Tauck Savoring France April 6, 2022

[Gourmet Gal]

Leaving for Paris today to join up with the Tauck Rhône cruise next week. We’re really looking forward to it but unfortunately DH and I are already realizing the pitfalls of embarking on the first river cruise of the season during Covid.  We’ll be arriving in Paris tomorrow to snowy cold weather in the mid-30’s.  It will warm up as the next 2 weeks progress but there will be a lot of rain, almost daily.  So now we’re wondering if we have to worry about high water on the river.  Weather can go either way in Paris this time of year - it was 70 just a few days ago!  And finally, regarding Covid, even though France is doing better than the rest of Europe the cases are rising and they are at 36% of peak cases and rising.

 

At this point, it is what it is and we’ll make the most of it!  I’ll try to post at least a few times in the next couple of weeks.

 

Our flight today is on Air France, nonstop SFO - CDG.  Even though we’ll be going to a different hotel 6 days in advance Tauck will still transfer us from the airport to our accommodations at The Peninsula.  That’s a really nice touch and something most cruise lines won’t do.  Having been to Paris more than a few  times already we’re drilling down to some less touristy sites and hopefully I can recap them if the rain doesn’t keep us away.

[Daisi]

Go and have fun, just take whatever precautions you feel necessary and don't listen to anyone saying you shouldn't have to.  Also, just hearing from a friend who is in Basel, be glad you aren't starting there...they are calling for snow tomorrow! 

 

Looking forward to your posts, we would love to do France at some point, and I've even promised DH a couple extra days in Paris (I don't care for large cities).

[Gourmet Gal]

Just checked into the Peninsula after a better than expected flight on Air France.  The food was pretty decent and the service was very good on board.  Before boarding however, the Air France lounge in SFO was really crowded and we didn’t feel Covid safe there with most people forgoing masks even if they weren’t  eating or drinking. 

 

There is quite a bit of snow here as well and cold.  Should be warmer tomorrow and sunny.  Heading out for a neighborhood walk and planning to visit The Marais tomorrow and the Picasso Museum.

[beesKate]

That is pretty good that Tauck does your airport transfers in that situation!  I remember having play games with Uniworld, after arriving days earlier, giving them a "fake" incoming flight, while actually taking the train from city center back to the airport. 

Have you ever been to the Carnavalet Museum in Paris?  It's just been updated, reopened and apparently very well done.

[flurry2]

We are very interested in experiences with Tauck and Uniworld.  We are booked on Tauck Savoring France: Paris, Lyon & Provence, July 10-19/2022.  Right before that we have scheduled a Uniworld Brillant Bordeaux July 2-July 10/2022. 

We are also flying Air France out of SFO but we first go on a 10 day Scandanavia food tour before flying to Paris where we have 3 days on our own before joining the Uniworld Bordeaux cruise.

Hoping that the weather swiftly improves for Gourmet Gal!  Please keep us posted!

 

[Gourmet Gal]

I am on board now and will do a review later but I would keep tabs on Covid before final payment.  Tauck is not managing it very well, are very lax with mask policing and  we now have at least one Covid case onboard.  The pre-departure testing  is scheduled for tomorrow but while they have quarantined the sick passenger or crew member they still allowed bus trips, wine tasting and a 7 course chef’s dinner tonight without testing.  Apparently the show must go on despite a lot of coughing and sniffling and people being very casual about masking.  
 

We can hardly wait  to get off this ship and away from these arrogant passengers.  We’re pretty tired of dodging sick people on this cruise.  

[KathyK13]

On 4/13/2022 at 3:55 PM, Gourmet Gal said:

I am on board now and will do a review later but I would keep tabs on Covid before final payment.  Tauck is not managing it very well, are very lax with mask policing and  we now have at least one Covid case onboard.  The pre-departure testing  is scheduled for tomorrow but while they have quarantined the sick passenger or crew member they still allowed bus trips, wine tasting and a 7 course chef’s dinner tonight without testing.  Apparently the show must go on despite a lot of coughing and sniffling and people being very casual about masking.  
 

We can hardly wait  to get off this ship and away from these arrogant passengers.  We’re pretty tired of dodging sick people on this cruise.  

I am very surprised at Tauck's lack of masking enforcement and testing once a positive case was identified. So the people who were coughing and sniffling were not wearing masks? I thought all river cruise lines are still requiring masks in public places and on transport as well as testing all passengers once a positive case was identified.  I would have been angry with Tauck as well as with other passengers, especially since the infection numbers are high in many places in Europe.   

[Gourmet Gal]

Only 20 pax were tested the day before the end of the cruise because they were flying out.  Of those 20, 3 tested positive.  That’s more than 10%.  I don’t know what happened to those people.  Hopefully they were sent to a quarantine hotel immediately.  Additionally, the first person to test positive earlier in the cruise was one of the tour directors.
 

