2010 Itinerary

Inclusive Prices 

Cruise prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All riverboat accommodations, motor coach transportation, port charges, land excursions, admissions, entertainment, special dinners, wine with dinner aboard the riverboat, all-day soft drinks, sightseeing, porterage, and the services of the Tauck Directors, Tauck Cruise Director, hotel and ship staff, local guides and drivers are included. Transportation from Basel-Mulhouse Freiburg International Airport on the first day of the cruise to the MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire (depending on your cruise departure date)  is included, regardless of the time of your arrival, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight arrival information at least two weeks prior to the start of the tour. If you choose to arrive earlier than the tour departure date and arrange with us for additional night (s) at the Swissotel Le Plaza Basel, we will provide you with transportation from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the riverboat. On the last day of the cruise, we will also provide transportation from the riverboat to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam or to the Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel if you arrange with us to extend your stay at the hotel. Transportation will be provided to the airport from the hotel whenever you choose to depart.Transportation to and from airports and train stations may be shared with other Tauck guests.

Riverboat Accommodations – The cruise price includes all riverboat accommodations. The riverboat accommodates only 118 guests. Your well-appointed, outside-facing cabin is equipped with a plasma television, mini-bar, radio, international direct-dial telephone, safe and hair dryer. Your cabin also features adjustable air-conditioning and an en suite bathroom with shower. Most cabins have two twin beds that may be seperated or combined. Triple accommodations are only available in Category 6 on this cruise.

Other riverboat facilities include a lounge with a panoramic bar and dance floor, a spacious restaurant that can accommodate all guests in one seating, a large sun deck with deck chairs as well as a whirlpool, sauna, solarium, library, fitness center and small boutique.

Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.

A formal lunch is not included on the first day; however, beverages, snacks, and a light lunch of soup and sandwiches will be served from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. in the riverboat lounge.

An ample buffet breakfast, both hot and cold, is served in the spacious restaurant. At lunch, you are presented with a choice of entrée with several courses, or a delicious buffet. Dinner’s choice of entrée is accompanied with an international selection of wines. Please let us know about your special dietary requirements when booking your cruise; vegetarian and special diets are available with advance notice, however kosher meals cannot be accommodated. We will be pleased to meet your special dietary requirements whenever possible.

Complimentary all-day soft drinks, coffee and tea service, cookies and fruit are available in the Lido Bar. A continental breakfast of muffins, pastries, fruit and yogurt is served here daily.

The legal drinking age aboard the riverboat is 21 years old.

Tauck Director – The Rhine and Moselle riverboat cruise is conducted by three Tauck Directors and one Tauck Cruise Director who will remain with the group throughout the tour. Your Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director are professional, fully trained employees of Tauck.

Gratuities Included – All customary gratuities for the ship staff, local guides, drivers, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director are included.

No Options Sold - Tauck Directors assist with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but they will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed and pleasant experience for you.

Not Included

Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from us for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before and After Cruises – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your cruise. As a service, we will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through us. Hotel room charges will be added to the cruise cost. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the Extend This Journey section on this webpage and discuss it with your reservations sales consultant or travel agent when you book your cruise.

Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, riverboat, airline, train and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to Tauck Travel Protection on this webpage for more information.

• Pack at least one change of clothing in your carry-on bag
• Split your items between your suitcase and a traveling companion's suitcase
• Do not pack any vital medications or valuables in your checked luggage
• Confirm that your luggage is checked and tagged to your final destination at airport check-in
• Place your luggage claim tags in a secure place for your flight
• File a claim for any missing luggage immediately before leaving the baggage claim area
• Secure a case number and contact information for follow-up communications
• Make certain that the airline has your onward itinerary

Your Tauck Director will assist you with airline and other carrier communications, but has no inside contacts to guarantee or expedite recovery of lost luggage. All recovery costs, including the communication costs, are your responsibility. Check your travel protection details for covered expenses.

Personal Expenses such as phone calls, room service, alcoholic and other beverages not specifically included, laundry, dry cleaning, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, visa fees and services, airport arrival and departure taxes, individual airport transfers (when applicable), and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

Additional Information

Airline Security Measures -

If you are traveling from the U.S., the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Secure Flight program requires that your name, as it appears on your domestic or international airline ticket, must precisely match your name as it appears on the government-issued photo ID (i.e., passport or driver’s license) that you present during security screening. The ID name must also match any additional airline data, such as frequent-flyer information. For example, if you present your driver's license to security and it says John T. Smith, your ticket must also say John T. Smith, not John Thomas Smith, Jack Smith, or any other variant. Your date-of-birth and gender information provided to the airline must also match your passport.

If you make your air travel arrangements through us, please ensure that the name you provide us precisely matches your name as shown on the identification you will use while traveling. If you make your own airline reservations, please ensure that the airline has the correct information.

For more information on the Secure Flight program, please visit the TSA web site by clicking here.

If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S, you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.

Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter, or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times.

Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through us for travel originating in the United States. By using our air services, you agree that we, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, are acting only as your agent and are not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier. All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by us. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline only, even if purchased through us. We are not liable for, and do not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar relief from creditors). We must handle ticketing for our special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Our air services can only be purchased in conjunction with a one of our tours. Tickets or e-ticket numbers will be mailed with final documents. If you cancel or change your air booking before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.

Cruise Regulations – International maritime security guidelines require that your passport information be provided to us prior to your embarkation. You need to provide this information to us as soon as you book your cruise or boarding may be denied. Once you board the riverboat, your passport will be held by the purser until you disembark.

Holiday and Museum Closures – Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many state, religious and civic holidays observed.You may wish to log on to Wikipedia to view a list of holidays by country by clicking here.

Itinerary Changes and Price Flexibility – We pledge to make every effort to operate all cruises as advertised. We reserve the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to you. Any resultant added expense will be covered by us. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecast at the time of publication.

