Tauck will introduce a new riverboat on the Douro River in Portugal in 2020.
The new ship, the ms Andorinha, will add three new itineraries to Tauck's already extensive portfolio of river cruises and will offer an intimate onboard experience on the Douro.
Tauck is proud to note that the ship will welcome just 84 passengers, far fewer than many vessels already sailing the river.
"At Tauck, we measure success by the quality of the experience we provide our guests, and one of the best ways to ensure a warm, relaxing and engaging atmosphere on board is to avoid crowding too many guests into a limited space," said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar.
Riverboats sailing the Douro average 260 feet in length, noted Mahar, and accommodate as many as 130 passengers.
"That's 55 percent more guests in the same space," said Mahar, "and you just can't deliver the same level experience or ambiance with those kinds of numbers."
Mahar also hinted that Tauck's new riverboat will offer a number of unique design features that will set the ship apart and make it perfectly suited to cruising the Douro.
"The Douro is a very different river, and so we've been consciously deliberate with the ship's design," said Mahar. "We won't be the first company to operate on the Douro when we launch next year, but in terms of infrastructure, we're excited to have some surprises in store that will truly differentiate us."
Tauck's longtime partner, Scylla AG, is once again spearheading the design for the ship. The hull will be fabricated at Vahali Shipyard in Serbia, and final outfitting will be done in Hardinxveld, the Netherlands.
Thirty-six crew members will serve 84 passengers onboard, including a Tauck cruise director and three Tauck director guides. The ship will have 42 cabins, including 12 300-square-foot suites on the upper Diamond Deck, and 20 225-square-foot staterooms primarily on the vessel's Ruby or mid-level deck. Six 200-square-foot cabins and four 150-square-foot cabins-will be on the lower or Emerald Deck.
Also onboard, passengers will find the Panorama Lounge, Compass Rose restaurant for fine dining, and a second dining venue, Arthur's (named for company chairman Arthur Tauck Jr.), serving more casual fare.
Tauck's three new itineraries on the Douro River include a 12-day journey that will feature a seven-night Douro cruise and include two-night hotel stays in Lisbon and Madrid.
The tour operator will also offer an eight-day, cruise-only journey along the river and a family-friendly Tauck Bridges eight-day sailing, with departures scheduled for June and July in the summer of 2020.
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