Tauck Reveals Names, First Renderings of Newbuild River Cruise Ships
by Dori Saltzman
Photo: Tauck
Tauck will expand its French river cruising options in 2026 with the addition of two new ships: the ms Serene on the River Seine and the ms Lumière on the Rhône.
The names for the new ships were chosen from more than 1,000 suggestions submitted by Tauck’s travel advisors, guests, and employees at the company’s invitation.
“The name Serene is perfect for our new ship on the Seine, bringing to mind tranquility and rejuvenation,” Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh explained. “The River Seine itself is a gently flowing, meandering river that evokes a spirit of calm and escape that was captured beautifully in paintings of the waterway by the region’s Impressionist artists including Monet and Renoir.”
The name of Tauck’s new ship on the Rhône, Lumière, evokes images of light, inspiration and discovery, said Tombaugh, noting that the Rhône is a faster-flowing and more lively river, “akin to a spark of inspiration.”
Additionally, Lyon, a port of call on Tauck’s Rhône River cruises, is home to the Festival Lumière, which celebrates classic cinema and honors the Lumière brothers, who were raised and educated in the French city. Each December the city also hosts the Fête des Lumières, or Festival of Lights, featuring decorative and artistic light installations throughout the city.
Along with the ships’ names, Tauck released the first artist renderings of the new ships showing the full exterior, Sun Deck, wellness area, and Category 5 suite.
Highlights of the Sun Deck rendering include a swimming pool, full-service bar, and a generous allotment of shaded day beds. Guests will also find a number of tour-top tables for alfresco dining.
The wellness area, dubbed The Retreat, includes a fitness center, massage treatment room, and lounging area (complete with coffee/juice/snack bar). Larger than The Retreat found on other Tauck ships, the wellness area has been shifted from the lower Emerald Deck to the ship’s upper Diamond Dec, which allows full-length windows to add lots of natural light.
Each new vessel will also feature multiple 300-square-foot Category 5 suites (20 on Serene and 22 on Lumière), all of which feature two French balconies, a comfortable seating area and kid-sized bed positioned to face the floor-to-length windows.
In addition to the 20 Category 5 cabins, the ms Serene will also have 30 225-square-foot cabins (mainly on the middle Ruby Deck), and 12 180-square-foot Category 1 cabins on the lower Emerald Deck, for a total capacity of 124 guests.
Besides its 22 Category 5 suites, the ms Lumière will have 34 roomy 225-square-foot cabins primarily on the Ruby Deck, and 12 180-square-foot Category 1 cabins on the Emerald deck, for a total capacity of 130 guests.
In all, 80% of the new ships’ cabins will be 225 square feet or larger. At, 180 square feet, the Category 1 cabins on both new vessels will be 20% larger than those featured on Tauck’s other riverboats.
As on Tauck’s other riverboats, the Category 1 cabins on both ships will have all single supplements waived.
New Seine Itinerary
Besides sailing on Tauck’s family river cruise along the Seine, the ms Serene will also operate the line’s new-for-2026 Bordeaux, Paris & The Seiner itinerary.
The itinerary begins with a fully-guided, three-night exploration of Bordeaux and Saint Emilion with accommodations at the InterContinental Bordeaux – Le Grand Hotel. Guests then travel by high-speed train to Paris to board the ms Serene for a seven-night cruise on the Seine.
