Recent May 2022 cruise
Just returned today from this cruise on the Savor. My first Tauck cruise so I’m not able to give a comparison. Some who had traveled before had some complaints, but that’s common in any tour. Overall, I was quite happy and really enjoyed the trip. I can answer any questions y’all may have. A few items: people didn’t mask in general. I was alone and worried about getting my negative test at the end, so I consistently wore mine. Of course at dinner I didn’t. At the end, those who tested yesterday for today’s departure, were negative but one. So I dunno whether I should have gone maskless like the rest, but I think I did the right thing for me. We all generally enjoyed the local guides. In Bucharest, Bogdan, was one of the best I’ve seen. And in Budapest, Andraz(sic) was excellent as well. The tour directors were good, Meghan was outstanding. Let me know if there’s anything specific that y’all want to hear about.
Comments
Oops! The Black Sea to Budapest if I didn’t make it clear.
Thomas,
Welcome back. I remember how excited you were to take this trip. Overall, what were your impressions of the ship? How were the food and wines?
I recall you’re a wine guru, Thomas. So I’d be interested in your opinion of the food and wine also.
How was the situation in Constanta?
The ship was beautiful! I really liked the smaller size and we were 77 passengers, so it is a good time to travel from that perspective. I was in a basement single cabin. It’s was tiny, and if I’d been traveling with a friend, I’d have chosen a larger cabin. But for me it was excellent, and I’d choose it again when going solo. Food was very good IMO. That being said, there are always those who aren’t satisfied. But Arthur’s was open and people enjoyed it as an alternative. The offered wines were of a high quality, especially compared to, say, those regularly offered on Viking at no charge. If you didn’t want the daily offerings, you simply asked for the wine list and could have what you liked. On Viking, the wine list is an up charge. Overall, I was impressed with the wines, many of which I knew. And the food as well. The special events were really all about the experience, the special venues. Food, not surprisingly, wasn’t as good as on board, but still good. Constanta was absolutely lovely. I’ll tell you that all the guides, ship staff, hotel staff etc, were really happy to see travelers. They rely on tourism and it’s been tough during the pandemic. Honestly didn’t notice anything about the horrible war. Let’s pray it’s over soon.
I stand corrected. So I thought when you ordered from the Panorama Bar wine list, that all alcohol was included. I was just looking at my credit card statement, and I’m wrong. Apparently, like Viking, things ordered from the wine list are an up charge! Who knew? Well, the included wines are good, probably better than Viking, but I was surprised because I thought the alcoholic beverages were all included.
Thank you Thomas for your very current information. I am booked on the September, 2022 tour. We will be on the Esprit however. This will be my first Tauck Tour, booked in 2019...after being cancelled so many times I really hope it will become a reality. I'm anxious to get traveling again. It's good to know that the single cabin isn't too uncomfortable, I'm Cat 2 but still in the "basement".
I was also on tnis river cruise and had a lovely time. All of the tour directors were fabulous. Arthur’s was open, and we had a couple of meals in Arthurs. It is an enjoyable place to dine or if you’re an early bird, you can have coffee starting at 6:30 am. Our stateroom was in the 200’s in the middle of the Savor. Our friends room were in the lower floor, the 100’s We are staying in Budapest a couple of days longer after the tour. Some people that I met were continuing with back to back tours while others were going to Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna. Most were headed to their homes. Before the trip started, I emailed the concierge of the Ritz Carlton in Budapest to inquire where locally the antigen test is administered before flying back to the U.S. and they directed me 2 blocks away and the price was 25.00 instead of 60.00. Just sharing. There were definitely a handful of people who tested positive. I had my antigen test today and the result was available in 15 minutes. Some people wore masks regularly; others choose not to. The Tauck employees on the ship are required to wear masks indoors. We choose all the right excursions for us. I enjoyed the breakfasts and lunches more than the dinners and, at times, I opted not to have dinner but that’s just me. There is really a lot of food. It was truly sn enjoyable trip with half the amount of passengers on board.