Journey Start and End Times are provided at the time of booking. The tour begins at 4:00 PM aboard the MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire in Basel, Switzerland. You or your booking agent will be advised of any change to this schedule. When making flight arrangements, allow sufficient time to claim luggage and clear customs in order to join the tour on time. The journey ends when you check out of the riverboat in Amsterdam on the last day of the tour. Each carrier and each airport has different rules regarding how early you must arrive for flight check in. Please contact your individual carrier for this information.

Membership will be granted to all persons. We reserve the right to terminate the tour of any persons who are abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.

Photography on Tour – Occasionally, we will use photographs and/or video taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on your cruise for print, Internet and other media promotional purposes. If you prefer that your image not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour.
 

Preparing to Go

Travel Document Requirements –

If you are a U.S. citizen, you will need a passport valid for six months beyond the completion of your Tauck journey for entry into each of the countries visited on the cruise. You are not required to obtain a visa to enter any country visited for the short duration of this tour. Please note that longer stays abroad for any purpose may require additional travel documentation.

If you are a citizen of another country, you should contact an embassy or consulate of each of the countries visited to determine what travel documentation is required. 

• Flat, rubber-soled walking shoes for on board the ship
• Casual daytime wear – shorts, slacks, long and short-sleeved shirts
• An optional jacket and tie for men
• Casually elegant evening wear for ladies
• Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat
• Swimwear
• Gym wear
• A light sweater or jacket for higher elevations or a breezy night
• Binoculars (7x50 preferably)
• Insect repellent
• Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and/or plenty of film
• Lightweight, comfortable, sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in
• Battery-operated travel alarm clock
• Rain poncho and collapsible umbrella
• Zipper-lock bags
• Daypack for camera equipment
• Sundries and toiletries that may be difficult to find en route
• Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your ship cabin while traveling

Elevation - The maximum elevation on this tour is 1,036 ft (316 m).

Health – While a cruise from Basel to Amsterdam is very relaxing and the pace leisurely, to enjoy this cruise, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surfaces. Some of the most memorable sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot. The amount of walking you do, however, is at your discretion.

The MS Swiss Emerald and MS Swiss Sapphire have four decks: Emerald, Ruby, Diamond and Sun. The elevator travels between the Diamond and Ruby decks and does not travel to the sun deck or the Emerald Deck. There is no chair lift between any of the decks.

On the Emerald deck, you will find a Wellness Center, which is complimentary and available on a sign-up basis by obtaining a key from the Font Desk. The center includes a tanning bed, Jacuzzi, steam bath, sauna and toilet.

The water on board the ship is potable, and complimentary bottled water is placed in your cabin each day. We also provide bottled water on the motor coaches.

Because you will be cruising on a river and not on the open sea, you are never far from land and, therefore, there is no doctor onboard the riverboat. In case of emergency we can easily dock the boat and call for an ambulance or medical assistance.

We regret that we cannot accommodate wheelchairs or scooters on this cruise. We also cannot provide you with individual assistance for walking, dining or other personal needs. If you need such assistance, you must be accompanied by an able companion who will help you.

Onboard the riverboat, smoking is permitted in a limited area of the Sun deck. Smoking is not permitted in any cabin, the restaurant, the lounge or any other interior space.

The MS Swiss Emerald and MS Swiss Sapphire are registered in Basel, Switzerland. Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour.

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify Tauck as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

If you are a resident of the U.S., no vaccinations are currently required for travel to The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France or Switzerland. For complete vaccination and inoculation information, contact your physician, the public health service in your area, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. The Travelers' Health Section of the CDC operates a 24-hour, prerecorded "Travelers' Health Hotline" at 877-394-8747 (toll-free in the U.S.). You may also log on to the CDC Internet website by clicking here. 

Destination Information

Cell Phones - We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask that you refrain from using your cell phone while on the motor coach, during group functions, when sightseeing and when your Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. There will be many opportunities to make and receive calls at times when it does not affect others.

Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine whether your cell phone service extends to the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Luxembourg.

Currency and Exchange Rates - Although it is not necessary for you to exchange money prior to your trip, it may be useful to have a small amount of local currency with you when sightseeing. If upon arrival you require local currency, you can visit one of the many currency exchange facilities at the airport or use an ATM. The riverboat does not exchange currency, but does accept Euros, American Express, MasterCard and Visa as methods of settling shipboard accounts.

In the Netherlands, France, Germany and Luxembourg, the official currency is the Euro. In Switzerland, it is the Swiss Franc. Major credit cards and travelers’ checks are widely accepted, although fees may be charged, and ATMs are found in most tourist venues.

To obtain the most current exchange rate, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website, “Oanda.com”, by clicking here.

• the Netherlands 19%
• Germany 16%
• Luxembourg 15%
• France 19.6%
• Switzerland 7.6%

If You Have to Cancel

Cancellation Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations of confirmed bookings result in our incurring costly penalties and cancellation fees from our travel and hotel providers. Therefore, if you have to cancel a confirmed booking, we will charge you a cancellation fee according to when your cancellation notice is received in our Norwalk, CT office. To help limit your liability, please refer to Tauck Travel Protection on this webpage for more information.

If you choose not to purchase Tauck Travel Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:

60 days or more before departure
$600 per person (the amount of the deposit)

59-30 days before departure
Loss of 50% of the cost of the cruise, not including air (if applicable),  per person

29-1 days before departure
Loss of 100% of the cost of the cruise, not including air (if applicable) per person

Did you know that you can link-up Tauck itineraries to create longer journeys? Many of these trips are in the same region, and depending upon availability you might connect with them before or after your trip. Alternatively, you might find one of these options better suited for your interests and preferences or for when you are available to travel.