There is no Captains Dinner on Tauck river cruises. There is a welcome reception - part meeting of all the crew and part info briefing the first night. And the night in Vienna is dinner with entertainment in a ballroom of a palace. For some reason the Tauck website does not have packing recommendations for this cruise possibly because it's a Bridges tour which tend to be more casual. Here is the standard guidance:
"During evenings aboard the riverboat, dress is resort casual. Items such as slacks and collared shirts are appropriate for men. For women, slacks, a dress or a skirt and blouse are suitable. For dinner and throughout the evening, guests should refrain from wearing shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops or sneakers. Your journey also includes one or two special occasion dinners, where a sport coat and tie for gentlemen and a dress/pantsuit for ladies are suggested."
Our first river cruise I was certainly not a vip and was so new to most things river cruise I barely took it all in. Then a forum participant told some story about the captains dinner she was invited to on a Tauck river cruise. On our next cruise I paid more attention and nope, there was only a reception and certainly the captain didn't dine with the group. So I asked the CD if Tauck had Captains dinners where there was a captains table with guests specially selected to join him to dine. This was back in 2015. She said no that wasn't how Tauck did it. There is the welcome reception and farewell reception. Sometimes those have included a special dinner where everyone was expected to dine at the same time. Lately though it seems the Chef's Signature dinner has taken the place of those dinners where all eat at the same time, have special dishes and decorations. I'd be curios to know when and what river cruise you experienced an actual captains dinner.
I haven’t taken many river cruises but have attended the captain’s welcome and farewell receptions in the lounge; the former to introduce the crew and the latter to say goodbye to the crew. There is usually a Chef’s Signature Dinner or two but there is no Captain’s Table. We took one Ponant tour and were invited to sit at the Captain’s table. We graciously declined the invite—it is not something we would enjoy.
Regarding dress, I find Tauck’s website to be very generic. We dress for the more formal meals and for the “gala” events off ship. At least a suit jacket for my husband and a dress for me. Tailored dress slacks with a short-waisted jacket also work well for me. It is our personal choice to dress for the event/venue. If I was attending the Viennese Imperial event, I would wear a cocktail dress. Again my choice.
Bkmd, its one of those VIP sort of things. A privileged granted to a few. One of the things I like about Tauck river cruises is they make all feel special.
I see nothing special about attending a Captain’s dinner. It appears to be for people who have taken a certain amount of tours. I do not know what that magic number is. My reason for traveling is not to have to listen to someone boast about how many tours they have taken, how many countries they have been to, how brilliant their grandkids are, et al. This is my opinion.
After we respectfully declined the Ponant invitation, the Captain approached us and discreetly told us that we wouldn’t be missing anything. We had a good chuckle.
I also feel that there isn’t anything extraordinary or super special about a “captains dinner”. The only difference is that the dining experience will take much longer and that you’re dining with another person, the captain. At that time of the day, I don’t need anything to drag on and on. That being said, the European dining starts too late for me. I’m an early bird for meals and really don’t care to go to sleep on a very full stomach and to have everything repeated the next day the same way for the length of the tour.
We have been invited to every Captain’s table dinner on the Ponant’s cruises we have taken. While we had thought it was a privilege for people who have taken a large number of Tauck tours, it is not the case. We have met people at the table who have been on as little as their second Tauck tour. Not that it often comes into conversation about number of tours. We have also learned it is often up to the TD to decide who is chosen.
I admit, that my stomach churns with nerves beforehand, but it is always good to talk to people, hear about them, learn information about many topics you do not have knowledge about yourself, have a laugh and so on.
The captains have mostly been fun and interesting to talk to. I recall there are usually about six people invited to the table. Actually, because the dining room is noisy, it can be quite difficult to hear the conversation of anyone other than your neighbor at seating The time flies by, the dinner is no longer than at any of the other tables. The Captain chooses the wines for the table, so not the same that other guests are drinking. We choose an appropriate outfit , but others have sometimes, in my opinion, have made no effort.
A couple of times, there have been guests who just sit there and say nothing. Some of the captains are excellent at drawing people into conversation which is really helpful.
A couple of times, we have been lucky, as a result of being invited to the table, to be invited to other things by the captain. In Iceland, the captain invited us to a private ride on his dinghy onto the sea to view the puffin colony from that perspective and on the Norwegian cruise, the captain invited us to a private tour of the bridge while the pilot was navigating us out of a harbor. It was fascinating talking to the pilot and watching him leave the ship on a tender when we cleared the harbor.
While we of course believe we are very privileged to get these invites, we have taken many Tauck tours and I suppose have earned it. However, as we learned, it is not always about how many tours you might have taken. I actually think that Tauck takes notes on every customer and the Tour Directors might be able to choose people who may have the personality to enjoy the experience, be entertaining to others at the table etc
If you are invited, do take the opportunity to take the invitation up. There is little conversation about boasting about anything, the event passes quickly, the captain often leads the conversation. You can’t really make an opinion if you haven’t been gracious about accepting the invitation.
