Tauck officially welcomed the ms Treasures and ms Esprit back into its riverboat fleet last week in Amsterdam, following an extensive reconfiguration of the vessels' interior spaces, resulting in enlarged cabins and reduced passenger count. Treasures and Esprit are the last of Tauck's four 110-meter (360-foot) ships to undergo the transformation. Tauck's two other 110-meter ships, the ms Sapphire and ms Emerald, were similarly reconfigured a year ago, and returned to service in time for their 2017 sailing season.
Both ms Treasures and ms Esprit were fully gutted during the refurbishment, with the most dramatic change occurring on their Ruby (middle) Decks, where 30 150-square-foot cabins in each ship’s original configuration were replaced by 20 larger cabins measuring 225 square feet. With the total number of cabins reduced from 59 to 49, each ship's overall capacity has been reduced from 118 passengers to 98 per vessel.
The Treasures and Esprit will sail on Tauck's cruises along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, including its "Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat" itinerary. With larger cabins and fewer guests, the company expects this 14-night journey (which also operates from Budapest to Amsterdam) to gain popularity.
In addition to the 20 new 225-square-foot cabins, each of Tauck’s 110-meter ships already offer 14 300-square-foot suites. As a result, cabins measuring 225 square feet or larger now account for 69 percent of all accommodations.
Another significant enhancement can be found on the Treasures' and Esprit’s Diamond (upper) Decks, where the ships' second dining venue, The Bistro, has been upgraded with its own dedicated kitchen and chef. On each ship, the Bistro has been renamed Arthur's in tribute to company chairman Arthur Tauck Jr., and its expanded menu will provide more casual alternatives to the fine dining selections offered in the ships' main Compass Rose restaurants. The enhanced Arthur's restaurant is already featured on Tauck's four 135-meter ships.
This article originally appeared on www.travelagentcentral.com.
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