Tauck News! Two New River Ships Coming to French Rivers in 2026

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, Tauck just announced the addition of two new river ships. Both will sail in France and join Tauck’s river fleet in spring 2026.

The two yet-unnamed ships — one accommodating 124 guests, the other 130 guests — will be built next year in Serbia and the Netherlands.

(In the photo above, a Tauck river vessel already sailing on the River Seine is shown docked near Les Andelys just below Chateau Gaillard. Photo by Tauck.)

New River Ships: One for France’s Rhone River

One of the new Tauck river ships will be 443 feet in length. It will operate Tauck itineraries along France’s Rhone River. A maximum of 130 guests will stay aboard in 68 cabins.

For those wanting space, glorious space, we’d suggest looking at the ship’s 22 spacious 300-square-foot suites. Those will be located on the upper Diamond Deck.

In addition, 34 225-square-foot cabins will be located primarily on the middle Ruby Deck. Finally, 12 180-square-foot Category 1 cabins will be available on the lower Emerald Deck.

A slightly smaller, 410-foot-long ship will host up to 124 guests sailing along France’s River Seine. Accommodations on this vessel will include 20 suites of 300 square feet on the Diamond Deck.

Plus, guests will discover 30 staterooms that span 225 square feet. Most will be found on the Ruby Deck. In addition, 12 suites (Category 1) spanning 180 square feet will grace the Emerald Deck.

What’s good to know? The Category 1 cabins on both Tauck new-builds will be 20 percent larger than Category 1 cabins on Tauck’s other riverboats.

Solo travelers can celebrate too! In keeping with Tauck’s tradition of welcoming solo travelers, all Category 1 cabins on the new ships will have the single supplement waived on every sailing.

“With our two new riverboats, we’ll continue to prioritize our guests’ comfort and the quality of their onboard experience,” says Dan Mahar, Tauck’s long-time CEO (now moving to become chairman of the board). He says that’s different from “the industry norm of maximizing revenue by maximizing passenger capacity.”

He mentions that similarly sized river vessels of other lines typically carry 190 or so guests. Yet, Tauck’s ships of that same size have a maximum of 130 guests.

Mahar believes that larger river boats with 46 percent more guests “simply can’t provide the same service or quality of experience with nearly half-again as many guests.”

Personal space is also important, he says. Eighty percent of the two new river vessels’ accommodations will be 225 square feet or larger.

As with all Tauck river vessels, the new ships will sail with a dedicated Tauck Cruise Director. They’ll also have up to three Tauck Director guides on board.

Itineraries will be fully inclusive. That means all shore excursions, gratuities, onboard beverages (including wine, beer and spirits), arrival and departure airport transfers, taxes and fees, and more are included within the cruise fare.

As yet, it’s too soon for other specifics about the ship’s public spaces. That said, Tauck says the ships’ uppermost Sun Deck, restaurants, lounges, spa and gym facilities are receiving a special focus. Details will be announced at a later date.

But “we’ve been listening carefully to what our guests have been saying, and to feedback from the Tauck Cruise Directors and Tauck Director guides,” says Mahar. “We’re reimagining our public spaces with some fresh and fun innovations.

“We have some wonderful enhancements in the works,” he stresses. “And we’re looking forward to revealing more of our plans in the coming months.”