Perhaps if anyone here on the forum has had the experience they might post about their perspective.
I called my special dinners a "Captain's Dinner" but I guess they really were "Chef's Signature Dinners." In any event, the night was dressier than other nights, and similar to the Captain's Dinner on a non-Tauck river cruise that I have taken. The table settings were elaborate and everyone ate at the same time.
Going back to the original question. We have taken two Bridges tours. They are very casual and you really can’t expect any special dress. If my granddaughter was going on this tour I would just be sure no skimpy tops or short shorts. Focusing on practical dress for the excursions is far more important.
Ok, that's clearer MCD. I've enjoyed the special dinners with the little touches like a bow to turn the napkins into a tux or once we had choux pastry swans as part of dessert.
I think it would be interesting to dine with a crew member to learn some more about how things operate in the background on cruises. We've enjoy opportunities to get a guided tour of the wheel house with the captain explaining all the equipment and what they do to navigate safely. Also guided tours of the kitchen and how it operates. If you get a chance on a river cruise to do one of these tours I highly recommend them. Even if not offered, if you ask the CD they'll likely be happy to arrange it.
Last summer our cruise had at least half a dozen Tauck HQ staff on board who we got to know. Very nice people and we learned a lot about the company.
And yes British, they definitely have files on all of us. Our TD for Scandinavia who lives in Italy knew we had taken the Classic Italy tour and who our TD was since she is another expat there. She didn't say more but I got the distinct impression there was more. They also keep info like if you've ever mentioned a food allergy. My husband avoids peanuts but it's not life threatening but he did once list that on the form you get the first night. He's had to tell them no other nuts are just fine multiple times.
BKMD - Ha! No, we didn’t have to walk the plank, but I would have gladly dived off of it to get away from that ship. I have already posted about our thoughts on a different thread. The captain was very kind and would wink at us whenever he saw us. He gave us the impression that doing those dinners was obligatory. One of our favorite tour directors whom we have had four (4) times, confirmed that. It’s a moot point. Like any gathering, if you are gregarious and like idle chit chat those dinners might suit you. If reserved like us, we find it draining and superficial. We are all different.
You mentioned you might take a river cruise. I hope you do.
We talked to Tauck last night, specifically about this. They said resort casual is fine for dinner, because it's specifically a family/bridges tour. The only night you might want to dress up nicer is the dinner in the castle.
Comments
There is no Captains Dinner on Tauck river cruises. There is a welcome reception - part meeting of all the crew and part info briefing the first night. And the night in Vienna is dinner with entertainment in a ballroom of a palace. For some reason the Tauck website does not have packing recommendations for this cruise possibly because it's a Bridges tour which tend to be more casual. Here is the standard guidance:
"During evenings aboard the riverboat, dress is resort casual. Items such as slacks and collared shirts are appropriate for men. For women, slacks, a dress or a skirt and blouse are suitable. For dinner and throughout the evening, guests should refrain from wearing shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops or sneakers. Your journey also includes one or two special occasion dinners, where a sport coat and tie for gentlemen and a dress/pantsuit for ladies are suggested."
Thank you.
I have had Captains' Dinners on my Tauck river cruises. I've worn black slacks and a dressy (not glittery...often a jacket) top for them.
Our first river cruise I was certainly not a vip and was so new to most things river cruise I barely took it all in. Then a forum participant told some story about the captains dinner she was invited to on a Tauck river cruise. On our next cruise I paid more attention and nope, there was only a reception and certainly the captain didn't dine with the group. So I asked the CD if Tauck had Captains dinners where there was a captains table with guests specially selected to join him to dine. This was back in 2015. She said no that wasn't how Tauck did it. There is the welcome reception and farewell reception. Sometimes those have included a special dinner where everyone was expected to dine at the same time. Lately though it seems the Chef's Signature dinner has taken the place of those dinners where all eat at the same time, have special dishes and decorations. I'd be curios to know when and what river cruise you experienced an actual captains dinner.
Vienna dinner is at least a blazer event for men
I haven’t taken many river cruises but have attended the captain’s welcome and farewell receptions in the lounge; the former to introduce the crew and the latter to say goodbye to the crew. There is usually a Chef’s Signature Dinner or two but there is no Captain’s Table. We took one Ponant tour and were invited to sit at the Captain’s table. We graciously declined the invite—it is not something we would enjoy.
Regarding dress, I find Tauck’s website to be very generic. We dress for the more formal meals and for the “gala” events off ship. At least a suit jacket for my husband and a dress for me. Tailored dress slacks with a short-waisted jacket also work well for me. It is our personal choice to dress for the event/venue. If I was attending the Viennese Imperial event, I would wear a cocktail dress. Again my choice.
Not being a cruise person, can someone explain what is special about the Captain's table?
Bkmd, its one of those VIP sort of things. A privileged granted to a few. One of the things I like about Tauck river cruises is they make all feel special.
