Tauck Christens New River Cruise Ships in France

Tauck welcomed its newest river cruise ship – the ms Lumière – to the fleet during a naming ceremony on March 27 in Lyon, France. A separate, private christening for the ms Serene took place a couple of days later, with Tauck’s vice chair of the Board Jennie Norman serving as godmother.

The celebration in Lyon was attended by some 50 guests including Tauck leadership, travel advisors, supplier partners, and members of the media. Co-godmothers Kristen Mack, vice president of Tauck director operations, and Brenna Shay, Tauck director manager, officially named the ship during the ceremony.

“Our past river cruising patrons have played a meaningful role in shaping the evolution of our river cruise fleet,” said Jennifer Tombaugh, CEO of Tauck. “Celebrating the christening of ms Lumière is a wonderful milestone, and these new ships allow us to welcome more travelers to these beautiful rivers while incorporating ideas and insights we’ve gathered from our guests and teams over the years.”

Purpose-built to expand Tauck’s presence on the Rhône and Seine rivers, ms Lumière and ms Serene incorporate new design elements to enhance the onboard guest experience.

Built to take advantage of the temperate climates and scenic beauty of Europe’s wine regions and bucolic rivers, both new ships feature resort-style Sun Decks with swimming pools and full-service bars, bright sky-lit atriums, and the line’s signature Arthur’s restaurant. Both ships also feature The Retreat, an expanded wellness area on the Diamond Deck with a fitness center, massage treatment room, and lounge space surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows.

The 443-foot ms Lumière accommodates a maximum of 130 guests and features 22 300-square-foot Tauck Suites on the upper Diamond Deck. Slightly smaller, the 410-foot ms Serene hosts up to 124 guests and offers many of the same design enhancements and expanded public spaces. 

“The addition of ms Lumière and ms Serene represents a significant step forward for our river cruising portfolio,” said Jeremy Palmer, president of Tauck. “Demand for France continues to be exceptionally strong, and these ships allow us to expand our presence on these rivers while welcoming more guests in the years ahead.” 

The addition of the two new shps is part of Tauck’s broader river cruise fleet expansion that will increase the company’s river cruising capacity by more than 30% compared to 2025. In 2027 the company will introduce two additional riverboats designed for the Seine and Portugal’s Douro River. The new Seine vessel will share the same design philosophy as the ms Serene, while the new Douro ship will sail alongside sister ship ms Andorinha, incorporating many of the guest-favorite features that have defined Tauck’s river cruise experience on that river. This four-vessel expansion over two years represents the highest volume increase in Tauck’s river cruising history.