Ask me questions too.
Our Travels 34, thanks for the information as I did not know about the cheaper local Covid-19 test. Good to have an alternative. And I only knew of one positive test on the first day, but unfortunately It sounds like your updated information shows that more people were affected. That’s too bad as quarantine away from home cannot be pleasant. And it’s great to have two of us with information to share from this cruise. 😊
Thomas,
Thanks for answering my questions. Regarding the wine, all of the house wines are free of charge, the "premium" ones are not, as you found out. Sorry you missed that disclaimer when reviewing the "what's included" section. Nonetheless, I am glad you had a good time.
Yes I missed that disclaimer but I enjoyed what I ordered 😉. Just wanted to correct what I said earlier so people know. Thanks.
Thomas I'm very surprised you were charged. Didn't you notice that when you settled your tab at the end of the trip on the Savor? I've traveled with the Savor and last month with Ms. Saphire, I ordered items from the wine list and was never charged. You should call Tauck about this because all liquor and wines and specialty drinks are included.
Wonder if there has been a change because when we booked our Alaska tour, we were under the impression we got all drinks free, maybe not top shelf spirits, but when we got our details we see it is capped at $250 Or maybe you ordered too many wines from the menu. But worth checking.
I have to admit I've never seen a disclaimer that said there were wines for extra cost. That's one thing Tauck has always touted - that all beverages were included. I looked at one of the menus for our Budapest/Amsterdam cruise and it just said after the 2 wines recommended that night that "If you prefer a different wine, please ask your steward for the wine card" with no mention of extra cost. In the Greenbook for that tour it states "wine, beer and premium spirits are included" but now on the website it says "house wine, beer and premium spirits" but still no mention of cost.
I didn’t check my tab because I didn’t think I’d bought anything. I just noticed it on my credit card bill.
So maybe they changed the rules and house wine is no charge but other wines are at a cost.
I kind of assumed that what wines they had on board were basically the ones that were part of the nightly rotation and maybe a couple for the bar. When I've looked in the wine cellar/closet in the dining room that's all I noticed. We've always been happy with the ones served with dinner so never asked.
We are thinking a bringing a bottle of our favorite rum on the Douro cruise then replacing it with a bottle of port on the flight home (checked bags).
I am trying to find the exact language that I have seen regarding having to pay for "premium" wines. I'll keep looking and will report back. Perhaps I saw it within the details of my upcoming small ship cruise. Nonetheless, I have requested non-regional wines at times in the lounge and have not been charged. Perhaps it is related to cabin category...I do not know. Regardless, I suggest that Thomas should confer with Tauck regarding her bar charges.
Is the entire ship populated by Tauck guests so that everyone is more or less doing the same trip?
If it’s a river cruise then the only guests are with Tauck.
We've been on 3 land trips with Tauck and evening jackets were seldom worn by the gentlemen. This being a cruise, and luggage space at a premium it sounds like in the cabin description, I'm wondering if jackets are worn every evening?
We have done eleven Tauck trips. Most of them were on boats, but I’ve not been on one that did not have at least one evening where a jacket was appropriate. Does that mean that no one showed up in a T-shirt, shorts, and shower shoes … no. That does happen. On two cruises, one on Ponant, and one on Windstar, I saw men who were refused entry to the dining room in the evening, and told they could be seated when dressed appropriately.
Jane Russell
If you look at the packing list for this cruise it says jacket and tie are optional. The vague "resort casual" is the evening standard. So no jackets are unlikely be worn except maybe at the welcome/farewell dinners and any special evening off ship.
As to storage space, we have done 5 Tauck river cruises in 150 to 225 sqft cabins and never had a problem finding storage for our clothes. My husband and I bring one lg checked bag and a large enough carryon for essentials like electronics, meds, 311 bag and at least one change of clothes. Your empty bags go under the bed though if you're in a suite I believe you can put them in the walk in closet.