Tauck River Cruising Welcomes Ms Sapphire Back Into Fleet

Tauck River Cruising hit another milestone in its fleet renovation plan last week when ms Sapphire, the first of Tauck’s four 110-meters to be refurbished, completed its transformation.

Ms Sapphire will reenter service with a completely new look. Much of the ship was gutted, including the ship’s middle Ruby Deck, where 30 150-square foot cabins were replaced with 20 225-square foot cabins.

One of the new 225-square-foot cabins on the ms Sapphire’s Ruby Deck.

The ship’s upper Diamond Deck’s Bistro restaurant, a casual alternative, also sports a new look and a new name, Arthur, in tribute to company chairman Arthur Tauck Jr.

Many of the Diamond Deck’s staterooms also have been altered. There are two new sets of connecting cabins – a 183-square-foot Category 5 cabin and the adjacent 300-square-foot Category 7 suite.

The suites are aimed at families, with pull-out couches that can accommodate younger children. They’ll be particularly relevant for Tauck’s “Family Fun Along the Seine” and the ms Emerald sailing on “Bon Voyage: France Family River Cruise” on the Rhone.

Overall, the changes reduced the ship’s capacity from 118 to 98 passengers, but the staff size will remain the same, in keeping with “our commitment to providing our guests with the most spacious cabins and the most relaxed, intimate ambiance on board,” Tauck CEO Dan Mahar said.

At Seatrade last month, Tauck president Jennifer Tombaugh told reporters that the goal is not only to provide comfortable accommodations, but to pair them with interesting itineraries.

“It’s how we blend the destination in with our overall experiences that make it so special,” she said.