The policy is masking while moving about the ship and on transport but it was haphazardly enforced.  It was especially irksome in the buffet line when guests just forgot or just tried to get away with being maskless.  No one was enforcing there.  In the Panorama lounge and Compass Rose as well as wine and cooking classes ashore the policy is as long as you are seated you can be maskless but Covid never sleeps.  It seems illogical that one is less contagious seated vs standing.  Of course the ideal would be the same as on airplanes…no fun but maskless only when eating or drinking.  At the very least a very bad cold was circulating on board and if a cold can circulate then Covid can, too.

[Gourmet Gal]

Hope to circle back with my review.  It’s written but not yet posted by CC.  I’ll post the link here, hopefully soon.

 

As I’ve mentioned on some other threads here, my husband ended up with Covid after testing positive within 20 minutes of coming home.  Somehow the Tauck test was negative before leaving the ship, despite my husband testing positive with a self test the day before.  15 days since start of symptoms he is still testing positive.  Being sick on the ship, even though according to Tauck he didn’t “officially” have Covid it was no fun and he missed several excursions and we basically became anti-social towards the end.  We ate our meals alone, quickly and didn’t socialize in the bar.  I lost 3 lbs. on this cruise!  In France.

[Coral]

Gourmet Girl - would you do Tauck again?

 

I know it is unfair to judge them during COVID vs non-COVID times but sometimes you get a good feel for a company on how they deal with problems. FYI - I have not heard a good outcome with anyone with COVID on a ship right now. I sailed a cruise line in December with a very low capacity and I thought they did great. Now - they are handling COVID poorly IMO now that the numbers have increased and protocols are reduced.

Edited April 24, 2022 by Coral

[Gourmet Gal]

Coral, We are considering cancelling our Oct. Douro cruise because of Tauck’s poor protocols.  But as you point out, no line seems to be handling it well during this time of shifting country requirements and evolution of Covid.  More people are back to cruising which just compounds the risks.  My husband and I have been so careful during this pandemic, we weighed the risks before we booked this April cruise and we thought it was worth the risk.  Right now it doesn’t seem worth the risk but just like childbirth, we may soon forget all the negatives and be ready to do it all again!  On the fence right now.

[Coral]

8 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Coral, We are considering cancelling our Oct. Douro cruise because of Tauck’s poor protocols.  But as you point out, no line seems to be handling it well during this time of shifting country requirements and evolution of Covid.  More people are back to cruising which just compounds the risks.  My husband and I have been so careful during this pandemic, we weighed the risks before we booked this April cruise and we thought it was worth the risk.  Right now it doesn’t seem worth the risk but just like childbirth, we may soon forget all the negatives and be ready to do it all again!  On the fence right now.

Thanks for your honesty. I understand your feelings.

[notamermaid]

5 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

I lost 3 lbs. on this cruise!  In France.

That says a lot. The more details you give the more I understand your truly miserable experience. You are obviously still under all the bad impressions, apart from the physical symptoms as such. Really sorry to read that. Hopefully you can be back to good feelings about the Douro cruise. But I would understand it if you cancelled.

 

I get the feeling that the cruise lines are not in line with the protocols within themselves or with each other. By that I mean I thought that IG River Cruise had it all set up and companies were sticking to that and knew what they were doing. I am not so convinced now. Arbitrary or depending on where you are on the specific river? Don't know but my impressions are not that great.

 

For me it would be easy to get back home when "thrown off the ship" and I would be able to handle hotels probably. But at this point in time I am not sure I would even risk a river cruise in my own country, let alone fly to one.

 

No, not happy about booking anything right now.

 

notamermaid

 

[Gourmet Gal]

Just posted in the Tauck review section for MS Emerald is my review of the April 6 Savoring France Rhône cruise. Hopefully this link works.  Any questions let me know.
 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=686027

[Coral]

Thanks for the review. 

 

I hope the stay in Paris made up for the cruise portion.....

Edited April 27, 2022 by Coral

[Gourmet Gal]

The Peninsula was wonderful.  Such a tranquil, serene and elegant hotel.  “As you wish, madame” was answer to every query and being driven around in the RR Phantom didn’t hurt either!

[Canal archive]

Gourmet Gal I hope you got the regal wave off to a tee, it’s got to be done even if no one else sees it!

[Coral]

8 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

The Peninsula was wonderful.  Such a tranquil, serene and elegant hotel.  “As you wish, madame” was answer to every query and being driven around in the RR Phantom didn’t hurt either!

I just brought up pictures and it looks amazing. I have yet to go to Paris. Was supposed to go 2 years ago around this same time. I would love to stay there. 

[Gourmet Gal]

6 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Gourmet Gal I hope you got the regal wave off to a tee, it’s got to be done even if no one else sees it!

Oh yes!  Nice touch.

[Gourmet Gal]

2 hours ago, Coral said:

I just brought up pictures and it looks amazing. I have yet to go to Paris. Was supposed to go 2 years ago around this same time. I would love to stay there. 

There are some amazing hotel properties in Paris.  When you do go you’ll have a fun decision to make.  We’re a little partial to Peninsula hotels in general and I’ve stayed in that particular neighborhood many times before.  It’s a little more residential and quiet than the core tourist area but easy to get around town.

[maryogreen]

Gourmet Gal, thanks for sharing your insightful trip report from the Rhône. I was happy to hear that the excursions were terrific, but was disheartened to learn about Tauck's lax Covid protocols.

