The two newbuilds Tauck is adding to its fleet of European river cruise ships in 2014 will each have 57% more suites than the company’s existing vessels, Tauck said.
The ships, the Inspire and Savor, will each have 22 suites, equal to 33% of the cabins onboard. Tauck’s existing vessels have 14 suites, or about a quarter of the cabins. Suite size will be 300 square feet, Tauck said.
The increased number of suites is due in part to the longer length of the new class of vessels, called the Inspiration class: They will be 443 feet long, 23% longer than the Jewel class ships Tauck is currently sailing in Europe.
“Our suites are always the first cabins to sell out on our Jewel Class ships,” Tauck CEO Dan Mahar said in a statement. “When we sat down to develop our new Inspiration-class ships, it only made sense to raise the number of suites even higher.”
All of the suites on the Savor and Inspire will be located on the ships’ upper deck, and each will be furnished with a pullout couch, walk-in closest with built-in drawers, marble bath with his-and-her sinks and two French balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows.
The newbuilds will also have 32 cabins at 225 square feet each, and 13 cabins ranging from 150 to 190 square feet.
All suites and cabins will feature in-room movies, a minibar, individual heating and cooling controls, Molton Brown toiletries, 100% goose down pillows, 400-thread-count linens and pillow-top mattresses.
Eight of the lower deck cabins will feature a raised platform seating area with a small table, two chairs, and a raised ceiling that will accommodate a much taller window, the upper portion of which can be opened for fresh air.
The public areas will include a main dining room, a more casual alternative dining venue with a retractable, wrap-around glass wall at the stern of the ship, a cocktail lounge, fitness center, spa, hair salon, bicycles for use ashore and a sun deck with a hot tub.