Tauck River Cruises: New Family River Cruise Itinerary and Redesigned Ships in 2017

Two newly designed riverboats in Tauck's Destination Fleet, a new family river cruise in France, and new "sparkling events" ashore make 2017 another banner year for Tauck River Cruising. They've redesigned their 361-foot ms Emerald and ms Sapphire with a spacious new deck plan; with 70% of their cabins measuring 225 square feet or more, they'll accommodate no more than 98 guests. Tauck's newest family river cruise - the 8-day Family Fun Along the Seine - combines two nights in amazing Paris with a 5-night river cruise visiting Normandy, Rouen and Versailles. And they’ve added exclusive evenings at medieval castles, French chateaux, royal palaces and more. Because how you cruise Europe’s rivers matters.

Family Fun Along the Seine

Paris to Normandy
Get set for a week of family fun in Paris and along the River Seine on the newest Tauck family river cruise aboard the redesigned ms Sapphire! Step back in time at Normandy’s D-Day beaches, go bicycling at Versailles and along the Seine and much more!

Tauck River Cruises' newest France family vacation is designed for families - a fun family river cruise that’s all about everything francais, from an action-packed two-night stay in Paris to five amazing nights aboard a newly redesigned Tauck riverboat exploring Monet’s gardens, D-Day Beaches, Rouen, and Versailles! You'll begin in Paris with two nights on the Left Bank at Pullman Paris Eiffel Tower, close to the famous landmark; enjoy a guided bicycle ride along the Seine, a Parisian picnic at the Eiffel Tower, and an art-filled scavenger hunt and guided tour in the Musee du Louvre in Paris. Explore artist Claude Monet's Giverny where you'll visit inside Monet’s house and experience the painted gardens at Giverny. In Les Andelys, take a hike up to Chateau Gaillard of Richard the Lionheart fame or a walk in a village steeped in history and country charm. All generations of your family will share poignant memories exploring the beaches of Normandy, touring the American Cemetery and visiting the D-Day Academy where a hands-on visit provides your family with a unique look at the year 1944 and the history of the 1944 Invasion - don wireless radio headsets in a Willys jeep or Dodge Command car; receive a map briefing; see Allied and German vehicles, weapons and radios... In Rouen, sightseeing includes historic sites immortalized by Joan of Arc, Notre Dame Square and a 3-D tour of the city’s Roman period. At Chateau de Versailles your family goes inside Louis XIV’s gilded palace to see how the royals lived, or they take a bicycle tour of the gardens and Marie Antoinette’s farm. All this and more aboard ms Sapphire, custom-designed to the highest standards of quality and comfort for a memorable family river cruise as you wind your way along the River Seine with no more than 98 Tauck guests!

Two Redesigned Tauck Riverboats

ms Emerald & ms Sapphire

Two 361-foot riverboats in Tauck’s Destination Fleet in France - ms Emerald (on the Rhone) and ms Sapphire (on the Seine) - have been newly refurbished and redesigned for 2017 for the utmost in comfort and spaciousness.

Newly redesigned to accommodate no more than 98 guests within an innovative deck plan featuring 14 300-sq. ft. Tauck Suites and 20 225-sq. ft. cabins, the ms Emerald is the perfect riverboat to cruise France's Rhone and Saone rivers through the colorful Provencal landscapes and villages dotting the lush Rhone Valley wine country that inspired the Impressionist painters of the 19th century. The newly redesigned ms Sapphire cruises the waters of the River Seine in France, from legendary Paris to Calvados country to Normandy’s beaches and Monet’s Giverny.