 

My husband and I had a very different experience with Tauck's protocols on "Impressions of the Seine" last September – our first experience with Tauck and one of their first cruises back since the pandemic. There were just 32 of us on board, and Covid protocols were strictly followed...masks in public spaces, including the buffet line, and on buses and in some towns when legally required. The cruise ran as if it were we were at full capacity – even Arthur's was open for dinner. Tauck arranged testing at the end of the cruise, and everyone was negative.

 

It's so true that no two cruises are alike, even on the same line. Covid protocols now add a whole new level to our experiences, wherever we travel. All the best in your future travels!

 

Mary

Travel Blog: https://www.themodernpostcard.com

[budspot]

Gourmet Gal-thank you for the information and your review. We are sailing on the MS Sapphire for Rendezvous on the Seine 5/31 with a Gift of Time pre-night at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.I am 73 and my boyfriend is 79 and looking forward to this trip. I've sailed Viking and AmaWaterways but chose Tauck for my boyfriend's first river cruise as the low passenger count and Tauck's reputation for outstanding service seemed worth the price. I've done several Tauck land tours and hoped they would provide the same exceptional service on this cruise I've come to expect from them. We are both vaccinated and double boosted. Dick recently (3 weeks ago) recovered from Covid. Luckily he only had mild cold-like symptoms. We both realize there is a possibility of catching Covid on this trip but will do everything in our power to stay healthy. I have my supply of KN95 masks which I intend on wearing while inside the ship and on buses. I am not happy with Tauck's lax enforcement of masking but will try to still have a good time. 

[Gourmet Gal]

Budspot, sounds like a fun trip.  My advice is to not be lulled into a false sense of immunity and then let your guard down, especially when you’ll see many people behaving as though Covid is over.  You seem to be aware that you and your boyfriend could still contract Covid again so if it’s problematic for you to delay your return then wear your masks more than you think you need to and take a supply of home antigen tests with you and test regularly.  If you are positive and asymptomatic you don’t want to find out the day before your flight home.

 

Good luck and enjoy the cruise!

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, budspot said:

Gourmet Gal-thank you for the information and your review. We are sailing on the MS Sapphire for Rendezvous on the Seine 5/31 with a Gift of Time pre-night at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome. I am 73 and my boyfriend is 79 and looking forward to this trip. I've sailed Viking and AmaWaterways but chose Tauck for my boyfriend's first river cruise as the low passenger count and Tauck's reputation for outstanding service seemed worth the price. I've done several Tauck land tours and hoped they would provide the same exceptional service on this cruise I've come to expect from them...

Please let us know how it goes – we have so few reports from Tauck cruises.  They have a great reputation, but it would be great to have recent reports!

[budspot]

We really enjoyed our cruise. 

There were 45 guests on our sailing. We made some new friends and were sorry to say goodbye at the end of the cruise.

Masks were recommended, specifically at buffets and in buses but compliance was about 50%. The staff wore masks but some of them tended to let them slip down under their noses. 

They did use 2 buses on our excursions so they weren't crowded.

We had a Category 3 room which is only 150 square feet which was tight for storage but we managed. I think I would splurge for the Category 6 or 7 if I were to sail again.

I think Tauck did a great job with the excursions. The after hours Louvre visit was amazing! The local guides were all very knowledgeable and personable. 

The food was some of the best I've had on any ship. I told the chef he needed to fire the pastry chef because the bread was addictive! Service was a bit unsteady with quite a few new staff members but you could tell they were all trying their best.

My only real complaint was the pillows-much too soft for us. 

We all received an email from Tauck during our cruise with a $500 voucher attached apologizing for service issues we encountered during our cruise. It is good until June 2023. We have an Ireland land trip booked for Sept so we'll be able to use the vouchers.

 

Dear Karen,

 

Thank you for traveling with Tauck on your recent river cruise. After two years of disruptions and travel dreams put on hold, it’s wonderful that destinations around the world are welcoming visitors once more. We hope that you enjoyed the opportunity to travel again as much as we enjoyed hosting you!

We understand that you have received a Tauck travel voucher from us without any accompanying explanation. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused (and we have since corrected the oversight that prevented our explanation from arriving with the voucher as planned).

We are providing you with the Tauck voucher because – although we’re sure your river cruise provided many special and memorable moments – we’re also aware that some elements of your onboard experience were lacking. For this, we sincerely apologize. The issues you encountered resulted primarily from a temporary staffing shortage caused by Covid-related visa restrictions that have prevented many of our overseas-based team members from returning to work. We have been working successfully to address these challenges, we were confident your ship was adequately staffed prior to your departure, and we were extremely disappointed that a number of last-minute absences resulted in the issues you experienced. Again, we apologize.

It’s our deep hope that this gesture will allow you to consider your overall experience more favorably, that you’ll enjoy fond memories of your river cruise for many years to come, and that the voucher may help us to welcome you again soon on another Tauck journey.

Once again, we thank you for traveling with Tauck.

Sincerely,


The Tauck Guest Relations Team