Tauck vs. AMA Waterways?

[Stella Maris]

Looking at French wine country cruises for 2017. Tauck's itinerary is posted, pricing isn't yet. Tauck and AMA seem to be closest to what we're looking for. Does anyone have any advice as to how to choose?

[Got2Cruise]

Looking at French wine country cruises for 2017. Tauck's itinerary is posted, pricing isn't yet. Tauck and AMA seem to be closest to what we're looking for. Does anyone have any advice as to how to choose?

 

 

Tauck is fully exclusive and spares no expense. Their pricing reflects that. That's not to say it's not a good value. But all that is included adds up. You need to do a line by line comparison and crunch the numbers. You also need to look closely at the included excursions and activities. Look at the day to day itineraries.

[dan4182]

You won't go wrong with either. If you are a food enthusiast AMA is the only cruise line that is certified by the French gastronomic rating society as excellent.

[SCHappilyRetired]

We have not been on a Tauck river cruise but have been on a few land cruises with them which were excellent. No complaints. You should compare what AMA vs Tauck includes. Are you paying for something you may not want or use? We have cruised with AMA and will do so again this year. It's a good fit for us. Some like that idea that all inclusive is good for them which is fine. Everyone has their preferences. It boils down to what your needs are. Enjoy whichever line you choose.

[caviargal]

We loved our Rhone cruise with AMA in 2014. It is our favorite itinerary so far. Lots of port time, exceptional staff and crew, awesome cruise manager and the most handsome Captain ever :D.

 

Food was very good, as always with AMA, and service was excellent. We had a wonderful choice of included excursions and that made it hard to choose between them in some ports.

 

We did the same itinerary with Uniworld last year and enjoyed it as well, but preferred AMA's excursions, staff, cruise manager and entertainment.

 

I did a detailed review on CC and you can also search posts on this forum for my comments.

 

We have not cruised with Tauck as we prefer a more independent experience and feel that we would be paying for components of no interest to us.

[Ozjohnno]

I have cruised twice with Tauck but alas not with AMA but I can say that I could not find one thing to criticise Tauck on from the accommodation to the food and their outstanding relationships forged between the TD's and the customers who cruised with them. They are truly all-inclusive and I continue to be stunned by those who feel they suppress, in some manner, the independence of the cruiser or even more strangely that a component of a Tauck river cruise when compared to AMA would in someway be of no interest to anyone.

 

Just a thought.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I have cruised twice with Tauck but alas not with AMA but I can say that I could not find one thing to criticise Tauck on from the accommodation to the food and their outstanding relationships forged between the TD's and the customers who cruised with them. They are truly all-inclusive and I continue to be stunned by those who feel they suppress, in some manner, the independence of the cruiser or even more strangely that a component of a Tauck river cruise when compared to AMA would in someway be of no interest to anyone.

 

Just a thought.

 

I haven't sailed Tauck, but the acclaim for them is universal so I completely agree with your assessment. I think the posts you are reacting to look at it this way: if I don't drink except wine at dinner and I don't plan to take the excursions on either cruise line, I would feel that I am paying too much on AMA (the excursions) and even more "too much" on Tauck. This doesn't apply to me, because DW and I have found that we really enjoy river cruise excursions (despite being quite happy to travel independently with a Rick Steves book on other occasions). But being cheap at heart, I can see the logic for other folks.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I have cruised twice with Tauck but alas not with AMA but I can say that I could not find one thing to criticise Tauck on from the accommodation to the food and their outstanding relationships forged between the TD's and the customers who cruised with them. They are truly all-inclusive and I continue to be stunned by those who feel they suppress, in some manner, the independence of the cruiser or even more strangely that a component of a Tauck river cruise when compared to AMA would in someway be of no interest to anyone.

 

Just a thought.

 

Doing our first Tauck in September. I have worried a bit that we might feel a bit too "cossetted", if you know what I mean--not suppressed, but managed too much, perhaps. I suspect we'll be fine, but nice to be reassured. I can't imagine what you mean by the second comment--how could a component of one river cruise be of no interest to anyone, or not, depending on the cruise line?

 

Don't get me wrong, I like to be pampered and taken care of, but we do like to be independent too.

[caviargal]

Doing our first Tauck in September. I have worried a bit that we might feel a bit too "cossetted", if you know what I mean--not suppressed, but managed too much, perhaps... I can't imagine what you mean by the second comment--how could a component of one river cruise be of no interest to anyone, or not, depending on the cruise line?

 

Don't get me wrong, I like to be pampered and taken care of, but we do like to be independent too.

 

I agree.

 

Tauck is known to be an excellent line and fully inclusive. That inclusiveness comes at a cost, which I am sure works out perfectly for those who want a seamless and totally organized experience. That is not important to us.

 

We often arrive by train at our embarkation point so rarely do we use included transfers. We book our own hotels and prefer it that way. We are not keen about being part of a "group" and enjoy time with each other more than with strangers.

 

We have never purchased an "optional excursion" with any cruise line, as we prefer to be on our own, going at our own pace and spending time as we choose. Having all excursions included simply is not a plus for us, as we opt out half the time anyway.

 

We always end up tipping more than the recommended amount, making included gratuities nice but not a big deal. And we have no problem paying for drinks if we want them, but often go into town after dinner to enjoy some local culture.

 

All of those inclusions are factored into the fare. It is a personal decision as to what works best for the individual.

 

We enjoyed the inclusive (mostly) aspect of our Uniworld cruise but no more so than our AMA cruises, which are not inclusive of tips, drinks, etc. To us, it is just not relevant to our decision making process.

 

YMMV

Edited February 29, 2016 by caviargal