go to the CD's desk on the ship or the hotel's reception desk at a hotel. It probably would be good to have a way to contact them while off the ship or out of the hotel in case of emergencies.
Yes, I believe the Rhine is likely the worst of the rivers as far as docking locations vs sights. Our first was the Rhone where all stops were in towns where you went on walking tours right from the ship and usually had the opportunity to spend time on your own before heading back to the ship - Arles and Avignon the best. The Rhine was the opposite where almost all docking was in places you had no interest in touring. (Boppard and the Moselle portion were the exception - loved them). The sights we were bused to were interesting and we always had extra time on our own after the guided tours. In several cases there were optional times for shuttles back to the ship so you had flexibility.
I know some people like the idea of going into town for dinner but we never do. Since we've already paid for meals on board the ship and dinner is especially good there it seems silly to pay again somewhere else for a meal. The chefs on the ships do try to feature local cuisine and every cruise had had special tastings on board. Also, its a matter of logistics - the ship frequently gets underway during dinner for the next stop. If it means less underway time overnight I'd prefer it since it's likely to be a noisier night when you're trying to sleep - engine/thruster noise, bumps hitting the locks, creaking, etc.
TTFN guys
- Arrival is listed as “late morning. What time did you arrive Amsterdam?
- when did the canal cruise/lunch finish as trying to figure a plan for remainder of the day. Hoping to be able to do Anne Frank house and Rijksmuseum after the canal boat before returning to the ship? In your opinion, is this doable?
Any and all suggestion will be greatly appreciated. We are on the May 17 trip next year but I still have several months to obsess
Thanks!
I did this tour in August. I do not remember the exact time that the lunch on the canal boat ended but it was around 2. My friends and I had tickets to see the Anne Frank house at 3. We took a cab from the dock and were there in plenty of time for the tour. All tickets for the Anne Frank house must be purchased online prior to arrival. The time on the ticket is when you actually get on line to enter.
In general, there is time on your own after the guided tour although it can vary. I do remember on the Rhine/Moselle cruise that we would be bused to the tour location, had a guided tour, then given free time. On a couple of occasions there was 2 options for return time depending on how long you wanted to stay. Like you could walk about a bit on your own then catch the bus back in time for lunch on the ship or spend longer in town with lunch on your own then return.
And no, don't worry about doing your own thing. Just tell the Tour Director your plans, make sure you know where the bus pick up point is and the time. Usually once the last shuttle returns to the ship, it gets underway to the next stop so it's very important not to be late. If they say "all aboard, ship departs at 3pm", trust me that ship will be underway.
We haven't taken this tour. Since it is too early to have received your Green Book, go to the itinerary on the website. It will give you a general idea of the amount of free time, e.g. "You have the afternoon free to . . . then join us this evening for a dinner at . . ." or "after a brief introduction, you are free to explore . . . " Other posters may have more specific info, but as you know a tour's schedule can change from year to year and even departure to departure.
"enough individual time" is subjective. After an excursion some people will return with Tauck to the boat/hotel, some will stay in town (whether there is Tauck-provided return transportation or not) to explore on their own and even skip a Tauck- provided dinner, some won't even go on an excursion, Really?!?!?! Yup! The bottom line is it all depends on who you ask. Tauck tours are typically busy- some folks are ready to "get to it" first thing every morning, others not so much. Some need one cup of decaf some need two espressos! : )
I assume when you say destination, you mean to an excursion site? I'm sure there may be folks who have done that, but why? Tauck transportation is free and the bus ride may include a local guide presentation before you reach a particular site. Also, if you are going to do that, why not just travel on your own instead of with a tour company. That being said, many, many people, me included, will plan their own activities- for early arrival before the tour starts, for free time during the tour (always a danger that the schedule will change), and in the days after a tour.
Except for before and after, many tours do not provide enough free time that would allow you to do more than a short activity. We have done that that a few times- before the start of Classic Italy, we hired a guide to show us Capri (now a Tauck option) and the next day visited Herculaneum and Naples attractions. During the tour, we used our two free afternoons in Florence to hire a driver for an excursion to Pisa, took a Seqway tour of Florence, and did the full Duomo visit (climbed the dome, visited the baptistry, the Duomo museum, etc.). There was free time in Rome but it changed significantly from what had been originally published- we knew from reading the forum archives that this was a possibility so did not plan any hard-scheduled activities. In our free time we walked around and visited the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. On Romantic Germany, instead of going to visit the Passion Play theater in Oberammergau (we saw it on the Ultimate Alps tour) we hoofed it (couldn't get a taxi) to the edge of town (not far) and rode a chairlift up and a crazy-fast summer bobsled run back down. The only regret we had was that we didn't skip lunch and head there earlier so we could have taken a second run!
I’d like to report that I have now taken this tour and found it fabulous. All the tour directors were wonderful, going over and above, lots of details, very caring. One loaned me a book of Milan while were on the train, when I said the book was great, he insisted I keep it.
There were lots of steps, cobbles and hills. One slightly disabled person held our bus up for fifteen minutes so that we were late back to the ship, but after that the tour directors organized an extra excursion group, going forward, for those who had mobility problems. Otherwise, to be honest, it would have impacted the group to have to wait for people.
Dinner at the Castle was fine, no band. It wasn’t hot when we went.
Food and service by all the staff on the ship was excellent. Time to explore on your own at some destinations, in fact, more than on land tours in some instances because there is usually little time or shop on land tours.
Only one disappointment, George Clooney never came out to wave, even though he was in residence.