Riverboat in Budapest, courtesy Tauck
Tauck appears to be rolling out the red carpet for solo travelers in 2014, eliminating single supplements on its Category 1 European riverboat cabins and reducing the single supplement by up to $600 on 158 departures of 64 itineraries to five continents. Tauck is also taking $1,000 off the price for solo travelers booking Category 4 and 5 cabins on 28 departures of 13 different river cruises. Elsewhere in Europe, Tauck has also reduced the single supplement by up to $400 on 50 departures of 22 different land tours.
Tauck is striving to accommodate solo travelers in other aspects of its business, for example, by including four dedicated solo traveler cabins in the design of its two new riverboats, the Savor and the Inspire, to be launched next year. The company also offers a dedicated Solo Travel Forum and a Solo Travel section on its website, tauck.com, to better serve its guests and prospective guests who may be traveling alone.
Cruise Briefs
Carnival Corporation has received the support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada to implement a significant advancement in environmental technology designed to reduce air emissions from cruise ships and large marine vessels. The company has committed more than $180 million for exhaust gas cleaning technology on 32 ships, including vessels from Carnival Cruise Lines, the Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Cunard that sail regularly from North America.
In other news, Carnival Cruise Lines has unveiled a new program that offers consumers a money-back guarantee when booking a Carnival cruise vacation. Designed to provide consumers with complete peace of mind, the Great Vacation Guarantee allows guests to end their voyage within 24 hours of departure and receive a 110 percent refund plus complimentary transportation home, along with a $100 shipboard credit for a future cruise, should they be dissatisfied with their cruise for any reason.
Holland America Line’s Alaska subsidiary has reached an agreement to acquire the McKinley Chalets Hotel in Denali National Park from Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services. Holland America will develop the property further for inclusion on its Land+Sea Journeys that combine an Alaska cruise with an overland tour to the renowned park.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ newest destination is Bordeaux, France. Two new itineraries, including Portrait of France, will take guests through that picturesque region of France along the three rivers of Aquitaine: the Garonne, the Gironde and the Dordogne. Travelers will visit some of the region’s most prestigious chateaus, as well as Pauillac, gateway to the Médoc wine route, and Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux’s oldest wine area and a World Heritage Site.
Expedition cruise specialist Silversea has launched its second expedition ship. Fresh from a major refurbishment, the 100-guest vessel, formerly named the Galapagos Explorer II, embarked September 28 on her first-ever voyage as Silver Galapagos.