I see nothing special about attending a Captain’s dinner. It appears to be for people who have taken a certain amount of tours. I do not know what that magic number is. My reason for traveling is not to have to listen to someone boast about how many tours they have taken, how many countries they have been to, how brilliant their grandkids are, et al. This is my opinion.
After we respectfully declined the Ponant invitation, the Captain approached us and discreetly told us that we wouldn’t be missing anything. We had a good chuckle.
He didn't make you walk the plank?
I also feel that there isn’t anything extraordinary or super special about a “captains dinner”. The only difference is that the dining experience will take much longer and that you’re dining with another person, the captain. At that time of the day, I don’t need anything to drag on and on. That being said, the European dining starts too late for me. I’m an early bird for meals and really don’t care to go to sleep on a very full stomach and to have everything repeated the next day the same way for the length of the tour.
We have been invited to every Captain’s table dinner on the Ponant’s cruises we have taken. While we had thought it was a privilege for people who have taken a large number of Tauck tours, it is not the case. We have met people at the table who have been on as little as their second Tauck tour. Not that it often comes into conversation about number of tours. We have also learned it is often up to the TD to decide who is chosen.
I admit, that my stomach churns with nerves beforehand, but it is always good to talk to people, hear about them, learn information about many topics you do not have knowledge about yourself, have a laugh and so on.
The captains have mostly been fun and interesting to talk to. I recall there are usually about six people invited to the table. Actually, because the dining room is noisy, it can be quite difficult to hear the conversation of anyone other than your neighbor at seating The time flies by, the dinner is no longer than at any of the other tables. The Captain chooses the wines for the table, so not the same that other guests are drinking. We choose an appropriate outfit , but others have sometimes, in my opinion, have made no effort.
A couple of times, there have been guests who just sit there and say nothing. Some of the captains are excellent at drawing people into conversation which is really helpful.
A couple of times, we have been lucky, as a result of being invited to the table, to be invited to other things by the captain. In Iceland, the captain invited us to a private ride on his dinghy onto the sea to view the puffin colony from that perspective and on the Norwegian cruise, the captain invited us to a private tour of the bridge while the pilot was navigating us out of a harbor. It was fascinating talking to the pilot and watching him leave the ship on a tender when we cleared the harbor.
While we of course believe we are very privileged to get these invites, we have taken many Tauck tours and I suppose have earned it. However, as we learned, it is not always about how many tours you might have taken. I actually think that Tauck takes notes on every customer and the Tour Directors might be able to choose people who may have the personality to enjoy the experience, be entertaining to others at the table etc
If you are invited, do take the opportunity to take the invitation up. There is little conversation about boasting about anything, the event passes quickly, the captain often leads the conversation. You can’t really make an opinion if you haven’t been gracious about accepting the invitation.
Perhaps if anyone here on the forum has had the experience they might post about their perspective.
I called my special dinners a "Captain's Dinner" but I guess they really were "Chef's Signature Dinners." In any event, the night was dressier than other nights, and similar to the Captain's Dinner on a non-Tauck river cruise that I have taken. The table settings were elaborate and everyone ate at the same time.
Going back to the original question. We have taken two Bridges tours. They are very casual and you really can’t expect any special dress. If my granddaughter was going on this tour I would just be sure no skimpy tops or short shorts. Focusing on practical dress for the excursions is far more important.
Ok, that's clearer MCD. I've enjoyed the special dinners with the little touches like a bow to turn the napkins into a tux or once we had choux pastry swans as part of dessert.
I think it would be interesting to dine with a crew member to learn some more about how things operate in the background on cruises. We've enjoy opportunities to get a guided tour of the wheel house with the captain explaining all the equipment and what they do to navigate safely. Also guided tours of the kitchen and how it operates. If you get a chance on a river cruise to do one of these tours I highly recommend them. Even if not offered, if you ask the CD they'll likely be happy to arrange it.
Last summer our cruise had at least half a dozen Tauck HQ staff on board who we got to know. Very nice people and we learned a lot about the company.
And yes British, they definitely have files on all of us. Our TD for Scandinavia who lives in Italy knew we had taken the Classic Italy tour and who our TD was since she is another expat there. She didn't say more but I got the distinct impression there was more. They also keep info like if you've ever mentioned a food allergy. My husband avoids peanuts but it's not life threatening but he did once list that on the form you get the first night. He's had to tell them no other nuts are just fine multiple times.
BKMD - Ha! No, we didn’t have to walk the plank, but I would have gladly dived off of it to get away from that ship. I have already posted about our thoughts on a different thread. The captain was very kind and would wink at us whenever he saw us. He gave us the impression that doing those dinners was obligatory. One of our favorite tour directors whom we have had four (4) times, confirmed that. It’s a moot point. Like any gathering, if you are gregarious and like idle chit chat those dinners might suit you. If reserved like us, we find it draining and superficial. We are all different.
You mentioned you might take a river cruise. I hope you do.
We talked to Tauck last night, specifically about this. They said resort casual is fine for dinner, because it's specifically a family/bridges tour. The only night you might want to dress up nicer is the dinner in the castle.