PHOTO: The lower-level Loft Staterooms onboard Tauck's MS Savor are creatively designed with a huge window that opens.

Tauck’s sixth riverboat, the 130-passenger MS Savor, entered service in late June on the Danube River, offering an in-depth experience through the heart of Europe.

It’s a trip that undoubtedly appeals to many cruisers and first-timers as well. But how does this ship — and its sister, MS Inspire, which was christened in April — differ from others on the European waterways? And how should you market and sell it?

For one, Inspire and Savor offer a lot of space per passenger. The ships are 443 feet long with 67 cabins and suites. Other lines with ships of similar length generally carry more passengers. Viking River Cruises’ Longships, for example, are 443 feet long and carry up to 190 passengers, 46 percent more than Tauck’s ships, in 95 staterooms.

Space like that is important to upscale travelers who gravitate to Tauck. The company also provides a high level of service — each river cruise is staffed by a Tauck cruise director and three Tauck directors, who travel with the guests on shore trips.

Tauck river cruise passengers tend to be in their 60s or early 70s and often travel as couples. Sometimes they are new to Tauck, although they likely have cruised on a big ship. The average age skews younger in the summer, when families can travel more often. The company says its river cruises are best enjoyed and appreciated by children age 8 and older, though they are welcome from the time they turn 3 years old. Of particular interest to parents are the Tauck Bridges family trips, which include a number of river cruises. For example, Tauck Bridges is offering three departures of its eight-day “Blue Danube: Family Riverboat Adventure” next year on the Swiss Jewel or Savor. Other family river cruise trips are on the Rhine and Rhône rivers.

“The logistics are managed and free parents to connect with their kids,” Mahar says. “It’s a nice way to give the kids a European experience.”

Tauck also attracts a good number of solo travelers because there is no single supplement on European river cruises. This offer is good on Category 1 staterooms, which are on the lowest level and measure 150 square feet. Savor and Inspire have six solo staterooms.

Tauck began offering the smaller staterooms to singles without a supplement in 2013. “It’s been a great home run for us and our guests,” Mahar says. “People really respond to that. It’s a great value.”

Tauck also offers an all-inclusive experience that includes hotels on some trips, transfers, excursions, unlimited beverages, gratuities, Wi-Fi access and some meals off the boat. Pretty much the only extra costs are for salon and spa services. “We don’t want guests to feel we’re doing something to get money out of them,” Mahar says.

Because of these traveler-friendly policies and beautiful ships, “demand still exceeds our supply,” Mahar says. And that’s without any price-cutting. “We don’t discount anywhere,” he says. “We do zero advertising in the U.S. It’s all word of mouth, a lot of direct mail, and the majority of the cruises, about 66 percent, is sold by travel agents.”

What’s more, Tauck wants to help you sell more river cruises. The company recently promoted Mary Murrin to the position of river cruise sales manager. She works with travel agents, hosting webinars and conducting training, and also attends consumer events. The company also publishes a river cruising sales manual just for agents.

Now that you know who travels with Tauck and why, here is a summary of the features of the newest riverboat, MS Savor.

Accommodations

The Savor has 22 suites that measure 300 square feet; they have two French balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows, walk-in closets, a pull-out couch, and marble bathrooms with rain showers.

Thirty-two staterooms encompass 225 square feet. They all have a pillow-top, queen-size bed (convertible to twins), a 32-inch LED television, a minibar replenished daily with complimentary water and soft drinks, a full-size bathroom with hairdryer, a large shower with rainfall shower head, 220v and 110v outlets in cabin and bathroom.

Of these staterooms, 24 have one floor-to-ceiling French balcony with a sliding door. The other eight are located on the lowest level and are the extremely clever Loft Staterooms.

Usually, lower-level staterooms are predominantly below the water line, and so they feature only a narrow strip of window, which can’t open, near the ceiling. “The lower-deck cabins are [usually] the toughest to sell,” Mahar said.

Tauck met the challenge on the Inspire and Savor with the Loft Staterooms, which add a high ceiling with a huge window that actually opens. The platform and window are raised above the water line, while the bulk of the cabin and bathroom are below water. Five steps lead up to the platform, which has a table and two chairs and a view from just a foot or two above the water line.

The result is an airy 225-square-foot stateroom flooded with natural light. The cabins above on the second level also measure 225 square feet but are configured in an L-shape to accommodate the raised ceilings in the Loft Staterooms below.

The Savor also has 13 cabins of 150 to 190 square feet. Six are the solo staterooms.

Dining

The main dining room, Compass Rose, is located on the second deck. Breakfast is served in the morning as a buffet, although there is a good selection of hot items that can be ordered from the server.

The restaurant has open seating for lunch and dinner. The evening meal offers four courses — an appetizer, soup, entrée and dessert. Red and white wines are poured with lunch and dinner.

An alternative dining venue called Arthur’s, named after the company chairman, is a more casual spot on the third level aft. It serves light breakfast and lunch and, in the evenings, turns into a steakhouse-style eatery.

Of course, some lunches and/or dinners are on land as part of the company’s meticulously planned shore excursions. One day, guests might be eating a delicious buffet lunch at the grand old Eisenhut Hotel in the heart of medieval Rothenburg, Germany. Or dinner might be served in the wine cellar of the Würzburg Residence, a palace that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Onboard the ship, vegetarian meals are always available. When the weather permits, there is al fresco dining on the Sun Deck. American breakfast room service is available to those who book Category 7 suites.

All guests can order complimentary snacks — including cheese and crackers, cookies, fruit or ice cream — from 10 a.m. to midnight for delivery within 30 minutes to desired locations.

Public Areas

Guests can gather on the Sun Deck when the weather allows. The top deck has tables and chairs suitable for eating or playing cards as well as loungers. Much of the seating is covered by an awning that provides shade. There’s also a hot tub and putting green.

PHOTO: The Panorama Lounge on Tauck’s MS Savor.

The Panorama Lounge on Deck 3 is the venue for daytime enrichment, such as a lecture or glass-blowing demonstration, and evening entertainment, which might be a Bavarian oom-pah band or a pianist.

The ship has a small exercise room with treadmills, stationary bikes and a yoga mat, as well as a small spa. The ship carries bicycles for guest use.

Itineraries

This year, the Savor operates two itineraries — the 12-day Blue Danube, priced from $4,790 per person plus airfare, and the 10-day Danube Reflections, from $4,590. Tauck river cruise fares include shore excursions, gratuities, onboard spirits, wine and beer, port charges and airport transfers.

For more information, call 800-468-2825 or visit www.tauck.com.